Card: Birthday - Calligraphy

Inspiration: I like doing calligraphy.  While I often make gifts with quite a bit of it, I don't often use basic calligraphy in my cards.  So once in a while, I do a card like this and then add some color to brighten it up.

How I Make Them:  I usually add lines in pencil on the card to help me keep the wording straight.  I use a ruler to space out the lines and I try to draw them fairly light so they are easy to erase after the ink dries.  I have a variety of calligraphy pens that I use (I'll write about them in a later post) but I do tend to stick with a thicker letter when making this card.  When using black, I use India Ink.  If I'm using colored ink, it might be Speedball or another brand usually meant specifically for calligraphy.  I've also made my own ink using mixed watercolor paint but when I do that, it's only with my dip pens.  I let the ink dry, often overnight, and then erase my pencil lines.  Finally I take colored pencils or markers and add some color either going over the letters or outlining them.  With this card, I often write "May you have a bright and happy day!"

Alternatives:

• I use this basic style for Thank You cards quite a bit.  As long as the words on the front are kept short enough, the could be used for just about anything: Happy Anniversary, You're Invited, Congratulations, etc.
• I've always wanted to try this with a resist method - using a resist medium for the calligraphy and then coloring or watercoloring the card and then removing the resist - maybe one day...