August Events

The Abbey Studio
84 Washington Street | Marblehead, MA | theabbeystudio.com | 781.740.9000
August Happenings
🐳🦞🐬
Happy summer, everyone! We had a fabulous Fourth of July celebration in Marblehead, and now the beaches and harbor are hives of summer activity.

We are so excited to announce that our new website is up and running. Our refreshed logo, as seen in the new masthead, is in full use and we couldn't be happier!

Continue reading to learn about:
Our new website and the awesome designer we found!
New items in our Etsy shop
New workshop schedule
Exhibit at The Walters
Guided Independent Study
Maryanne Grebenstein
Calligrapher & Lead Designer
Our New Website
Spilling the news about our new super-clean-and-easy-to-navigate website! In addition to refreshing our lovable monk logo, the new website has a gallery, a link to our "ready to gift" items in our Etsy shop, and upcoming workshops and events. Check it all out here. As always, custom orders are welcome and we ship everywhere! We also feel very lucky to have found our awesome website designer, Bryan, at Thunderbear Creative. We give him rave reviews!
New in Our Etsy Shop
Have you checked our Etsy shop lately? We're adding new items all the time - from unique stationery offerings to custom calligraphy. You can commission your own family crest, similar to the one pictured, featuring hand lettering on calfskin vellum, with gouache, ink, gold leaf, and palladium leaf. A lovely gift that is sure to become a family heirloom.
We've also got a great selection of sealing wax and seal stamps - even some that coordinate with stationery designs.
New Workshop Schedule
Our workshops are back! After a bit of a hiatus, we've just published a new listing of workshops on our website. The first offering will be "Let's Make a Bestiary" that will take place virtually on two consecutive Tuesdays, September 22 and 29, from 5:00 to 6:00 ET. This is a really fun workshop that is perfect for all skill levels! We will learn an authentic and easy way to transfer the design and go to work with a fine brush and gouache paints. A full supply list will be sent upon registration.
New Exhibit at The Walters and Possible Group Visit
In honor of the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland will host an exhibition of The Saint Francis Missal. This 12th-century manuscript is said to be a "relic of touch" of St. Francis. Several years ago, this manuscript was about to go on exhibit at The Walters and I had organized a group visit. But then ... COVID hit!
This time, the exhibit will run from late August through February. I am currently in conversation with The Walters and am hoping to be able to offer a group visit to this exhibit. Stay tuned for details! In the meantime, check out this link for information about the exhibit. Also, here is a link to a video posted by The Walters when the earlier exhibit was about to open.
Guided Independent Study
Try something new! Like, gilding perhaps (shown). Recently we've seen an uptick in interest in our one-on-one calligraphy classes. If you are among those looking to move away from group instruction, please consider our Guided Independent Study. It can be conducted virtually or in our studio & shop in Marblehead, MA, and the subject range is broad. Sessions can also be purchased as a gift.
Guided Independent Study can be structured for any level of learning - from beginners who have never picked up a pen, to experienced calligraphers looking for help with a particular project or wishing to learn a particular skill. People who have learned primarily from books and videos benefit greatly from Guided Independent Study as they receive specific feedback on how to properly use the tools to achieve consistency in their calligraphy.
Marblehead is a great destination with its picturesque harbor, historic architecture, and proximity to Boston. With lots of inns and Airbnb options, it's a great getaway location. Whether your interest is in virtual or in-person instruction, please check out our Guided Independent Study. 
Suggestion Box: Do you have comments or suggestions you'd like to share with us? Perhaps a recommendation on a workshop you'd like to see offered? Have you encountered a difficulty in your calligraphy that you'd like us to address when we include our Calligraphy Tip of the Month write-up in the newsletter? Click our "suggestion box" to submit your suggestion or request. We look forward to hearing from you!
Discover Marblehead
Keep up with all the Marblehead events here.
 
Website
Email
Etsy shop
Facebook
Instagram
Copyright © 2026 The Abbey Studio, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
84 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA 01945
www.theabbeystudio.com
Shop Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5:00
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
July Events

The Abbey Studio
84 Washington Street | Marblehead, MA | theabbeystudio.com | 781.740.9000
July Happenings
🏄🏻‍♂️🌠🎨
Summer is in full swing here in Marblehead and what a joy it is! The gardens are blooming, the harbor is full, and it's not unusual to see a giant whale floatie seemingly walking down the street toward one of the beaches! The Fourth of July is always a big deal here and if you haven't come to visit during our four-day Festival of Arts celebration you should definitely put it on your bucket list.

Continue reading to learn about:
My folded-concertina manuscript, shown here and now complete!
A new website in the works
New items in our Etsy shop
A fabulous exhibit on Tarot at The Morgan Library
Guided Independent Study
Happy summer, everyone!
Maryanne Grebenstein
Calligrapher & Lead Designer
Folded-Concertina Manuscript - It's Finished!
Some of you might remember in the last few newsletters I've provided an overview of the process I went through to create this fun little manuscript. It's bound now - by awesome bookbinder Stacie Dolin (@njstacie on Instagram) - utilizing leather and hand-marbled paper from Chena River Marblers. I've made a (silent) video of it that you can view by clicking the image with the red and white arrow.
The manuscript contains text that relates to the year - the months, the seasons, and the Celtic festivals. Each month contains a poem that describes some aspect of that month. In a break with tradition, I put the colophon at the start of the manuscript rather than at the end, and I've explained that I took inspiration from a manuscript at the British Library (Add MS17367). The last bit gives attribution to the poets.
I'm also resending a few stills that I included in May's newsletter because it's easier to read them than in the video images.
New Website in the Works
Over the last month or so we've encountered a few technical issues. Our website was down for several days, and once it was back up there were some payment-processing issues, and then our Etsy shop went mysteriously black. We've decided to turn these lemons into lemonade, as the saying goes, and so we have a new website in the works! It's very exciting and to give you a little taste of what is to come, I'm including a sketch of our refreshed logo. With any luck we'll be able to send a link to our new, streamlined website in the August newsletter.
Our Etsy Shop
Now that we've rebounded from our mysterious Etsy black-out we invite you to check out some recent additions. My good friend, Janet Bouldin, recently came to my shop and painted items from around my shop, like the moutarde jar and blue inkwell shown here. Check out all of her designs in this grouping by clicking the image or this link. Keep an eye out for her next grouping, and all our offerings on our Etsy Shop.
New Exhibit on Tarot at The Morgan Library
The Morgan Library in New York City has just opened Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions and it promises to be an amazing show. Open through October 4, the show explores the "origins of the earliest surviving tarot decks" from the fifteenth century in contrast with modern interpretations which "opened doors to imagination and symbolism." As usual, The Morgan has published a fabulous catalog for the exhibit, and their shop is chock full of great merch relating to tarot and their history. Don't miss it!
Guided Independent Study
Try something new! Like, gilding perhaps (shown). Recently we've seen an uptick in interest in our one-on-one calligraphy classes. If you are among those looking to move away from group instruction, please consider our Guided Independent Study. It can be conducted virtually or in our studio & shop in Marblehead, MA, and the subject range is broad. Sessions can also be purchased in the form of a gift card in person at the shop, or online here.
Guided Independent Study can be structured for any level of learning - from beginners who have never picked up a pen, to experienced calligraphers looking for help with a particular project or wishing to learn a particular skill. People who have learned primarily from books and videos benefit greatly from Guided Independent Study as they receive specific feedback on how to properly use the tools to achieve consistency in their calligraphy.
Marblehead is a great destination with its picturesque harbor, historic architecture, and proximity to Boston. With lots of inns and Airbnb options, it's a great getaway location. Whether your interest is in virtual or in-person instruction, please check out our Guided Independent Study. 
Suggestion Box: Do you have comments or suggestions you'd like to share with us? Perhaps a recommendation on a workshop you'd like to see offered? Have you encountered a difficulty in your calligraphy that you'd like us to address when we include our Calligraphy Tip of the Month write-up in the newsletter? Click our "suggestion box" to submit your suggestion or request. We look forward to hearing from you!
Discover Marblehead
Keep up with all the Marblehead events here.
 
Website
Email
Etsy shop
Facebook
Instagram
Copyright © 2026 The Abbey Studio, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
84 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA 01945
www.theabbeystudio.com
Shop Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5:00
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
May Events

The Abbey Studio
84 Washington Street | Marblehead, MA | theabbeystudio.com | 781.740.9000
May Happenings
🌺🪺🐝
Happy May! Spring oftentimes brings thoughts of birds and nature's awakening, so this seems a good time to share an image of a swan bestiary I was commissioned to create a few years ago. For those of you familiar with Boston, this little bestiary might also remind you of the swan boats that return each May to the lagoon in the Public Garden.

Bestiaries are among my favorite items to create - there's so much freedom in these illustrations! There's a link further along to the digitized version of this bestiary that is really fun to look at. There's also news about unbound manuscripts of The Raven, and an update on my folded-concertina manuscript, as well a few other interesting things.
Maryanne Grebenstein
Calligrapher & Lead Designer
Calling All Bookbinders - Unbound Manuscripts
Some of you may remember a couple of years ago when I created a hand-lettered manuscript of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven and ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. I printed a limited edition of 20 manuscripts, and had most of them bound for sale as books. I held back a few unbound manuscripts with the intention of making them available to the bookbinders in my audience. 
Shown here is an unbound manuscript, as well as some of the bound manuscripts utilizing hand-marbled paper from Chena River Marblers and bound by Stacie Dolan. Add your own creative touch to one of these single-signature, unbound, hand-lettered limited editions. Each manuscript is signed and numbered.
There are only three of these manuscripts available, so don't wait to reach out if you are interested. Please email to request pricing and details.
More About Bestiaries
Bestiaries are so much fun to create! Because many of the beasts contained in them didn't actually exist, what they look like can be left to your imagination! Contrary to what we might expect, bestiaries were not intended to educate the reader about the creature in the picture. Instead, they were intended to be used to tell moral stories - tales of good versus evil. For the swan shown here, I've taken inspiration from a manuscript in the Bodlean Library in Oxford, UK: M.S. Bodley 764.
If you'd like to see more images from this bestiary click here to view it in its entirety online.
Folded-Concertina Manuscript Update
Things are progressing! My little manuscript is at the bookbinder's awaiting finishing. It's a complicated structure and I hope these photos hint at how it's created - adding text to each panel. Some pages open up to a traditional left-right spread, like you would find in a book or magazine. But others open up to a top-bottom spread, similar to what you might find in a flip calendar. I hope these images give you a little clue as to how the book is constructed. Stay tuned for next month's update - I hope to share a video of how this works!
Our Etsy Shop
Have you visited our Etsy shop? We have stationery items, custom gifts, cards and notes, and a few framed or matted pieces, such as this lovely little 11" X 14"  original containing an excerpt from the song "Your Love For Me." Do you have an anniversary or wedding in your future? What a sweet romantic gift this would be! Check out the details here. 
Guided Independent Study
Try something new! Like, gilding perhaps (shown). Recently we've seen an uptick in interest in our one-on-one calligraphy classes. If you are among those looking to move away from group instruction, please consider our Guided Independent Study. It can be conducted virtually or in our studio & shop in Marblehead, MA, and the subject range is broad. Sessions can also be purchased in the form of a gift card in person at the shop, or online here.
Guided Independent Study can be structured for any level of learning - from beginners who have never picked up a pen, to experienced calligraphers looking for help with a particular project or wishing to learn a particular skill. People who have learned primarily from books and videos benefit greatly from Guided Independent Study as they receive specific feedback on how to properly use the tools to achieve consistency in their calligraphy.
Marblehead is a great destination with its picturesque harbor, historic architecture, and proximity to Boston. With lots of inns and Airbnb options, it's a great getaway location. Whether your interest is in virtual or in-person instruction, please check out our Guided Independent Study. 
Suggestion Box: Do you have comments or suggestions you'd like to share with us? Perhaps a recommendation on a workshop you'd like to see offered? Have you encountered a difficulty in your calligraphy that you'd like us to address when we include our Calligraphy Tip of the Month write-up in the newsletter? Click our "suggestion box" to submit your suggestion or request. We look forward to hearing from you!
Discover Marblehead
Keep up with all the Marblehead events here.
 
Website
Email
Etsy shop
Facebook
Instagram
Copyright © 2026 The Abbey Studio, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
84 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA 01945
www.theabbeystudio.com
Shop Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5:00
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.