Sand Drawing Birthday

For: Amy
Occasion: her birthday

For Amy's birthday card, I created a whimsical watercolor of a lady drawing the world in the sand. We recently took a trip to the sand dunes and Amy is starting her Master's in International Disaster Psychology, so the image tied that all together for me.

It was wonderful celebrating with the gang at a French bistro, and I hope Amy has a great day!

Owl Birthday

For: Elly
Occasion: her birthday

For Elly's birthday card, I created this playful scene in which I got to play with white space. The owl is cut out, so only its form is a clue to what it is. I love the detail of the wings holding the cake, and I'm happy with how the design turned out!

I hope Ells has a great birthday and that the rally is a smashing success this year!

Ratings Birthday

For: Jack
Occasion: his birthday

According to his dad, Jack has been very interested in what the different ratings mean on various media. For his card, I created an entirely new rating: J for Jack! The cake on this cover has ten candles, and the content was rated by BDAY.

On the inside, the rating is explained: Material Not Accessible Until Age 10; For Birthday Fun Throughout.

I hope Jack has a great day, and that this card didn't add more confusion to his quest!

Mosaic Birthday

For: Aunt Mary
Occasion: her birthday

My aunt makes all kinds of neat mosaics, so for her birthday card,  I created this watercolor cupcake one! It's got all kinds of cool and earthy colors, and I can only imagine how long it would have taken with real tiles and grout.

I love my aunt very much and hope she comes visit me on her old stomping grounds very soon!

Bird Call Birthday

For: Sandie
Occasion: her birthday

Sandie is the most quirky and wonderful professor I've ever had. Our relationship started with a string of hilarious emails, and somehow this bird on a rotary dial phone reminded me of that awesome beginning.

I miss Sandie a lot and hope she has a conference out in Denver some time!

Birthday 8

For: Augie
Occasion: his birthday

I can't believe Augie turns 8 today! For his birthday card, I feature his age in a big candle on top of a cake. I like the bold lines mixed with water color--it makes for a neat effect!

I hope Augs has a great day and is enjoying his summer.

Mythbuster Birthday

For: John
Occasion: his birthday

My cousin John is a big science guy, so for his birthday, I featured the mythbusting duo of Jamie and Adam. Jamie, ever the more serious scientist, is holding a cake while Adam is being lifted off the ground by a giant balloon. I think this card turned out great, and I hope John has a lot of fun with science experiments this year!

Birthday Jar

For: Uncle Tom
Occasion: his birthday

For my uncle's card, I drew this sketch of a chair in a jar! It's got a birthday hat on it, for some added party flair. I really like the quirkiness of this card, and I hope Uncle Tom had a great day.

Chicago Paintbrush Birthday

For: Brenda
Occasion: her birthday

Brenda is very passionate, a Chicago native, and has been interested in community organizing. I feel like this image, a paintbrush with Chicago skyline bristles painting bright colors, sum up my hopes for Brenda.

Whatever she ends up doing, her future is sure to be bright!

Sweetgum Engagement

For: Christy
Occasion: her engagement

Christy and Nathan are engaged! He proposed by the Sweetgum tree on campus that has special meaning for the couple. For Christy's card, I set the diamond of her ring in a Sweetgum tree band. The diamond itself and the white background paper are glittery.

For: Nathan
Occasion: his engagement

For Nathan's card, I created a stylized version of their special tree with his and Christy's initials carved in a heart on the trunk. I used the same papers for both their cards, for some added symbolism.

I love these two so much, and am beyond delighted to have Nathan as a brother. I wish them a long life filled with love and visits from me.

Battlefield Birthday

For: Eric
Occasion: his birthday

Eric likes to play a video game called Battlefield 3 (Thanks to Amy for the tip!), so I adapted the cover of that game to an Eric-specific game called Birthday 25. It's rated E for ERIC and the soldier guy has a party hat and a balloon. I love how this card turned out and had a great time celebrating!

Belly Dance Birthday

For: Tina
Occasion: her birthday

Teeny-Weeny is a courageous and fabulous lady who started taking belly dance classes after moving to Denver. I featured her in a full ensemble with glittery bells and medallions (and highlights in her hair!).
We went salsa dancing to celebrate the big day and Teeny was amazing! She's such a wonderful person and I'm so glad to have her as a friend.