February 04, 2014
When brainstorming card ideas for the early 2014 greeting card release, I was hoping to create cards for categories where I was missing cards. I knew I wanted to design a sympathy card. While the Thinking of You Lavender card is a popular seller, I realized I really need a sympathy card that could be used for a variety of occasions. The So Sorry card fills that gap.
Sending a card to a friend or family member when he or she has suffered a loss or experienced a hard time can be so meaningful to the recipient. I hand-lettered "So Sorry" in a dark navy script and surrounded the lettering with light blue hand-drawn flowers. I think it's always a good idea to have one of these cards on hand so you can send it off to someone in need at a moment's notice. You can find the card in the shop here.
January 22, 2014
The minute I shared a glimpse of my new I'm Bananas for You card on social media, I could tell it was going to be a card people liked and responded well too. I sent out samples to different retailers, and Emily from Clementine in Middlebury, Vermont, gave me some great feedback: that this would be perfect as a mini Valentine that kids could give to their classmates and buddies. I shared some brainstorming ideas for other card designs I had with her and embarked on developing a set of little cards.
I rounded out the collection with You're My Main Squeeze, You're The Apple of My Eye, and We Make a Great Pear featuring simple and modern hand-drawn fruit patterns.
I love this little set and think they are perfect for kids and adults alike - whether you are giving them to your classmates with a box of Sweethearts (my favorite!) or to your coworkers.
Each card measures 2.5" x 3.5" and is printed on 100% cotton tree-free paper. The backs are blank, leaving you space to write your own little love note. They are paired with tiny white envelopes, too. Find them in the shop here.
January 17, 2014
I shared my favorite best-selling Valentine's Day in Part 1. Here in Part 2, I'm excited to share my latest releases for Valentine's Day with you!
I'm Crazy For You Foxes: I drew these sweet little foxes and the sentiment just paired so well with it. I also love the minty green and white heart background.
I'm Bananas for You: While brainstorming new designs, I had a list of sweet love sentiments and I kept coming back to this one. I created a simple banana pattern using a thick brush pen. The hand-lettering is bold and declarative.
Hubba Hubba: This design always reminded of this clip from The Simpsons. I experimented with a new fat brush pen to create thick letters, and then created an XO pattern to add some depth to the design.
Be My Valentine: While many of my designs are pattern-driven and intricate, I wanted to design a card that was simple, yet bold in its declaration. I like the mix of simple cursive letters with thicker capitalized letters.
My Sweet Valentine: Sometimes the smallest doodle in my sketchbook becomes the basis for a card's primarily design element. I sketched a simple heart with tear drop shapes extending from it and knew it would make a great border.
Shop all of our Valentine's, love, and friendship cards here.
October 10, 2013
Christmas will be here before you know it (75 days officially) and Happy Cactus Designs is excited to share the new collection of holiday and Christmas cards!
Some new holiday cards debuted at the National Stationery Show in May, and I released another batch of designs to retailers this summer. Now, I'm excited to share them with you! You can check out the entire collection, plus our best-selling favorites, here.
October 01, 2013
Believe it or not, Halloween will be here before we know it! I'm excited to share a Halloween card I designed this year. I hand-lettered "Trick or Treat" and drew some candy corns, one of my favorite Halloween candies. Since I was young, my aunt has sent me a Halloween card each year, and I can't wait to send her this one soon! You can shop the Halloween card here.
September 18, 2013
Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing more details about some of the newest cards in the fall collection. I couldn't help but start with my favorite card that I designed this summer - the Midnight Rose patterned note card.
I sketched out a simple floral motif of lined roses, leaves, vines, flowers, and dots this summer and arranged it into a repeating pattern.
Stepping outside of my comfort zone, I used a very dark blue background and loved how the design turned out; the motifs really pop off of the page. Turns out I was right on trend - moody, edgy florals are very "in" this season. You can shop the new Midnight Rose card in the shop here.
September 10, 2013
I'm excited to share the latest releases from Happy Cactus Designs with you! Once I returned from the Stationery Show and settled back into my normal routines, I got to work doodling, drawing, and brainstorming ideas for new cards. It was so nice to get back in the creative groove. One downside to all of the preparation for NSS is that there's little time for creative work, so it was wonderful to be able to just draw again.
What resulted was a new collection of cheerful and fun cards that I'm really proud of. I'm also quite excited about additional Christmas cards I developed. Designing holiday cards when it is 100 degrees outside is always a challenge! They will be available for sale soon (I feel like the holidays will be here before we know it!).
Retailers can view all of the new releases along with our existing collection in our catalog here, or contact us at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com for a hard copy and sample.
August 26, 2013
I love receiving customer feedback and hearing what types of cards people are looking for. One request I heard many times over was for a general "thinking of you" card. For this card design, I reached back into my archives of doodles and drawings, and decided to use this drawing of a bunch of lavender. I associate lavender with calming and healing, so it was the perfect motif for this type of card. I paired the drawing with a light mint background and hand-lettered "Thinking of You" in a deep purple script. You can find it in the shop here.
August 22, 2013
A number of customers have asked me if I would make a card that could be used for a child's baptism or communion. This Floral Cross card is especially true to Happy Cactus' signature style - delicate hand-drawn flowers and a strong mix of colors (in this case, a palette of pastels). I love the sweetness of this card, and how it can be used for a number of different religious occasions - baptism, communion, confirmation, and Easter, to name a few. You can find it in the shop here.
August 08, 2013
One of my favorite new cards in the Happy Cactus Designs greeting card collection is the bright and cheery You're the Best card. One of my aims while developing new releases for this year's National Stationery Show was to create some cards that can apply to many different "card-giving" situations. This card is great for thanking a friend or writing a note to a parent or child. I hand-lettered the greeting in a fun, cursive script, and then added a hand-drawn dotted zigzag and a striking yellow background. I think it's a really cheerful card, and many buyers and customers seem to agree, as it's quickly become a new bestseller!
July 23, 2013
A number of the new cards I introduced at this year's National Stationery Show have a strong modern, simple, geometric influence, including the Patchwork Lines patterned note card. I created a pattern out of simple hand-drawn line motifs and used a color palette of bright red, marigold yellow, and purple. These three colors remind me of my grandmother - she always wore and appreciated bright, cheerful colors. The Patchwork Lines card is available as a single card or a boxed set of 10 cards here.
June 03, 2013