Creepy Engagement

For: Jada and Stu
Occasion: Engagement

Jada and Stu are into some creepy stuff -- I mean they got engaged at the Telluride Horror Festival, 'cause that's their thing! To celebrate their commitment to each other (and to capitalize on Halloween), I made them the most unique Congratulations card I ever have. I'm so happy for Jada I can barely stand it--hope she and Stu have a lifetime of the fun scary stuff together!

Hiking Birthday

For: Gina
Occasion: her (belated) birthday

Gina's birthday was back in the summer, but she's been on an epic cross-country road trip with no mailing address all this time! She finally stopped by Denver and we got together for a classic Family Dinner -- this was the perfect chance to get her a birthday card. I drew her all dressed in her hiking gear and coming out of a circle that features the purple mountains majesty! Gina is just the coolest, and I'm so pumped that she's going to land in Colorado, albeit on the western slope. Time for me to have a road trip!

Champagne Birthday

For: Alyssa
Occasion: her birthday

Alyssa is among the sweetest people I've ever known, and totally deserving of a champagne toast on her birthday! I hope this celebratory card helped ring in what will be another great year for her and her family. 

Mother Earth Birthday

For: Theresa
Occasion: her birthday

Theresa is very connected to the Earth and spirituality; for her birthday card this year, I did a swirly watercolor interpretation of Mother Earth! I have a slight bias towards curly hair, so I gave Her amber waves. I also copied the vines onto the card itself, and I love this technique! After nearly 10 years, I still come up with new ideas occasionally--love that Theresa's card is the blogs thousandth birthday card!

Half Birthday Baby

For: Castelli's goddaughter
Occasion: her 1.5 birthday

Castelli's goddaughter turned one and a half, and as the funnest godmother I've ever heard of, she asked me to make a half birthday card for her! My context was simple: baby's got cute brown hair that she always gets food in. I put her in a high chair with her very own half cake with a 1 1/2 candle--of course, there's frosting in her hair! I had so much fun making this card and was so excited C asked me to make it. 

Sign Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

Uncle Jim had an epic road trip over the summer with my aunt Joan -- to celebrate their big adventure, I featured one of those wooden sign posts that points you in different directions! The signs all read "Happy Birthday Uncle Jim!" I had a lot of fun using brown paper for the card and really had fun with the greenery. Uncle Jim is just the best and I hope he had an awesome day!

Paddle Birthday

For: Tom
Occasion: his birthday

Sometimes I just get a feeling that I really want to draw a particular kind of image for someone. For Tom's card, the spirit moved me and I ended up with this drawing of him canoeing with concentric paddle circles. Does Tom engage in watersports? Not that I know of -- but I couldn't shake that this was the card this year. Gotta go where the spirit moves you--and with Tom sometimes that's angry turtles and happy lamps. I hope Tom had a wonderful birthday and is looking forward to this next year!

Motorcycle Chic Birthday

For: Lidia
Occasion: her birthday

Lids is a total badass in a lot of ways, but one super fun fact is that she and her hubby ride motorcycles! To celebrate this in her birthday card this year, I did a minimalist drawing of her in a black leather jacket, some sweet shades, and her characteristic pony tail. Lids is so wonderful and I hope she has found the time to relax since her very busy birthday!

Doodle Birthday

For: Daissy
Occasion: her birthday

For Daissy's card this year, I tried to capture all the feelings that come up when I think about her. It started with a big heart in the middle (for love, of course!) and then spread out to leaves and swirls and boxes and dots that all come together and capture this intense and wonderful energy--pretty close to my goal! I hope Daissy had an amazing day and is ready for another year of awesomeness!

Fun Birthday

For: Chris
Occasion: his birthday

For Chris's birthday card, I was feeling some major party vibes, so I drew a caricature of Chris in a "woo!" shirt having a great time! I miss Chris and the entire little family -- I hope he had a super fun birthday!

Hiking Boot Birthday

For: Marie
Occasion: her birthday

Marie is new to Colorado and totally digging the outdoor lifestyle! To celebrate her birthday this year, I did a rendition of a biking boot that features some trees and scraggy mountains in it. My hiking boots have always been blue, hence the color of this card. It's so fun having Marie out here--I can't wait until we can play in the mountains together again!

Record Birthday

For: Johnson
Occasion: his birthday

Johnson has a record player, and as record players are the symbol of coolness, I featured a swirly record in his birthday card this year! I really like how the lines are a little squiggly and wobbly. The center of the record features a double J for his initials -- I can't wait to see him at a family dinner again soon!

Cheers Birthday

For: Conor
Occasion: his birthday

Now that Conor lives in Colorado, he's got access to all the delicious beer we've got out here! For his birthday card, I drew a stylized pint with a happy "cheers!" banner floating across it (as sometimes happens). Conor is such a lovely human and I hope he had a relaxing day.

Ocean Birthday

For: Krystina
Occasion: her birthday

For Krystina's birthday card, I used my colored pencils to try to capture the reflections of a setting sin on the water. I have had a major fascination with yellow the last few months, so this opportunity to play with a yellow sky was super welcome! Krystina is such a wonderful friend--I hope she had a fantastic birthday!

Cake for Breakfast Birthday

For: Aunt Sherry
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Sherry's birthday, I drew a slice of cake with a candle in it along with the best message: "eat cake for breakfast"! Aunt Sherry is just the coolest lady and so deserving of all kinds of happiness--I hope her birthday was a great start to an awesome year!

Coffee Birthday

For: Warren
Occasion: his birthday

Warren loves coffee, so to celebrate his big day, I did a drawing of a coffee cup in stark bold colors! Then I added a dotted "Happy Birthday" message underneath. I think it turned out pretty neat and I hope Warren had a great day!