Fancy Letters

Back in the fall I was perusing the art books at Barnes and Noble and stumbled upon Calligraphy Made Easy by Margaret Shepherd.  I was instantly drawn to the book's straight forward approach and oodles of practice pages, and immediately began having visions of adorning everything involving the handwritten word with my future calligraphic mastery. 

These sorts of things happen rather often.  I have to be careful in that section of the bookstore.

Fortunately, as I approach my twenty-fifth year I have gotten to know myself a little.  The impulsive taking-on of new hobbies does not usually end well. I decided against purchasing the book right then and there and following it up with a calligraphy pen shopping spree (it would have been so easy!  JoAnn's was right across the street!  But I was strong.) and instead decided to go home and mull it over for a while.  After a bit of mulling I decided to throw the book and a calligraphy pen set up on my Amazon wish list and see what happened. 

As it turned out, my parents gave me the pen set for Christmas, so I snapped up Ms. Shepherd's book and set about learning.  My progress has been slow, which is entirely my fault, but now that we are semi-settled in our house and I have my Chamber of Craftiness, I have renewed my efforts towards achieving Glorious Calligraphic Master status.

While I mentioned earlier that this book has oodles of practice room, it became clear to me that I was going to need even more oodles of practice room, so I've been using tracing paper over the practice pages.

I actually think the used sheets of tracing paper are kind of pretty, except for a few letters.  N and I did not get along, which I don't really understand because M and I had a swell time.

For now, the monotony of practicing each letter a few zillion times continues.  When I'm done with each letter, I'll get to do really exciting things like words.  And then sentences!  And then illuminated manuscripts!!!  Ok maybe not that last one...