Kid Drawing Birthday

For: Jimmy
Occasion: his birthday

To celebrate Jimmy's birthday, I decided to try my hand at some kid art! Jimmy is a new dad, and I tried to imagine what Hudson's birthday card might look like in a few years. Answer: a weird little candy corn-esque monster with a balloon! I really like how it came out, and I hope Jimmy has a great year!

California Birthday

For: Dominique
Occasion: her birthday

Domi moved out to California to wrap up her doctorate, so to honor the move and celebrate her birthday, I did a watercolor of a Cali license plate. It reads, "HPYBDAY", or Happy Birthday in license plate speak! I am digging this card, and am a little amazed it took me 8 years to come up with this idea. Anyhow, I hope she has an awesome time in Cali and an even more amazing year!

Running Flowers Birthday

For: Brenda
Occasion: her birthday

For Brenda's birthday card this year, I did a pen sketch of someone running with a bundle of flowers! Her card was a little late this year (I didn't have the correct address), and I think this was a fun way to acknowledge that it was slightly belated. Brenda is such a cool lady--I hope this year brings awesome adventures as she studies public health!

Boldt Castle Thank You

For: The Keanes
Occasion: Thank You

I got to spend another lovely week with Mike and his family up at the Thousand Islands! To thank his parents for their generosity and hospitality, I did a watercolor of Boldt Castle, which is an iconic castle on the neighboring Heart Island. I was treated to a tour of the beautiful interior, and figured a watercolor of the main castle would fit the iconic building theme I've got going for these cards (check out this one and  that one for the series!). I love the Keanes so much and am so glad we all got to be together. I can't wait for the next visit!

Four out of Five Get Well Soon

For: Stoo

Occasion: Get Well Soon

Stoo's ribs and lung had an epic battle with a house boat, and to wish him a speedy recovery, I made him a card! The text reads "Four out of five doctors agree they want you to get well soon." There's four white coats with various doctor-y poses; presumably, these MDs are on our side. And then, "That other guy is a huge jerk." We're bummed that Stoo had to cancel his trip to visit, but are looking forward to rescheduling ASAP!

Get Well Soon Pig

For: Gay
Occasion: Get Well Soon

Gay is such a wonderful person and it bums us out that she's got such a long recovery from her back surgery. In order to wish her well, Mike suggested I make a card featuring her iconic pig phone case. And, done. I hope it brought her a smile and that she heals up very quickly!

Avs Birthday

For: Adam
Occasion: his birthday

Adam has gotten mountain-themed cards from me every year, so this time, I decided to shake things up a bit! I did my rendition of the Colorado Avalanche's A logo to help celebrate the big day. Of course, I hope he got to spend some time in the mountains and is looking forward to a great season of hockey come October. 

Forest Birthday

For: Elly
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Elly's birthday, and because I liked this card style so much, I used my colored pencils to create a forestry scene featuring Els lighting her way down a path. I love the yellow light shining on the trees as she goes. It's so playful and whimsical and magical that I feel like it's perfect for my lovely cousin this year. 

Volleyball Birthday

For: Jack
Occasion: his birthday

For Jack's birthday card, I created a 3D volleyball flying over a net that has a "Happy Birthday, Jack!" message on it.

To obtain the 3D effect, I folded two strips of paper and combined them for a paper spring. I think it's a lot of fun, and I hope Jack has fun at tryouts!

Cairn Man Thank You

For: The Samples
Occasion: Thank You

The Samples very kindly let us use their house in Breckinridge for a weekend getaway, so to thank them, I did a watercolor of a cairn shaped like a person that is prominently featured in their home. I think he's really cute for a pile of rocks! We had so much fun at their house and are hoping to see them this winter for some skiing.

Star Wars Birthday

For: Tommy
Occasion: his birthday

Tommy loved Star Wars à la R2D2, and given that BB8 is adorable, I created a mashup of the iconic robots to help celebrate his birthday. I think it turned out just great, and I hope Tommy likes it too!

Flower Birthday

For: Aunt Mary
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Aunt Mary's birthday this year, I wanted to practice my pen sketching and created this beautiful flower for her. The lines are so crisp--my high school sketching teacher would be proud! I added a swirly "Happy Birthday" and some simple swirly lines in the background. I hope Aunt Mary had a beautiful birthday!