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 I love to do and it 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 by Mary Kay Shanley 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 created this company after my two passions..artichokes and ink.

A few years into it my client list extended beyond brides to include authors, event planners, philanthropists, politicians, and soon I started receiving calls from companies asking me to help address envelopes for marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that the scale of these projects far exceeded my ability to deliver.

My husband and I set out to find a way to accommodate this new clientele. We embarked on a project that would deliver a high-quality replica of my handwriting. 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. Our Prickly Pen process reverses hurried address abbreviations so that full street names, cities, and states are displayed. The artwork for each address is sent to Adobe® Illustrator® for Pantone® color matching and then mastered and published using Adobe® InDesign®. Each address is then printed at 1200 dpi onto the medium using our high-end commercial LED printers keeping the envelope flat and applying a minimal amount of heat. Whether it is one or one hundred thousand addresses, the final result is the creation of a truly personalized experience for each recipient.

So the next time you face the challenge of tearing away at the prickly petals of an artichoke, remember that inside awaits a soft and tender heart.