Well, I appear to have survived my first summer as a self-employed mum-of-two, although my purse is starting to feel the pinch! It’s the first time since my second bout of maternity leave in 2012 that I haven’t had to work (in the traditional sense at least) during the six-week school holidays. I have, however,…

I’ve had a great time this summer introducing people to the ancient art of calligraphy. I’ve been holding taster sessions at Bede’s World in Jarrow, where I was also given a chance to talk a little about myself and my business at one of their summer salons. For those of you who don’t know, a…

Setting up a new business in the ever-expanding wedding industry has certainly been an eye-opener. There seems to be a lot more on the market now than there was when I was planning my wedding almost seven years ago – and even since my sister was planning hers in 2010. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have…

THIS week I was proud to support a charity event for three very special little boys. Technically, I was a sponsor, having created a seating plan for the Hat-trick! dinner free-of-charge. But all I did was offer to help a former newsroom colleague, who did a tremendous job of pulling the whole thing together single-handedly. I also had a…

I love finding calligraphy in unusual places. Since setting up Creative Calligraphy, I’ve definitely found myself taking more notice of writing styles on anything and everything, from billboards to tattoos! Fortunately, the museums and other visitor attractions of the north east have provided a wealth of calligraphy examples to delight and inspire me. During a visit to…

What have the Romans ever given us? It’s an oft-quoted line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian that provokes quite a list of benefits, from medicine and education to wine and public baths. They also gave us the Latin alphabet – and western calligraphy is instantly recognisable by the use of Latin script. The Latin…