Slow Progress, but the plans are coming together!

Things are moving much slower than we expected, probably because it is difficult working full time and still having the energy to work late every evening and all week ends. We have had a very good run of dry weather recently though, which has enabled us to make a good start out doors with hard landscaping. Progress made on the exterior includes all of the windows now changed and we have new front doors. We have changed the entrance from one single very wide and large front door into two slimmer doors. It looks good and quite fitting, like it was always meant to be this way. We carried that change on into the hall and made the vestibule entrance door also into a pair of slimmer doors. We started on the front entrance steps, taking off three layers of tiles! Shocking they were, including the top layer being indoor bathroom tiles! Finally reaching the original stone steps underneath, but think they would look much smarter with new bull nose capping. We’ve passed a cutting pattern for all the steps to a local stone mason to create these caps in local sandstone, waiting to see what he suggests. Meanwhile indoors we are fighting with years and years of paint, the only way to get through the layers on the woodwork is either hot gun stripping or scrapping. It a very dirty job, requires all windows and doors wide as the fumes are horrible. Planning permission shouldn't be too far away now, plans are drafted and a pre-meeting has been held with the local planning authority to discuss the adventure!

A rather difficult old fire place proved messy to remove. The main body of it was baby brick, but the back of it was filled solid with brick and cement, this made it very difficult to get out. It wasn't long before the hand tools were abandoned and the big boy toys came out. We had to use the large electric breaker to get it out. Clearly one reason being the use of old tradition Whitehaven brick, made locally for many years 1800 - 1900's and renowned for it's strength!

A great shame the original Georgian fireplaces have all been removed.

Things are changing...

New Location for Lakeland Calligraphy!

Can't believe it's been 12 months, it's been a busy old year, but now there is lots of change about to happen.! All exciting stuff. Lakeland Calligraphy is moving, new home, new adventures.
Moving from the coast to the edge of the Lake District National Park. A beautiful venue for all things Arty. I will be running Calligraphy courses and Art courses from this beautiful lakes home. But the best of all, they will be residential!! Not just B&B but beautiful Boutique accommodation. Should you choose to enjoy the lakes while you're here we will be only 4 miles from Loweswater and 6 from Ennerdale.
It won't be over night though, it will be a major renovation project, I have decided to blog the adventure right here. You can follow the progress and watch it all unfold before your eyes. First six months will no doubt be hard and messy pulling the place apart, then the fun bit decorating and bringing to fruition all the fabulous design inside my head! Here we go......wish us luck!!

Yesterday was a beautiful day, one of the first that would encourage you to venture outside. We are all desperately waiting for our summer to kick in and temperatures to lift. I took advantage and sat in the garden to do a little practice.
I used the chance to have a play with some new pens, looking at some portable options for Calligraphy, when dragging bags of equipment, bottles of ink, dip pens etc might be inconvenient. I had a few nib sizes of the Pilot Parallel pens and a Manuscript cartridge pen set.

I have to say all lovely, but (there's always a but, isn't there!) The pilot pens are good, I tested 4 of the nib sizes and I would say I think more suitable for bolder large scale work. I personally feel the ink flows too fast, in fact floods on the smaller nib size.  The manuscript Pen set came with three nib sizes and I did enjoy a more traditional nib, it gave far greater control of the ink flow and there for more accurate for smaller script sizes and a comfortable balanced pen for prolonged use. Both of course equally portable being cartridge ink.

A simple board tilted from the garden table was just perfect to sit and scribble in the sun.

Had a play the new pens in between cool drinks a relax under my hat, I'm not someone in search of a tan!

Easy to get distracted by the number of feathered visitors I get, some quite tame now as they are used to me and come over to feed very close.

I made a note of the pen type and nib sizes to the left here, all worth a try, but my preference was definitely the manuscript cartridge pen for smaller script size. www.calligraphy.co.uk for manuscript pens.

Stationery show 2015

Exciting times, enjoyed a trip to London for the Stationary show 2015, great venue in the British Design Center, Islington. Been there many time to various events. The show was great, enjoyed viewing many new product launches. Great to meet the lovely people from Manuscript Pen co. the ultimate Calligraphy company people! Also enjoyed a chat with the William Mitchell nib manufacturers.

So chuffed to see the expanded selection from Manuscript and from their new catalogue just how much is now available in Left Oblique!! Even fibre tip Very encouraging!

Wonderful visit to Kew Gardens while down there, this has given me lots of inspiration for some new ideas, variation on a theme to do a whole set Botanical illustrated , Calligraphy Quotes. Will definitely be working with the National Handwriting Association too, lets see if we can make a difference to the level of writing skills given to youngsters these days. At the moment it's shocking how bad it is!