Happy Year of the Tiger!

Red hong bao envelopes with a design of an illustrated tiger holding a customizable sign. Around the tiger are flowers and text saying "Wishing you a stripe-endous new year!" Behind the envelopes is a sheet of paper containing an unfinished envelope (printed but not cut out). A pair of gold scissors sits to the right.

It’s been so long since I’ve posted anything here. But new year, new leaf. And I’ve got a few bits of writing news to share as the Year of the Tiger approaches. (Hard to believe that Lunar New Year is already a little over a week away!)

First, in 2021, I picked up and started submitting again. Over the summer, I got pretty lucky! Counterclock chose three pieces that I’d written during the first year of the pandemic to appear in its thirteenth issue as part of a special themed folio, “Outbreak, Part 2.” You can read them below. (Excitingly, I’ve already got three more pubs forthcoming in 2022—more to come soon.)

Three Poems by Iris A. Law (Counterclock, Issue 13, Outbreak, Pt. 2)

I also started 2022 off by getting new author photos taken! It had been nearly nine years since I shot the selfie that previously appeared on this website (and that I used on my chapbook). I was long overdue for a change. Photographer Elwing Gao shot my new photos right in my neighborhood and did a lovely job — I love how, in the final photo I’ve chosen here (you can see it in the sidebar), she was able to catch some pretty golden-hour light coming through the stand of redwood trees behind the local fire station.

Lastly, I think I’m going to start sharing some freebie printables here on this blog from time to time. I experimented with making my own hong bao (Chinese red envelopes used for Lunar New Year) this year, and they turned out so fun that I couldn’t help but want to share. Click on the link below to download a free printable design that you can use to make your own Year of the Tiger red money pockets.

Year of the Tiger Printable Red Envelope (PDF Digital Download)

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2022—here’s to fresh starts and following through on new intentions!

I’m on Etsy!

Printable boba-themed greeting cards at my new Etsy shop (Iris A. Law Designs)

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?