Paper Cuts and Glue Gun Wounds for the Sake of Prettiness

Every Monday, I keep vowing to be a better blogger. And then...I get all caught up in working on things for our wedding and suddenly, it's Thursday - of the following week.

So, now, I'm vowing to start this "betterness" in December (after the wedding and our Bon Voyage party). Until then, I'll just pop up with a few little Mandylynn musings and maybe a photo or two of my DIY creations...low resolution iPhone pics, of course. Le sigh.

Here are a few little glimpses to prove I'm not just sitting around eating macarons while my blog waits patiently for attention.

All of our party invites are being hand-drawn...and painted...and lettered...and stamped...and tied.

Oh, and wax sealed...

Our party will have a French patisserie color theme,

so I'll be covered in pistachio green and pink paint through early November.

My Paper Peonies. Only about 90,0oo more to make. :)

Hopefully, I'll be able to peek over the pile to say hello every now and again until the Winter.

Images of My Weekend

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. ~J. Lubbock

we forgot the dish scrubby thing. so, i made one.

sunlight and leaves make Freckled Boy drunk-eyed with happiness

or so Herman Melville said...

sometimes it's good to be reminded of your smallness among things

kinda hard to see: he's holding a sign that says:

"I'm Mossome." hee hee.

the end.

I Dream of Food

My calligraphy class was canceled last night due to a sniffly instructor, so I did a little practice at home.

My apologies for the grainy iPhone pics. I have a May resolution to only use my actual camera. (I usually substitute birthday resolutions for New Year's ones and on Seis de Mayo, I turn 31, so the time is near.)

I wrote out a bunch of yummy fake menus last night while eating a black bean burger and mac and cheese from a box. (I wasn't eating them directly from the box. They were cooked first.)

It might have been more fun to write out elaborate flourishing junk food menus. Doritos Flambee avec Twix Petit Fours anyone?

Repeat if Necessary

My hand may fall off today...but in a good way.

Last night was the first of six classes in Copperplate style calligraphy for me with the fabulous Anne Elser. I thought that all the evenings of drinking tea and addressing hundreds of wedding envelopes would have prepared me, but alas, I got some serious lettering cardio.

The funny thing is that I spent over two hours just writing the letters "i", "u" and "w" and enjoyed every minute of it. The structure of a class is great for improving your talents because you can't get distracted by shallow tv or friends with red wine. You must practice.

It also helps to have an amazing (she made the little name cards pictured above for everyone in class - so pretty!) and patient instructor.

Patience, is a definite requirement when writing with an instrument designed before Betty White and bicycles were invented.

Although, it feels a little bit like a throwback to kindergarten, I have to admit, I can't wait for capital letters!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69252823/awesome-11x17-poster-print

Busy.Busy.Busy.

I'm doing hand and finger yoga in preparation for wedding season calligraphy. Of late, my doorstep is dotted with boxes of very special cargo almost daily. It's so flattering to know that someone trusts me with something so important.

Recently, I had an opportunity to work on a wedding taking place in Greece. My lettering was done from my desk (not in Greece) with my cat nibbling at my toes, but often I imagined the shade of white buildings and blue seas swirling around me. I was almost sad to finish - imaginary vacay over. Sigh.

Coming up next are parasols for an outdoor June wedding here in Atlanta, and envelopes to be addressed for North Carolina, New York, D.C. and Malibu. I have a long daydreamy virtual road trip ahead of me.

I think I'd better stop for a bagel.

My Labor of Love and Papercuts

Just because we aren't having a traditional wedding, doesn't mean that I'm not still obsessing over the details.

Before we run away to quasi-elope in San Francisco, we're throwing a party to celebrate family and friends and love and chicken and waffles and such.

I want everyone invited to know how very special they are to us...sooooooo, instead of having traditional printed invitations, I'm doing them all..............................(dramatic pause)................by hand..............(wait! There's more!)..............with dip fountain pen and wax seals. The party won't be until November, but I knew I had to get started now if I'm to finish them all in time without crying fits.

Hopefully, the venue will be a small local theatre in our neighborhood. We'll be going to check it out later this week (keep your fingers crossed). Meanwhile, I have to leave all the date and time info blank.

So far, two down, 75 more to go.

Mesmerized

Later this month, I'm taking starting a 6 week class on Copperplate Calligraphy and I cannot wait.

I find it so incredibly lovely. Even watching it being written by someone else lulls me into a state of general "ahhhhh".

This video is almost eight minutes long and shows only the word "Flourishing" being written. A nice reminder that there is beauty in slowness.

Sickligraphy

eing stuck inside on a gorgeous day, not feeling well leads to craft time...and eating lots of salted caramel ice cream. I can show you no photo of the ice cream, because now there is none.

Brainstorming ideas for little Thank You seals. Here are my rather rough practice endeavors.






I'd like to do some bright greens and purples-maybe red ones also.

I'd also like to go to the park and lounge on a blanket in the sunshine like everyone else, but *sigh* *sniffle* that will have to wait...

Random Calligraphy Samples

Tonight, I had white ink and red wine. This is what happened. :)