I'm using Pergamenata Paper and Yasutomo Sumi matte black ink with a #4 Mitchell RoundHand Nib.

Text is all written and has been proof read by my son. Now for the decoration. The design will be very simple. A border of gold vines enclosed in gold. Simple but elegant.

The ketubah is all done and can be seen as the latest entry on the Ketubah Gallery page. Now to my next project: a decorated Brachot Achronot.

Katriel Ketubah

I am creating a ketubah for Merissa and Benjamin as a wedding gift. The wedding will be bs"d January 11, 2009 in Atlanta, Ga.

Merissa wants a smallish document; a text about 9" x 12" with a simple border of brown, yellow and a splash of red.

The first step, after choosing a creme colored watercolor paper, is the laying out of the text. The smallest nib that I can write with, see well and still have crisp hairlines is a #4 Mitchell. Using quadrille paper to rough out the first lines, I find that I can write each entire name on a line of 9", so this can be the width of the text. Leaving about 4 inches for the top border, I mark the middle of the width of the paper. I then mark 4.5 inches on each side and draw vertical lines to mark the sides that will enclose the text. Next using a mm ruler, I measure and then draw the guidelines. I am now ready to start writing out the ketubah.