A French Proposal...

I'll write in any language…. just tell me the words!

A mega accordion book- 5 feet long!

What a love story this turned out to be! A lovely lady called Lisa asked about an extra special love letter to include a marriage proposal. We decided on a concertina book with a couple of envelopes for keepsakes such as a show ticket & a pressed flower from milestone dates. Well…. the idea sort of grew… and grew.

We decided on colours early on; natural tones, charcoal & sand… layers of watercolour… more water… more colour… some acrylic...

I asked her to think about special events along the way… 

dates, places, songs etc… little things that tell their story...

She told me their tale of synchronicity & bliss, of cold feet & separation; yet always on each others mind…. until they finally re-united...

Just as their story has many strands, I wove snippets of songs alongside tender memories...

 layering their tale in a book of love… 

Extra pages stitched in, for her to write a personal letter in her own hand...

A proposal hidden at the very end...

books within books, pages to unfold...

quotes about love & words they have spoken…

 space for a ring to hide?

A favourite paper for a proposal scroll

If I had to choose a single paper, this Bhutanese Rhesho could be "The One". Either this or the Tsasho which is very similar except that it has the 'laid' lines from being dried on bamboo screens. There's a definite 'tooth' to the surface, which makes it beautiful to write on, and though it is textured, there aren't any annoying little strands of fibres that catch on your nib (at least very rarely!) Rhesho combined with Thai Mulberry tissue makes such a delicious, natural combination… the off-white lettering that tones with the mulberry gives such a harmonious look that I really love. 

The lettering on the outside of this scroll is done with a drafting ruling pen. You're not going to see the inside, as it contains a very personal marriage proposal! 

Ice cube trays make excellent mixing pots but white ones are actually better to show up the true colour of the paint. I'm using gouache here, and I brush it in between the tines of the ruling pen. The little screw on top adjusts the gap & thus the line width.

If you've never tried writing with one of these instruments before, you should, 

& you don't have to be a calligrapher to have a go either! 

This little scroll was to be hidden inside another...

… to be opened on a romantic re-creation of a first date.

this did get petals added, but I also really like it without

It did the trick… Tina said " I couldn't be happier with what began as a "quick enquiry". My enquiry was anything but quick but Suzi remained patient with my ever changing mind and delivered a beautifully bespoke handmade scroll which I presented to my Fiance when proposing to her. Needless to say, she said yes and was over the moon with the scroll and how personal it was to us as a couple."

That's one of the best bits…. getting to hear the happy ending!

A Christmas Proposal

I get a steady stream of marriage proposals these days.... not for me personally (perish the thought!)... but from romantic young, & not so young, men enlisting my help to gain the "yes" that they want to hear. In this last few weeks there have been quite a few aiming for a Christmas Proposal. 

Let's start another chapter.... proposal of marriage

Some, bless them, have written poems or songs to their beloved, others have chosen more well known poems or passages on the subject of love to calligraphed into a scroll or onto canvas. I find myself taking an almost maternal interest as these hopeful fellas tell me about how they met or why those words mean so much... and I'm often left waiting with bated breath, hoping that they remember to let me know the outcome! 

handmade gift envelope/wallet

By the way.... 'bated' breath was first coined as a phrase by Shakespeare in 'The Merchant of Venice'. Shylock says to Antonio, 

"Shall I bend low and, in a bondman's key,

With bated breath and whisp'ring humbleness,

Say this..."

Bated here is a contraction of abated through loss of the unstressed vowel (a process called aphesis); it means "reduced, lessened, lowered in force". So bated breath refers to a state in which you almost stop breathing as a result of some strong emotion such as terror or awe

[Thank you to Michael Quinion at World Wide Words for these snippets of information]

Let's turn another page.... with presentation wallet

The book pages with either "Let's start another chapter..." or "Lets turn another page..."

have proved to be a popular way to 'pop the question'. They've been framed, collaged into another piece of work & bound into a book amongst other things!

I've only just got as far as making this simple little envelope style wallet to present them in. Kraft paper & brown ribbon set the scene.... then the inside flaps are lined with vintage book pages. A tiny little tag of the same, just finishes it off nicely, I think.

will you marry me? with presentation wallet

Romance is far from dead... and some men do still ask permission from the father of their intended! So far though, I've had no ladies proposing to their men.... surely it's just a matter of time?

Does anyone have any 'Proposal Stories' to share?