Cowboys and Teapots

A new customer in the USA wrote and told me about some friends of hers who were planning to renew their vows after raising three wonderful children, successful careers and grandchildren. She was looking for a special card to mark the occasion.

The renewal was to follow Orthodox Jewish tradition, but my customer wondered whether the "groom" could be shown wearing a black cowboy hat (his trademark when not formal) rather than a kippa (skullcap), and the "bride" could have flowers in her hair. She attached recent photos of the couple for accuracy. I suggested adding a chuppah, the canopy beneath which Jewish marriage ceremonies are performed, to carry on the wedding theme and, when I heard that the couple's daughter had lived and gone to school in Israel for a time, suggested that the card open the Hebrew way too. "Might as well be authentic" my customer said, so I wrote the greeting in Hebrew as well!

The "renewal" turned out to be an actual Orthodox wedding, so it was definitely worth adding all the extra details. I showed the groom with his black cowboy hat and a brown cowboy vest. The bride has flowers in her hair and a simple white dress. I was careful to get the shape of the groom's moustache right and to add his wired rim glasses.

"It is darling. I know they will love it!" my customer wrote. "Thank you for getting it off to me so quickly."

This couple, good friends of ours, were celebrating 20 years of marriage. My friend asked me to create a special card for her husband. The 20th anniversary is the "china" anniversary and emeralds are the gemstone gift for that year. I doubt very much that the couple exchanged emeralds on their big day (I could be wrong!), but I did manage to include the colour on their anniversary card, along with a "china" teapot, cups and saucers. The flags on the card represent the countries where they were born and the country where they now live. I added a couple of hearts for good measure.

"I forgot to tell you how beautiful the anniversary card you made [is]" the husband wrote. "Thank you... [We have] another work of art to add to our collection."