9 May 08

Mimsy

Spencerian + Italic +Whimsy

It’s wedding invitation season, a process that can make you go a little crazy. I’ve been addressing envelopes in Spencerian, a nineteenth-century American outgrowth of Copperplate.

Today at the Whole Earth Festival I heard, and heeded, the siren call of a beautiful hand-turned cherry pen holder. (Dale will laugh when he reads this, because he’s seen this look in my eyes before.)

Italic nib, good paper, contaminated with Spencerian crazyness: I give you

Mimsy

Below is the first stanza of a poem I wrote for my niece back when she was about three or four five or six and had just been to Florida (I illustrated it and made an accordion-fold book for her, and was pleased to find out this afternoon she not only still has it, but knew exactly where it was and was able to read me stanzas two and three).

Poly

Mimsy. There you have it.

In case you want the second and third stanzas, such as they are:

Said Poly to young Tesla:
“Now mark me well, and harken
My bath I cannot leave to play
On meadow, beach, or wold.”

Said Tesla, “Poly, I’ll come in!
And play till sun goes down.”
Said Poly, “Roll and swim with me—
My bath is never cold.”

Posted by at 04:27 PM in Design Arts | Link |
  1. :-> I have indeed, and can picture it clearly.

    what a lovely poem. lovely calligraphy, lovely gift!


    dale    9. May 2008, 16:57    Link
  2. Oh, beautiful!

    And the festival sounds like fun… maybe I’ll stop by on my to or back from Lake Natoma tomorrow…


    maria    10. May 2008, 18:55    Link
  3. Love this, and the calligraphy is gorgeous! You do wedding invitations!?


    marja-leena    14. May 2008, 17:23    Link

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