I can't believe it's already October! I'm in prep mode for the holiday rush that will be here before we know it. But first, Halloween! Here are two Halloween cards that you can find in the shop - one featuring a hand-drawn pattern of bats, the other celebrating the candy goodness that is candy corn.
I was cleaning up my office the other day and came across this original drawing for the Thanks Garden card. Here it is alongside the final product!
1. A sweet Tory Burch's wristlet featuring an all over botanical pattern.
2. I love the burnished look of this J. Crew wildflower necklace.
3. Fun and funky dahlia earrings from Bauble Bar.
4. Dolce & Gabbana's stunning floral brocade dress.
5. Happy Cactus' Thanks card features layers of hand-drawn floral blooms.
I'm back in my studio after spending July on an epic road trip all across Colorado. It was an amazing adventure and afforded me a lot of time to gather inspiration for future collections and to think about new directions I want to take Happy Cactus Designs.
In the coming months I hope to share new work inspired by alpine hikes, scenic drives through mountain passes, and the colors of wildflowers in full bloom. Here's a few favorite snaps from the trip.
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.
One card that is always nice to have on hand is a general thinking of you card. I feel like it's hard to find non-cheesy cards in the sympathy or sending positive thoughts your way categories, so good thing I can design my own! My intention was to design a cheerful card that could hold many purposes - for someone going through a tough time, someone who has lost a family member, or someone who is ill.
This design started with a row of hand-drawn tulips. Compared to some of my other more detailed floral designs, I kept things very simple. I selected a color palette that was bold and uplifting - reds, blues, pinks, greens, and yellows. "Keeping you in my thoughts" was hand-lettered by me in a loose script.
You can find this card in the shop here.
Today I wanted to highlight two new designs that share a similar theme: lots and lots of hand-drawn flowers. Believe it or not, the inspiration for these designs was an ornament I created as a fifth grader. I remember creating a design of colorful overlapping flowers using paint pens on a circular metal ornament.
For the birthday card, I developed an unstructured border of irises, hydrangeas, roses, daisies, and other flowers from my imagination. "Happy Birthday" is hand-lettered in a deep blue-purple.
I really liked the finished look of the birthday card and decided to try for a second card with a similar look, this time for a thank you card. The flowers in this design have a more tropical feel and I used a pastel color palette. "Thanks" was hand-lettered with my trusty brush pen.
You can shop both designs here.
Today I thought I'd share some behind-the-scenes images of my new Mother's Day card since the holiday is just a week away! The idea for this card was conceived during a major creative session last fall. I knew I wanted to do a card with an all-over floral design, not just a repeat. It started as a light pencil sketch on drawing paper, then I went over the design in pen. Like the majority of my work, the design developed as I drew it - I didn't have a set plan for what the "blooms" would look like.
I left space in the center for a sentiment, and eventually decided that this feminine design would be perfect for a Mother's Day card. The size of the space worked perfectly to pen "You're the Best Mom Ever."
After scanning my design and doing some minor clean up, I decided upon a purple color palette, using a lighter lavender shade balanced by a darker purple for the outline. And after a lot of focused work, the final product!
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.
