Two Great Books" "Hand Lettering" and "Thank You Notes"

 I was very fortunate to have been able to have these books to review. Each of them is a 5 star rating - which, for those of you who don't read my book blog may not know, is unusual for me. After posting the review on my book blog I thought that it might also be of interest to you as well. Please head over to my book blog to have a look at LOTS more photos from the books! I have only included the table of contents pages here.

 

This review could have been done as two separate reviews - one on each of these book- but, quite honestly, I loved them both a lot and they both seem to go hand in hand  - and they are about  two of my favorite things - lovely lettering and really nice, snail mailed, hand made, cards - so I decided to review them both together. I collect books on lettering and calligraphy. I love lettering and I try to improve my own beginner calligraphy as often as I can. I was curious what this book was going to be like. I LOVE it! The authors - and Lark Books - did an excellent job! 

"Hand Lettering" by Marci Donley and SeAnn Singh is really well thought out and is a really nice, easy to use, non intimidating book on lettering. The table of contents ( all photos can be double clicked for a better view!) is really comprehensive. The beginning of the book is about, of course, the basics. The sections on various pens is one of the most complete I have ever seen - and all sorts of pens, markers, brushes and fountain pen calligraphy pens are discussed in detail - along with some more unique writing implements like dental stimulators and pieces of sponge. A lovely section about papers in included of course, along with a section about measuring devices, a section that covers all of the types of cutting tools you might want to use and how to put together a "ready the letter" box of supplies.

 

This book is so full of so much great information and so many really wonderful alphabet styles that I can't imagine how the got it all into a book of this size! You're right I am a bit 'gushy' over this book and, quite honestly, I was not certain that I would be. I don't generally hand out 5 stars very easily - but this book (and the next too for that matter) really do deserve the. This book will be a "must have" addition to the library to calligraphy beginners and scrapbookers as well as to more advanced calligraphers. I highly recommend this one - it's staying here with me !

Moving right along to the next, great 5 star beauty book. Making notes and letters look nice has been a nearly lifelong fascination for me. I always spent a lot of time on letters and on decorating the envelopes for the letters since I can remember - probably about  when I was 12 years old. I still prefer the beauty of snail mail to email. Fat more personal and entertaining...and I do want our postal system to survive so I take great pleasure is designing and sending cards! I couldn't wait to see what sort of techniques were contained in the lovely book entitled, simply "Thank You Notes" by Jan Stephanson and Amy Appleyard. This is another book that I am totally enthralled with. I think that it also has such well done, fail proof directions and well thought out information that you can't go wrong.

This book begins with a shorter, but thorough, section on materials. The cards in the books are grouped by thought in a way. Thank you to my sister, my better half etc; Thank You for a special day, the cash, for being there, for lending a hand, for being sweet.... you get the idea. The thing is that all of the thank you cards - as pertinent as they are to the specific sort of thank you - the cards and the techniques can easily be used for any other reason to send a delightful card. It's the great variety of techniques that this book gives you that really makes the book shine in my eyes! The techniques are all very clearly explained with particularly well done how to photos. You can't go wrong with these instructions!

Disclosure: 

This book was provided to me by the publisher for the purpose of reviewing the book. No other remuneration was received

Metalizing!

I am not sure what bug has bitten me now - I sometimes feel like a bit of chaff floating on a breeze. his time the breeze seems to have dropped me in a field of 'metalize'. I am in two ATC groups. I have always had difficulties working with the concept of themes and being part of like minded groups has really been helping me get over that issue. In one group the topic this month was 'bugs' - or 'what bugs you' and in the other group is it 'Marie Antoinette'. I was really feeling like I could not make it! First of all I dislike bugs. Period. I know that they have a place in the universe and that they can be beneficial and all but I dislike them - always have and always, I suspect will!

I considered doing something that bugs me - but distilling those concepts into something that would take a reasonable amount of time was proving to be a sticking point. I decided that a scarab was perfect  since traditionally the use of a scarab can indicate creation or transformation.  I have had a yen to work in metal and it must have been a long standing yen since I have rolls of metal that I bought probably about 8-10 years ago. I am sure that I had the same intent - to teach myself the basics of foil metal work. I decided that this was the month to give it all a go and see if it is really something that will capture my continuing imagination. YES ! It does! I have also been experimenting metal tape . It's adhesive backed and readily available in any hardware store. I think it is used for  something automotive! For all of these cards however I dug out the rolls of metal that I had on hand and began to play. The small scarab squares are adhered with carpet tape - what a wonderful [product that I would never have thought to try using if I had not needed to fix a corner of a rug down! It's great stuff - really!

The other groups topic for the next round of ATC's is "Marie Antoinette". Uh Oh - thought I to myself. I have always appreciated the time in history in which Marie lived - it was truly an amazingly rich period of history and Marie herself lived an amazing, albeit short, life. Her style though is most assuredly not me! I do not do well with lace and flounces and flirty fabric things. I would probably have been more of a tomboy then too. As I thought about the theme I realized that the only thing I really like about Marie Antoinette are her portraits - but slapping a copy of a portrait on an ATC does not make for an interesting, creative or inviting piece of mini art. Ah ha! Metal again. Metal to the rescue. I used this as an exercise to enjoy learning some more about embossing. Embossing is really firing my imagination right now - bit for metal work as well as for paper - and I am planning to try it with fabrics stiffened with GAC (Golden Art Supplies) 400 fabric stiffener and see what happens. 

I should mention that I am also using a combination of hand tools (that I also had already had on hand) as well as a machine called a "Big Shot" to do all of this embossing. Surprisingly I prefer the hand done stuff - but trust me - the machine has it's place and offers a lot of amazing options. This is, perhaps one of those instances when one may feel guilty for buying things at one point but later, maybe years later, when your imagination lands you in a 'creative field' that will not require another new shopping spree because you already have some of the products you need - you will feel better about those long ago purchases!

These then, are the cards for Citizen Marie Antoinette that I am working on.I have been having such a great time with metalizing things - and the best thing is that new ideas keep popping into my head as I work. Once I am finished with these two series I am retreating back to my journaling and pan pastels and water colors that I have been missing greatly as I have worked my way through my metalizing exercises. Thankfully, the scarab cards are about to be sent out to their new homes. I ended up making extras and using a mixture of backgrounds: paper and fabrics- cotton and silks. I have three more Marie's to make (they are due in September) and then I will back to to journals - funny how that has become a part of my life that really has a lot of meaning.

PS: Would anyone be interested in a post about all of the tools that I have been playing with? Let me  know!

Have you found any new techniques that have especially inspired you? Have you found a technique (like art journaling for me) that has become a really ingrained part of your creative life? What new techniques are you considering trying?

One Inch. What Can You Make In One Inch?

Apologies for so much glare on the metal butterflys in this photo.

I loaded the photo into IPhoto instead of Photoshop so I did have as much control over the glare. 

You get the idea though I hope!

One of the groups that I am with decided on an "Inchie" swap - and the theme was bugs. I had some passing interest in 'inchies' a few years ago but decided that they were most likely not really for me -  I mean what can you do in the small space of a one inch square? I decided to go along with the swap , however, just to see what I might come up with. Since bugs are not on my hit parade I had to choose a butterfly of course. I ran off some parts of butterfly pictures on muslin and then enhanced them with colored inks. The butterflys are punched metal. I added a painted  border and one bed and that was that. Once inch, it turns out can hold more than I thought! Making something in an inch, it turns out, is a bit of a challenge - I thought that as well when when I made my first ATC's though too - but I have to say that there is a certain certain charm to them as well. I imagine that my techniques will improve as I join on more swaps.

A Note about buying and using Square Punches for making 'inchies':

I had to edit this to add a note about buying "one inch" square punches". I had thought that it might make an easier job of creating perfect one inch squares if I used a punch. I  tried two brands; the Martha Stewart one inch scalloped edge square and a Dove Craft plain one inch square.  The Martha Stewart punch is great quality and I like the stamp but it is NOT an inch  - it is 7/8 of an inch. The Dove Craft is worse - it is not even 6/8 of an inch!! I decided that it would far easier - and it would appear more accurate as well! - to make my own - which is what I did - and will continue to do ! Now I will have to figure out something fun to do with small squares. I have an idea in mind - so maybe they will not be a total waste!

I have been having a good, though occasionally vexing, time teaching myself something about embossing metal - which was why I had this metal on hand to begin with - I had order some years ago from Dick Blick and there it has sat carefully rolled in cardboard tubes - waiting for me to catch up and need to use it! Punching this metal is a snap - embossing - and doing it nicely is more of a challenge I think! I'll be posting some more bout these embossing adventures soon!

I am also LOVING the PanPastels and will have some fun experiments to share with you about using them soon too..though I want to take my time and maybe take  some process photos along the way. YES!! I am so pleased that I was "bad" and got them. They really are a unique product.

I returned to work last week and by the end of the week I felt so depleted and tired that all I wanted to do was sleep. I made it though. My lower back is still painful but it happens mostly when I push myself ... not doing is difficult for me - and I am determined to no longer use meds to help get thorough the day when the pain hits. I see the neurosurgeon for a follow up on the 21 and then, I suspect we will discuss the advisability of the lumbar surgery. Right now the thought gives me the heebie jeebies - so I can't see it in the cards any time TOO soon!

Question of the day for you!

What new technique have you tried lately? Why did you want to try it? Do you like it as much as you thought you would? Does trying something that takes time to master become a deterrent to you or does it spur you on to master the technique?

Be well and be happy.