One of my favorite products that I developed and recently launched is the assorted set of cactus flat notes. While the designs are an obvious nod to my company's name, they were also greatly inspired by a few trips I have taken to Big Bend National Park, Terlingua, and other areas of West Texas.
Each card features a hand-drawn cactus design. Then, to further set these designs apart, each cactus is hand-finished with gold paint by yours truly. Each card is truly one of a kind. They are sold as an assorted set of 8 cards - 2 of each design. You can them in the shop here.
I'm leaving for the National Stationery Show in a few short days, and I can't wait to share my new products with retailers attending the show! Here's a behind-the-scenes look at my pre-show mailer that I recently sent out to stores. It's customary to send invitations to retailers inviting them to visit your booth at the National Stationery Show. This year, I did a 5"x7" flat card using a design based off my new Emerald Flowers patterned card (debuting at the show).
The front of the card had pertinent information about my booth and new product releases, while the back was covered in the hand-drawn floral vines. The white against the emerald green color really pops!
I decided to use a kraft envelope and wanted to use white ink for the address. One of my favorite parts of the mailer is the floral oval stamp on the front of the envelope that I wrote each retailer's address inside. I had a stamp made based on an original drawing that matched the card's floral vines, then I stamped each envelope using white ink. I used a white gel ink pen (my new obsession) to hand-address each card.
Finally, I choose the USPS's brand new vintage seed packet stamps. I absolutely adore these stamps and loved the bold flowers against the brown kraft!
I hope retailers enjoyed receiving these invitations as much as I enjoyed putting them together. See you at Booth 2240 in New York!
I recently had the pleasure to work on a custom stationery project for a sweet new baby girl and her mother.
Last summer, I worked with the mom-to-be on folded thank you note cards she could use for baby gifts. She was planning on naming her daughter Violet, so I created a pattern of small hand-drawn violets for the cards.
Following Violet's birth, I was thrilled to be asked to create flat note cards featuring Violet's name. I used the same violet flower pattern motif to line the bottom of the card and used a feminine and fun script for her name.
I love collaborating on projects like this one and was honored to get to work with the new mother twice. You can see more custom Happy Cactus Designs projects here.
Happy Cactus Designs formally launched in 2011, but 2012 was the year we really gained our "sea legs" and grew in so many different ways. One of my favorite aspects of running Happy Cactus is getting to work on custom projects. I didn't anticipate how well received our personalized stationery would be. I held a trunk show in early November and was thrilled to have so many people order custom note cards for themselves and for loved ones as holiday gifts. I worked at full speed for many weeks in November and December to create these designs and wanted to share some of them here! Many incorporate designs from the existing collection. View more designs here.
One of my favorite projects of 2012 was this New Year's card I designed for one of my dearest friends.
Cassie is deeply involved in raising awareness about animal welfare issues, particularly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and contributes to the community by participating in animal rescues, collecting supplies for animals in need, and working with various animal-related organizations. She wanted a New Year's card featuring a photo of her furry family (are they not the cutest?!) and using her favorite colors - pink and green. She also wanted the card to share some information about Paw's Cause, an event she is co-chairing in early spring that benefits the SPCA of Texas.
I used a bold green on the front of the 5x7 card to match Josie the parrot's bold feathers. On the back, I created a fun hand drawn paw print pattern in pink and green.
I am wild about this card and how all of the elements came together. I also cannot get over how photogenic Cassie's sweet pets are! To learn more about Paw's Cause, visit the SPCA's site here.
Our custom personalized cards have really taken off since they were first launched this summer. I've been spending a lot of time brainstorming and drawing new designs and am excited to share two new flat note cards!
First up, a flat card with small hand-drawn zoo animals - an elephant, a lion, a giraffe, and a zebra - lining the bottom. This is my new personal favorite!
Next up, another flat card featuring tiny little ducks. The "Welcome Little One" baby card with ducklings and their mother is our most popular baby card, so I decided to feature a similar design as a personalized option. The background is a pale yellow.
Both cards would be perfect for a new baby or child's gift and work for either a boy or a girl! You can see more custom designs in our online portfolio here. Get in touch if you'd like to learn more about our options for personalized stationery.
I recently blogged about how any pattern on the site can be used to create personalized stationery. Since that post, I've created more designs and wanted to share the finalized products with you!
First up, a fun folded card featuring hand drawn flower doodles in rainbow hues. This design can be customized with different colors. Want the doodles in shades of pink? Totally doable!
I'm really excited about this next card. It's a flat card with the name on the front and then hand drawn dots in shades of pink filling the back. Again, it's possible to do the dots in any color you desire!
The popular Magenta Spin flower pattern was used for the back of this next card.
Personalized stationery makes a perfect birthday, baby, or holiday gift. Check out more of the designs in our custom portfolio. Contact us at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com about how we can help to create beautiful stationery for you!
Did you know Happy Cactus Designs can create custom personalized stationery using any of our patterns?
Here's an example of a recent design we did for Christina using our "Zinnias" pattern.
These flat note cards for Victoria used the "Corazon" print on the back.
Any pattern or floral design you see here on the website can be used to create a flat or folded note card. We have so many fun and beautiful fonts to work with, and also offer custom hand lettering. Check out more custom projects here. And don't forget, we're always happy to work with you on an entirely custom and unique project. Email us at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com for more details on custom and personalized stationery.
This week's card of the week is one of Happy Cactus' bestsellers and a personal favorite of mine - "Welcome Baby Elephants" in blue and pink.
A simple little elephant drawing turned into such a cheerful and fun baby card. Elephants with their trunks pointing up are good luck, too! You can check out both version in the store here.
I've used this same pattern for personalized flat note cards which make for a perfect baby gift. Recently, I've been working on some other animal designs that I hope to share with you soon!
