Beirut Birthday

 For: Brian
Occasion: his birthday

Brian had (or has?) a truly impressive Beirut game, so for his birthday card this year I featured a classic red Solo cup with "HBD BRIAN!" written on it in the style of writing one's name on such a cup. There's a pearly white ping pong ball to round out the image. Making this card really brought me back to mid-20s parties at the Clayton house. Ah, good times. I hope Brian and Liz are doing great out in Jersey!

Beach Birthday

 For: Leia
Occasion: her birthday

Leia just had an epic vacation in Costa Rica, so to help her hang on to her time there, I did a watercolor of a beach scene in vibrant colors with a palm tree in the foreground. I adored seeing Leia-dear so close to her birthday and hope she has a great time hiking the Grand Canyon!

Aurora Birthday

 For: Sam
Occasion: her birthday

Sam is a big fan of Norwegian singer/songwriter AURORA, so for her birthday card this year, I did a stylized gouache painting of the artist wearing a party hat. I had fun listening to AURORA while I painted the card, and hope Sam had an even more fun time celebrating her birthday!

Nature Birthday

 For: Allyson
Occasion: her birthday

For Allyson's birthday card this year, I made a glittery nature scene in a triangle that features a bright sun, purple mountains, a river, and plenty of trees. Underneath the triangle, a simple birthday wish: "Happy Birthday, Allyson!" I hope she has a wonderful day and I can't wait to go on a walk soon!

Expanding Cat Birthday

 For: Owen
Occasion: his birthday

For Owen's birthday card, I played around with an image that expands when you unfold it! To start off, we have a plump little cat friend wearing a party hat. And, when you open up the card...

Surprise! He's actually quite a large cat who's munching on a big birthday cake. The cake has three candles in it since Owen is three years old! It was so fun designing this card and getting to celebrate my sweet O with lots of creativity this year. 

Coffee Anniversary

 For: Michael
Occasion: our Anniversary

To celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary, I made Michael a card featuring a to-go cup of coffee from our local coffee joint with some heart-shaped steam. The simple day-to-day of our life together is wonderful, and it was nice to feature one piece of it in this year's anniversary card. Here's to many more coffee walks in our neighborhood together!

Sparkle Sun Birthday

 For: Aunt Julie
Occasion: her birthday

For my aunt Julie's birthday card this year, I wanted to send her some sunshiney, flower child vibes, and so drew this sparkly sun with flower sunglasses! I had a lot of fun with my glitter pens making this the shiniest happiest sun I've ever seen. I hope Aunt Julie has an amazing day and is looking forward to summer!

Biking Birthday

 For: Sofi
Occasion: her birthday

To help Sofi celebrate her birthday (and dream of spring!), I drew her riding a bike and leaving a trail of wildflowers behind her! For the style of the card, she is not wearing a helmet, but obviously, it's safety first in real life! I miss Sofi a lot and hope life is going great up in the mountains. 

Ice Cream Birthday

 For: Danielle
Occasion: her birthday

For Danielle's birthday card this year, I drew the cutest ice cream cone I've ever seen on a red background (D had some sweet red hair last time I saw her, when she showed me how to color images on her iPad!). I cannot believe D is 12 years old already!

Old and Young Birthday

 For: Adam
Occasion: his birthday

Most years, I ask Adam if he has any birthday card challenges for me to capture in his birthday card. This year, after considering it for a few days, he asked that I make a card featuring an older version of him singing "Happy Birthday" to a younger version. Challenge accepted! We have a 60s Adam strumming on his guitar and singing to a 6-year-old Adam. (I love that they have the same party hats.) I'm so glad Adam liked his card -- I hope to hang out with current-age Adam soon!

Semi Cake

 For: Cole
Occasion: his birthday

Cole loves trucks, so for his birthday card this year, I drew a truck transporting a giant slice of cake with four candles stuck in it! I hope the wind doesn't blow them out before the cake can be delivered to him!

Movers Birthday

 For: Ryan
Occasion: his birthday

Ryan is a big fan of trucks and construction vehicles and things with wheels that move! To help celebrate his 4th birthday, I drew a simplified, stylized bulldozer and semi truck that are pushing "Happy" and pulling "Birthday!" 

Sprinkle Cake Birthday

 For: Bri
Occasion: her birthday

For Bri's birthday card, I drew a cake out of the most colorful sprinkles ever! I am really quite pleased with the different hues of the cake and frosting of this design. And look at that candle! Anyhow, I hope Bri has a wonderful day -- it's always a treat to catch up with her around her birthday!

Art Birthday

 For: Amy
Occasion: her birthday

Amy loves to create art, so for her birthday card this year, I created a stylized watercolor of her in profile with a paint pallet for an ear and paintbrush for glasses! Her hair reads "Listen to your art." I love this stylized design and am so glad Ames had a lovely birthday!

Movie Birthday

 For: Doug
Occasion: his birthday

To help Dougie celebrate his birthday, I created a simple illustration of a film projector showing "Happy Birthday, Doug!" on a golden (silver) screen! Doug is the biggest movie buff I know and I appreciate his recommendations. I hope Dougie has a great birthday and a year of amazing films!

Premier League Birthday

 For: O'Shea
Occasion: his birthday

For O'Shea's birthday card, I did a birthday-ed up version of a Premier League where the lion has a birthday balloon tied to his tail. I love how simultaneously stately and playful this  design is! I hope O'Shea has a wonderful day and that we all get to hang out soon!

Shape Cake Birthday

 For: Julie
Occasion: her birthday

For Julie's birthday card this year, I replicated a watercolor design of whimsical shapes that add up to an abstract birthday cake! I had fun mixing and matching colors and lines in this card, and hope Julie had even more fun celebrating her big day!