I was browsing through gothic exemplars one day and found a picture of a woodcarving where the letters looked as if they were made from ribbons.  I started wondering if that were possible.  Some antique sheet music pretty much jumped into my hand and let me cut it into strips, and then the fun began, twisting and folding and gluing.  I made the curls by winding the paper around a pencil for a few minutes, then tacking it in place. 

For me this piece was symbolic because right around that time I had decided to give up a longtime musical career, which had floundered for lack of enthusiasm, and pursue calligraphy as my artistic outlet.  I've never looked back!   (Thanks, Carole, for the photos!)