The Truth About The Wedding Business - Part 1

If I had listened to my business adviser, when I first started all those years ago, I would be where I am now.... only I would have got there quicker!

As many of you know, I've been a Calligrapher and Lettering Artist since 1988. My work has been wide and varied. Some jobs you want to do, others were quite frankly a pain in the bum. Each had it's own merits and challenges.

Professional, qualified, Calligraphers are getting pretty thin on the ground. We are becoming a specialised industry. While there are still plenty of Calligraphy Groups around, they are more 'interest' groups rather than anyone wanting to take on work and use their skills.

I live in North Yorkshire. The county is wide and spread out. Fewer people even know what a Calligrapher does these days, never mind needing their services and the ones that do are pretty reluctant to pay a decent hourly rate for the work involved.

"Surely, you just pick up a fancy pan,

 filled with ink and write, don't you?"

I wish it was that simple. The 'in' joke amongst Calligraphers is that you can become a brain surgeon in less time! And actually, it's not too far from the truth!

I remember, when John, my business adviser with Action For Blind People suggested I specialise in Wedding Stationery, I laughed! At the time I was lucky enough if I did 1 or 2 wedding orders a year. The thought of ditching all the other work, in it various guises, made my stomach churn. I just about made enough to keep the doors open at the studio. To ditch the small amount of work that was coming through seems nothing close to madness!

I resisted.... well, I actually, didn't resist fully, I made more of an effort as far as I was concerned, made up some Wedding Invitation portfolios and got them into shops.... the business didn't come my way and I continued to take on small jobs, which took a great deal of time and effort, but had very little reward.

I did this for a further 3 years. I did it till I could take no more. I felt the life was sucked out of me and this also coincided with the break-up of what I thought at the time was a 'perfect' relationship (Please excuse me here,while I laugh my stripy socks off!).

For the following year I took stock of not only my life, my relationship (and the no good for me characters, I seemed to attract!) but my business and my feeling towards that too. I'm a big believer in "If you always do, what you've always done, you'll always get, what you've always gotten!". Things had to change... I had to change! My attitude and my fears regarding my work had to change.... and change it did!

This wasn't over night... it was a long journey and there's lots to tell.... so I'll write more about this in another post...

I have things I need to 'get off my chest' and most of all, I hope my story, in time will give hope, inspiration and motivation to others. 

MOO Business Cards Rock! - 10% OFF link!

They arrived....and I'm delighted with them!

Let's face it business cards can be a little bit boring,

these cards are wonderful for showing off your work.

Someone even tried to buy one off me thinking they were for sale!

The box they come in doubles as a display stand too.

So easy to transport around.




The photos I added were of a mixture of both formal calligraphy

and contemporary Lettering Art



My cards, snippets of work and concertina books.....

Little vignettes of work and full pieces....

But the backs of the cards are all the same. I added both my Inspired by Script and my North Yorkshire Weddings websites,

facebook page, my Etsy Shop, and full contact details

And some I created with pictures just for my Wedding Stationery.

Here's the full collection. Definitely an attention grabber :o)

If you would like to get cards or stickers of your own,

visit the MOO Website where you will get

many more inspirational ideas!

Can I just say here....If you are needing some business cards, don't even think of going to Vista Print, their sales pitch stinks, their card is inferior and cheap and as for the 100 card for £5....maybe so, but they whack up the postage costs! If you want cheap cards make them yourself on the PC.....they will probably look better. There are plenty of templates on Publisher and the like.

IF HOWEVER you want your cards to represent your work

and make an impression of the care,

quality and preciousness of your work....

Go to MOO! You will be pleased with the outcome :o)

Can I just say, I made these cards before I started on the Motivational Doodle phase and I can't wait to order some more with my NEW work on!

Click this personal friend link and get 10% Discount!

Join Us On Facebook!

WOW! I've got 154 followers on my Facebook Page already!

To keep up to date with all the news, views and happenings at the Pixies Studio...Join us on http://facebook.com/InspiredByScript

And don't forget my other 2 blogs are:

http://inspiredbyscript.blogspot.com

and my Wedding Blog is at

http://northyorkshireweddings.blogspot.com

We look forward to seeing you there :o)

Create the perfect business name and tag line

Some business tag lines are just pure genius :o)

Of course this post title was designed as a bit of a giggle....but if you have arrived here because of your search on Google, and need serious advice about your business name and tag line.....take a look here:

Personalised Labels for Crafters - FREE P&P!

I'm posting this here from my Inspired by Script blog as I know there are many crafters who follow this blog.
Inspired by Script: Personalised Labels for Crafters - FREE P&P!: "It always surprises me how much effort crafters put into their products, but then send them out to the purchaser without so much as an Invoi..."

New Gallery Sign

Inspired by Script: New Gallery Sign: "Well, I just HAD to have a go at cutting Vinyl! Sometimes I am hard to find.... my address is 288a High Street....but I am actually on the ..."

Promotional Postcards for small businesses

Inspired by Script: Promotional Postcards for small businesses: "I love making promotional things for small businesses, Here;s some postcards for Steve Smith;s Jewellery . Simple and straight to the point..."

Goodbye is the hardest thing to say.....

Spring always gets my creative juices flowing and the ideas come think and fast. This year has been no different....but there have been many changes in my life.

Steve has moved in to both the house and the studio and being with a fellow creative has certainly spurred me on with things that have been on the back burner for quite some time. He helps drive and motivate me as I do him. Together we make a great team.

My once full of animals home is now down to just 2 cats after the sad and sudden loss of my lovely Garfield impersonating cat Simba, she was so missed by my remaining 2 that they went through depression and it's taken then some time to recover.

On a personal level, I have been devoting my time to my Wedding Website and Blog and building up portfolios containing my new designs to be installed in various shops and with Wedding Planners.....all good stuff.

I have also found a niche motivating and inspiring other creators, helping them along, giving advice and encouragement, something that I get great pleasure from and with their encouragement I have started a new blog called Makers and Shakers. (Connecting Creators together, profiling their work and offering advice, motivation and inspiration to those new on the path of selling their wares.)

The blog is at the moment still in it's infancy and I am writing a lot of articles off line ready for future publication. I've wanted to do this for quite some time and you can only hear the words 'You should write a book' so many times, before you take up the calling :o)

So....what I am saying here is that posting on this blog will be very infrequent as I build up my other blogs.....possibly I will ditch this one for good as it has served it's purpose.

You can keep up to date with my work at the studio by visiting and following Inspired by Script

and my Wedding Blog and website at North Yorkshire Weddings

You can also find me on Facebook: Inspired by Script on Facebook

I hope my followers will join me and many others on Makers and Shakers and we also have a Makers and Shakers Page on Facebook!

Oh.....and on the subject of Makers and Shakers, I know I have a large number of followers that are also Makers and Shakers.....so why not get some FREE publicity and share your knowledge and experiences with other by answering the call of Spotlight Sunday... it's painless and fun! Honest!

So for now....it's not goodbye......it's just I am otherwise engaged with pastures new. Change is good :o)

Calling All Letter-Lovers NEW BLOG!

Well, I've been busy, sorting out a new Blog, designed for Letter-Lovers of all kinds. It will feature Calligraphers, Lettering Artists, Sign Writers and Makers, Graphic Artists, Font Designers, Typographers, Stone Carvers, Glass Etchers.....In fact it will appeal to ALL who have a passion and love of Letters.

I will also use it as a useful resource for UK Calligraphers and Lettering Artists to promote groups and exhibitions, and hope you will link to this blog and let's get Lettering (and particularly Hand Lettering) back on the map.

Come over and have a look:

Just click on this link here

Don't forget to Follow and/or Subscribe

Inspired by Script - In the Top Blogs for Calligraphy!

YAY! Just a ruthless attempt at some self promotion here, The-Creative-Spirit, now Inspired by Script is ranked 17th of the top Calligraphy Networked Blogs! http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/top-10-worst-websites/

And once I get the hang of Blogging in this new programme and have a little less commission work... I'll be posting more frequently too.

Lots of interesting things to report. Waiting for Spring to come along and the weather to warm up. My first Grandchild's arrival in April.... or sooner if my predictive dreams are working right. Oh yes, this is going to be one busy year!

Just wanted to pop in, tell everyone I'm still breathing and share my good news with you all.

Well done Kelly, Cari and Bill for being the top 3!

Are You Following Your Bliss?

Most artists, writers and creative people share a common bond. A high proportion of creators people are spiritual and connect to something higher or outside of themselves. Some choose to call it deity, some call it their inner soul, others their sprit. Whatever or however you call it, is of no importance, natural creatives ‘know; and share that connection. I’ve pondered over this for a long time and tried to put my finger on how best to describe that ‘inner intuition’ to others. I’ve made a great many contacts, teachers, gurus and co-workers who have put their own slant on it. I’ve found that most of us, meditate, have a close connection with nature and a deep understanding of our ‘selves’ the inner aspects of our personalities that makes us both connect while staying truly unique and individual human beings.

As everyone who is a follower and reader of my blog will be aware, I follow the Turning of the Wheel, the celebration of the ever changing cycles and as the wheel turns so do we, not in a circle as you may think, but in a spiral. And with each turn we have learnt more, developed more and evolved more. Each year comes and goes and hopefully with reflection we can see not only where we have been, but where we are going.

I intend to write a series of articles to help other ‘Natural Creatives’ on their journey and avoid the pitfalls that I have undertaken during my 10 years in business. Feel free to comment, add to or ask questions.. I’ll answer them if I can and find out if I can’t. I’ll recommend books and sites that have been so helpful to me over the past few months. Lets share the journey together. Hopefully I’ll set up a forum sometime soon and we can all get together and network.

Although I celebrate the turning of the Wheel, I find this endless snow and cold tests my faith to the limits and is wearing a bit thin! But the advantage of that is I’ve been able to read more, learn more and understand more the rises and falls of being a Creative Entrepreneur and I’ve made a great many contacts along the way, who happily show and share their techniques and teachings with me and with their permission I in turn will share them with you. I will pull together all many of the beliefs that hold us back from making money from the thing we love to do most. My inspiration will be taken from the many books I have read over the years, from Self Awareness, Positive Thinking, Self Improvement, along with Marketing and Networking ideas and goals.

This is about following your bliss, being true to yourself and daring to dance the dream. Anyone up for this?

Etsy Featured Seller of the Week!

Once again I have the greatest of joy in sharing with you the following link Etsy Art and Design. And on THIS LINK I'm honoured to be featured as the Etsy Featured Seller of the Week!

the lady who runs this blog is also a fellow Calligrapher and Lettering Artist and this blog features many interesting crafts people who sell on Etsy.

What's Etsy I hear the UK blog readers say....well if you make Art and Craft special items this is a wonderful way to showcase and sell your work. It's relatively new to the Uk and very slow to catch on, so we all should really do as much as we can to spread the word.

Selling on Etsy is cheap (VERY cheap) compared to other forms of selling, your listing lasts for 3 months or until it is sold and best of all...you can get your very own shop ABSOLUTELY FREE!
there's a wonderful message board and creators of all kinds can get together and share their love of crafts and their hint, tips and techniques for selling online.

If you've been wanting to sell your work and wondering where to sell it or if you would like to purchase hand made quality items whether you are in the Uk or not......go to http://www.etsy.com/ Your place to buy and sell anything handmade!

Cindy the Etsy Art and Design Owner also has an etsy shop which you can find HERE and also has a few other blogs too, including Calligraphy Art and Design, Calligraphy Art and Design News and Collected Truths Quotations and Words of Wisdom
Thank you Cindy for choosing me as your Etsy Seller of the Week!

And one last thing to share with you tonight, my very special friend, who I see only once a year, has now got her own blog to promote, share and hopefully sell her wonderfully scented, absolutely natural, soaps, creams, bath bombs, herbs and ohhh all sorts of delicious goodies! Anyway, go over the her blog at The Old Pit Potions and give her a warm welcome and a bit of encouragement will you all???? Please?
Ok....for tonight,,,, thank's all folks.

etsy Treasury

Look who's been featured in the ETST Treasury...
CLICK HERE TO SEE!

Are You An Innerpreneur?

I'm not sure whether or not you have noticed this little picture on my side bar over the last couple of days? If you haven't visited the site yet I ask you to do it right now! Go HERE I almost guarantee you will LOVE what you see, identify with it fully and it will answer a lot of questions.

Well....hands up if you are an Innerpreneur!

And please join the message board on the site, it's very new and very quiet and could do with a bit of spicing up. I'm not going to give any more away...I will leave it to you here's the link again:

http://www.elasticmind.ca/innerpreneur/index.php/2008/06/06/are-you-an-innerpreneur/

Increase Your Ranking - How to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking on Google

I'm absolutely snowed under with work, extremely busy and spare time to blog is at a premium at the moment, so apologies for my lack or posting....and my rather weird postings when I do. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible I promise :o)

In the meanwhile I couldn't help pass on this link that you may find VERY useful How to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking on Google

Also with9in the site is a fantastic section on Blogging

There are many more interesting and useful article and the main URL is www.thesitewizard.com Please visit, it's full of valuable hints, tips and advice....and IT'S FREE!

All good stuff and a real must for all you bloggers and web builders out there

Making Affordable Art - Calligraphers, Letterers and Artists

I had to be brave and follow my heart when I gave up my teaching to dedicate my time to earning an income from my passion. It was time to move on. The system got ridiculously crazy with paper work and a need to justify every students learning and achievements. Then they wanted us to teach examination level…. No problem there, except many of y students had either a full time job or were retired and exams were the last things they wanted to do. I learnt the History of Lettering as part of my Diploma, but only because I had to, to pass, not because I had a particular interest in it. Anyway, I had set myself a year to see how it went….. And I’m still doing it, 10 years later!

Producing Calligraphy for sale is quite different to producing work for clients. To attract customers to buy your work, you have to think in a completely different way. Many people cannot afford or are unwilling to pay £80 - £100 and sometimes more for an individual framed piece of work. Wherever possible I have had to think of an alternative that would at least appeal to ‘anyone’ and within everyone’s budget range and at least give people the option of either a unique one off, or a print, which although not one off can also have a small added element of hand finishing that can make it unique. Last week I managed to squeeze in this idea for a print for a baby boy and today I’ve finished the one for a baby girl. The print is large, 28,7cm x 42cm, A3 and the main part is printed, but with a gap for the babies name, date of birth and weight to be added. The difference in cost to the customer is huge. The print will retail at £7.50 with an extra £2 for the mount. We’re looking here at about a 10th of the price. But I can sell 10 of these as opposed to one individual piece.
So my advice to any calligrapher out there who wants to earn an income from their work is to think of ways to market your work and think quantity. The advantage of producing prints is that they can be sold in frames in shops and in whatever quantities are required.

The photo below shows how something

produced and printed on demand,

can still have the personal touch

and at £7.50 each.... at a fraction of the cost of a one off.

Calligraphy as a Spiritual Based Art Form Cont....

I have decided to add these images which are to illustrate the last lost, as editing in Blogger is a real pain in the arrrr..... So I hope these make sense to anyone looking at them. They are all in some way connected to Spiritual Based Calligraphic Art, and my musings on why most Western Calligraphers don't connect the Spiritual Side of ourselves with our writing, when they are more likely to (even today) in the East. Mine is not to reason why....

Firstly: Zen Calligraphy

The Circle here representing The Whole,

Oneness, Sacredness due to it's simplicity.

I was fascinated by Islamic Manuscripts, Arabic,

and their intricate decoration and attention to detail.

The beauty of the stunning turquoise blue, dark blue and gold leaf

This is carried through to even their buildings

The analysing of these manuscripts and subsequent study of them, was certainly a great inspiration when I created this.

And what of Marriage Master...of course it's Kahlil Gibran!

Here you can see a variety of Gold and Silver leaf. As much of an experiment than anything else.

I used Silver, Aluminium, 23 1/2 carat Gold, White Gold Left and loose leaf, to see how they would react with time.

Silver tarnishes VERY quickly and really should not be used. White Gold however has developed into the most gorgeous tones of blues, reds and golds, the patina has varied over time and I love it!

Here's an amazing worksheet by Ann Hechle

on 'The Golden Section'.

And just look at the size of this and the amazing attention to detail!

Who I am Isn't What I do.... but it comes close!

Who Am I?Well, who I am isn’t the work I do…but it forms a very large part of me. I love my work and there’s not many who can say that in life. I can combine my spiritual beliefs with my creativity. I cannot draw or paint and even less so since I lost my centre vision and I’ve had to learn to adapt my work around my disability rather than my ability.

A lot of my work is small, pin money jobs and nothing that I can really get my teeth into and exercise my talents that took me years to perfect and that I worked so very hard at attaining. I loved doing really large pieces which didn’t have the constraints of size or clients briefs to follow.

This latest piece is for friends of ours that we are going to stay with. It is very special to them and on a personal level very special to me too. Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed doing it so much.

The background is Pastel, with spatters of paint. The lettering is Gouache and I’ve added silver foil and pen to emphasise the spirit of the moon.
The letters are ‘contemporary’ rather than traditional and the words are magical! And VERY powerful.
The size is approximately 21” x 27”

Title: Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente There are many variations to The Charge of the Goddess and it has been plagiarised any times. It is still uncertain ‘who’ the original writer is.The version I have written has been changed slightly from the version below. Whoever wrote it, whatever version…it’s still a powerful piece of writing.

Please feel free to email me with any questions/comments you may have.


Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brid, and by many other names.
Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all Witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstacy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the Earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the universe.I who am the beauty of the green Earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou shalt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Tips Dor New Bloggers

For bloggers old and new
check out Tips For New Bloggers

A dummies guide, tips, tricks, help for all new bloggers on Web templates, Blog templates, designs, widgets, layout, JavaScript, HTML codes, SEO, Google AdSense, gadgets, diagnostic tools, and how to monetize Blogger or Blogspot blogs.

New Wall Suspenders

Well....they cost me a packet....but I hope the pictures show....they've been worth every penny!
One of my greatest difficulties has been hanging pictures onto a false wall. I'm the first to admit I'm useless witha hammer and even more dangerous balancing on a chair, so the time came to invest some money ona track system which have nylon strings and adjustable hooks attached to them. The hooks slide easily up and down which means that I can hang work closer together and fit more on a wall. Added to this the whole thing looks far nearter and more professional! I think you'll agree?