Las weekend, I had the good fortune to marry a very retro bride. With a rock-a-billy band for the reception and vintage-ish 50's bridal gown, the event was a refreshing blast from the past. As a thank you, I made a card with very kitschy items--vintage wedding card, photo and rhinestone pendant. I attached musical charms for the couple's love of music. Hope they like it.

Happy Independence Day

I have become a bit of a stickler about the language around Independence Day. Like some other patriotic holidays—Memorial Day comes to mind—the political significance of the day is often over-shadowed by the celebratory customs that have emerged around it. We aren’t observing the “Fourth of July,” but rather America’s Declaration of Independence. My political science friends remind me of this. The card below is a simple one I designed for the holiday. The background is one of Jasper John’s familiar flag paintings. On it I have mounted a brochure from an early 19th Century county race in our beloved Iowa. Dave B. Hawkins was a Democrat running for re-election. I like the fact that his brochure is stamped with an official union mark….it was printed at a union shop!

The artwork on the card was a vintage lithograph, more than 40 years old. As decoration, I’ve attached an old silver baby spoon. I also love to give vintage silver milk cups as baby shower presents. To me, at least, there is something truly appealing about well worn objects like an old baby cup. What stories will the new baby add to the line of experiences of babies who have come before him or her?

Photographs make a great addition to cards. I took this one a few years ago at an orphanage in South Africa. This children were headed to a bread line. A family ran this facility for HIV+ kids. Another special feature of this card is the paper on which the photo is mounted. It is handmade by a women's crafting community in Zimbabwe. The paper and gift items are made with plant fibres and other natural products. The revenue from the paper goods provides critical income for these women and their families. I have volunteered over the last year with the organization that does this wonderful work--check it out www.ecoafricasocialventures.org! The card is finished off with a fiber ribbon and elephant charm.

I've recently been drawn to butterflies. I participated in a Memorial weekend wedding that included a butterfly release. Native wisdom says that wishes whispered to a butterfly will be taken to God, upon her release. The butterfly ceremony was dedicated to the memories of the groom's recently deceased parents. In addition, a celebrant friend reminded me of the dramatic phases that butterflies go through--larva, caterpillar, chrysalis. May we all go through such an evolution! This birthday card includes a vintage postcard and butterfly charms and decorations.

My friend Brannon is an enthusiastic card sender. We put together this card for Father's Day. His father is the quintessential Southern hunter—deer primarily. The 1910 vintage postcard features a hunter and his two bucks. The old postage stamps are from Canada and Europe. The postcard was mounted on an old, old government land document. I can't say I am a big fan of hunting, but I hope his Dad liked the gift we made for him.

A friend was interested in a thank you note for a special care giver in her life. The theme she wanted to convey was the notion of "the giver and the gift." The small daily gifts bestowed by the care giver would be abundantly returned to her. I found a quotation from the extraordinary Amelia Earhart, "A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions....and the roots spring up to make new trees." Using this as inspiration, I found a wonderful nineteenth century painting, "The White Horse," by John Constable. I added a mat for framing and a vintage gold pendant, shaped like a leaf, for decoration. May we all plant seeds of love that root and flower.

I wanted to make some nifty cards for Father's Day. I had a request for one for a former pilot. The recipient of this card was a former pilot for Northwestern airline. I used vintage photographs of flight attendants (from the glamour days of flying!), along with an old photo of a small plane--a piper aircraft I think--along with a flightmap of the eastern seaboard. The front of the card also included an architectural type sketch of a plane. My favorite part of this sketch is that it was done by a firm in Farmingdale, NY, the location of the 2009 U.S. Open at Beth Page golf course. The Open will conclude on Father's day. I used an old watch face as a symbol of the passage of time, as well as two charms at the top of the card.....a heart for affection and "L" for the first name of the recipient. I hope it was well-received.

For many years, I have been creating custom made cards for my friends and family members. I suspect that I receive as much joy from making these cards as the recipients do when they open the envelope. I've recently starting selling these creations. My process is simple. A customer tells me the occasion for the card and something about the recipient. We work together to create a magical gift. A card may feature photographs of the recipients, art work, and ephemera. I am constantly collecting objects for my cards--charms, jewelry, vintage postcards, stamps, paper products, travel items. I'd enjoy creating something special for you!