Welcome if you're here from Studio 5! I hope you stick around! I've got free printables, tutorials and more. :) Check me out on Instagram and give me a follow if you're interested in more creative living. 

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One of the tricky things about addressing envelopes, if you're not a calligrapher, is finding the right pen to do the trick! It's especially tricky if you have dark envelopes and you want to make an impact in the mailbox. Which, if you know me at all, I like to bring out a smile when I send friends & loved ones snail mail. There are so many markers out there, this certainly is a very small cross-section of the ones you can find. This small collection of markers will serve you well as you work on darker papers.  Let me emphasize the following: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A CALLIGRAPHER OR EVEN HAVE GOOD HANDWRITING TO ENJOY THESE TOOLS. But if you are a calligrapher or if you have awesome penmanship, you'll find they're also fun.  And if your penmanship sucks? Check out my free penmanship tutorial and download right here. Want to learn brush lettering? Check out my online class right here!! Use code BRUSHLETTERING for a special discount!  WHITES Looking for this black paper? Get it right here. Let's talk about pretty white pens. They're tricky because you want those whites to be as opaque as possible. You need that pop! My favorites, in order of largest marker size to smallest are: 

• Posca Brush White (only bristle brush marker I've seen out there with a white pigment that actually comes out)
• ZIG Posterman Marker
• Pen Touch F 1.0mm
• Gelly Roll 10
• Silver Shadow Gelly Roll

METALLICS When it comes to metallics AND opacity on dark papers, we venture into super tricky territory. There are really only a couple of markers I've used and can recommend here. But I've found that for the most part, each of the ones I've used includes a gold, copper and silver. Silver often times looks a lot like white (BONUS!). The golds usually take on a more green tone, so I personally like to stick to the copper if I'm going for a gold/black kind of look. So here we go with the second list, again, going from largest to finest. 

• ZIG Fudebiyori (these brush markers are a personal fave)
• Pen-Touch calligrapher (I like the small chisel best)
• Zig Calligraphy Pen (also comes in bullet point)
• EK Tools Metallic Markers
• Gelly Roll Gold Shadow

And don't feel intimidated if your penmanship isn't incredible. These markers will take your writing to the next level. IF you're worried about writing in a straight line, I would highly recommend getting a LetterMate right here. They're little plastic life-savers. ;)  STAY TUNED!! Next week I'm sharing a tutorial on how to address those little envelopes of yours quickly and effortlessly. Thanks so much for popping by! 

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The time of year has come where it's time for the annual Thank You freebie! I love doing this because it gives me a chance to work on styles and techniques I don't always get to do on a regular basis. For this year, it meant I got to put the watercolor floral classes I've taken from Natalie Malan to use. I wanted to go for a slightly muted palette, but it only worked slightly. It's like a bright, muted palette. ;) Also, I feel like I must mention that this month completes the 10th year I've been blogging! I can't believe it's been that long. So much has changed: 6 moves, 3 children and a few career changes to say the least. I didn't know I would be blogging this long. But here we are! 'Tis the season for gratitude, so I may as well express that I'm so grateful for the opportunities that blogging and social media has given me. I've made dear friends, I've traveled, I've learned so much and I've felt the creative inspiration through the connections that I've made. It's been pretty awesome. Will I still be here, writing in another 10? We shall see!  Check out the a video of my process here: This year's Thank you takes on two forms. One is a plain, 5.5x4.25 rectangle with cut lines for you to follow, the above is a suggestion. You can download the JPG and use Silhouette's print & cut feature to make a gorgeous full-bleed card with a scalloped edge. See below for the tutorial!    You certainly don't have to have a Silhouette in order to take advantage of this printable. Just click The download link below with the description "hand cut". :) Just giving you some fun options.

DOWNLOAD SILHOUETTE FILES HERE

  But I've got TONS MORE 'Thank You's. Check out the whole list of past years' printables below!

• 2017 Thank You Cards
• 2016 Thank You Cards
• 2014 Thank You Card
• 2013 Thank You Printable
• 2012 Thank You Printable
• Floral Thank You Printable
• 2011 Thank You Printable
• Dino Party Suite
• Styled. Party Suite
• 2010 Thank You Printable
• 2009 Thank You Printable

Want to learn calligraphy? Like the brush lettering I use here? Check out my class on Calligraphy.org. I'll give you one-on-one instruction to help you get there. We start from the very basics, but because of the personal nature of the instruction we offer off-script learning for the more advanced letterer. Use code BRUSHLETTERING for a 10% discount on the class. :) Materials used for this DIY: 

• Fountain pen
• Silhouette Cameo
• Card Stock Paper (sometimes you can find it at Walmart for cheap)
• Envelopes

This printable is free for personal use only. Any redistribution or commercial use of this printable without written consent is prohibited. © Melissa Esplin 2017. Affiliate links used, by purchasing through an affiliate link, you support MelissaEsplin.com and the free content provided here. Thank you for your support!