Words by Sheryl Nonnenberg
When Eilish Lancaster was growing up in Dublin, she made most of her own clothes. As one of six children—“a typical Irish family”—necessity dictated that she become handy with a sewing machine, she explains. From these humble beginnings came a love for anything handcrafted, which eventually led to a second career as the owner of Lark San Carlos.
A redhead with a lilting accent, Eilish studied computer science in college and left Dublin for a job with Microsoft. “I was lucky, because I got sent to San Francisco, rather than the headquarters in Seattle,” she says. She worked for the company from 2000 to 2011, then left for a short stint at Amazon, followed by a decade at Google. Eilish enjoyed her work, but says she was ready for a change.
After walking past a shop in San Mateo that offered classes in working with leather, Eilish explored it as a hobby. “I love working with my hands and learning by doing,” she says. When she enrolled in a class in leather crafting at Lark in downtown San Carlos, she met Angela Kalayjian, the store’s owner. Angela had recently announced plans to sell the business and Eilish jumped at the chance for a new career direction. “Opening a store wasn’t necessarily my plan, but I just took it as an opportunity,” she says. “I didn’t have to start from scratch and if I was ever going to do it, it was handed to me on a platter.”
In January, Eilish took over ownership of Lark and quickly began putting her own stamp on the gift shop by focusing on handcrafted goods made by local artists. Through her work on the board of Art Bias, an artist’s collaborative in Redwood City, Eilish was familiar with many artists in the area. She invited some of them to show their art at Lark and soon began hearing from other craftspeople. “Artists are very connected to each other through markets and fairs,” she explains. In less than a year, Eilish says that she has increased the number of artists represented at Lark from 10 to around 40.
Wander around the thoughtful displays that reveal a wealth of works in media including jewelry, ceramics, paintings, woodcrafts, photography and stationery. Eilish says she’s very willing to try things out to see if they will sell. Her experience in the last year has shown that while gallery art (which gets changed monthly) does not sell quickly, “table runners do really well.” Jewelry and other small items have also been very popular. She appears to be on the right track, since Lark was voted the best gift shop in the 2025 Best of San Mateo Awards.
As she gets to know her clientele and strives to offer the right items at the right price point, Eilish is determined to stay true to her goal of offering hand-made objects by local artists and running a store that is ecologically friendly. How does a small shop compete with online giants like Amazon and Etsy? Eilish concedes that trying to run a viable brick-and-mortar business is extremely challenging. “I am not trying to compete with online. I am trying to sell things that are unique and local … things you can’t buy elsewhere.”
Another challenge has been learning how to run a retail business largely on her own. Eilish is the sole person staffing the store every day except Sunday, when she hands it over to a part-time assistant “so I can have a cappuccino with my husband.” She is quick to point out that running the store alone does have its advantages. “I can change what I am doing and shift my focus without having to refer to anyone else. I can be independent and active, so it makes it quite fluid.”
Originally drawn to Lark for a leather workshop, Eilish says she was eager to expand the workshop program. “It fits with what I want the store to be about: meeting people and making things.” There is a regular schedule of classes held on Wednesday evenings, which include making leather totes with Eilish and watercolors with one of the artists whose work is sold in the store. The classes are held in a room behind the shop floor and are small in size, partly due to space considerations but also because she wants students to get individual attention. “It means it can be more personal,” Eilish says.
Recently, she has branched out with offerings that have a wellness focus, like sessions with a life coach and a healing sound bath experience.
Participants hear about the workshops through the store’s website and Instagram. Eilish’s former career in high tech has helped with getting the word out. “I know some of the tricks to getting yourself to show up in the search rankings,” she says with a smile.
Her first Christmas season running Lark will be a learning experience but Eilish plans to present the best in handcrafted goods to customers. “I don’t like waste and disposable things, so there will be some holiday items but things that can be used year-round.” She hopes people will make the trip to Lark with their shopping list. “You are supporting local artists and helping that community to grow and thrive.”
From learning how to sew as a teenager to working in high tech and, now, to owning a store full of handmade objects, Eilish says it feels like life has come full circle. With Lark, she’s able to share the joy of making things while offering a showcase for her fellow handcrafters and artisans. “Craft is important,” she says. “It helps us appreciate our hands as well as our brains.”