And interesting people like Chris  and Kirk often know fascinating people in their own right, like Betty Gilpin, a calligraphy artist in Nashville, Tennessee.

Betty, who recently turned 81, is one of the best calligraphers in the country. Chris (who sent the images for this post along to me) found her through word of mouth and loved her work so much that he asked her to pen the script for his company. Simple, with a slight flourish, her words look like something inked a century ago. And because I am a total sucker for anything that looks nostalgic, I love the idea of using calligraphy instead of a synthetic font for everything from calling cards to company logos. It's just a lovely idea. Images of her work for Billykirk follow below:

Here's to reviving this lost art more often!

P.S. I have not forgotten my promise to post more bits of design inspiration from the New York International Gift Show. I have some fun things in the works. Stay tuned...