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brush lettering is a super fun way to enhance your current handwriting (without too much investment or instruction - and you do not have to be a professional calligrapher to begin!). there are a ton of different brush pens in the marketplace - so many so, that it can become rather tedious and overwhelming when choosing what brush pen to use. some pens have a very hard tip, some are incredibly soft. some are super smelly, while others have a pleasant smell (or at least, i think they do!). there are an endless supply of colors to choose from! and the costs range from $1 to $6 each. so how does one choose? i recommend contemplating the following: + how hard do you write? are you heavy handed, or have a rather light grip? + how big is the project you want to do? + what will you be writing on? + how much do you want to spend? all these effect where your choices go. below is a lineup if some of my favorite brush pens, and the characteristics that accompany using them: + tombow dual point brush pen
these are my three favorite brush pens! like i said, there are a ton of other options to choose from. have fun with it, buy an assortment of different brands and try each one to find what you like best. get your calligraphy groove on! xo, raina  humor in calligraphy - i found my hair tie shaped like this and thought - "hey, that's a pretty darn cool f!" so i wrote the rest of my business name after it using the tombow fudenosuke brush pen!!
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so super excited to finally share this news! last year, i reached out to morgan of a perfect fête - a fellow calligrapher in the san luis obispo area. i wanted to chat all things calligraphy with someone local, and was so thrilled to find another gal nearby (there's not many of us here!). we met up for cupcakes (yum!), gabbed + geeked out over all things hand-lettering...and from there a snarktastic friendship has evolved! our humor is very similar + the fact that we love all things calligraphy and weddings cemented a friendship. fast track to now...we had been talking collaborating on a workshop for awhile, and finally have nailed down a date and theme! so without further ado...  two fêtes - fête #1 and fête #2 (ask us who is which!!). this workshop is based on mom, to create something special and memorable for her - because you are never too old to make something for dear mum! plus, we are having a super awesome special: + bring your mom and receive a discount of $50 total! two duo tickets are only $100! purchase your admission here: + eventbrite mother's day watercolor workshop we will be teaching the fundamentals of hand-lettering plus watercolor florals and calligraphy. you will get a swag bag of pens, brushes, practice paper, comprehensive handout, watercolor palette, plus some extra goodies - but the best part: frame matting! you will take home your own crafted frame matting with watercolors, a handwritten quote - and it will be ready for you to put into your very own special frame, add a lovely picture, and then get it ready for a gift for you mom for her special day the following sunday! stay tuned for some great pictures of what we will be teaching you on may 7th. also...some nibbles and bubbles to loosen your hand! it's going to be a fun time! can't wait to see you there!! xo, raina whew - this has been a whirlwind of a week!! i cannot believe that friday is already here and that i will soon be celebrating with my wonderful wedding industry peeps at the wedding space this sunday for our jammin' open house!! but...let's look back at one of the cool happenings from this week. luck was on our side as the rain subsided to create a glorious sunny day for a styled shoot at one of the newest venues here on the central coast: birchwood garden barn and home of nipomo, california. this place is super lovely and fun! ducks and roosters waddle around the gorgeous grounds - and there are little cute surprises around every corner. if you get a chance - check this place out on a relaxing afternoon. tim lopez, of seaglass weddings, reached out to me to create some calligraphy times for a styled shoot for this new venue - and i am thrilled with how it all turned out! truly can't wait to see the final photos from this collaboration. for now...just a sneak peek! the lineup of all the awesome vendors: + birchwood garden barn and home, venue + seaglass wedding, coordination & design + patrick ang photography, photography & videography + jeffrey san juan, photography + saude mobile bar, cocktails & libations + central coast tent & party, rentals + bellizzimo beauty, hair & makeup + moi, calligraphy + emma crum, hair & makeup + dj javi, Photo Booth + jessica arthur, luke clark, lizzie dollinger, kaitlin rubias - models  nib /nib/ noun
in an earlier post, i discussed different nibs and the different uses they have for calligraphy - from beginner nibs to my favorite (the brause ef66). but there is another requirement to nibs - and that is how you prep them before actually dipping them into ink. why prep a nib, you ask? when the nibs are crafted, they still have the manufacturers oils on them, and most often than not, this oil is water-repellent, and meant to protect the nib afterwards. if you have ever gotten a new nib (and was super excited to use it!) then was completely disappointed because it refused to hold the ink you were dipping it in - well, this is due to these oils that need to be removed. trust me, i thought i was a complete calligraphy failure until i learned that nibs needed to be prepped before use! there are many discussions between calligraphers on their preferred method to prep a nib. some methods are: + windexing the nibs + sticking the nib in your mouth and using your saliva to counteract the oils (or taking your saliva from your mouth and rubbing it on the nib) + sticking the pointy end of the nibs into a potato + taking a toothbrush and brushing either acetone (like nail polish remover) or dish soap or toothpaste on the nib now...all these methods have been tried and true for many a calligrapher - and please feel free to use any or all of them. but the quickest, less messy (and let's face it - less gross! saliva on a nib, in my mouth - ick) method that i use is: + a lighter! take your nib, stick it in the holder (but not all the way) - fire up a lighter and run the nib through the flame. do not torch the nib to death, but run it through for a few seconds to burn off all those oils. voilà!! your nib is now ready to use!! this method takes seconds, and less work - so you can get to the fun part of calligraphy: writing!! xo, raina  life always has a way of jumping out from behind a wall and surprising you along the way... when i first started fête & quill, i had high hopes - as many a business owner does - but knew that it was going to be a labor of love, and that i would do whatever it takes to turn it into a success. one small baby step at a time. one calligraphy stroke after another! i will be honest - as i continue to build f&Q, i still work at my full-time job. it is a reliable buffer, and gives me more creative freedom within my business. being a small business owner certainly is like a roller coaster ride - but there are moments that make you smile, squeal - and be perpetually amazed of the wonderful world and community around you! this is one of those moments... unbeknownst to me - fête & quill was one of four finalists for the best of california wedding day - invitation design!! someone pinch me - is this even real?!?! i am in the company of three other businesses, all whom, i truly admire. my other nominees are: + chelsea of salt & stag + bailey & spencer of bourbon blue cards + paper sky of san luis obispo to even have been nominated is one of the best honors - this is the wedding industry equivalent of the oscars (okay, slightly exaggerated - but that's exactly how it feels to me!). i continue to be grateful for all of my peers, to those who nominated me + continue to support my creative and artistic endeavors. 2017 is going to be a great year - it already is! xo, raina  |
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