Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Just keep swimming...

Project: Birthday card for an avid swimmer and all around great lady

Materials: Lemon tree, garden, trellis, pool

Firstly, the Kasliwal family members are some of my best customers. I think at this point, I've made at least one card for every family member. A few weeks ago it was matriarch Barbara's birthday, and her kids commissioned a card for the occasion. Barbara loves to swim, and can often be found in my parents' backyard doing laps in their pool. So naturally, for her birthday card, I created an aerial shot of the backyard.

The outside:

 The inside:

Happy Birthday, Barbara!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Juneau where she's going? Not sure, Ah'll ask-a

Project: Thank you card for my grandparents

Materials: Glaciers, dog sledding, California Rummy

About a month ago, my extended family and I went on an amazing cruise to Alaska. The whole crew was there, and it was orchestrated by my dad's parents. They even paid for the grandkids' rooms! The trip included glacier hikes, ocean kayaking, dog sledding, and most importantly, tons of family time.

To say thank you for such an amazing time, we pulled together a photo album commemorating the trip. Naturally, I had to make a card to go with it.

The outside:

The inside:

Thanks so much, Nana and Papa!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Time After Time

Project: Interview thank you cards

Materials: Time, thyme, tie-m (see what's become of me)

A friend recently commissioned a set of thank you cards for some interviews he had gone on. Since then, I've come up with a few different variations. In today's age of thank you emails, I'm still a strong proponent of an old-fashioned, physical card. I think the extra effort is always appreciated!

The original card, which said "thanks so much for your tie-m":

The standard "thanks so much for your time":

And finally, for those herb-friendly types, "thanks so much for your thyme":


 What better way to say thanks than with a pun?

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Unique New York

Project: Going away card

Materials: A road trip, two pets, many postcards

My friend Hallie is moving to New York. As I type this, she's somewhere in the western part of the country, roadtripping eastward with her pup, Nora. Here is the goodbye card I made her:

The outside:

The inside:

Safe travels, Hallie! Until we meet again!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Having a Gay Old Time!

Project: Wedding card for two dapper gents

Materials: Sartorial swag

A friend of my mom's recently married his longtime beau, so she wanted to give him a card to convey her congratulations. I have other gay marriage cards, but these two are apparently particularly stylish so I wanted to add a little extra flair.

The outside:

 The inside:

Congrats to the happy couple!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Lookin' Sharp!

Project: Card for my grandpa's 85th birthday

Materials: Kitchen utensils

Last weekend, my grandpa turned 85. I have very distinct childhood memories of waking up to the sounds of an electric knife sharpener, every time he'd come to visit. By the time he left, every last knife in our kitchen would be samurai sharp, and I would have the very unique sound of metal on metal reverberating through my mind.

For his birthday, the whole family came to Los Angeles to visit, and we went out to a lovely birthday dinner to celebrate. It seemed only appropriate for his card to feature knife sharpening, since at 85, he's still sharp as a tack!

The outside:

 The inside:

Happy 85th, Papa!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Artful Dodger

Project: Birthday card for a friend

Materials: White leather, red stitching

Barbara is quickly becoming one of my best customers! Not only did she commission cards for her eldest son and daughter-in-law, but she also ordered one for her youngest son (and my friend and coworker), Neel. He's an avid Dodger's fan, and today is his birthday!

The outside:

The inside:

Happy Birthday, Neel!