It's a Wrap





Cavallini & Co. images
Perhaps, like me, you are a fan of Cavallini & Co.'s vintage image calendars. And if so, perhaps, also like me, you cannot bear to throw them away. So there they sit in the studio, more years' worth than I care to count, trimmed and neatly stacked...

Enter four certificates created for much-appreciated volunteers at my school (sorry, can't reveal them here in the unlikely event the recipients follow my blog). I always hesitate to frame things for other people, not wanting to assume that the piece will live on display rather than tucked in a safe place and taken out occasionally to enjoy. But how to present in a decorative fashion?

Inspiration, fortunately, struck: I took a calendar page, cut a piece of vintage Fabriano colored paper the same size and lay it in as a liner (Canson Mi-Teintes would work well, too), set the certificate in the middle and folded the calendar and the liner squarely. A strip of the same paper was used to made the band, and fastened with fragrant Atelier Gargoyle sealing wax. (I'm a little out of practice with the creme brûlée torch, but it got the job done.)
Cavallini & Co. images

Cavallini & Co. images
Cavallini & Co. images
Cavallini & Co. images
Forgot to photograph the backs, but the calendar grid itself is visible, and a little more of the image.

This isn't the first time I've upcycled these gorgeous images; here's a link to my post on some more complex stationery portfolios. Enjoy!

Stationery Portfolio - Tutorial


In my never-ending quest to find excuses to spend time at the calligraphy table,  a few years ago I came up with the idea of making monogrammed stationery for my friends and colleagues for the holidays.  The monograms are sketched quite large in pencil, then scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop Elements.  Here are a couple of samples:


I bought paper (and matching envelopes) with a semi-gloss finish and after cutting it to size, ran it through my inkjet.  Because of the surface, the ink was still wet as each page came out, so there was time to sprinkle it with clear embossing powder made for use with rubber stamps.  After tapping each to remove the extra powder, I set them all aside and then zapped them one-by-one with the heat gun, creating a raised surface over the printed monogram.



Presto!  Home thermography.

I added a blind-embossed oval by hand and scored the notes at the fold.  





The folios are cut from old Cavallini calendar pages with a template I designed (you could take apart and trace an old stationery folio for this).  


The folds are scored, then glued and clipped in place to dry.




Then the notes and envelopes are loaded inside...


...and the folios are finished off with paper strips and embellished with sealing wax.




Add a tag and you don't even need to giftwrap. 





Personalized, thermographed sets of stationery for little more than the cost of the paper!

Spreading a Little Sunshine (Tutorial)


Our dear neighbor Virginia had some surgery recently and was feeling under the weather, and the weather has been gloomy enough for weeks. So I decided to make a card she could enjoy while she recuperates, using a simple format so it would stand up on her table. These used to be available for purchase blank, with the cuts and scoring for folds all done, but I haven't seen them for years. Luckily, before I used my last one, I had made a template with those sheets of gridded plastic quilters use.


I wrote a simple message to her on the middle part in my best Spencerian, with walnut ink with gold details on the flourishes...


...then made the simple cuts and scored the folds for fitting it together.





I added a dab of sealing wax, tied it with twine and tucked it into pretty orchid from the farmers' market. Hope it brought her a little cheer!

Here's a drawing of the template, with all the measurements.
Or, you could just copy this and enlarge it--in theory it will work at any size. I've marked the cuts and the outside folds; the rest of the folds fall midway between the cuts. [Note: It might look as if you could use the piece you've cut from the middle of the frame for the other part, but you can't. It needs to be a little larger.]
Have fun with this !

The Year is Still New, and So Am I (at this)




The ink is dry and my annual New Year's cards are in the mail. Finally. This year's features a piece of a Tennyson poem. I love the ending: Ring out the false, ring in the true! Amen to that.

The calligraphy is done quite a bit larger, scanned, and (full disclosure) cleaned up a bit in Photoshop Elements, then printed onto yummy Fabriano Medioevalis with my trusty inkjet.

I'm a realistic kind of gal: I don't even try for the holidays, and my cards been known to go out in May...but better late than never and all that, and what's so special about the Gregorian calendar, anyway? I like to give a nod to the Lunar New Year (okay, because it gives me a few extra weeks) and here's the back of the card:

I tend to get way involved adding gold ink flourishes to the printed cards...

and using the best sealing wax ever from Atelier Gargoyle, in this case not to seal anything but as an ornament. It's "bullet-proof and almost post office proof,", say Ward & Linnea.


The envelopes are another part of the production line; the return address is printed from a scan of the calligraphy, and some gold ink touches are added.

Finally, they're all addressed and ready for the gorgeous Year of the Tiger postage. Always nice when the USPS puts out a winner.

Now the best part: hearing from friends and family, who often call or email to tell me they've just received the card. That makes me and my New Year very happy!