A Very Happy Unbirthday

One of my dearest friends from college contacted me about a rush job for her sister's birthday party. Would I be able to create a custom piece of letterpress ephemera for guests to take home, in just one week? I felt up to the task and dove headfirst into designing something pretty and fun. The results were gorgeous!

The theme was "Alice in Wonderland: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party." My friend Hilary supplied the quote, which I decided to print in Cooper Black, Phaeton, and Eccentric typefaces. By chance I happened upon an advertisement in a furniture magazine (go figure) whose vintage floral motifs I modeled in my framework illustration. See the Cheshire Cat in there? And the Mad Hatter's hat? I tucked the four pips - heart, diamonds, spades, and clubs - into the design, too, in honor of the Queen of Hearts. Look close. Ah, Lewis Carroll, how completely insane you were...

I'm particularly pleased with the teapot illustration. I had struggled to come up with the right graphic to accompany this text. I must have drawn twenty-five teacups, but nothing looked quite right; I thought about croquet mallets, crowns, Alice herself, even considered for one half-second the Jabberwocky. A special acquaintance of mine inspired me to go with a teapot... with the sleeping, singing Doormouse inside! It was the perfect shape to complement the frame and the text.

I knew the party colors were black and red, so for the final print I went with a winey burgundy on a creamy cardstock. It will soon be available on Etsy, for those of you who are interested.

It's a mad world out there! Drink tea!