Bridge Engagement

For: Lexi and Matt
Occasion: their engagement

Matt proposed to Lexi over the holidays on a bridge in Central Park. I was so excited to get a picture from Lexi of the big moment when I texted her to check in on her trip. I decided to do a watercolor rendition of the photo to help them celebrate their engagement. I am so excited for them I can barely stand it! Here's a mash up of the painting with the original.

And with this beautiful moment, that's the end of the year for Debbie Dots. In 2015, I made over 140 individual cards, a save the date, a wedding invite (stay posted for that one in 2016!) and the artwork for an awesomely fun board game. Such a great year for creativity and gratitude! I love you all, and stay tuned for year eight of Debbie Dots. 

Minnie Birthday

For: Riley
Occasion: her birthday

Riley (Mike's niece) went to Disney World for the first time this past Thanksgiving! To help celebrate her birthday and harken back to her awesome vacation, I created an illustration of Minnie Mouse being sassy in a bright blue dress! I had so much fun trying to draw this iconic character, and I'm pretty pumped with how she turned out! We love and miss Riley so much and hope she has a wonderful birthday!

Mountain and Hug Birthday

For: Claire
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate the most wonderful birthday of Claire, I created a fun illustration of a cloud and sun hugging each other in front of an otherwise bright blue sky. To add some awesome color, I created the most rainbow mountains that have ever been drawn. I love how they look and how the sun and cloud combo appear to be so happy to see them! I miss Claire so much and hope she has the very best NYE birthday this year!

Owl Birthday

For: Uncle Jer
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle Jer's birthday card, I decided to make a fierce watercolor owl.  I was looking to do something intense and animal-y, and this is what I came up with! I like it a lot and I think it fits with Uncle Jer design-wise. He is quite the artist, and otherwise just an all-around awesome guy! It was so great catching up over Christmas--here's to another great year!

Marshmallow Christmas

For: Christy
Occasion: Christmas

The Twin has been loving marshmallows lately, so I watercolored her some of the happiest marshmallows I ever could in the coziest snowman mug! I just love how this looks--it's so Twinly, with its smiley faces and wintery festivity! Merry Christmas to all!

Tall Elf Christmas

For: Nathan
Occasion: Christmas

Nathan is a tall guy! For his Christmas card this year, I imagined him as an elf, but only the legs from below the knee fit on the card. Nathan's the best brother bear any girl could ask for, and I'm so grateful that he's hosting me again this year over Christmas!

Stretching Santa Christmas

For: Ames
Occasion: Christmas

Amy is in a physical therapy assistant program, and I was just tickled pink when I thought of this idea. Santa's hammies are probably pretty tight after going around the world in one day--why not use a therapy band? I hope Ames has a great Christmas and is feeling loose herself!

Sweater Christmas

For: Dad
Occasion: Christmas

My dad really likes elaborate Nordic style sweaters, so this year, I created an elaborate sweater for his Christmas card! It was fun sketching this all out--I'd wear it, I tell you. I love my dad so much and hope he's enjoying Christmas! Break out that fruit cake, pops!

Ho Cubed Christmas

For: Mom
Occasion: Christmas

My mom is a pretty big math nerd, so this year her Christmas card features an ornament that reads "Ho^3," meaning Ho, ho, ho! I painted the ornament in watercolor and added a (paperclip) hook to hang it onto the forest green cardstock I chopped up to look like a Christmas tree branch. It all makes me giggle so--I hope Mom has a great Christmas! 

Ice Cube House Christmas

For: Michael
Occasion: Christmas

Whenever it's chilly at home, I ask Mike, "Why do we live in an ice cube house?" For his Christmas Card this year, I featured a very cozy igloo decorated with lights and a wreath. I love the little feet peaking out of the blanket! I love Mike so much and enjoyed celebrating our little Christmas together.

Reindeer Games Christmas

For: The Currys
Occasion: Christmas

The Currys refer to all games they play as "reindeer games," and luckily for me, I pieced that together just in time to make them a topical Christmas card! It features Rudolph and a buddy (let's say it's Blitzen) who are playing a version of Sequence (a game that they introduced me to over Thanksgiving!). I just can't stop giggling about this card. I love the Currys so and hope they have a wonderful Christmas!

Keane Family Christmas Card

For: The Keanes and Kadlecs
Occasion: Christmas

Because I had so much fun making the family card last year, Mike and I decided it would be fun to send another rendition to his family. We won't be seeing them over Christmas again this year, but hopefully the new design will add some of our cheer into the holiday!

This year, I am decorating Mike as a Christmas tree. I love the design so much, and hope the "in-laws" have some very happy holidays!

Floral Pattern Birthday

For: Aunt Katy
Occasion: her birthday

Aunt Katy is one of the loveliest people I know. For her birthday card, I created a funky floral pattern in watercolor that is laid over some "happy birthday to you!" text in the background. I've never done something like this before (having the words not be the feature), and I have to say, I really like it. But I like Aunt Katy even more and am so excited that I've gotten to see her so many times this year!

Big Cake Birthday

For: Charles
Occasion: his birthday

For Charles's birthday card, I created a pen sketch of a guy with a ginormous birthday cake (so big it created the Wilson effect from Home Improvement. I miss Charles a lot and hope all is well for him out in Ireland!

Sonic Birthday

For: Grandpa Jerry
Occasion: his birthday

When I was younger, we used to play all kinds of video games and Grandpa Jerry's house. This is where I got introduced to Sonic the Hedgehog, the fast-spinning, coin-collecting, bad-guy-fighting spiny mammal. I have Sonic some sass and a party hat to finish off the card. I hope Grandpa has a great birthday and has some fun games to play.

Woven Heart Birthday

For: Aunt Glor
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Glor's birthday card, I created a woven heart of several different earthy fall colors. The idea came to me when I was talking to The Twin about how amazing Aunt Glor is in regards to Thanksgiving. We were remarking on how she's got such a big heart and always helps other people, and a woven Danish heart came to mind. And here it is! I hope she has a great day and I can't wait to see her again over Christmas!

MBA Congrats

For: Alli
Occasion: MBA graduation

Alli wrapped up her MBA last week, and to help celebrate this amazing accomplishment, I wanted to send along a congratulations card! I used some fun lettering to spell out MBA, and in an acrostic, I had it stand for "Master of Being Awesome." A big congratulations to Alli, and I hope she enjoys her new-found free time!

Survivor Birthday

For: Mark
Occasion: his birthday

The Currys are all big fans of the show Survivor, so for Mark's birthday card, I doctored up the logo with some birthday fun! The text reads "Outwit, outplay, outbirthday: Survivor," and the torch turned into a birthday candle. Pretty cool, if you ask me. I had the very best time playing games with Mark over Thanksgiving and I hope he's having the best birthday ever today!

Pretty Cake Birthday

For: Aunt Kat
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Kat's birthday card, I did a pen sketch of a very elaborate and beautiful cake. I love how detailed it is (go ahead and click the photo for the full size! You know you want to). It was so lovely seeing Kat over Thanksgiving, and I'm so excited to hang out more at Christmas! 

Bubble Letter Birthday

For: Paul

Occasion: his birthday

For Paul's birthday card, I actually started with the drawing of the pedestrian running across the street (presumably) with his party hat on. To mimic the lined design of the little guy, I created bubble letters with stripes in different blues. I like how it all came together, and I hope Paul had an awesome day!

Moose Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

For my uncle's birthday card, I created an image of a moose flying a kite. The wind changed and the kite got tangled up in his antlers. This card is so playful and fun that I just love it. It was so great to see Uncle Jim so close to his birthday on Thanksgiving!

Kayak Birthday

For: Aunt Joan
Occasion: her birthday

Aunt Joan has recently started kayaking (every day!) and seems to be having a wonderful time hitting the waters and getting the kayak cart into the lake. For her birthday card, in honor of this aquatic hobby, I created a aerial view of her in a kayak with a water-y "Happy Birthday" message just under the water. This card makes me so happy and I'm glad she had a great time celebrating her big day!

Ice Cream, Possibly Cake Birthday

For: Quam
Occasion: his birthday

 

Quam is a big ice cream aficionado (the Quam family freezer was notoriously stocked with infinite varieties), so for his birthday card, I created a Georgian Era style woman holding a banner that reads, "Let us celebrate your existence with ice cream," with the afterthought "and possibly cake" below. I've been holding on to this idea for Quam for just under a year, and I am really delighted with how it turned out. It was so lovely seeing him over Thanksgiving, and I hope he had a great birthday!

Cute Monster Birthday

For: Rukiyah
Occasion: her birthday

 

For Rukiyah's birthday card, I adapted this cute image I'd seen of a girl who found a monster and wants to take him home ("Can I keep him?"). This card is so playful and fun! If you click on the picture, you can see the watercolor pencil lines, which add even more whimsy to this fun card. I hope Rukiyah is enjoying being back in the states and that this year brings her all kinds of adventure!

Huggy Bear Birthday

For: Win
Occasion: her birthday

For Win's birthday card, I created a watercolor of the happiest, huggiest bears with a party hat and big red balloon. Win has two adorable kiddos, so I'm sure she is inundated with fun, playful images like this all the time, but I'm not and wanted to celebrate! I love Win so and miss her so and hope she had a great day!

Tree Stump Record

For: Conor
Occasion: his birthday

Conor is off on another world-wide adventure, so to celebrate his birthday (or whatever day he returns to his parents' home to pick up his mail), I created an aerial view of a tree stump being played as a record. This idea is so cool to me--the grooves of the record are the rings of the tree--what an interesting song it would be! I hope Conor is having a wonderful time biking through Asia, and that this year brings all the adventure he can hope for. 

Fairy Birthday

For: Maddie
Occasion: her birthday

Since Maddie's birthday is so close to Halloween, I figured featuring a cool costume was in order! I created a lady with butterfly fairy wings standing in a field of flowers. I really like the look of this card, and hope Maddie has a wonderful year!

Cupcake Birthday

For: Alyssa

Occasion: her birthday

For Alyssa's birthday card, I had a little fun snooping on her Pinterest boards for inspiration. She is all about geometric patterns for home decoration, and I saw sketches of little cupcakes on another board: voila! A watercolored painter's taped background with a playful little cupcake and a swirly "happy birthday" greeting. I really like how this card came out, and I hope Alyssa had a wonderful day!

Art Dance Birthday

For: Theresa
Occasion: her birthday

Theresa is a holistic wellness lady, extraordinaire! She has recently gotten into expressive arts and movement in her healing practices as a psychologist, and I thought her birthday would be the perfect time to have a little expressive arts fun of my own! My idea was to capture "movement" (using art, of course!), and I am super pleased with how this turned out. What a wonderful opportunity to honor someone I've learned so much from. I hope she has an unbelievably fantastic year! 

Balloon Birthday

For: Lidia
Occasion: her birthday

For Lidia's birthday card, I created a watercolor of lots of balloons! I love how delicate the overlap of the colors are. The thin black of the balloon strings also makes me very happy. I love Lidia so and hope her birthday was spectacular!

Painting Birthday

For: Daissy
Occasion: her birthday

Daissy loves to paint, so for her birthday card, I did a watercolor of her all ready to go to paint up a storm! I had so much fun with this one, and love how happy she looks. I'm also so proud of Daissy for all the kick-butt work she is doing as a lawyer in Chicago!

Denver Nuggets Birthday

For: Johnson
Occasion: his birthday

Johnson is a big Nuggets fan, and he also has a ginger beard. Lo and behold, the Nuggets had this little mascot in the mid-seventies while in the ABA. Oh yes, the universe planned out this birthday card a decade before Justin was even born (and some thirty years before his beard). I could not be happier with how this card came out, and had a great time catching up with everyone at the recent Denver Family dinner!

Hanging Lamp Birthday

For: Krystina
Occasion: her birthday

Krystina is super passionate about helping kids get to college, so for her birthday card, I played on the idea that she "lights up the way" for her kiddos to get to where they want to go. Look at all these fun lamps! Krystina is such an inspiration to me, and I hope nothing but the best for her always!

Wedding Cuties

For: Amy and Eric
Occasion: their wedding

Amy and Eric are one of my very favorite couples, and they went and got married! To celebrate their fantastic love for each other, I created this watercolor of them in their wedding finery underneath a "congratulations" banner. It looks so wonderfully like them that I giggle every time I look at it. I love them dearly and hope it was a wonderful day! Also, check out Amy's awesome travel blog here!

Flower Face Birthday

For: Marie

Occasion: her birthday

Marie is (or was, in middle school) a big fan of Rene Magritte, the artist who is famous for obscuring the faces of his subjects with various objects. For her birthday card this year, I created a lady holding up a bunch of flowers for a similar effect! I love how the bouquet came out (thanks, micron pens!), and like the overall design of the card. I hope Marie likes it and had a lovely time running the Chicago Marathon on her birthday--what an accomplishment!

Heart Anniversary

For: Sofi and Paul
Occasion: their anniversary

Sofi and Paul got married last year, and to help them celebrate the paper anniversary, I created a card featuring a fun wordy background. The text is the definitions of three words, "one," "year," and "ago." I love this design, obviously, and also love how I got to use the colors that stand out most from their wedding: a cerulean sky with golden aspen leaves. I miss them both and hope they enjoyed their anniversary!

Word Tree Wedding

For: Jeremy and Stephanie
Occasion: their wedding

My cousin Jeremy got married this weekend, and to help them celebrate the start of their life together,  I created this neat little card with a tree cutout from a book page. The branch has a string (a real string!) with two hearts wrapped around it. Paired with some green grass, blue clouds and a swirly "Congratulations" script, the card has a very fun feel. I wish them both a lifetime of happiness together!

Welcome Home Key

For: The Twin and Nathan
Occasion: New Home

Twin and Nathan moved into a wonderful new home! To help welcome them there, I created a card that features a cut out keyhole that allows you to see the love inside (in the form of lots of little hearts). The text reads, "Welcome Home." I'm so pumped to see the new place when we go to Chicago for Thanksgiving, and can't wait to see the wonderful life they create for themselves there.

Go West Birthday

For: Warren
Occasion: his birthday

For Warren's birthday card, I played on the classic "Go West, Young Man" Horace Greely quote and paired it with a sketch of some imposing looking mountains. This card looks awesome, and I had a great time hiking with Warren right after his birthday on Burning Bear Peak. I hope 76 is a great year for Warren, and I am looking forward to getting some sushi soon!

Tea Pot Birthday

For: Gina
Occasion: her birthday

Gina is the best little tea-drinker I've ever met, so for her birthday card, I created a drawing of a fun little tea pot. The design is pretty elaborate on the pot itself, and I really like the overall look of the card, paired with a formal fleur de lis type background. It was so great to see Gina at our long overdue family dinner (and once on a run at Wash Park!). I hope she has a fabulous year and I hope to hang out more!

Mountain Paint Birthday

For: Laura
Occasion: her birthday

For Laura's birthday, I created a paint tube labeled "MTN" for mountain. The paint itself is a watercolor of the rockies at sunset. I figured this design was perfect for Laura because she lived in Colorado for a bit and is also an OT and gets to create all kinds of activities for people who need help with fine motor skills (and painting is one of those activities!). I hope Laura had a lovely birthday and is looking forward to a fun year. 

Hoppy Birthday Frog

For: Aunt Sherry
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Sherry's birthday card, I created a spotted happy little frog. I really like his happy face and the details on the 3D leaf. I hope Aunt Sherry is having a lovely fall and looking forward to a great year!

Pink Pony Engagement

For: Lidia and Petrika
Occasion: their engagement

Lidia is getting married! To celebrate their engagement, I created a card that features a pink pony watercolor with some playful "Congratulations" calligraphy. Lidia and Petrika have an inside joke about getting a pink pony as a gift, so I figured it would be the perfect way to celebrate their committement to each other. I love Lidia so much and could not be happier for her! 

Adventure Save the Dates

For: Alexi and Charles
Occasion: Save the Dates

Charles asked me to do the Save the Dates for their wedding, and luckily for me, they are having a rustic chic (pardon the term) Colorado wedding, which happens to be among my favorite genres. After a few tries with succulents and other ideas, we ended up going with some AWESOME mountains. (Look at that line detail!) We printed them on kraft paper, and there's subtle purple and teal in the lettering, and they just look really neat. 

And, I'm about to start their wedding invitations, and I could not be more excited (sit tight for some watercolor aspens, y'all). 

Cake Stand Birthday

For: Jamie
Occasion: her birthday

Jamie is a fantastic baker (see her card from 2011 attesting to the fact), and it'd been a while since I featured a baking card for her, so here we are! This card looks so neat, and the cake itself is so fantastical (I mean really, what's going on there--purple fondant with strawberry topping?!). I particularly love the subtleties of the cake dome and how this card looks like a comic.
I hope Jamie had a wonderful day and is enjoying life up in Minnesota!

Happy Llama Birthday

For: Christy-Twin
Occasion: her birthday

Lately, whenever I see a picture of a happy llama (which comes up  more often than you might think), I think of The Twin. Something about the unbridled happiness speaks Twin to me. I mean, look at this happy guy! I love the twin oh-so-much, and am so happy we got to celebrate our birthday together, hiking and baking and being generally twin-ly. She's the very best friend you could ever ask to spend the whole of your life with! Here's to another trip around the sun.

Beach Birthday

For: Bridget
Occasion: her birthday

For Bridget's birthday card, I drew a beach scene to help her celebrate her birthday (and say, "Bon Voyage!" to summer). I really like how this card came out, and particularly the palm tree leaves. I hope Bridge had a great day an d is looking forward to the fall.