I want each IpsyDoodle piece to feel like a personal piece of art! The creative process is artsy, hands-on, time consuming & intentionally low-tech – here’s a behind-the-scenes look into my art studio.

Every design starts with an original watercolor painting. Often, the concept comes from you! I’ve coordinated crib fabrics, included favorite friends and personal hobbies. I’ll create a concept sketch – keeping in mind the layout and balance of the piece, and how any characters interact with the name lettering and with each other.

Next, I draw the design outline in pencil on a heavy weight, cold press watercolor paper. Then comes the fun part…I hand-paint the design using professional watercolors – and the characters come to life! Each design is painted in at least 2 layers – a background and a foreground, like a tiny 3-dimensional scene. Name lettering will be added on top, cut from heavy watercolor paper.

After the paintings are complete, I painstakingly cut each element out by hand (yes, with tiny sewing scissors!) and add a layer of acid-free foam between the background, foreground and any name lettering. My print series are created the same way – each is hand-cut and hand-assembled from a quality, heavy-weight cardstock with a nice, matte finish.

Each piece is assembled layer-by-layer, and the hand-cut lettering is attached. The finished effect is like a personal pop-up book: each layer gives depth and natural shadows. The finished work comes together with your child’s name – bordered by each tiny, detailed scene. In the piece below, each square is 2 1/4″, and each letter is 1 1/2″ tall.