Get it, Girl

Get it, girl. I love how women encourage and support other women. Maria requested this little custom note on her birthday tote and the message so resonant.

Recently I picked up Wolfpack by Abby Wombach and she says:

“Championing each other can be difficult for women because for so long we’ve been pitted against each other for the token seat at the table. Maintaining the illusion of scarcity is how power keeps competing for the singular seat at the old table, instead of building a new, bigger table.

“Scarcity has been planted inside of us and among us. This is not our fault – but it is our problem to solve. … .

“The Wolfpack’s belief is that scarcity is a lie. That power and success and joy are not pies. A bigger slice for one woman doesn’t mean a smaller slice for another. … We will celebrate the success of one woman as a collective success for all women.” 👏

I highly recommend reading Wolfpack. It is expansive and illuminating.

Tactile Lettering: G is for Gummy Bears

G is for girl on the go — and gummy bears! This month my star has been rising and I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities and abundance coming my way. It feels good to be coming in contact with radiant humans, to do work that fills my bucket and beautifies the world around me.

The idea with this G was to evoke a sense of forward propulsion, hence the gummies being thrown back. Benefit: they’re pretty tasty, too. Coming soon: H!

Plexiglass Wedding Seating Chart Arrangement

Processed with VSCO with n1 preset

Happy wedding day to our beautiful bride, Cammi! Cammi brought us the concept of white ink on plexiglass signage for her summer wedding and we were happy to oblige.

Seating chart arrangements like this involve more geometry than any other thing in a wedding calligrapher’s arsenal. A sign like this takes days to design, measure, chart and execute to ensure the an ideal amount of breathing room — hence the investment.

Because of the clear nature of plexiglass, I lettered the calligraphy on paper with watercolor in advance, cut it out, taped it to the back and traced over it using 4mm Molotow acrylic ink markers for the script headers. I printed out the names digitally then lettered them with 2mm markers. Scroll through to witness the process!

A few year’s back we did Cammi’s sister’s wedding signage and it was an honor to be referred and sought out for her wedding. It was an delight to be part of her big day!

PS: I wish the weather had cooperated to work outside. Alas! I brought this big girl outside to spray a final coat of varnish in a well ventilated area and changed out of my sweat pants for the final photo. 😜

Letter Together

Especially as a solopreneur, it’s such a treat to fall in step with other creatives. This happened in abundance at @letter_west in Salt Lake City in June, plus at the lettering meetups that we host in Seattle to bring people together. It’s a treat to celebrate each other and ourselves.

Back in 2016 I started hosting a lettering meetup to cultivate community and have met terrific local artists through this, including Jo at @theletteringcompanion who does a quarterly lettering meetup in Seattle. Jo and I were saying this week how lovely it is that we all support each other in this city and what a community we’ve cultivated. There’s room for all of us here.

Hi, I’m Sarah!

Hello from my home base in Seattle, WA! It’s been a minute since I came out from behind the camera / iPad and I’d be remiss to not extend some Canadian hospitality!

I’m Sarah, the woman behind Lark, and I have a love for bold accent walls in vibrant colors (exhibit A — also a chalkboard underneath the gallery wall).

When I had a fancy corporate job as a Lead Editorial Stylist at @zulily I wore a full face of makeup. Every. Single. Day. Foundation, powder, contouring eye shadow, blush, the full 9 yards. I’ve pared back my beauty routine big time in this season of my life to tinted moisturizer, concealer, brows, blush, and a cat eye.

Speaking of cats, we have 2 black cats and my flamenco name is “La Gata”, meaning The Cat. If you find cat fur in your deliverable from me, I apologize in advance. 🙀

I’m a voracious reader and just wrapped Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, a decade long study of desire in three American women’s lives. It’s raw, heartbreaking, profound, and makes me want to start a book club all over again to talk to other women about it. Highly recommend.

On my desk right now is a ton of clear acrylic for a wedding I’m working on and I’m using a blend of Molotow markers and Daler and Rowney acrylic ink.

Say hello and share something about you in the comments below!

Tactile Lettering: A is for Asparagus

And the tactile lettering alphabet begins! A is for asparagus, and these beauties were sourced from our local Burien Farmer’s Market. After the shoot we grilled these bad boys up and got ’em good and charred. Who says you can’t play with your food?

I’ve styled out a few letters of the alphabet and it’s been a blast! For years I was an ecommerce editorial stylist so I’m used to working with my hands on set. To blend that with my love of lettering? I’m in heaven!

Happy Summer

Welcome, old friend. Got a head start on summer spending the last week in Albuquerque and its dry 90° heat! 🏜🌞

What are your favorite summer past times? I’m a summer baby so this time of year makes me feel alive!

Back to School

This week I’m at a dance festival in New Mexico, before that I was at @letter_west in Utah, and it’s pushing my mind and my body to adapt and evolve. It’s like I’m back at school again! What have you been learning?

You can follow my stories at @saraheward for more of the flamenco festival!