Latest projects, ponderings and calligraphy news!

calligraphy envelope addressing for weddings UK

How to address wedding envelopes properly – a guide for forward-thinking UK couples

by Claire GouldCalligraphy service, wedding calligraphy May 13, 2026May 14, 2026Comments are Disabled

If you don’t want your wedding envelopes to read like an episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, this is YOUR guide to modern invitation and envelope etiquette. It’s from a UK calligrapher with more than 20 years’ experience of addressing envelopes for all kinds of weddings, so consider this an official guide you can show to …

Calligraphy wedding menu by Claire Gould | Photographer credit Hannah Hall at Holesfoot Cumbria

Why handwritten calligraphy feels more personal to wedding guests

by Claire Gouldwedding calligraphy May 4, 2026Comments are Disabled

A huge chunk of your wedding planning will focus on your guests. Every couple wants to give their wedding guests a memorable, welcoming and warm experience. With meaningful ceremonies trending for 2026 (if you believe in ‘trends’!) and intimate weddings still really popular across the UK, personal details mean everything. How to elevate personalised place …

How to be human when the robots are coming: a modern calligrapher’s perspective on AI and creativity

by Claire Gouldwedding calligraphy April 30, 2026Comments are Disabled

I’m a calligrapher, so I was replaced by the printing press in 1440. It was a joyful day. No longer would scribes have to toil over dippy ink pots, labouring over letters so the educated elite could rule the rest of us with bibles. With the printing press, newspapers could take over the world. I …

2026 let’s go! Calligraphy workshop dates announced today

by Claire Gouldcalligraphy workshop January 27, 2026Comments are Disabled

I’ve had some lovely emails asking for calligraphy workshop dates for the spring and summer. I’m really looking forward to new projects for these classes – as always, everything will be suitable for absolute beginners. I’m hoping we’ll be writing with beautiful metallic inks this time, and using our calligraphy nibs to learn beautiful letters …

A friend asked me the best family tree question anyone’s ever come up with!

by Claire Gouldwedding calligraphy January 12, 2026Comments are Disabled

Family trees are one of the very, very best projects I get to work on as a calligrapher. I don’t approach them the same way a 19th century scribe would have done: not at all! In the same way families have evolved, so should family trees. And while I do offer the kind of family …

Hello! I’m Claire, and I’m a calligrapher. How can I help you?

by Claire GouldCalligraphy service January 6, 2026Comments are Disabled

At this time of year, it’s customary to do a little introduction on my blog, and so I wanted to write a little post just to say hi! My name is Claire and I’m a self-taught calligrapher from the Lake District (UK). I spend my days writing beautiful letters, and that can be anything from …

Calligraphy family trees made super simple, perfect for easy and thoughtful gifting!

by Claire Gouldfamily tree calligraphy uk, wedding calligraphy December 1, 2025Comments are Disabled

Genealogy buffs, this article’s not for you! I do write those big, dated and detailed family trees, but today I wanted to tell people about my simpler family trees. I know a lot of people would love to have a family tree commissioned, but are looking for something affordable and modern. Perhaps you just want …

shop small support independent christmas baubles made in uk

The Guardian published a list of the best Christmas baubles for 2025. They got it wrong: try these instead!

by Claire Gouldgift ideas with calligraphy November 20, 2025November 20, 2025Comments are Disabled

This isn’t sour grapes, I promise! It’s about supporting independent UK businesses and craftspeople. The Guardian’s best baubles list is all about big brands: John Lewis, B&Q, Anthropologie Sass & Belle, and links run through an affiliate website so they make money off their recommendations. They can do better! Come on, Guardian writers! My list …