We all know the challenge of trying to find a gift for the person who has everything. How do you find something that’s personal, useful, beautiful, and/or different from anything they already have? Well, here’s a great idea that I came up with for my mother and sister this past Christmas.
This project was inspired by Lindsey Bugbee over at The Postman’s Knock blog. She wrote a post about creating painted monograms, and it got me thinking about how I could take her idea and give it the Leslie touch.
My sister, Donni, has a huge flower garden, so I decided to design a monogram for her that would showcase some of the flowers that she grows each summer.
Daylilies, roses, columbine, pansies, and petunias cover most of the framework of the D, while primroses, echinacea, and lavender fill in the remaining spaces. A ruby-throated hummingbird adds a touch of life to the mix of florals.
When the artwork was done, I scanned the image, color-corrected in Photoshop, did a layout using Microsoft Publisher, then printed the images.
With that project all wrapped up (literally!), I still had two weeks until Christmas, so I decided to make a monogram for my mother, Saundra, too. She’s a prolific card-sender and letter-writer; I knew this would be the perfect gift for her.
She lives at Alpine Lake, West Virginia, so, to personalize her monogram, I nestled a lake scene into the curve at the bottom of the S. The rest of the letter was filled with columbine and mountain laurel, which grow in abundance at Alpine, plus primroses from my mother’s front yard. And I had to include a hummingbird, because my mom keeps six feeders going all summer long to keep a crowd of ruby-throated hummingbirds fat and happy.
I have to admit that I was a little jealous after I made up all the cards for my mom and sister. I wanted some for myself! So, during the lull between Christmas and New Year, I created a floral watercolor monogram and a batch of cards for myself, too.
While I was working, I took some process photos and jotted down notes so I could show you how you can do a project like this for yourself. I’ll share that info in my next post.
My mom and sister love their personalized cards and are really tickled with the way I customized the designs just for them. Did you make any art gifts this year for the holidays? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
53 Comments
These are so pretty! I’m glad you made some for yourself, too. I know they were most welcome gifts!
These are stunning, Leslie! And truly the perfect gift.!! Thank-you for the inspiration. You are sooo talented!
Thanks, Colleen. We all inspire each other. I wouldn’t have thought of doing this if I hadn’t read that post on The Postman’s Knock.
They are so beautiful!
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Leslie, these are priceless – each design – so personalized and beautiful. I look forward to trying this idea when I recover.
Heal fast!!!
So pretty. You can definitely recognize the Leslie touch. Love love the little hummer visiting all the monograms.
Soooo beautiful! Yes, the perfect personalized gift! Each little element blends perfectly! (While we were in Italy I bought a set of alphabet postcards in this style. ☺️)
Oooh, I’d love to see those!
these are all beautiful and I believe I could actually try my hand at one. in my own floral style of course. I love your blog, thank you for sharing your heart and soul with us.
They’re really easy to do. Each element is pretty simple, but when you put them all together, it looks awesome!
Leslie, these are so beautiful. I tried to do this for a girlfriend a few years and wasn’t pleased with the results. I am very much looking forward to your post about the process you used. I am particularly interested in how you made duplicates.
I made a few cards last year and really need to find a different method. I took them to Staples and they just didn’t look like what I was wanting.
Thank you so much for sharing these lovely letters.
I print everything at home and find that they turn out really well. I’ll share some pointers in my next post.
Wow Leslie these are a stunning act of love. You are so amazing. I hope to someday meet you. Thank you for brightening my day.
One of these days!
What a wonderful gift! Your designs and colors are so perfect and suited to the recipient. Lovely!
I am *so* looking forward to seeing the process involved in creating these. With my speed (as in lack of!) it’s going to be a Mother’s Day project!
Drawing and painting the design doesn’t take all that long, and the more you do, the easier it is, because you can reuse some of the floral elements.
Love this idea and how you used it…lovely work , I am understanding that there is a Part 2…I am looking forward. God Keep.
I’m working on Part 2 now – hope it will inspire you to make some cards for yourself.
These are beautiful! What a lovely gift to try for my sisters. It brings to mind the calendar page you made several years ago, also awesome. I’m not a strong floral artist, I will look forward to your next post for help.
You’ll have to try it. They’re really pretty simple to make. The printing process can be more challenging than the painting.
Oh lucky people to receive these beautiful cards. Would love to see the process.
Have a Happy New Year
I hope 2022 is a good year for you, too, Bonnie!
Those are so beautiful! Look forward to seeing the process. I had so much planned for the holiday making that had to be put on hold. Now that I have the cast off… it’s time!
Winter is a great time to hole up in your studio and paint. I love being all snug and cozy inside while the wind blows around the house. We had our first snow yesterday – that’s a good excuse to stay home and paint, right?
Would you please consider making these for your followers? I would pay a pretty penny for these, and I especially love the bunny in your L. My husband’s first name is Peter so I like to sneak in rabbits in my decorating. He thinks I’m silly.
Thank you,
Karen Aamodt
I decorate with bunnies, too, Karen, and I don’t even have the excuse of being married to a Peter! I’d love to do an entire alphabet of monograms. Who knows? I just might do it at some point.
Jan
These are beautiful and my granddaughter’s birthday is coming up soon. You have inspired me to try it! Lots of nice curves in the letter “J”. Thanks for the inspiration.
Give it a try! I should have the “Floral Watercolor Monograms – Part 2” post done in a few days. That will give you lots of info on how to do it step-by-step. I thought about framing the original monogram artwork for my sister and mother – sounds like a good gift idea for next Christmas!
Your cards are gorgeous, Leslie. Even before I read the text, I knew the S was for your mom from the touches you included—the lake, the hummingbird, the local flowers. These are truly personalized gifts. Is there a significance to the bundled stems at the bottom of the S? Love the variety of borders too!
I didn’t make any gifts this year, but last year I made beeswax foot balm and paired it with a set of comfy yoga toes socks. Other years, I’ve created little journals and notecards. I’ve never been successful at printing cards at home, though, and that’s something I would like to try. I appreciate the info you included about your process. Do you have a printer that will print on watercolor paper? The paper looks textured in the top photo.
The bundle of dried grasses at the bottom reminds me of the grasses that grow in the fields along one side of the lake. It’s a naturalized area where butterfly weed, goldenrod, and echinacea grow, and the grasses turn wheat-colored in the fall. That’s what was in my mind when I drew them.
Yoga toe socks? I’ve never tried them. Sounds like a great idea for doing yoga during cooler weather.
In my next post I’ll tell you all about the papers I use. The textured paper is Strathmore’s “Inkjet Texture” paper. I get it from Cheap Joe’s, and it gives a nice effect, almost like watercolor paper. I’ve never tried printing on actual watercolor paper. Buying the Strathmore product is probably a lot less expensive than using actual WC paper.
There are lots of yoga toe socks that can be worn during yoga, but the ones I gifted with the foot balm are the toe separator kind, which are bulkier and not really comfortable to walk in. They’re more for stretching out the toes as an act of self-care—massaging balm into the feet, slipping into comfy socks, and relaxing for a few minutes with a nice little stretch. I like the Original Foot Alignment Socks, which can be found on Amazon.
I’m looking forward to part two of your card-making process!
What a wonderful gift. They are exquisite! I am looking forward to learning how to do these. Thank you for sharing this with us.
I make Christmas cards every year. This year featured sea turtles carrying a strand of lights with a flip flop border. I also did 2 paintings for Christmas gifts: pen snd ink and watercolor sunflowers for my sister in law and an abstract for my brother!
I’ll bet they loved their paintings. I gave some paintings this year, too. My daughter got an oil painting, and I framed a print of Alpine Lake for my mother.
Your Christmas card sounds really cute!
Really love this idea, Leslie. Beautiful designs, with lots of personal touches. I’m anxious to read the next article in this series. For Christmas, I did an abstract watercolor for my son and daughter-in-law. They love it.
That makes you feel good, doesn’t it? I just love seeing someone’s face light up when they open a package and see that you made something special just for them.
Wow! So pretty! The “S” is my favorite!
Beautiful!
Beautifully done! I think the “S” is my favorite because of the woods and lake with the flowers. Your work always has a cheerfulness to it that brings a smile. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Debi. I like how the lake scene fits into the bottom of the S, too. I’m so glad I thought of doing that!
Leslie, you are just a treasure! Looking forward to part two!
Thanks, Pat.
Not only are they beautiful but they made me happy just looking at the little picture messages within each letter. I am always inspired and I really appreciate your sharing your art with us. Thank you and happy new year to you and your family.
I’m glad they made you happy, Ruth. We all need more to be happy about these days. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful Leslie! Thanks so much for sharing!! Miss you a lot – hope you had a wonderful season and wishing you a happy and healthy 2022!
I’m hoping we’ll be traveling together again soon. 🙂
These cards are stunning! I especially like the lake at the bottom of the S and your bunny on L.
The flowers are beautiful.
Leslie these are wonderful! What a great gift idea. I especially love your Mom’s monogram with the lake scene. What type of paper do you print these on ?
I’ll tell you all about papers and printing in my next post. It’s almost done. 🙂
Leslie, your monograms are just adorable. I love how you transitioned from flowers to the lake scene for your mom.
Leslie, These are wonderful! You are so talented and giving, making these gifts and then sharing with us. The start to finish of these would make a wonderful online class. Thanks again so much for sharing all you do with us!