Owl Birthday

For: Alyssa
Occasion: her birthday

Alyssa loves owls, and so here is a drawing of her very own birthday owl. His name is probably Herbert, he's very wise, and he's wearing a party hat.

On the inside, Herbert found some balloons that are  lifting him off his branch. I love how nonchalant Herbert looks about his upcoming space travel.
The text reads, "Alyssa, hope your day is a 'Hoot!'"
I miss her so much, and hope she didn't mind the owl pun!

Birthday Presence

For: Theresa
Occasion: her birthday

Theresa is into all kinds of meditation, yoga, and holistic good-for-you activities. Here she is meditating on her yoga mat. (I think the paisley background helps set the tone for enlightenment.)

On the inside, she's in Virabradrasana or Warrior II with the birthday paraphernalia of a party hat and gift. The text reads, "wishing you all kinds of 'presence' on your birthday!" Oh, yoga jokes.

I miss Theresa so much and hope she has a great birthday!

Hawaiian Shirt Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

My uncle has a pretty excellent collection of Hawaiian shirts. I decided to create one for his birthday card this year! The tag reads "Uncle Jim." The card opens in the front just like a real shirt.

When you open the shirt, you find a happy birthday message! I tried to make the pattern look like the wrong side of fabric that one might find on the inside of a shirt.

I hope my uncle has a great day and that he wears something quirky!

Get Well Soon Band-Aids

For: Connie from NCSC
Occasion: Get Well Soon

My cycling group had a joint ride with a group from Colorado Springs last weekend and one of their riders took quite a tumble. I was asked to make a card for her that could be from all of us at Denver and Front Range Cycling. Since I no longer need my gauze from my own spill a while back, I decided to use some of it and make my own paper Band-Aids for Connie's card.
I think it turned out great, but more importantly I hope she makes a speedy recovery!

Colorado Christmas Cards

Here's the first Christmas card order of the season, all Colorado-themed! Five of each of the following designs: 15 total!

Moose with wreath on white

I've been wanting to make something like this for a while! No background papers here: everything drawn directly on the white cardstock. 

Red sun and snowy mountains

For more of an earthy, mystical feel

Goofy mountain goat

This card is based off a mountain goat I saw on top of Mount Evans...I may have embellished a Santa hat here and there. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Debbie Dots--order your holiday cards today!

Creepin' Cake Birthday

For: Tom
Occasion: his birthday

This is the most normal birthday card Tom has ever gotten from me: it features a very happy yellow cake in his blue home. The cake's lamp reads "TOM" just because.

On the inside, the cake did not want to let you out of his sight so he is getting closer. The wall hanging in the living room reads "HaPpY bIrThDaY." On both the front and inside of the card, the cakes are elevated slightly  for a subtle 3D effect.

I just think Tom is hilarious and I can't wait to ambush him over Christmas. Oh, and I hope he has a great birthday, too.

Most Beautiful Rose Birthday

For: Lidia
Occasion: her birthday

Lidia took a beautiful picture of a rose at Chicago's Botanic gardens this summer, so I tried to recreate it through papercutting for her card! The quote reads, "A single rose can be my garden..."

On the inside, the flower becomes more abstract (with a heart included!). The quote finishes with the following: "...a single friend, my world." And then of course there is a happy birthday wish to go along with the card. I love my Lidia so much and hope she has a wonderful day and is able to take a break from studying!

Flower Birthday

For: Daissy
Occasion: her birthday

For Daissy's birthday card this year, I decided to cut some feisty flowers out of different maroon-y and pink-y papers. The yellow background makes it all pop and I also really like the distance between the stems and leaves. In short, I just like this card--and I like Daissy too, so it's perfect!

I hope Daissy has a wonderful and spunky birthday!

Nature Birthday

For: Conor
Occasion: his birthday

Conor is my inspiration for being adventurous; currently, he has a sweet job leading trips and having adventures in nature, and so I decided to feature a nature scene for his card! I am not sure where this is supposed to be, but I think it looks really cool.

On the inside, a simple "happy birthday!"

I hope Conor has a great day and is enjoying his time in California.

Spirit Birthday

For: Krystina
Occasion: her birthday

Krystina's birthday card has historically been a tricky one for me to make: she has so much spirit and depth that I can't pin down just one thing about her to feature in her card. This year, I created an image that tries to encompass her passion for social justice and diversity; I particularly wanted to feature a woman and this one appears in the corner of the heart shape with (what I tried to draw as) quiet strength.

I love and miss Krystina so much, and hope she has a wonderful day!

New Home Door

For: Christy
Occasion: New Home

Christy got a job in Minnesota and just moved in to her new apartment! For her "Welcome Home" card, I drew a door with a porch lined with some flowers. My wish for her is nothing but happiness, and it is summed up by the following Irish blessing on the card: "May your troubles be less and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door."

On the inside, a simple "Welcome home!" wish on the circle-y line paper that is becoming one of my favorites.

I love my twin so much, I am so happy for her, and I am so proud of her!

Blue Sympathy Tree

For: Dean Korr
Occasion: In Sympathy

Dr. Donald Brieland, former dean of University of Illinois's School of Social Work and husband of our current dean, passed away late last week. He was very active in social work in the state (you can read about him here), and my heart goes out to Dean Korr. His legacy will live on through Dean Korr's continued dedication to the school and social work and through the lives of all the students both extraordinary educators have touched.

Thanks a bunch!

Occasion: Thank you

I have recently come into some good fortune, so I wanted to send my benefactors a thank you card. Using the classic "Thanks a bunch!' quip and the image of a bunch of flowers, I created this card using flower cut-outs of many different papers. I tied the stems with some floss for an added homey touch!

Cupcake Birthday

For: Aunt Sherry
Occasion: her birthday

I am just waiting for my aunt to come out to Denver on a business trip so that I can take her out for cupcakes! This card features my very best cupcake shape, hand-drawn pink frosting, and a paper liner that almost looks like real thing! (If you look closely, you can see the folds.)

I hope she has a great day, and that I get to see her out here soon!

Cubs Birthday

For: Laura

Occasion: her birthday

Laura is a Cubs fan currently in Cards territory getting her Master's at Wash U. I thought she might want to see some Chicago baseball on her birthday! The 23 on the jersey is because of her age; I don't know if she is particularly a Ryne Sandberg fan. 

On the inside, the jersey lifts away to show the message: "happy birthday, laura!" 

I hope she has a wonderful birthday!

Mountain Birthday

For: Warren
Occasion: his birthday

Warren is my very favorite hike leader for Colorado Mountain Club. We have gone hiking together a number of times, and he invited me on his 72nd birthday hike! Here is the card I made him to honor the occasion: it features purple mountain majesties above the tree-line. I had fun trying to make the paper look like rocks!

I was so honored to be included in Warren's birthday festivities, and I hope he has many mountain-filled birthdays to come!