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I love to do calligraphy as well (by the way, I had to take the pictures off Flickr, sth to do with my limit, but if you like you can see them and the doggies in my Webshots Gallery -- address in my signature -- under Other Crafts) and gilding is one of my favourite techniques to jazz projects up a little. Not only does it look beautiful, but I find it such an amazing thought that, allowing for a few changes, I am doing exactly the same thing as all those monks did in scriptoria all around Europe more than a thousand years ago.

The official guides or handbooks will tell you to use a very complicated gesso mixture to stick the gold leaf (which is very very thin) to the paper/vellum/whatever-you're-using, but actually, if you're not too worried about your work reaching the next millennium, white pvc hobby glue works just as well . In fact I made a gilded bookmark with a summer camp class of 10 to 12-year-olds once -- they loved it, though the specialness of it was slightly marred by the fact that none of the parents believed the children when they told them the little cross on their bookmark was real gold (you can just imagine the conversations, can't you? 'Look Mum, I made this and it's real gold!' 'Of course it is darling, of course it is.' )

Anyway, here are some close-ups of gilded initials I did in various projects; some of them are raised gold, some flat -- it depended very much on the style I was working in.

Oh, one last piece of advice for those who'd like to try gilding:

Don't sneeze...

Oh wow, v e r y n i c e

When do you do your housework or do you have a 'lady that does' ?

I wish

Actually, most of this dates from before my marriage, when I was a part-time teacher and used to do calligraphy at weekends and during the holidays. Nowadays I don't really get round to it much, as it is fairly unsociable compared to cross stitch -- I can cross stitch while watching telly with the others, or hold a conversation, but doing calligraphy I'd be isolated in my own little world at the dining room table for hours on end

There fantastic, very beautiful well done Mabel.

They are beautiful Mabel, I love the designs you have used the gilding on

Congratulations, Mabel! They are really beautiful. I wonder what other talents are you still keeping from us?

Mabel Figworthy wrote:I wish

Actually, most of this dates from before my marriage, when I was a part-time teacher and used to do calligraphy at weekends and during the holidays. Nowadays I don't really get round to it much, as it is fairly unsociable compared to cross stitch -- I can cross stitch while watching telly with the others, or hold a conversation, but doing calligraphy I'd be isolated in my own little world at the dining room table for hours on end

Oh dear. That's what I enjoy the most about calligraphy... I'm lobbying my DH to build me a mini scriptorium stand: something at a 45degree angle with clips and a shelf that will fit on my desk. Was wondering if I should be able to have something like blotting paper over the wood. Any thoughts?

More amazing crafts from the ever talented Mabel Figworthy!!

Well done!

I am very impressed these are wonderful. I love the colors that add so much to your finished work.

Wow Mabel, you can do so many different crafts, and all are done SO well!
*Feels VERY impressed*

These are beautiful. Is there anything you don't do?

Housework, if I can help it

Oh, I'm sure the kids got their own back ^_^

They are very pretty though! *wants to touch them*

Mabel Figworthy wrote:Housework, if I can help it

I think we can all mostly relate to that.

This is so stunning!