Designer Imposters

The current plan for addressing the wedding invitations is to use

large circle stickers with printed addresses to match our stationery
design. However, after reading several posts stressing the importance
of calligraphy, I decided to explore my options before blindly
committing social suicide.

I recently ordered a sample of Laura
Hooper's work on etsy. I have to admit, seeing my name so beautifully
scripted on a USPS Priority mail envelope did woo me. My first thought
was "OMG. OF COURSE I need calligraphy!" But,
by the morning, I was back to thinking that it was too expensive. I
certainly appreciate the art form and it's purpose in the grand scheme
of the event, but at the end of the day, I am buying wedding shoes on
ebay and veils on etsy. A budget's a budget.

I started a discussion on The Unbrides Network to get some opinions and a gauge of my gaucheness. Justine Ungaro suggested that I check out Pretty Pen Jen.
Jennifer Cota's work is both adorable and affordable. And it also had
me thinking that I could try my hand at calligraphy. "Try" being the
operative word.

Pretty Pen Jen's Aubrey Font:

Image: Pretty Pen Jen

My attempt at an "inspired by" font.

When
I showed my six pages of samples to Andy, he said, "Ugh, I don't know."
My work didn't even warrant a "I guess it looks nice." It looks like a
5-year-old girl was trying to be fancy on the invites for her "tea
party" for Tickle Me Elmo, the cast of High School the Musical, and
Hannah Montana. The post office would probably scan all of them for
explosives.


You can read more of the story at: Tina's site

Calligraphy Artist: Laura Hooper

Laura owns LH Calligraphy and is pleased to be a full time calligrapher. She creates and custom designs maps, invitations and envelopes with the traditional feel of calligraphy with a modern twist.




Calligraphed design for your invitation suite is the perfect way to get the traditional look of hand-lettering that is customary for an elegant wedding. Each piece is hand-lettered in the style you prefer and then reproduced using high-quality printing methods such as letterpress, engraving, or offset printing. It looks great and is sure to make a lasting impression on your friends and family.

Visit Laura at her new Calligraphy site: Laura Hooper Calligraphy

Fun with the Alphabet

Two creative paths from A to Z. by Raymond Pirous|Fun with the Alphabet

Charles Roper thought I might like abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz, a short film directed by Roel Wouters, featuring the work of his son alongside that of his brother and calligrapher, Job Wouters in a live jam session juxtaposing the lettering art of the youthful amateur vs. that of the aged professional.

The image below is a compilation of both sets of the alphabet as drawn during the film: