Today we’d like to introduce you to Simone Sloan.
Simone, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The Vintage Nib Calligraphy started by accident. I was engaged on Christmas of 2014 and wanted to have a small wedding so I could go on a nice honeymoon and also do my own invitations and all the DIY stuff you see on Pinterest. Then, I fell in love with the stationery design and wanted to explore a career in wedding invitations. I had zero ideas of what I was doing, wasting time and money on a bunch of paper that I never really used after my wedding. I designed a different invitation for each guest at my wedding (thank goodness I only had 17 guests). Then, people started asking me to help with their weddings, not with their invitation design, but to address the envelopes in Calligraphy! I started to practice every single day, so I could address my own envelopes and that was actually what caught people’s attention! My very first order was for about 30 envelops so it was a perfect fist time client. Then, naturally I started doing more day of the wedding items like mirrors and chalkboard signs. I was also getting hired for events at high-end stores like Burberry and Nordstrom, the Container Store, Ameritrade, and participate in other wedding events for stores like BHLDN and The Big Fake Wedding. Now I do weddings and also teach in person and online Calligraphy classes, and I am currently branching out to lettering and illustration!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No! When I started, there were no courses in Calligraphy and I had to watch so many YouTube videos! several things I learned was by accident. I guess I could say I’m self taught.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Vintage Nib – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Currently, I’m mostly hired for wedding signs and place cards. I think there’s a trend on tiles at the moment so I get a lot of those orders for place cards, and also agate slices. I don’t get a whole lot of paper place cards, but I’m always getting requests for more unique items to be used. Mirrors are definitely my jam though, I definitely can do mirror seating charts for days, and they look so beautiful when brought to the venue. I also design invitations/save days but those are very limited requests that I accept in a year. Most of those requests are to have the invitation handwritten completely, no computer involved, so that takes a lot of time. I put a lot of love on my work and I hope that shows, so I think that sets me apart!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I want to teach more workshops! There’s definitely a shortage of people who know how to write in cursive so I would like to change that. Teaching full time, in person and online, would be what I would like to do full time very soon!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thevintagenib.com
- Phone: 6195073994
- Email: requests@thevintagenib.com
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