When you order a custom birth certificate, it can have any information and design that would fit for the family. Poetry or quotes, family tree, name definition, Flowers, sports, arts, colors, are all customized. Any information you like can also become part of the design: the baby's name, birthdate, weight, time of birth, siblings, parents names;  astrological sign….. it's all up to you.

Another choice is to use a predesigned background and add the text. That's a great way to get a custom gift, but to save money. And it's all printed, and mailed to your recipient. Standard sizes are available for easy framing, and other pritning options are also available. 

So think out of the box- and get your friends something they will always appreciate, and that can't be outgrown!

I like the idea of words that are meaningful surrounding you. I bet that you have something on your wall that "speaks" to you – a favorite quote, a joke, or a photo. All of these can be personalized and printed for a really unique special holiday gift!

Calligraphy is an art; but there are ways to tell if it's well done. Anyone can call themselves a professional calligrapher; and anyone can have years of experience. But if you practice doing hand lettering the wrong way for lots of years, all you have is an experienced poor example of lettering!

Don't pay good money for awful, unprofessional calligraphy!

Sure, you might want to look at Yelp to see reviews. But honestly, I have seen reviews that say the calligraphy is beautiful, and then see the calligraphy they paid for: all I can say is YUCK!

I feel bad putting down another person's work, but really I feel it is my duty to educate you! You should NOT pay good money to have your envelopes addressed by someone using a felt tip pen, or a cartridge pen! You don't get professional results with either of those tools! Ask the calligrapher if they use a "Dip Pen". If they say no, find another calligrapher!

What should you look for in skilled, professional calligraphy? 

1. Thick and thin parts of the letters.
Calligraphy tools are meant to form letters that have thick parts and thin "hairlines". It's done either with pressure on a nib (not possible with a cartridge pen or felt tip), or by holding the square cut nib in a consist angle. 

2. Consistency in the shape, width, and form of the letters.
This can present some difficulty, because as I said, if you practice the wrong form for years, you will have consistency. But in my opinion, it's consistently ugly!

You want to see ugly, poorly done calligraphy?

Example of Ugly Poorly Done "Calligraphy"

AND, the person who did this got really positive review in Yelp! It looks like it was done with a felt tip pen. The letter forms are consistent, but there are no thick or thins, and the serifs are terrible! The "calligraphy" is the gold color, the rest is a printed very stylistic handwriting.

Yes, calligraphy is desribed as the "art of beautiful writing", and anyone can have an opinion. But PLEASE get some comparisons to make sure you are getting quality handwritten calligraphy when you are paying good money for your wedding calligraphy, or any other calligraphy service! 

Here's an example of an invitation that is done in my calligraphy. I first wrote the calligraphy, edited it with photoshop, and then sized it for the different size pieces. It was sent to a printer, and printed in the color the bride chose. This can be done on any invitation that you like- instead of using a computer font, you can have a custom invitation done with calligraphy. Then I can address the envelopes for you, so it will be a totally custom invitation. 

Don't settle for second best! You deserve the best!

Say It Before It's Too Late

It does the heart good to hear words of love said to you from someone you love. Yet for many people it's hard to say the words. That's where calligraphy is perfect. There's no wiggle room: Once you WRITE, I love you, it's THERE! No question about it! 

It's amazing how much your life can change once you share your feelings. Even when you know that someone loves you, doesn't it feel good to walk past the words they said to you, and have that reminder?  Think about all the people you could make happy when they walk by the words of love that you've sent to them! 

Maybe you are thinking about someone YOU love, and how much better it will be to immortalize those words, with a date. Because the one phrase you NEVER want to say is: "I should have said…"

Does your father have EVERYTHING? Are you constantly trying to figure out what to gift to get for the man who has everything, and definitely doesn't need another tie?

Here's an example of a gift that will never wear out, and will always give joy to this father!

Father's Day Personalized Gift, by Beautiful Calligraphy

I combined a photo with calligraphy and a celtic knot design, because of their Irish Heritgage. This is a gift that you can easily get for your dad! Or if you're a mother and looking to give your husband, the father of your little children a gift, think about how much this would mean for your spouse!

Calligraphy is ALWAYS the perfect gift!

In the past, if I wanted to decorate a calligraphy piece, I had to rely on drawing and painting by hand. It took a LOT of time, and it was pretty expensive! If someone wanted more than 1 piece, there was no cost effective way to print the calligraphy. It was less expensive to do a bunch of originals than to do offset printing in color! If I wanted to use calligraphy and photography, I'd use a mat board to combine both in a finished art piece. But for a long time, photoshop and personal printing has made it so much less expensive.

I remember when I first learned about photoshop and wondered if I'd be able to use calligraphy with photos. It took quite a while to learn photoshop. Even experts in the field of photography don't use all the tools; and it's like that with calligraphy. I had to find how to do effects with calligraphy that photographers don't know about! Like how I can do drop shadows and other effects on the letters. How I could darken parts of the handwritten letters that came out light!  It took me about a year to learn to use photoshop just for calligraphy!

Calligraphy Father's Day Gift

So, what does that mean for you? WOW- you have options now! If you want me to do an art piece of calligraphy and combine it with your photograph, I can do it, and we can print one, or multiples! Although it's printed, it can be personalized for one, or many people. And now it can be printed on so many items! 

How about getting a unique gift with motivational quotes on a coffee cup! On a T-shirt, a calendar, a mousepad…. there are now so many ways to have "words to live by" on items that you use all the time!  Of course, I can still do a handwritten calligraphy piece for you, AND we can use that to print as well. So you get more items at a reduced cost.

Let your imagination go wild- there's plenty of time to think about it before the holidays!  Consider calligraphy gifts for birthdays, graduations, new baby gifts… And put yourself on the list!

Have a Beautiful Day,

Lianda

^{Serenity Prayer}

Do you have a Spiritual quote that gets you centered?

Here's an example of the famous quote ascribed to both Marianne Williamson, and Nelson Mandela: "Our Greatest Fear". You can see how it could look in a frame, or gallery wrapped.

ee cummings, "I carry your heart"

How many times have you walked away from a situation saying to yourself: 

"I SHOULD have said________"

Well, that is the one thing you DON'T want to have in your mind and heart after someone you love has passed away. You can live the rest of your life with regret. If you are a person who has trouble uttering the words, "I Love You", then write them. Write about your feelings, and how it may be hard for you to say them outloud. Calligraphy is a beautiful way to immortalize those feelings by giving them to the person you love. 

I have written words of love for many people over the years I've done calligraphy. I've even written marriage proposals. Would you be surprised if I told you that EVERY ONE of them got a resounding "YES" answer? 

An idea that I have that could be a terrific calligraphy gift would be to have your words written in calligraphy, and then scanned, and reduced to the size of a credit card. That can be laminated, and carried in a wallet. Your loved one can carry YOUR heartfelt feelings with them always!

Also, CafePress and other stores can take your sentiment, my calligraphy, and print it on a coffee cup, a mouse pad, reusable shopping bags, and tons of other items. Get creative! Don't keep those words silent in your head. Share them, and feel good! 

Expressing love and gratitude is YOUR path to attracting it back to you. Increase the love by sending it out with your words….

New Mother's Day – The Perfect Gift

Are you a grateful, loving husband whose wife is celebrating Mother's Day after the birth of your child. What a wonderful time in your lives! There's no better time in life than when that first baby arrives and creates a family. There are so many loving feelings; and too often they are not expressed – maybe you're BOTH too tired!

So, here's the perfect solution. Combining your message of love and appreciation to the mother of your child with a beautiful calligraphy message. If you're a good writer, come up with your own message of love of gratitude. If you're writing challenged, there's always wonderful poetry. And a third method is by going to a card store, and writing down a couple of phrases that resonate with you. Combine them together!

Then we can collaborate to either come up with a beautiful floral design, or include a photo of her with your new baby. Talk about a special unique gift that will ALWAYS be treasured!  You still have time to be sneaky and grab that camera while she's feeding, cuddling, or playing with the baby. Because Mother's Day is still off a little bit, she won't suspect! But don't wait! It's getting close!  Make sure you take a HIGH resolution picture. 

Here are a couple of examples of incorporating photography and calligraphy. Imagine what your gift could look like- And imagine the look in her eyes when she receives it! Click here to get started! 

Have you ever received a wedding invitation addressed to you in hand-written calligraphy?  People LOVE to see their names written in fancy writing. I can't even tell you how many of those envelopes end up on refrigerator doors so the beautiful calligraphy can been seen all the time! 

With all the fonts available on your computer, hand done calligraphy still stands out as the most beautiful way to express the written word. When you are planning your wedding, remember, the first communication is that invitation, and it sets the stage for your most special day. When your invitation is addresssed in hand written calligraphy, your guests know that you are paying special attention to every detail. They know that your wedding will be a stand out occasion!

Many people love to have their wedding certificate at the marriage ceremony. In some traditions, guests are asked to sign the wedding certficate. After the wedding, a beautiful decorated marriage certificate becomes the perfect artwork to put over your bed. It's a beautiful reminder of that most special day.  Both custom designed wedding certificates, and the lower cost version are available in our store. Make YOUR wedding special with Beautiful Calligraphy!