![February Birthday Cards](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Cards_February_header.jpg)
It’s been a busy February and apart from everything else, I’ve had two birthday parties to attend within a week of each other! That means that I’ve also had two birthday cards to make (well, gift tags but still!).
Power-up Mushroom
I knew when I started thinking of ideas for this card I wanted to do something game related. Picking what to create was the tricky part. I drew sketches of various small game icons and characters before finally choosing the Mario Mushroom because it was simple, well-known and who doesn’t like Mario ^_^?
![February Birthday Cards - Power up mushroom - original sketch](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Cards_Power-up_Mushroom_original_sketch-880x587.jpg)
The original plan was to draw all of the mushroom top in pattern work however I also created a version with the pattern just outlining the edges. I ended up preferring the later. Maybe I should create the original one at a later date ^_^.
![](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Cards_Power-up_Mushroom_tranfer-868x880.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Power-up mushroom - tracing in other details](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Cards_Power-up_Mushroom_tracing_2-880x627.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Power up mushroom - colour and ink](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Cards_Power-up_Mushroom_inking-880x653.jpg)
I wanted to make the card a 1-up mushroom but because I used a power-up mushroom image, I went into autodrive and before I knew it I had already started colouring it red >_<.
![February Birthday Cards - Power-up mushroom - final card](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Cards_Power-up_Mushroom_finished-880x813.jpg)
I thought the final work ended up quite cute despite a bit of a dodgy cut-out ^^;.
Happy B’day Typography
I originally struggled for an idea for this card because I know what my friend likes but I wasn’t sure how to translate it into something I could make. I figured since the gifts were all based off her interests, the card could be a lot simpler and therefore I went with a typography piece.
![February Birthday Cards - Typography Card - Original sketch](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Card_Typography_original_sketch-880x677.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Typography card - versions of redrafts](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Card_Typography_drafts-880x584.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Typography card - final draft](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Card_Typography_final_draft-880x587.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Typography Card - with planned pattern work](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Card_Typography_with_pattern-880x705.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Typography Card - colour and inking](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Card_Typography_colour_and_ink-880x606.jpg)
![February Birthday Cards - Typography Card - Final card](https://cdn.natashabarr.com/blog/wp-content//2012/02/Birthday_Card_Typography_final_card-880x776.jpg)
I know some typography nerds well be annoyed the words are not perfectly inline (‘B’day’ sits out in front of ‘Happy’), but I preferred that the words kind of fitted together like the original sketch e.g. the top of the d in ‘Bday’ slots into the gap under the Hap of ‘Happy’.
I have another birthday coming up in March so expect some more card work soon!