Tuesday, May 21, 2024
APR to Lynne - Jordan-style
Monday, May 20, 2024
APR to Christy - Jordan style
I'm so close to using up all the orphans - and the hockey player taking shots at the priceless Pueblo art is a bit of silliness.
I did have the foresight to take a photo of the chunky first step to what we are calling the Jordan-style. Is Jordan honored to be a *named* style?
You can see how I penciled to get the width of the letters reasonably balanced. There is no trick to squaring off all the strokes. It does take some time - and it is inevitable that some strokes will be wider than others - so at the end - go back and add random thick strokes here and there.
That is very good design lesson. If you have something a little off - exaggerate the *off-ness* and repeat it at least 3 times and then it is a cool design element.
Sunday, May 19, 2024
APR to Rachael and Juliana - Wes-style [May to Lynne]
Saturday, May 18, 2024
APR to Kristine
Friday, May 17, 2024
APR to Grace, Amy and Cathy - The Last Shower
Thursday, May 16, 2024
APR to Alex and Ben - Kestrel
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Here is a calligrapher with a blog that stays on topic - however, she does not post daily. I did a search on my blog for her name and nothing popped up. I'm surprised I've never linked to her before.
I wonder if I'll remember to give this a try. My favorite part is the little doo-dad-curl where the A and K loops are almost touching.
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
APR to Jessica - Strands puzzle
I can't remember if I have already posted this.
The NYTimes has a new puzzle called Strands. There is a grid - and you have to find words.
All the words refer to theme. Each time you find 3 random words that have nothing to do with the theme, you earn a *hint* which is when they give you one the theme words. And - there is one *big* word - that ties everything together - and goes from edge to edge. I love this game/puzzle. You have to look carefully at the linked letters to *read* the words. I hope my pitiful brain is benefiting from the workout it gets with all these puzzles - mini-crossword, Wordle, Connections, Letter-boxed, and now Strands.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
APR to Rachael - 1-yr calendar
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This is such a fun thing - but I can't decide how to use it . One entire year on a sheet of paper. I just wanted to store the address for it - in case I think of a way to use it.
Monday, May 13, 2024
APR to Devonte, Lili and Lorie - Angry Grammarian
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Nobody has ever complained to me about my use of the Oxford comma. I ran across this item and have decided to drop the Oxford comma...or maybe *try to remember* to drop it. It might be hard to change. Perhaps nobody cares.
If anyone is a grammar and punctuation aficionado.... this looks like fun. A new musical.
I'm doing a fairly good job of curtailing my surfing. Except when I read articles like the one at that link and it goes to the BillyPenn website. I deduced that it was a reference to William Penn - and thought to myself - gee - I don't know anything about him. It's always fun to do a quick Wiki-read about those guys who sailed across the pond (a few times) and ended up on the box of oatmeal. And by *fun* I do not mean to imply that it is actually fun. Eye-opening might be a better word.
Sunday, May 12, 2024
APR to Susan - Balloon fighters
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I have an 8 year old grandson. I think we need to try to build this out of cardboard.
Saturday, May 11, 2024
APR to Lovie - Typewriter art
If you are wondering why I have jumped to April envelopes before posting the March envelopes that arrived in the exchange - it is because the March envelopes were sent to a friend at her home - and it was the middle of April before I had a chance to photograph them. Those envelopes will start on May 29th.
***
Here's a quick look at typewriter art.
LINK to typewriter art website
Friday, May 10, 2024
APR to Chistanna- Umbrellas
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There is a guy in Turin Italy who makes custom umbrellas. His website is all in Italian - but - you can enjoy how good he is at matching the plaids.
This link takes you to the page on the website with a video - in Italian.
At the planning stage, Mr. Suino will typically spend an hour with a client, deciding the 50 details that will go into an umbrella. Decisions include which thread color and the style and finish of an umbrella’s “tips” — the canopy’s protective metal ends. Larger concerns determine fabric, size — eight or 10 panels measuring about 18 to 26 inches from the center to the tip of the rib — and the handle. Handle options include butter-soft woods and roots; hand-carved ducks, eagles and toucans; and a one-of-a-kind selection of hollow resin handles filled with whimsical items, including curls of blue and white paper depicting a small white boat on an azure sea.
And he keeps a file on every umbrella so that if you lose yours, he has all the details for making an exact copy.
Thursday, May 9, 2024
APR to Jordan -. Kit Davey
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Lettering and handmade books go hand in hand. It takes a LOT of self control for me to not lapse into making little books. Here is someone who popped up on IG - and she claims that all of her materials are recycled. From what I know about books - it would seem like she'd need some predictable paper and card stock for some of the base layers. Or maybe she only starts a book if she has enough for a base - like in the one pictured - maybe she has a huge pile of some long black paper.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
APR to Paula - Wes Wilson
Back in late March, I posted an envelope by JeanR and didn't know the name of the style and then it popped up on IG - and lead to Amity Parks. She's been featured on the blog - and if you are interested in this style by Wes Wilson - contact Amity and see if it will be on her Zoom class schedule. LINK to Amity's class
To see more examples, Google *Wes Wilson lettering* - also keep reading the blog because I ended up with a full WesWilsonBinge.
And here is a video about Wes - LINK to Wes Wilson video
Amity's exemplar |
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
FEB from Phillip - Signatures
Initially AlRasyid was the Founder, CEO and robotic engineer of the first underwater robot company in Indonesia. Differences in vision forced AlRasyid to retire and choose to become an artist. Finally he succeeded in creating a new type of lettering suitable for signatures and logos. In order to serve you, he founded the Alrasyid Lettering company. Company profits are reused to build art, education, technology projects and develop the younger generation. Now there are 18 young talents who have joined Alrasyid Lettering. All because of you, from you, and for you.
Monday, May 6, 2024
MAR to Grace, Cathy, Mia, Jessica
We have come to the end of my March envelopes. The DRC - Deep Regret Club. The only thing worse than the envelopes is putting up with my whining about it.
<deep sigh> I did just delete two paragraphs of detailed whining - because we all have better things to do.
Grace's is just boring - but using up orphan stamps is necessary - and we might even be close to getting it done.
The idea to use the lettering on the selvage of the sheet of stamps was an atrocious idea on Cathy's. It was hard to part with those orphans because they have been around for so long and are soooo pretty. I believe I sent a consolation envelope that has already appeared.
Sunday, May 5, 2024
MAR to Mary
Saturday, May 4, 2024
MAR to Patty and Leslie
Friday, May 3, 2024
MAR to Caroline and Christina
While I am cutting back on surfing, I have also been reviewing some of my blog posts - and I am in a quandary. Some of them are 100% goofy. Should I go back and edit and delete the goofy parts? Fourteen years of posts -- that's a lot of editing.....