Our best-selling "Welcome Baby" elephants card, shown here in pink, pairs perfectly with Sharon Montrose's baby elephant photograph from The Animal Print Shop. We think this would make a fab baby present combo! Sharon's photographs of animals are amazing!
It's hot, hot, hot here in Austin and I've been busy prepping my Holiday 2013 releases. I've been playing a lot of tunes in the studio to keep me company, including this favorite, a version of "This Train is Bound for Glory" featuring Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show from the Big Easy Express documentary.
Did you know that Happy Cactus Designs products are 100% made in America? Every component, from the paper to the packaging, comes from U.S.-based businesses. Our printing is done locally in the South, our 100% recycled envelopes are sourced from New York state, and our product packaging comes from California.
Being as eco-friendly as possible is also very important to Happy Cactus Designs. Our cards are printed using processes such as low-emission and low-chemical printing and we use papers from properly managed sources that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and made using Green-e certified wind power. Our envelopes are made from 100% post-consumer waste (recycled content) and are also FSC certified. Our clear card sleeves are also made of recycled content. We try to reuse packing materials whenever possible for shipping needs. We also encourage you to re-use cards! The printed designs can easily be cut into smaller pieces and used as gift tags!
The new Thank You Leaf Stamp Note Cards pair well with Dean Davidson's beautiful turquoise and metal leaf cuff.
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.
Our popular bee patterned card pairs well with Kenneth Jay Lane's elegant pearl and crystal bee earrings.
This week I've been putting the finishing touches on new Christmas cards and other new releases that I'll share more about soon. Instead of a constant loop of holiday music on iTunes, though, I've been listening to some old favorites from Glen Hansard/The Swell Season. Happy Friday!
Astral Weeks (Van Morrison cover)
Falling Slowly (with Eddie Vedder)
Feeling the Pull
I'm excited to share that Happy Cactus Designs' You're the Best greeting card is featured in the Summer issue of Stationery Trends magazine. The card was featured in the cover story, "Design A to Z," under Y for, you guessed it, yellow!
After launching my debut collection in 2011-2012, I had many requests to add more masculine thank you card options to my line. Guys need to write thank you notes, too, right?
When designing my Spring 2013 collection, this focus was one my mind. For the card below, I drew two small triangles and decided to use a navy blue and black combination. A pattern was created with the triangles and "Thank You" was inserted using a thin minimalist font.
I love the end result, and many buyers did, too! This card was one of my top three sellers at the Stationery Show this year! You can buy the Thank You Triangles card in the shop here!
The colors of the Thank You Southwest Zigzag card pair quite nicely with Confetti System's Multicolor Tassel Garland.
This song has been stuck in my head all week! I've been playing Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's new album nonstop (did you know Steve Martin is not only a talented comedian, but also an amazing banjo player?), and can't get enough of this bluegrass love song.
I've had a few requests for a "Get Well Soon" card and was eager to add one to my growing collection. I wanted the card to be colorful and cheerful - the type of card that would perk someone up who has been ill or going through a rough time. Hand-drawn daisies were colored in an array of bold hues - blues, oranges, pinks, reds, and greens. Set against a pale blue background, the daisies really pop. I hand-lettered the "Get Well Soon" sentiment in a dark turquoisey-blue. You can shop the card here.
