Great alternative to a guest book!

As the year draws to a close it's easy to focus on all the negative things that have happened throughout the year. 

I saw this idea sometime in mid December 2012 and was determined to start one for myself.

The concept is simple. It costs very little to put into action And will help you realise it's the small things in life that bring the joy and reflections of all the good things that happen Throughout the year.

Take a Kilner jar or something similar, This could be a pretty box or container with a lid like a teapot perhaps And starting on January 1 fill the jar up with pieces of paper writing on each piece anything good that happens. 

                                     

Then on new years eve of that year open up the jar to see all the good stuff that has happened that year. I am surprised and impressed with how full mine actually became. With all the bad news in the media and the normal struggles of everyday life it's easy to become entangled in the web of negativity. 

I'm thinking of creating some of these jars for my brides and grooms And will call them wishing jars. Guests can write on pieces of paper or card and add them to the jar. The bride and groom can then open the jar and read the messages from their friends and family. 

Why not start the jar for 2014? I think you'll be as surprised as I was as to how much good stuff happens. I wish you all the very very best for 2014

If you are on Facebook.... come and join our dedicated group: Good Things Jar 2013

Peacock Blue Wedding Inspiration

There's no two ways about it.... I LOVE the colours of Peacock Feathers!

I was trundling around Pinterest (my latest obsession!), looking for Inspiration for my Wedding Inspiration Board when I came across this delightful colour scheme from The Exclusive Wedding Blog

I LOVE strong, vibrant colours and ones that shimmer and shine in particular. That's probably why I am s  fascinated with the Foils that I use on my Wedding Invitations and Stationery.

I've just re-designed my North Yorkshire Weddings website and felt that I needed a new look for my Inspired by Script website too. Mainly because I felt the Lime Green and Hot Pink looked a bit childish and didn't really show off my designs to their best advantage.... So, with that in mind (Drum roll and Fanfare please).... here's THE NEW LOOK!

So.... what do you think? Constructive criticism welcome :-)

Mini-Doodles....more Doodle Fun!

After posting about these doodles I thought I would also share some mini doodles in the hope that it would spur others on to have a go.

The advantage of doodling is that it takes very little time and even less in equipment. They can be picked up and put down on a whim. Most of all, they are fun :o)

The paper squares are pre-cut using a square punch and kept in a box ready for decoration. Below we start with a few flowers, a sun, a butterfly and a heart.....

And if you don't feel confident in doodle pictures,

you can always start with patterns......

Here's a close up of some of the mini doodles......

I LOVE hearts.....who doesn't?

And a simple flower design.....

Gestural patterns are good....

dots, swirls and wavy lines....

And, painting over the lines

in a haphazard way

adds to their delight....

Try them....I find them very meditative.

Perhaps I'll use these on some cards

as I have a few birthdays coming up soon.

REMEMBER: Don't take yourself too seriously or be too critical when doing these. The operative word here is FUN and try and connect with the child within :o)

Revisiting a Childhood Passion for Doodling...

I'm not known for my expertise in drawing and painting. I have drawn and painted in the past, but these days it take me all my time to paint between 2 lines. If I need artwork in any commission, I usually leave it to someone who actually calls themselves an artist. I have an ingrained saying in my head which repeats: 'If you can't (insert word here), don't prove it'. As in 'If you can't draw, don't prove it' (or something similar.

Now....I have a bug.....something I can't seem to shake off.....and it all started with a set of these.......

They are water based, brush pens....

innocent enough.....or so they would have you believe!

Add to these a permanent fine line pen and a water brush,

start to doodle a pattern, fill in with colour and add water

to give this effect.......

Of course, with my background in lettering, and nothing seeming to be complete without letters of some kind....I just had to add some Motivational quotations.

I found these to be really addictive. They sent me way back into my childhood of long winter days sat at the table drawing and doodling, with nothing more than paints, pencils and a sketch pad to keep me happy.

It seems that some things never change. I am still easily satisfied....just give me the colour and the water and remind me of those 'Special Quotes' that keep me going when times get tough.

I had no reason or ultimate goal for these when I first started them. I was simply flying free and having fun. I had no intentions of showing them to anyone.....but they have materialised into......drum roll please.....

Fridge Magnets!

Scanned and printed onto magnets, which will be for sale in the Gallery of Inspired by Script for £1.50 each.

At the moment I have more backgrounds and ideas than I have quotations. I love collecting quotes and especially motivational and inspirational ones.

How wonderful it is sometimes just to change direction, even if only for a little while. Thought of childhood are bringing back nostalgia and happy times with my family. The quotations remind me of the need to stay positive, no matter how bleak the world looks at times.

What is your favourite motivational quotation?

Inspired by CREATIVITY

I love working to commissions, but now and again it's nice when you get a little bit of 'me' time. I also love doodles and gestural marks.....so at the end of the last Wedding order I had time for a little play......

Creativity comes from having an open mind to new ideas,
Constantly questioning the established rules

Though rarely does it come on those days

When you set out to be creative - Raymond Blanc

I'm not sure what I will use these for just yet, or even if I will use them at all....but I certainly had fun playing for a while and I'm sure that with a little more play, something will develop.

Beautiful....simply....beautiful!

Tashi Mannox - Tibetan Calligrapher from Planetary Productions on Vimeo.

To Create Is To Touch The Spirit

A5 sized Motivational and Inspirational Greeting Card.

Only fellow artists will understand the meditative quality of creating something from scratch.

These cards would look stunning when mounted and framed.
Taken from original and printed in high quality on textured, Canaletto Card.
Each card comes with an envelope and is sent in a board backed envelope.

The quotation reads: To Create Is To Touch The Spirit This would make a great card for an artist or creative person

This card and others is for sale in my FOLKSYSHOP

What is a Mantragram?

You've probably never heard of a Mantragram before. It certainly is not in Wikipedia..... and that's probably because I invented the word! Quite some years ago now I was told about Weathergrams, which are:
poems of about ten words or less. They are written on narrow strips of kraft paper cut from used grocery store bags. They are hung on bushes or trees in gardens or along mountain trails. There are generally seasonal and are left out for three months or longer. The name means 'weather writing' -- notations by sun, wind, rain, and possibly ice. Written with the proper inks, the writing lasts. Let them weather and wither like old leaves. In composing one, let the meaning grow out of things, with some action involved if possible -- in a hear and now. The meaning is not all on the surface. The unexpected is essential. It is not a condensation, but a moment of vision.
Taken from this link here: http://www.mlhp.net/alum/weathergram.html

Then some time later our great calligraphy friend Fran Sloan died suddenly and we (calligraphers all over the world) decided to make weathergrams in her memory and the term: Frangrams were invented. We did Fran proud and we hung them in our gardens all over the world as her funeral was taking place.
I took the idea a stage further and thought that they would look wonderful with Inspirational and Motivational Quotes on them and perhaps even use them to celebrate the birth of a baby or even a marriage. They were made for longer lasing and more substantial materials and were very definitely made for inside the house.

So they are a cross between Mantras and Prayer Flags. Mantra being a sound of energy. Generally I make these to order but I do have a few stock Mantragrams for sale at the studio. Why not have a go at making a Weathergram yourself?

Cut Letters

From the time before I was even interested in Calligraphy, I have been interested in cut and etched letters, in fact the whole idea of learning lettering was to carve in stone and etch on glass. Somehow, the time taken to learn good letterform was grossly miscalculated and the resulting loss of my centre vision in 1997 then made it an impossibility.
Before loosing my sight however, I did a few pieces where I cut letters from card and mounted these on top of card again, resulting in a sort of relief effect. Again, loosing my sight would make the chances of me turning any future ideas into reality.....until my new toy arrived 2 days ago!

Using a computer programme, which incidentally is becoming a sharp learning curve and more than a little challenging, I can now sent my graphics to a cutter and cut out tiny letters or large ones.....no centre vision needed :o)

I've lots of ideas and they are coming thick and fast! At the moment I am at the playing stage and I know that I cannot rush the learning process, just as with calligraphy. There is no easy way to jump ahead.

These are just trial pieces and there will be more 'proper' work to come, of which I will share on the blog and may even add them to my shop.

I think they look superb and I am well pleased with the results so far.

I hope you like them too. :o)

Quotation Site

There's no doubt about it...I love quotations and as such I am a keen collector and have books full of the. I often get asked where do I get them from and the answer is....from many many sources. However the internet has certainly made things a lot easier.

If you are looking for a special quotation

to suit a particular event or occasion,

go to The Quote Garden. It's full of inspiration.

You can go direct to the site by CLICKING HERE

Warning!

Go and grab yourself a coffee first....

you may be there some time :o)