6 Bears Thank You

 For: The Samples
Occasion: Thank You

To thank the Samples for hosting us overnight for a ski trip, I played on their home's name of Six BearsWest by drawing them six bears wearing matching sweaters that spell out THANKS! I love the simplicity of this card and am so, so grateful to get to spend some time with Jim and Dianne this winter!

Slopes Thank You

 For: The Phillips
Occasion: Thank You

Sofi and Paul hosted us for an epic ski weekend earlier this month! To thank them for their hospitality, I created a mountain map with different lifts and green, blue, and black runs that spell out "Thank You"! I am so pleased with this card and had so much fun designing it. Can't wait to hit the slopes with the whole fam again next year!

Sleepy New Baby

 For: The Neals
Occasion: New Baby

Chas and Alexi welcomed baby Westley about a month ago -- to help welcome this bundle to the world, I drew a picture of him sleeping with the simple text, "welcome westley!" The Neals are amazing parents and I can't wait to hang with this little munchkin again soon!

Ice Cream Birthday

 For: Dan
Occasion: his birthday

My father-in-law is big fan of ice cream! To celebrate his birthday, I did a watercolor of a happy three-scoop cone that all together sings, "Happy Birthday!" I went with mint chocolate chip for the flavor and love how the colors fo this card all come together. I adore Dan and hope he has all the ice cream he wants today!

Cupcake Birthday

 For: Lila
Occasion: her birthday

To help the dear Lila celebrate her birthday, I painted her this delightful cupcake with a cherry on top! I love how whimsical this design is and the use of my white pen to help provide some details. Lila is so special to the Keane family--I hope she had an amazing birthday and is looking forward to the next year!

Vegas Birthday Sign

 For: Jeremy
Occasion: his birthday

For Jeremy's birthday, I took a colorful spin on the vibrant street signs one might see in Vegas! The letters read out "Happy birthday!" -- I really like how this card came out (look at that subtle shading to help it pop!) and hope Jeremy has a lovely day. 

Rooster Roller Skate Birthday

 For: Uncle Brian
Occasion: his birthday

Uncle Brian is a whimsical guy! For his birthday card this year, I did a silly drawing of a rooster wearing roller skates, goofy glasses, and wearing a party hat! I really love the playful quality of this card and hope it added to the fun of Uncle Bri's big day!

Shelf Birthday

 For: Chas
Occasion: his birthday

Chas spent some time this year figuring out how to make his own awesome shelf, so for his birthday card I created a sweet illustration of how to install an awesome shelf such as his with a cake on top! I thought this design so clever and hope he enjoyed it as much as I did!

Owl Birthday

 For: Jen
Occasion: her birthday

To help Jen celebrate her birthday, I created a cute little illustration of an owl with a party hat on! Jen loves owls, so I knew I was going to owl it up this year to help her celebrate the big day. Jen is such a fun friend and I hope she has the best year!

Get Well Soon Cat

 For: Theresa
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To help speed up Theresa's recovery, I did a gouache painting of a cat in a cone with a bandage on its leg. There's a few rats in the foreground to tie in the "Aw, Rats!" text. I hope she's doing okay and will back at 'em soon!

New Job Road

 For: The Twin
Occasion: New Job

Twin got a new job too, and since her work involves map-making, I made a road to be the primary image! The text reads, "You're going places! (And mapping the way!) Congrats!"

So proud of tiny twin and hoping the new gig is incredible!

New Job Signs

 For: Nathan
Occasion: New Job

Nathan Curry got a new job, so to help him celebrate the transition, I made this simple card of some hands holding signs among some delightful confetti. Brother Bear is the smartest guy I know and I wish him well in this transition!

Ski Gear Valentine

 For: Mike
Occasion: Valentine's Day

For Mike's valentine this year, I featured our ski gear in the shape of XOXO! Mike helped me buy my new skis that have really launched me into another level, and so I found a way to fit them in! The Os are his and hers gray and silver helmets. We have had tons of fun skiing so far this year and are hoping for many more delightful ski days!

Nugs Valentine

 For: Owen
Occasion: Valentine's Day

Owen's valentine featured a similar play on rhymes! This time hugs and kisses becomes "Nugs and Kisses," as in chicken nuggets! I added some french fries to make it a full illustrated meal. I love my goobers so much and hope Owie got a tasty meal to celebrate the love!

Bugs Valentine

 For: Adam
Occasion: Valentine's Day

For Adam's valentine, I played on hugs and kisses with "Bugs and Kisses"! My little goof nephews have been playing with rhymes so much that this was a delightful way to capture this moment in time for them. I love how all the love bugs turned out, too!

Chemistry Valentine

 For: Christy and Nathan
Occasion: Valentine's Day

Christy and Nathan met in a chemistry class in college, so for their valentine I drew them as two beakers full of some liquid with a heart tube connecting 'em! The text reads "You have good chemistry!" I love how happy this science equipment is and love the two of them even more!

Chocolate Box Valentine

 For: Mom and Dad
Occasion: Valentine's Day

I have so many memories of magical valentines candy boxes growing up, so for my parents valentine this year, I drew them a heart-shaped box full of chocolates! It was so fun to come up with the decorations for each gamble chocolate. Mom and Dad are the OG valentines, and I hope they had a wonderful day together!

Maze Valentine

 For: Amy and Alex
Occasion: Valentine's Day

For Amy and Alex's valentine this year, I created a circular maze! There are two gold hearts connected through the maze by a silver line; the text reads "so glad you found each other!" Mazes are tough to make and I redid it a few times to get it right. I hope these two had a great celebration and are looking forward to a year of love!

Gnome Birthday

 For: Dylan
Occasion: his birthday

For Dylan's birthday card, I made a collage of a gnome holding a "happy birthday!" toothpick banner. I love how fun this card looks and hope Dyls had an awesome day!

Bags Birthday

For: Ben
Occasion: his birthday

Ben is an epic bags player, so for his birthday card I did a paper collage of a bags set with a cupcake on top! I am particularly pleased with how the paper-as-fabric turned out as the bags are clinging to the board. Here's hoping Ben has a great year of epic victories!

 

Soccer Foul Birthday

 For: Danny
Occasion: his birthday

Danny is an incredible soccer player, so for his birthday card I did an illustration of a ref blowing his whistle and handing out a birthday card (in place of a red or yellow card)! The text reads "a card on your birthday" -- I am so pleased with this card and hope he had a great day!

Cupcake Stand Birthday

 For: Jeannine
Occasion: her birthday

I made a silvery cupcake stand illustration for Jeannine's birthday card this year. She makes incredible cupcakes for everyone's birthdays in her family, so I wanted to give her some of her own! I hope she has a wonderful birthday and is looking forward to this year. 

Balloon Dog Birthday

 For: Uncle John
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle John's birthday card, I did an illustration of a balloon animal dog! This was so much fun to figure out, and I am particularly proud of the color layering. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did and had a wonderful day!