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 …
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 …
Read more “2026 let’s go! Calligraphy workshop dates announced today”
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 …
Read more “A friend asked me the best family tree question anyone’s ever come up with!”
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 …
Read more “Hello! I’m Claire, and I’m a calligrapher. How can I help you?”
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 …
Read more “Calligraphy family trees made super simple, perfect for easy and thoughtful gifting!”
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 …
I don’t know if yours is the same, but my inbox is a scramble of Black Friday offers. Here are 2 actually interesting Black Friday facts: Black Friday didn’t exist in the UK until 2010 (thanks Amazon) This year, Black Friday isn’t until the 28th of November. That’s 3 weeks away! Why all the rush? …
Read more “Black Friday personalised bauble savings for keen beans!”
“Ordered this for my grandparents Christmas present and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The photos on the website don’t do the finished product any justice. It’s absolutely stunning. Finished to a really high quality the colours are gorgeous. Everyone I’ve showed it to agrees that it’s amazing and I cannot recommend this seller enough. Great customer service …
Read more “Sharing the love! A personalised family tree review”