(back cover) This practical book contains templates and techniques for creating twenty beautiful commemorative alphabets, from graceful Copperplate calligraphy and flourished Gothic hands to bold and colorful lettering styles, plus a selection of complementary borders and motifs. Produce elegant flowing scripts for traditional weddings; ornate illuminated initials for decorating family trees and certificates; ghoulish letterheads for Halloween party invitations; and playful styles for birthday cards and scrapbook pages. Includes a guide to tools and equipment; step-by-step instruction in basic penmanship skills and key techniques such as gilding, embossing, and measuring and folding card; and actual-size letter spacing guides.Both beginners and those who already have training in calligraphy will find valuable instruction and inspiration in this book. The author presents 30 modern alphabet designs appropriate for a wide range of events, from formal italic script for traditional weddings to spooky letterheads for Halloween party invitations. Aspiring calligraphers learn how to plan, measure, and lay out their project, and then execute it to professional standards. Instructions for creating cards, invitations, name place cards, and party favors for special celebratory events include: Weddings: Traditional, Seaside, Medieval, and Rococo Holidays: Christmas, Valentines Day, and Halloween Birthdays: Juvenile, Young Adult, and Masculine Other Milestones: Birth Announcements, Anniversaries, Graduation, and more In addition to lettering, the author instructs on paper folding variations, paper layering, bordering, embossing, and other decorative techniques. She also advises on choosing paper stock, hand-addressing large quantities, and choosing envelope sizes appropriate for mailing. More than 450 color illustrations.Ruth Booth is a designer and lettering artist working from her studio near Toronto, Ontario. She has designed corporate logos and commercial packaging, and is the author ofScrapbookers Alphabets,also published in North America by Barrons.
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