Kalligratographer

Certifcate heading to Rome

2010-11-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

This is a certificate that I finished last week. I don't do many of these anymore, but I got a call from the Archdiocese and felt I should say yes.... They needed me to design and letter this certificate to be given from the Archbishop of St. Louis (Robert Carlson) to Cardinal Raymond Burke (who used to be our Archbishop). And the cool thing is that it is going to be presented in Rome this weekend. I was pretty nervous, and I knew it wouldn't be perfect, but I did pray each time I sat down to letter and I didn't totally mess it up, so that must count for something! They were actually very happy with it.

100 sales on etsy

2010-09-20T14:09:00.001-07:00

I finally had my 100 th sale on my Sign Language Collection shop! It's taken almost 2 1/2 years! I guess I am a slow learner....I know that I should list multiple items everyday, and I have good intentions, but then life takes over. Like this morning we found that our bikes had been stolen out of our garage..so I called the police and then had to go to the bike shop to get a copy of the serial numbers for the report. (That was very helpful of them.) But it all takes time, along with working on orders and other jobs, here it is 4:00 and I only relisted one sold item and renewed an expired one!

Last Friday I did spend quite a bit of time trying to list things that had never been listed before, and the item in the picture is one of those new pieces. Well, it's new to etsy...truth be told I've had the photo sitting on my desktop for ages! See what I mean? Anyway, you can personalize this by ordering any name or word in a stand like this, because obviously you wouldn't want my name!

ACTS retreat

2010-09-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is the logo I did for our parish's ACTS retreat. I am on the team again this year and am helping with the name tags and printed materials as well as playing guitar and singing for the masses. I really like being on team and it is a great bunch of women as usual. We are in the process of getting women to go on the retreat now, which can be challenging for our parish since so many people have already done it. Besides being a spiritual renewal, it is also a great way to meet other women of the parish who I've never met before--which is basically anyone who didn't have a child in one of my boys classes! You know how that is!

Beating the heat...

2010-08-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's 100º outside today! Same as yesterday, when I had absolutely no energy. Today, I am trying to beat the heat by being focused on something.....and that is my etsy site. I have two now, and I am about as good at keeping them up to date as I am this blog! I have such good intentions! Today I listed 4 or 5 new pieces of art work on my new Build A book etsy shop and did some revisions and reorganizing. I'm excited about this project but not doing a very good job of getting the word out about it. So, I think I am going to try to add it to my facebook profile.

I thought this artwork was rather appropriate for this posting, but I guess only because I really want this season of the hottest summer ever to end, and for fall to begin!

Happy Birthday Erin

2010-07-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

beverley24 asked that I post a birthday wish for Erin in graffiti letters....so here it is!

Alphabet poster

2010-06-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, today is our school picnic and since my kids are too old to want to go, and it is way too hot out there, I am killing time listing another of my alphabet posters. I really like the girly colors in this one and hope that is something that will appeal to girls with "different" names. I never had that problem as a kid--there were always "Kathy" items when looking at "personalized" things, but my sister's name wasn't always there or wasn't spelled right. So this gives kids a chance to have their name up there with all of the other "usual" names--- like it's always been that way. Another cool thing about this poster is that I can change as many of the other names as you want--so if you want to include your friends and family names you can (but only one name per letter). Click on the photo to go right to that item or check out the rest of my work in my etsy shop. Thanks for looking!

Alphabet poster idea

2010-06-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

I had a new idea this past spring to create alphabet posters using my Sign Language Collection letters! So this is the first poster: "Words to live by". I have a couple of alphabet posters for kids too, where their name is featured and titles the poster such as "Kathy's alphabet". It's been pretty fun to put together. I think that people will like that I included where all of the letters are from in tiny caps running up the left side of each letter. They are listed on my etsy site, I hope you will take a look!

St. Ignatius prayer

2010-03-09T15:03:00.001-08:00

Just finished this for the SLUH auction. It is lettered on a piece of wood that we had cut to fit inside this frame that someone had donated--already gold and black. Then I painted the board black, added the gold around the edges, and then lettered "Saint Ignatius' prayer for generosity" in a shiny black in the background--can you see it? I felt like it was going to need a little more interest there. I didn't want the gold lettering too big, so this was my solution. This was the first time I ever really layered lettering on a piece of wood and it worked great. I'm really happy with the final product--hope it brings some money for the school. That prayer is usually our biggest seller.....

I love this 5 x 5 art

2010-02-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

I just love doing these 5 x 5 inch pieces of art! They use a little calligraphy, some art paper that I've made in the past, and sometimes photography and it's just fun to put all the pieces together and make them look good. I hope they look good to others! It would be nice if I could eventually sell some....I'm trying to get enough done to offer in books on a new etsy site. I'm thinking of calling it Build-a-book. But I will also offer the 5 x 5 prints by themselves or in frames. I think a grouping of a bunch of these would look cool on a wall as well. Just need to keep creating.

new 5 x 5 art

2010-02-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

I've finally got my office organized and started back to work on some art for my small book idea. I really enjoy doing these little pieces of art. I need to get enough done to start an etsy shop dedicated to my special order books.

Catholic Schools Week

2010-02-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

I made a banner last week for our parish school to celebrate Catholic schools week. The theme was "Dividends for Life". At first I thought "what am I going to do with that?" Then I must have gotten divine inspiration because I came up with a great idea--make it a little like a dollar bill. I spent 4 hours making it and listening to the soundtracks to the TV show GLEE. I had a blast! I was really proud of how it turned out too. It was 24 feet long so very difficult to get a picture of, so I am posting the center piece only.

5 x 5 art

2010-01-29T12:01:00.001-08:00

A couple more pieces of 5 x 5 art...I'm thinking of starting a new etsy shop to sell these---either in the books or as 5 x 5 prints. I found a cool black 5 x 5 frame at Michael's that would be great with any of these pieces.

build a book

2010-01-27T13:23:00.001-08:00

I'm excited about a new idea I have to sell books like the one I made for Alex in November! The idea is to custom make that special occasion book for a family wedding, baby, graduation or possibly even a book to uplift someone who is sick. I will have a lot of sayings to choose from, and the customer can choose a cover and as many pages as they want from my stock. And even include a personalized title page and maybe that one special saying of theirs. The format is 5 x 5, and so I am posting some of the pieces of 5 x 5 art that I've been working on lately.

Welcome bench

2009-12-07T20:12:00.001-08:00

Lettered this bench for Painted Treasures at SLUH. We sanded it and liked the aged look of it as is so just decided to letter WELCOME and let it go at that. I like when things just work like that! Doesn't happen very often. Tomorrow is the last day we meet til after Christmas--so much to do and so little time! I've been busy with etsy orders--that is all new to me.... and one of these days I have to decorate my house and start Christmas shopping....don't even want to count how many days I have to do it all.

my etsy day

2009-11-30T05:19:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a fun day. I was listing items on etsy and getting sales as I did! That has never happened to me before. I've gotten sales, but never as I listed them. I have been adding ornaments a few each day and yesterday as I added 3, I got an order for one! That made me excited--at least it paid for the listing fees for all of the ornaments.... But later, I added the photo/listing above--4 personalized ornaments for $20. And I got a response right away from a woman in Canada asking if I shipped there--so that is my first international sale as well. And the thing is, she ordered 13 ornaments! Woohoo! I've always wanted to add shipping to other countries but have no idea how to figure that out for all of the different ones. So, I was glad that she convo'd me and asked. Makes me feel like I should just sit here all day listing items---I'd get more sales that way!

Christmas ornaments

2009-11-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

Just a few Christmas ornaments that I've done for the season. Listing them on my etsy shop..a few each day. Check them out! And I will also be offering personalized ornaments soon. They are really fun to do and always turn out special. I had one lady order 19 of them at a recent show--one for everyone in her family....

Spring in the fall

2009-11-18T09:11:00.001-08:00

The last posting was fall colors and these are definitely spring colors----but taken this fall in Central Park in NYC! I seem to be drawn to water lilies and my camera works well with them--can't get too close because they are in the water (duh) but the lens zooms in just right! These were taken on a great , beautiful sunny day when we went to the Met, then walked through Central Park. After that we headed out to the Bronx to have dinner in Little Italy with Alex and his roommate. I think that was my favorite day in New York this trip.

Fall colors

2009-11-16T09:31:00.001-08:00

A couple more pics from New York. I just love the colors of these leaves at High Line park in NYC. Can't wait to use them for something in my art--maybe a background for a sign, maybe for a card. Who knows? When were walking through the Met, my husband and I came across the tools in the second photo and both said, "A, T and D" because we had been programmed to look for letters... I thought it was funny, would have been even funnier if they spelled something!

New York letters

2009-11-12T14:00:00.001-08:00

While in New York, I was looking for letters....and then I got a call from a St. Louis customer who wanted to order the above name frame for her kids who live in New York City! I normally do my name frames in color, but she requested black & white. So....I made sure that I got New York letters for her order, and decided I may as well try to find the whole alphabet. Drove Don and Alex crazy, I think, but I had fun! So the letters above are from:

G is from a bridge in Central Park;
A is from an exhibit at the Metroplitan Museum of Art;
R is graffiti at a subway stop;
F is a building near the Hudson River;
I is from a railing in Central Park;
E is from a building on Broadway;
L is from an elevator at High Line Park;
D is from a bridge viewed from High Line Park.

The book is bound

2009-11-10T06:50:00.001-08:00

The book is bound and already in Alex's hands. I hope he liked it. It is always hard to tell with sons--they don't get excited about much. But I had this leather, and made the covers, took it all to Joanne's studio where she let me use her drill to make the holes. The rest was easy---just a rubber band and a twig--which she provided! Thanks, Joanne!

The trip to NYC was great. And I got tons of new letters. Still have to crop them etc, but hope to post some soon. While there, I got a call from a woman who wants a name frame sent to NYC! So I made sure I had New York letters especially for her order. It was fun, but I think I drove my husband and son crazy....

NYC here we come

2009-11-03T12:43:00.001-08:00

Got the book done! I just need to take a picture of it before I take it to NYC to give to Alex this weekend! I'm really looking forward to seeing him and I hope he likes the book! Right now I'm trying to get tickets to a couple of shows and then get packing. We haven't put a lot of planning into this trip, but I'm hoping thats not necessary. I got a deal on what I think is a pretty nice hotel near Lincoln Center and Central Park. This will be our first time staying in the city so that should be fun. Next week, its back to getting ornaments and magnets made for my next show....

More book pages

2009-11-02T06:59:00.001-08:00

A couple more of the pages for Alex's book. I have the covers done--still being pressed. Now I just need my friend Joanne's help to poke the holes and do the sewing. I never have the right thread for these projects. You'd think I'd learn and just buy the stuff and keep it on hand. But it's actually more fun going to her studio--Paperbirds--and visiting and getting it done right! She's been out of town but will be back tomorrow. Good thing, since we leave Wednesday to go visit Alex in NYC.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T09:08:00.001-07:00

I think I have all of the pages designed for Alex's book. Now I have to make a cover, and then print and assemble. I hope it works! I've done this pretty quickly and am amazed how easily it came together once I got started. And isn't that just the way it works! Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. I hope he likes it!

So, today is Halloween, and only having a 16 year old at home it could be a non-event here. But our block party is today so it might be a good time--although pretty darn cold out! I did make a tiger costume out of a gold shirt yesterday, though. I hope to get a picture of Evan in costume before the party, but that is always a battle! He's going as Hobbes, of Calvin and Hobbes. Still has to find some hair paint.

Inspirational

2009-10-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

I really worked like crazy yesterday! It felt so good to do some creative work, instead of just printing and assembling like I've been doing for my shows. These are 2 more pages of Alex's book. I want to give him sayings that will help in the hard times when we are apart. I'm a little late on this--I did one for my older son when he went away to college. Alex is a junior now, but I guess better late than never.

As you can see, the pages are not at all the same. Just the size and the fact that I am combining lettering and text. It goes alot faster that way! Especially since I have files on my computer of background painted paper that I've done in the past. I did 7 pages yesterday and the Albert Camus one this morning. It is pouring rain outside and has been since yesterday morning so this is a good activity for me! Although I do have a few small jobs I could be working on.....

getting started

2009-10-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I got started on the book that I want to do for Alex. Talked to him last night and I am really looking forward to seeing him next week. I just hope I can get this done by Tuesday! I am not hand-lettering the whole book--just parts of each saying and then scanning and assembling it with text. I decided to make it 5 x 5 but with an extra inch for binding. The page shown above, the first one done, is the 5 x 5 page size. I think I am only going to have a saying on one page of a spread--12 in all-- and the facing page will just be background color--probably to match.

It really helped get me working just by cleaning my office/studio! Now I have a clean space to work. After seeing it posted, I think I may need to alter the color of the text....

plans...ha!

2009-10-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

I said I wanted to take a week off and try to make a book for Alex. Already those plans seem to be unattainable... I have been stressing about my dad and so not getting anything accomplished. Was hoping to get something artistic done today or at least get my home and studio straightened and his e-mail this morning sent me into a small tailspin.....I'm working on getting out of it right now!

The photo above was taken from the gate at Oak Knoll Park, the day of the art show. I start out with something like this, and then just crop it in, and make it fit my 1.25 x 2 inch rectangle. Think it will make a good "G".

If you want me to post your name in letters, leave a comment.

Taking a week off

2009-10-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of taking a week off of doing art for shows....did pretty well at Artstravaganza , but since I don't have too many orders, and my next show is not until Nov. 13th, I may just take a break from the Sign Language Collection. I have been wanting to do a book for my son Alex since he went to college 2 years ago. We are going to see him next week..yay!..and I want to try to make a book of sayings for him to take along. So, if I get to that, I will be posting some of those pages this week. Would love to have a little down time too, but that's probably not going to happen!

Artstravaganza

2009-10-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

Time to finish up all the odds and ends today before the show this weekend. Tomorrow I need to be packed and ready to set up. I am in the tent this year and am not sure how I will set up my booth, so it may take awhile. The last day before a show is always a little stressful, hoping you remember to do and pack everything you need. Of course, for me it is a minor concern, I suppose, since I am only 10 minutes away! Can't imagine traveling for this. The thought of that just wears me out. Am I getting old?

Another concern is that the postcard, provided by BOMH, does not even say the location on the front of the card, and I've had people confused as to where it is! I hope that the customers find us!!! For any St. Louisans, it is at the St. Louis Artists' Guild in Oak Knoll Park. Hope to see you there---although not between the hours of 6 to 9 Friday night, when I'll be at an anniversary party and my son will be selling for me (hopefully!).

Chocolate is therapy

2009-10-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Had votes for the Chocolate is therapy mug as well so decided to make one of those. I'll let you know if any of these sell at my show this weekend! It is listed in the sidebar to the right...Artstravaganza at the St. Louis Artists' Guild. It is a three day show, and I am a little nervous about Friday night. We had another engagement so I am having my son and his girlfriend take care of my booth for 3 hours. I hope that they can handle it. I won't be taking credit cards or personalized orders that night, so I think they will be okay.....

Coffee is therapy

2009-10-20T12:54:00.001-07:00

Another new image for the travel coffee mugs. I like the colors and the lettering--wonder if the saying will sell. A few years ago, I did a "Chocolate--it's cheaper than therapy" card and T-shirt (on my etsy site) and while the cards sold okay, the T-shirts didn't. Still have a bunch of those...guess people don't want to admit to eating a lot of chocolate, or needing therapy! I'm figuring coffee drinkers are proud of it! Who knows?

The letters are: C, from a plant stand in St. Louis Hills; O, the Chinese symbol of heaven and earth at STL Art Museum; F, from a painting at STL Art Museum; F, the railing at the Contemporary Art Museum in STL; E, from a painting at STL Art Museum; E, from a house in St. Louis Hills.

Let me know what you think. If you comment, I will post your first name in letters on my blog!

Pray always

2009-10-19T06:33:00.001-07:00

Another example of my letter frames. This one is in a stand and I painted "always" on the front---after I took this picture. I will take another picture of the "finished" version this afternoon, because I want to post it on my etsy shop. These letters are in ivory "frames" and set in a brown base. They are: P, from a gate at the City Museum in St. Louis; R, from a lamp in Palm Springs, CA; A, from a painting at the STL Art Museum; Y, from City Museum.

I like the sentiment and try to remember to pray always throughout my day. I remember a saying that says something like: "If you only say thank you, that is prayer enough." I think that is probably the most important part of prayer, but not sure it's enough for me! But right now I'm thankful that it is finally a beautiful, sunny, seasonably warm day here in St. Louis! I'm also thankful I'm inside right now because tons of acorns have been falling outside my window and they sound like they would hurt!

Hello Kitty

2009-10-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, I did a mat for cat lovers, too. Can't play favorites, you know. Not sure if I need anything in the background, other than the tiger stripe. And there is always the question, will they want a pink and blue mat? But I liked these letters--they are all from the Saint Louis Art Museum. I think it's kind of cute, but who knows if it will sell. Maybe I'll try these pet mats on etsy today.

Puppy love

2009-10-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Someone at Art in the Park suggested that I do a photo mat for pet photos.....so here is one that I came up with yesterday. I worry that it might be hard to read--with that 3rd P being a little different. All 3 of the Ps are railings--the first from Oregon, the second from the STL Zoo and the third from STL Science Center...you know what the U is (I hope) and the Y is from Country Club Plaza in KC. I was thinking, for a cat, of doing Hello Kitty!

Hot Stuff

2009-10-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

This is an insert for a travel coffee mug. I've been successful with a line of mugs that ask the question: "Where'd you go to high school?" That's a big thing in St. Louis and I have a lot of mugs with different school names--mostly the Catholic schools--SLUH, Cor Jesu, Rosati, DeSmet etc. But I haven't had a lot of luck with other mug designs. So the other day, I thought maybe I need something cute and colorful (some of my other mugs used the graffiti letters and were darker). So here is my attempt at cute and colorful. I need more ideas of what sayings to use, so I'd welcome any suggestions.

Ornaments galore

2009-10-14T07:36:00.001-07:00

A box of "ornaments" waiting to be finished... These are some of my new designs---I think I like the HOHOHO and WISH the best, but who knows what the customer will like, right? I've taken small wooden tiles and glued them together and spray painted them silver. Then I attach the letters and the "jewels" --thats the fun part. These are waiting for the the hanger--which I finally found an easier way to do. Before, I was, believe it or not, poking a hole with a large safety pin. But doing this many ornaments killed my hand so I finally went to Lowes and found a TINY dremel drill bit and it works like a charm! I'm actually looking forward to drilling those tiny holes for the tiny loops. Then the last step is to add Diamond glaze to the top. I love the way it looks---really finishes them off---but too much of that a one time gets my neck and shoulders! Wow, after explaining all of the steps I feel I should be charging more for these!

Package delivery day

2009-10-13T11:30:00.001-07:00

I came home from painting furniture at my son's high school and had 4 packages in the door! Two for my oldest son and 2 for me. One was the notecard order--shown above--that I had made for a customer from Art in the Park. I took the letter photograph of the L with tulips, and used it as a border and I think it turned out really cute. Looks kind of like a garden.

My other package was my business cards--yay!--because I had run out of them at my last show. Didn't plan very well ahead.... And just a minute ago UPS rang my doorbell and left another package--a large bottle of Diamond Glaze. If you don't know what that is, it makes a crsytal clear raised finish on top of anything you want...I use it on ornaments. And it is almost as valuable as diamonds and rather hard to find around town.

So now I can work on my new ornaments. I'll try to take some pictures and post them later. I'm coming up with new Christmas words to use and my favorite new ones are HO HO HO and WISH.....

Family letter frames

2009-10-12T12:49:00.001-07:00

This is a photo of my family sample of letter frames. Using my last name (because it's short!) and displaying it on a stand that I made/found. That was fun...I found this wood at Lowes back in April and it has a track in it that fits the 1/4" foamcore. But then I accidentally got 3/16" foam and they wouldn't stand up! But I figured out that if I nailed straight nails in I could set the letter on the nails which works pretty well and even gives the 1/4" stability.

But then, in September, when I was getting ready to offer them at Art in the Park, I went to Lowes and they didn't have the boards anymore! Luckily, just this past week I found some and bought a few extra just in case. I have them cut to size and then I prime, paint and polyurethane. Lettering on the side is a bit tricky, but I'll figure a way to make it work. I just like how they look in a stand! But I also like that they fit perfectly above a door frame!

If you want to see your name in letter frames, leave a comment and I will post your name here!

Letter frames

2009-10-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

This is another example of my letter frames and how they can be used ---above a door jamb is the simplest because they are the perfect size and weight. They do need to be attached to the wall though because these fell whenever the air vent went on! I use 3M command strips and they work great.

I offered these letter frames for the first time at Art in the Park. I had inventory of 4 different frame styles with coordinating letters in them--already printed and attached to foamcore. I sold about 40 of them and was happy that people actually understood the concept and thought it was cool. And I took only a few to a high school night and sold those too! I know they sell because they are reasonable. But I also think they are cool looking--including the frame already with the letter. My tag line on the sign I used says: Fun framed photographic letters light enough to go anywhere.

Artstravaganza

2009-10-09T06:09:00.001-07:00

Now its time to gear up for my next show in 2 weeks....Artstravaganza! It's a nice show at the St. Louis Artists' Guild. I have a problem this year, though, in that the Friday night opening conflicts with a big parish celebration. So I am trying to get my son and his girlfriend to cover for me from 5 to 9. I'm sure I'll have to pay him, and I won't be able to offer any personalized items or credit cards, but I hope that it will work. My friend, who always helps me at Art in the Park, will also be at the 75th anniversary gala, so I can't ask her! I hate when things conflict like this---especially since for this weekend and last I've had nothing to do. Figures!

Art in the Park

2009-10-08T06:30:00.001-07:00

Art in the Park, the art fair in my neighborhood park (the one I walk around everyday) has come and gone. We once again had a gorgeous day! How many years can we pull this off? I think we had record crowds and I was so busy, even with my friend, Anne, helping that I didn't see most of the people who might have come to see me! We hardly sat down all day. I had some new small items--magnets and Christmas ornaments--and they sold like crazy! But I wasn't sure how well I did because it was $1 here and $5 there.....until I got home, exhausted, but with enough energy to total it up. And it was the best show I've done yet! Selling 200 magnets and 57 ornaments put me over the top, I guess!

The program cover, above, was another of my designs. Not as great as last year's close up lily, but good enough. They didn't put it on T-shirts or coffee mugs though! Below is a picture of my booth. The big frame to the right is all of the magnets---small painted wood tiles with one letter per tile so you can spell anything you want! I also had another new item--letter frames--- in the center of the stand. They sold pretty well too! I will post more on that later--and actually, my April post was about them too.

How about this--posting 2 days in a row! Having it pouring down rain outside kept me from running errands though. Most of them are getting moved to Friday's list cause I hate running around in the rain. I do have to get glass though for a rush name frame order from etsy.

Getting back into blogging and writing...

2009-10-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have got to get back into blogging. How does everyone do it? I can't seem to find enough time in a day to do my work--especially this time of year with fall shows. I don't know how I'm supposed to keep up with etsy, and blogging and now facebook! I know it's good exposure and should link and all, but obviously I'm lacking motivation or energy! My brother would say its because I don't drink coffee!

But today I got a convo from a lady in St. Louis, my hometown, who has a blog called http://dandygiveaway.blogspot.com. She is working up to a month or more of giveaways and she asked if I want to be featured. It will just cost a couple of donations so I think it may be worth it. She has so much energy, writes everyday featuring different on-line shops. And she inspired me to get back to it. Of course, she has an 18 month old so she's alot younger than I am!

I am working with my Sign Language letters for upcoming shows, but did take a break to take a 2 day workshop with Laurie Doctor entitled The Poetry of Handwriting. The photos above are of a small book we created in that time. Will get more of my commercial work up soon. There's always etsy to check out if you just can't wait.

Lost weekend

2009-04-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be at an art fair today, but my dad was in the hospital this past week, and I just didn't think I could get it together and be prepared to set up Friday, much less be gone the whole weekend. Turns out he has pneumonia, so that's better than any of the alternatives, but I still was so stressed from the unknown if it all.....

So, I've been taking it a little easy the last few days--trying to get my house ready for Easter but my brain is always working on these ideas.... like the FAMILY shown above.... These are just leaning against the back of the shelving but I did find a moulding to use as a base for my letter frames. The samples I had made fit right in the pre-cut groove, but when I made new letter frames with the new foam core, they didn't fit, because the new foam core is one sixteenth of an inch narrower! Now I have to solve that problem---either add double stick tape or foam to keep them in place, or this morning, I thought of putting small rods in the foam, and drilling small holes in the groove of the wood to set them in. This may be getting to be too much work though! I want these to be more affordable and don't want to take tons of time to get them ready! I really would like them to be easy so that when I get the orders, I am excited and not dreading the steps it will take to get them ready.....

Finally spring!

2009-03-25T11:10:00.001-07:00

It is finally spring but I feel so behind.... Once again, I have not posted in 2 months! I have a new idea for a way to sell my letters that I have been rolling around in my brain for a few weeks and frankly it is driving me crazy.... And I have so many other volunteer commitments, that I can't see to get around to figuring it out. I have a show next weekend April 4 and 5 ( The Art Fair at Queeny Park--see sidebar) and I would like to have it for that, or at the very least, put a few samples of it on my etsy site.

The idea is what is posted above, putting the "letters" in "frames" that I have scanned...so that the frame and letter are all one piece. But each letter frame would be a separate piece and my problem is how to display them....attach to a ribbon, mount on foamcore and make some kind of track to stand them in, or simply offer them with 3M stickies on the backs. I've also been told to only offer about 4 frame styles, but there are so many cool frames that I find that hard to do. What to do.....

Two months flew by!

2009-01-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been two months since I posted. Christmas threw me for a loop, and then in January I was busy creating artwork, framing a ton of work for friends and myself, and creating a catalog --- all for the St. Louis Calligraphy Guild Members' Exhibit. The invitation is posted above, created by Adonna Deibel, and our opening is this Sunday, February 1 from 1 to 3.
I know it's Super Bowl Sunday! But at least it's earlier in the afternoon! We are excited about all of the work that our members are exhibiting and if you are in the St. Louis area in February, you should stop in to the Creative Gallery at 3232 Ivanhoe 63139--near I-44 and Jamieson.

Besides lettering on paper, some pieces are done on wood, glass, stone, fabric and in cast paper--all things we attempted to learn throughout the last year. The title is Varied Surfaces to reflect this year of study. I may post artwork from the exhibit at a later date.....

Somerset Memories Article

2008-11-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

First page of the article:

My article titled, "Marian's Memories", just came out in the Dec/Jan issue of Somerset Memories! Just got it in the mail yesterday and it was so cool to see! Looks like there is a lot of great work as always... You should pick up a copy and check it out!

Entry for Cutting Edge--An Exhibition of Papercraft

2008-11-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

The Eugene Field House and Museum in St. Louis is holding an exhibition next spring titled Cutting Edge: An Exhibition of Papercraft that will include everyting from calligraphy and books to paper toys and origami. The photos below are the 6 pieces that I am entering in the juried exhibit.

WELCOME
GLORY
STAINED GLASS
PRAYER
DREAM
1000 FIBERS

David Kauffman concert and workshop

2008-11-11T17:17:00.001-08:00

This weekend, I was supposed to go to visit a friend but our trip got cancelled. The one thing that makes it a little better is that now I can go to the David Kauffman concert at a church near our home on Friday night. And then the next day, I am going to a journal workshop that he is leading. I really love his Christian music, ever since going on an ACTS retreat a year ago. And last June, I was on team for a retreat, and David wrote our theme song, titled Do Not Be Afraid. I love that theme....and I am trying to live that more each day. The artwork above contains all of the words to that song, and I sent it to David Kauffman last summer, as well as gave it to all of the retreatants. I think he liked it, he did respond with an e-mail, but I hope to talk to him more this weekend.

Artist's spotlight

2008-11-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

I was recently in the artists' spotlight in a local newsletter and wanted to share it, below. Deb Weltman is the owner of Terra Art and Frame and Terra Decorating Services, and she puts out a monthly e-newsletter to her clients. Deb works out of her home now, and does professional framing and decorating for people in the St. Louis area. I am including the article Deb wrote, but only one of the pictures that she used. Thank you Deb for including me in your newsletter!

The article:
Art uplifts us. It's the perfect gift! If you're looking for a very unusual personalized gift, turn to calligraphy artist, Kathy Nolte Orf's web-site: www.kathyorf.com or check out the www.kathyorf.etsy.com site for Kathy's work and the works of a multitude of artists. Warning: the etsy.com site may be hazardous to your health! You'll get NO exercise. It is hard to leave your computer screen, there's SO much pretty stuff! But more about our featured local artist: amazing calligrapher, Kathy Orf. First, to clarify, here's the vocabulary lesson: calligraphy comes from the Greek, kallos, which means "beauty" and graphein, which means "to write." So calligraphy is "beautiful writing" and that is definitely what Kathy creates. The other vocabulary I learned from Kathy was the term "hand" meaning a traditional style of calligraphic writing: Italic, Celtic (or Uncial), Gothic (Olde English), and Roman Capitals are some examples of various calligraphy "hands". Kathy says that while she can letter all of these styles, she has developed her own variations of these "hands". What began for Kathy with a decorative arts class in high school, one semester of calligraphy at college, an art degree and a career in graphic arts, eventually led her back to calligraphy when she was home with her first child. She decided to create a product to sell at local art shows. Kathy says she was "catapulted" from basic black ink on parchment to much bigger work, using many styles, and a wide variety of tools, materials, and papers, by Reggie Ezell, a wonderful teacher and her major influence. Kathy says Reggie took her "light-years" ahead of where she had been. He gave her technique, ability (lots of practice helped there) and mega-confidence! I asked Kathy a few "Artisty"/ "make you think" type questions and she was gracious enough to answer them, so here goes: D: "What sparks your creativity?" K: "Going to the Botanical Gardens, taking a walk, looking at magazines." D: "What artist do you most admire?" K:" Georgia O'Keefe, for her art, but I was also fascinated by her marriage to Alfred Steiglitz, who's photographic work was one of my first loves." D: "What do you think is the enemy of creativity?" K: ""Too much thought, not enough action." D: " How do you get past perfectionism?" K: "I know that things rarely turn out the way I imagine them in my head. I just see where I end up." D: "Anything you are very proud of that you'd like to share?" K: "I will be featured in the December/ January issue of "Somerset Memories". The article is called "Marian's Memories and is about a memory book I created. I painted the pages, did the calligraphy, and then hand-bound it. It is a book of my mother's child-hood memories." : "What do you wish you had known when you were younger?" K: "Not to waste my time comparing myself to others or worrying about what others think. Mostly, they're not thinking about me. They're focused on their own life and their own problems. Also, to believe in myself. Currently in Kathy's new line are many personalized items: name frames, travel mugs (including St. Louis's favorite question, "Where'd you go to high school?" with your high school's name as well.), signs that can be personalized: "Princess", "Soccer", "Grandkids" to name a few. And then there are some awesome T-shirts: "Nurture your inner artist", "Chocolate, its cheaper than therapy". Kathy has family trees, "Bless Our Home" signs, and note cards. Most of the letters are photographs of found objects in St. Louis: the Arch, turned up-side-down, as a "U". You get the idea. Check out the photos here. Check out Kathy's web site. Support your local artists! Contact Kathy at:
Blog: Kalligratographer.blogspot.com
ETSY: www.kathyorf.etsy.com
Website: www.kathyorf.com

Artstravaganza

2008-10-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

This is my booth at the ARTstravaganza show this past weekend. It was a fun show, had good neighbors to talk to and people seemed to appreciate my work (which I don't always get).
But unfortunately the weather was so nice in St. Louis over the weekend--and believe it or not for all of the October weekends!---that the crowd was really thin. I did pretty well for the crowd though and it was the first time I've done this show. I will give it a try again next year! There was a lot of nice artwork, and as usual alot of jewelry and my work was definitely different! I'll just keep pluggin along. Did get an idea to contact alumni associations of St. Louis high schools for my "Where'd you go to high school?" mugs. I have one on my etsy shop and will post more soon. If you area not from St. Louis you wouldn't know that for some reason, that is the question everyone asks when meeting someone new...."Where'd you go to high school?" One man bought the CBC mug and said if he had known about them before his reunion 2 weeks earlier, they would have bought one for everybody! It is worth a shot!

Army of Women for Breast Cancer Research

2008-10-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I heard Dr. Susan Love speak about trying to form an "army of women" to fight breast cancer. The idea being that if they can get a million women to volunteer for research, they can beat breast cancer. I am all for that, as my mom died of breast cancer almost 6 years ago, and I too am at high risk. If they can learn something from me now, while I am well, maybe I can avoid it altogether. So today, I finally signed up and I hope you will too at www.armyofwomen.org

I think they will send me e-mails when they are looking for certain groups and then I can volunteer and show up at my local hospital or wherever they need me and give blood samples etc. Sounds easy enough and hopefully will have an impact. Go to the website and read more about it even if you are just curious....

Thinking ahead

2008-10-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

I am already making plans for what I need to do after ARTstravaganza this weekend. I should be working on a few things for the show, but am already thinking what I need to do next week--when I won't have a show for a few weeks..... I need to start some serious artwork for a calligraphy exhibit that the STL Calligraphy Guild is putting on in February. We are holding a members exhibit at the Creative Gallery in STL. We want all members to submit a bunch of work and I need to get started! I have a couple of small things that I can put in, but I would love to do a good sized piece of calligraphy, a small piece of furniture, and a layered glass piece as well as a window frame. Big plans but will I have the time? I also put on my list---Christmas shopping, adding 2 items a day to etsy, shopping for living room furniture and catching up on my photo albums and my sons's scrapbook. All this before Thanksgiving! Can I do it????

ARTstravaganza

2008-10-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Click on the image so you can actually read it!

My next show is October 24 - 26 at the St. Louis Artists' Guild in Oak Knoll Park, hosted by the Best of Missouri Hands. It is a show of juried BOMH artists and has a variety of art! I will be on the second floor in the children's gallery so don't pass us by! I am going to list the other artists that will be on the second floor as well: Mary Barge Hoar-jewelry; BlackPurl fiber;Rita Seif & Lori Fish, pottery; Catherine Mahoney, painting; Shari Walton, jewelry and collage;Matt Keim,wood; Cecilia Labora-jewelry; Shirley Nachtreib, painting; Gail Kelley,fiber; Linda Green/Metzler, painting; Mary Mosblech, watercolor; and Vivian Gaston, jewelry. We hope to see you there!

Five from Four

2008-10-13T15:17:00.001-07:00

The following photos are details of artwork from 5 calligraphers from four countries who put on an exhibit in Louisville Kentucky.
Steve Skaggs from Louisville, KY: Yves Leterme from Belgium:
Monica Dengo from Italy:
Laurie Doctor from Louisville, KY:
Maya Huber from Germany:

Luckily, I received an e-mail about this exhibit Five from Four 2 weeks before I was driving to Louisville for a retreat. I knew I just had to stop and see it! The exhibit was created from artwork by Five calligraphers from Four countries--hence the name....It was at the Cressman Center for Visual Art in downtown Louisville, part of the University of Louisville. The exhibit was amazing. And inspirational. Made me want to get back to some real lettering, and to try some new media. If you are in the area, you should stop and see it. I have tons of pictures, and may post more, but I also plan to do a presentation about the exhibit for my fellow guild members at the St. Louis Calligraphy Guild November meeting. Because I know they'll love to see it and I want to share it with those who will appreciate it (and that's not necessarily my family!).

Fingerprint Friday

2008-10-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it isn't Friday and I am way behind the curve on this. But I just ran across PamperingBeki's blog and she was asking for photos that you feel show the fingerprint of God. This was taken on our vacation this summer as we sat on the shore of Lake Ontario just before dark. We kept hoping that the storm that was brewing wasn't coming our way since we were camping. But it did! And boy did we have rain, and winds and thunder crashes that shook the ground and even hail! It started at midnight and lasted over 2 hours.....pretty scary but it makes a good story--and a beautiful picture.

Finally finished!

2008-10-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

I finally finished this table that was ordered last spring! A woman from SLUH had bid on a table similar to this at the school auction a year ago, didn't get it, and then found a smilar table to have me letter on. The saying is a prayer by St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits who founded St. Louis University High. She gave me the table at the end of the school year and I finally got it done! I should never let anyone tell me "No Rush" because this always happens. I put it on the very farthest back burner and it sits there! But I think it turned out pretty good, despite some paint issues..... I am delivering it to school tomorrow so she can pick it up there. And we start painting furniture for this year's auction, so I guess I finished just in time!

Fall shows

2008-09-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Click on the postcard for a larger version that you can actually read!

Had a great show yesterday at Art in the Park. The weather couldn't have been nicer--sunny and 80! Saw all kinds of people that I knew, was busy all day and had great sales! But I have to get better at this blogging thing because I should have taken a picture of the fair--set in our park around a lily pond with tall beautiful shade trees. I would love to have been able to show you the setting--but I didn't think ahead. Took my camera, but didn't take it out. Guess I was too busy to look for other things to do! Which is a good thing. And I already got 2 more orders this morning. Yay!

So my next show is a ShowMeEtsy team show at SqWires Restaurant in Lafayette Square in St. Louis. The postcard is posted above, and was designed by fellow etsian Haley Ping. It is also listed in the column at right. I hope that we have a good showing--if you are in St. Louis come on by!

Black Magic

2008-09-22T09:18:00.001-07:00

Thought I would upload a couple of pics of some things I did at the Black Magic workshop I went to this past weekend. We used Pearl Ex pigments and Twinkling H2O's on different black papers. It was a fun class and I'm glad that we had Roann Mathias come teach it. But now I have to get down to business and get ready for the Art in the Park. And pray really hard that it doesn't rain, cause of course the forecast this morning was for a beautiful week with a chance of rain on Sunday!!

Roann Mathias Workshop

2008-09-19T04:24:00.001-07:00

I am excited about a calligraphy workshop this weekend. Roann Mathias (who did the lettering above) is coming to St. Louis to teach a workshop entitled Black Magic. We will learn to write on black paper with many different tools and media. Roann used to be a member of the St. Louis Calligraphy Guild, so it will be great to have her back for a visit. She is an amazing calligrapher and I can't wait to see her and more of her work. You can see her work at her website by clicking on her name, or her blog at roanndesigns.blogspot.com

I'll hopefully have some pictures and more to tell on the flip side!

A new step

2008-09-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

I've taken a new step today...finally signed up for a ProPay account so that now I can take credit cards! A friend of mine in the ShowMe Etsy team gave me a link to the site (http://www.propay.com/?refid=ETSYOLCM ) so that I could get the premium package for $29.99 for the first year! This gives you the opportunity to call the credit cards in from your cell phone while at a fair! I hope that it helps sales, and that calling in the card numbers doesn't take too long... of course, that is just wishful thinking that I could possibly have people waiting in line at my art fair booth to buy my art with credit card in hand! But it should also be handy if anyone wants to buy something from my website via internet without using PayPal. I'm kind of excited and would love to try it out before the first art fair....anyone?

SLUH donation

2008-09-15T13:04:00.001-07:00

This is a donation for my son's school's card party. It is done with my Sign Language letters--love that upside-down arch--and is framed with a 12" x 18" black metal frame. I'm hoping they can use it as an attendance prize. They also have a ton of handmade stuff for people to buy--not sure why they call it a card party since hardly anyone plays cards. Most of the ladies just shop and eat lunch. I just needed to get this done so that I can try to get organized for my show on the 28th. I'm not doing a whole lot better since my last post, I just kind of took the weekend off from worrying. But it's all back now!

Just a little nuts today

2008-09-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get organized and figure out what I need to do for Art in the Park in 2 weeks and I'm going a little nuts. Too many things to consider, too long of a list, not sure of the best strategy and I'm not feeling that great. One thing I am thinking about is getting a credit card account--hoping it would boost sales! Seems most people just walk around with a credit card and no cash or checks anymore, so I guess I have to join the new millenium. Anyone have any favorite credit card services I should check out? I've been told ProPay is good....

Change happens

2008-09-10T12:06:00.001-07:00

Barack Obama said this in his acceptance speech at the DNC and I kinda liked it. It's true....you can't stop change. And we need a little change right now! But I thought it might work well as a small 4 x 10 print using the graffiti letters. I seem to be hooked on them lately. I am getting ready for Art in the Park on the 28th, and am trying to come up with some new things. You just never know though--what will sell and what won't! I really need to take inventory and think about what needs to be done and what things to leave out! Sometimes I think I don't give items a chance, and pull them if they don't sell right away---kind of like network TV!

Meida Works name frame

2008-09-08T12:59:00.001-07:00

This is a special order that I got recently for an anniversary celebration of a company in Maryland. It was a rather large piece (12 x 37) and I was worried about shipping it with the glass. I ended up sending it UPS, but after talking to them, I think I can do it myself now! The key, I think, is to shrink wrap it to a piece of cardboard after wrapping it in bubble wrap. It arrived there safely when they sent it, so I hope I can do this in the future. Does anyone else have any tips on shipping?

I is for Iannazzo

2008-09-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

My friend showed me an article she found in a magazine about monograms on canvas and on walls. I told her I would do one for her (this was back in May). I finally got around to it! Her last name is Iannazzo, so the initial (I) was going to be a challenge--to make it interesting, that is. I would love to know what you think! I am thinking, of course, of trying other letters and colors, and they could be special ordered. This one is on an 18" square canvas. Not sure I can get enough $ for them, considering this one took a couple of hours, and it was a simple I!

Alex's place

2008-08-31T15:00:00.001-07:00

One of my ideas for the graffiti letters was to use them on painted canvas--this one is recycled canvas. I bought this painting of boats at a garage sale and then painted over it leaving just a bit of the color showing through. The letters are the graffiti letters and then I lettered the rest with white acrylic paints, adding a balck drop shadow. I made this one for my son Alex who we just took back to school in the Bronx. It was fun to do, but I doubt he will actually hang it on his wall....

I was gathering a lot of stuff for a care package--things he didn't have, like an ice cream scoop and aluminum foil and things I know he likes, like dried mangoes and chai tea. Whether he hangs this up or not, I like the way it turned out!

KEEP OUT

2008-08-27T14:56:00.001-07:00

Been working on some ideas for the graffiti letters... I feel like they need to be used on sayings that are not so nicey nice. So I thought something like this, could be used on a kid's room door. I like the background which is a photo of some of the graffiti on the St. Louis flood wall, and I love the skulls at the bottom. It is 4 x 10 and would have a glass clip frame, but I think I want to use some old looking wire--not shiny stuff--so that it fits the look and still helps it hang well. Thought about black ribbon, but I think even black ribbon would be too cutesy. Saw some rebar tie wire at the corner hardware store that might work, but it was a lot of wire (but not a lot of money) and I'm not sure yet if I will use this idea. Anybody got any thoughts?

New York, New York

2008-08-25T15:19:00.001-07:00

New York, New York! Just got back from dropping my son at college for his sophomore year! He is actually in the Bronx at Fordham University. We combined the college drop off with a vacation and made a loop through Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, Niagara Falls, Baseball Hall of Fame and then spent 4 days in New York! Had to get him moved into his tiny apt that he will share with 3 other guys. His rooom is about 7 x 9.... barely big enough for a bed! But the neighborhod right near his apt is actually kind of cool--alot of italian restaurants and delis--but on a college student budget, I doubt he will see the inside of most of them. After dropping him off, we drove through Gettysburg and spent about a day in DC. Whirlwind tour! A little crazy, but that's a typical vacation if I plan it!

Georgia O'Keefe look?

2008-08-08T12:53:00.001-07:00

I know that this looks like the same photo as before, but if you look just above the Francis Park words, you can see an insect's wings..... I used this version for the cover of the Art in the Park program cover. I was going to wait til after my vacation (coming up soon--yeah!) to do the cover design, but decided to run out yesterday and take some photos cause the weather was gorgeous--finally! When I took these pics I was too excited to wait and the fair committee is equally excited with the results. They said it looks like a Georgia O'Keefe! But my husband wants me to say that he made the same comment first!

Gilding the lily

2008-08-07T15:14:00.001-07:00

Took this photo this morning of a water lily in the park near my house. We are having an art fair here in the fall and I am designing the cover of the program. Really think I have to use this. I just love it! It's God's art in the park.... I may also make cards, notecards and prints from it. Doesn't really go with my Sign Language letters but I'll just have to take a detour.....

Besides finding this photo, I received good news this morning! Somerset Memories called and they are going to use my submission of Marian's Memories–a book of my mom's memories of growing up in St. Louis–as a featured article in their Dec issue! See my July 22 post for a picture of the book. Now I have to write the article explaining the ideas behind it and the techniques I used. This will be my first article so it's pretty exciting.

Artstravaganza

2008-08-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Since I became a juried member of the Best of Missouri hands this past June, I am now eligble to be in the Artravaganza show, October 24-26, at the St. Louis Artists Guild. Just got an e-mail that I will be on the second floor. Wanted to be on the first, but I guess since I am a newbie, I am relegated to the second.... But on the list, I did see names of some ladies that I have met before so that will be nice to see them again. One is a jeweler that I met at a VERY slow show last fall and she is one of the people who talked to me about BOMH! Her name is Mary Barge Hoar and her beautiful jewelry can be seen on her website at www.charming-designs.com You can also see her featured artist page at BOMH. The other is a lady that I have talked to at shows many times in the past and I love her hand-made snowmen! I try to buy one every year that I see her booth, but sometimes it is hard to buy just one! Her name is Gail Kelley, and if you've seen her snowmen I guarantee you love them! Her work can be seen on the Best of Missouri hands featured artist page.

So I am not going to whine that I am on the second floor! I am just going to pray that there is a great crowd and they don't forget to look up!

More blogs to check out!

2008-07-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

No art this time, just a couple more blogs to check out-- the ShowMe Etsy blog, which has postings from members and info on upcoming shows. And the etsy mini blog--which has a mini etsy store for etsy shops that request to be included--I'm under photography--on page 8....

Graffiti art

2008-07-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

These are my new graffiti letters that I took at the graffiti wall in St. Louis. I think they are really cool, but am having trouble coming up with sayings or ideas to use them for. I don't think they will fit for cute mats that say best friends or something. I am looking for something with a slight edge, but not too rude. I thought about using a canvas and making a room sign but saying something like Alex's CELL(for my son's small apt in NYC). Or maybe coffee ADDICT......Does anyone have any ideas?

Marian's Memories in Somerset Memories

2008-07-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

From the calligrapher side of my life:

I heard last week from Somerset Memories Magazine that they liked the article and files I sent them of my book about my mom's memories of growing up in St. Louis in the 20's and 30's. I had entered it in the Remembrances column of the magazine and they like it and want to use it--maybe for a feature article. This is a first for me! I hope it actually happens, I just shipped it off on Friday. Have no idea when it will get in, they work so far out. I will post if and when it actually happens!

Show Me Etsy Street Team

2008-07-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Went to my first meeting and joined the Show Me Etsy street team last night! This is a group of St. Louis artists who are all currently selling on Etsy . I found a great group of energetic ladies with a ton of ideas to promote Etsy and Etsy shopping. Everyone seems to pitch in and help out with the planning and I look forward to being part of such a forward thinking group! Just from one meeting, I will have some of my work in a booth that they are having at CoolArt/Hot Jazz at Queeny Park the weekend of August 15th. Then the Show Me Etsy team is planning a trunk show at Sqwire's Restaurant in Lafayette Square on October 16th from 5 to 9pm. I am going to be there as well. Any St. Louis artists interested in doing the trunk show or being part of this team can contact me (see sidebar for e-mail). This is an exciting group with alot going on. Check out the ShowMe Etsy team webpage and you can find the links to all of these St. Louis Artists' Etsy shops. And my shop is at www.kathyorf.etsy.com

And as always, if you post a comment here, I will post your name in Sign Language letters.....

Best of Missouri Hands

2008-07-01T14:11:00.001-07:00

Just found out that I am now a juried member of Best of Missouri Hands! That's pretty exciting. And it gives me more of a network, more great people to learn from, a chance to exhibit in "Juried members only" shows, I can hang a banner in my booth that says I am a juried member, which hopefully will be helpful! And I will have a page on the BOMH website that will link to my website. Can't hurt, right?

The BOMH letters above are more from the graffiti wall in St. Louis. I found a ton of them! Thinking now of other ways to use the graffiti.....more on that to come. But if you want to see your name in graffiti letters, post a comment and I will post your name--like Stephanie did below!

For Stephanie

2008-06-28T20:45:00.001-07:00

This is for Stephanie---anyone else want their name in graffiti letters???

Graffiti

2008-06-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

Just spent all afternoon cropping my pictures from my trip to the graffiti wall in St. Louis. I went with the calligraphy guild in mid-May, but haven't had the time to go through the pictures. I knew I could find letters in all of the designs. I avoided any actual writing and just photographed the design images like the one below.

I looked through all of the images picking out the alphabet and even got a few of each letter! They will be made into a new set of Sign Language letters soon.... I just love the look of them and think they will be fun for scrapbooks and cards!

If you want your name in graffiti letters, just post a comment and I will post your name here.

ACTS retreat

2008-06-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

One of the other reasons that I have been so busy, is that I was on team for an ACTS retreat at our church, St. Gabriel the Archangel. What a great experience! 30 women leading 21 on a retreat to grow closer to God and as a church community. I was on the music team with 3 very talented women, which was a lot of work but a lot of fun. I also did all of the nametags, signs and graphics to go with our theme "Do Not Be Afraid". Below is a sample of a name tag.

The song for our retreat was writteen by David Kauffman, titled "Do Not Be Afraid" and I'm hoping it shows up on one of his future CDs soon.

If anyone has been on ACTS and wants to share, I would love to hear your story!

Happy 50th

2008-06-25T14:19:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it has been 7 weeks since I made an entry here! I have been so busy getting ready for my in-laws 50th anniversary party that all else fell by the wayside--including my etsy shop (www.kathyorf.etsy.com) I also went on a retreat since then but more on that next time. I hope I am back to staying connected now....

My in-laws are Don & Judy. They are great people and we had a great weekend! It was just party, party, party for 3 days....

The letters in their names (shown above) are as follows:

D is from City Museum O is the symbol for Heaven and Earth at the STL Art Museum (SLAM) N is a Tiffany railing at SLAM & J is from MOBOT U is from a church in Maplewood, MO D is the roof at MOBOT Y is from Country Club Plaza in KC

If you want to see more of my Sign Language letters visit my website at www.kathyorf.com
You can also post a comment on my blog and I will post your name in letters!

Your Name Here --for Lois

2008-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Lois, for your comment on my blog! Here is your name in Sign....

The L is from the MO Botanical Gardens... O is a sculpture in Washington DC...I is one of the benches at the St. Louis Art Museum...S if from a cello (?) in Branson, MO.

If you want your name posted, just leave me a comment. And if you are looking for merchandise using these letters, visit my shop at www.kathyorf.etsy.com or my website at www.kathyorf.com Thanks for looking!

Visit my new ETSY shop!

2008-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Just set up shop on ETSY--the place for handmades. If you haven't been there yet, you really need to go to www.etsy.com The work there is unbelievable! It's kind of fun, but seems it may be a lot of work to get people to see your shop since there is so much to see! I've been told that it is all about making connections in forums and chats and many other ways on ETSY. So I may be tied to my computer even more than I have been! I've been browsing on ETSY for an hour already and really need to get to work! But I'd love it if you would visit my ETSY shop at www.kathyorf.etsy.com I have a few things on right now and am adding more items every day or so. Something else to keep me here...at least I have a nice backyard view from my window!

Your Name Here-For Mary

2008-04-27T08:13:00.001-07:00

Mary left a comment on my blog, so here is her name in Signs... Thanks, Mary!

M is from a mosaic wall at Country Club Plaza in KC...A is also from KC...R is from a giant sculpture at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis...Y is part of a chair on display at the St. Louis Art Museum.

If you want to see your name in Sign Language Letters, just leave me a comment!

Your Name Here-for Phil

2008-04-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Phil left a comment on my blog, so here is his name! The P is from a forest in British Columbia...H is from Ripley's Believe it or Not in Branson, MO...I is from a railing at the St. Louis Zoo...L is also from the zoo. Thanks, Phil!

Your Name Here

2008-04-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

If you comment on my blog, I will post your name in these "Sign Language Letters". And if you like that, you can visit my website at www.kathyorf.com to find tons of personalized gifts to order for weddings, and babies and special occasions... But for now, I will tell you where these letters all came from! Y is from a Kansas City lantern...O is the Chinese Symbol for Heaven and Earth at SLAM (St. Louis Art Museum)...U is, of course, the Arch upside down...R is from a City Museum mosaic(also in St. Louis)...N is a Tiffany railing at SLAM...A is from a Pablo Picasso painting at SLAM...M is from a Vlastislav Hofman vase at SLAM...E is from a Monet painting at SLAM...H is a railing in Webster Groves, MO...E is from a City Museum railing...R is a letter laying on the floor of a closed shop in Maplewood, MO...E is from a parking garage in Country Club Plaza, Kansas City. I hope you enjoy hearing where these letters are from. I would love to hear from you!

Do you see what I see?

2008-03-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I see? When you look at the top photo of a Picasso painting, would you have seen the K that I made into a Sign Language letter? Do you also see the A? Both are 2 of my favorites.... In the second image, of my backyard gate, I think the S is rather obvious, but only if you are looking for it! And the with bottom image, of a trellis at MOBOT, I turned it sideways for the E, with a touch of whimsy (the flowers growing left to right). I also used it for an F and an H and an L..... Some pictures are gold mines of letters! I hope that you will look at things a little differently now. I'm looking out my window right now, and the shadow of the corner of the lacrosse net on our brick garage looks like an A. And the end of a branch on my big oak tree is an easy Y. It can be a bit of a game as well--especially with the kids! So the next time you are walking your neighborhood, look at the world (and the architecture especially) with new eyes! Or you can have me post your name in Sign Language letters...just leave me a request in the comments....

Say Goodnight, Gracie

2008-03-10T08:41:00.001-07:00

Gracie turned two! I went to my niece's birthday party yesterday. She is mesmerizing. She seems to have some sort of power over us all. We just sit and watch everything she does and says. And she talks all the time! She's so polite, she cracks us up--always saying "excuse me", "thank you" and "you're welcome".... And talk about cute! The letters for GRACIE have been altered in their colors from the original photographs, but this is where they are from: G is from the plaque in the walkway at MOBOT R is from a Marc Chagall painting at SLAM A is from a Pablo Picasso painting at SLAM (not altered) C is from architecture in Sedona Arizona (orig. orange ) I is from architecture in KC and E is from the trellis at MOBOT And Gracie is from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law----their third child....
If you tell her to "Say Goodnight, Gracie", just like Gracie Allen, she will automatically repeat "Goodnight, Gracie". If you want to see your name in letters from the Sign Language Collection, you can comment in my blog and I will post it for you right here....

What is a Kalligratographer?

2008-03-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

A Kalligratographer? I made it up, of course! My name is Kathy, hence the "K". I am a calligrapher and a photographer and I combine these two arts in my work. Welcome to my first blog. I love looking for letters in ordinary places, which I guess, is better than looking for letters in all the wrong places, right? But, really, if you look, you can find letters everywhere. My favorite places are in architecture, art and nature.
So, I want to tell you where the letters in my WELCOME come from--- W is from a beautiful porcelain bowl at the St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM) E is from a trellis (turned sideways) at the MO Botanical Gardnes (MOBOT) L is from a Max Beckman painting at SLAM C is from a bronze plaque in the walkway at MOBOT O is the Chinese Symbol for Heaven and Earth at SLAM M is on a wrought iron bench at MOBOT E is an architectural detail at City Museum in St. Louis I guess by now you've figured out that I am from St. Louis! Don't believe everything you hear, St. Louis is a great city to live in. There are tons of free things to do--like the zoo, the Art Museum, the Muny etc. But today, with the snow falling furiously, the best thing is sled riding on Art Hill in Forest Park--directly in front of the Art Museum, just don't miss the haybales and fall into the lake! If you would like to see more of the ways I use my letters, visit my website at www.kathyorf.com