Artichokes and ink. Not a combination you'd put together right off. But then again, whoever thought anything wonderful ever came from the prickly petals of an artichoke.

I have always loved the impression that choreographed ink leaves on paper. A person's handwriting tells its own story: when someone's lettering combined with meaningful words is strewn on a piece of paper, the impression at times is not easily forgotten. For this reason I love to write! I remember practicing writing at an early age and loving it-- making sure my A's and E's were just so and making sure words like "Congratulations" or "Get Well Soon" received ample attention. I have never taken any special classes or training--it's just something that comes naturally and comes from my heart.

As for the artichokes, when my husband and I were first married, we spent our evenings together dipping the leaves of artichokes into melted butter. Together, "you peel, you dip, you scrape, and

one by one you reach the heart." I later came across the story, She Taught Me to Eat Artichokes which sealed the deal for me. Artichokes became my passion!

That's why after several requests to address wedding invitations for brides-to-be, I knew I had a gift for this kind of thing so I created my little company after my two passions..artichokes and ink.

A few years into this venture my client list extended beyond brides to include notable politicians, authors, event planners, philanthropists, and even royalty. While I was enjoying this little burst of popularity for my handwriting services, I started receiving calls from companies seeking to add Artichoke Ink's personal touch to their clever marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that the scale of these projects far exceeded my ability or the abilities of even the best calligraphers.

My husband and I set out to find a way to accommodate this new clientele. With help from some of the best minds in the automated handwriting industry, we embarked on a project that would consume our lives for the next three years. What we didn't know is how excited we would be when our goal was finally achieved--coming up with something that was truly unique.

Artichoke Ink's Prickly Pen technology is the first true, natural, hand-written look for high-volume envelope addressing. Each address is a work of art--every letter of every word is carefully selected and combined to produce a personal touch. The Prickly Pen process uses real ink. The artwork for each address is carefully created and inscribed onto the envelope with quality and attention. Hurried address abbreviations are reversed so that full street names, cities, and states are displayed. Whether it be one or one hundred thousand addresses, the final result is the creation of a truly personalized experience for each recipient.

The merits of our work can best be summarized by a recent meeting with a high-ranking United States Post Office official. As an authority on direct mail, her job is to help businesses create mail pieces that can be processed efficiently and automatically by postal service machinery. When it came time for her to examine an envelope with Artichoke Ink addressing, the response was "yes, you meet all the criteria for standard letter postage, but this does not look like direct mail... it's too personal." We knew at that point we had achieved our goal.