Tin Can Birthday

 For: Zach
Occasion: his birthday

To celebrate Zach's birthday, I created a design featuring two tin cans connected by string that convey the message "Happy Birthday, Zach!" This idea came from a lyric from a Zach May and the Maps song "Wisconsin" that was popular with us all in college. I miss Zach so much and hope he's having a great summer!

Wycinanki Rooster Birthday

 For: Eileen
Occasion: her birthday

Our family has a cool connection to the Polish folk paper art of wycinanki that I wanted to celebrate in Eileen's birthday card this year! I drew her a classic rooster that emulates the layering of colored paper, but added a party hat for a birthday twist! I hope Eileen is having an amazing summer so far!

Squirrel Birthday

 For: DeLace
Occasion: his birthday

For DeLace's birthday card, I did an illustration of a squirrel friend who is happy to have a piece of cake and a party hat! I love how sweet this little rodent turned out. I hope DeLace has a great birthday and is excited to be in community with many more squirrels throughout the year!

Flower Birthday

 For: Becky
Occasion: her birthday

For Becky's birthday card, I wanted to emulate how happy and joyful she is! I created some beautiful flowers on a bright Illini-orange background to do the trick. I miss Becky so much and hope she is having a wonderful summer!

Father's Day Calculator

 For: Dad
Occasion: Father's Day

My dad recently shared that he likely changed the batteries on his calculator for the last time of his career (in hopes to retire soon!). To celebrate this beautiful fact and celebrate how great of a dad he is, I made this calculator-themed Father's day card: "According to my calculations, you are the best dad!"

The most delightful easter egg in any card in recent memory is that the 7718 in the calculator screen reads Bill when upside-down. I am so pleased with myself I could giggle until retirement day arrives. 

Friendship Bracelet Birthday

 For: Giuliana
Occasion: her birthday

Giuliana is a big Swiftie, so for her birthday card I created a sweet friendship bracelet that spells out her name! I had so much fun making this card for my young friend and I cannot wait to play with her again soon!

Robin Birthday

 For: Will 
Occasion: his birthday

Will recently shared with me his connection to robins, so for his birthday card this year I drew a happy little friend in a party hat to celebrate the big day! I am so grateful for our continued friendship and I hope this next year is the best one yet!

Slay the Birthday

 For: Brother Bear
Occasion: his birthday

Nathan (and Adam!) love a game called Slay the Spire. For Brother Bear's birthday card, I did an illustration of the box design updated with some birthday flair! I adore Nathan Curry so and was so happy to make him birthday cupcakes with the boys while I was home. 

Ice Cream Birthday

 For: Kai
Occasion: their birthday

For Kai's card this year, I made a sweet little collage plus ink of a happy ice cream cone wishing them happy birthday! I love when I get to see Kai et al and hope they are all having the best summer yet filled with lots of tasty treats!

Hip, Hip Reconstruction

 For: Tiny Twin
Occasion: Get Well Soon

Twin went and had the last of our four hips fixed, so to celebrate the monumental occasion and send well-wishes for her recovery, I made this goofy card featuring some hips that are perfectly shaped! I adore Twinly so and hope she has lots to entertain her as the tough pain of recovery begins. 

Sunny Birthday

 For: Riley
Occasion: her birthday

This card blows my mind a little bit: I remember doing Disney princess-themed cards for Riley 14 years ago, and now she is a college graduate all professional and adult! This illustration of her captures that sense of time warp for me. I hope she is having a wonderful summer and enjoying all that being a graduate brings!

Celestial Birthday

 For: Kathy
Occasion: her birthday

For Kathy's birthday card, I did an illustration of her out in space with lots of celestial bodies about! I love this idea as a take on having one's "head in the clouds." I hope Kathy has a wonderful birthday and is enjoying all that family life has to offer!

Star Birthday

 For: Karly
Occasion: her birthday

For Karly Bar-ly Star-ly's birthday card this year, I made a neat collage that featured her namesake in glitter! I miss Karly so and it's so nice to connect around her birthday -- I hope this next years is amazing for her!

Mermaid Birthday

 For: Marilynne
Occasion: her birthday

To help Marilynne celebrate her big day, I created a sweet underwater mermaid wearing a party hat! I love the colors of this design and how floaty the bubbles are. I hope it all helped Marilynne have a festive day!

Bee Birthday

 For: Lydia
Occasion: her birthday

For Lydia's birthday card, I drew the plumpest, happiest bee floating along in a party hat! I hope she has a great day and an even better year!

Gordon Ramsey Birthday

 For: Alex
Occasion: his birthday

Alex and Amy are big Gordon Ramsey fans, so for Alex's birthday card, I tried to do an illustration of the angry chef himself (he's a hard dude to draw, I learned). I hope they had an awesome time celebrating at the restaurant!

Crane Birthday

 For: Jess
Occasion: her birthday

Red cranes have been on my mind a lot due to a poetry project I've been helping with, so when it came time to make Jess's birthday card, a red crane arrived! I had a lot of fun using oranges and pinks to make the red crane shine. I miss Jess a lot and hope she is doing well!

Bird Bam Birthday

 For: Aunt Sioux
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Sioux's birthday, I did an illustration of a mahjong bird bam tile! Twin and the aunts are having a great time learning mahjong together and Aunt Sioux has particularly taken to the game. I hope to someday play with them, too! Until then, I hope Aunt Sioux has an amazing year!

Frog Knight Alligator Birthday

 For: Ankeet
Occasion: his birthday

For Goober's birthday, for reasons, I did an illustration of a frog on an alligator with a sword. You know how it can be. I hope Goober had a great wrap to the school year and is looking forward to summer!

Retro TV Birthday

 For: Ceci
Occasion: her birthday

To help Ceci celebrate her birthday, I did an illustration of an old-timey TV featuring a program with some flowers in party hats on it (that is a show I would love to watch, actually!). I hope Ceci is having a wonderful start to summer and looking forward to lots of fun!

Lemur Birthday

 For: Alexander
Occasion: his birthday

For Alexander's first birthday card from me, I did an illustration of the most huggy, eager lemur I could imagine. It has been such a treat getting to know Alexander and I'm looking forward to a year of fun and adventure (and lemur hugs) together!

Norbit Dragon Birthday

 For: Adam
Occasion: his birthday

Adam's birthday card features a sweet little dragon friend that was featured in this year's sock puppet video, Norbit! I am delighted how sweet he is and how happy Adam was was to receive this card. I love my nephew so much and can't believe he is 8 years old already!

Birdsong Birthday

 For: Castelli
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate my Castelli-dear's birthday, I did an illustration of a sweet little bird in a party hat singing on the breeze! I love how happy and sweet this card turned out and I hope Christina has the best year yet!

Tattoo Birthday

 For: Alex
Occasion: his birthday

For Alex's birthday card, I drew an illustration of him getting a birthday cake tattoo! I love the colors and how happy his little smile is. I miss Alex a lot and hope he has a great birthday!

Taskmaster Birthday

 For: Megan
Occasion: their birthday

Like me, Megan is a big fan of the greatest show in the world, Taskmaster! To celebrate their birthday, I made a faux-task with the iconic TM seal.

On the inside, the task is "have a happy birthday. your time starts now." 

I love this card construction and hope Megan has the happiest birthday of all the birthdays to ever birthday!

Birthday Tea

 For: Lexi
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate dear Lexi's birthday, I did a collage of a beautiful tea cup and "Happy Birth-Tea!" letters! I love how this card turned out and hope Lexi is having the very best spring and summer.

Sew Mother's Day

 For: Mom
Occasion: Mother's Day

For Mom's Mother's Day card this year, I illustrated some hand stitching or embroidery to create a lovely homemade design. The text reads "Sew lucky to call you Mom!" I love a hobby-based pun and hope Mama feels the love from her children near and far today!

Graduation Glasses

 For: Elly
Occasion: Graduation

Ells both has the coolest glasses AND graduated with her Master's! To celebrate both cool facts, I did an illustration of Ells in a cap and gown with her fantastic purple hair and her glasses reading "Congrats Elly!!!" I think this card is the most fun and I hope she is so proud of all she has accomplished!

Hat Graduation

 For: Riley
Occasion: her graduation

Riley graduated college! To celebrate this monumental achievement, I did an illustration of a Michigan State-colored mortarboard and tassel with the fun text of "that hat tho." It's so cool I can just barely stand it. I hope Riley is super proud of her hard work and ready to take on her bright future!

Big Beer Birthday

 For: Kevin
Occasion: his birthday

To help Kevin celebrate his big day, I drew an illustration of him carrying the world's largest glass of beer! I love his little character and the party hat! I had such a great time celebrating Kevin's big day with a race and then a rooftop hang. I cannot wait to see what this year will bring!

May 4th Birthday

 For: Thomas
Occasion: his birthday

Thomas turns four today! To celebrate his golden birthday, I did an illustration of a calendar marking his special day! I hope Lidia and fam have a wonderful time celebrating the big guy's birthday! 

Cat Birthday

 For: Angie
Occasion: her birthday

My neighbor asked me to make a birthday card for his girlfriend, Angie, and offered some photos of her cat as inspiration! I was struck by the cat's sweet blue eyes and painted him wearing a party hat. I love how this card turned out and hope it helped Angie have a great day!

Bee Birthday

 For: Aunt Lauren
Occasion: her birthday

I've been thinking about bees a lot lately, so to help celebrate Aunt Lauren's birthday I drew a sweet little bee friend holding a cake and party hat and paired the entire design with a "Happy 'Bee' Day!" pun. I hope she has a wonderful birthday and is enjoying all the delights of spring!

Fish Bowl Birthday

 For: Luke
Occasion: his birthday

To help celebrate Luke's birthday, I did an illustration of a triangle fish in a fish bowl-as-vase. I love the shapes of this card and hope Luke has a an awesome day!

Fox Birthday

 For: Aunt Kelly
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Kelly's May Day birthday card, I drew a sweet fox mixed up with some vines and a little bird. I love the vibrance of the colors and how lovely this design turned out. Look how fun the little party hats are for the forest party! I hope she has a wonderful day and year. 

Finger Paint Birthday

 For: Dottie
Occasion: her birthday

To help sweet Dottie celebrate her 2nd birthday, I finger-painted the different components of this collage to create a beautiful flower! I am thrilled with how this card came out and am amazed that after all this time that I came up with a new design aesthetic! I hope Dottie has the best birthday and an even better year! 

Rainy Birthday

 For: Anna
Occasion: her birthday

For Anna's birthday card, I created a swirly cloud with raindrops that spell out her name. I really like how this looks and have had so much fun playing with my white and silver pens on the darker paper. I miss Anna and hope she has a wonderful spring!

When I'm 64 Birthday

 For: Dad
Occasion: his birthday

My dad has always been a big Beatles fan, and this year is finally the year when the famous song makes sense! "Will you still need me?" and "Will you still feed me?" surround a beautiful filigree 64 in this lovely design for my dear Dad. I hope he has an amazing day and is looking forward to all the gifts of this incredible age!

Bird Hiker Birthday

 For: Maxwell
Occasion: his birthday

Maxwell is an entire year older! To celebrate his birthday, I created a goofy design of a bird wearing both a hiking pack and a party hat. I hope Maxwell gets to see and explore many cool things this year!

Thai Birthday

 For: Julie
Occasion: her birthday

Julie has been doing a lot of work studying Thai attitudes toward religion, so for her belated birthday card, I made her an illustration of "happy birthday" in Thai paired with a cool butterfly and a lotus flower! I have so enjoyed getting to catch up with Julie briefly over email and I hope she has an amazing year as her research gets closer to becoming a reality!

Hand Heart Birthday

 For: Joel
Occasion: his birthday

Joel is off studying for a life in the faith, so for his birthday card this year I did a simple collage of a hand holding a heart. I think it is awesome to dedicate one's life to such a calling and I hope he enjoys his day. 

Pet Birthday

 For: Mark
Occasion: his birthday

To help neighbor Mark celebrate his birthday, I did an illustration of Wolfy and Sterling! I have so enjoyed getting to know Mark this year and helping care for the kiddos when called on -- Sterling is my WFH Wednesday pal! I hope he has an awesome birthday and is looking forward to another year of fun with these goofballs!

Dandelion Birthday

 For: Mom
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Mama's birthday, I did an illustration of a wishful dandelion blowing out the candles of its birthday cake and knocking off all the fluff of its friend! This is such a goofy design and I hope all the dandelions stay away from Mom's garden this year.

Pencil Birthday

 For: RJ
Occasion: his birthday

For Kasicki's birthday card this year, I did an illustration of a pencil writing out a birthday wish: "Happy birthday, RJ!" I love how this card came out -- so simple and elegant! I hope he has the very best day and is looking forward to a great year of fun and creativity!

Flat Brim Birthday

 For: JP
Occasion: his birthday

The last time JP and I saw each other, we were both wearing flat-brimmed baseball hats! To celebrate this delightful family trait, I drew him is very own special birthday hat featuring a cupcake. Look at the stitching on this design, friends! I hope JP has a wonderful day and looks cool every day of the year.

Bird Watching Birthday

 For: Colin
Occasion: his birthday

Colin is the biggest bird watcher out there, so for his birthday card, I created an image of a bird watching him right back! This is hilarious and delightful to me. I love the colors and hope Colin has the best year yet and sees every bird he could hope for!

Baseball Birthday

 For: Gio
Occasion: his birthday

To help Gio celebrate his big day, I did an illustration of a little baseball guy ready to play ball! I am tickled by the idea that his baseball head will take a swing at a ball. I loved seeing the video of Gio open his card and I hope he has the best year ever!

Watercolor Birthday

For: Rachel

Occasion: her birthday

To help celebrate Rachel's big day, I had lots of fun playing with shapes and watercolor paper. I love the watery homage and how my tape lines held up pretty well. I hope Rachel has an amazing day and that we get to hang out soon!

Birdy Birthday

 For: Leia
Occasion: her birthday

I have been really feeling the beauty of Spring, so to celebrate my dear Leia's birthday, I drew her a beautiful bird among some sweet flowering plants. I feel like you can hear the birdsong with this design! I love my Leia so much and cannot wait to see her again soon!