May 11, 2016
A lot of my designs are big on color and pattern. With my latest paper goods release, I wanted to try something a bit different and create a small line of sweet and simple greetings that combines a lovely sentiment with a hand illustrated icon. Shop all of the new cards here.
May 02, 2016
I can count on two hands the number of friends and acquaintances who have had twins over the past few years, so I figured it was due time to make a twins baby card.
Big, bold, and colorful, it's the perfect card for the parents expecting two babies! Find it in the shop here.
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April 25, 2016
One trend you'll quickly pick up on with my latest collection of stationery is rainbow colors. Glass artist Dale Chihuly once said, "I've never met a color I didn't like," and I couldn't agree more. Oh how I love using color.
The "Black Garden" design was painted with gouache on black chipboard before being scanned. I love how the colors really pop off of the black background. It's available as both a note card and an art print.
My "Happy Birthday Rainbow Garden" card quickly became a bestseller when I released it a few months ago, so I worked to expand this design idea to both a patterned note card and an art print. Again, these designs were hand-painted with gouache.
Finally, here's a look at some new and old rainbow favorites. All cards can be found in the shop!
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February 08, 2016
My newest cards all feature original hand paintings by yours truly. I loved experimenting more with gouache and creating various color palettes and floral patterns. Here are a few behind-the-scenes snaps of the designs while they were being painted. You can find all of the new cards in the shop here.
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January 19, 2016
One of my favorite product lines I've released are my mini Valentines. I launched the Friendly and Fruity set in 2014, the Sweet Sayings set in 2015, and am now sharing the latest group to join the line - Little Hearts!
Each pack comes with 8 cards, 2 of each design. They measure 2.5" x 3.5" and are paired with tiny, sealable white envelopes. Another favorite feature - they are printed on soft white cotton paper!
They are perfect for kiddos to pass out to their pals at school, for your workplace colleagues, students you teach, family members....the possibilities are endless!
Find the mini Valentines and Happy Cactus' entire collection of love cards in the shop here.
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January 18, 2016
My newest collection of greeting cards just launched! Each new card features my original hand paintings. I loved creating these designs with gouache and celebrating sweet sentiments with colorful blooms and shapes. You can shop all of these new cards here!
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October 15, 2015
This week I'm sharing my very favorite piece of Happy Cactus Hand Embroidery. Delicate purple and pink flowers are hand embroidered on a light blue linen.
It's my largest piece to date measuring 4.25" in diameter. When I began this piece, I started with the large flower in the center with the various shades of purple. From there, the piece took on a life of its own!
I do not use a template nor do I sketch out what I am going to stitch; I just go for it. From that first flower, I added more vines, other large flowers and smaller buds until I was satisfied. It look a long time to complete, but I couldn't be prouder of my work with this one. You can find it in the shop here.
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October 05, 2015
One of my absolute favorite products to launch this year is a 2016 wall calendar! The goal was to create a wall calendar that captured the entire year on a small amount of space. I like being able to look up from my desk and see ahead to the months ahead.
For this calendar, I hand painted a bunch of imaginary wildflowers from my mind. "2016" and the months are hand-lettered by yours truly as well. The calendar measures 8" x 10" and is printed on beautiful 100% tree-free cotton paper.
These are a limited edition item - once they sell out, they are gone, so plan ahead and purchase yours now before it's too late! Shop the calendar here.
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October 01, 2015
I'm excited to highlight another piece of Happy Cactus Hand Embroidery for you this week! Two features set the following piece apart - its square shape and the incorporation of gold thread.
Many of the other pieces in the collection are circular in shape. Granted, it's easier to create circular works when using a round embroidery hoop. For this piece, I embroidered an array of rainbow flowers in a small square shape. Quite small, in fact! It's only 2" x 2". Working this small takes a lot of patience and focus, but I've impressed myself with the amount of tiny flowers I can fit in such a small area.
To really make this tiny piece pop, I incorporated metallic gold thread into some of the flowers. Gold thread is much tricker to work with than standard cotton embroidery floss - it has a harder texture and takes a bit of practice to figure out what works and what doesn't. It really makes the flowers stand out.
Add a bright red mat board and this piece of artwork really makes a statement. Small, but mighty! Find it in the shop here.
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September 24, 2015
I love working small. While a lot of the embroidery pieces in the first collection are circular in shape, I have experimented some with other types of design layouts. One of my favorite is this little floral bouquet. It measures about 2 inches tall. While small in size, it includes a number of intricate details.
The flowers in this little piece all came from my imagination. I particularly love the reddish-pink rose and yellowish stalk that kind of looks like wheat. A perfect bouquet that you never have to worry about watering! I think it would be a great gift idea for the gardener or florist in your life. Shop it here.
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September 17, 2015
I'm back to highlight another new hand embroidered piece of artwork in the shop. This week, I'm sharing a look behind Red and Pink Flowers on Pink Linen.
These have been some of my favorite flowers to embroider - a delicate mix of blooms in different shades of red and pink embroidery floss. The pink linen really stands out against the bright red mat board - quite a statement for your walls. You can find this piece in the shop here!
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September 11, 2015
The Happy Cactus Designs collection of hand embroidered artwork has been live in the shop for a few weeks and I've been so thrilled with the response from shoppers and admirers so far. I thought I'd create a little blog series highlighting some of the different designs in the shop. First up, one of my personal favorites: Rainbow Flowers on Light Blue Linen.
This is an especially colorful piece! The colors, especially the oranges and greens, really pop off of the linen. As I've mentioned before, I don't set out with a plan when i start embroidering; I just like to see where the piece takes me stitch by stitch.
A closer photo shows the intricacy of the stitching. You can shop this piece and others here!
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