Yesterday, I found myself with two free hours — which is a rarity in my world. When I have free time, I love to send mail, which is the activity that made me fall in love with calligraphy in the first place! Today, I’m going to share the six artistic calligraphy envelopes that I made yesterday. I’ll also explain some shortcuts that I took to make their creation a bit faster.
Whenever I’ve made state- or country-themed art, I’ve focused on places with recognizable outlines like California and Ecuador. But what do you do if the state calligraphy art you’re making is basically a square? In this case of my home state, Kansas, the outline isn’t immediately recognizable to the non-Kansan. But, with a few flourishes and some golden sunflowers, this Kansas-themed art is a delight to behold! In this blog post, I’ll outline how I made this piece and share a free download with you. I hope to inspire all my fellow basic-shaped state dwellers to try their hand at calligraphy state art, too.
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Hi, I’m Maureen Vickery, the calligrapher behind PenDance Studio and the creative force behind Calligraphy Crush Magazine! When your friends and family know you are a calligrapher, they expect your holiday cards and envelopes to be lovingly decorated in beautiful lettering. Flourished calligraphy designs certainly add a festive touch, so why not flourish a reindeer for your loved ones’ holiday enjoyment? Below I’ll show you step-by-step how I flourished a reindeer for my upcoming holiday card. I’ve also included a downloadable template of a reindeer (find it by clicking here) and flourish designs for your reference.
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Every year, I make a calligraphy Christmas ornament to add to my growing collection of tree baubles. It’s not a difficult project, and the ornaments last for years (as long as they’re kept away from little hands — like any ornament). Today, I’ll show you how to make a calligraphy Christmas ornament yourself, and I hope that the project becomes an annual tradition in your house, too!
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For this article, I decided to whip up some new printable calligraphy drills! These drills are suitable for every skill level and have a mix of everything. You’ll start with simple stroke practice in the first couple of exercises, move on to loops, then work on your flourishing! The free two page worksheet is great for anyone who wants to work on their dip pen skills or simply warm up before working on a project.
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I owe my love for the dip pen to photos of white calligraphy that I saw on the internet circa 2012. The idea of making opaque white letters encouraged me to pick up a dip pen for the first time! Writing with white calligraphy ink didn’t come easily, though; I’ve made many opacity-affecting, smudgy mistakes along the way. For that reason, I decided to write today’s blog post as a guide for you when you’re ready to jump into the world of making beautiful white letters!
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