Trading wood for paper

In 2017, I fell in love with hand lettering.

It was a way for me to unwind in the evenings and to be creative with my hands after a long day of looking at a screen. Eventually, I got to a point where I wanted to share and sell my work. I set up an online shop and attended craft/vendor fairs. My niche was hand lettering on reclaimed wood. I loved the imperfect beauty, untold stories, and textures of the roughed-up wood.

Then, in March of 2020, the world shut down.

For our house, it was long months of unexpected homeschooling and tons of family time with my 6 and 9-year-old sons.

The pause the pandemic forced on my business helped to slow me down and evaluate where I was and where I truly wanted to go. Although I find so much joy when hand lettering on a rustic wood surface, the routine I was falling into was not serving my family well. Attending shows on the weekends took me away from my kiddos. And storing my inventory in our three-bedroom ranch home was starting to feel intrusive.

I had been experimenting with watercolor lettering. I love the wild and imperfect ways the paint dries. When a custom order came in for a nursery sign, I suggested watercolor instead of wood. She loved the idea!

I mulled over this decision for months… And now, this is where I am.

I have taken down my online shop and donated my inventory of rustic reclaimed hand-lettered home decor to a local charity. I am hand lettering custom orders only. I encourage watercolor but will do wood if the Pittsburgh weather allows for the process of cutting/sanding/staining.

For more information and to see past work, please visit my Custom Orders page.