Bossa Nova

I think Gareth and I make the best cards when they are a collaborative effort. I had this drawing made up and knew I wanted it to be a birthday card, but that was all I had. I called Gareth in and he just came up with the line right away and it was perfect. This little fellow is up on Etsy right now.

In other exciting news Able and Game will be participating in Design Made Trade as part of the State of Design festival. The event runs from July 16th -19th and is open to the public on the last two days, the Saturday and Sunday in the Carlton Exhibition Building in Melbourne.

I'm feeling slightly dizzy

So this is our favourite Able and Game card right now. It is weird and strange, and makes you feel a little bit of nausea, just like Jean Paul! It is available on Etsy and we have a girly version as well. They will be debuting this weekend at Rose Street where Gareth, the lovely fellow that he is, will be manning the stall so I can go gallivanting across the countryside to see bands play in my little old home town.

PS. Please remember to vote for the You're Rad Dad Father's Day Card in the Etsy Poll!

We need you vote

Our You're Rad Dad card has been included in a Father's Day Etsy Poll, where you can vote for your favourite item for Dad. There is some stiff competition including soap made from beer and pants that say explosive on them, but we're holding our own with our curly hair Dad, who happens to be rad. You need to be an Etsy user to vote and you can do it here. So help Able and Game out and we will be very happy!

Birthday Goon Party

I finished three new Able and Game birthday yesterday which are all listed in our Etsy shop including this funny looking guy. He has this slight blush to his cheeks. I've been trying to work out how to get lovely rosy cheeks and finally discovered a special way to get them just right. A subtle look was what I was after, like he has been running along the street to get to your front door because he knows you don't like to wait for your wine and crisps when you have a birthday to celebrate.

Father's Day Film

We have finished our second Able and Game film, this one is for Father's Day and features this card being made. The music is from the very talented Autumn City, from Clearwater Florida. The song featured is Fix Tight and you can find more music and information on their Myspace Page.

Chocolates?

What do you think is inside the present? I'm guessing it is a box of chocolates but it also looks about the same size as a book and I remember we once got my Dad a Max Walker book, I think it was How to Hypnotise Chooks. Gareth said he would have got his Dad chocolates or a book on trains for Father's Day. Chocolates always go down well when giving Dad a pressie, but that is because it means we can swipe some when he isn't looking. This Able and Game card is available on our Etsy shop, but don't forget the chocolates when you give it to him!

Music

This card came about after a customer requested something music related on a card for Father's Day as her daughter had the same passion for music as her father. When I was thinking of what to do for the album covers all I could think of was The Beatles and The Stones as I imagined a lot of Dad's passing on their love of these bands to their children. Although if this Able and Game card was specifically for Gareth and I it would be all Nat King Cole and ELO.

Gareth Got Game

These are things that I like today:

• Pikelets for breakfast (got the idea after reading Nikkishell's blog yesterday)
• I Can Has Cheezburger updates
• John Carpenter films arriving in the mail
• This Able and Game Get Well Soon card by Gareth
  

Pretty In Pink or St. Elmo's Fire?

Gareth and I were watching The Amazing Race last week and Victor was telling Tammy that the other teams were going to bring their A game, so they needed to bring their A+ game. We thought it was funny because we didn't think anyone used that saying anymore and that it finished up around the same time Andrew McCarthy was able to play a credible teen heartthrob. Obviously this isn't the case and Tammy and Victor would know as I doubt they ever got anything below and A+ in their life.

This Able and Game thank you card is available on Etsy. I sold one on Saturday at Rose Street and it made me happy, whenever a new card sells for the first time it always makes me proud, our baby is going into the big wide world!

You Still Look As Good As The Day I Met You

I've had this photo of my Dad and I on our fridge for a little while now, I'm not sure how old I am in the photo, but I'm guessing a few days or weeks old. After seeing it enough times I realised we could turn our You Still Look As Good As The Day I Met You Mother's Day card into a Father's Day card for Able and Game. I showed the photo to a friend of mine recently and they thought it was funny my Dad was kind of flipping the bird in this picture, I had never noticed before.

Groovy Papa

Is your Dad a groovy dude? The type of Dad that got you onto The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana and Fleet Foxes, the one who knows how to cook the best lasagne and always makes sure there is enough beer in the fridge and wine on the shelf when you come home to visit. If so, lucky you!

My Dad didn't get me into Nirvana or Fleet Foxes. I know whenever we put that kind of music on he would say put my radio station back on! But he does cook a mean lasange and always makes sure there is plenty of beer and wine when we go home. This Able and Game Father's Day card is now available on Etsy for those of you with a rad dad!

Vote Dad FTW!

When we were planning our Father's Day card ideas, we realised we could use some of the ideas from our Able and Game Mother's Day range. World's Best Dad features a winning Dad on the podium next to poor old second and third. After watching The Amazing Race finale tonight I heard some great motivational lines such as "we need to bring our A game" so I'm thinking this one is good for the Dads who always bring it. Not Kirsten Dunst style. That would just be weird.

Dad Dad Dad!

Well it is time for Mum to move to the side and Dad to take over because next month, on Sunday June 21st, it is Father's Day in the USA, UK, Canada and about 45 other countries around the world. We already have a few Able and Game Father's Day cards in the Etsy shop for those of you super organised people and we have lots of designs in the works.

Thanks to everyone who supported us with out Mother's Day Cards, both online, via our stockists and at the markets we did in Melbourne. It was great to see people's reactions to the cards and get such positive feedback.

Say It With Flowers

We delivered a range of cards to a new stockist, Say It With Flowers, located at 1363 High Street Malvern East. The shop is really beautiful, but when you're surrounded by stunning bouquets of flowers I guess it isn't too hard, although as florists go it is one of the most impressive I've seen in a while.

This weekend Able and Game will be at the Rose Street Artist Market in Fitzroy, so if you're wanting to grab a Mother's Day card then come along and say hello. The market is at 60 Rose Street, between Nicholson Street and Brunswick Street and is on from 11am - 5pm. Gareth and I will both be doing the market which should be good fun, it is always nice having someone to help out, although our lovely next door neighbours have often sold cards for us while waiting for our lunch at the cafe or while looking at all the pretty things that are on sale.

We Love The Age

Yesterday I smsed my Mum to tell her to check out the Sunday M Magazine in The Age and she wrote back "Anna, you know we don't get our weekend papers until Monday". Growing up in the country meant Monday night was spent pouring over Good Weekend and all the other good stuff that came in a very large pile. When I explained this to Gareth he laughed at how backwards my country upbringing was. However once Mum realised why I sent the sms she made a trip into town especially.

With less than a week till Mother's day Able and Game is in a printing frenzy. Make sure if you're ordering online you allow enough time for the cards to arrive in the post, or come see us at Rose Street on Saturday.