I‌‌ssue 15, Cutting Edge Calligraphy, features lettering that is cut, burned, carved, embossed, and sculpted, using paper, wood, leather, and…wait for it…beach sand!

Meet Cover Artist – Andrew van der Merwe
At low tide, Andrew van der Merwe uses self-designed tools and found objects to carve beautiful letters and patterns in beach sand. Each tool produces a unique texture for exciting shadow effects. Some photos of his beach calligraphy give the illusion that the words are popping out of the sand.

Emboss with Pizazz! – by Jan Pickett
L‌‌ooking for a new way to add charm to your compositions, and hear people gasp, “How did you do that?” Embossing, like Jan Pickett teaches in her Embossing with Extra Pizazz course, is guaranteed to add a Wow factor to your calligraphy designs.

Hot Trends: Foiling and Pyrography – with Betty Ling, Telisa Roessein, and Traci Thompson
Hot foiling and pyrography for lettering on paper, leather, and wood is trending now, and the effects can be stunning. Calligraphers can employ these techniques for live events and brand activations.

Rediscovering the Art of Card Carving – Mike Ward
What is card carving? It’s a technique that made my bowler hat flip when I first saw one made by a 19th century master penman. At that moment it became my mission to figure out how to do it.

Carving Inspired Words – Richard Crookes
Richard Crookes lets a piece of wood or furniture inspire the words he will carve rather than trying to enforce a preconceived idea on the wood.

Die Cutting Calligraphy – Cecelia Harris and Carol DuBosch
If you haven’t joined other calligraphers in the die cutting craze, then Cecelia Harris and Carol DuBosch may inspire you to do so. Rather than use their die cutting machines’ library of fonts and patterns, both prefer designing projects featuring their own calligraphy.

Ornate 3-D Initials – Debbie Dutton
One of my biggest joys is studying a historic alphabet, letting it inspire me, then creating my own original designs based on that alphabet. One of my Versals studies led me to design an entire alphabet of ornate capital letters as three-dimensional paper sculptures.

Make a Calligraphy Orb – Carol DuBosch
This paper orb tutorial is one of the projects I teach in my Stars & Orbs Zoom class. I use paper printed with scans of my calligraphy as the decoration for the orbs. Once assembled, a paper orb is sturdier than you think! You can’t help but want to pick it up and play with it.

Temporary Tattoos – Erica McPhee
Temporary tattoos are a great way to try out a tattoo design and not worry about it being forever etched onto your body.

Optical Illusion Pop-Up Letters – with Marjan Peeters
I love optical illusions. When I came across Marjan Peeters’ 3D lettering that appears to float off the page, I knew it would be a perfect fit for this issue’s theme. Her Instagram contains a joyful trove of levitating letters.

Introducing Engraving Guideline Tape
If you engrave glass or metal, Engraving Guideline Tape by InkMeThis will make your layout job simpler and clean up a breeze.

Art Eraser Guide – Maureen VIckery
Art erasers come in a variety of materials designed for specific uses. Learn about what erasers are made of, their applications, and how to take care of them for longer use.

The Power of Referrals – with Kestrel Montes
Nibtique.com may soon be the most efficient way for calligraphers and engravers to get found by wedding consultants, event planners, and big brands online.