Birthday Splash

 For: Alli
Occasion: her birthday

For Alli's birthday card, I knew I wanted to do bright colors, and had a bit of a floral vibe in my head. As I started making shapes, they turned into a stylized splash pattern--a little floral, a little bird, a whole lotta fun! Ultimately, this is probably a style that resonates pretty well with a mother of twins--I hope Alli had a spectacular birthday and I'm looking forward to seeing her soon.

Gnome Birthday

 For: Zach
Occasion: his birthday

Not gonna lie, I was in a real weird mood when I made Zach's birthday card this year. Couldn't get gnomes out of my head, so I took my kitchen gnome (everyone has a kitchen gnome, right?) and drew him from two angles in 80s/90s portrait style. It's cheesy, it's weird--I love it. I hope Zach's birthday was delightfully absurd as well!

New Baby Floral

 For: The Mays
Occasion: New Baby

Little Miss Emily arrived! To welcome her, I did an illustration of the sweet outfit she wore the day she was born. I really love how this card came out and am so pleased that Mama Jackie loved it. Looking forward to meeting this bundle soon!

Float Birthday

 For: Eileen
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Eileen's birthday, I did an illustration of a lady floating in a big blue sea! I had lots of fun figuring out the "shadow" in the water in darker blue, and love the blue space of the bathing suit. I love the chill vibe that this card portrays, and hope Eileen had a very relaxing birthday.

Cone of Shame Get Well

 For: A Coworker
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To help expedite a speedy recovery for my colleague, I drew a cat in a cone of shame! Surgery is always tough, so I hope the pain is manageable and they find some time to relax -- and maybe pet the cats, too!

Paddle Board Birthday

 For: Becky
Occasion: her birthday

Becky is newly into paddle boarding, so to celebrate her birthday I illustrated the happiest little cupcake paddling on the lake! This is just the happiest little image I can imagine, and I hope Becky has as good a time as this cupcake seems to!

LOTR Birthday

 For: DeLace
Occasion: his birthday

To celebrate DeLace's birthday, I used my gold pens on an olive green paper to create a very Lord of the Rings-esque birthday card! There are lots of typefaces associated with JR Tolkien, and this one is pretty fun to re-create. I hope DeLace and a wonderful day and goes on lots of adventures this year. 

Piglet Birthday

 For: Giuliana
Occasion: her birthday

Little Miss Giuliana is a whole two years old, and wouldn'tcha know she loves Piglet! To help celebrate her very special day, I drew the lovable character in a festive party hat. I have so much fun hanging out with this little lady and had so much fun at her party -- can't wait to play again soon when she comes back from her trip!

Hippo Birthday

 For: Jackson
Occasion: his birthday

For this goofy birthday card, I drew a hippo in bright colors wearing a hat that says, "Yay! Yahoo!" It occurred to me just after that he might have said, "Hip, hip, hooray!" What a goofy hippo--I hope Jackson doesn't mind and enjoys his big birthday!

Star-gazing Father's Day

 For: Dad
Occasion: Father's Day

My dad got a telescope with which to chart the stars! For his Father's Day card, I did a paper silhouette of Dad and one of his kids (is it meeee?) peering through a telescope into the swirling stars. Wouldn't you know they spell out Dad? I've had a lot of fun being privy to a few astronomical events with my pops this year and I hope the stars align so he can have a great day!

Record Player Father's Day

 For: Dan
Occasion: Father's Day

To celebrate my dad-in-law's Paterfamilias day, I did a design in blues of a record player! I think the look is really neat, and it was a fun way to share some well-wishes on Father's Day -- I can't wait to see him in a few months!

Birthday Hat

 For: Will
Occasion: his birthday

To celebrate Will's birthday, I made a card featuring a straw hat very similar to one that he's been known to wear in the summers! I put it on a very small paper spring for some extra 3D pizazz:

It was so wonderful to see Will so close to his big day -- I hope he has the best time out West on his trip!

Bugbear Birthday

 For: Nathan
Occasion: his birthday

Brother-bear had another birthday, so to celebrate, I drew him a festive Bugbear! A Bugbear is a spooky sort of goblin-guy from D&D that Nathan is a fan of, so I gave this one a cake and a party hat to set the tone for the big day. Nathan is just the best, and I can't wait to see him again soon!

Sympathy Dandelion

 For: Family
Occasion: In Sympathy

A relative's brother died, and so to send our condolences, I drew a few dandelions shedding their seeds to the wind. I hope all who are affected by this death are able to find peace with time.

Sympathy Flower

 For: Family
Occasion: In Sympathy

My loved ones' baby died, and in the face of such a heartbreaking tragedy, I could only create a simple card to let them know I'm thinking of them. 

Toucan Birthday

 For: Riley
Occasion: her birthday

For Riley's birthday card, I drew a colorful toucan with a special delivery: a birthday cake! I love the bright colors of this card and hope it help sets the tone for an awesome celebration--this next year is going to be a big one!

Picked Flower Birthday

 For: Kathy
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Kathy's birthday, I drew her a stylized hand picking a flower among a field of brightly colored tulips! I hope Kathy has a wonderful day and is able to "pick" lots of joy and fun this year!

Sunny Birthday

 For: Karly
Occasion: her birthday

Karly is one of the most sun-shiney people I know, so for her birthday card I made a collage of a sun wearing some sweet pink polka dot shades! I hope she had a super cool birthday and is ready for little baby to get here and enjoy the sun with her!

Seize the Birthday

 For: Marilynne
Occasion: her birthday

Marilynne is probably my favorite Marxist, so for her birthday card, I drew a cartoon Karl in front of a birthday cake factory. Seize the means of production? Don't mind if we do! I hope Marilynne has a wonderful birthday. 

Tropical Retirement

 For: Aunt Katy
Occasion: Retirement

To celebrate Aunt Katy's retirement, I drew her the most festive tropical beverage I could -- it's in a pineapple cup, people! I hope Aunt Katy slides into retirement with no problem and is able to find lots of time for her hobbies and for relaxing, too!

Awesome Retirement

 For: Uncle Vince
Occasion: Retirement

To celebrate Uncle Vince's retirement, I had to drop a truth bomb on him: "You can't retire from being awesome!" This next chapter is going to be so different from the previous ones -- I hope lots of awesomeness is on deck and ready to go to make this transition lots of fun for him. 

New Baby Welcome

 For: Nowickis
Occasion: New Baby

Little miss Madeline joined us with a full head of hair! To celebrate Adam and Jody's daughter joining us all, I made a drawing of her little baby head paired with a "welcome, madeline!" message. I hope the early days of parenting have been a big adventure with a few moments of sleep, too!

8 Years to Infinity

 For: Michael
Occasion: Our Eight year dating-i-versary

Mike and I have been a couple for eight years now! To celebrate the eighth anniversary of our first date, I drew silhouettes of us in each other's arms, with me knocking down an 8 statue so that it becomes an infinity statue! Because why not? I admit the concept is elaborate, but it almost works. Good thing I'll have forever to fine tune it!