Calligraphy Flourish Friday - No. 4 of Hymns That Last

This is the fourth page in my Hymns That Last journal:

Crown Him with Many Crowns by Matthew Bridges, 1851 (Alt. Godfrey Thring, 1874).  I love this hymn.  The full list of 27 "Hymns That Last" can be found HERE.

The Calligraphy Guild of Indiana will be hosting a weekend workshop with Reggie Ezell October 5-6, 2013.  If you are interested in attending, then please read more about the workshop by CLICKING HERE.

If you did not see the story on NBC Nightly News regarding penmanship this past Sunday, then here is a link to the full story.  The third video down is an interview with Michael Sull.

For the Full Story, CLICK HERE.

Finally, although this information is not calligraphy related, some of you many find the following information as useful as we have.  Should you ever want or need to know how the US government rates a particular nursing home, then go to www.medicare.gov (NOT medicare.com) and use their Nursing Home Compare tool.  A nursing home may appear to be first rate, but it's difficult to make an accurate assessment.  Medicare's Nursing Home Compare tool allows you to see how the nursing homes in a particular city or zip code compare to each other on various and important criteria: CLICK HERE

If the link doesn't work, then go to: www.medicare.gov and click on Find Nursing Homes.   

Enjoy your weekend.

Go forth and flourish!

(Happy Birthday, Sue!!)

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Football!

Happy weekend, Friends!

Are you ready for some football? 

I am. :)

Go forth and flourish!

If you plan on attending Penrod tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 7, 2013), then please stop by the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana's booth near the main entrance to the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Envelope Drying Racks

 Happy Friday, Friends. This week I was asked about the drying racks I use.  I use a few different kinds.

I really like the Print Gocco drying racks by RISO.  They come packaged two to a box. Each rack holds 20 pieces.  I bought mine locally and also from Northwoods Studio, but you can find them on Etsy, too.

The Gocco racks are nice because they hold most standard size envelopes...

...as well as small pieces.  These racks work great for escort cards, place cards, name badges, tags, etc. They also stack on top of each other when not in use, so they can be stored easily.

 Some pieces do not work in the Gocco racks. For abnormally thick envelopes, boxes, very large envelopes, etc. I use a wire Compact Disk holder.  

I bought this one from Paper & Ink Arts, but I didn't see it in their catalog or on their website.  (No one buys CDs anymore, so they probably quit making holders for them.)

  

 You can find wire CD holders online or at Goodwill.  I like holders that accommodate big pieces like these mat and foam core boards. Not all wire CD holders would work for these pieces, but it looks as though Rolodex makes a 30 count holder that would work. 

 My wire CD holder does not work for small pieces.

These racks were given to me. They had been used as phone message holders in an office and were going to be thrown away.

This drying rack was given to me by my sister. It's the kind that is used in pre-schools for drying artwork.  I use it for drying pieces from my Print Gocco, Gelli Printing Plate, or for large, thin pieces such as these wraps for wedding invitation boxes.

This rack was given to me, and although I use it for other things, it doesn't work for drying envelopes or place cards.  It's too narrow and it also causes the pieces to fall against the wire. (Not such a good thing when the ink is wet...) Some have suggested stretching one of those hard, plastic Slinky type toys and fixing it on either end.  I haven't tried that, but if it worked, it would be an inexpensive drying rack.  

For Print Gocco drying racks from Northwood Studios, CLICK HERE and then click on "Accessories." You can also find them at Etsy by searching for: RISO Print Gocco drying rack.

I hope this information helps!   If you have found another drying system that works, then please leave a comment so others can learn about it.  Thank you.

Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Go forth and flourish!

xo

Jane

Flourish Friday - Moleskine Journal

I was nearing the bottom of my inkwell.  As my longtime followers know, I like to use that bottom-of-the-barrel ink in my Moleskine journal or for random pieces.

This time it was destined for my Moleskine.  

This is only the second entry in my Moleskine for 2013; where has this year gone? If you'd like to see the other entries in my Moleskine, you can find them all in one place at my Flickr account: CLICK HERE

Happy Friday Friends.

Go Forth and Flourish!

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Thinking of You

This is a snippet from a card I designed this past week. So many people are going through difficult times. 

Thinking of you Dear Family and Friends.

You may recognize the background from my previous posts about the Gelli Arts Printing Plate HERE and HERE.  The lettering was done with a pointed pen and added to the design via Photoshop.

For more about the Gelli Arts Printing Plate, CLICK HERE.

Go forth and put a little flourish is someone's day!

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Hymn Journal Page 3

This is the third page in my "Hymns That Last" journal.  "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" was written by Henry Alford in 1844.  This entry was a challenge.  I mixed my walnut ink too thin, the paper fibers gave me fits - and misspellings galore.

To view Page 1, CLICK HERE.

To view Page 2, CLICK HERE.

To see the complete list of Hymns That Last, CLICK HERE.

3 down, 24 to go!

Happy weekend, Friends.

Go forth and flourish!

xo

Jane

1 Corinthians 13 - Calligraphy Flourish Friday

This is a low resolution, watermarked image of my calligraphic interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (NIV).  I have just updated my permission agreement with Zondervan/HarperCollins (the USA Copyright holder for the NIV), and this piece is now available as a print directly from me. (High resolution without watermarks)  Contact me if you're interested. My email address can be found on the upper right side of  my blog's homepage.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Go forth and flourish!

xo

Jane

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC. All rights reserved. 

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. WWW.ZONDERVAN.COM
The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Offices by Biblica, Inc. ™

Flourish Friday - Giveaway Winners

Hello Friends. Happy Friday! The results from last week's giveaway are in.  The winning number of my "Don't Stumble" rubber stamp is 4...

.... and the fourth comment was left by Agnes. Congratulations, Agnes!

The winning number of my Isaiah 54:10 canvas is 8....

...and the eighth comment was left by Linda.  Congratulations, Linda!

Agnes and Linda, you can find my email address near the upper right portion on the home page of my blog.  If you would please email me your shipping address, then I will get your prizes shipped to you.  

My thanks to everyone that participated!

I also want to thank everyone for making my 50th so incredibly fun and memorable.  I have THE BEST family and friends!!  Go forth and flourish!

Much love,

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Reason to Celebrate!

As promised, this week I'm hosting a giveaway to celebrate my 50th birthday.  If you live in the USA and would like a chance at winning one rubber stamp of my "Don't stumble over something behind you" lettering, then simply leave a comment on this blog post at Blogger (Please: not on Facebook, not at Flickr, and not via email).  The rubber stamp is new, unused and made of red rubber. (Pictured at top.) It is mounted on a wood block measuring 2.25 inches x 2.25 inches.  (Ink pad not included.)

Have you heard the Grrrreat News?!

 Incoming IAMPETH President, Heather Victoria Held, has announced the 2014 IAMPETH Convention will be right here in Indianapolis! Woohooo!!! I am so excited!  Mark your calendars, get your ducks lined up, and come to The Crossroads of America! If you are not already a member of IAMPETH, then now is a good time to join.  The membership year begins July 1st, and dues are $35 per year.  As a member, you will receive the Penman's Journal 4 times per year AND receive the 2014 convention registration materials early.  You can learn more about joining IAMPETH at their website by clicking: HERE

  :) Let's celebrate...

 ....by having a second giveaway prize!  This is a 20" x 24" canvas print of my Isaiah 54:10 (NIV) calligraphy.

The sides are printed in black.  It is not pre-wired for hanging, but it does come with hanging hardware.  Again, if you live in the USA and would like a chance to win this canvas print or the rubber stamp then  leave a comment below here at Blogger.  You have until Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 1pm Eastern Time to enter. Please be sure your first name is included in the comment. One entry per person, please. I have removed the word verification system, but I will approve each comment before it posts.   There may be a delay before your comment appears.

**The registration deadline has now passed. I have closed the option to comment.  I will announce the winners sometime on Friday, July 26, 2013.  Thank you!**

I will announce both winners on Friday, July 26, 2013.

I will use random.org to select the winners.  The first winner will receive the rubber stamp, the second winner will receive the canvas print.

Thank you for your continued support and following along on my journey.

I appreciate your interest!

Go forth and flourish!!

xo

Jane

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. WWW.ZONDERVAN.COM
The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Offices by Biblica, Inc. ™

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Celebrating 50

 I celebrated my 50th birthday this month, and since this is typically a slow week on the internet, I want to take a little time out to thank everyone for all the funny cards, beautifully hand lettered greetings, gifts, emails, texts, messages and phone calls.  The love and good wishes of family and friends made turning 50 a pleasure! (Well, excluding the above birthday greeting from the AARP. haha)

With the help of family and friends, my daughter surprised me with this video. I loved it!!!  If you're ever looking for a special gift for someone, then consider this great idea.  With smart phones, iPads,  Photo Booth on desktops,  etc., people are able to record and send video clips. Amazing! (Rachel used iMovie to compile the clips and arrange the video.)  Thank you, Rach! Thank you family and friends!

To celebrate my 50th with my readers, next Friday I will announce a giveaway.

Be sure to check back.

Until then, go forth and flourish!

....and for those of you at IAMPETH, I hope you're having a wonderful week.  Enjoy your last few days in Albuquerque!  I can't wait to see you at IAMPETH in 2014!

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Philippians 4: 6 & 7

My calligraphic interpretation of Philippians 4: 6 & 7.  I used Moon Palace Sumi and a Nikko G nib. (Contact me if you're interested in purchasing a high resolution print of this piece. Watermarks are not on the prints.) 

Wishing you a great weekend, Friends!  For those of you packing up and heading to Albuquerque for IAMPETH....Safe travels....Have fun.....Listen, observe, learn, and then...Practice! 

I wish I could be there with you in Old Town, but I am already looking forward to next year!!

Go forth and flourish!

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Envelopes: Reuse, Exhibit and a Giveaway

Happy Flourish Friday, Friends!  Here are a few more images of how I reuse envelopes.

For envelope work, I require 10% extra, blank envelopes.  The extras are used when there's been a change to the list after I've already addressed the envelope or if there's been an error on my part or the client's.  At the end of the job, I will hold back several blank envelopes from the remaining 10%.  I do this because there are often late additions to the list even after the client has mailed the invitations, or an invited guest will move and their invitation needs redone.  It's much easier for both the client and myself, if I already have extras on hand.

If I'm left with any envelopes after the wedding, then I may try to reuse them - whether they've been addressed incorrectly or they're still blank.  I realize this isn't for everyone! I don't do it with every job, but sometimes it just feels like such a shame not to reuse them.  I can salvage parts of the liners, back flaps, and even the corners. 

The return address is normally preprinted on the envelope, which I must cover or cut out.

I cover the return address with a portion of the back flap, or the liner from a back flap, leaving enough margin to add my own return address.

 I just noticed I didn't finish the "k" before I took this photo.  (I can't remember if I finished it at all!)

The easiest way to cover a return address is to cut the gummed area off of one of the discarded envelopes.

It's usually a large enough strip to cover the return address but not always.

I know this seems tedious, but I seem to like tedious, time consuming projects!  I can spend hours goofing around with envelopes and addressing them.  To view a previous post about reusing envelopes:   CLICK HERE

You can find a variety of stamps from  the U.S. Postal Service, including accurate information about the design and issue of each stamp, on the "Buy Stamps" page at their website: USPS

Isn't this a pretty pen holder?  It was made by Chris Yoke, one of the newer members of the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana.  CGI is blessed to have some terrific new members.  Chris brought some of the pen holders he made to one of our New Members Group meetings.  I think he was surprised when I asked if I could buy this one!  He now has an online store.  If you'd like to learn more about Chris, his interest in penmanship, and his pen holders, please visit his website here:

Yoke Pen Company    If you sign up online to receive his newsletter, then Chris will enter you for a chance to win a FREE pen holder! How about that?  His first giveaway is July 1, 2013 - that's Monday, so you better get on over there. You can find the Yoke Pen Company giveaway page: HERE

One final thing: I received word from French calligrapher, Emmanuel Spaeth, about the call for entries for the 2013 edition of Mail Art Across the World (MAAW).  No matter where you live or your skill level, I hope you'll consider participating in this wonderful exhibit of calligraphic mail art.  The submission deadline is November 30, 2013.  Read all about it here: Mail Art Across the World

You can view my posts about previous editions of MAAW HERE and HERE.

Enjoy your weekend.

Go forth and flourish!

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Chalk Pen

I am in the second year as the president of the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana.  We have a great membership. That's because many of our members give, Give, GIVE of their time and talent.  My first calligraphy teacher and mentor, Ellen Simon, also gives of her kitchen table. It's a huge table, and we often have our summer board meetings around it.  I picked up this little hanging planter as a thank you to Ellen for allowing us to meet in her home this week. 

The container was a little plain. 

So, I pulled out my white ZIG Calligraphy Chalk Pastel Colour marker and dressed it up a little. 

That's better! :)

You can find several colors of these ZIG Pastel Chalk Colour markers at Paper and Ink Arts*: CLICK HERE

If you are interested in calligraphy and are not part of a guild, I urge you to join one.  Most guilds in the USA are especially eager to welcome young people.  The membership of many guilds is aging, and we need young people to whom we can pass down this beautiful art and craft.  You can find what I hope is an up-to-date listing of USA guilds on my "USA Calligraphy Guilds" page.  Keep in mind that some guilds don't update their websites as often as others, but don't let that keep you from contacting them about their guild.

Don't forget Google Reader will be discontinued July 1, 2013.  Current Google Reader users can follow my blog via email. Enter your email address in the designated box on my homepage.

Enjoy your weekend friends!

Happy Summer!! (For us in the Northern Hemisphere)

Go forth and flourish!!

xo

Jane

*I receive a small percentage in in-store credit for every purchase made at Paper and Ink Arts that originates from a link on my blog. Although this has not always been the case, it is now, and I wanted to make my readers aware of this.

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Wet Paint

Happy Friday friends!  This is going to be a quick post. It's actually Thursday night as I type this.  We are having our house painted. They weren't suppose to start until next week, but we're happy they are ahead of schedule.  But...so much for having Saturday and Sunday afternoons to prepare my studio for having the windows open!  It's been a mad dash today getting the house ready and moving the essentials of my studio down to the basement.  So...here's an "in progress" peek at a client piece--a wedding certificate--I did a few weeks ago.

Enjoy your weekend.
Wishing all the dads, including my own and my children's, a very Happy Father's Day!

Go forth and flourish!

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Comparing G Nibs

I did a little G nib comparison sheet this morning. 

 Tom had a meeting in Nashville earlier this week, and I tagged along.  It was great to see Rachel (our daughter), my sister and her family, *AND* pay a visit to Paper and Ink Arts. PIA is a candy store for calligraphers, but it's not a traditional retail store front.  Jennifer Allen, the Director of PIA, was gracious enough to let Rachel and I prowl around....oops, I mean, "Rachel and *me*" ...the grammar police will get me....(aka Tom)    :)

Two things I wanted to try: the Tachikawa G nib and this palette of Fine Tec Pearl Colors. 

Thanks to Heather Held's recommendation several years ago, I already have (and LOVE) the Fine Tec gold palette.  The new palette also has 6 colors.  The new palette's wells are smaller, but it's also less expensive.

 I regularly use both the Nikko G and the Zebra G.  Sometimes the Zebra G is a little too sharp for me.  Although my hairlines tend to be finer with the Zebra G, they also skip more.  I was very interested to see how the Tachikawa G performed for me, and I am quite happy with it.  My hairlines aren't quite as fine as with the Zebra G, but I didn't have the skipping problem.  I love the colors of the new palette, especially the Shining Aquamarine.  As it flowed out of the pen, I was mesmerized!

Jennifer said she was going to have the Tachikawa G nibs available at both The Summit conference and at IAMPETH.  I also have some comic nibs from Kuretake, including a G nib, that I will blog about in the future.

You can find both the Tachikawa G nib (Item: TACHG) and the Fine Tec Pearl Colors (The Item# I used for this test: FN600S, price: $17.95) at Paper and Ink Arts website.

As usual, we had a great time in Nashville. Our hotel was hopping due to a country music awards show to be held the next day.  Tom and I had no clue who any of the people were though.  :)

Don't forget! Google Reader will be discontinued July 1st.  If you use Google Reader and want to keep receiving updates to A Place to Flourish, then please enter your email address in the designated box on the sidebar of my homepage.

Also, for those interested, my son has a new post regarding his research in the Australian rainforest: CLICK HERE.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Go forth and flourish!!

xo

Jane