This card has a vac-form maze as a cover. I wanted to make the birthday bug a roly poly since the maze had a ball in it. I used an existing vac-form mold to save on production costs. Putting insects on a card is a little risky, but it sold well!
I experimented with putting mini-books inside greeting cards. Consumer appreciate "extra fun" in kids cards.
Square image on cover is a 3D lenticular. I've had lots of experience with lenticulars, both motion and 3D.
When cover button is pushed, the lava sparks light up and the card plays the song "Bad to the Bone."
This card was a small experiment. Cards with stickers on the inside were typically made of multiple images. This card had only one large sticker, the same truck as seen on cover, complete with googly eyes. It was a great seller and the artist had much less illustration work to do during a deadline crunch.
At Hallmark, we really did make a card for every occasion.
Sports remain a popular subjects for birthday cards. I wanted to create something appropriate for a young audience. This greeting card contains sport "trading cards" on the inside. Instead of player stats, we included riddles on the back.
We knew that much of our intended recipients enjoyed video games and we wanted to reach that audience without being too specific. This Sound Card was my solution. In addition to foil on the cover, the inside plays "Happy Birthday to You" in electronic tones. Great seller.
As the "poop emoji" was becoming a popular icon, I wasn't quite sure how our core Hallmark customer would react to it. So, I planned a card that appears to be the emoji, but turns out to be an ice cream cone. Image pops up and has googly eyes!
I was wanting to invoke a "storybook" feel with this card for a one-year-old. It has flocked animals with a mirror on the last panel.
I always felt a little bad for twins when they appear to only receive one card between them. I planned cards where they would both get something. In this case, a STICKER for each!
We often went for the "Awwww" factor. This particular card has an attached bow and tulle.
You can't go wrong with a mermaid!
Embossed Silver Foil on flat Magenta Foil. Very striking.
Our challenge with this card was to make it look "crafted" while also keeping it fresh.
This card is heavily covered with foil and glitter.
Our card line contained products not only for young kids, but also tweens. We often took a bit more sophisticated approach in this category. This image is also an example of how we kept the subject of the card race-neutral.
The Kids Studio also created greeting product that were intended to go to adults, from kids.
This is a 5-panel unfolding card. With its impressive impact, it was a great seller.
Having previously worked in Hallmark's Licensing Studio, I had years of experience working with outside properties.
A Hallmark-styling for Minecraft.
When working with properties, I focus on what makes the property popular. In this case, I know many kids like playing with action figures, so I planned a paper equivalate.
The Darth Vader Foil card was so successful, we printed a Hulk with Green and Black Foil. It was also a big seller.
A Halloween card. At the last moment we needed to replace an actual bow with a paper one due to costs. We never let last-minute-changes affect design quality.
Hallmark had done several cards with "Link'emz Wristbands." I wanted to create a few where kids could mix 'n match characters.
I worked with freelance talent on this one, as I often did in times of heavy workloads or unique needs.
Here's an example of how I would often work. I'd sketch a quick concept and hand it off to a designer or illustrator for final product.