Herend Easter

For: Helena and Steve
Occasion: Easter

Helena has a very impressive collection of Herend bunny figurines that she displays for Easter, so when she and Steve invited us over for Easter dinner, I created this card featuring one of the figurines as a thank you. The figurines are handprinted and really pretty astonishing. They look like this:

It was so lovely seeing the Rings; I can't wait for the next holiday gathering!

Umbrella Birthday

For: Maggie
Occasion: her birthday

I had so much fun making Maggie's birthday card. It features her and her dog Ollie on a walk in the rain! The whole design looks like a children's book illustration, and I love it--look at the reflection in the water on the ground! Anyway, I hope Maggie had a great birthday and is looking forward to an awesome year 7!

Birthday Blooms

For: Leia
Occasion: her birthday

To help celebrate Leia's birthday, I used my colored pencils to create some colorful flowers. I really love how the flowers turned out--there's so much movement it almost looks like Impressionism! Leia is such a lovely lady and I've had such a good time getting to know her over the past few years. I hope she enjoyed her birthday and had fun with the new puppy!

Flower Birthday

For: Aunt Julie
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Julie's birthday card, I wanted to do a more traditional sketch. I decided to draw a flower (to celebrate Spring!) and came up with this little number. There's very subtle coloring to it (greens in the leaves and stem, reds in the petals and yellow in the pistil. My favorite detail is the stem of the leaf on the left. So crisp! Anyhow, I hope Aunt Julie had a beautiful day and is looking forward to another year. 

Purple Shower Invites

For: Alli

Occasion: Her Bridal Shower

Jeannine asked me to do the invites for Alli's bridal shower, and of course I was honored and delighted to have to opportunity! For the design, I used her wedding colors and got to play a lot with white space. The design is so crisp and fun, while still being clearly hand-drawn. I got them printed on metallic cream paper, so there is a subtle sheen that I absolutely love (you can kind of see it in the bottom left corner). I could not be happier with how they turned out and am glad the recipients have liked them too! 

(Locations and contact information has been obscured for privacy.)

Mountain Birthday

For: Sofi
Occasion: her birthday

For Sofi's birthday card, I used my fancy colored pencils to create a purple-y mountain landscape. The idea behind this card is one of my favorite depictions of mountains--I'd love to paint a wall with this some day! Anyhow, I had a great time celebrating Sofi's birthday with her up in the mountains--and she was such a trooper going snowshoeing while 6 months pregnant! (That's Colorado for you.)  I hope Sofi enjoyed her day and is looking forward to a wonderful year of new joys.

Sparkly Elephant Birthday

For: Danielle
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Danielle's fifth birthday, I created a happy elephant wearing a party hat and with a balloon wrapped around its trunk. Then, I painted the whole picture glittery and put it on some fun and bright background papers! I love the look of this card and I love Danielle so--I can't believe she's already 5 years old!

Pineapple Birthday

For: Amy-kid
Occasion: her birthday

Amy is a big fan of the TV show Psych, and there is apparently a pineapple in every episode. For Amy's birthday, she gets a watercolor pineapple with a  special bow on it (Shawn sometimes gives people pineapples with bows). Pineapples are also a symbol of friendship, so it could not be more fitting for Amy's birthday. I hope she has a wonderful time celebrating and that this year marks the start of some great things!

Old Timey Baseball Birthday

For: Grandpa Jack
Occasion: his birthday

Mike's grandpa is turning 94 this year! To honor that awesome feat, I created a watercolor of an old timey baseball player, based off the old Spalding Baseball magazine cover. In researching it further, it looks like the player on the 1922 edition of the magazine is sporting the same jersey style as the earlier editions, dating back to the late 1800s. I hope Grandpa Jack doesn't mind the slight error, but if anyone were to pick out the anachronism, it'd be him. I hope he enjoys the card anyhow and has an amazing birthday!

Bunny Birthday

For: Julie
Occasion: her birthday

I was thinking spring when I made Julie's birthday card this year. It features a bunny wearing a carrot as a hat and serving a carrot top as a cake, wearing purple polka dot pajamas, of course! The design is so playful and fun--it's perfect for a March birthday with Easter being so early this year. I hope Julie has a wonderful birthday and is enjoying life out in California!

Rugby Birthday

For: O'Shea
Occasion: his birthday

O'Shea likes rugby, so for his birthday card I created an illustration of a scrum that has gotten out of control, completely ignoring the ball and trying to get at the birthday cake. I had fun drawing legs and arms flailing all over the place, and really like the two tone colors of the uniforms and the grass. I hope O'Shea has a great birthday and I hope to see him and Jess soon!