Sympathy Bracelet

For: Baylie
Occasion: In sympathy

Ann Banfield, a teacher and athletic trainer at my high school, passed away early this week of a rare brain disorder. Banfield was a very sweet woman and was extraordinarily helpful to me throughout my high school sports injuries. I had the opportunity to interview her for the school newspaper and learned that she was helping a young girl make bracelets to raise money for the disorder they shared. That girl's name is Baylie, and the two were very close. When I learned of Banfield's passing, I felt that I had to make a card for someone, and I thought the perfect way to honor her spirit would be to reach out to the young girl who had given her so much hope. (You can learn more about Baylie and the disorder here.)

My thoughts and prayers are with all of Banfield's family and friends.

Colorado Welcome

For: Claire
Occasion: Welcome to Denver

Claire is finally out in Denver!, and so I made her a welcome card. Fortunately for me, the Colorado state flag is the coolest in the union, and it features a "C," which just so happens to be the first letter of Claire's name. See above for the magical results.

I'm very excited that we get to be together out here, and I can't wait to go on all kinds of adventures!

Bookmark Birthday

For: Molly
Occasion: her birthday

Molly got her bachelor's degree in English as well, and so she and I became kindred spirits in the MSW program. For her card, I created a design for one of my favorite "booky" quotes by Longfellow: "The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books."

On the inside, the "Happy Birthday!" message is revealed, and the bookmark is ready to be taken out and used in a good read.

Once the bookmark is removed, the final message appears: "Happy Reading!"

Molls is a great role model and friend, and I really appreciate all her support. I hope she has an awesome day!

IT Band Birthday

For: my uncle Joel
Occasion: his birthday

The IT band, or Illiotibial band, is a muscle in the thigh that lots of runners have problems with if they do not stretch it properly. As my uncle is training for the Chicago marathon, and having a band of runners called the "IT" Band is the funniest thing I have ever heard of, his card features a singer and guitarist in running gear, standing in poses that would lightly stretch the muscle that is their group's namesake.

On the inside, the guitarist takes the full pose while smashing his guitar.
I hope my uncle has a great day, an awesome 16 mile run, and--of course--that he stays loose.

Hiking birthday

For: Adam
Occasion: his birthday

Adam is a Colorado native and loves hiking. I decided to make a paper version of the hiker symbol hiking up some brownish mountains. The yellow sky is deliberate: Adam got up at 1:45 AM last week to start a hike because he's that intense about it.

On the inside, the hiker symbol has summited, and in the process has acquired a birthday hat and balloon. I can't wait to go hiking with Adam and the entire Biegen clan in September!

Candle Card

For: my cousin Jimmy
Occasion: his birthday

For Jimmy's card, I thought it would be fun to make a cake that had candles spelling out his name. I have had this idea for a while, and tried it a few times, but I just needed the right person to make it work! The cake reads "Jimmy" all aflame.

On the inside, an H candle starts out the "Happy Birthday!" wish. I hope Jimmy has a great day and an awesome birthday cake!

Purple Wedding

For: Alyssa and Jeff
Occasion: their wedding

Alyssa and Jeff got married last weekend at a beautiful ceremony in Naperville. Their wedding color was purple, so I used my fancier purple papers and complemented them with some blues (and I got to use the glitter paper again!). The drawing of the couple looks a lot like them, and I think this card (just like the wedding) was a major success.
It was so great to see Alyssa and I was honored to be a part of their special day!

Seeing Flowers Birthday

For: Jennifer
Occasion: her birthday

Jennifer is and has been a big inspiration for me since I got to know her about four years ago. I really appreciate her support of me, especially this summer, and so I tried to capture her spirit in this card. The front features a flowery hill with a sunrise and the following quote by Matisse: "There are always flowers for those who want to see them." (She strikes me as someone who can always see the flowers.)

On the inside, after lifting the flowery field, you can see that the sun was actually another flower! The hidden message is "happy birthday!" I hope Jennifer has a wonderful day, and I don't think I'll be able to thank her enough for the great impact she has had on my life.

Headphones Birthday

For: Domi
Occasion: her birthday

Domi is a big music fan/dancer/all around cool person, so I figured I would feature some sweet headphones in her card this year. Between the ears of the headphones is her name, "Domi" in block letters with color splotches. The headphones are black and yellow because she's starting a PhD program at Mizzou!

On the inside, I used the same headphones concept, and the message this time is "Happy Birthday." And, just for fun, the headphone cable wrapped itself into a heart. I hope Domi had a great day!

Cruise Birthday

For: Aunt Marilyn
Occasion: her birthday

My Aunt Marilyn went on an epic Meditteranean cruise earlier this summer;  I really enjoyed reading of her travels in the emails she sent us, and so I decided to feature a cruise ship in her birthday card. One fun feature is that the smoke stacks are birthday candles!
I hope Aunt Marilyn had a great day and that this year brings her all kinds of adventure!

Paper Crane Birthday

For: my cousin Elly
Occasion: her birthday

For the second year in a row, Elly has created and orchestrated a peace rally to remember those lives lost in the events of Hiroshima. She plans this event on her birthday! Ells and her friends and family have been working tirelessly all summer to make and string 1,000 paper cranes, and so I decided to honor those efforts in her card. Along with the origami cranes, I decided to string her name, too!

On the inside, there is one crane and "Happy Birthday!" in origami letters. I am so, so, so proud of all the hard work Elly has put into this event, and just the awesome and caring young woman that she is. I hope the rally, and her birthday, is a huge success!

Hagrid Birthday

For: my cousin Jack
Occasion: his birthday

Jack is a big Harry Potter fan, and I read the first three books 10 years ago. I really liked Hagrid, and so here is my best rendering of that character, and his dog Fang, whose name Wikipedia helped me remember. The text reads, "Jack..."

On the inside, a simple message of "Giant wishes on your birthday!" This card was really fun to make, and I am surprised it took me this long to create a Harry Potter themed card. I'm glad Jack could be the first, and I hope he has a great day!