VINTAGE BOOKPLATE DOWNLOAD

If you like/use this download, won’t you please consider buying me a cup of coffee so I can make more of these in the near future for you? You can donate to my tip jar here.  Thank you kindly!
I originally had another vision for this download, more modern + graphic patterns (thanks to Michelle P. a pattern genius); but I am currently re-reading the classics and am deep into Jane Eyre so my inspiration is currently of another era. I wanted to take some of my lettering practice and incorporate it into the download, the middle one is one of the fab realistic calligraphy fonts I shared with you last week (Jacques & Gilles).  I love to read and I love collecting books, nothing can compare to the feel and smell of a paper book but I am reading (and loving) Jane Eyre on my Kindle. Almost all the classics are available on the Kindle for free. Do you have any idea how this delights me? I love my Kindle because I never lose my place and I can look-up words on the fly.  It amazes me how many words I can look up in a single reading where as if I was reading a ‘real’ book I may have made a note or two to look something up, but may or may not have actually gone the extra mile to do so. After every reading session I feel a bit of accomplishment. That being said, these bookplates are for your paper book collection.  You don’t have to listen to me, but my suggestion is to print them on textured paper and use archival glue (okay or one of those archival tape thingies) to paste them in your books.  You could print out a bunch put them in a glassine envelope or muslin bag and give as a gift. Of course you can always go the easiest route and just print them on a full label sheet. Scissors will give you a more homemade look, but a nice Exacto knife, straight edge ruler (make sure it has a cork back) and cutting mat will give you beautiful, professional results.  Just click here to download, enjoy!

P.S. Any suggestions for my next classic tome I should read?

GREIGE + A WINNER!

I think it’s high time I announced another monogram winner. I love the simplicity of this two-letter monogram, it’s classic but a bit mod. This week the winner is Christine F.; who happens to be the owner of a beautiful on-line shop called Greige.  I was weak in the knees when I clicked her link and saw she owned this beautifully curated collection of home furnishings. I decided to make this a dual post, announcing the winner and introducing you to this luxe destination. It would seem Christine and I share a similar aesthetic and love for the raw, natural, neutral with a surprise glam element thrown in (hello, lucite trunk with rope handles). I have spent an inordinate amount of time Pinning items from her shop for my future dream home.
If you would like to try to win a future monogram, just re-pin this Pin and leave a comment with your monogram. Please make sure there is a way for me to get a hold of you too! For those that didn’t win, please keep trying!  And if you can’t wait you can use the code IWANT at check out all week long to get 50% off any monogram of your choice!

GWYNETH PALTROW + J. CREW

I don’t usually post about fashion, but when two favorites come together I think it warrants a post, no?  I received an email from Gwennie (via Goop) wherein she teamed up with J.Crew for a transition into fall preview. It was executed flawlessly, Gwyneth modeling the clothes and then a little link on how to get the look.  I am a G.P. fan, so this sent me over the edge of euphoria when coupled with styling eye candy powerhouse J.Crew. I don’t spend a lot on my wardrobe, (unless it’s shoes or handbags which I feel are investment pieces), but I do like the quality of a lot of my J.Crew acquisitions. Their belts last forever and I don’t know what they do with their ribbed tanks, but they seem to never lose color or shape; I have a navy ribbed tank that has lasted me years. 
I am getting excited about fall in my new neck of the woods, previously in the City of Angels we didn’t really have any delineation between the seasons, September often brings a second coming of summer (but hotter than you would ever like), so it will be novel to experience a seasonal change. Maybe I can rejoice in the Pumpkin Latte cravings with the rest of the blogosphere, as the thought of a Pumpkin latte in September in Los Angeles is about as enticing as getting bamboo shoots pushed under your fingernails. On another note, I know I promised downloads and hopefully I will have those ready for you by tomorrow! I am also announcing another winner for the monogram giveaway tomorrow so I hope you stop on by to see if it’s you!

20 + CALLIGRAPHY ALPHABET SPECIMENS

Welcome Yahoo readers! If you are coming here for the first time we have a ton of Lettering resources!  These are some of our fave supplies for beginners. We are about to launch a tool that will assist with cleaning up your lettering to be able to share it on the internet, you can sign-up for the launch here! We also have plenty of hand lettered fonts that we love and recommend here.

On my journey to learn calligraphy and develop my own hand I have read many, many books.  I have taken a private lesson with a master calligrapher, but regrettably it was terrible timing for me with work + moving and I was only able to get in the one lesson. I also took a class at Paper Source, which was fun but didn’t turn me into a calligrapher in the 2 hours I spent there. I had my ‘aha’ moment when I recently took Melissa Esplin’s Modern Calligraphy Course. I am a visual learner (a lot of individuals are), I found watching her create the letters was very helpful for me. One of the things I had read previously that clicked when coupled with Melissa’s class was that in calligraphy you are ‘drawing’ the letters. This makes sense when you realize you need to pick your pen off the paper multiple times to create one letter; unlike with traditional cursive where you are told to keep your writing instrument on the page. Another tip I found very helpful in my practice is to reference alphabet specimens. The alphabets I appreciate the most (at the moment), are ones that give a very clear diagram of the stroke order. Before when I viewed these diagrams, I thought I would have to create the letter in one fell swoop (impossible), now that I know that it is okay, neigh, encouraged to lift my pen, I know that I can create the strokes in steps, which results in an actual letter (a huge achievement in my book). I have found a slew of reference alphabets for you.  What is the absolute best calligraphy/lettering tip I can give you today? Practice. You really need to practice to achieve your goals in this discipline, but the best part is that with practice you can achieve a modicum of success. I love Copperplate, but Spencerian is what was taught in schools before the Palmer Method took over. Spencerian is the reason why so many of the American 19th century letters, ledgers and every day notes were so elegant.  I have been asked how much I practice and I have challenged myself this month to practice every day for an hour.  I usually can’t do this until late at night, but it is a very meditative practice so I find it works well before I go to bed. I also don’t always practice with dip pen and ink, a pencil works fine to get familiar with the strokes (so for those putting off learning until you can afford tools you can actually start tonight).  Practicing with the sample alphabet specimens will help with one day developing your own hand. Most of all have fun!

 //ONLINE SPECIMEN RESOURCES//

Iampeth-This stands for the International Association of Master Penman Engrossers Teachers of Handwriting. Here you will find a treasure trove of antique specimen books that have been scanned and that you can view for free! It is a wealth of resources, plus there’s free videos showing you how to create Copperplate letterforms as well.

The Palmer Method-If you are of a certain age and went to Catholic school there is a great chance that you are familiar with this hand and learned it at school. It is casually elegant. There’s a font here that is pretty spot on if you can’t wait to master this hand.

Ames Historical Society-You’ll hear the name Ames a lot in calligraphy circles, this link is a beautiful scanned guidebook and some interesting history thrown in to boot.

The American Instructor-A lovely antique alphabet specimen.

Finnish Penmanship Sample-Simple + elegant letters both Majuscules (uppercase) and miniscules (lower case).

How to Write Like an Architect-This isn’t calligraphy, but is lettering. This is one of my favorite hands and when I print I try to always re-create it.

//BOOKS WITH CALLIGRAPHY ALPHABET SPECIMENS//

The Technique of Copperplate Calligraphy-I love this book because it gives multiple variations on uppercase letters which I really appreciate.  There are certain letters that I have a hard time with or just plain don’t like the way they look and to have an option for an alternate makes me very happy.

 Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy-This is a large manual with tons of samples. Even if you don’t want to learn but love calligraphy this is a beautiful tome to see.  It doesn’t have the stroke order, but she explains creating letters very well and I think the novice can follow along easily.

//VINTAGE ALPHABET SPECIMENS//

Etsy has some wonderful and affordable vintage specimen and guidebooks. I highly recommend them if you are interested in procuring some. Not only are they useful but would make a beautiful collection. Try search words like penmanship, calligraphy books, alphabet specimens.

Ebay-If you get serious about collecting penmanship guidebooks Ebay has some super rare and yes, expensive ones. Just looking through the listings of them is fun too!

Potboiler Press-Some great antique calligraphy books.

//ONLINE CLASS//

I Still Love Calligraphy-Melissa is a wonderful teacher and she does provide both a downloadable alphabet and guideline sheets for her students.

Calligraphy in the 21st Century with Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls

Author / Miss Tristan B

Miss Tristan B. is the co-creator of the world’s best + easiest product photography tool-Foto Rx | Shopkeeper’s Helper and one of the writer’s of this delightful blog. Her lofty goal here is to make this a creative resource repository and to inspire you to fall truly, madly, deeply in love with your life.

FEAST FINE ART & CALLIGRAPHY

I figured a little lettering eye candy would be in order for this week, no?  This is the hand of Alissa Mazzenga of Feast Calligraphy, it’s so lovely, feminine and unique. Artists like Alissa raise the bar for every letterer that wants in on the modern ‘calligraphy’ scene.  There are many talented lettering artists in the world and I will continue to showcase them here and introduce you to some up & comers.  I am popping back in later today with some downloads for you (I hope you like). And one more resource post to round out this week!