Fun With Calligraphy
January 24th, 2007 @ 3:43 pm by Mrs. Emerald
I’ve been doing calligraphy here and there since I first learned it in my 7th grade art class. Who would have thought that this uhm, “skill,” would stick with me for over 14 years! (The funny thing is that my real handwriting is one step above illegible chicken-scratch). Last summer for Mr. E’s sister’s wedding, I did all the calligraphy for her invites and placecards, and they turned out fairly decent (although I was rusty).
So I’ve been excited to bust out the pen and paper again and start practicing for my own invites! This time I actually purchased a real fountain pen instead of using calligraphy felt tip markers (which worked great, but I’m goin’ for authentic here, haha), and it’s so much fun!
I found some extra envelopes lying around, so I tried my hand at addressing them in 2 different ways, traditional calligraphy style, and a script-y cursive (except I just noticed that they look rather similar). Unfortunately, the envelopes were heavily textured, so the pen and ink did not flow as well as it does on smooth paper. I also need to find another fountain pen with a thinner tip for a more delicate look.
Since I didn’t want to post anything with the address of someone I know, I decided to address the envelopes to one of my favorite Chicago celebs, Oprah! I also debated between using “Ms.” versus the etiquette correct “Miss,” but I figured that she would prefer the “Ms.” HAHA. Whatever, this is just for fun anyways. 
But I really need to practice more… luckily I have another 5 months or so!
I also played around with my new Paris themed Cavalinni stamps that I recently bought at Anthropologie. The Eiffel Tower stamp is really detailed, I love it! The Peony stamp is from Stampworx2000 which I bought ages ago, hoping to one day incorporate into my wedding somehow. It doesn’t really work with my theme, but I want to use it somewhere anyway! The pink ink looks crappy but I’m still waiting for my fabulous new stamp pads that I ordered from Impress to arrive!!
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12 Responses to “Fun With Calligraphy”
wow. looks fabulous! i like the eiffel tower stamp a lot and the scripty cursivey font too.. but both look stellar!
I just got the paris stamps too! I love cavallini!
looks great!! i wish i had talent like that - then we wouldnt have had to use labels (gasp!!)
i totally wanted to learn calligraphy just for the wedding but didn’t have the time. its something i think i’d find useful even after the wedding. yours looks great btw! 
Mrs Butterfly: You used labels??? That surprises me.
you did that? wow. that’s impressive. it looks great!
haha funny! i just got back from my lunch break with a new nib and some white ink. i’m going to attempt my own as well…it’s been about 8 years since i’ve picked up a pen, though. yikes.
I learned calligraphy in the 7th grade or so as well, but I can’t say that I’ve really retained it. I’m just going to write mine carefully and nicely with a nice felt-tip pen. Yours looks rather nice though - I do really like the bottom one. Very professional, and pretty.
That does look good! Now I really do want to learn. I already do a lot of fun fonts and what not for scrapbooking, so it shouldn’t be that much harder, especially with a special pen…
BEEHIVE: what are some good calligraphy DIY books? I have been wanting to do this and I think other bee’s would benefit from that info, too!
You can definitely tell the difference between the two. I like the script-y one better! But, they both look great!
I’m totally going to attempt to calligraphy my own envelopes too. I hope I’m either very good OR don’t ruin too many envelopes before hiring someone
Mrs. Emerald, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 26, Hospitality Administration
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Paralegal
Engagement Date: October 8, 2006
Wedding Date: September 2007
Blogging Since: November 29, 2006
Venue: Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook IL
About Me: I have been dreaming about my wedding forever, and flipping through bridal magazines since high school, so I am in my element! I am calling our theme "Vintage Inspired French/Asian Fusion." Mr. Emerald is very involved in the planning process, but of course he generally defers to me cuz I have a strong opinion of how I want everything to be :-).
I’ve been doing some calligraphy for fun for a little while but I’m definitely not as good as you! Do you have a specific book you learned/practiced from?