Creepy Twin Card

For: The Creepy Twin
Occasion: Halloween

I've never actually seen The Shining, but I love the scary twin concept. Because, who are we kidding, twins are kinda weird. For The Twin's Halloween card, I created a watercolor sketch of me and my creepy twin, doin' what we do.

I miss her so much and hope she finally decides to dress as me this year.

Halloween Letters

For: the fam
Occasion: Halloween

Got to play with some fun lettering that I'd seen online for this card--and I think it turned out awesome! I miss my scary family, and I hope they have a good time handing out candy to the little Lombard monsters and ballerinas and refrigerators.

Halloween Heart

For: Uncle Jer and Aunt Kat
Occasion: Halloween

Uncle Jer and Aunt Kat throw the best Halloween party imaginable, and I am bummed to miss it again! I wanted to let them know that I'd be there in spirit, so I created this creepy card as a stand-in. The text reads, "my heart is with you" and the sketch is of a heart in a jar and a totally creeped out jack-o-lantern. A cool feature to this card is the crumpled card stock, for some added texture.

I can't wait to see pics and hear stories from this year's festivities!

Pom Flower Birthday

For: Alyssa
Occasion: her birthday

Alyssa is the Poms coach for Sycamore High School (home of the Spartans!) so I  created a design that could be either pom-poms or flowers in the school colors. Either way, I think there's a lot of energy and beauty in the card--just like in Alyssa!

I miss her so and can't wait to see her next time I'm in Illinois!

Teddy Bear Birthday

For: Theresa
Occasion: her birthday

This card features Art, a very special teddy bear of Theresa's that found his way to me. Given his backstory, to me he represents courage, acceptance, and a willingness to take risks. For Theresa's birthday, I wanted to share the gifts she has given me over the years, and there was no better way to do so than to portray Art, who watches over every card I make.

I am so grateful for Theresa and her continued presence in my life.

Science Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

My uncle has degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, which basically means he's a very cool guy. To honor his right-brain, I created this nerdy watercolor with him pointing at a science thing. I particularly like the binary backdrop.

I miss Uncle Jim a lot and hope he's doing well!

Birthday Lion

For: Tom

Occasion: his birthday

For Tom's birthday card, I created a lion with a secret message in its mane. Can you see it? I love the intensity and complexity of this card, juxtaposed with the fun and vibrant colors. To complement the tearing of the watercolor image, I tore the edge of the card itself, which is a very cool look.

I miss Tom a lot, and hope this year brings him all kinds of adventure and courage. (Happy Birthday Tom!)

Tea Cup Card

For: Christina
Occasion: Denver Visit

Christina came to visit Colorado a few weeks ago  and stayed with me in Denver for the first part of her trip. It was great to explore my city with her, so I made her an appreciation card! Christina has dreams of opening a tea shop, so to honor that dream, I made a teacup collage.

I miss her already and hope she has fun exploring Detroit for the next couple months!

Palm Tree Birthday

For: Lidia
Occasion: her birthday

Lids recently took a break from her hectic Med school life and took a weekend trip to Florida. To celebrate that relaxation, I cut a beach scene out of a frantic cityscape. I really like the look, and hope Lids can find quick moments of calm in this busy year!

Birthday Banner

For: Kim
Occasion: her birthday

Kim got her PhD recently, and a sweet post-doc gig, and life just is going well in general for her. To honor that (and her secret spunky spirit I'm learning more about) I created this funky lady with a "Happy Birthday Kim" banner.

I hope it was great, and I can't wait to have our month-late birthday celebration this week!

Drinks Birthday

For: Daissy
Occasion: her birthday

For Daissy's birthday card, I created a classy bar scene. The drinks on the bar spell out her name! The martinis with the twists were the most fun to create--"How to am I going to get the Ss?!"

I hope Daissy has a great day and lots of interesting drinks this year.

Aspen Birthday

For: Krystina
Occasion: her birthday

Krystina had a conference out in Denver a few days ago. Thinking it'd be beautiful fall weather when she visited, I created an Aspen-themed birthday card. I cut the watercolor for some added design flare, only to find that it would snow while she was out here! We got to get together on that chilly evening, and despite a lost wallet, had a wonderful time catching up.

I hope this year brings her all kinds of luck and peace.

Bike Tour Birthday

For: Conor
Occasion: his birthday

Conor is touring across Ireland and Europe currently. For his birthday card this year, I created a watercolor of his bike, Suzie, and the quintessential rolled up cyclist pant leg. And, because random banners are becoming a tradition for Conor cards, there's the "happy birthday" banner.

I miss Conor a lot and hope his tour wraps up well!

Day Program Thank Yous

For: Recent supporters of the day program
Occasion: Thank you

My greeting cards group worked really hard to make and send thank you cards to the folks who have been very generous to us lately. We thanked RTD for taking us on our outings with a bus card. We made a fridge card to thank a family for donating a fridge to our client store. The glass of juice on the card to the right is to thank a family for donating a juicer and blender. I'm so proud of all the hard work the group put in--everyone had a job, from drawing, gluing, picking colors, and coming up with the messages inside. It's always great to show a little gratitude!

Birthday Design

For: Aunt Sherry
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Sherry's birthday card, I wanted to play around with some different texts and watercolor options--I ended up using two typefaces that I then painted and decorated with some dots! The color scheme of red, orange, yellow, and green are perfect for an early October birthday.

It was so great to see Aunt Sherry a few weeks ago, and I hope she enjoyed her day!

Elephant Birthday

For: Laura
Occasion: her birthday

Laura is a fellow elephant-lover, so I made her (another) elephant-themed birthday card! This one features a simple sketch with the "Happy Birthday Laura" greeting on the body of the elephant (the "u" in Laura is a birthday gift, as elephants only have four legs!). It's a very simple watercolor, and I love the playful colors.

I hope Laura's day was wonderful!

Sushi Birthday

For: Warren
Occasion: his birthday

Warren is a big sushi fan (particularly the Banzai on Leetsdale!) so I created a sushi-themed card for  him this year. A Debbie Dots first, I used magazine images to make a collage! The rice under the fish is a text block, which I think looks awesome. I love the look of this card!

I hope Warren had a great day and we're able to go out for some sushi soon!