Personalized Engraving: Thank You gift, Whiskey Bottle Engraving

This customer reached out to me to create these beautiful, custom thank you gifts for their builder and design team that recently completed her and her families new home.

She wanted something that would remind them of their home that recently was completed, but also be used. She ultimately chose whiskey bottles they could display on their shelf or alcohol carts well into or even after they have drank the whiskey.

I created a custom, waterproof label with a personalized watercolor drawing of their new home and then etched in the glass each logo for each design firm. A one of kind keepsake!

This was such a fun combination of my skills and things I love to do. To see more of the bottles and the engraving check out the video on my Instagram!

Calligraphy vs. Lettering—why it matters?

Last post we explored the difference between calligraphy and a font. Today we are talking about what makes calligraphy different than hand lettering or faux lettering.

Now the definitions I am going to use may vary between the people you ask. These are MY understanding of them and MY definitions that I have learned through my own studies.

What is the difference between calligraphy and lettering?

Calligraphy

As a refresher, Calligraphy is the art form of writing beautiful or decorative letters with a specialized tool such as a pointed pen or brush. It is different from handwriting or cursive due to the beautiful heavy down strokes and the light up strokes. Unlike handwriting or cursive, calligraphy is created through strokes that make up the letters verses the fluid, one line of handwriting or cursive.

Lettering

Lettering, though similar to calligraphy, is the art of drawing letter forms. Unlike calligraphy, lettering you can create using any tool such as pencil, marker, brush or pen.

Like calligraphy there are many varieties of hand lettering. Think about back in grade school when you would use bubble letters for notes or posters. This is a style of lettering. Lettering can be cursive letters or printed letters that mimic fonts or handwriting.

Faux Lettering

Then what is faux calligraphy? This style of lettering falls in both the camps of calligraphy and hand lettering. Your goal is to create letters that look like calligraphy but using a different tool like a marker or pen. You are using strokes like calligraphy to make your letters, but going back in filling in the downstrokes, like hand lettering, to make your letters look more calligraphy like.

Like the chalkboard above, these are beautiful calligraphy letters created with a chalk marker. I went back in and filled in the downstrokes to give the calligraphy style but with a simple marker.

To recap:

Calligraphy - strokes to create letterforms with specialized tools.
Handlettering - drawing letter forms and using any tool to do so.
Faux Lettering - Using tools and style of hand lettering to create the look of Calligraphy style letters.

All three art forms area beautiful option for anyone of your parties, cards and posters. What are you going to use next?

Live Calligraphy Event: December 2022

I had the pleasure of working a few great brand including Bloomingdales, Louis Vuitton and Freixenet Wines this past December to help celebrate the holidays!

Handlettered Freixenet wines at Marianos

I had the pleasure to work with Freixenet Wines and Marianos of Chicagoland this past December to letter on their beautiful cava bottles for guests. It was great to get both create special, custom bottles for customers as well as play around with phrases for the holidays for customers later to pick up. I fun hostess gift or surprise to bring to the party to celebrate!

Clarins, Earth Day Celebration with Calligraphy

This past week I had the pleasure to create these fun calligraphy and painted flower pots for Clarins at Bloomingdales on Michigan Avenue. They were celebrating Earth Day with a qualifying purchase you received one of these custom flower pots, a pack of seeds and a tree planted in your name. How amazing is that?

I loved the different ideas people asked me to paint including a dog themed one for a frequent customer who brings in their dog in often, a French inspired pot, a pot for a librarian with hand-drawn books and even an original illustration by me based on the flowers on the table!

Thank you Clarins and Bloomingdales for having me!

David Yurman Jewelry , Live Calligraphy

It was a pleasure to be back at the Michigan Avenue Bloomingdale’s, this time adding calligraphy to David Yurman Jelwery cases. This simple but elegant touch was a great way to compliment the already gorgeous jewelry. Thank you for having me Bloomingdales and David Yurman Chicago!

Live Engraving with Bloomingdales for Valentine's Day!

This past weekend I was back at Bloomingdale on Michigan Avenue for a Valentines Celebration! Live calligraphy is a beautiful and fun way to elevate your gift with a special note or monogram.

Jennifer and Nate - NYE Wedding Chalkboard

How fun is this wedding chalkboard on New Year’s Eve? It is always fun to help a client’s idea come to life. For Jen and Nathan they wanted more of the party feel to continue onto the chalkboard. We added fireworks, florals and fun sparkles to match the NYE vibes.

Congratulations to Jennifer and Nathan!

Easy Fall DIY Place Cards

No matter where you live, add these leaf place cards to your Fall gathering as the perfect finishing touch to your table! Follow these easy steps to add these beauties to your next gathering:

STEP 01: Prepare and Gather Your Leaves

First, decide if you will collect leaves from your yard or purchase the leaves from your local craft store. When choosing leaves, consider not only the color that will go best with your decor but also the size that will fit your guest with the longest name.

If you are using real leaves:
- I suggest collecting your leaves 2-3 days* ahead of your event. Collect a few more than you think you will need in case of additional guests, items, or a mistake is made.
- Grab a paper towel and a few heavy books. Slip the leaves in-between the paper towels. Place them flat, either in between the pages or between two books then add additional weight on top.
- Allow them to flatten out under the weight for 1-2 days.
* You can collect and write on the leaves day-of, but to ensure a flat, dry writing surface follow instructions above.

If you are using fake/purchased leaves:
- Lightly clean your leaves to make sure no extra bumps or dust are on the surface.
-If your purchased leaves are not truly flat, using a clothing iron, slip the leaf between a pillowcase or fabric. On a low heat flatten out leaf until desired. Be careful not to melt your leaf.

STEP 02: Prepare Your Spacing

If you are not familiar with writing in calligraphy or hand lettering grab an extra leaf, and use it as your practice piece. Using a pencil first to lightly write your names out will also help you space everything out. 

If you are needing more practice with your letters, download a lettering guide here from Sip and Script or take a class with me to learn more about calligraphy!

If you feel more confident, using a pencil gently mark a small vertical line for the start of your name and one for the end of your name, leaving a finger-tip amount of space on each end. This will give you a more uniform look for your place cards.

STEP 03: Write Your Names

Now that you are confident with your letter spacing and pen, grab your favorite sharpie - traditional or oil-based - and start writing those names! Remember to go slow, and when in doubt sketch it out! Again, always collect a few more leaves than the number of guests attending in case of a misspelling or ink smudge.

STEP 04: Decorate Your Table

Hooray! Now add your name cards to your table. Add unused leaves for additional decor on the table or as labels during your gatherings for items such as punch, dessert, or sauces!

Stationery Classics: Party Animal

My favorite birthday card I have created would hands down be these penguins. Adorned in their finest party attire, these penguins were originally sketched out for a New Years card. Yes, these dapper gentlemen were meant for the New Year, but I loved them so much I knew they need to send more cheer all year long. I'm so glad these guys turned into my most beloved card.

Letters for Love Songs

I have been doing a small challenge on my Instagram this month to post a love song lyric each day called #lettersforlovesongs. I compiled a list of my favorite love songs lyrics and have been giving myself 30 minutes to pick, sketch and (if need be) computerize the text. Some of them I feel so good about in person and then I photograph them and feel subpar—does that ever happen to you?

Despite the feeling of subpar work, I post it anyways as a challenge to myself not only to follow through on posting everyday, but to start getting my work out there and making bench marks for myself. Practice makes perfect—and I really do love practicing. It is just picking the lyrics that are hard! So many GREAT love songs out there.

You can hear the playlist of all the songs I have picked so far on Spotify, just click here. Remember to follow along on my Instagram and the hashtag #lettersforlovesongs

Portfolio: Nursery Calligraphy Art

I loved getting to work on this set of verses for Mama-to-be, Kara, for her nursery. They were both  18" x 18" squares with a matte gold ink. I loved how they turned out and hope they will bless this new family for years to come. 

Holiday Renegade

This weekend is my last craft show of 2015 and I wouldn't want the year to end any other way than with Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago! Join me this Saturday and Sunday at the Bridgeport Art Center from 11am -6pm to get some great holiday goodies and gifts checked off your list! 

I'm booth #7 on the first floor so make sure to stop by and say hi! Also check out my friend Jessica's booth, J. Renee Illustration, on the 5th floor. Can't wait to see you all there!

Shop: Custom Event Calligraphy

Now in the shop is a listing for personalized event calligraphy. Need  guest book art, seating chart, or just a sweet way to help your loved ones remember their special day? Click on the listing in the shop and let me know what you are looking for. I look forward to working with you!

Links to Love : VOL. 9

Seeing logo development and origins is always a cool thing. I love the progression of these MLB logos over the last 100 years.

I may be late to the party on this, but have you seen this App by Adobe? I'm so excited to try  out Illustrator Draw for the iPad.

A cute way to vamp up some old flat ware or add spice to that collection of mismatched soon in the drawer.

Though I didn't finish my personal #100DayProject - I loved what Mary Kate McDevitt did with her  100 days.

Adult friendly coloring books are a real thing and they are a beautiful. Here are a few of my favorites I have seen out there: Querkles, Secret Garden, and this one of Mid Modern Patterns.

Portfolio: VanSoelen Baby Shower

Another one of my sweet Sister-in-laws is expecting and this will make my seventh niece or nephew! To celebrate my mother-in-law threw a "Time" themed baby shower, complete with "It's Baby Time!" invites. 

I loved working on the illustrations for this one and thinking of all the sweet things new Baby V will be getting and doing in the near future. The invite included a "time of day card" to let the guests know which part of the day their gift should be the centered around such as "Bath Time", "Nap Time", "Play Time", ect. So clever and a fun way to involve the guests in the theme.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to celebrate that day with family as we were out of town, but I'm so excited to welcome the little one and celebrate with the wonderful parents to be this fall!

Portfolio: Olson Bridal Shower

Watercolor flowers done by Angie Makes

A few months ago I had the delight to work on these fun, oversized bridal shower invites. The party theme was a garden tea and the client was looking for something subtle but with a nod to the brides wedding colors. After a few different designs, we both settled on these graceful, watercolor flower invites. I really love how they turned out!

100 Days Project

Image from The Great Discontent

About a month or so ago a friend showed me the 100 Day Challenge and asked a bunch of us if we would like to be involved. I was so hesitant at first, I mean what could I do for a hundred days that wouldn't seem daunting or at the same time underwhelming? As a creative type I knew that I wanted to do something with art, but more specifically with something off of the computer. After debating (with myself of course) for a while between drawing and some type of lettering and I remembered a doodle series I developed back a few years ago.

Meet Myrtle. Born out of a whimsical and slightly skewed sense of humor, Myrtle will be going on adventures for the next 100 days. If you would like to follow along with me you can find the drawings here #myrtlesadventures - I know I can't wait to see where she'll be going next!
 It has already been a little challenging to make sure the picture goes up each day and we are only three days in! I love the time I have put into sketching out thoughts and then completing the frame. Though it seems like another thing on my list of "to do's", it's been relaxing to get back to a sketchbook and drawing for my own pleasure.

I also have loved seeing what friends have committed to working on and exploring what others are doing through the #100dayproject and #the100dayproject

Want to join the challenge? It's not too late - here is how to join:

Free Valentine's Day Printables

Wow, Valentine's Day has snuck up on me once again! Luckily there is still time to get the cards into the mail and plan a little something for Saturday. Since my husband and I started dating, Valentines Day has always been a low key affair. Last year we went to a great little pub near by, ate delicious cheese, had some wine, and played games from the bars collection - our favorites including Blockus, and a few rounds of Gin Rummy.

One day a year is not enough to tell those you care for most how you feel, especially with such a happy thing as getting a handwritten note in the mail. I created two downloadable cards that you can print out yourself and spread the love to those around you.

Choose one or both; send one or keep sending them all year long! Each fits onto a 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper and when cut out & folded will fit a standard A6 card envelope.  Also, it's blank inside - easy for you to write down all the reasons you love that special someone, or just sign your name.

Download them here, Linalulu Paperie Valentines Day Downloadable, and happy card writing!

Portfolio: Emily Dickinson Quote

A friend approached me to do a few prints, and among them a quote by Emily Dickinson. I learned that the quote would be a gift for her mother who had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The quote had brought me to tears, and with the circumstance we agreed on a softer and cooler color palette. 

I loved how the piece turned out, and often pull out my sketches and "mess ups" to look over the sweet words. I hope they both feel comfort when they reread these words, and even more comfort knowing where true hope is found.