Thankssssssss...

For the last 8 months or so, I have been working on my senior thesis. It consisted of an incessantly long research paper, and was quite an arduous process. But, now it's all over, and I made a card!

For: Professor Murison, my thesis director
Occasion: Thank you



"just want to say"

The novel I used to frame my history of mid-nineteenth century female mental health was Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes. Long story short, it features a young girl, Elsie, who was bitten by a snake and acts out in very strange ways, arguably having hysteria. This is my interpretation of that character--she is spunky, dresses weird, and has bizarre powers over snakes because of that bite.




"thanksssssss!"

Elsie does not have a snake tongue in the story, but I thought it was too fun to pass up! (I hope I don't get points off for not being faithful to the novel.)

Take me out to the ball game...

Spring birthdays bring baseball-themed birthday cards!

For: my cousin Joel
Occasion: his birthday



"Joel..."
Made before I got my scanner, this card features the MLB logo with my cousin's name sneakily woven in. The inside read, "Hope you have a 'Major League Birthday!'"

For: my cousin Luke
Occasion: his birthday



Luke is the only Cubs fan in a family of 8 Sox fans. I thought it would be fun to put him in a old-timey baseball card for his favorite team. Go Cubs!?--I choose to stay out of Chicago baseball (Mom's a Cubs fan; Dad's for the Sox), but that won't stop me from featuring America's favorite past-time in my cards!

The birth of rivalry

For: Tim and Penny, my sister's Australian professor and his (New Zealander) wife
Occasion: they are pregnant!

Christy, my twin, went to study abroad in Australia last spring. She became very close to her professor, Tim. She found out last week that he and his wife are expecting, and asked me to make a card for them.



"Congratulations Tim & Penny!"

The blanket in this cradle is a New Zealand flag. The mobile features the Kiwi bird and the shape of New Zealand.



"Make sure you raise the first one right!"

Now the cradle's blanket is the Australian flag and the mobile has kangaroos and little Australias.

The two countries, Australia and New Zealand, have a pretty intense rivalry, and it extends to Tim and Penny's relationship. They spend their time in both countries, and have joked about how to raise the children, as "Aussies" or "Kiwis."
My sister wanted to touch on these jokes, ultimately having Australia win out, because she feels like an Aussie too.


I had so much fun with this card--it's very subtle, and I think it perfectly captures the rivalry. I can't wait to hear how they respond to it!

So they say it's your birthday...

Here are some birthday cards I've made lately. The last one was scanned, so it's a forwards image--hooray!

 For: My dad 

Occasion: his birthday

 

My dad is a canoe guide for Friends of the Chicago River. I thought it would be fun to have a relaxing river scene on the front and - surprise! - on the inside, give him a birthday cake and a party hat. My dad said he really liked it, which is good 'cause I really like him.

 

For: Anna, my roommate
Occasion: her 21st birthday
    Anna is an artist, so I thought it would be cool to feature her polaroid camera in her card. She got it our freshman year and takes lots of neat pictures with it. One of my favorite details in this card is the upside-down cakes in the lenses of the camera.

For: Jess
Occasion: her 22nd birthday 

 

Jess is an amazing chef, so a cooking card seemed appropriate! "Today has all the 'ingredients' for a great day...but your special touch makes it great! Happy Birthday!" I've been playing around with the concept of creation in my cards. In this one, there's all the ingredients for a cake, you open it up and--Voila!--the cake is done. I'm going to try to use it more because I think it's pretty neat. I love making birthday cards, so let me know when yours is and I will make one for you!

Tea and Tree Thank You

For: Monday Night Tea Group

Occasion: Thank you for letting the Morita group attend ceremony

A group of us in my counseling program are learning about a Japanese pyschotherapy called Morita. In order to see some of the principles in action, we went to a Japanese tea ceremony. The theme of that evening's ceremony was "One smile; One word." The card has a Japanese tea cup smiling on the front, and then saying one word, "Thanks," on the inside. It was a very moving and inspirational experience for us all.

For: Theresa
Occasion: Thank you/belated birthday






I missed my counseling instructor's birthday, and tried to think of something for her card for 6 months. She's a very complex person, and I didn't know what to put on her card. I decided to honor the impact she has had on my life. The card says "Theresa, thanks for helping me see the trees." We did a mindfulness walk for Morita, and I was able to see a bunch of trees I had never really looked at before. I was moved by the experience, and felt it would be a good way to honor her.

Share the love: this year's Valentines

Two friends from my counseling program commissioned me to make cards for their sweethearts. (The images are backwards because I didn't have my scanner yet!)

Alyssa's card for her fiance Jeff:

"Love, we've been so many places...and I can't wait to see where we go next! Happy Valentine's Day!"
This card features important locations for the happy couple:

the theater where they had their first date, a restaurant they frequented in Iowa City, the Big Ben, and a street where they got jaywalking tickets. The inside shows Water Tower Place where they were engaged and a Chicago skyline where they'll be living soon.

It was a lot of fun to research and to make, and I was honored to be a part of their love!

Jess's card for her boyfriend Pat:

"smelly, you stole my heart. happy valentine's day!"

This card was a special challenge. My only requirement was to include a butt in the card--something they have been putting on their valentines for years. I decided to make it a jail scene, where Pat could moon the cops on the inside.

The sign he's holding on the front says "J. Carrie Walker prison," named after Jess of course. His inmate number is the day, month, and year that they started dating.

I had to ask Jess so many questions for this card, the weirdest of which was how tall Pat is (I wanted to get the height right in the line-up!).

I got to make 5 outside cards (cards that aren't from me) for friends and family. I had a great time sharing the love!

The first card...

For: Richard, my client over the summer

Occasion: 72nd birthday

This was the first card I made with my "official" supplies. Richard always wore a plaid shirt and an Italia hat, so I recreated them for his card. His family got a kick out of it, and Richard seemed to like it (he had Alzheimer's, so sometimes it was hard to tell).

The letters in "Richard" are backwards because of the webcam shot. This isn't the most expertly executed card (look at those hap-hazard letters!) but I'm glad I have a record of it.

Because this was just the beginning...

2010: Year of the birthdays

For me, greeting cards are all about gratitude. They are a creative way for me to say, "Hey, I think you're great!"--and it's true: I do.

My card passion has turned into an obsession (or as I call it, a "card practice") over the past 9 months. I put special energy into my cards, and making them has given me new perspective on life, love, and friendship...you know, all the good stuff that should be shared.

That's what I want to do with this blog--share the cards I'm creating and get some positive energy flowing out there in the universe. And I'll have plenty to share: I have a goal to make a birthday card for every member of my family (some 90+ cards!) among all the thank yous, valentines, holiday, and congratulatory cards I make besides.

Four months into "Operation: Birthday," I have made seventy-five different cards or so; unfortunately, I only have pictures of a handful (and most of the early photos are mirror image, thanks to my laptop's webcam). I will share some of those early cards, and then be diligent with scanning the new ones I create.

So please, enjoy my work, and check back often for new creations!

Hearts and stars,

Debbie