Cactus Birthday

 For: Scott
Occasion: his birthday

For Scott's birthday card, I did an illustration of a prickly pear cactus wearing a party hat! This cactus is common in New Mexico and I am so captivated by the landscape that I had to give my best white pen detailing to try to capture the spikes--I love playing with shadow, too! I hope Scott has an amazing birthday that kicks off a very cool year with his new job!

Paddle Board Birthday

 For: Renee
Occasion: her birthday

Renee loves paddle boarding! For her birthday card this year, I did an illustration of her in her standard uniform having a great time on the waves among the sunshine. I love my sister wife so, so much and hope she has the very best year ever -- I cannot wait to celebrate our birthdays soon!

Mahj Birthday

 For: Tiny Twin
Occasion: our birthday

Tiny Twin loves Mahjong so much! For her birthday card this year, I recreated her very favorite tiles and featured all the flowers, 3s, and 8s of the various suits. I love how passionate Twin is about all her hobbies and cannot wait until she and I can play together soon!

Turtle Birthday

 For: Bridget
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Bridget's birthday card, I created an illustration of a happy little turtle in a party hat! I love the different designs on his shell and how happy he looks. Here's hoping Bridget has a nice slow day and is looking forward to a great year!

Bear Birthday

 For: Aden
Occasion: their birthday

I call my dear friend Aden "Aden-Bear" nearly every day in our voice notes! To celebrate their birthday, I drew them as a bear, and I have to say I am pretty pleased with the likeness. I loved spending time at the house with Aden and their friends and hope this next year is spectacular!

Cake Birthday

 For: Uncle Greg
Occasion: his birthday

To help Uncle Greg celebrate his birthday, I did an illustration of a stellar slice of cake. Look at all those stars! I hope he had a wonderful birthday and was able to celebrate with some treats that are out of this world!

Helmet Birthday

 For: Marcellus
Occasion: his birthday

Marcellus played football in college, and I still don't even really understand the rules to the game. To help him celebrate his birthday, I did an illustration of a helmet featuring some stickers of cupcakes for some extra birthday flair! I was bummed to miss out on his party this year, but assume we can celebrate all year long!

Earth Birthday

 For: Sarah
Occasion: her birthday

For Sarah's birthday card this year, I did a sweet illustration of a happy little earth almost being hugged by all its celestial friends. I love Sarah so much and she is such a dear friend. I hope everything aligns and she has an amazing year!

Quill Wedding Invites

For: Justin and Lindsay
Occasion: Their Wedding Invitations

I was honored to do the wedding invitations for Justin and Lindsay's big day! This sweet design features earthy colors, a quill (for Quam+Hill) and their cat Goose in the upper left corner. I really enjoyed making these and am so pleased they were received well. I had a wonderful time at the wedding and hope they have a beautiful life together!

Quill Wedding

 For: Justin and Lindsay
Occasion: Congratulations

Justin and Lindsay had a beautiful and fun wedding out in New Hampshire! To celebrate the Quills (Quam+Hill), I did a papercut of some feathers on a floral paper. I think this captured the tone of celebration quite well and I was honored to be a part of the festivities!

Birthday Pawty

For: Ellie
Occasion: her birthday

For Ellie's birthday card, I created a sweet image of a gray cat hanging out in a birthday hat! The pun reads, "Let's Pawty". I love the white detailing on this card and am so happy with how rich the blue sky came out! Ellie is one of my favorite young friends and I can't wait to see her soon!

Hotter Degree Congratulations

 For: Eileen
Occasion: her birthday

Eileen finished her second Master's! To celebrate this incredible feat, I made her a googly-eyed card featuring a sun and the (somewhat bleak) pun "One Degree Hotter!" There's a big cross-over with public health and climate, so I feel it's an apt card (if somewhat bleak). Eileen is so cool I can barely stand it and I hope she enjoys her free time!

Bouquet Birthday

 For: Sandie
Occasion: her birthday

For Sandie's birthday card, I did a collage of a beautiful bouquet! I loved cutting out the details of these various petals and placing them together with the twist of the string "tying" the bouquet together. I hope Sandie has an amazing year with lots of new opportunities!

Cupcake Birthday

 For: Molly
Occasion: her birthday

For Molly's birthday card, I did a collage using my cool papers to create a 3D sprinkly cupcake. I am so excited about how this card turned out and I love Molly so much -- I hope she had a wonderful birthday and is looking forward to a great year!

Pink Hair Birthday

 For: Tyler
Occasion: her birthday

Tyler is the prettiest pink poet in all the land! To celebrate their birthday, I did a beautiful collage with sparkly glitter paper. I love this card so, so much and have had so much fun working with Tyler on the press. I hope they have the best year yet!

Sheetcake Birthday

 For: Uncle Joel 
Occasion: his birthday

To celebrate Uncle Joel's birthday, I did a drawing of a sweet little cake that has a funny message in frosting: "Holy Sheet Cake!" This joke makes me laugh and I hope Uncle Joel enjoys his day with lots of giggles all year!

Balloon Birthday

 For: Ari
Occasion: her birthday

For Ari's birthday card, I made a happy little balloon of a friend to help celebrate the big day! I hope she had a wonderful day and gets to enjoy lots of fun and giggles today and all year!

Party Hat Birthday

 For: Lucy
Occasion: her birthday

For Lucy's birthday card this year, I did a sweet cut-out of a happy party hat! I love this design and cannot wait to hang out with my little friend again soon!

Feet Up Birthday

 For: Jimmy
Occasion: his birthday

For Jimmy's birthday card, I created an illustration of his socked-feet kicked up and relaxing. The message across the toes says "happy birthday!" I hope Jimmy has an amazing birthday and an even better year (in cozy socks!). 

Cake Collage

 For: Mari
Occasion: her birthday

For Mari's birthday, I did a collage of a slice of cake with some fun details and different papers. I am so grateful for Mari's friendship over the years and hope she has an amazing day and year. 

Tree Play Birthday

 For: Mollie
Occasion: her birthday

Mollie is one of my dearest friends in the world. To celebrate her birthday, I did a happy illustration of her hanging upside down on a branch waving at a bird in a party hat. I am so happy with this card and I cannot wait to hang out on all kinds of adventures together. 

Dill Birthday

 For: Elly
Occasion: her birthday

Dill is my dear cousin Elly's dog, who is also a very famous Shakespearean actor! To celebrate Ells's birthday, I did an illustration of our furry fellow in a classic Dill pose. I adore this pup so much and am so impressed and pleased that he was on stage in St. Louis for his big debut. I hope Ells and Dill both have an amazing year together!

Megaphone Birrthday

 For: Jack
Occasion: his birthday

For Jack's birthday, I did a simple illustration of a megaphone shouting out a birthday greeting: "Happy Birthday, Jack!" I think the colors on this are very neat and love a white gel pen to bring in some pop! I hope Jack has an amazing day and an even better year!

Mountain Scene Birthday

 For: Sharon
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Sharon's birthday, I did a beautiful illustration of a mountain scene with flowers in the foreground and a bright red sun. I love how bright the colors are and am obsessed with this design overall! I adore Sharon and am so glad for her steadfastness as a friend over all these years!

Puppy Adoption Dinosaur Birthday

 For: Nona
Occasion: her birthday

Nona had the most magical birthday party ever wherein six little puppies were brought over to play with us! Nona also loves dinosaurs so this illustration is a mash up of all the gloriousness of the most exciting party I have ever been invited to. I am so impressed with everything Nona has done this past year and hope this next trip around the sun is much less eventful!

Cupcake Birthday

 For: Aliza
Occasion: her birthday 

For Aliza's birthday card, I put googly eyes atop the sweetest little cupcake friend. I took a video of how much I cracked up after I made this friend, so the above is a screenshot from that joyful experience. I adore my googly-eyed partner in life (Aliza) and hope she has the best year yet!

Viking Birthday

 For: Tommy
Occasion: his birthday

For Tommy's birthday card, I couldn't get vikings out of my head for some reason! I drew this little guy with the happiest little smile, party hat, and balloon to spruce up his outfit. I miss Tommy a lot and hope he's enjoying writing and all the life has to offer!

Bird Girl Birthday

 For: Gina
Occasion: her birthday

For Gina's birthday, I did an illustration of her incorporated into bird wings. I love the spirit of this card and think it fits really well with sweet Gina's energy! It's been so nice reconnecting with her recently and I hope she is having a great summer!

Word Search Birthday

 For: Augie
Occasion: his birthday

For Augie's birthday card, I created my own word search board that spells out Happy Birthday To and You! I do not see any other words, but if anyone finds one, I would love to know. I hope Augie is doing well and looking forward to another great year!

Bear Birthday

 For: Brice
Occasion: his birthday

Brice is inimitable! Brice loves bears! For his first Debbie Dots card, I did an illustration of a fierce bear mid-roar (of "Happy Birthday!" I'm sure). It has been such a joy getting to know Brice and working on the press together this past year. I can't wait to see what this next year holds!

Cake Fire Birthday

 For: John
Occasion: his birthday

For John's birthday card, I did an illustration of a cake throwing off a mighty fire from just a few candles! I love the sharpness of the design paired with the plucky message "Will age for cake". I hope John has a great birthday and can't wait to see him at the mountain house soon!

Dancing Moose Birthday

 For: Maggie
Occasion: her birthday

For Maggie's birthday card, I drew an illustration of a sweet little moosey dancing in a tutu and party hat! Magpie is my favorite smallest friend at the moment, and I cannot wait to see what this next year brings for her amazing life!

Coyote Thank You

 For: Theresa and Scott
Occasion: Thank You

To thank Theresa and Scott for hosting Alexander and I over the forth of July, I created this interesting design that captures coyotes mixed with the elements of the logo of their business! I love how it turned out and truly had a wonderful time with them down in the desert. It's become quite the tradition and I cannot wait for many years to come. 

Reading Birthday

 For: Brenda
Occasion: her birthday

For Brenda's birthday card, I drew an illustration of her with her nose tucked in a book! She and I are such lovers of language and story that it's a common motif in her cards from me over the years. I hope Brenda is having a wonderful summer and has gotten into some good books!

Animal Balloon Birthday

 For: Uncle Tom
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle Tom's birthday, I did an illustration of a balloon animal dog wearing a party hat! I am loving this design and the monochromatic scheme with the shine of the white. I miss Uncle Tom a lot and hope he is doing well and enjoying summer!

Sun Birthday

 For: Sandie
Occasion: her birthday

For Sandie's birthday card, I did an illustration of a sweet sun with flowers in its rays. Sandie is a big ray of sunshine for us all and I hope she is having a great summer before another year starts up at UIUC!

House Plant Birthday

 For: Elizabeth
Occasion: her birthday

For Elizabeth's first birthday card from me, I drew her the happiest teacup I've ever seen with a sweet little plant! I am forever in awe of her ability to grow, propagate and love her houseplants. I hope she had an amazing day and I am looking forward to lots of Daggerheart this next year!

Dungeon Crawler Birthday

 For: Matt
Occasion: his birthday

Matt loves Dungeon Crawler Carl! To celebrate his birthday this year, I did some research about the beloved series (that I have yet to start) to figure out what would be a good design to celebrate the books! I landed on "New Achievement" with some skulls and an eye. I am so pleased with how the card turned out and with Matt's reaction! 

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!