My friends, I have an especially lovely giveaway for anyone who’s ever ogled at the hand lettering trend that’s been taking the world by the storm.
The fabulous duo of Besotted Co. introduced me to Maybelle’s work a couple of years ago, and it was of course love at first sight. Her instagram feed alone is spectacular.
So when I saw her calligraphy kit at Kinokuniya a while ago, I snapped it up. Given my various obligations right now, however, the idea of starting a calligraphy habit is a pipe dream of the highest order. I’ve had to relegate it to my ever-growing “one day” list and in the interim, to reduce my guilt and to prevent the beautiful kit from collecting dust, I want to gift it to someone who would get more use out of it. I think this would be great for kids too, because if K’s writing is anything to go by, there’s not a lot of emphasis on handwriting in school these days (not that I’m being critical — I think K’s handwriting has tons of personality, it’s just not entirely legible).
The kit comes with everything you need to launch into the joys of lettering: wooden pen + steel pointed nib, a bottle of black ink, an utterly charming instructional booklet, decorative labels, vellum sheets and a lined guide sheet.
To enter the giveaway, please leave any comment as per usual but it would be fun to know which word you’d want to hand letter — it’s sort of in line with the word of the year question I’ve posed before. The idea being that you would have to practice the word over and over and over so it would have to be something that you wouldn’t get too sick of. My word would be “mettle”. I’m currently dealing with a family situation that is taking up vast amounts of my energies, and I am in desperate need of industrial strength mettle. I think everything is okay, just…adjusting to a new normal.
I will leave the giveaway open until this Friday, July 8th (how is it July already?? update: I extended the giveaway for another week since I’ll be out of town and won’t choose the winner until next week). You know the drill by now, yes?
I’ve finished three out of the five projects due and then we’re out of town for a week starting July 3rd, so I’m going to take it easy on the blog front again and will take a couple of weeks off. I realize that’s an annoying thing to repeatedly read, but you know my hyper neurotic need to keep you in the loop. I hope to be back refreshed and better equipped to focus when I return from Michigan!
P.S. The winner of the journal kit giveaway is Stacey, congrats!
what a wonderful giveaway…
the word i would write is “why”
and by the way –
i love your book sanae…
thank you.
What a lovely looking kit! I’m kind of obsessed with lettering and writing names and monograms anyway, but since my first baby is due in a month I think I will be particularly smitten with his name and initials (TBD) and write them over and over! (Or maybe I am kidding myself that I will have any brainspace for calligraphy).
I would copy out my favourite verses from Virgils Aeneid inLatin, or practice writing the Greek alphabet, natch.
Seriously, I don’t know that I would write any one word over and over. I also don’t know what I would write.
Aside from using this to make cards for loved ones and get back to my pen & ink line drawings, I would write “curiosity” – my word of the year.
Oh – what a wonderful giveaway. It’s so hard to choose just one word, but the one that springs to mind is eternity – a word which, from the 1930s to the 1960s, was regularly (and mysteriously, at the time) written in chalk on the streets of Sydney, in beautiful copperplate handwriting. It’s become something of an Australian cultural icon, but I also really like eternity as a word and a concept.
Enjoy your week out of town!
Such a pretty kit! Maybe the word “focus.” It’s so easy to try to do too many things at once these days.
Maybe the word patience? Both for the process of learning to write well and life in general.
This is a lovely kit! I would draw the word, “gloaming”. It means “dusk, twilight.” I think it’s so pretty.
Trully amazing! My word of the year is “mindful”
Honey (what my 2-yr-old is calling her soon-to-be-born baby brother).
Blessed… Thankful…I love those words. I would adore this kit as I’ve just begun dipping my fingers into this new creative pool. Surely paper is cheaper than fabric?
My go to word would be “Dream”… Works of art begin with a Dream that becomes a Reality!
Thank you for the giveaway!
Such a beautiful kit! I would practice my word of the year, “today”. It’s a rather blasé word but it reminds me to be present.
Lovely giveaway from the talented maybelle!
The word will be ‘ minimum’, not only the famous calli practice word but also a reminder to myself to keep evrything as simple as possible.
I was introduced to your blog by Maybelle and find this giveaway to absolutely “Inspiring” (my word contribution) for all interested in renewing a dying craft of hand printng. I just love the way Maybelle illustrates and explains in simple easy to follow instructions. I am inspired by her skill and craft, and thank her for my start into calligraphy.
My home schooled kids would love to learn this! I think perhaps Love is a word I would like to saturate myself with by practicing it over and over. 🙂
Yes.
I’ve always found this word (in absolute terms) to be filled with hope and optimism. The calligraphy set looks gorgeous.
A beautiful set. Would love to write “suaftect”, a made up word by my partner when we first starting dating years ago meaning “super, awesome, fantastic, and perfect” all in one. It was a silly moment when he said it, but it stuck for some reason and we still say it!
“Szczęście” would be my word of choice 🙂 It means happiness – very difficult to write and equally hard to to achieve. Thank you for giveaway, I appreciate.
I think my word would be “grateful”, I think it would be a nice word to dwell on:-)
Working on a sense of community and belonging, I would practice writing “welcomed” over and over and over
I would use the word “humble” because, while I don’t often let it out, I find that I become arrogant when I feel that something in my life is out of control. It is something I always try to work on, so writing it out a few hundred times would be a good reminder
The word I would practice is Fabulous because of all those sexy loops and flourishes! Then I would write Thank you – for such a kind and lovely giveaway! X
Wow, I’ve never seen such a pretty calligraphy set. The word I would write is gratitude. Too often we find the one thing we don’t have and dwell on that instead of finding all the things we have to be thankful for. And I also think that word looks pretty in cursive. 😉
Just one word?? I think “practice”. As in I am going to practice guitar all summer and learn to play a song or two.
The word I would practice is Dylan because it is my grandson’s name and I find capital D challenging. Thanks for the chance to win!
My word would be present. My mind is never present. Even right now I’m thinking about five things at once! Have a great vacation. The Finnish word for mettle is sisu, which was my Dad’s favorite word.
I hope finding equlibrium in your new normal goes smoothly. Its always a challenge with multiple balls in the air, but bit by bit, we all get there. Its hard to choose a word. I would say Thankfulness. What I would really like is to write a quote for the wall. Small steps first! Thank you for the giveaway.
What a lovely giveaway! I think my word would be joy.
Beautiful! I think I would write “Relax”.
Abide.
Great giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity! My word would be patience because that’s what I seem to need the most almost every day.
For me , the word would be Beautiful…mastering that capital B would be my focus. I try everyday to see the beauty in the world and to create a calligraphic “Beautiful” sign to focus on each day would be the perfect mantra. Thank you!
Love this giveaway. I would hand letter “well-being.”
I love writing my daughter’s name 🙂
But if it has to be a word rather than a proper noun, I’d probably pick…salamander.
So beautiful. I have a cheap plastic pen holder and would love a proper wooden one. I think I’d write my new surname, next to ‘Mrs.’ It’s very strange and tricky for me to get used to! Writing it out lots would help.
Epiphany is my word for the year. I love the description ” an illuminating discovery”. Epiphanies are mind openers. I’m always amazed that the answer or idea was there all along, but not realized until we relax and let the thoughts flow.
I am a Pastry Chef and once I mastered the art of Calligraphy I would use those skills to make the signs that describe the daily dessert offerings at the bakery where I work.
I would love to hand letter a card for my husband for our anniversary this year. It would say “I love you…always” because that’s how I always sign off any card or letter to him. As I’m really really rubbish at remembering to buy cards (gifts…yes, cards…not so much) this would be super special for him. And goodness knows he deserves it!
I do hope that things settle down for you soon.
The word I would practice writing is “breathe”, to remind myself sometimes that’s all I need to do.
Hi Sanae! If I have to choose one word, it’ll be “Energy”. I’m having a big amount of work these days and I hope to have enough “energy” to finish them. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Journey would be mine. I just found you today in the weirdest way. Maybe not the best place to post this but I feel the need to share. I recently moved with my family away from my childhood home where I have been raising my four babies. We are 800 plus miles away actually with no ties to this place except for a new job. Long story short I am trying to find ways to bring happiness to our little ones that feel displaced. My oldest who is 7 feels it the most and she is the one who lead me on this journey of discovery. We love to create and I picked up a magazine at a local jo anns store that stood out from the wall of covers. Inside I saw a picture of your book and thought hmm that would be one to put on my list. Then I was looking at different things online and went to my Kindle store and your book showed up as the first book on my list. I thought to myself now I really need to get this book. I read a few pages and I felt your pain. I am also a recovering workaholic and found myself through sewing and crafting. I want to thank you for sharing your story in such a creative and motivating way. Thank you for helping me along my journey. I am excited to have your blog to follow and share with my babies. Now off to read, sleep, and feed my 5 month baby.
F R A N G I P A N I
Love!
Great giveaway idea! Would LOVE to win! ?
Freedom – that would be my word. I also am dealing with family issues that have me chained mentally, time wise, and financially. I now have an attorney that I think will get the matters resolved to some conclusion by the end of July/beginning of August then freedom will ring!
I would so love to have this. I would want to right My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. Janet
My word would be “regroup”. A spell of terribly invasive hail damage repairmen, followed by a floor refinishing crew, followed by a broken arm. Have some regrouping to do but my writing arm is good!
Thanks for the loveliness of your blog and Sewing Happiness.
I just read your sewing book and it really resonated with me. Thanks for sharing your story and fun sewing pieces!
My word is “breathe”
I love it! I would love to write the word “hope” . been thinking about it a lot lately. Thanks!
“Focus” would be my word–which I love that I would need a lot of it for practicing calligraphy!
endaxi
English translation of the Greek word that, loosely translates to-ok then, we agree, this is good.