Friday, 30 May 2025

Cards for Men: A New Cartoon and Some Ideas

Hello there

It's time for a complete change of pace today. And especially time to focus on cards for men. For upcoming Father's day cards, yes, but also occasions beyond that. Hence this barbeque cooking cartoon:

In this cartoon card featuring a hapless Dad and unsurprised family, the caption reads: Something made the rest of the family  suspect that Dad had been allowed  to barbecue unsupervised again...
Click or tap here to see the full
cartoon, available to personalise and
buy as a download or physical card on Zazzle.


And yes, if you've been following this blog a while, you might remember that my own dad died in 2023.

But in thinking about this, I decided to honour and celebrate him via a cartoon. Because many people in my life seem to love cartoons. But few have ever loved or appreciated a funny cartoon as much as my Dad did.

And in seeing the many Father's Day and "male birthday" cards around, I noticed that they all seem to assume that Dads are barbeque masters. And I'm sure many are. But my Dad simply wasn't. 

Socialising-for sure, he'd be first to chat. Opening wine or beer bottles and being a convivial host? Absolutely.

But spending happy and productive time making edible or unsinged food behind a barbeque grill? Nope. You would never have found him there willingly, for the sake of everyone's health and safety.

And so, in the great British tradition of celebrating ineptitude, I created this card to help everyone celebrate the lovable men in their life who might *not* (yet) be a barbeque king.


But if that's not your thing...

But if that's not your thing, my Zazzle store can still help out on the "cards for men," quest.

This bowls favourite is available for bowls enthusiasts,


or the cards I've posted more recently for bird watchers or golfers.

And if *your* dad, father-figure or man-who-needs -a-card likes (or has other strong feelings about) tech, there's also this one, 




Without forgetting of course, the old standby of beer:



(And yes, I know that plenty of women drink beer, love tech, play golf, or whatever else. "Cards for men," just happens to be the focus of attention in this post).


A practical point...

And, as a point of absolute practicality rather than false scarcity, if Father's Day 2025 (Sunday 15th June) is on your mind, it would make sense to buy physical cards sooner than later.

But...

But if you're reading this later, or simply would prefer to share a virtual image. these cards are all downloadable too. (And-at the time of writing, anyway- this use via the Zazzle licence extends to personal social media use, should you choose).

So, one way or another I hope there's something that works for a male card recipient in your life here.

Finally...

I don't plan always to post my new cartoons here. If you'd like to see them as they appear (not to a schedule !) please follow me on my CartoonsbyClare store directly.

And so this means...Yes, I will still be posting things other than cartoons too (watch this space for other artwork soon).

And more than anything, I hope all's well with you.

Thanks so much for being here, and for reading down this far.



Thursday, 22 May 2025

Update, and New Cartoon for Birders and Nature Lovers

Hello there

It's been a while, so thank you for bearing with me, and hope all is well with you.

If you remember, in my previous post, I'd solved the "Why and the how," of my seemingly ever-lasting re-set.

Well, now the what (or at least some of it) has arrived too. Drumroll...

The cartoons are coming back... 


A realisation

You see, I had a realisation whilst I was doing this birthday cartoon for a friend...

This colour cartoon shows a seabird sanctuary, over which the seabirds are organizing themselves to splat humans, scoring extra points for each hit...
Tap or click here to sea this "Seabird Sanctuary"
cartoon on a greeting card...

That I really, really, really...still like doing cartoons....Drawing quickly, having lots of ideas, (and hopefully) helping people to have more fun and more laughter.


Making it happen

"So...", you might be thinking, "Where can I see all these wondrous cartoons?"

To which my honest answer at the moment (apart from my CartoonsbyClare Zazzle store, that is :-), is,

 "Um...mostly still on my hard drive..."

This is because I've done a large chunk of  them for fun, friends and family, up to this point.

And also because, though the more serene image of a "might-soon-be-used-avatar," for the cartoons looks like this...

Image is a cartoon of me, at my desk, with cartoons by clare in the corner, and the two "oo"s in "cartoon turned into the eyes of a smiley face.


The reality of the situation whilst in the throes of making it happen, tends to look more like this...


The image is a repeat of the real avatar above, save that in this one , I look really stressed, with ominous words and phrases like "Systems,2 and "merchant of record," and "socials,2 coming out as thoughts from my head.


 In other words, I still have to solve the final "Where?" piece of the puzzle properly. (*And * be sure that the downloads already in my Craftsuprint shop continue too).

But it is coming, and I'm even more on the case than a luggage tag.

So, in the gentle expectation that the next post will be along quicker than this one...Thanks ever so much for sticking around and reading down this far, and I'll just say...

Thursday, 24 April 2025

A Realisation...(And Some Watercolour Bluebells)

Image shows some ink and pen watercolour bluebells, with the caption Sometimes...the World needs more whimsy... in a whimsical font and bluebelly colour
Sometimes...The World Needs More Whimsy...

Hello there

Hope you've been well and thriving these past few...interesting...weeks. 

Here, the hiatus isn't really quite over...but I wanted pop back to assure that am still here, and on the case with Where the Blog is Going and everything.

The Why, and the How

Keeping this brief (and believe me, that's a tough one...) after letting it all be for a while, and getting back to drawing, painting and writing just for fun... The most obvious point hit me... I'd lost the sense of why I'm creating anything in the first place, never mind just the blog.

Luckily, it just took the merest peek around the world to remember why. As the bluebells at the top of post say, "Sometimes the world needs more whimsy." And that, I can share with you naturally, and as easily as breathing. (The dictionary  definition of "whimsy" is apparently, "Unusual funny and pleasant ideas or qualities", by the way, if you're into that sort of thing). Maybe even, if you're up for it, and whisper this softly...joy...

The "how" also fell into place after that. Try as I might (and gosh, did I try) everything I draw, make or design make comes back to line and wash watercolour, just like those bluebells. It's a fun, whimsical and joyful medium though, so I guess it fits in pretty well. ;-).


The What and the Where

Which just leaves the "What" and the "Where,". So, as I said, the hiatus isn't really over, and it might be a little while before I post again. 

(And if you have any ideas about the "What and the Where" of the way forward-please let me know on Instagram, where I'm planning to get back to a very gentle posting routine again).

In the meantime thanks so much for being here. Stay happy, sane, and (if you want to)...whimsical.

More (reasonably) soonish.