A friend of mine recently alerted me to this new device called the Foil Quill*, a heat pen that allows you do draw freehand over foil as it transfers your designs onto paper. That is a like a dream come true for a paper lover like myself, so of course I had to have it! 

The pen comes packaged with a roll of foil and a USB cord that you can plug onto the wall with an adaptor. It's not a very long cord, but I'm sure you can also plug it into your computer. Once I plugged it in, I gave it a few minutes to warm up while I secured a piece of foil onto a sheet of card stock with washi tape and warmed up my hand doing a few lettering and doodle exercises on an extra sheet of paper. After 5 minutes or so, the pen was ready and I began to draw directly on the foil.

I drew slowly to ensure each stroke had enough heat to transfer. Once I was done, I used a variety of paper punches to cut out my individual designs which I will be using to make  gift tags and gift enclosures. 

As you can see, the edges turn out a little rough. It doesn't have the precision that a laser would have, but it's not quite as noticeable from farther away. Besides, I think the rough lines give it a little more of that hand made touch. 

If you'd like to give this pen a try, I've included my affiliate link below for your convenience. It's a pretty fun tool to add to your collection; it definitely gives you the opportunity to expand your creativity and add a special touch to your paper projects. 

Note: this is NOT a sponsored post. Just a paper lover sharing her latest finds. 

Just sharing a few lettering tips to help you get started with my new 2019 Calendar Template & Planner Set. The printable set includes three PDF files with:

• An 8.5x11, 12 month calendar
• A blank monthly template page with space for notes and doodles (of course)
• Daily/Weekly planner page that you can adapt to your routine by lettering different headers on them.

You can print as many as you need all year round and for years to come!

As an artist I always enjoy seeing other people’s creative process. If you’re like me, check out this postcard I drew for my sister’s new pup welcoming him into the family. It will be sent on behalf of my own dog, Paisley. ❤️

Below is the video I posted on Facebook sharing my creative process. Hope it inspires you to pick up a pen and draw. 

​They say necessity is the mother of invention and I couldn't agree more! This year, along with my Christmas gifts, I am including hot cocoa spoons with gifts to my family and friends AND I'm also offering them in some of my coffee mug gift sets. 

Since gluten and milk products trigger migraines and inflammation in my system, it is imperative that I read all food labels. This led me to create these cute little gift tags for others who are also gifting homemade hot cocoa mix or chocolate spoons. People with food allergies will forever be grateful that you took the time to include an ingredients list with your gift!

The card measures 2x2 inches, it features my original hand drawn artwork on the cover and the text on the back can be customized to include your list of ingredients, instructions and can be personalized with your name.

Now, as far as the chocolate spoons I made, I used @enjoylifefoods semi-sweet, diary-free, vegan and gluten-free chocolate chips to ensure EVERYONE can enjoy a cup of hot cocoa regardless of their dietary restrictions. I just melted the chocolate chips, poured them into each spoon, topped it with crushed peppermint candy, placed in the fridge to cool or a few minutes and wrapped them up to gift. 

Because I like to taste the chocolate in my hot cocoa, I use two spoons in 10 ounces of hot almond milk and add a dash a cinnamon. Yum! The chocolate spoons can also be used to sweeten your coffee and make a hot mocha. If you’re a chocolate lover, these treats will totally hit the spot!

By the way, I still have a few mug sets available with gluten-free cookies and these diary-free chocolate spoons.  Treat yourself or a loved one. You’ll love them! 😋

Late last summer I received a custom lettering request for a mug that read: "My future husband has and awesome future wife". At first, I felt like it seemed like a lot of text to go on a mug, but being the problem solver than I am, I pulled out my sketchbook and played aroudn with different ways to arrange the text so that it was both artsy and easy to read. 
The trick to making text easy to read is by creating focal points so that your eye is drawn to a few main words, allowing your brain to easily process the info and fill-in rest as if by instinct. As an artist, I couldn't help but to pat myself on the back after I completed this design. My customer LOVED it, and that made me love it  as well. 

Who is this mug for?
The person who ordered this mug is freshly out of a relationship and hopeful to find Mr. Right one day. But I feel it would also make a nice gift from a future groom to his fiancee and a great gift for a newly engaged friend. 

Gift Basket Idea
My daughter's school is having a silent acution to raise funds for for their music program. I created a couple of gift baskets to donate, including this one with a date night theme, featuring my "awesome future wife" mug. The basket includes: a pink clutch purse, beaded pearl necklace, champage, tea light candles and candle holders, champagne, Modern Muse shower gel by Estee Lauder, and of course, my hand lettered mug. Hoping it raises lots of funds for those little noise makers! Uh...I mean,..mucisians. Heehee. 

Where to find this mug
You can find this and other mugs in my collection at HandLetteredMugs.com.

Lettering Tips and Inspiration
Join the Lettering Bootcamp mailing list to receive lettering tips and design inspiration directly to your inbox.