ss-kalm,

I tried to reproduce on my end and can't make it happen, even with your file.

questions (since you are obviously good at getting nice smooth styled curves):

How do you get them to be so smooth? Are you doing these freehand and then editing or using the shape editor tool?

If I try to trace over one of your curves, then apply a stroke to it, I wind up with one end that is way too fat and the other end disappears into oblivion - this is only made worse with the inner bevel that is needed to get that point running up the middle of the line/shape. How do you control the "taper" so well?