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Six Amazing Brush Pens for Beginners

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Six Amazing Brush Pens for Beginners | The Postman's Knock

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

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Botanical Watercolor Wreath Tutorial | The Postman's Knock

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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Rediscovering Hand-Lettering: Why TPK’s Original Hand-Lettering Worksheet Set is Awesome

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TPK's Learn Hand-Lettering for a Latte Worksheet | The Postman's Knock

In February of 2015, I quietly added a worksheet to the TPK catalog called “Learn Hand-Lettering for a Latte” (a.k.a. “Premium Hand-Lettering Worksheet Set“). At that point, I was too timid to blog about catalog additions, so I mentioned it in passing in a random blog post! By some miracle, though, people have noticed the worksheet throughout the years. And, by the looks of it (16 five-star reviews!), learners genuinely love the LHFaL Worksheet! So, today, I’m doing what I should have done four years ago and telling you why TPK’s most popular hand-lettering worksheet set is so cool.
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A Farewell to Roses (The Illustrated Roses Template, That Is)

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A Farewell to Roses | The Postman's Knock

My goal this spring is to conduct a digital cleanse of the TPK website. To me, the website feels like a super fun room with all sorts of things to look at! Kind of like Ariel’s cave in The Little Mermaid: so many treasures to behold. I, however, have been a bit more sloppy about categorizing those treasures than Ariel was. So, I’m putting on my metaphorical cleaning gloves and taking action! The digital spring cleaning also means a gentle retirement of some items from the TPK catalog, including the Illustrated Roses Template.
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How to Make the Perfect Mother’s Day Card

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Simple Mother's Day Card Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
You can check out this tutorial for instructions over how to make this flourished Mother’s Day card!

Every year since 2016, I’ve created a Mother’s Day card tutorial for the TPK blog. This year, though, I want to do something different! Today, I’m going to help you come up with the best card presentation for your mom (or the mom[s] in your life). Mothers aren’t all the same, after all, and your card should fit your mother’s personality and preferences!
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Marie Kondo-ing the TPK Catalog: Retirements Taking Place This Weekend

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Marie Kondo-ing the TPK Catalog: Retirements Taking Place This Weekend | The Postman's Knock

In Monday’s newsletter, I mentioned that I’m going to retire a couple of items from the TPK catalog: Amazing Envelopes for a Latte and the Kaitlin Style Variations Worksheet. After I made this announcement, I realized a couple of things. First of all, not everyone got the memo because some people follow TPK via RSS feeds! Second, I want to answer questions that I’ve received about the products headed into retirement and why they’re being retired.
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Eight Modern Calligraphy Myths

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Eight Modern Calligraphy Myths (That Simply Aren't True) | The Postman's Knock

In the seven years that I’ve written this blog, I’ve noticed trends in the questions I receive. People tend to have certain preconceptions about calligraphy that may not be true! I don’t want those preconceptions to keep you from giving calligraphy a fair shot if you’re interested in it. This blog post is the result! In it, we’ll examine eight modern calligraphy myths that aren’t true. Let’s start with the biggie:
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“Juicy” Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial

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"Juicy" Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial | The Postman's Knock

The other day, I saw a video on Instagram that inspired me to develop this “juicy” brush pen calligraphy tutorial! In it, the artist utilized several common art supplies to make playful and eye-catching lettering letters. I modified the supply list to fit the things that I have available to me, and I hope that you’ll do the same! To create this tutorial, you’ll need:

  • Brush pens (or broad-tipped markers such as Crayola)
  • A pencil + eraser
  • A fine-tipped paintbrush
  • A white gel pen (such as Gelly Roll) + a black pen

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Calligraphy Flourishing for Beginners + Free Worksheet

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Calligraphy Flourishing for Beginners + Free Worksheet | The Postman's Knock

The other day, I received a marketing email from a company trying to sell me their electronic envelope addressing services. “Stop hand-addressing invitation envelopes!” it said. “The latest envelope printing technology lets you print handwritten quality envelopes at speeds of up to 5,000 envelopes per hour.” Despite the marketing claim, I don’t think that printed envelopes can truly reach “handwritten quality”. Why? Well, besides the small but appealing imperfections that hand-written calligraphy can produce, there’s flourishing.
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