Blog Archives

In Progress

by Sara McNally | April 22nd, 2013

The other day I was looking through our archive of photos and stumbled upon a folder titled “In Progress.” It had photos of our old studio, our press moves, refurbishing projects, etc. The photos made me feel rather nostalgic. Looking at them reminded me of our beginnings and how exciting (and scary!) every step of this journey has been. I’ve been feeling a bit discouraged, so it was a really sweet encouragement to look back and see how far we’ve come. We’ve made a ton of progress, and continue to forge onward. I didn’t share many of these photos when they were taken, but i’ll share them now. They’re an honest look at the messy side of things, and I really kind of like them right about now!


The epic 619 crack Continue reading  

March Update

by Sara McNally | March 11th, 2013

Hello friends, today I have a brief update for you on life in general. Lots going on, and not enough time to blog (as usual), but you can keep up with me on Instagram or Twitter if you’re so inclined.

I’ve been hard at work on our new card line (yay!), and i’m having a blast. It’s been really necessary to get out from behind the computer to get the creative mojo going. I’ve been doing some copywriting and research from home (with cats), client design work at coffee shops, walking and thinking in the sunshine, and lots of play in the studio. This new line is truly a love letter to life, and I couldn’t be happier with where it’s headed. I don’t want to spoil the big launch, so it’ll stay pretty secret – but I’m excited to show you some strategic sneak peeks as we go along.

It’s been really important lately to keep reminding myself what my priorities are for life and for Constellation. Urgent things pop up, and opportunities present themselves that will completely derail things if I let them. I’m NOT Superwoman, and I can’t do everything. Saying no is really important asset. So i’ve been doing my best to remember where i’m headed, what I want to be doing, and what things are priority one. When my priorities are in order, life really does feel sweeter.

Our First Constellation Baby Shower!

by Sara McNally | February 8th, 2013

Hello friends! This weekend I had the pleasure of throwing a baby shower for my best friend (and administrative assistant) Holly! I had a ton of fun organizing the party and pulling together all the details. The idea was to get dressed up and have a fun & classy “mocktail” party for the ladies. I stuck to a palette of classic yellow & gray for the party (the colors Holly chose for the baby’s bedding) so she can use some of the decorations for the baby’s alcove! (More to come on that later, Holly has a fun blog post planned.) Check out my Pinterest inspiration board to see how I started planning, and click “continue reading” for lots of photos of how the party turned out! Continue reading  

Constellation Goes Old School at Klondike Penny’s

by Sara McNally | February 5th, 2013


I have two things for you guys today: 1) an awesome date idea, and 2) some big news!

Klondike Penny’s is an awesome old time photo studio a few blocks away from us in Pioneer Square. I’ve been asking Brad to get old timey photos with me for years, so for my birthday last month he gave me a super sweet “coupon” for a photo adventure! I redeemed my coupon this weekend, and we had so much fun playing dress up in their gold rush era costumes! It was like stepping right into Pioneer Square’s past. Can you imagine me operating a printing press in this dress? Too funny.

I would seriously suggest taking your sweetheart over there for some old timey Valentine’s Day photos! The folks at Klondike Penny’s are super friendly and their costumes are so beautiful. I wanted to wear everything! (Especially the hats!)

Now here’s the extra exciting part: the great folks at Klondike Penny’s are looking to expand the mercantile section of the shop and have given us the opportunity to join them! Their shop is a such a great fit with the era of our presses and the feel of our products that we’ve agreed take them up on the offer! A large selection of our products will be available for retail purchase at Klondike Penny’s just in time for art walk this coming Thursday. If you’re here in Seattle, make sure to come out and buy something for your sweetie!

Always Learning: Wood Engraving Classes!

by Sara McNally | January 28th, 2013

Hello friends! I had a really wonderful morning, and I want to tell you about it.

For my birthday a few weeks ago, Brad gave me unlimited wood engraving lessons with Carl Montford! Carl is absolutely a master of his craft, and I am honored to call him a friend. He was the “matchmaker” who brought us together with the seller of our first press, and he even helped us move the press into our studio (not an easy task). Carl is an absolute treasure of the letterpress community, and I am so excited to be learning from him!

The photo above is the progress of my first engraving project. I’m working on an anchor image and using a Resingrave block. I learned so much in just the first three hours. It’s so exciting to be learning a new skill from such an amazing artist. Cherish is taking classes as well, so I’ll see if I can get her to share her progress too. I’ll keep you posted as we progress!

What are you learning in this new year? Please comment. :)

WA State Sites & Sights

by Sara McNally | November 9th, 2012

A few weeks ago, Brad’s mom & dad came to visit us in Seattle. I was sick as a dog with bronchitis (which I had for over a month, yuck!), but it was still a fun time! I love having out of town friends & family visit us – it gives us the opportunity to explore our beautiful state anew! We took a day trip across Puget Sound to see the sights/sites on Whidbey Island, and drove back across Deception Pass on the way home. It was a drive Brad and I had never taken before, and it blew our minds. I don’t think i’ll ever get over how beautiful fall in Washington is. It’s just…beyond. We recently got a new camera (yay!), so we’ve been documenting a lot more of life. Click “continue reading” for more photos! Continue reading  

Don’t Miss Cosmic Sans!

by Sara McNally | August 17th, 2012

Cosmic Sans has sprouted legs and taken off running! Submissions are coming in every day, and we are so impressed by what our fellow space lovers are coming up with! This show is going to knock your proverbial socks off. Look at this sneak peek:


Insane, right!? Yes, that is Zoidberg! (Left by Zac Schwiet, right by Lisa Schneller) And that’s just the beginning. We’ve got light sabres, space monkeys, and Gordon Freeman’s crow bar coming your way!

So here’s what you’re going to do.

1) Plan to come to the show. And then do it!

2) Print out this flyer and hang it up somewhere that nerds cool people will see it.

3) RSVP that you’re coming on our Facebook event so we can make enough space snacks for you.

We can’t wait. We’ll see you there!

Our CreativeMornings Talk

by Sara McNally | August 13th, 2012

CreativeMornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series for “creative types.” Each event is free, includes a 20 minute talk & 20 minutes of Q&A, and brings together creative folks to share their work and experiences. CreativeMornings was started in New York City in 2009 by Tina Roth Eisenberg (SwissMiss), to create an “accessible, inspiring morning event for people to meet.” We’re big fans of CreativeMornings – we love attending the Seattle events, and enjoy impromptu CreativeMornings in the office, listening to the wealth of content available from all over the world!

July’s Seattle CreativeMornings was hosted at Maker’s Space, a rad new coworking space in downtown Seattle, and featured a talk by us! (Crazy, right!?) These photos of the event are by the lovely and talented Jenny Linquist.

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Introducing: “Organically Yours”

by Sara McNally | June 29th, 2012

We are proud to introduce Organically Yours, a series of letterpress greeting cards with corresponding seed packets, produced in collaboration with Seattle Seed Company! Sander, the owner of Seattle Seed Co., contacted us awhile back about some printing work, and it didn’t take us long to realize our companies were made to collaborate!

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We’re in the Seattle Times!

by Sara McNally | April 30th, 2012

We were so excited to zip down to our local bookstore and pick up Sunday’s paper – because look, it’s us! (Well, it’s our logo, Josephine the printing machine, and Sara…sweeping.) The Seattle Times has been in touch with us and our studio mates since before the big move, and it’s great to see the story finally come out.

If you missed the ink and newsprint version, you can read the article online here. There are also several more photos and an audio clip here. Continue reading  

Saint Patty’s Day Inspiration Board

by Sara McNally | March 17th, 2012

In honor of the great holiday that is upon us (and the sudden appearance of Spring green in Seattle), I present to you: two green things that I like.

I really like this Mini Textured Felted Wool Bundle from Purl Soho. They die several fabrics the same color for a unified palette that you can use in all kinds of fun crafty projects. I would love to make a quilt like this. (When I learn how to quilt.) I also really like this sweet terrarium by weegreenspot on Etsy. It’s inspired by the Irish landscape, and even has a “wee” felted sheep. It’s way too cute. My desk would love to have it.

If it would ever stop raining, i’d take some pictures of the Spring-y goodness that is happening all over our fair city right now. But, alas: the rain pours on. At least it’s good for all those daffodils that are blooming!

Snow Week!

by Sara McNally | January 23rd, 2012

Last week we had the rare pleasure/challenge of a LOT of snow. Seattle rarely gets much snow (the first year we lived here, it didn’t snow at all), so when it does, it’s exciting. It’s also dangerous, as we have lots of hills and very few snow plows. But those two elements (fun + danger) equal a stay at home snow week! We worked from home as much as possible – although most things I do aren’t really portable, so there was lots of time to enjoy reading, knitting, cat snuggling and snowy walks. Continue reading  

Urban Craft Uprising – Winter Show 2011

by Sara McNally | December 8th, 2011

We made it back from our Florida trip just in time to set up for the Urban Craft Uprising winter show! We did the summer show this year, so we assumed that we knew what to expect. But instead… holy 10,000 people, Batman! Our expectations were far exceeded – the amount of people in attendance was astounding, and we were busy all day, both days. We really had a great weekend. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came out to see us!

For those of you who couldn’t make it, here are some photos of our booth (taken by our stellar intern, Jenny).

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Then & Now

by Sara McNally | October 24th, 2011

Brad and I wandered into our favorite Pioneer Square antique store, Fairlook Antiques, on lunch break the other day. We knew better. We knew it was dangerous. But we did it anyway. And, as usual, we walked out with goodies.

We were really excited to find this Seattle postcard (left), showing the view up Cherry Street from 1st Avenue. The first building on the left is our new building! I took this iPhone photo (right) from approximately the same spot. I love seeing how little has changed! Continue reading  

Dress the Printer!

by Sara McNally | September 19th, 2011

Recently Seattle was listed as #6 worst dressed city in the world. And you know, I kind of get it. Seattle’s really laid back about work dress codes, and comfort is #1 for most people. We really love our plaid shirts and windbreakers here. (And I won’t even mention the outfits that can be spotted in especially hipster areas or on the Microsoft campus. They’re shocking.) Personally, I spend most of my time doing an inky, greasy job. While printing, I live in old band tee shirts, hoodies, stained/torn jeans, and sneakers that have seen better days. I’m definitely a fashion offender. It just doesn’t seem important to get “dolled up” to stand in front of my press. She doesn’t judge.

HOWEVER… I really do appreciate fashion. I love wearing simple, classic, well made clothes. It’s an issue of time and effort. Most days, it just doesn’t happen – i’m up and gone and onto the next thing. But on select non-print days, or days with client meetings, I really enjoying dressing up. It doesn’t happen often enough. (And it’s probably time to start acting like the owner of a growing business. Down with grunge.)

So, in honor of cleaning up Seattle’s fashion reputation, here’s a new segment of the blog called “Dress the Printer!” As a child, I loved playing paper dolls – meticulously cutting them out and carefully choosing their outfits. This is kind of like that. When i’ve chosen a particularly non-grungy outfit, i’ll document it (for posterity!) and share my shopping sources. Hopefully it will be fun for you and inspire me to fashion success! Let’s get Seattle off that list… who’s with me?

Pencil Skirt and Sweater from the Gap Outlet
Boots by Clarks (last season)
Necklace by Yellow Owl Workshop
Iphone Case by Tech Candy

New Studio Location

by Sara McNally | September 8th, 2011


Photo from an article on the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerence

Constellation & Co. has officially found a new home! We will soon be moving with several other SixNineteen artists to another historic building in Pioneer Square. Our new studio will be located on the 2nd floor of 110 Cherry Street, on the corner of 1st and Cherry. The new floor of studio spaces will be named “57 Biscayne,” a clever and timely nod to a line of Joni Mitchell song lyrics. 57 Biscayne also has available studio spaces, if you’re looking. Join us!

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Here’s to all of us.

by Sara McNally | September 2nd, 2011

Bear with me for a moment, It’s going to get sentimental up in here.

In January of 2008, Brad and I came to Seattle for the first time with our friends Ron & Jesse. We were all really good friends, hanging out in Sarasota and working on design projects together. I can’t recall what initially inspired to spend our winter break in the Northwest – but I’m so glad we did! We walked up and down the city, took a lot of pictures, and didn’t want to leave. We only spent 2 days in Seattle (before heading down to Portland and other parts of Oregon), but those 2 days were enough. We fell in love. Continue reading  

Wayzgoose 2011

by Sara McNally | August 30th, 2011

This weekend we participated in the 10th annual Wayzgoose event at the School of Visual Concepts. (For general Wayzgoose info/history, check out our previous blog post.) SVC is a great school with relevant classes on web topics, digital media, advertising, etc., as well as a full print shop, offering letterpress classes each quarter. (The best of both worlds, I’d say!) SVC is also the host of the Seattle Wayzgoose, and has been for 10 years!

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Elevated Envelope

by Sara McNally | August 22nd, 2011

Tara, a local letterpress printer and owner of Ephemera, put together a super fun envelope exchange called “The Elevated Envelope.” The theme was “summer,” and the envelopes had to be mostly handmade and definitely creative. We decided to join in the fun, and signed up (before the giant move fiasco came to be). With all that’s going on, the deadline snuck up on me (why does this always happen to the fun stuff!?), so we put together a pretty restrained envelope. Had I more time,  it would have been much more elaborate – but instead of what i’d initially planned, I went with a theme that is the the theme of my life lately… Summer Time Flies! (And hey, sometimes restraint isn’t a bad thing.)

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Coming Soon!

by Sara McNally | August 17th, 2011

We are excited to announce that we’ll have a table in the letterpress marketplace for the 2011 Seattle Wayzgoose! We’ll be in good company with 20+ vendors, offering their best letterpress goodies for perusal and purchase.

Wayzgoose is a tradition in the printing world that goes back to the days of working by candlelight. Each year on or around St. Bartholomew’s Day (the 24th of August), a wayzgoose would be given by the master printer to mark the end of summer and the start of the darker winter season of working by candlelight.

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619 Western

by Sara McNally | July 20th, 2011

Constellation & Co. moved into the 619 Western Artist’s building in January of 2011 – 101 years after the building was built in Pioneer Square.

619 was built in 1910 during an economic boom after the Alaskan gold rush. The building was used as a multipurpose warehouse and was the site of light manufacturing. Fishing nets, coffee beans and tavern punch cards are a few of the products that have been stored & made on the premises. In the late 1970′s, the first artists moved their studios into the building. Currently, more than 100 artists have studios in all six stories of this historic building. For more information on 619′s history, please visit the official 619 site.


The first Thursday of every month, the 619 Building is open for the Pioneer Square Art Walk which brings crowds of art lovers to the neighborhood. The 619 building has long been considered the epicenter of this monthly event, with the largest concentration of artists’ studios and gallery spaces in one building.

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Urban Craft Uprising Vendors

by Sara McNally | July 13th, 2011

We loved browsing the Urban Craft Uprising. Our fellow vendors were super talented, and offering such exciting things! Here are a few of our favorites.

Heather of Material and Movement makes beautiful jewelry from recycled vintage china. Her pieces are beyond beautiful, and definitely on my wish list.

Alexa of Foamy Wader has delicate and fun jewelry. This axe necklace has me written all over it. I visited it several times throughout the show – too bad my birthday isn’t coming up!

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Our Urban Craft Uprising Booth!

by Sara McNally | July 12th, 2011

This weekend we were a vendor at the Urban Craft Uprising! We attended our first summer show right after we moved to Seattle two years ago, and we loved it! At the time, Brad and I shared a daydream/goal of selling at the show, and we were so excited and pleased to see that come true this weekend!

We’ve done small shows in the past, but this one is the best, and we wanted to rise to the occasion! We built a display shelf from scratch. It was a fun project, but it taught us that we definitely prefer working with paper than with wood! Nonetheless, we really like how it turned out, and it was so fun to see all of our new designs displayed.

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Locket Studios

by Sara McNally | June 29th, 2011

Last week, I had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with Locket Studios. Chris & Tara Bowden (the creative pair behind the studio), are an incredibly talented couple. She’s a hair & makeup artist, and he’s a wedding and portrait photographer. They work together seamlessly to create classic, elegant, and memorable photo shoots. I’m typically not super comfortable in front of the camera, but they put me right at ease. Tara made me feel so beautiful, and Chris gave really helpful, respectful direction. They are a total joy to work with. We are blessed to call them friends, but on a completely professional level can suggest them wholeheartedly for your wedding or portrait session. In fact, we’re planning anniversary portraits with them soon.

There are a few more photos from our shoot on the portrait section of their site. And on a side note – I’m so far from a model, it’s funny. I’m more often found covered in grease than covered in makeup – but it’s definitely a fun change to play dress up!

Sondre Lerche

by Sara McNally | June 26th, 2011

Brad planned a “surprise date” for us on Saturday night. I had no idea where we were going, and the suspense was killing me! We’ve been super busy lately (pulling nights and weekends at the print shop), so this was a super special treat for us. We walked up to the Crocodile in Belltown, and Brad told me that we were seeing Sondre Lerche in concert! Due to the magic of twitter, Sondre added Brad’s name to the “list” for a plus one, so we only had to pay for one ticket! (Big win for the McNally budget.)

If you haven’t heard Sondre, do yourself a big favor and check him out. We first heard his music right after we got married, almost 2 years ago. His album Heartbeat Radio was the soundtrack of our newlywed fall & winter. I have such strong memories of that period of time, and that album is unbelievably dear to us. It’s joyful and sentimental and sad, just like those months. I started working a really tough job right after we got back from our honeymoon – it didn’t pay the bills, and required unbelievably long hours. For 3 months, I walked to work in the dark and left work in the dark. It was a tough couple months career-wise, a wonderful couple months newlywed-wise, and Heartbeat Radio was just right for all the complexities of that season of our life.

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Vintage Finds: Eyeglass Frames

by Sara McNally | June 20th, 2011

These fabulous eyeglass frames came in the mail from Brad’s grandparents’ home in Michigan. His grandmother likely wore them in the 50′s. I’m not nearly hipster enough to wear them, but they are so charming and have won a place in our home. I really like things that are instant collections – perhaps i’ll frame them in a column like this and enjoy them on the wall.

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Open House!

by Sara McNally | March 1st, 2011

Hello Friends! We’re preparing for an Open House at our new studio in a few weeks, and you’re invited! If you’re in Seattle (or willing to travel), we’d love to see you there. Come see where we work, what we do, and enjoy an evening with us. We genuinely believe in an open door, open heart policy – we want you to know us, and we want to get to know you. This is an opportunity to celebrate this new step for the company with old friends, and make new friends!

If you’d like to receive your own limited edition letterpress invitation postcard, e-mail us your address: hello AT constellationco.com

Our Shop!

by Sara McNally | January 28th, 2011

We are very excited to announce that we’ve found a space, bought a press, and set up our own letterpress shop! It was a major new year’s resolution for us, and we’re so excited that it’s come to fruition. We’ve spent January scrubbing, painting, renting equipment, and taking daily trips to Home Depot for wire brushes, steel wool, and WD40. Here are a few before & after shots of our new baby, Josephine the Printing Machine! We’re still doing the finishing touches on the shop, but we have a big open house planned for the first Thursday in March. We’ll send out a formal invite once the details are in place. Put it on your calendar, we’d love to see you there!

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We’re at Nancy!

by Sara McNally | December 13th, 2010

We’re happy to announce that there’s a new place for our Seattle friends to shop for Constellation & Co. products! Come by and see our new calendars, holiday cards, coaster ornaments, and more at Nancy, a great local shop for handmade goods and art pieces. Nancy is located in Belltown on 2nd Avenue between Virginia & Stewart (next to the Moore theatre).

We’re a Great Find!

by Sara McNally | September 3rd, 2010

We are excited and pleased to have our cards featured at Lucca Great Finds! Lucca is located in the historic Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. It features a ceiling full of chandeliers, an enchanting garden, a great selection of vintage inspired home goods, and a wonderful room full of cards, ribbon, wrapping paper, etc. Lucca is one of our most favorite Seattle shops – there’s always something new to discover. And now, you can discover us! Come by and check it out – and tell them we sent you!

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Wayzgoose 2010

by Sara McNally | September 1st, 2010

Last weekend, we had the great fortune of participating in the School of Visual Concepts’ Letterpress Wayzgoose!

Wayzgoose was traditionally a day given by a master printer to his workmen each year on or about St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 24th. This day marked the end of summer and the point at which the season of working by candlelight began. (Think tiny pieces of lead and no light…) Ironically enough, this week got dark and rainy – fall has been ushered in, and it came riding a steamroller.

The festivities included an equipment swap, a letterpress marketplace, shop tours, printing demos, and the Steamroller Smackdown! The smackdown consisted of several teams (made up of some of the best design firms & organizations in the city), a 2 ton steamroller, and giant linoleum carvings.

We shared a booth with the lovely Rebecca Mullins of Myrtle Alley Press, and Bethany Sahlberg of Sugabug. Here are some photos of our booth & smackdown poster – we had a blast!

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