Yesterday Sarah came up to Boston with an armful of flowers and a boat load of beautiful props so that we could photograph her new collection of “ready-to-wear” letterpress printed lovelies. With no help from Bingley, determined as he was to eat all the flowers or push every prop off the table ledge, it took us over three hours to style and photograph it all. But everything was so preeeetty! The calligraphy (hand-lettering in the bottom two photos by Grace Edmands Calligraphy), the stamps, the jars and glasses, the invitations. These are some behind the scenes with a couple of sneak peeks of her new collection, all of which will be revealed soon on her brand new site!

This of course would be letterpressed. And it also pretends that the great chestnut tree did not get spliced in half by lightning, and that Thornfield Hall was not burned to the ground by a crazy person. Among other things.

If I were able to draw a tree, I would. I can’t draw trees for the life of me.

As far as the photographs go, I’m sure a little wedding like this would be a feast for the camera. (Is there a real Jane Eyre out there who wants me to photograph their wedding out in the foggy, overgrown wilds of England? Hee?)

In fact I have a few couples for whom I’m slated to do some calligraphy work. Some are couples whose wedding I’m photographing, and some are not! There will be menus to write on chalkboard, dessert cards for dessert tables, and even hand-drawn cat and dog portraitures (more on that later). Really, any little bit of writing makes me SO HAPPY.

I always knew I would love calligraphy, if I would just sit down and do it! Why I never did until now, I’ll never know. Well, I’m off and skipping and hopping down this path now, and I hope to talk about my calligraphy progress some more on this blog, as well as my inspiration, so I hope you don’t mind if the topics diverge occasionally from that of pet photography!

Here are some samples of fictitious addresses that I had a grand time concocting. (Except for Edward Gorey. He’s real and his illustrations are another source of inspiration.) My stock pile of Crane’s stationery is finally being put to good use. And yes, Jane Austen et al. are totally #1 on the list of Things I Like. I kind of localized all the characters. It is not hard to picture Emma Woodhouse as a Connecticut-suburb kind of gal, or that Rochester might be found brooding away in the bayous of Louisiana…

So if you or anyone you know is looking for calligraphy needs, and you don’t think I stink, let me know! My fingers are itching to write.

I’ve always wanted to try calligraphy ever since jr. high but like so many other interests I thought I had, I never got past just dabbling here and there. Same with photography. A steady attention span has never been my forte. I’ve been dabbling with photography forever it seems, and it was only a couple of years ago that I decided to step it up. So I’ve decided I’d like to step up my calligraphy skills as well, and quit saying it’s something I would like to do without doing it. I really don’t have any skills to begin with, aside from a penchant to just scribble.

I’ve had this pen, nib and ink set that I got eons ago in Florence, Italy. I used it the other day for the very first time. I love the way the ink smells, like moist soil in a dark forest, the noise the nib makes as it scratches across the paper’s surface, how the ink sprays if I bear down too hard. And how much the whole process hurts my hand.

This is a work in progress! So far I like writing S’s and lower case f’s the best. I am horrible at lower case a’s and n’s. Lots to practice, but I’m so enjoying the process.

Enter The Back Bay Framery, Boston’s premier fine-art framer.

I love supporting local vendors and working with great people, so it is with great excitement and glee that I announce a Fat Orange Cat Studio promotion with The Back Bay Framery, to help you turn your important photos into beautifully framed works of art, ready to be showcased in your home!

When you book a session with me and order prints, bring those print in to The Back Bay Framery and receive 15% off all display products and services! This runs the gamut from desktop picture frames to handcrafted scrapbooks to leather albums – and even custom framing.

There are a lot of beautiful products to choose from, and Kerrie, the owner of The Back Bay Framery, is on hand to help. She has been serving Boston’s custom framing needs since 1998, and because of her wonderful service, hands-on approach, and solidly crafted products, her business has flourished, winning the venerable Best of Boston award several times. I am finally getting a few important pieces custom framed, and Kerrie has been wonderful to work with.

If you visit her store now, you’ll see a rather lavish display of my pet photos at the front of the store…

So giddy to see my photos so beautifully framed! No, these are not your IKEA or Crate + Barrel frames, for sure.

Kerrie runs The Back Bay Framery with the help of her lovely assistants, Sadie Lou and Spike (the Yorkie mix). All three may greet you at the door.

So! If (1) You’re in the Boston area, (2) have a dog or a cat / or want yourselves photographed, (3) contact me to schedule a shoot, (4) order prints, (5) head over to The Back Bay Framery, (6) consult with Kerrie to get them beautifully displayed and (7) receive 15% off your order. Now you have no reason not to have your photographs properly showcased.

The Back Bay Framery
227 Newbury Street in Boston
Between Fairfield and Exeter Street

And tell Kerrie that Fat Orange Cat Studio sent you!