If you are like me, shopping for gifts can make your stomach turn. Everywhere you go everything looks the same. Fortunately, a friend recently turned me on to www.mymindtodreamin.com. My Mind To Dream In is a site designed less than a year ago by a woman from Milwaukee, to sell her own handcrafted greeting cards.
Andra Hardt, 26, a Brookfield native, has put together an incredible collection of cards for all occasions, reproduced from her original pen and ink drawings.
Hardt's style is unique, using simplified, organic figures to tell a story. Her cards have themes that speak about connectedness, love and friendship.
"(The imagery) signifies the power of love and being with someone close to you," says Hardt, whose work is heavily influenced by the rich, earthly folk art of other cultures. "I want the people in my drawing to emanate color and energy."
Since she was a little girl, Hardt has been making cards for everyone in her family. My Mind To Dream In started as an easy way to show her family and friends drawings on which she was working. Soon, people were asking if they could buy drawings from her. With much encouragement and support from her family, Hardt built the site and went live in June.
Her site currently has more than 30 different designs and she is constantly expanding her collection. Hardt also sells postcards and matching refrigerator magnets on the site.
She knows people don't really know what to do with cards after they receive them. So Hardt devised the magnets to help people treasure the thought of the card.
Andra Hardt's cards are 5x7 and cost $2.50 each or $5 with a magnet. The postcards come in sets of three and cost $3. She also creates custom cards. Visit her site for more information.
