Sandwich Birthday

For: My cousin Tommy
Occasion: his birthday

Tommy has recently become the manager at a deli, and so I decided his birthday was the perfect occasion to bust out a paper sandwich! The entire card is the shape of the sandwich, with all the papers being cut precisely to fit the sandwich shape I made on the cardstock. I really like the different patterns in the paper--though you probably shouldn't eat a sandwich that looks like this in real life.

I hope Tommy has a great day, and that this year he enjoys every sandwich.

Hercule Poirot Birthday

For: Aunt Mary
Occasion: her birthday

My Aunt Mary is a big Agatha Christie fan, so I decided to feature one of her famous detectives, the Belgian Hercule Poirot. Poirot solves every murder mystery with the help of his little grey cells, and so the text reads "with some cake, I could restore the little grey cells..."

On the inside, Poirot has acquired cake and will be well on his way to solving whatever mystery. I hope Aunt Mary has a great day!

Augie Doggie Birthday

For: my cousin Augie
Occasion: his birthday

My mom calls my cousin "Augie Doggie" after the cartoon "Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy" that ran in the late '50s and early '60s as part of The Quick Draw McGraw Show. I figured I would use the cartoon for his card this year. I love the image on the front of the card, because our Augie would have this same expression if he were trying to get something he wanted.

And on the inside, mission accomplished!: Augie Doggie (presumably) got a cake and party hat from the dear old Dad, oh Father of fathers, Doggie Daddy himself. While I was making this card, I YouTubed a few episodes and found them hilarious.

I hope Augs has a great day and gets everything he wants!

Birthday Mosaic

For: Brenda
Occasion: her birthday

Brenda is super passionate and intelligent and really driven (I'm pretty sure she was a triple-major in undergrad, and she's going to be starting a PhD in the fall--whoa!). For her card, I tried to create an image that celebrated Latina heritage and, of course, her birthday. This was really, really fun to draw and I didn't realize until after I'd finished it that I could be the one with curly hair in blue and she in red--and we're working together on the cake, just like our first workshop years ago.  Pretty cool!

On the inside, I tried to mimic the style of the front to write "Happy Birthday." I think it looks really sharp, and I hope Brenda had a great day!

Get well soon!

For: Becky/Mommy Curry
Occasion: Get well soon

Mommy Curry had her appendix out the other day. For her get well card, I drew Roxy, the Curry puppy, with some bandages and an ice bag on her head. The text reads, "Sit, Stay, Heal"--which is, of course, a hilarious take on the normal command, "sit, stay, heel."

On the inside, a simple "Get well soon!" I know it will be very hard for Becky to not be up and at 'em for a few days, but I hope she takes it easy and gets better quickly!

Wedding Butterflies

For: Aunt Katy and Sioux
Occasion: their wedding

My wonderful aunts Katy and Sioux got married this weekend! For their card, I sketched and water-colored a tree with their initials, wedding date, and a heart etched into it. There are butterflies happily fluttering by as well. I also glued a bronze-colored ribbon to add some class to the card, along with two little pearl buttons. I think it turned out beautifully, and I could not be more excited for them!

Engagement Tree

For: Sioux's friends Jane and Norm
Occasion: their engagement

Sioux asked me to make a card for her friends who recently got engaged. She gave me lots of information about them: they coach basketball, one plays volleyball, the other basketball, they both work at Lane Tech, and they have a new little dog. I decided to make a tree with all kinds of heart-shaped ornaments (basketballs, volleyballs, dog bones, and "LTs" for Lane Tech in green and yellow. The text reads, "congratulations on your engagement." I am particularly fond of how the background paper mimics the swirliness of the love tree.

On the inside, a simple message in keeping with the idea of the tree: "may your love continue to grow."

I had a wonderful time coming up with this design--I love getting requests for cards!

Calligraphy Birthday

For: Uncle Tom
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle Tom's birthday, I decided I would bust out my calligraphy set and create some classic birthday images. On the front, there is a balloon and a birthday cake, along with the "UNCLE TOM" so he knows it's for him.

On the inside, I calligraphied a slice of cake and the cake with a slice missing. The text reads "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" so he knows I hope it's a good one.

Hawaiian Birthday

For: Sandie
Occasion: her birthday

Sandie is spending the summer in Hawaii, and so I created a beach scene that I figure is every day of her life out there. The text reads, "Hau'oli La Hanau!" which means "Happy Birthday!" in Hawaiian.

On the inside, I drew a blue hibiscus, which is a rare and beautiful flower--just like our dear Sandie. The message is "Have a Great Day!" and if anyone deserves it, she does. Sandie is truly a rock star!

Grandma's Birthday

For: this year's stranger
Occasion: Grandma's birthday

Each year for my Grandma's birthday, I make a card in honor of her for someone who has a combination of her name and my name. I always associate cute birds with Grandma Jan, and so I drew a red bird who is very proud of his own bird drawing. I think it captures the idea I had of my grandma growing up--so supportive and appreciative of every noodle and glue concoction I ever made for her.

On the inside, the bird is making another work of art: this time, it's a heart drawing. The card's message is a simple "enjoy today"--words to live by if there ever were any. I miss my grandma a lot, and I hope she and this year's recipient like the card.

Kayak Birthday

For: Zach
Occasion: his birthday

Zach has started taking kayak lessons, as he'll be moving into the city very soon. Here he is, in his own Swedish umlauted A kayak. The paddles say "hey" and "zach," because if you have your own kayak, you might as well write messages to yourself on your gear.

On the inside of the card, Zach is paddling away, revealing that the backs of the paddles read "happy" and "b-day!" I hope Zach had a great day and that there are many days full of watercraft adventures to come.