Beginners - Lesson 4 - fitting

This shows how to fit a word or name into a specific amount of space.
Cut the paper to fit the space, allowing a little bit for space between the letters, although, you can overlap if you like. Cut a slightly smaller piece for the I. Then cut your letters. Notice the fun variation on the letter E.

Beginners - Lesson 3 - gift wrapping

Blogspot won't let me write a paragraph to go with this, just a caption. This is a more time consuming way to use cut paper letters. Imagine the letters in Lesson 1 used for a name on a package.

Beginers - Lesson 2 - cut paper numbers & variations

 Here are some variations that you can try with your cut letters. The word layer was done using a decorative paper punch and scalloped scissors.

This alphabet first appeared in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine called Scrapbooks Etc. The magazine is still around. I was hired to do some "Etc" projects when the magazine first came out. I'll be posting all the different alphabets. None of them were with nibs and ink, but it's not a bad idea to learn how to make some of these kinds of letters because you could use them with your nibs and ink.

For example, you could cut out the first letter of a name and then write the full name with your nibs and ink.

if you have any sticky backed paper, it is much easier than gluing each letter.
 

Beginners - Lesson 1 - cut paper

This is step one in a new series for the beginners who do not have their nibs and ink but they want to have fun with the alphabet.

These were cut out of scrapbooking paper. The holes made with a hole punch.

Instructions:
Cut 23 rectangles, the same size.
Cut 1 rectangle slightly narrower for the I.
Cut 2 rectangles slightly wider for the M and W.

Then, remove tiny slivers of paper to make the 26 letters of the alphabet.

Use a scrap to add the tail on the Q.

In my classes, I would not give students this exemplar. I would demonstrate I-L-T-A  and then tell them to go ahead and figure out the rest.

With A, you only need a triangle. Or you can add a small snip to give it two legs on the bottom. You really don't need the hole in the center at all.

Students quickly understand that the alphabet is a series of symbols and there is a very tiny amount of information that distinguishes one from the other. The two letters that usually stump them are G and Q. That little notch on the G is easy but not obvious. With a Q, you can cut the rectangle a little taller to allow for a tail.

These proportions are very generic and the fun of this alphabet is to figure out all kinds of variations.

Below is one by Nicholas Davies. You can find more if you do a search for *cut paper alphabet* on Google and Pinterest.

Flourish no. 3

Here is a flourish that has a few variations. Choose one that you like and then build 13 capital letters off of it.

The choices at the top are roundish, then oval.
With ovals, you can have them more vertical or more horizontal.
Be consistent with the overall shape of the oval.
If you go round, keep them all round. If you go slanty, keep them all at the same slant.

Keeping the shape and the slant (if there is one) the same allows you one variable and that is size.
You can adjust the flourish to be larger or smaller depending on the letter.

Other choices are if you have a curl that does not overlap. I call that a cinnamon roll. Keep them big and yummy. You can curl them around so they over lap like the first one in the second row. I calls those fish.

Looking at the third row, the second one, overlaps and then curls in on itself. I call that the kidney bean.

And I do not have a name for the second one in the top row. It has that little extra loop inside the major loop. I guess I will call that the *DeLuxe* model. You can't make those until you have mastered the basic ones.

And what are the pit falls. Pig tails. Don't make flourishes that look like little corkscrew pig tails. Unless you are doing something really whimsical. It's a matter of personal taste. I love whimsical, quirky, naive, rustic, outsider lettering. But, it's a little like dessert. Too much of it makes my teeth hurt. Unless I have some good reason to go on a dessert bender. I try to stay away from making any absolute edicts on what looks right.

This page has nice fluid, quickly done without any practice....flourishes.
As every instructor I ever had says...you only make nice flourishes by making a lot of them.
I like to just toss them off.
If I have a job where I am doing a lot of flourished envelopes. The first 25 will be fine. But, after that, the next ones always look so much better -to my eyes.  Nobody else can tell the difference. But I can.

Happy Flourishing

another link - or 2

i've been writing words on wrapping paper for years. these are not mine, they are from this blog
http://www.papernstitchblog.com/

scroll down to find them

i have not had time to surf around and see what else is on that blog..
this is a link to the original post with the lettering on wrapping paper idea.

http://shopwalkinlove.com/blogs/walk-in-love/10846953-inspirational-wrapping-paper

i have not had time to surf around that blog either.

more stuff already online

http://julieblanner.com/learn-calligraphy/

i keep finding more and more stuff online that has tutorials for lettering.
so, i am not really motivated to keep adding my own quick and easy lessons

u-n-l-e-s-s

readers tell me what they want.
so
if you have been following the flourishing  - or started on the upright script
and you want more
you need to either leave a comment
or
email me at jmwilson411 at  yahoo  dot com
and tell me that you want more
i'm happy to add things, if you are finding these lessons helpful
but
if you are all going on to other things, that's fine.