Lettering Works - 2025 Year in Review
As we say goodbye to 2025, I am taking some time to round up highlights from the year and appreciate the life that I’ve been building for myself. I’ve always enjoyed creating my own path and my business has truly allowed me to do things my own way over these past nine plus years.
I’m so grateful to everyone who has followed along with my business journey on a monthly basis (special shoutout to those of you who have been around since my first monthly business journal back in January 2020, 72 whole months ago).
Wooden Signs at Logan Square Pilates and Core
Artist Reception at LSQP
Adobe Design Community Summit in San Francisco
Adobe MAX in Los Angeles
Artwork and daily drawing/painting practice
Chicago Pope sticker
Cover design for Logan Square 2025 Community Guide
Embroidered patches licensed by Adobe
Presentation at Adobe Create Now at SAIC
Field Museum
New sticker for the Field Museum with barcode
New Stickers from 2025:
My success in 2025 resulted from my continued commitment to bettering myself and my business. I’m always striving to learn, grow, improve, and optimize.
A lot of BIG things happened!
Top 25 Highlights from 2025:
Supplied 15,000 stickers to the Field Museum, complete with newly barcoded backs.
Shared my love of Omarcitos in Logan Square on a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives episode on the Food Network. I also designed a new fish jibarito sticker to celebrate.
Created 24 new wooden signs and had my first big art show in Chicago at Logan Square Pilates and Core. 40+ friends showed up to celebrate.
Created a “Make More Art” wooden sign and “I am an artist” neon sign for my high school’s art department.
Participated in Adobe’s Creative Apprenticeship Program as a mentor (twice) and shared my insights through a virtual Ask Me Anything and Spotlight Sessions podcast episode. I also participated as a panelist, portfolio reviewer, and career advisor for Adobe’s Creative Retreat in Chicago and a speaker at an Adobe Create Now at SAIC.
Created a Chicago Pope design to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV. It quickly became a best seller, so I offered it as a sticker, postcard, and magnet.
Was invited to go to San Francisco for a Adobe Design Community Summit.
Created the cover design for the 2025 Logan Square Community Guide.
Focused on working hyper-locally, which included creating a vintage and fashion-inspired sticker collection in collaboration with Vintage Frills, creating a series of six mini food stickers for Pixie & The Boy, trading with a local tailor, and doing a couple projects with the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce.
Fulfilled a total of 190+ wholesale orders on Faire and 65+ wholesale orders outside of Faire.
Developed branding for Westwind Strategies, Pierogi Papi, Jitterbug Sweets, and Lynch Lemonade Stand.
Was invited to attend Adobe MAX in Los Angeles and participated in the VIP Creative Professionals Community Summit. While attending Adobe MAX, I became an Adobe Certified Professional in Graphic Design & Illustration.
Took 51 half days and 36 days off throughout the year in addition to not working weekends.
Licensed my artwork to Adobe for embroidered patches. We created seven patches that featured my original designs.
Created artwork inspired by a favorite skincare brand and independent musician.
Participated in the 22nd cohort of NextLevel Exchange and met with my mentor, Steve, throughout the year.
Built relationships with new buyers at Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago History Museum, and Flyover Chicago.
Traveled internationally to Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico, and Madrid and Valencia, Spain. Traveled domestically to Tampa, San Francisco (twice), Port Royal, Denver, Portland, Los Angeles, and Boca Raton.
Participated in various groups including the Sunnyside Chats, AIGA Chicago, Chicago Graphic Design Club, Deeper Foundations Membership, Founding Females, and The Interweb.
Co-hosted Sunnyside Chats for a few months while Andi was on maternity leave.
Celebrated nine years in business and six and a half years in Chicago.
Presented to the Society of Typographic Arts on passion projects, Founding Females on passion projects, and NextLevel Exchange on branding.
Created custom designs for CourseLeaf, Jessica Lackey, Springdale Cemetery, Paper & Pencil Trivia, and Studio C Fitness.
Was featured in 9 podcasts and articles throughout the year.
Pierogi Papi Logo
Westwind Strategies Logo
Jitterbug Sweets rebrand
Lynch Lemonade Stand Logo
Client Shoutouts!
I worked with some of the best clients this year and am so grateful to companies big and small for trusting me to help with everything from wholesale orders to custom merchandise to custom logos and branding.
While I love all of my clients, I want to give a special shoutout to SSA Group and the Field Museum, Adobe, Jennifer Daly with Leapfrog Technologies, Flyover Chicago, Chicago History Museum, Garfield Park Conservatory, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Souvenir City Chicago, Hoypoloi Gallery, Tiffany of Westwind Strategies, Aaron of Springdale Cemetery, and Cathy of Studio C Fitness. Without all of you (and many more), I wouldn’t have this dream business of mine. Thank you!
Design inspired by Cocokind
Design inspired by Neev lyrics
Passion Projects are still our jam.
Passion Projects from 2025:
Custom designs for Cocokind
Custom designs inspired by Neev’s lyrics
Day trip to Hierve el Agua on Valentine’s Day
Daniel and I went to Mexico City and Oaxaca as a second honeymoon in February
We visited our friend Casey in South Carolina in April
Summer trip to Post Lake with the family in July
Emily’s Bachelorette party in Michigan City, Indiana
Shrek Rocks at Red Rocks in Colorado in August
A favorite meal in Madrid, Spain
Exploring Valencia, Spain for the first time in September
Celebrating Emily & Adam at their wedding in September
Visiting my friend Michelle in Portland in October
Adobe MAX with friends in Los Angeles in October
Visiting our friends Maris and Nick in San Francisco in November
Birthday celebrations for my mom in Florida in December
Travel in 2025 included six trips to Milwaukee and a trip to St. Louis to spend time with family, as well as trips to Tampa, Florida to visit a friend, Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico for a second honeymoon (separate from our Midwest Wedding Tour), San Francisco, California - once for an Adobe Summit and once to visit friends, Port Royal, South Carolina to visit a friend, Denver, Colorado to visit my brother, Madrid and Valencia, Spain for vacation, Portland, Oregon to visit a friend with my mom, Los Angeles, California for Adobe MAX, and Boca Raton, Florida to celebrate my mom’s birthday.
Most interacted with post on Instagram (110+ shares)
Most viewed post on Instagram (94,000+ views)
Interviews + Press Features:
I continued to prioritize interviews and press features in 2025 and was featured 9 times over the course of this year:
Meet Chelsie Tamms (Bold Journey)
Celebrating Chelsie Tamms and Lettering Works for Women's History Month (Sticker Giant)
Life & Work with Chelsie Tamms (CanvasRebel Magazine)
21 Tiny Pep Talks for You & Your Creative Business (Off The Grid Podcast)
Reimagining Value + Creating For a Cause with Chelsie Tamms (Dear Creative Mind)
Saturday Night @ The Twelfth Annual Amber Birthday Extravaganza @ W.E. Sullivan’s Irish Pub & Fare (Meanwhile Back in Peoria)
Founder Feature: Chelsie Tamms, Lettering Works (Founding Females)
When Two Heads are NOT Better Than One (Borrowed Time Podcast)
If you’d like to interview me about my creative and entrepreneurial experiences or are looking for an expert in the areas of creative marketing, branding, and passion projects - reach out!
Looking Ahead…
I am manifesting another successful year for Lettering Works in 2026. I am committed to continuing to focus on thoughtfulness and intentionality as well as making space for more rest and ease in both life and business. My approach of “fewer, better things” continues to resonate and I am excited to see where my tenth year in business takes me. After a year of rebuilding (especially with new buyers at some of my favorite gift shops), I am ready to grow more in 2026.
I will be prioritizing the following work in 2026:
Wholesale and custom merchandise with a continued focus on museum gift shops, as well as cultural attractions.
Rebranding established businesses and nonprofits ready for a refresh. And advising on how organizations can strategically bring in art to help them stand out.
Ensuring my services and offerings remain accessible to artists and creatives through my Artist Trade Program.
Stay tuned for more creative work to come. If you are in need of custom merchandise, branding, or creative strategy, you can get in touch and book me for a project via my contact form.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chelsie Tamms is an award-winning lettering artist and designer based out of Chicago. She is the owner of Lettering Works, a branding studio that connects businesses to their audience through creativity and strategy.
