Tracy Ho: The Yorkshire calligrapher who was inspired to take up the art by Instagram

“It was 2018 when I first picked up calligraphy as a hobby – from Instagram, social media, seeing other people doing it and it made me so intrigued,” says Tracy. “I found it really relaxing and calming. Then, in 2020 when the pandemic hit I am so grateful I had calligraphy.”

Growing up in Malaysia, Tracy recalls ‘dabbling’ in arts and crafts when she was younger, but she never pursued art seriously, choosing science instead. She studied for her pharmacy degree through a twinning programme, studying for two years in Malaysia and concluded her studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Subsequent pharmacy roles brought her to Huddersfield and, eventually, York where she has settled with her husband Chris.

“I did calligraphy on and off then, after a year, I came back to it and started practicing more and more. I did some greeting cards for friends and my husband’s colleagues and that is when I decided I wanted to get more into it.”

By then, Tracy had invested in the specialist tools – the pointed nib pen and special inks – she needed to practice her art. She also took some online courses to help her improve her technique.

“I had all the tools at home so I started practicing and it took my mind off things - because I was working on the frontline, it really helped,” says Tracy. “It’s a bit like drawing, muscle memory and a lot of practice. You need to keep practicing and practicing. I wrote a journal in the Pandemic and that helped. It really helped my mind with my writing.”

She began researching online marketplaces to potentially showcase her calligraphy greeting card designs and began to think more about turning her hobby into a part-time profession. By 2022 she decided to switch from being full-time to a freelance pharmacist enabling her to focus on developing calligraphy as a potential career.

Seeing onsite engraving events on social media inspired Tracy to introduce another dimension to Cloudy Ink Designs – the brand born out of a meditative moment on the sofa.

“It took me a long time to think of a name. I was laid on the couch and was looking outside the window at the clouds and thinking ‘what about ink and clouds’ because clouds are symbolic of dreams.”

Since launching Cloudy Ink Designs in January 2022 Tracy has worked for brands including Dior and Jo Malone at live on-site engraving events within department stores including Browns in Beverley and York and Fenwicks in Newcastle. Perfume bottles, lipsticks and gift boxes are among the gifts to which she has added the personal touch using a portable electric hand-held engraver. “It’s similar to what nail technicians use but we use a different bur (tip). It needs charging and you use it like a pen.”

Being able to work diligently at speed is particularly important for the live on-site engraving events so as not to keep customers waiting as Tracy explains.

“I realised I wanted to do it faster because if you go to live events it can get quite busy so you need to produce nice work and do it faster so people don’t have to wait too long. Once you get used to it, it doesn’t feel that much pressurised and you know how the work flow goes.”

Watching art in motion is also entertaining for customers as Tracy explains. “People do enjoy watching it done in real life – it’s like a performance.”

Tracy also works with local brands – engraving beer mugs and personalising champagne bottles with calligraphy for Cut and Craft restaurants in York and Leeds.

“That was when I realised I could do this all the time. I like it when people see the name or personal message for the first time. It makes me feel the greatest satisfaction. When you see the reaction it makes you feel so happy and that is what I like about it.”

Tracy’s simple yet elegant hand-writing style combines classic and contemporary and puts the perfect finishing touch to cards and gifts celebrating any occasion. Calligraphy is also a mindful activity according to Tracy, whose long-term plan is to hopefully pass on the enjoyment, along with the benefits she has found through learning and developing her work, to others.

Sitting and artistically hand-crafting letters and words on to place cards, producing something personal and unique for the recipient to admire and enjoy is not only good for the creator’s soul, gifts with an artistically hand-written message also demonstrate the personal touch that can so often be over-looked through our reliance on technology.

“I have had a few more commissions this year to last year through my website and the commissions were about personalising things. I think, more recently, people have asked for calligraphy hand-writing. For my cards I use my iPad to design and with my Apple pencil it’s like writing on paper.”

Tracy also creates custom pieces with artwork for corporate branding or any special occasion at her home studio. Bags, bottles, champagne flutes, menu cards and wedding signage – she designed her own stationary for her wedding in September 2023 – are among her previous work.

Hot foiling is another service she provides. The process utilises heat, pressure and metallic foil to create a metallic sheen. “It’s basically using shiny gold and silver foil with a pen that heats up so when you write on it, it just sticks on the surface and you can personalise faux leather notebooks and luggage tags,” she explains. Among her plans for the future is the expansion of her range of hand-drawn wall quotes which she designs on her tablet.

“I am planning to do more digital prints that people can print off and download and put them in their homes,” says Tracy. Promoting a positive mindset is an important aspect of her work. “Tell yourself every day you can do it, you can make it.”

cloudyinkdesigns.com.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​