Brenda Walton

Festive Holiday Lettering

My talented designer friend Anna Pasquale recently asked me to do some flourished chalkboard lettering for use in her photo shoot for Raley’s Something Extra Holiday Magazine.

We only had about half an hour to complete the project, so I didn’t have time to plan or create a sketch. I sat down on the floor with the chalkboards and did the lettering freehand. The ephemeral nature of the medium can be intimidating; one wrong move, and the work is gone! But I suppose that’s what makes drawing on a chalkboard so exciting and fun.

If you'd lke to create something similar on a chalkboard or canvas, first sketch the design on tracing paper and transfer it to the chalkboard using Saral Transfer Paper. My friend Amy Powers explains the easy step-by-step process, including how to preserve the work, to make a delightful personalized keepsake for newlyweds. 

New Holiday Rubber Stamps

Here in Northern California, the air is turning crisp and cool, and at last it’s beginning to genuinely feel like the holidays are near. I’m starting to think about upcoming celebrations and family gatherings, holiday correspondence and gift ideas. It’s a busy but wonderful time of year offering many opportunities for adding a handcrafted touch to everything!

A shipment of my new Christmas rubber stamps from Inkadinkado just arrived on our doorstep, and I was so excited to do some crafting with them. Here are some of the results...

This large-scale Christmas Postcard stamp (3.5 x 5”) was inspired by Victorian correspondence. I wanted to add lots of soft color, so I did a little spot inking using ColorBox Pigment Brush Pads (red, green, gold and blue). Then I used a Quickie Glue Pen and fine glitter to add some delicate sparkle to the border, tree and holly.

 

The medallion (left) was made using the Seasons Greetings Postmark stamp, and makes a festive focal point for a gift topper. The card (right) uses the Christmas Wishes stamp in gold ink, with red and gold glitter highlights. A few adhesive gems and pearls add three-dimensional sparkly fun.

 

I used black Versacolor ink to stamp Celebrate the Season on this muslin bag. I really like the vintage effect of stamping on fabric, and I was delighted to see such a crisp impression. (Regular inks are fine for fabric that won’t be washed). This technique works best on finely woven fabrics.

 

The Special Delivery tag makes it easy to add a handmade touch to every gift. Since this gift was wrapped in faux birch paper, I wanted a chalkboard look for the tag, so I used Versamark ink and Opaque White Embossing Powder. I really like the rustic look it adds to the package.

 

 

 

The six individual stamps, including the Dear Santa Letter stamp (lower left) are available online and at craft stores nationwide. These high quality wood mounted stamps, made by Inkadinkado, are easy to use and (with proper care) will last a very long time. They capture a remarkable amount of detail in every impression. Happy Holiday crafting!

Crafting with Alfredo

Amy Powers and her darling son Alfredo have been busy doing some holiday crafting together. Alfredo created this adorable little house using my Country Cottage die for Sizzix!

What a creative guy! I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. Hop on over to Amy’s blog to see the whole story.

Workshop at French General

I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be teaching a calligraphy workshop at French General's Art of Craft in Los Angeles on January 11, 2014.

The Lovely Letters and Cards workshop will focus on pointed pen lettering with a modern twist. We’ll be using my new Sizzix dies to make adorable miniature thank you notes and envelopes to embellish and personalize with sweet sentiments.

The workshop is almost sold out.... I hope to see you there!

Love Letters

I’ve been getting caught up on correspondence, and love to make each one special. While I enjoy the speed of communicating with friends via email and texting, it’s always a delightful treat to receive a handwritten note in the mail.

 

 

These letters are written with a pointed nib and an oblique pen holder, using several inks: McCaffery’s (black), Francesco Rubinato (blue), Pelikan (red) and Herbin (Vert Pre Green). The stationery is G. Lalo,  which is an absolute dream to write on. The style of lettering is a modern interpretation of an historic Spencerian Script, popular in the United States during the early 1900's.