Member Feature: Boosaba Tantisunthorn

Say hey to our pal, B! Boosaba Tantisunthorn has been coming to SSLetters meetings since it was born and she’s one of our favorite Silver Spring enthusiasts. She grew up in the area, lives here now, and is one of it’s biggest cheerleaders. We love seeing her colorful, happy letters at our meetings, and we’re stoked that she’s going to be hosting our November recipe swap! Boosaba is also an amazing baker and a good person to go to for all your foodie needs. Get to know her and her lettering here, and come hang IRL at our November meeting!

How did you discover hand lettering?

I've loved hand lettering since I was a little girl - only I didn't know it had a name! I grew up in the 90's in Silver Spring. Bubble and 3-D letters were in, the "S" chain was the coolest party trick, and I could use my developing skills on all my class projects, like posters and trifolds. #throwback

How long have you been hand lettering?

I've been hand lettering since I was a little girl, but never thought to join a group until #SSLetters formed a few years ago. Because of #SSLetters, I would now describe myself as a hand letterer. I've learned that hand lettering is not just fancy, perfect calligraphy; there's a full spectrum of styles. Additionally, the community is welcoming to all skill levels. For a recovering perfectionist, all of this has been so freeing to discover and embrace!

Describe your hand lettering style.

My hand lettering style is easy-going/friendly and colorful. I'm also experimental. While I have my go-to styles, I also push myself to add to them by trying out new designs. Our childhood years are so important, and I think my style has something to do with my early obsession with Amelia's Notebooks (Who remembers those?! I still have mine.)

What are your favorite tools to hand letter with and ways to display hand lettering?

My go-to's are Tombow dual brush pens. Lately, I've been using the pen side for letter outlines and the brush side to fill them in. MICRON pens have been great for simple line drawings. A big, gummy eraser and pencil are also essential for laying out the composition of a piece. Finally, it's no secret I love all things Japanese, and recently I've picked up some MUJI pens that I'm really excited about.

How did you find SSLetters?

I learned of #SSLetters from Amina, back when it was just starting out.

What brings you back to SSLetters?

I love the community that the founders have created. The no-judgment, all-skills-welcome creative zone is exactly what I need in my life. So much of my work involves a computer, and it's important to me to get away from a screen once a month with friends to create something using my two hands. Bonus points that we are supporting a local business like Bump n' Grind when we meet!

What was your favorite SSLetters meeting that you attended and why?

I often talk about the #SSLetters meeting back at Catylator where we took our hand lettered designs and turned them into rubber stamps. It was neat to see the practical application of hand lettering and to see the entire project through in one meeting, from start to finish. I left with a hand lettered address stamp which I was then able to use for our holiday cards!

What inspires your lettering?

My hand lettering is inspired by hand lettering books I've seen over the years, lettering I see out in the wild, design accounts on Instagram, and fellow #SSLetters members.

Do you have any hand lettering projects that you're working on?

I'm pretty proud of a hand lettered sign I made for my friend Michelle & CJ's wedding. I also bought this magic rainbow scratch paper to share with my nieces and nephews at the beach this past summer. I drew everyone's names on a piece and I love how it turned out.

What do you do outside of hand lettering? Any special interests?

Thanks to my parents' influence, I'm a lover of plants. I practice yoga regularly; it's good for my body and mind. I love a good hike, and generally, to be outdoors soaking up the sunshine. My family and friends are very important to me, and I try to spend as much time with them as possible. It's hard to get me off the dance floor at weddings. And I live to eat.

What is your favorite letter, number or character to letter?

I think A's are pretty fun. Writing it in uppercase, and of course, the two ways to write the letter in lowercase means there are so many ways to approach it.

What is your most challenging letter, number or character to letter?

Capital I's in cursive never look right to me.

Thanks so much for sharing, B! Keep up with Boosaba’s adventures on Instagram @boosabella.