The Decorated Letter

Season's Greetings

2011-12-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

Once again this year I was delighted to be able to help with Assistance League© Glendale's annual "Festival of Trees" fundraising event by providing layout and design for the Save The Date, Invitation and Program. The fun part this year was that I was invited to create the artwork for the event! Apparently it was quite a hit so I have decided to share it by creating a few products in my Zazzle Store (with a few more to come in the next few days).

Thank You to those who have been following my blog for the past couple of years. Hopefully next year I will be a bit more prolific in the posting department. ; )

Whatever you celebrate at this time of year I hope your festivities are warm and memorable, and your new year brings all the best things your heart desires!

Extended Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop

2011-09-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

While attending and teaching at the IAMPETH Convention in Phoenix this past July, I had the pleasure of becoming better acquainted with a lovely gal that I only briefly met about a year or so ago. When we were not learning new stuff (or, in my case teaching or demonstrating some kind of technique), we enjoyed chatting about calligraphy and the other things we found to have in common. As a result of all of this, she asked me to teach Copperplate calligraphy to a group of pointed pen enthusiasts in Murrieta, California, and I was delighted to accept.

So, beginning this October, I will be teaching a 6-month Extended Studies Copperplate Workshop. Classes will be held on the second Sunday of each month, through March, and will be 8 hours of instruction. To be exact, the dates are Oct 9 - Nov 13 - Dec 11 - Jan 8 - Feb 12 - Mar 11.

There are 2 spots available and I would like to invite you to attend! It is intentionally a rather small group, so you will certainly get a lot of individual attention.

The focus of the class will be to learn and develop skill in the Copperplate hand, through instruction and lots of practice. Time will also be devoted to explore and experiment with various products and media, develop some small projects which will hone your newly-minted skills, and to learn some tricks of the trade using tools that just might surprise you! The last two classes will include instruction in flourishing and using it successfully.

If you're interested, please contact Carol Landford and she will fill you in with all the details!

P.S. And, yes, the title for this post was hand calligraphed by yours truly. : )

Designer's Bible

2011-08-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

OK, perhaps not exactly, but it should at least be on the short list of books in every designer's library, and that of anyone engaging in the business of selling hand lettering or calligraphy -- there's a section in the book just for us!

What am I talking about? The Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. It is helpful to have several of the past editions as well as the latest, as each of the books has different reference tables that I find extremely helpful when pricing, especially for commerical work. Make sure you get yours soon!

Crystal Harris and Hugh Hefner Wedding Calligraphy

2011-05-04T13:41:00.001-07:00

So, now you know ... my latest invitation project was this! It only took one or two samples to get the calligraphy style right and then it was on to the border to create the flourishing, something I had been wanting to try for a while so this was a perfect opportunity to see what would happen. My first glimpse of the invite came by way of a tweet by @hughhefner. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Together Again For The First Time

2011-04-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the great pleasure to host calligraphic artist Annie B. Cicale, who was in Los Angeles to teach a workshop. Her book has been in my library since the day it was published (well, just about, anyway) and since we hadn't met before I was delighted to finally have an opportunity to study with her. Although we were really tired from the workshop, being letter fanatics to the core, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a very special photograph. (In case you need a hint as to what it's all about, her initials are ABC, and mine are XYZ.)

P.S. One of the must-have books for your calligraphic reference library is The Art & Craft of Hand Lettering by Annie Cicale.

Cartes

2011-02-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

This past October I had the extreme pleasure of working with a bride on accessories for her wedding. As a matter of fact, Jen Lauren Grant is, herself, in the wedding industry, and is a photographer. Here are a couple of photos of the cards I did for her. Anyway, Jen's photographic work is just beautiful and she has a lovely blog on which she wrote a very nice testimonial about me. Thanks, Jen!

Razzle-Zazzle

2011-01-27T16:13:00.001-08:00

Today my custom postage was featured in a post at Felt & Wire, Mohawk Paper's blog, and penned (or, perhaps keyboarded) by writer extrordinaire, Alyson Kuhn, from whom I have reverently borrowed the title of this post. Take a look now, but be sure to also bookmark Felt & Wire, to make sure you can go back often to peruse the excellent content.

My appreciaton extends to Alyson for today's post, as well as the post she, a.k.a. AOK, wrote on Tuesday, Monograms à la modern, in which she discussed my monogram designs that I offer through the Felt & Wire Shop.

Those of you who have been reading my blog may already know that I have calligraphic Love postage stamps available for purchase in my Zazzle shop. And now, thanks to a lovely bride named Kendra, available in the shop as of this week, is an all-new Rsvp stamp, designed in calligraphy to coordinate nicely with the popular Love stamp.

Both the Love and Rsvp stamps are offered in a range of colours, but should you not readily see your scheme, they are customizable to those of your choice!

Fa La La La La

2010-12-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

No time of year makes me happier than does the one we are in now. I've gotten past the big work push for a few days and am looking forward to some time away from drawing board, at least for a day or two.

Christmas brings me much joy, and my hope and wish is that the coming days of this festive season bring you much happiness, as you celebrate with those you love!

Flourished Calligraphy for a Save The Date

2010-11-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

This was quite a fun, yet challenging project ... designing the "perfect" version of the words Save The Date, in a flourished calligraphic script. The photograph was taken by Elizabeth Messina, and the invitation was designed by my friend Susan at Papel Paper & Press.

Bacio

2010-11-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

A little something from the archives today ... From last year's A Lovely Workshop in Napa and photographed by Elizabeth Messina.

Have a great week!

Births, Deaths and Marriages

2010-10-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Matt Ellis contacted me to hand letter the title of his recent album entitled, Births, Deaths and Marriages. If you have a few minutes to kick back, check out the video Heart of Mine for a quick look and listen, it's a great song – and you get to see a cute lil' pooch!

Calligraphy & Cupcakes

2010-10-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

There is not a calligrapher that I know - and I know quite a few - who would think that calligraphy can be done well without chocolate being involved. At a recent workshop, one of the class participants was lovely and brought these delightful mini cupcakes for all to enjoy. They were just so cute I had to take a picture ... yum!

Artist Brittney Lee

2010-09-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Today I learned about Brittney Lee, a very talented artist and animator who does the most wonderful paper sculptures as well. Here are a few images from her blog. Make sure you check out her items for sale on Etsy, too!

Stationery Giveaway

2010-09-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

The first day of school was always an exciting time for me. A new pencil box, a new box of crayons, a new wardrobe, and the opportunity to see my old friends and make new ones was thrilling.

So, in honour of the first day of school, and with the idea I will get to share something with my old friends and meet new friends, I've got a Giveaway to offer to my followers. All you need to do to enter is to make sure your sweet little avatar shows up in the follower list on the blog and leave a comment which includes your choice of envelope colour. Then, next Monday, sometime before noon my time, I will pick a number via Random.org and voilá ... you may be the winner!

Of course, if you would like to purchase a set for yourself or someone special, you can do so at my Felt & Wire shop. : )

Signs for the Bride and Groom

2010-09-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

This sign duo is something I created for a recent wedding. What a challenge it was to write large, yet still to keep a "pointed pen" look.

Van Gogh's Palette

2010-07-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Awhile back on the Telegraph.co.uk, there was an article entitled "Why preserve Van Gogh's palette?" which I found fascinating ... and you may as well.

H

2010-07-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

Lettered with a Mitchell nib and black gouache

Auction For A Good Cause

2010-06-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you will remember my post from a short time ago about A Place To Bark ... well, the art has been compiled into a book and is currently up for auction on eBay. Won't you take a moment to check it out and, if you are able, place a generous bid on it? Not only will 100% of the proceeds will go to Bernie and the animals at A Place To Bark, but you will receive a one-of-a-kind book filled with original art. The countdown is quickly coming to an end so do check it out soon....

G

2010-06-25T07:48:00.001-07:00

Created with a Gillott 1068A and W&N Jet Black Gouache

A Lovely GiveAway

2010-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

How exciting to be part of a give-away! Particularly one curated by photographer extraordinaire Elizabeth Messina. To see what is in store, head over to her blog, Kiss The Groom, then cross your fingers and throw your name into the hat (by leaving a comment) ....

Casual But Chic Wedding Calligraphy

2010-06-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

A little more free and flowing than standard copperplate calligraphy, this lettering style is one of my favourites!

Click on the image to get a better view....

F

2010-06-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Created with a Pigma Micron, W&N Watercolours, and a Pitt Pen

Weathergrams

2010-06-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

Although I have always loved Weathergrams, this was the first time I created any myself. They were developed in the mid-1920s by Lloyd Reynolds, who taught writing and calligraphy at Reed College near Portland, and were meant to be written on brown paper (mine came via Trader Joe's shopping bags) and hung in a tree, to be exposed to the rain and elements, and to gently weather. These eventually went to France, and so I don't exactly know what has happened to them, but I had a chance to snap some shots of them before they made their journey.

E

2010-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Written with a No. 2 Ticonderoga Pencil

How Do I Love Thee?

2010-05-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

This poem, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, was a delightful surprise to discover, tucked away in a folder with scans of other long-forgotten projects from the past. This was a commission for a client who wanted it to look like it had been secreted and carried in someone's wallet for many years.

Please click on the image to get a better view of the piece.

D

2010-05-21T11:33:00.001-07:00

Created with a Dotta-riffic Marker

Lovely

2010-05-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Messina's A Lovely Workshop is in France this year, and it began yesterday. Kristen Souders of Bliss* Video Productions created an absolutely gorgeous, perfectly scrumptious video that I am sure you will enjoy watching. Oh, and you'll see some snippets of my calligraphy, and get a peek of the travel journal that I donated to the goodie bag. Stay tuned for more to come ... and have a lovely day!

Wedding Invitation Calligraphy

2010-05-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Here are a few examples of my calligraphy that was used on an invitation, menu and monogram. Please click on each image if you would like a closer view.

                                                  Design by Grapevine
                                               Photographer unknown
                                 {but would happily give credit if I knew}

A Place To Bark

2010-05-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Renée Troy has organized a great group of mixed media artists to collaborate on a book, that she will be creating to be auctioned, the proceeds of which will go directly to A Place To Bark, a no kill foster and adoption shelter. It was an honour to be asked to participate, thank you, Renée!

Here is my contribution ... the background is a piece of my paste paper, and the text was written with a pointed pen and gouache. Panzer, a Doberman, was my friend's dog and a real love. It was great to be able to contribute to a worthy cause and, at the same time, create a small tribute to this sweet pooch.

Stay tuned for information on about purchasing a copy of the book when it is published, as it will be perfectly fabulous and one that you will want for yourself ... and best of all, 100% of the profits will go directly to A Place To Bark.

C

2010-05-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Created with a Pigma Micron, Prismacolor pencils, and gel pen

My Muse

2010-05-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

For many reasons, Feddie is a special cat. The biggest one of all, however, is that it seems every picture I snap of him is perfect.

{click on the image to get a better view}

B

2010-04-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

                             Drawn with a Gillott 1068A and gouache

Pens For Kids

2010-04-25T09:56:00.001-07:00

Today I found out about a really great cause and the perfect reason to dig up all those pens that have gone missing!

Pens For Kids is an organization that was created in order to get pens to kids in Africa, and to assist them with getting an education. Won't you take a minute to check it out to see if this is something in which you, too, might wish to participate?

A

2010-04-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Written with a Gillott 1068A and gouache

Wine Tasting Journal

2010-04-15T12:33:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago I was asked to create a wine tasting journal for a wedding and here's a picture which shows it nicely. What a unique activity for your guests, between the ceremony and reception, while photos of the bridal party are being taken. This past week I created a similar journal with a travel theme, to be included in the gift bags for Elizabeth Messina's upcoming A Lovely Workshop and, in time, will post photos of it here.

Photographer is unknown but will happily be credited if their name is provided.

Calligraphy on CeCi New York

2010-04-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

A quick snippet of calligraphy I did recently on a CeCi New York design.

Calligraphic Hands

2010-04-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

What a big surprise it was to find an extraordinary article about me and my calligraphy at Graphic-Design.com. Many thanks for the kind words!

Barcelona

2010-03-15T16:42:00.001-07:00

Out of the blue, back at the beginning of February, I received a delightful email message asking me to participate in a project involving cities and type at Neue. How could I have said anything but "Yes!" to the person who offered such lovely words about my work.

Using a pointed pen, I crafted the name Barcelona to be somewhat rough, and based the lettering on Visigothic Versals, a style I had the pleasure of getting to know in a fabulous class taught by my friend, the ever talented Risa Gettler. Of course, I had to throw a few flourishes into the mix and here you can see the results. If you have a few minutes, do take a click on over to Neue and check out the Barcelona gallery, you'll be glad you did!

Personalized Invitation Calligraphy

2010-02-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sadly, I had a couple of hard drives with my work, images, and other stuff die on me last year. However, on the bright side, I found one thing that I thought was lost forever. {yay!} This is a favourite because of the way the names connect with intertwining strokes, something that I really like to do when writing names for a wedding.

Finding this gave me the idea to remind all the brides out there that having your names personalized in calligraphy is something that can make an invitation from a book instantly become a custom invitation, but without the custom price tag!

Inspired Bride

2010-02-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

A quick note of thanks to Maddy Hague of The Inspired Bride is the first order of business today. Maddy posted some kind words about my work on her lovely wedding site, along with this colourful image she made of some black and white samples of hand lettering I sent over last week. Thank you Maddy!

Seating Rocks

2010-02-17T10:03:00.001-08:00

A fellow wedding vendor and I were just now chatting about a post on The Bride's Cafe, since we had both done work for Janie and Gavin, whose wedding is featured today. As we were talking, I popped over to their photographer's website to look at more photos and after only a few clicks I was delighted to find an image of some seating rocks I did in 2003 for Max Brooks' wedding to Michelle Kholos, which was coordinated by Lisa Gorjestani of Details Event Planning.

This very beautiful photo was taken by Isabel Lawrence Photographers and, while I have not worked with them directly, I have had a bit of communication with them and they are just lovely. The word that I have heard, from those who have worked with them, is that they are wonderful!

Facelift

2010-02-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

For awhile now I have been wanting to update "my look." Although still in the process, I decided to go ahead and post the best result so far. One thing is certain, I was completely reminded why my original logo was created using type (Charlemagne, with some finagling of a couple of the characters). Writing XYZ by hand, in capital letters, next to each other, in a script that is meant to be beautiful is so much more difficult that you might imagine! As a result, the final "final" design may be some time in coming, but it's a challenge that I am looking forward to.

Anyway, if you're inclined to comment I'd love your feedback, especially what you think about the website now compared to the old website, and the blog, too. I am particularly excited that I was able to discover how to make the favicon show up in the url! : )

Art Heart for Haiti

2010-01-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

Laure Ferlita has put together a wonderful project to raise funds to help with the Haitian relief effort. Because I first heard about the project only hours before the deadline, I am so happy that it was extended so that I could participate. Thank you Laure for your big heart!

What's Your Name?

2010-01-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

As I was going through images to use for the lecture that I will be giving this Friday evening for the San Diego Fellow Calligraphers, this little gem popped up. I took a quick shot just before putting these name tags into the basket to take to Yves Leterme's workshop last August. They are of paste paper and I made them for the students that would be attending the class. The letter style is one with which I fell in love when I saw a piece created by Yves, that appears on his website. Since the piece did not have a full alphabet, it was an interesting challenge for me to come up with letters on my own that went along with the style!

I Am

2010-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

For some time now I have been wanting to create some art for my father, a retired minister and professor of theology. This year for Christmas I found a little extra time to make a small piece. The verse is from the book of Matthew in the New Testament.

A New Year Cometh

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

How exciting ... a New Year! For many people, 2009 could have been better, much better. Me? Well, there were ups and downs just like everyone else, so I am excited to move on and get started with 2010 ... to live and experience life like never before. I hope that your coming year proves to be the best ever and I offer all good wishes for prosperity, health, much love and joy....

Z

2009-12-30T16:40:00.001-08:00

What do you get a guy who is almost 15? I dunno. Well, at least I didn't know at first thought. When I discovered that his travel cup was on the last leg of its journey, that's when the idea struck. You can see here how I solved the Christmas present connundrum!

Felt & Wire

2009-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

It is exciting for me to tell you that I have been selected to offer my calligraphy and products at Felt & Wire, a curated shop. Stop by and take a look when you have a minute or two. My passion is custom lettering and design so if you have an idea brewing, for a personal monogram or stationery for example, please don't hesitate to contact me to see what we can accomplish together. I am looking forward to my new venture as a shopkeeper!

Love and Kisses

2009-11-28T16:25:00.001-08:00

When I was asked to make some signs for Elizabeth Messina's A Lovely Workshop this past year I was quite delighted to say the least. Ever gracious, she sent me some of the photographs she took of my work. I will share a few images today, and will post some more as time goes on.

Pirates

2009-11-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I was going through an old hard drive and found the original scans of my lettering for Pirates of the Carribben II. I wrote in walnut ink on Arches Textwove with a pointed pen. The scan is kind of funky but I hope you'll like looking at it anyway!

Joy!

2009-11-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

It's not easy to feel joyful with a sore throat and fever, but because I am a bit under the weather today I gave in to some time for play. On this little 2.5" x 3.5" canvas I daubed and painted and brush lettered (even though it's not my strongest lettering skill) but now that it's done, I made a little Joy after all!

The Bride & Bloom

2009-08-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

Last year, I was asked by the lovely Lisa Vorce of Oh, How Charming! to help make special a destination wedding, and since she wanted lots of flourishes I couldn't say no! Photographer extraordinaire Aaron Delesie beautifully captured my work and a couple of shots appeared in the latest issue of The Bride & Bloom. All of these photos did not appear in the magazine, but I was fortunate to have received a few that didn't make the pages, so I can to share them with you here.

Birthday Gift Book

2009-08-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

A dear friend, who is a talented artist and is always making lovely things, recently had a birthday. For a while now I have been working too much (a boring mantra, for sure) and although my lettering gets better from all the practice, it's hard to find time to do fun and artistic things. So, since I received a beautiful handmade book for my birthday from her one year I wanted to reciprocate with a handmade gift. The cover was made using some paste paper that I painted. The project took longer than I had expected but it was fun finding the ribbons, sentiments and embellishments. Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Gestural Writing

2009-08-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I had the great fortune to study with my new calligraphic hero, Yves Leterme. He is a wonderful teacher, so organized and helpful in his critique. It was a lot of work but so rewarding, and I had a blast! Most days my work requires that I mainly write pretty script letters and pull swashy flourishes for a wedding something-or-other. Yves, however, had us thinking outside the box (one of my favourite things to do). Here are some of what I consider to be my best words of the weekend...

That Guy

2009-06-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the Helzberg Diamond television commercial that features my calligraphy. Any work that I had done for film prior to this was done alone in my studio, so it was fun to be on site to do the lettering, and on camera, too! Well, at least the pen on the other side of my hand was....

The Getty

2009-06-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this month, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. Playing hooky from work we went to the Getty and enjoyed some time away from real life.

This shot was taken out of the front window of the driverless tram that takes visitors up to the museum from the parking area below.

I loved how the sunlight looked on this painting. It was an unusual moment to see any painting there splashed with light as the shutters on the roof (shown below) close when the automatic sensors detect the heat of the sun passing in front of them.

                        There is such simple gorgeousness everywhere . . .

                                                                    . . .

                                                                    . . .

        As we were leaving the sun came out ... love the lavender trellis!

Wedding Program Fans

2009-05-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

These sweet fans and menus were created for Shea Curry and Justin Levy's wedding a couple of years ago. Their wedding was planned by Lisa Gorjestani of Details Event Planning and was an InStyle Weddings feature. The wedding was held at the fabulous Rancho del Cielo in Malibu which has a view of the ocean that goes on forever ... in fact I think you can see the curve of the earth from there! Everything looked fantastic ... the flowers, the tables, the decorations ... all hot pink, glowing orange and a little green thrown in for even more excitement. Isabel Lawrence Photographers were lovely and generous to provide these photos so that I could share them here – thank you!

Photos : © Isabel Lawrence Photographers

Chocolate Love

2009-05-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

You must admit, chocolate is popular, and here is a stamp to prove it! They are available for purchase on Zazzle today. Feel free to contact me if you want a colour to coordinate or complement your event (a variety will be offered in the near future).

Always & Forever

2009-05-15T08:37:00.001-07:00

This was one of my favourite weddings for may reasons but here are just three ... it was a complete joy working with the bride and her mother, Rosalie; the event planner, Linda Howard, is the consummate professional, and I love flourishing! Inside Weddings magazine also liked the wedding of Randie Rubaum and Alan Kleinman as it was featured in their Summer 2008 issue and an image, showing the monogram I created, is still used as an image in the flash frame on their website. Here are some images of my contribution to the festivities, courtesy of and with many thanks to John Solano Photography.

Photos : © John Solano

Chandelier "Seating" Crystals

2009-05-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Making beautiful letters on paper is one thing, but making them on chandelier crystals brings calligraphy to a whole new dimension! From a 2007 wedding that was planned by Lisa Gorjestani of Details Event Planning, these crystals were presented on a chandelier for guests to find their seating assignment.

Fresh From The Archives

2009-05-11T17:19:00.001-07:00

Just yesterday I found a wicker basket tucked away that held a couple of cute little dishes I was asked to hand letter on a few years ago. They were originally for a layout in Brides magazine and were later published in Maria McBride-Mellinger's book The Perfect Wedding Details. Here they are filled with confetti, but what would you fill them with to make the perfect wedding favour for your guests?

Containers : Industrial Plastics

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T12:09:00.001-07:00

One of my fondest memories of when I was a child is May Day. My mum and I gathered flowers from our garden, wrapped them in a paper cone and tied them with a pretty ribbon. When we were done we took them round to our friends. Since I was little and quick it was my task to hang the posies on their front door, ring the bell and run!

Although that time is now gone, here is my May Day bouquet for you with wishes for a lovely day!

Papyrus Wedding Event

2009-04-29T09:29:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I was able to participate in a Wedding Event hosted by Papyrus. I enjoyed meeting some very nice people while providing their names in calligraphy.

At the Studio City location the first thing I saw upon entering the store was a terrific floral arrangement provided by DellaRobbia. Todd Johnson displayed some innovative photography, Donna Wisdom showed some great tablescape options. There was a lovely cake and darling cupcakes from Big Sugar Bake Shop, and my chocoholic husband said the mini cupcake I brought home to him was delicious.

Sunday at the Topanga Plaza store, there was an equally gorgeous arrangement on display at the store entrance, provided by Mr. B's Flowers. Photographs by Christopher Glenn were on display, many in Papyrus frames that are classic and elegant to contemporary and fun. For most of the day we were serenaded by a classical guitarist, and there were three girls modeling some absolutely beautiful wedding gowns. Cake samples were provided by Doan's Bakery and the White Chocolate Coconut was scrumptious!

My favourite part, however, was the small world meeting that I had with the catering company Someone's in the Kitchen. Although we have never worked together, as it happens, we both did work for Nicole and Michael who were married last October in Malibu. The event was organized by Sasha Souza and you can check out a tiny bit of my work on the table number and seating cards for this wedding.

Click on image for a larger view.

Thank You to The Bride's Nest

2009-04-24T07:30:00.001-07:00

A mere thank you doesn't seem to adequately express my appreciation to Rosemary Hattenbach of The Bride's Nest for her overwhelmingly wonderful comments about my work. Thank you SO VERY MUCH Rosemary!
Photo :: Elizabeth Messina

The Rhythm of Writing

2009-04-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

It was an honour to have been asked to create the logo for this year's IAMPETH convention. James Ivey, the guild's webmaster, spiffed it up wonderfully with colour and a drop shadow....

Hey Mr. Postman!

2009-04-21T19:37:00.001-07:00

You've gotta love that we mere mortals now have the power to make postage stamps. Here is a set I created for the black-and-white themed wedding of Stacey Gardner and Mardy Fish. You can purchase these on Zazzle or, if you think you'd like a different colour combo, just drop me a note!

A Different Angle

2009-04-20T14:02:00.001-07:00

After seeing an invitation layout similar to this in a bridal magazine, Julie had me create calligraphy for her invitation. Isn't this fun?!

Stylish and Green

2009-04-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

Last year I had the opportunity to design an invitation and the reception pieces for Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney's wedding in September. The couple star in the FX Channel's show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It was important to them to keep their wedding as "green" as possible.

Here are a few photos of some of the items which were generously provided by the wedding photographer Red Loft Studios. I must send a shout out to Jenny Stafford for taking the time and making a special effort to send a CD with images so I could post them on my new blog!

Lisa Gorjestani of Details Event Planning once again created an outstandingly elegant event. Over the six years we have worked together she has had me write on everything from rocks to chandelier crystals! (I'll post pics of the crystals another day.) For this wedding I hand lettered the menus on chalkboards that were placed on each table as well as signs that were used at each buffet station. The seating card rounds were hung from a manzanita branch tree, the base of which was covered with beautiful moss. The favours were made in the style of a seed packet and inside the glassine envelope was a note to their guests honoring them by planting a tree in a National Forest.

The wedding was featured in the Spring 2009 issue of InStyle Weddings and is online at the InStyle Weddings website. You can also see some additional pictures and a nice description of the wedding at Green Wedding Shoes.