Journals and Papers

I was recently at a journaling seminar where a discussion ensued about the types of journals. One lady mentioned that between their families, they used letter writing as a form of communication between family members, and wondered if that could be classified as keeping a journal. I think it could be. It is a dated account of events and a journal is defined as an account, a record of daily experiences, and what better way to record these than in a letter to loved ones.

I don’t know how many of us have a drawer full of old letters from family members, friends or lovers. If you do, consider yourself fortunate. These are thoughts that your loved ones were willing to share - unlike a journal, where most likely hide it away.

In recent years, letter writing has taken a twist to the contemporary, with any type of paper being used. Prior to the nineteenth century, letter writing was an art, where special papers were used, with quill pen and sealed wax emblem. If you want to get creative with your letter/journal, try surprising them with some fancy Amalfi paper, handmade from Italy.  Its lush decaled edges demand serious attention.

If writing in a journal doesn’t appeal to you, but writing to friends and relatives about your thoughts, then what a treasure you are passing on! 

Penmanship otherwise know as handwriting is defined as the art of writing with the hand and writing with an instrument. Handwriting styles existed based on the period when the writing was done and varied in script formats (see calligraphy). Our English has changed from formal to a somewhat slang version and is changing rapidly with the onset of Internet, email and instant messaging.

Have we lost the art of penmanship and writing on paper? Do people still write letters, or has email taken over for communication? For those that still do write and consider a quality piece of paper worth investing in to send their message, there are several choices available.

There are many crafters who make a decent living at creating their own papers for use with handmade cards and tags and some are great for writing on. Acid free paper has become a norm when doing scrapbooking; of course there are hundreds of thousands of different types of papers used in the printing industry.

If penmanship is something you delve in, be sure to take note of the handmade papers from Italy. The ancient duchy of Amalfi, Italy is one of the oldest and most renowned papermaking centers in Europe. Cartiera Amatruda has produced fine stationery since 1380. From that area, the tradition has been to watermark paper with cities’ coats-of-arms, and some religious and heraldic symbols.

Today’s Amalfi Paper is crafted using traditional methods originally created in the middle ages. Made of the finest cotton rag, each deckle-edged sheet is crafted with penmanship and calligraphic writing in mind. For those wishing to create a lasting piece of writing, or to incorporate penmanship into a memorable event, then the Amalfi papers are something worth looking at.