Peace Birthday

For: Riley
Occasion: her birthday

For Riley's birthday card, and the last card of 2018, I did a doodle of all things cool--hearts, stars, flowers, swirls and a big ol' peace sign in the middle. It also features a "riley!" in block letters so there's no doubt who it's for! I hope Riley has an amazing birthday and is ready for a great year! 

And that's it, folks! On to 2019 -- Debbie Dots' decade year. Here's to spreading the love in the new year. 

Calm Coffee Birthday

For: Claire
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Claire's big 3-0, I did a watercolor from above of her savoring a cup of coffee. Claire is deserving of some calm in the next year, so this image was my way of wishing that for her. I am really pleased with how it turned out and love and miss her so much. 

Caricature Birthday

For: Uncle Jer
Occasion: his birthday

For my uncle's birthday card this year, I did a geometric illustration of him--look at those sharp lines! I am really happy with this card--I mean, look at how much it looks like him! I hope Uncle Jer had the best birthday and is ready for another year of awesome. 

Colored Tree Christmas

For: Team Walsh
Occasion: Christmas

To thank Team Walsh for opening their home to dozens of us again this year, I did a festive little drawing of several patterned trees (they remind me a bit of the trees in the Charlie Brown Christmas episode!). It's so amazing to see everyone together year after year, and I'm so grateful that Mike got to experience it all this year too. Here's to a happy new year for all Walshes, and Team Walsh in particular. 

Cookie Christmas

For: Grandma Carol
Occasion: Christmas

Most years, my grandma makes a truly epic amount of gingerbread cookies. This year, she had to pass on that endeavor, so to help make up for it, I did a watercolor of a baking frenzy (including white flour all over the place!). Grandma is such a rock star--I hope she enjoyed her year off from baking, but I bet she'll be back at it next year!

Snowbaby Christmas

For: Baby Adam
Occasion: his first Christmas

To help celebrate Adam's first ever Christmas, I did a watercolor of a snowbaby in a hat, scarf, and mittens! (Much like Adam, snowbaby has the strength to sit up straight). I paired it with some patterned snow and even painted flakes falling from the sky. I adore my little nephew and am so happy to get to snuggle him this Christmas!

Singing Christmas

For: Amy
Occasion: Christmas

Amy loves to sing, so here she is on Christmas caroling! I love the blues and purples in this card, along with her adorable little face. The pattern of the snow is just so great. I hope Ames enjoys her Christmas and has been singing tunes all season long!

Baking Christmas

For: The Twin
Occasion: Christmas

Twin loves to bake when she can, so for her Christmas card I featured a watercolor illustration of her waist-high in baking accoutrement. I am a particular fan of her big smile and how festive of a scene is laid out in her kitchen. I hope Twin enjoys her Christmas and gets to make (or at least eat!) some delicious bakes. 

Fruitcake Christmas

For: My dad
Occasion: Christmas

Dad enjoys making Fruitcake each Christmas season, so for his card this year I did a watercolor of the tasty treat featuring several brightly colored fruit pieces. I placed it on a pen-sketch cutting board and added in other details (like the coffee cup and bowl of leftover cherries), leaving them all black and white. Doesn't this look so cool? I love my dad so and hope he has a delightful holiday.

Archway Christmas

For: Michael
Occasion: Christmas

Mike and I live in an old school, and given that this will be our last Christmas in this place, I decided to feature its iconic double-door archway that's in our living room. Mike is a pro at decorating it seasonally, so I did a painting of this year's Christmas decorations. (The Valentine's day heart that has been stuck there for a few years had to make an appearance as well.) I love Mike so much and am so thankful for his arch decorating--it's been lovely in our place, and who knows where we'll be next Christmas?!

Game Table Christmas

For: Nathan
Occasion: Christmas

Nathan constructed an epic game table this year, complete with a changing colored light interior! I did a watercolor of the construction with a green light shining, along with St. Nick himself having a turn at the board game. Nathan is such a crafty guy--I hope he has a great Christmas!

Linus Christmas

For: Mom
Occasion: Christmas

For my mom's Christmas card, I did an illustration of Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" where he is dressed as a shepherd and delivers the epic speech: "I can tell you what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." Mom is a big fan of the old Christmas cartoons, and I thought she'd rather enjoy this one. I am so happy with how it turned out!

Keane Family Christmas Card

For: The Keanes
Occasion: Christmas

Every year that we don't spend Christmas with Mike's family, I make the entire crew a Christmas card featuring Mike and I being goofy. This year, we are doing some extreme sledding!

I will make the duplicates all in stages. Here's the illustrations painted and ready to be cut out. 

Next, I made the icy slopes by cutting out several hill shapes and placing them on the blue backgrounds. 

Put it all together and what have you got?

Hopefully, a merry and safe Christmas for all!

Pâtisserie Birthday

For: Aunt Katy
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Aunt Katy's anniversaire, I did a playful illustration of a French bakery, paired with some patterned background papers for a really delightful look. I love how this card turned out--from the "Gâteaux" in the window to the fun awning overhanging la rue. Aunt Katy is such an awesome lady--une femme magnifique--and I hope she had a wonderful day!

HazMat Santa

For: Jill
Occasion: Christmas

Jill and I are nearly done with our Hazardous Materials training, and as we were making the rounds to each branch, we laughed that someone would try to use the orange cones as a hat in one of their programs! Well, I figured Santa is just goofy enough to try it out, so I did a watercolor of the scene. I think it turned out great and it makes me really happy. It's been fun working with Jill on this--but I know we both can't wait until the trainings are over!

Christmas Frog

For: Kim
Occasion: Christmas

Kim loves frogs, so she gets the most festive Christmas frog I've ever imagined! He's so sweet with his santa hat and patterned lily pad. I love how this one turned out, and I'm so looking forward to working more with Kim in 2019!

Manicure Christmas

For: Sandie
Occasion: Christmas

Sandie always has her nails done--great self-care!--so for her Christmas card, I featured a very festive manicure where each nail has something Christmassy: a tree, a star, a snowman, a candy cane, and polka dots! The magical polish has holly on it, too. This idea is so neat--I hope Sandie enjoys her holiday and gets an extra special manicure to help celebrate!

Birdie Christmas

For: Violeta
Occasion: Christmas

Violet started off the flurry of cards for my new coworkers by asking for a Christmas card to help her deal with the holiday stress. Since she loves animals, she got this delightful bird flying through the air with an ornament in its beak--I bet it's off to decorate a lovely tree. Violet has been so fun to work with--I hope she enjoys the card and feels a little calmer!

Howl Christmas

For: Kathy
Occasion: Christmas

Kathy loves dogs, so for her Christmas card, I did a cutout of a watercolor pooch howling in a Santa hat! I like the placement of this pup--so fun! Even though Kathy is rarely in the office, I hope this card helps make her season bright.

Snowman Christmas

For: Lily
Occasion: Christmas

Lily has two great little kids, so for her Christmas card, I did a watercolor of the happiest little snowman bundled in a knitted scarf and top hat! I am a big fan of these non-traditional colors and the dark teal polka-dotted snow!

Sassy Moose Christmas

For: Debby
Occasion: Christmas

For Debby's Christmas card, I did a watercolor of the sassiest moose I ever did see. It makes me unspeakably happy. I'm so glad to have Debby as a colleague and I hope she has a great holiday!

Horse Light Christmas

For: Shylee
Occasion: Christmas

Shylee has these delightful horse lights in her office, so for her Christmas card, I did a watercolor of a light with a santa hat on. I am a pretty big fan of the green string that attaches to the horse for the light--so twisty and accurate! I hope Shylee has an awesome--neigh!--merry Christmas.

Curry Christmas

For: The Currys
Occasion: Christmas

I'm so excited about Mark and Becky's Christmas card this year! Playing on their last name (Curry) and a popular phrase Christmas phrase ("Season's Greetings"), I watercolored a happy Pepper, Salt, and Curry to extend their warm wishes. How cute is it? I hope the Currys have the best Christmas with all four Curry grandbabies together! 

Silly Socks Birthday

For: Aunt Glor
Occasion: her birthday

Aunt Glor has some great printed socks, so to celebrate her birthday this year, I created some with a sweet little cupcake print on them! And then I placed the socks over a little splash of watercolor I made. I am really happy with how this came out, and hope Aunt Glor's birthday was full of fun and delight!

Ice Cream Bar Birthday

For: Grandpa Jerry
Occasion: his birthday

Once upon a time, my grandpa was a big fan of ice cream bars! To celebrate his big day, I did a watercolor of the tasty treat--looks might delicious, if I do say so myself. I hope Grandpa had an awesome birthday and got to indulge in something yummy!

Festive Wedding

For: Marie and Matt
Occasion: their wedding

To celebrate Marie and Matt's wedding day, I did a little watercolor portrait of the couple, looping dapper in their wedding finery. I am a particular fan of the silvery lights on the gray background--it sort of looks like lace! I was so sad to miss their special day, but hope it was a very memorable one to kick off a lifetime of memories together!

Sympathy Flowers

For: Claire
Occasion: In Sympathy

To honor Claire's mother's death, I painted three of the daintiest flowers I could, symbolizing the past, present, and future. I paired the watercolor with a portion of a Mary Oliver poem that Claire had posted with photos of her mother:

 "and I think of each life as a flower, as common as a field daisy, and as singular. and each name as comfortable music in the mouth, tending as all music does, toward silence. and each body a lion of courage, and something precious to the earth." 

There really aren't words for what my Claire has gone through in the past months -- I hope she and Nancy both able to find some peace.

Camel Birthday

For: Mark
Occasion: his birthday

There's a delightful game called Camel Up that I thoroughly enjoy playing with the Currys nearly every time I see them. To celebrate Mark's birthday, I did an illustration of some camels in the style of the game's art with a tiny birthday twist--the camel in the lead has a party hat! I hope Mark had a wonderful day and that all his camels win this year (unless he's playing me, of course!).

Yoga Birthday

For: Aunt Kat
Occasion: her birthday

For Kat's birthday card, I was wanting to create a relaxing chill vibe, and ended up with this energetic yoga watercolor! I love how bright it is and had a great time dotting in the colors next to each other. Aunt Kat is just the coolest and I hope she had an amazing birthday!

Game On Birthday

For: Paul
Occasion: his birthday

For Paul's birthday, I illustrated an arcade style video game that features my very best pixelated cake to date! I can't even fathom how this game work would work, but the concept is delightful. I hope Paul had a great day and got to play as many games as he wanted!

Newsboy Cap Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

My uncle's signature look includes an awesome newsboy cap, so for his birthday card this year, I did an illustration of one on brown card stock. How cool does this look? My uncle is a really cool guy, and it was delightful to see him over the fall. I hope he and his family are settling in well to life back in Texas, and I can't wait to see him in 2019!

Creative Cake Birthday

For: Aunt Joan
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Joan's birthday card, I wanted to paint the most delightful cake I could muster. I ended up with this whimsical yellow cake in three tiers with a lovely chocolate frosting on top and a lot of fun striped candles. Aunt Joan is a really fun person, and I hope this cake painting added to her day!

Marauder's Map Birthday

For: Quam
Occasion: his birthday

Quam is a big fan of the Harry Potter books, and now that I've read them all, I felt I could finally make Quam an HP bday card without feeling like a phony! I created a gate-fold card featuring the Marauder's map! I used some of the imagery from the movies to base my design off, but made sure to use the book's language (I can be a real stickler like that). Of course, I had to tweak the language a bit to suit my birthday purposes. The card reads "Purveyors of Aide to magical mischief-makers Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfood & Prongs proudly wish you A Happy Birthday." 

It opens up and I was able to write my birthday message on the inside. I'm pretty pleased with how this card came out--I hope Quam and Potter fans everywhere enjoy!

Ice Cream Birthday

For: Carson
Occasion: her birthday

For Carson's birthday card this year, I cut up some paper to make this patterned ice cream cone! I particularly love how the cherry came out with the shine mark that matches the cone. Carson had a big year last year, with moving across the country and getting married, so I hope this year she's able to relax and treat herself!

Swimming Bunny Card

For: Rukiyah
Occasion: her birthday

In thinking about Rukiyah's birthday, I had a swimming bunny stuck in my head. I translated that to this watercolor of a bunny in a swim cap and a life vest. I am really pleased with how the image came out, particularly with how you can see the bunny's body through the water. I hope Rukiyah had a lovely birthday and gets some leisurely swimming in this year, if that's what she wants to do!

Colorado Trees Birthday

For: Win
Occasion: her birthday

For Win's birthday card, I did a watercolor of some lovely aspens with their bright yellow color. I wanted to capture the beauty of our state in a more subtle way than a mountain scene. Win is such an amazing feature of my life, and sometimes when we're together in Colorado we remark on how the heck we got here. I hope this year is even more incredible than the previous. 

Ohio Birthday

For: Maddie
Occasion: her birthday

For Maddie's birthday card, I re-created the famous O-H-I-O spelled out in human lettering (akin to the YMCA). (I really enjoy the gentleman in the red baseball hat and birkenstocks as emblematic of a college guy.) I can't believe Maddie is already a senior -- I hope she enjoys her last year at The Ohio State University. 

Coffee Birthday

For: Alyssa
Occasion: her birthday

For Alyssa's birthday card, I created a whimsical coffee cup in fall colors and used papers to make the lid and sleeve with her name on it--how cool did this turn out? I hope Alyssa had amazing day and is getting all the caffeine she needs this year!

Sunrise Birthday

For: Theresa
Occasion: her birthday

For Theresa's birthday card this year, I tried to recreate a memory I have of a sunrise over the farms of Champaign. This is a pretty decent approximation of it, and I hope it affords Theresa the calm it gave me that morning 8-some years ago on the south farms. 

Golf Outfit Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle Jim's birthday card, I created the silliest little golf outfit I could think of! I love the colors and the argyle and the elaborate hanger system to show it all off. Uncle Jim is one cool dude, and I hope he gets plenty of rounds in this year!

Mahalo Thank You

For: Dan and Janet
Occasion: Thank You

To thank Janet and Dan for their hospitality and organization of the epic Keane Hawaii trip, I made them this simple "mahalo" card featuring a lovely plumeria flower! I am so psyched with how this card turned out--look at those warm colors! We had just the best time together and it will be a trip that is not soon forgotten.

Wedding Congrats

For: Carson and Gonzo
Occasion: their wedding

To help celebrate Carson and Gonzo's wedding, I drew them a floral border mixed with a golden border. Carson and Jonathan are the best and we're so happy that they tied the knot! 

Mr. and Mrs. Wedding Card

For: Betsy and Rick
Occasion: their wedding

To celebrate Mike's cousin's wedding, I made them a card in purples and golds that reads "Mr. & Mrs." to celebrate their new titles as a married couple. I wrapped the columns of the letters with a vine of flowers for some extra flair. We were happy to hear that they had a wonderful celebration!

Beer Birthday

For: Tom
Occasion: his birthday

To celebrate Tom's birthday, I did a sepia-toned beer illustration! Look at that frothy beer head. And the wheat! It's like a beer company that was established the same year as Tom. It's such a normal card, I can't handle it--here's to Tom!

GI Birthday

For: Lidia
Occasion: her birthday

Lids is a GI doc, so for her birthday card I did a silly drawing of a GI tract with a big piece of cake in the stomach! I'm a little concerned that there's a lit candle on it still, but that's what happens sometimes. This card concept makes me laugh--poor guy had to go to the doctor during his party 'cause he ate his cake too fast! But if anyone can help, it's Dr. Spaho! I hope she had the best birthday and is looking forward to an amazing year. 

Toucan Birthday

For: Daissy
Occasion: her birthday

For Daissy's birthday card this year, I was feeling something tropical and landed on a toucan ready for a birthday party! Daissy is one of the hardest working people I know, so I'm hoping she does get to take a beach vacation this year and unwind!