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DESIGN

HOUSE

Be inspired by the timeless designs Laura has been creating since 2002 and begin your own paper experience with our calligraphy and color visual. Find out today how we can be of service— no matter where you are in the wedding planning process. 

DESIGN

HOUSE

Learn how Laura and Alyssa continue to foster the cornerstone of their company with calligraphy tools and teaching for beginners, hobbyists and beyond— as well as in-person services to enhance events and take the stress out of stationery.   

Discover how Laura’s beloved landscape contributes to her creativity and be inspired to make every day artful with curated calligraphy solutions, fine art influenced by Foxhill, and sought-after garden goods.

DESIGN

HOUSE

Discover how Laura’s beloved landscape contributes to her creativity and be inspired to make every day artful with curated calligraphy solutions, fine art influenced by Foxhill, and sought-after garden goods.

DESIGN

HOUSE

DESIGN

HOUSE

Meet Laura Hooper and Alyssa Law, the practiced pair behind the Design House, and discover how Laura’s beloved landscape in Foxhill Garden contributes to her creativity.

Six Tips for Beautiful Flourishes

Flourishing can be a beautiful way to enhance your calligraphy skill set. Being versed in one or more flourished alphabets can add value to your portfolio and client work, and it can be useful in a practical, rather than just aesthetically pleasing, sense as well {see number 4!}. Below are just a couple basic tips to help you in your flourishing adventures.

1 // Plan in advance and use pencil if needed to sketch out where you want your flourishes to be included. If you’re using pencil, make sure to press LIGHTLY so you can erase later.

2 // Make sure your flourishes maintain the same shape as the alphabet you’re using. For example, if you are writing in copperplate or a copperplate-based style, which is very heavy on oval shapes, you would want your flourishes continue to use oval shapes.

3 // Intersect your lines at nearly right angles. Likewise, try not to intersect a heavy line with another heavy line.

4 // Use flourishing to balance your writing and/or aide in centering. For example, if an envelope is heavy on the left, use your flourishes to draw the eye over to the right to balance the artwork on the envelope.

5 // Use your whole arm to make the sweeping flourishes rather than just finger strokes. This will help the strokes look less confined and more natural.

6 // Never flourish so much that it makes your writing illegible or distracts from what you’re trying to say.

Looking to take your flourishing one step further? Consider our Beyond Beginner Workbook + Video. This guide includes two flourished alphabets, a tracing pad with one of the flourished alphabets, a full set of flourishing examples, details on letter consistency, information on letter connections and more. Head to the shop and stock up on pens, inks, & nibs.

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disclaimer & Terms

Thank you for your interest in Laura Hooper Design House. All images are copyright 2022 by Laura Hooper Design House unless we have otherwise credited them. We invite you to link to the LHC blog or use the photos in your own blog as long as it is accompanied by a credit & link back to the initial blog post. Please do not take any of my work for commercial OR personal use without getting permission from us first.

If we have missed a credit somewhere, please let us know at hello@laurahooperdesignhouse.com ! We want to recognize all contributors for their work.
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