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Topics - FlowerCityLetters

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Workshops & Conference News / Discount Engraving Workshop ticket for sale
« on: September 26, 2019, 12:56:03 PM »
Hi all,

A few months ago I bought a ticket to the Nov. 10 Introduction to Engraving class in NYC: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-engraving-with-carla-hagan-new-york-new-york-tickets-63417070164. I bought it at the early bird special of $450, and I will take $400 for it if someone would like the ticket.

I really really wanted to go, but I recently found out I cannot make the trip to NYC to attend the class. I cannot get a refund, and I'm hoping someone here might want to go.

Please let me know if you are interested. We can discuss payment through a private message and I will forward you my ticket.

Thanks!

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Spencerian Script / Using the Iampeth Scrapbook 1 as practice material
« on: February 10, 2016, 08:34:22 AM »
Hey everyone,

I wanted to share some practice that's really been helping me train my eye and get new ideas for letter variations and layout designs. I've been studying the Iampeth Scrapbook in some of my practice time. I even got a copy printed for myself from Staples Print & Copy, not the best quality, but it's nice to have at my desk and I've been forcing myself to stay off my phone and computer at night.

Here's my practice using page 3 as a reference. I have a lot to work on (critique is welcome!), but spending some time trying to copy letters by master penmen is really helping me see composition and spacing as well as the intricacies of different cap and lowercase styles in Spencerian.

There's a ton of gorgeous Spence in scrapbook 1; I haven't even looked at scrapbook 2 yet!

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Completed/Past Exchanges / Iampeth Exchange?
« on: April 27, 2015, 11:22:20 AM »
Hey all,

Just wanted to ask maybe a silly question. This is the first year I am an IAMPETH member, and they have an exchange coming up for members. I'm very interested in doing more exchanges, especially since I learned so much and pushed myself with this last Inspiring Quote exchange. However, I'm unfamiliar with IAMPETH exchanges and was hoping from some feedback from anyone here that has participated in one. I'm mostly wondering if newer calligraphers are welcome in joining. I'm almost at 7 months and I don't want to embarrass myself or send material that is below everyone else participating. Also, it seems like it's mostly just an envelope exchange because having anything on the inside is optional - I just wanted to check that I was understanding that correctly. 

I will not at all be offended if the honest answer is that this exchange is for more experienced calligraphers! I really just wanted to check because I don't want to miss out on the opportunity if it's an option  :).

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Lucky Day
« on: March 08, 2015, 04:40:02 PM »
So I was a little bummed today because I'm not able to go to IAMPETH and I've been pretty jealous today (but seriously, CONGRATS to everyone going!!!), today was a beautiful day nonetheless. I was given a very nice gift today and just had to share it with you since I know you guys would appreciate it as much as I did. A while ago I posted how my boyfriend's great great aunt (she's 96!) gifted me these 2 antique Spencerian/Ornamental Penmanship books she had when she was young http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=2421.0. Since I showed her I've been learning from them she's been searching for the pen box she had as a young woman when she was learning. Today she found the box :) and was generous enough to give it to me.

I'm so giddy - the box included some pen holders along with some very nice vintage nibs - Hunt 101's, and Gillot 604EF's, and some odd Blanzy-Poure 840's that have faces (anyone familiar with these??). It's so cool to have treasures from someone that used these years ago.

I definitely wrote her the best thank-you note I could, allowing myself to use 1 of the 4 Gillott's (eeep, so nice!). I don't know how I got so lucky. I was gifted those books right when I started to get into calligraphy and it just seems like everything is falling into place so nicely and I don't want to take any of it for granted.






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Kind Critique / 4 months in - Spencerian
« on: March 05, 2015, 09:25:11 PM »
Hey everyone,

I did this to see how far I'd come compared to my earlier stuff because I felt like I was stuck in a rut (thankfully the comparison with an early early practice sheet was encouraging!). But I did want to show you all and get some feedback and maybe some suggestions on what I can practice and what specifically needs more work. I've been learning Spencerian for 4 months now, and I haven't even touched majuscules yet, I guess I'm a slow learner. I just really wanted to get the minuscules down better before I moved on (I've also barely touched numbers but I threw them in anyway).

This is done with walnut ink, a carrot oblique holder, and a Gillott 303 nib (forgive me for spelling Gillott wrong, I knew something was going to get misspelled or forgotten haha). I use a lightbox and guidelines I found on this site awhile ago - with a 52 slant and 3mm x-height. The 2mm x-height feels more natural to me but I've been trying to practice at 3mm to better see the letter form.

The New Spencerian Compendium of Penmanship suggests to write out this poem at the beginning of your study and every so often after to compare so I included that as well. I've been using that book and Lessons in Ornamental Penmanship to guide me.

Some self-critique: I tend to have a heavy hand and tense up while writing - trying to work on that. Also as you can see I need to work on making my letter forms consistent, and certain letter connections look very awkward.

Thank you!!


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General How To's & Projects / Addressing Envelopes Best Practices
« on: March 04, 2015, 10:55:52 PM »
Hey all,

I was wondering if people could share their best practices for addressing envelopes. I'm having a hard time with spacing, centering, guidelines, remembering to put the stamp on first...

Do you use guidelines and a light box? Or pencil in lines? Do you have a tip on centering, do you pencil in the names beforehand? Do you do anything different for white envelopes versus dark envelopes? Does anyone use slantlines too?

Any tips are appreciated!  :)

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Word of the Day / Daily Pangram
« on: February 27, 2015, 10:19:39 AM »
Hey all,

Not sure if anyone else uses this as a resource but I came across a Tumblr that has daily pangrams. There are soooo many, and it's kinda fun to scroll through them and choose some to practice with: http://dailypangram.tumblr.com/.

A few of my favorites:  "Jay-Z's doing work for an expensive bisque-of-the-month club." and "In a bizarre sequence the field expert killed some guy with a javelin."

Here's a pic of a practice sheet with a few pangrams I picked that day. (I'm a newbie: only 3-4 months in my calligraphy journey)


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Spencerian Script / Spencerian Books
« on: February 23, 2015, 10:48:49 PM »
Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share a few vintage Spencerian/Ornamental Penmanship books I am lucky to have. In my post on the introduction thread I got into how I happened upon calligraphy, and in particular Spencerian. Long story short I've always been obsessed with people's handwriting and old documents and ledger books. When my bf brought home an awesome ledger book with incredible handwriting from an estate sale one day I decided I wanted to learn calligraphy.

Once I started to teach myself my boyfriend remember his 96 year-old great great aunt used to have a few calligraphy books up in her attic. So he dug them out and gave them to me :). And that's when my love affair with Spencerian started. The 2 books below are what he found: The New Spencerian Compendium of Penmanship by P.R. Spencer's Sons and Lessons in Ornamental Penmanship (a little damaged but mostly in great shape). I'm so lucky to have these and they have so much information and examples and they are just gorgeous. Here's a few pictures below - I'm not sure if these are available digitally anywhere but if anyone wants more pictures I can do that (with a better camera! my phone is awful, sorry about that). The inside of the Compendium is incredible, but I didn't want to post tons and tons of pictures (unless requested!).









I've tried showing other people the books because I'm so excited about them, but they just don't get it. Glad I found this place with like minded people!  ;D

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Introductions / Elaina from Rochester, NY!
« on: February 23, 2015, 03:04:46 PM »
Hey all,

I've been a lurker for a little while and decided to join in and be part of this awesome community. I am currently learning Spencerian - about 3 months in.

I'm 26, have a cat named Buster Kitten, got my bachelors in English and my masters in Publishing, and now I'm working a somewhat boring 9-5 office job and practicing/reading about/oogling anything related to calligraphy whenever I get the chance (even now, at work, shhh   ;)).

My path to calligraphy started when I got really interested in book design, then I was interested in hand lettering, but when I started learning about hand lettering I really realized calligraphy is what I wanted. As a part time job my boyfriend goes to estate sales and eBays, and I got into the habit of having him bring me home anything with awesome writing, particularly old leger books. For some reason those always stuck with me; there was always such elegant writing in those about such mundane things - the handwriting made budgeting into a work of art. The more I looked at this old gorgeous writing was when I decided I wanted to learn calligraphy.

It was at that point my boyfriend remembered some old books his great great aunt had stored away (she's 96). And low and behold they were beautiful, vintage Spencerian and Ornamental Penmanship books and I was hooked. I'm going to post some pictures of these books in the Spencerian topic when I get a chance so you all can take a gander - they're so lovely and I'm so lucky to have them!

I'm hoping to learn copperplate at some point, but I really wanted to "get" Spencerian down first (who knows when that will happen!). For now I'm trying to immerse myself in this community and be a calligraphy sponge and soak up everything I can from all of you knowledgeable, inspiring people.

Please feel free to add my on instagram -I'd love the opportunity to connect even more :).

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Calligraphy Guilds / Rochester, NY
« on: February 22, 2015, 10:01:59 AM »
Not sure if anyone from the Rochester area is on FF, but the teacher I took a Spencerian class from, Peter Maushart, hosts a calligraphy group every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 1000 Winton Road North, Rochester, NY 14609 (Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran), starts at 6:30.

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