tart workshop

endearments

2012-01-26T15:49:00.004-06:00

Seeking something sweet for your sweetheart? Brevity just released a new line of ready-to-wear necklaces in my lettering just in time for Valentine's Day. The series includes: Love, Honey, Babe & Sweetheart. I love 'em all. : )

beatrice and dylan

2012-01-23T21:28:00.000-06:00

notebook sketching

2012-01-05T12:45:00.002-06:00

wishing you & yours a merry little christmas

2011-12-21T19:54:00.000-06:00

sharing happiness

2011-12-12T19:39:00.003-06:00

Delighted to spot Bookeyed Suzanne merrily placed on Panera Bread's holiday materials.

like snowflakes...

2011-10-27T14:50:00.005-05:00

I'm absolutely delighted to share a few images of my collaboration with jewelry designer Anna Corpron of Brevity. Every necklace is custom lettered per request, each is a unique design just as each of us is a unique person.

prettiness

2011-10-23T14:26:00.003-05:00

A fresh new watercolor illustration commission. Thanks Darcy!

covergirl nelly

2011-10-13T12:34:00.002-05:00

Nelly Flourish gracefully titles the cover of this New York Times bestseller "Maine" by J.Courtney Sullivan, published by Random House. : )

victorian vampire gallery

2011-10-12T10:26:00.000-05:00

In celebration of All Hallow's Eve....a victorian vampire toss pattern inspired by my daughter's gothic inclinations, influenced by edward gorey, lemony snickett and print & pattern instructor Lindsey Nohl.

the happy envelope

2011-09-29T10:43:00.006-05:00

Discovered this charming letterpressed invitation combining multiple typefaces including Nelly Script Flourish, designed by The Happy Envelope in Knoxville, Tennesse. Oh so happy!

new york love story

2011-09-20T12:42:00.002-05:00

A New York love story designed with a combination of handdrawn elements and Tart Workshop fonts; bookeyed suzanne, carrotflower & carrotflower icons. Best Wishes to Elaina & Jared!

Marvelous

2011-08-17T16:24:00.005-05:00

Marvel Bar is now open in Minneapolis with a sweet logo!

open me

2011-08-02T23:16:00.008-05:00

Congratulations to Amanda & David! I'm delighted to share their beautiful letterpressed invitations which recently went out in the mail. The gorgeous design incorporated Nelly Script with custom calligraphy accents.

she's a lulu!

2011-07-22T11:15:00.006-05:00

Charmed to share these smart logo design samples for a new boudoir photography biz. Look forward to posting the gorgeous final design & materials.

welcome to the twin cities

2011-06-28T10:01:00.002-05:00

In print now, July 2011 Mpls|St.Paul magazine newcomer's guide.

to market, to market.....home again, home again, jiggely jog

2011-06-09T11:54:00.002-05:00

Minneapolis + St. Paul area farmers' market map for Mpls|St.Paul magazine's May issue.

go suzi

2011-05-20T09:54:00.002-05:00

Bookeyed Suzanne is rising up the MyFonts Hot New Font list! Go Suzi!

graphic + glitz

2011-05-10T16:24:00.004-05:00

This glitterly wedding shoot including my lettering features the work of Amy Hardy of Design 8 Days, inspired by a glamorous Graphic & Glitz inspiration board and styled by Maddy Hague of the Inspired Bride, with an fabulous team that also included Shauna Younge, and Paper Antler. It's currently making the hip design blog rounds, you can enjoy the entire spread at PaperCrave. and 100 Layer Cake.

free treats: fancy pinkalicious labels

2011-05-05T17:40:00.011-05:00

I'm happy to share new FREE treats at Tart Workshop: downloadable fancy pinkalicious labels handpainted in satiny watercolor shown above with Bookeyed Jack + Suzanne, Henparty Serif and Carrotflower fonts. think pink! : )
note: the designs are for personal use only.

sneak peek : jack & suzanne

2011-04-03T13:16:00.006-05:00

Soon to be released: Bookeyed Jack and his stylish cousin Suzanne. Carefully handdrawn with an old school pointed pen in walnut ink they include smart titles & accents.

paris je t'aime

2011-03-08T09:23:00.010-06:00

I'm delighted to share the latest issue of Nonpareil Magazine (#8). It's incredibly gorgeous, as usual, with a delightful Dior inspired spread by Maribeth Romslo of Red Ribbon Studio which is accentuated by my calligraphy. The Parisian backdrop was painted on site, referencing vintage perfume ads brush in hand.
btw: Headline set in Nelly Script Flourish!

merci

2011-03-02T17:14:00.006-06:00

New York bride Megan Noh (for whom I custom lettered the letterpressed announcement above), just dropped me a line to share her wedding feature at Merci. It's gorgeous, navy blue, sophisticated, lively & fresh. Thanks Megan!

belated valentines

2011-03-01T04:30:00.001-06:00

Love this valentine by The Knotty Bride employing Nelly Script Flourish....so sweet! Now where can I get that hat?

a little birdie told me

2011-02-18T13:54:00.006-06:00

A friend recently let me know about The Artful Bird by Abigail Patner Glassenberg, a charming new craft book which to my delight uses Henparty throughout. The projects look darling & hey, what a great typeface. Definitely check it out! Thanks Hilary!
ps. one of the artists included in the book is Ann Wood. Ann's quirky birds & my quirky calligraphy are currently partnered together in the Enchanted Evening gift collection by Demdaco

happy girls are pretty girls

2010-12-02T11:59:00.004-06:00

Darcy at Pretty Girl Designs is giving away a beautiful & oh so useful custom rubberstamp (lettered my moi) to one lucky winner. Check it out and post what you think makes a "pretty girl"

give a little glitter

2010-11-23T12:44:00.004-06:00

Much to my delight, the new Pottery Barn catalog is filled with Nelly Script. They even offer glittery shimmery Nelly ornaments.

nelly loves babies

2010-11-11T15:35:00.007-06:00

I enjoy receiving good mail, and so was happy to find this project sent by Alonzo Felix in my box. It's a beautiful baby announcement with a dab of Nelly mingled within handwork & design by Alonzo. Madison is a lucky girl! Thanks!

....life is a dream

2010-11-04T15:15:00.004-05:00

Nelly Script was spotted on the boat in this charming Anthropologie catalog spread. See the complete catalog online at Anthropologie.com

smocked

2010-11-01T11:30:00.004-05:00

Designed by Byrd+Bleeker, letterpress printing by Smock, this richly patterned invitation set featured custom handlettering by moi. See more on Smock's blog.

carrotflower holiday ornament tags

2010-10-16T14:19:00.008-05:00

I was delighted to collaborate with Kristen of Twin Ravens Press to create these sweet letterpress tags featuring Carrotflower holiday icons. Currently available at Etsy (only $5 a set of 6), contact Twin Ravens Press directly for wholesale orders. Perfect for your packages ("to" & "from" letterpressed on the other side) or decorating your the tree. The 2.75" die cut ornaments are printed by hand on stiff 2 ply museum board with 4 hand-mixed ink colors, natural hemp twine, packaged in 100% biodegradeable corn cello bags. Enjoy!

carrotflower joy

2010-10-06T09:48:00.007-05:00

Jamie Schultz Designs has released a new line of charming photocard templates implementing our versatile carrotflower stationery kit complemented with a handful of custom drawn illustrations. Check 'em out!

nelly spotting

2010-09-17T10:48:00.005-05:00

The art director of Australia's stylish Wedding Style Guide Magazine recently shared their Spring 2010 cover with me which is enhanced with a dab of Nelly Script Flourish. Thanks Jane! For fun ideas & inspiration check out their site: http://styleguide.com.au/

life is such....

2010-09-17T10:42:00.004-05:00

handcalligraphed title

henparty spotting

2010-09-01T14:06:00.002-05:00

I'm always delighted to come across my fonts in use. I spotted this children's book sporting Henparty Sans while at our local library yesterday.

it's a beautiful tart world

2010-08-26T11:16:00.004-05:00

san antonio rose - tulsa queen

2010-08-11T15:46:00.002-05:00

A snippet of a watercolor map I created earlier this year for the lovely Cristiana Jacobs of Umami Paper featuring San Antonio & Tulsa landmarks.

from sketch to reality

2010-07-27T14:32:00.006-05:00

If you've traveled through the MSP, JFK and more recently MKE airports you may have grabbed a bite at French Meadow Bakery. (if you haven't I highly suggest you do, Lynn Gordon's food is both equally good for the body & appetite, hands down the best airport food) I was commissioned by Lynn to create a series of signage to bring the spirit of the original French Meadow Bakery into airport locales. Shown above are a set of proposed sketches and one of the actual signs in place onsite.

it's the time of the season...

2010-07-23T18:59:00.003-05:00

Shopping for essentials on PaperSource today I came across this stamp design, lettered by moi. hmm....I may have to take mine out of the box and put it use again, it would be great stamped as a pattern on a package.

address to impress

2010-07-20T13:57:00.004-05:00

Handmixed charcoal metallic (or silver depending on how you look at it) ink on Smock bamboo envelopes. The texture is luscious.

meet your monster

2010-07-20T13:54:00.004-05:00

nonpareil

2010-07-02T13:23:00.005-05:00

Here's snippet from the latest absolutely lovely Nonpareil magazine issue, featuring looks inspired by films. My lettering & darling monograms font were incorporated into "Fit for a Queen" spread, designed by Maddy Hague of Inspired Bride & Bethany Hway of B*Spoke blog.

marvelous minneapolis

2010-06-17T15:33:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Patricia & Jon! Above is a shot of their classic handcalligraphed invitations including a marvelous Minneapolis map, letterpressed by locally by Lunalux.

barocca on the rise.....

2010-04-29T12:37:00.002-05:00

I'm delighted to share. . . .Barocca is rising the MyFonts hot new fonts list! Woo HOO!

white on blue

2010-04-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

barocca monograms is available!

2010-04-22T22:30:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Barocca is now available at MyFonts.com & FontBros.com!

sneak peek: barocca monograms

2010-04-08T20:38:00.003-05:00

Dramatic, romantic, impulsive, sensual Barocca is eager to make her debut!

charmingly chewy

2010-04-07T14:18:00.003-05:00

Darcy of Pretty Girl recently sent this font spotting to me. It's a great use of Henparty Serif. Looks like I'll need to make a Trader Joe's run soon. mmmm....cookies. Thanks Darcy!

to flourish or not to flourish

2010-03-29T15:15:00.005-05:00

Above is a recent commission I completed of a poem by Pablo Neruda. In creating the piece I experimented with lightly flourished and heavily flourished scripts. Both are lovely.

nelly is at veer

2010-03-23T12:33:00.005-05:00

The Nellies are now available at Veer in addition to MyFonts FontBros.

free treat : happy spring labels

2010-03-18T17:54:00.016-05:00

In celebration of warm days and the promise of more to come, I'm pleased to share new happy spring address labels at tartworkshop.com (under free treats & ideas). Dress up or down with the font of your choice. Enjoy!
( note: label designs are for personal use only ) © tartworkshop 2010

paperlush

2010-03-03T11:13:00.008-06:00

Betsey Sook the talented artist/designer behind Paperlush of Denmark recently sent me these images of her new handlettered logo (designed by moi). I love the name "paperlush" , her designs and her blog. It's a delight to see the logo so perfectly in use. Thanks Betsey!

frame your nellys

2010-02-28T21:10:00.007-06:00

Nelly Frames have arrived. These handdrawn typable frames are perfect for added emphasis your art or words. With the ability to combine them into endless combinations, they are wonderful for logos, invitation designs, titles & headings as well as creating borders and surface patterns. Be an early bird and catch them at FontBros. To be released at Myfonts at a later date.

poundstone

2010-02-22T10:28:00.005-06:00

Another great Nelly spotting.....this one in Men's Journal. Designed by the always amazing Jessica Hische.

learn to address the Perfect Envelope

2010-02-18T15:56:00.006-06:00

I'll be instructing a class this Spring at PaperSource Minneapolis on envelope addressing geared towards brides but you don't have to be one to join us. More info to follow. . .

it couldn't have happened anywhere, but in old new york . . .

2010-02-15T12:00:00.008-06:00

Best Wishes to Erica & Noah on their upcoming wedding! The New York map design will be letterpressed printed along with their invitations by the meticulous hands at Twin Ravens Press. Look forward to seeing photographs of the printed version to come.

love & kisses

2010-02-12T15:17:00.004-06:00

Here's to a sweet weekend with much love! ~c

in the pines

2010-02-09T08:13:00.005-06:00

Just stubbled upon Songbird Creative, a wedding design studio, which has a wonderful photos & instructions on how to create beautiful placecards with pinecones. Nelly Script is a perfect match for the project.

you float my boat

2010-01-28T15:07:00.006-06:00

Aren't these cute! Valentines with carrotflowers by Swatchbook Weddings. Couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of them. Thanks Angela!

sharp dressed man

2010-01-16T10:39:00.006-06:00

Mr. Man above was created for Mpls|St.Paul Magazine to show off Men's Spring wedding fashions. To know him is to love him.....

what type are you?

2010-01-16T10:23:00.005-06:00

This site by the design firm Pentagram will help you determine what "type" you are. Check it out dear fontaphiles!
Password: Character

rising star

2010-01-14T10:13:00.002-06:00

Carrotflower font is climbing up MyFont's rising star & hot new fonts lists. Check him out along with his pictorial kin. Need I mention they are super cute for valentines?

committed

2010-01-13T17:31:00.005-06:00

I've been spotting this book by Elizabeth Gilbert sporting a Nelly Script Flourish title everywhere lately, online, instores, morning shows, Oprah . . .

dressmaker, dressmaker

2010-01-07T09:50:00.008-06:00

Dressmaker, Dressmaker make a dress....this two page illustration was commissioned by Mpls|St.Paul magazine to show off a collection of gorgeous bridesmaid dresses as if they were in a designer's atelier. In print now.

nelly spotting

2010-01-03T10:18:00.004-06:00

Recently this invitation design (designed by Parrot Design Studio) featuring Nelly Script was shown on the magnificent blog Oh So Beautiful Paper. Love it!

free treat: gift tags

2009-12-14T13:38:00.009-06:00

New at Tart Workshop, free downloadable gift tag designs in celadon and royal blue. Print onto to cardstock for tags or stickbacky for labels. The designs were created exclusively with Carrotflower font & icons.

sweets

2009-12-12T22:53:00.002-06:00

mmmm....these arrived in my email box recently. Thanks Annie! Your wedding looked wonderful.

carrotflower at myfonts!

2009-12-08T15:38:00.006-06:00

After much anticipation, Carrotflower is now available at MyFonts too!

henparty cover girl

2009-12-01T17:37:00.007-06:00

Thanks to an article by Alison Morris on Publisher's Weekly blog, I found out about these new books sporting Henparty Sans titles. Both books pictured above, are available June 2010. With 2 young girls in tow, Sunshine Picklelime is on my list. Thanks Alison!

merry camping

2009-11-28T18:03:00.000-06:00

A friend spotted this use of my Merry Christmas stamp in Target's Holiday catalog featuring swiss army knifes. Indeed it is a gift to survive the holidays. Thanks Darcy!

Refreshed w/new treats!

2009-11-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

I'm in the process of updating my sites. Click over and test it out. www.tartworkshop.com

carrotflower stationery kit

2009-11-13T14:23:00.006-06:00

Carrotflower is not only a font, not only icons, it's a ready made stationery kit. Simple enough for diy brides and flexible enough for creative designers. Above is a sample invitation designed with Carrotflower embellished with custom handlettered couple's names.

magnificent marblehead

2009-11-13T14:00:00.000-06:00

This map design is freshly inked and on it's way to it's owners. Hope you enjoy!

psst. . . more carrotflower

2009-11-04T17:32:00.001-06:00

another peek at some of carrotflower's icons . . . more to follow

sneak peek: carrotflower

2009-10-28T09:29:00.005-05:00

Carrotflower is eager to meet the world. The family will include a beautifully simple handwritten typeface and collections of wonderful icons which are designed to work together to create easily tailored stationery systems. So far, I'm lovin' Carrotflower and am enjoying testing him out in many applications, (not just invitations & announcements) . The more I work with him the more I like him. . . Surface patterns, Gift tags, teacher's gifts. . . . hope you will love Carrotflower as much as me.

rock the kasbah I

2009-10-23T15:48:00.006-05:00

The impeccable designer Libby Pettit of Byrd+Bleeker in Fort Worth contacted me this summer to commission some handlettered details for her New Years Eve wedding in Morocco. How could I resist?! Above are a few details, I'm especially fond of the monogram embroidered napkins. What a stylish & practical idea. Thanks Libby! Love it! ( more to follow. . . .)

projects past

2009-10-21T13:34:00.003-05:00

Searching through my files I found this ghost of the past, a design unused but still lovely.

divine objects

2009-10-19T18:18:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was a popular date for weddings, both with my family and clients. One of these fresh newlyweds I've had the pleasure of working with is Rachel Dunagan, a graphic designer, southern bride and keeper of the blog B9 objects. Above are a couple of shots of her delightfully stuffed wedding package (yes, it included all the treasures shown). Congratulations Rachel & Philip!

work in progress...

2009-09-25T11:13:00.004-05:00

Currently, I'm working on a couple handlettered logo projects for small bizes. Above is a sample of one of the proofs during the process. I enjoy the energy of the script in this sample. It was inspired by the lettering work found in mid 20th century fashion advertising, which I adore.

somewhere over the rainbow...

2009-09-09T17:16:00.001-05:00

handlettered with sky blue gouache on indigo

rustic ideas for weddings...

2009-08-26T10:16:00.003-05:00

Congratulations Lauren & Ryan! I love this idea of displaying seating/placecards on logs. It's perfect for a rustic wedding, especially this one, which was held under blue skies on a Colorado mountaintop. The different color cards communicate the guest's menu choice. Thanks Lauren! (photo by INphotography)

letter of the stars

2009-08-13T13:41:00.003-05:00

In opening my August MyFonts Rising Stars newsletter today, I was delighted to see the Nellies included. Thanks for the marvelous write up!

fox in the archive house

2009-08-13T13:00:00.004-05:00

Fresh from the archives . . .
Fox and Goose. I am cleaning
my studio today and came
across this watercolor created for
the Walker Art Center's Saturday
program a couple years ago.
A series of illustrations were
projected while a live group
performed folk songs.
This one was obviously for
the song, The Fox and the Goose.

bestsellers

2009-08-12T20:44:00.003-05:00

Hooray Nelly! Nelly Script & Nelly Script Flourish have solidly moved onto MyFonts ' bestsellers list. Thanks font lovers! : )

handcrafted maps

2009-08-10T11:30:00.001-05:00

Watercolored letterpressed maps are so lovely, combining two of my favorite techniques. The above maps were letterpressed by Twin Ravens Press onto Arches coldpress then sent back to me to be painted. The additional texture adds so much. Although one's hand longs to feel the textures (please never touch original art with bare fingers), these will be framed as a triptych by the bride & groom for display. See the matching invitation set & story below.

cupcake

2009-08-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

What is better than an outdoor party with sweet cupcakes?

julie & matt's celebration

2009-08-05T20:38:00.004-05:00

Congrats Julie & Matt! Above is a shot of their wedding celebration invitation (their save the date was posted earlier, scroll down). A fun outdoor event, I sought to create a design which feels special but not uptight. Handlettering by me, letterpressed onto Crane's lettra.

craftsman eco couture

2009-08-03T15:03:00.007-05:00

see below . . .

craftsman eco couture (creation)

2009-07-24T15:07:00.010-05:00

Kristin of Twin Ravens Press in Oregon recently sent me these photos of an amazing work in progress for an amazing couple, Allison & Ryan. Eco Couture is really the best way to describe it, as it was custom designed for them, using eco-friendly materials and created by hand from beginning to end. The invitation, designed & letterpressed printed by Kristin using a 1916 Chandler Price platen press, onto handmade plantable wildflower seed paper by Porridge Paper, is handbound into booklets. The lettering used is a combination of handcalligraphy and the Silverstein font, contributing further to the handmade nature of the design. I also was delighted to be commissioned for a map of oregon, portland & the ceremony site which is being included in the booklet. See more at Twin Raven Presses' blog & etsy shop. Thanks Allison & Ryan!

more about this project to follow . . .

top 10

2009-07-21T12:00:00.006-05:00

Hooray! The Nellies have both reached top 10 status on Myfonts "hot new fonts" list. (currently #3 + #7 )

revamped

2009-07-20T23:32:00.002-05:00

My portfolio site crystalkluge.com has just been relaunched with a few alterations & additions. Please test it out and let me know how well it's working.

crafty ideas

2009-07-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

In the development phase of the Nellies, I experimented with different ideas & applications of the typeface. This is one of my favorites, glittery numbers & letters. Great for a wedding or simply room decoration (my six year old adores her sparkling pink A). Simply print out onto cardstock, cut, glue (or spraymount if you can) & glitter!

be a dapper gent

2009-07-13T14:34:00.005-05:00

Just in case you were wondering, above is a handy little diagram on how to tie a real bow tie. The brush & ink illustration is in MSP Weddings magazine on newsstands now.

free treat : nelly cootie catcher

2009-07-02T19:08:00.007-05:00

I almost forgot to mention, the latest free treat at tartworkshop, printable cootie catchers complete with instructions. Designed with Nelly Script, try them out!

the nellys at myfonts

2009-07-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

Nelly Script & Nelly Script Flourish are now available at MyFonts!

"intellectable"

2009-06-29T19:32:00.014-05:00

This past week I attended the International Calligraphy Conference held at St. John's University (home to the incredible Saint John's Bible by Donald Jackson and his team of scribes). I was humbled to be surrounded by so many skilled, experienced calligraphers including my instructor in brush lettering, Marilyn Reaves. She is a marvelous teacher. Thanks Marilyn!
The above image is from the final activity of the class, flat brush on canvas.
The original, today proudly hangs on the walls of the Walker Art Center (to be specific, on the wall, of an office, in the Walker Art Center)

nelly has left the nest!

2009-06-18T20:53:00.005-05:00

Nelly Script & Nelly Script Flourish have finally left the nest. Be an early bird and pick them up now at FontBros.com. (later to be released MyFonts as well). They are available as a set or individually. Please check out www.tartworkshop.com to see more (psst . . new free treat too). Love to hear what you think!

henparty, henparty

2009-06-18T14:56:00.016-05:00

While at Surtex, I stumbled across the delightful booth of Michelle Rimpf. I love the use of Henparty in her designs. Above are a few samples. Her work was recently featured on the blog Print & Pattern. Thanks Michelle!

S is for...

2009-06-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

The lovely Tova Glenn of Brighten my Day in Atlanta, send me a care package filled with goodies she created using my fonts. The above shot is a letterpress social note she created for the parents of twin girls, Sadie & Sophie. (names which I adore) The S duet monogram is created from Darling Monograms. So perfect!

our path begins here. . .

2009-06-15T10:44:00.002-05:00

Another great Save the Date. This one announcing an Autumn wedding in beautiful Charleston. Congratulations Leah & Daran! I'm so excited for you.

save the date update

2009-06-12T10:41:00.003-05:00

Doesn't letterpress rock? I posted the above design (before printing) a few weeks ago, here is the printed version - oh so delicious. Thanks Julie!