Blink Ambassadors February - July 2023
My FREE 7 Day Drills Challenge starts on 1st March, which will then be followed by the Better Brush Letter courses. I’m SO excited. It also means it’s that time again to announcement my brand new Blink Ambassadors. This lovely group of humans are a mix of beginners, who will be sharing their progress throughout Better Brush Letters, and more experienced calligraphers who will be able to support and share advice. You can get to know them more in this blog post, and if you want to join them in learning calligraphy, make sure you sign up to my FREE 7 Day Calligraphy Drills Challenge starting on 1st March.
GABY FROM @libraloveslettering
My name is Gaby, I’m from The Hague in the Netherlands and I’m 45 years old. I’m married to my loving husband Dennis and I work fulltime as an internal communication advisor at a Dutch airline called Transavia. Libra is my Zodiac sign and I’m left-handed.
How far into your calligraphy journey are you?
I have been lettering intensively for over 5 years now and I like to explore new techniques and materials. From drawing botanically to watercolor paint and from houseportraits to iPad lettering on Procreate.
What's your favourite pen or art supply?
My favorite pens are the Tombow, Karin Markers and the Stabilo Brushpen 68. I also like to draw with the Tombow fudenosuke
What's your favourite letter?
My favorite letter to practice lettering is often the letter h, because I write ‘hello’ when I try new things and otherwise I often start with the G from Gaby.
What made you decide to apply to be a Blink Ambassador?
For this year I made myself a promise to explore new things; like publishing sarcastic quotes on a weekly basis and learning how to flourish. Calligraphy has been on my list for quote some time, but I found excuses not to start. Being part of a team I think I can really start this new part of my creative journey and I’m excited to share my progress and my struggles or challenges on my IG feed.
Share a random fact about yourself.
I have 4,33333 tattoos….
At one point I decided to get one tattoo removed but that didn’t worked out great, so I still have ‘a 3rd of a tattoo just above my right ankle. ;-)
Kirsty from @kirstyes
Hi I’m Kirsty, 44, live in Poole with my two Jack chi dogs, Binky (10) and Daire (8 months). I’m an Occupational Therapist and Writer and I live with Long Covid , ADHD and other fun things.
How far into your calligraphy journey are you?
I’m very much a beginner. I did have a calligraphy fountain pen when I was younger but being dyspraxic my handwriting always got commented on in school reports so I think I lost confidence in it. I went to one of Milly’s modern brush calligraphy workshops at the end of last year as I actually live local to one of the venues she used for training.
What's your favourite pen or art supply?
I really like the Koi brush pens.
What's your favourite letter?
Lower case f - I like the loops.
What made you decide to apply to be a Blink Ambassador?
I really enjoyed the workshop that Milly ran before Christmas and then signed up to one of her online courses but I realise I need more practice at the basics before finding my own style.
As a writer I have found I have moved more to typing my drafts but I still enjoy the act of putting pen to paper and this is one way to do that. The act of calligraphy is also quite grounding.
I do want to be able to be proud of my handwriting rather than ashamed of it and would like to share my journey. My goal would be to simply pick up my pens to create a beautifully designed and written quotes in my bullet journal.
Milly is also a local business and supporting local is important to me. Both her online and face to face courses are a great way to learn and I want to share that with those who want to learn a new skill.
Share a random fact about yourself.
I named my puppy after a character in one of the books I am writing because my sister chose the original name I’d picked for my nephew who was born five days before I picked Daire up.
ROSIE from @createwithrosie
My name is actually Rosiery but I go by Rosie! I'm originally from Brazil, but now I live in Ireland with my husband and 2 daughters, one is a feisty three year old and the youngest a very chill 8month old.
How far into your calligraphy journey are you?
I started Calligraphy in 2018 but due to pregnancy and postnatal depression I lost my spark and fell off the creativity wagon. Late in 2020 I decided to pick up Calligraphy one more time, bought a set of Faber Castell Artist Pitt Pens with a black Brush Pen. Slowly it helped me heal and reconnect with my creativity again. I had been following Blink Lettering for a while and in 2021 I followed the 7 Day Drill Challenge and Basics for Beginners Course that helped me get to where I am today.
What's your favourite pen or art supply?
Tombow ABT and Fudenosuke. I also like to use Washi and Stickers when I'm setting up my journal and being creative.
What's your favourite letter?
My favourite letter to write are the letters b and h, I love the way they swirl.
What made you decide to apply to be a Blink Ambassador?
I applied to Blink Ambassador because I learned a lot from my first Basics for Beginners Course. I want to spread the joy and tell others about the course that helped me get where I am and especially to help voice the importance of Calligraphy and Lettering in Mental Health for creative people.
Share a random fact about yourself.
A random fact about myself, I like to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons and I watch Friends on a loop.
PRAJNA from @majescules_AND_brushstrokes
I'm Prajna N S, from Sakleshpur, Karnataka, India. I'm just so happy to be part of this and I'm excited to learn so much about Brushpen calligraphy.
How far into your calligraphy journey are you?
I believe I'm at intermediate level, but i wish to be an expert with lot of practice.
What's your favourite pen or art supply?
I don't have favorites in pens, I'm bit of a hoarder if i see something different i get it and try writing, i love to try new things.
What's your favourite letter?
I love all the letters equally but i love it more if its complex ..
What made you decide to apply to be a Blink Ambassador?
Since i can remember I love writing, even when homework and assignments were a ton I would just write it and be happy about writing, and doing lettering on school black boards. When I didn't even know anything about calligraphy, then I got to know a bit about it when I was attending drawing class. I got enrolled to it and I kept practicing on and off its been 3+ years of broad nib calligraphy and a bit of brush lettering.
I always wanted to showcase my art online, but I was confident and I would just delete the whole account after one or two months, but this time I decided I would stay anyway it’s my life, my wish and started following calligraphers and artists I found to be helpful for. That’s how I got to know about Blink Ambassador opening and thought I could be more than just someone posts once in a while, with this I could learn brush calligraphy with Milly and I just love how courageous she is. I want to be confident and successful like her. With this I have a purpose to learn and help others like me, like the saying "You learn by teaching others". If i could be of help to anyone, I'm happy to help. Thanks a lot for this opportunity.
ZOE from @OODLESOFCRAFT
Hi! My name is Zoe and I live in Beckenham (SE London) with my husband and three boys. After fourteen years of primary school teaching, I started my own creative business, Oodles of Craft. I now teach children how to sew safely with joy and confidence. I love taking time out to learn new skills - the more hands on, the better!
How far into your calligraphy journey are you?
I am a complete newbie to learning how to do 'proper' lettering, but I love taking the extra time to add a personal touch to cards and gifts.
What's your favourite pen or art supply?
For me, the paper and cardstock used makes a huge difference to how happy I am with the final outcome. I'm looking forward to playing around with new pens - but the colours will generally always include teal/turquoise and a hot pink!
What's your favourite letter?
In a digital sense, I'm really fussy about how the letter Z is formed when selecting a font! I'm not crazy about the line that sometimes strikes through my initial. When writing by hand, I love a letter that can be extended with a flourish.
What made you decide to apply to be a Blink Ambassador?
When I saw the post about becoming a Blink Ambassador, I jumped at the chance! I've always wanted to learn brush lettering but the timing in the past hasn't always aligned well (hello children!). Milly's aesthetic, style and calm demeanour are totally my bag and I can't wait to start learning alongside everybody else!
Share a random fact about yourself.
I would LOVE to own a campervan to take my boys travelling around Europe!