Keepsake Card - September Morning

September Morning Keepsake Card

There’s a special kind of promise in a September morning, with crisp air, a fresh start, and a new year of learning ahead. My September Morning bouquet of peonies, ranunculus, and airy smokebush captures that hopeful feeling.

Inside, the art continues softly behind your message, along with the traditional meaning of each bloom:

• Peony: appreciation

• Ranunculus: charm

• Smokebush: cleansing

Smokebush’s meaning, cleansing, speaks to clearing the way for something new, which makes this a lovely card for the start of a school year, a new class, or any fresh beginning. Appreciation and charm make it just as meaningful for thanking the helpers in your life, such as a favorite teacher, a caring nurse, a dedicated doctor, or a therapist or healer who has made a difference.

Smokebush is one of my favorite things to draw. Its wispy, cloud-like plumes are full of tiny, delicate strands, and capturing them took patience during the 30 or so hours I spent on this original. I worked in black ink and colored pencil at 18" x 24", from live stems grown by Muddy Feet Flower Farm, a woman-owned grower.

• Size: A6, 4.5" x 6.25"

• Paper: felt-textured, FSC-certified card stock with 30% post-consumer waste

• Envelope: white, invitation-style flat flap, 4.75" x 6.5"

• Inside: faded full-color art with flower meanings, plus room for your message

• Made in: the USA, including the paper for both card and envelope

• Packaging: All Vivid Cottage cards are sent without single-use plastics.