Gate Fold Birthday Circles

 For: Aunt Joan
Occasion: her birthday

Since Aunt Joan is a cardmaker, too, I try to do something neat for her birthday card! This year, I played around with a gatefold, meaning the card opens from the front with two panels. I experimented with an interlocking circle outline and circle with the message inside. It's a neat new way to say "HAPPY birthday!"

Thankful Pie Thanksgiving

 For: The Walsh-Rocks
Occasion: Thanksgiving

To thank the crew for hosting an amazing gathering (even though I could not attend this year), I made an illustration of a piece of pumpkin pie with a dollop of white gouache paint as whipped cream on top! The Pie text reads "Thankful!" in mismatched block letters. I love how this card turned out, and am forever grateful for all the love and support of this particular family unit!

Sherbet Day

 For: Jaimie
Occasion: her birthday

Jaimie loves sherbet, but can never seem to get any! For her birthday card this year, I did a watercolor illustration of the tasty treat paired with the note "it's sherbet day!" which sounds like "it's your birthday!" I am looking forward to buying this lady a carton when she returns from her bday trip!

Sci-Fi Book Birthday

 For: Quam
Occasion: his birthday

Quam is a reader of many a Sci-Fi novel, so for his birthday card this year, I put a tiny him in slippers and PJs on a stack of books with rockers and stars and other other-worldly shapes rising up around him. I hope Quam finds himself in many a good book this year, and I hope to see him soon!

Exciting Envelope Birthday

 For: Rukiyah
Occasion: her birthday

For Rukiyah's birthday card, I used shiny papers to create faux flowers of stars and shiny circles to be exploding out of an envelope! This was a fun card to construct, and I love how happy and excited it looks. I miss Rukiyah bunches and hope she is doing great this year!

Floral Birthday

 For: Carson
Occasion: her birthday

To help Carson celebrate her birthday, I created a simple flowy, floral design on teal with a swirly, silver "Happy Birthday to you!" message. I'm loving how the red of the flowers pops on the teal! One of my favorite color combos of late. I miss Carson and hope she is doing well!

Collage Birthday

 For: Jennifer
Occasion: her birthday

For Jennifer's birthday card this year, I made the prettiest, most elaborate collage to date! It features ancient art that I pulled from two free art books we got at the Denver Art Museum. I love the swoop of her hair, the shape of her glasses, and how cozy and vibrant the Jen character looks reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee while snuggled up under a simple blue blanket. Jen is such a force for good in my life--I hope she has the very best day and year possible!

Hip Replacement Get Well Soon

 For: Ben
Occasion: Get Well Soon

My hip buddy in the family is getting his other one fixed, so to wish him well on number 2, I made this vibrant play on "Hip, Hip, Hooray!" and replaced 'hooray' with "replacement" for a bit of a laugh. Surgery is no fun, so we have to be light where we can, right?

Get Whale Soon

 For: Alli
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To round out the family's trifecta of surgeries in November, I made Alli a playful whale card to wish her well on her recovery.  Everybody needs to be wrapped up in bubble wrap to keep the medical situations at bay now!

Get Well Soon Cone

 For: Charlie
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To help shepherd Charlie's journey back to health post-op, I made a simple drawing of a dog wearing a cone wagging his tail! He's sitting on "Get Well Soon" grass of block letters with different greens. I hope he's already back up and at 'em!

Redwings Octopus

 For: Win
Occasion: her birthday

To help Win celebrate her birthday, I drew Al the Octopus in a Redwings t-shirt. Win is a die-hard Redwings fan, so in researching the team I learned about the octopus tradition that surrounds the team--pretty weird, but we all do strange things for teams we love! Speaking of, I adore Win so and hope she is victorious in all things this year!

Basketball Birthday

 For: Tina
Occasion: her birthday

Tina had an awesome Halloween-themed birthday party with lots of our basketball friends! To help celebrate her birthday, I made this basketball themed card featuring block letters of her name that are a window to a basketball's texture, with white lines filling out the rest of the shape! I think this card came out so awesome, and I hope to play with Tina et al soon!

Name Birthday

 For: Tilly
Occasion: her birthday

Little Miss Tills turned three and I don't believe it for a second! To help celebrate the big day, I wrote her name in big block letters with a stripe down the middle taken out so I could write her name again in cursive. This style looks pretty cool, and I'm hoping it is a fun way to reinforce letters and her name!

Flower Bee Birthday

 For: Maddie
Occasion: her birthday

To help Maddie celebrate her birthday, I used my favorite colored pencils to create vibrant drawings of a bunch of flowers and a very happy bee! The text reads "Happy Bee Day!" to make the intentions very clear. I hope she has an ama-zzzzzzing day and an even bee-tter year!