As I was looking for a birthday card for a friend’s youngster the other day, I found myself at a crossroad between “girly” and “just-for-boys”. It would seem that most children’s birthday cards are highly gendered and pretty sarcastic. I wanted a nice card for a nice little girl who isn’t into princesses or shopping yet. There were none to be found.
I took it upon myself to make a set of three birthday cards for boys or girls (and unisex!) that are cute but not overly-cute; boyish but not brutish. I mentioned them in an earlier post…
It’s no secret that I like cats. I designed these cards to have a retro feel with the bold, iconic illustrations of boy cats and girl cats. I gave each card a hand-lettered message that says “Birthday Girl or Boy” and “Happy Birthday” for a gender neutral option. I am very pleased with how they turned out.
Wish “Happy Birthday” to a boy or a girl (or adult!)
*Also available in lime green and other colors!
Blues and greens for the Birthday Boy
Pink or red for the Birthday Girl
I styled the design after 1950’s-style cartoon characters with the simple eyes, bold lines, and bright colors. Each cat is holding a cupcake in one hand and a present in the other. The hand-lettering gives the card an informal feel that lends itself well to children’s cards. They are, however, not overtly childish, so you could send one to an adult too!
They are available in my Etsy Shop and every card is printed by me and hand scored. Each comes with its own envelope. Other custom-colors can be created upon request.
Page Redford 