jojotastic // 12 makers of christmas // colore' grace

Today’s maker is no stranger to Jojotastic. She’s the amazingly talented calligrapher and hand-letterer behind the monthly desktop downloads, Colore’ Grace! Her positive sayings and pithy quotes are so gratifying to glance at throughout the day, and offer an (often much needed) burst of encouragement. They’re also the perfect christmas gifts to spread good vibes and help bolster your friends’ art collections.

I was so excited to find out that her online print shop is now open, leaving me with one serious problem. Which ones do I choose?!

shop small this holiday season with gorgeous gifts from @coloregrace // jojotastic.com #12makersofchristmas

tell us a bit about what you do – your process, your materials, what inspires and drives you.

I’m Colore’ (pronounced like color) Grace. I’m a calligrapher, hand-letterer, and writer. I focus on freelance projects like custom prints and wedding calligraphy (ex. addressing envelopes and place cards). Last week, I also launched a small collection of calligraphy prints for my online shop! Between projects, I sprinkle in the occasional blog post, like my monthly desktop download for Jojotastic.

Although the process varies for each project, I almost always start with a pad of marker paper, a ruler, and a pencil. Sketching the words and letters on the page to get my spacing correct is crucial to creating the best possible end result. It helps to trouble-shoot with a few different layout options in pencil before deciding how I’ll ink the final design.

Creating custom prints has quickly become one of my favorite things to work on. I’m consistently driven and inspired by the quotes and phrases customers choose and what they represent. Being able to create something with the purpose of serving as encouragement or a reminder of their ambitions gives me joy. (Bonus: On 12/7 and 12/14 custom prints are 50% off! More details here.)

I’m inspired by makers Jen Moulton and Becky Simpson. They both have shown me that it’s good to experiment within your skill and fearlessly try new mediums. They both are dedicated to practice and improving their skills, which is something I need to focus more on.

what is your favorite holiday tradition?

When I was growing up, my Aunt Marlene made the most amazing, chewy, and perfectly spiced ginger snap cookies. Some years I was able to enjoy them with our family in Wisconsin, but more often she would mail a special tin of cookies to Oklahoma just for me. She gave me the recipe years ago but, sadly I’m a burner, not a baker. After missing the cookies for years, my boyfriend’s mom kindly made some (with my help) last Christmas eve. They tasted so similar to my Aunt’s I cried after the first bite. Quickly I had to explain my reaction was completely out of joy. Ginger snaps will always be special to me.

what’s your favorite gift to give?

I love giving gifts that I know will get a lot of use. I also like giving people something I know they would love but would never treat themselves to.

how do you maintain your creative process through the hectic holiday season?

I keep moving forward and update my project management system multiple time a day. (For this, I use the app Omnifocus.) For me, doing more work leads to more creative ideas.

any resolutions for the new year?

Honestly, I could always use more sleep. As for my work, I’m mostly thinking about 2016 personal projects. In 2015 I created a project to post a photo of my lettering every Monday morning on Instagram (search #coloregraceletters to view the project) with the intention of practicing consistently. With three Mondays left in 2015, I’m looking for a way to reinvent or continue the project for 2016.

holiday deals:

The Custom made Monday sale is happening on 12/7 and 12/14 for 50% off custom 8 x 10 prints (no code needed!). Last day to place all print orders is 12/16 to be delivered before Christmas.