Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Hey everyone! I’m super excited to shine a spotlight on today’s calligrapher, because I’m a fan not just of her paper projects – but also her non-paper lettering work (hint: ink for the body!). Meet Angi Phillips of Angelique Ink. She’s a calligrapher, artist, designer, and teacher (she teaches calligraphy workshops!). Let’s take a look at her mix of work, including some designs that have me re-thinking whether I should get a tattoo… â€“ Jen

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Angi likes a blend of traditional and modern style in calligraphy, as you can see in these wedding invitation collections. “I love it when a client asks me to do something a little different, and I can be creative with the styling,” says Angi.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Every artist gets inspired in different ways. I loved hearing what most inspires Angi as a calligrapher. “Much of the inspiration behind my style comes in the form of poetry, which may sound odd since it’s not really a visual form of inspiration. I find depth in words, particularly poetic verse, gives my style a sense of mystery and longing, desire, romance and introspection.”

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

And here’s a cool mural showing off her lettering work! “I like that calligraphy is an art that gives words a second meaning, an extra layer of depth and emotion,” shares Angi. Large scale murals are one of her favorite non-traditional surfaces for calligraphy. “Bringing the words from pen to paper and then bringing them to life in a larger than life setting makes for a fun day’s work and it’s extra satisfying to take it in once it’s finished,” says Angi.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

Another cool example of calligraphy in a non-traditional place — tattoos! Angi shares, “I’ve been doing quite a few wedding date roman numeral designs for couples tattoos lately.”

Calligraphy Inspiration: Angelique Ink

And a peek of traditional calligraphy on paper seems like a pretty place to pause. Big thanks to Angi for sharing her work!

Photos via Angelique Ink

Happy Weekend

After a really tough week, I’m looking forward to a long weekend to rest and de-stress a bit. But first, exciting news! We’ve scheduled our first workshops at Common Room Studio! Michele of Meant to Be Calligraphy will be teaching her Introduction to Contemporary Pointed Pen Calligraphy and Introduction to Modern Brush Lettering classes on October 15 and November 19! You can sign up here and here.

Great Lakes Goods Peace Sign Wall Charm via Salt & Sundry

Image by Salt & Sundry

Also! A couple of folks have suggested sending thank you cards to the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in Las Vegas – and I love this idea! If anyone can write a great thank you card, it’s paper people (aka you guys!). If you’re able to take a few minutes to write, here are the addresses:

UMC Hospital Las Vegas
1800 W. Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Sunrise Hospital Las Vegas
3186 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89019

Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center
2075 E. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119

Las Vegas First Responder Thank You Cards / Calliope Paperie

Calliope Paperie being awesome with her thank you cards!

Now for your weekend links!

Zappos is matching donations to Las Vegas victims, up to a million dollars.

Can teaching civics save our democracy? (YES!)

I neeeeeed this pink faux leather moto jacket – and it’s 40% off this weekend with code FALLFEST

Thank you so much to Washingtonian for writing about our vintage glassware – they even mentioned Common Room Studio!

I’m totally crazy for this crazy cat lady Halloween costume

Learn calligraphy and brush lettering with Meant to Be Calligraphy this fall

This embroidered sweater dress is really cute (and only $42!)

Such a cool DIY floral wreath made from plastic bottles!

 

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Printable postcards for writing to your Senator and Representative

New illustrated desktop and phone wallpaper for October!

Some of my favorite Halloween projects from years past

The oversize floral pattern in these modern Chicago wedding invitations make quite a statement!

Halloween cards!

 

That’s it for me this week! I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week! xoxo

Printable Dear Senator / Dear Representative Postcards

This was a tough week. My heart goes out to anyone affected by the awful events in Las Vegas on Sunday night. I’m hugging my babies closer this week and continuing to look for things that are good and beautiful in the world, but I’m also supporting Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety in their advocacy for meaningful gun control. I’ve been looking for more ways to help, so when I saw that calligrapher and illustrator Allie Hasson had created these Dear Senator postcards, I asked her if she’d be willing to make them available as printable designs for OSBP readers. Allie graciously agreed, so keep reading below for links to the printable files. For those of you who aren’t DIY-inclined, you can purchase a set of ten postcards directly from Allie right here – all the proceeds go to Everytown for Gun Safety.

Printable Dear Senator and Dear Representative Postcards

Engaged citizens help support and protect our democracy, and there are plenty of issues and opportunities for you to make yourself heard with your representatives in Congress. Every American citizen living in one of the 50 states is represented by two Senators that serve the entire state and one House representative that serves your particular Congressional district. Fun Fact: residents of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories have no voting representation in Congress! We have no Senators, and only one non-voting House representative, which means our residents don’t get to have their views represented on any of these important policy votes. So please, if you live in one of the 50 states, write to your Senators and Representative and make your voice heard – because we can’t!

Printable Dear Senator and Dear Representative Postcards

You can look up your two senators and their addresses here. You can look up your house representative using your zip code here. When you click on their name, scroll down and you’ll see an address.

Printable Dear Senator and Dear Representative Postcards

When writing to your senator or representative, it’s best to keep things short and sweet. Just your name, the name of the town or city where you live, and what you want them to do. If you can cite the name or number of a specific bill, great, but if not just be as specific as you can. Write about any issue that is important to you! There are staff members in every single congressional office responsible for reading constituent mail (and often responding to it) and passing constituents’ collective views to the senator or representative.

Printable Dear Senator and Dear Representative Postcards

To make the printable Dear Senator, Dear Representative postcards:

Step 1. Download the printable files below and print on any white or light colored card stock. The postcards are double sided, so be sure to follow the instructions for double-sided printing on your home printer.

Step 2. The cards are designed to be a quarter sheet of paper each, so you’ll get four cards per sheet of card stock. Once you’ve printed both sides, cut straight down the middle vertically and horizontally. A paper trimmer is easiest if you have one, or scissors if you don’t have one. 

Step 3. Write your text and address of your senator or representative. If you need some ideas for suggested text on gun control for your postcard, you can find some ideas from Allie here and from Everytown.org here. Then add a stamp and pop into the closest mailbox.

Note: If you have any trouble with double-sided printing, just print the front side and cut from there. The back file helps provide a guide for your text, address, and stamp, but isn’t necessary for mailing.

Printable Dear Senator and Dear Representative Postcards

You can download the postcards through the links below – a big thanks to Allie for making these files available to us! And just a reminder that you can purchase printed postcards directly from Allie right here, with all the proceeds going to Everytown for Gun Safety.

Dear Senator postcard

Dear Representative postcard

Dear Senator and Representative postcard

Photo Credits: Allie Hasson

All artwork © 2017 Allie Hasson. All artwork is made available for personal use only. By downloading the postcards you agree to the terms of use.

Stationery A-Z: Anniversary Cards

Paper is the official gift of a first wedding anniversary, but we think it’s the perfect gift for however many years (or months for that matter) you’ve been together for. Good relationships require consistent attention, excellent communication, and strong motivation – as well as a constant reminding of the love the brought you together in the first place. Whether your relationship is built on romance, humor or sincerity, there’s sure to be something in round-up below that’s perfect for whichever anniversary you are celebrating. XOXO! –Shauna

Anniversary CardsFrom top right:

1. Keep in simple with this brush painted lettering from Chicago based stationer Evermore Paper Co.

2. Foodie couple? This pastel cake design from Hart Paper Co. is reminiscent of a Wayne Thiebaud painting. Yum!

3. Ha! Whether your friends refer to you as the Bickersons or you hold the record for longest period between fights, being able to laugh it off is a sure sign of a marriage that’s meant to last. From Farewell Paperie.

4. Let’s be honest – monogamy has the possibility of getting a little stale. Spice things up with this um, rather direct message from Frog & Toad Press.

5. Yes, two CAN! Strength comes in numbers as proven by this elegantly painted greeting from Sagebrushed.

6. Post-it messages have gotten a bad wrap (thanks for nothing SATC!), but this simple message from Gold Teeth Brooklyn is about to change that.

7. Celebrating a friend or family members anniversary? Send this colorful Mr. Boddington’s Studio design to the most adventurous couple you know.

8. This die cut Egg Press design is guaranteed to make your main squeeze smile.

9. In a world as big and diverse as ours, isn’t it a miracle you found each other? This sweet greeting comes courtesy of Idlewild Press.

10. This McBittersons design really takes that ‘til death do us part bit to the next level.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Hello everyone! September feels even more like a happy beginning and a new rhythm now that I’m a mama to school-age kiddos. So I thought I’d start here with this pretty print by a favorite calligrapher who’s new to the scene — and full of fresh inspiration. Here’s a peek into the work of Los Angeles-based calligrapher Nikki Ornopia. Jen

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Nikki is a self-taught calligrapher and she’s also ambidextrous! So all the work she’s shared here was done with her right hand, yet she’s a true lefty. How amazing is that! Nikki said, “I found in the beginning how difficult it was to letter with my left hand. I wanted to control the brush. I then thought, hey I’ve written with my right hand before let’s try that! The rest was history. Using my right hand for lettering allowed me the freedom of being more relaxed when I letter, and I noticed the letters were coming out SO much better.”

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

I love how Nikki incorporates watercolor into her calligraphy! Those watercolor garlands above are so sweet and these place cards have such a dreamy vibe to them. Nikki shares that her lettering style mixes simple and modern bouncy cursive and handwritten letters.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Look at how adorable these baby milestone cards are that Nikki created! So fun and unique.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Here’s a peek at Nikki’s favorite project that she’s worked on so far — a first day of school sign! This canvas piece was done for a kiddo who had just begun kindergarten. Nikki shares, “It took about 3 hours to finish with waiting for the watercolor to dry in between, but it was just an overall amazing project.” What a sweet keepsake!

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Nikki works on traditional wedding calligraphy projects, too. (Of course!) I’m always a fan of the white lettering on brown paper look.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

What are her favorite calligraphy tools? Nikki shares: “My main tools that I use are fine tip brushes. I also love using fine tip brushes for painting leaves. I love the precision details I can create with those types of brushes.”

Calligraphy Inspiration: Nikki Ornopia

Many thanks to Nikki for sharing her work with us! I hope your September is off to a happy start!

Photo Credits: Nikki Ornopia