These printable holiday envelopes were inspired by a 1914 University of Kansas yearbook that I found in my mom’s workroom the other day. She sells antiques for a living, so every time we visit, there are several new items of interest. Not only did I love the yearbook because KU is my alma mater, but I couldn’t get over the elegance of the photos and the hand-written typography.
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The last time we talked {or, rather, the last time you read my ramblings}, I told you about my favorite oblique calligraphy pens. Oh — speaking of which — the giveaway hasn’t ended yet! Visit the post to enter by Saturday evening. Oh, you’ve entered already? Well, then! Let’s talk about my new favorite calligraphy style: the Janet.
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When I first made up my mind to learn calligraphy, I noticed a lot of photos of beautiful envelopes with a very strange-looking calligraphy pen. After a lot of Google Image research, I figured out this tool is called an “oblique pen holder”. However, there didn’t seem to be much information about why it is in existence or how to use it. Nevertheless, after I had used a straight holder for a while, I worked up the courage to try a plastic Speedball oblique pen holder. With the pen holder came a little bit of frustration at first, but eventually I got the hang of it — even going so far as to write this blog post over how to use one. Little did I realize my journey with the oblique pen holder was just beginning at that point!
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I have always been in love with profile silhouettes because they are stoic yet whimsical, and they leave so much to the imagination. As I explained in the watercolor silhouette post, silhouettes used to be commissioned by thrifty families in the 1700’s as a means to obtain a likeness without spending a lot of money. Now, photos are beyond cheap and abundant, so silhouettes are just a fun decorative element to supplement photos.
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I came up with this DIY book tutorial as I was brainstorming classy holiday gifts. You see, as much as I love DIY, around the holidays the term gets overused by bloggers {obviously I, too, am guilty of this — see the title of this post} as a way to entice people to make cheap gifts to give in bulk. “Cheap” is nearly always the selling point. However, I think we should approach DIY a different way. The truth is, I would much rather receive a thoughtful DIY gift than a store-bought gift. Case in point: in college, one of my friends gave me this little booklet of poetry {which inspired this tutorial}.
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Every blog has to start somewhere, and this blog started off with writing that was admittedly a little tentative and photos that matched the writing. And yet — the ideas were there! So, if you find yourself having déjà vu while reading this post, yes, I did I write a post two years ago over how to make this DIY envelope glue for handmade envelopes. I am pulling the recipe out again today because I think it deserves a second look, and I promise that knowing how to make it will come in handy.
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I don’t know about you, but last week, Jessica Moeller’s guest post over watercolors made me drool over professional-grade watercolor paints. And — to be honest — the guest post could not have come at a better time. Why? Because this week TPK has teamed up with Craftsy in this sponsored post to offer a professional-grade Holbien Irodori 24 color watercolor set, valued at $230. {It has Jessica’s stamp of approval, if you were wondering!} Details on how to enter the giveaway follow this sweet and simple tutorial.
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again: I’m not a cutesy crafts person. I mean, yeah, when someone sends me a cute card, I’m thrilled; but my personal style favors quirky elegance. Today, I’m sharing with you how I created a personalized birthday card that shows that quirky elegance {with a touch of retro}. The tutorial isn’t really meant for you to follow it to the letter, but my hope is that you’ll be inspired by some of the techniques I used here!
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{Lindsey’s Intro:} If you have read this blog for any length of time, you must have noticed my affection for using watercolors. I think watercolor is just about the best medium out there because it’s easy to work with, forgiving when the artist makes messes up, and renders beautiful results. Yet if you ask me anything about actual watercolors, my knowledge is very limited. I just buy them. Sure, I’ve tried Googling “watercolor paints”, but the chemistry behind them — I’m very sorry to say — was a little too boring for my taste. Until today. Meet Jessica: she’s going to teach you all about watercolors, and I guarantee you’re going to like it.
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