Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches this weekend, but what’s it all about? The romantic celebration recognised today in many countries around the world started life as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14,…

It appears I have another excuse to visit Durham – and a library! Not content with a forthcoming shopping trip and a business-related event, I’ve just heard about an exhibition of rare books from Durham Cathedral Library’s collections. A special show-and-tell session, for National Libraries Day, will showcase Bibles and other books printed between 1500…

There’s something really romantic about Copperplate script. It’s such a swirly, twirly, beautiful style of calligraphy – and so different from the rest. It is written using a sharp, pointed nib, instead of the flat nib used in most calligraphic writing. It also differs from that produced by angled nibs in that the thickness of…

AT what age do we stop dreaming? I really struggled to think of 30 things I dreamed of doing in a recent exercise. Now this either means I’m pretty happy with my lot in life, or I’m too busy running a business and looking after my family and home to stop and think about such…

I LOVE finding calligraphy in unusual places. And there are few places more unusual than the side of an old school science block in the middle of a housing estate. A giant glow-in-the-dark image, based on the Lewis Carroll Book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, now adorns the side of the building at Chuter Ede Community…

Happy New Year! Have you made any resolutions or set any goals for the next 12 months? This time last year, with redundancy looming, I resolved to start my own business. After working for almost 13 years as a journalist, I wasn’t quite ready to leave the rat race altogether, despite the ‘allure’ of being…

A FEW weeks ago, I wrote a blog about wedding fairs. I’ve got two lined up for 2015, but I’ve also found a more permanent home. I’ve joined the team of exhibitors at the Just Perfect Wedding & Events Gallery, which showcases everything a bride could need under one roof five days a week. Leanne Conway-Wilcox,…

I’VE become a little bit obsessed with making books since joining my calligraphy class. It’s just one of the skills I’ve learned under the direction of Susan Moor, an amazing calligrapher and chairwoman of the Northumbrian Scribes. As well as familiarising myself with Japanese stab stitch and other forms of book binding, I’ve learned a…

SINCE setting up Creative Calligraphy, I have become much more aware of small businesses. I get excited when I see someone setting up shop, and feel sad when I hear about a business folding. I’ve always felt this way, but now I have a better idea of what’s going on behind the scenes! Small Business…

WHEN I was writing my business plan earlier this year, I knew wedding fairs would play a big part in getting the word out about my new calligraphy service. What I didn’t know, was just how many there would be to choose from! I could have been exhibiting pretty much every weekend, from the launch…