I’m on Etsy!

I ‘m so excited to announce this week that I’ve set up an Etsy shop! If you have followed me for some time on social media or elsewhere (e.g., at my old blog from college—more than a decade ago!), you probably know that I love to draw and doodle in my free time. For years, I considered selling some of my illustrations as printable designs but never got up the courage to do so. Then, last week, in a fit of rare bravado, I posted an illustration of mine on Facebook and asked people if it was a design that they would ever (objectively, hypothetically) consider buying. To my surprise, the response was a resounding “YES!” So here I am, this week, a newly minted Etsy shop owner. It’s a bit surreal.

My first two listings are Valentine’s Day–related printable greeting cards, and their designs have a little bit of a story behind them. My husband and I love being silly at home and have a habit of saying “I love you” to one another in goofy ways like, “I love you more than Hearthstone!” (his favorite video game) or “I love you more than bo lo bao!” (my favorite Chinese pastry). We have a lot of fun trying to constantly top each other with new and more creative ideas. During our plane ride home over the holidays, when I was bored and a little hungry, I decided to doodle him an “I love you more than” note on my iPad. And so, “I love you more than boba,” illustrated edition, was born.

At the moment, I have two variations of this design in my shop: one that’s romantic (“I love you more than boba”) and—because I’ve always felt that one’s friends deserve to know that they are appreciated on Valentine’s Day , too—one that’s got a more platonic message (“I like you more than boba”). Both items are digital downloads that you can print out on cardstock, cut down and fold to 5″x7,” and give away to someone you really, really like (because competing with boba is not so easy!).

Some tips: if you don’t have a paper cutter, you can use a ruler and a pencil or X-acto knife to make your life a lot easier when cutting. Scoring the spine with a bone folder or butter knife will get you a nice, clean edge. And if you use a corner punch, you can add an extra special touch that will make the finished card look really polished. My friend Sy also had the great suggestion that you also don’t have to use the design as a greeting card—if you’re a scrapbooker or a planner person, you could even cut down the illustration to size and use it as a journaling card, dashboard, or insert.

Whether you’re looking for a last minute Valentine’s Day card or (like me) you just really, really like boba, I’d be much obliged if you’d consider moseying over to check out my shop:

Iris A. Law Designs on Etsy

In the meantime, here’s wishing you a wonderful rest of your week, whether Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, or even Singles Appreciation Day is on your agenda this year. What are your favorite ways to say “I love you” or “I like you” to the people in your life?