I love art deco everything — dishes, decor, invitations, patterns — you name it! Being an art student and a recurrent reader of The Great Gatsby, I’ve been in love with the Roaring 20’s for quite some time. There’s just something alluring about the gold decor, lavish parties, and flamboyant jazz of the Gatsby era that I felt the need to encapsulate in a project.
Archives for May 2019
What IS “Kaitlin Style” Calligraphy?
Have you ever been so close to something — a hobby or activity, for example — that you have trouble seeing it how those who aren’t familiar with it might? I do that with this website. I’m so familiar with its in and outs that sometimes I forget that new visitors to the site may not understand things that I’m treating as obvious! Today, I’m taking a step back and explaining one of the most popular TPK calligraphy styles from an outsider point of view: Kaitlin Style calligraphy. I’ll talk about what it is, how it was developed, and the pros and cons of using it!
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How I Conquered My Fear of Brush Pens
This post was written by Ana Corral, the newest edition to the TPK team! This is her first blog post, so don’t hesitate to show her some love in the comments! To learn more about Ana, you can click here.

I grew up familiar with a variety of brushes. I was practically birthed with a paintbrush in hand, brushing my hair wasn’t too difficult to grasp, and brushing my teeth is pretty much second nature. The only brushes that truly haunt me are brush pens. Despite a background that’s rich in illustration, typography, and design, I find brush pens to be quite intimidating. Honestly, the only brush pens I’m familiar with are the Faber Castells I stole from my dad’s art stash before I left for college (he knows now, don’t worry)! Up until this week, I’ve used them exclusively to illustrate. So, when Lindsey asked me to write my first blog post about conquering the brush pen, I cued up all of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, burned some palo santo, booked an extra therapy session, and buckled in!
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Six Amazing Brush Pens for Beginners
I remember when I first set out to purchase brush pens. I was so excited to try out brush pen calligraphy! Then, I saw the overwhelming online selection. I ended up blindly choosing a few brush pens. While I connected with some, there were others that ended up in the junk drawer! The goal of today’s comparison post is to prevent you from buying brush pens that won’t work for you. My hope is that, based on what you read here, you can choose beginner-friendly brush pens that you connect with!
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Botanical Watercolor Wreath Tutorial
Everyone loves a watercolor wreath, and I’ve got the Google Analytics to prove it. The Woodland Watercolor Wreath tutorials are among the most popular posts on the TPK blog, and the Watercolor Holiday Wreath Tutorial goes viral every December! Today, I want to show you how to make an elegant nest-like wreath! It combines several different branches and colors to make a harmonious border that is relaxing to make and interesting to look at. Ready to get started?
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