Last-Minute Birthday Card created with Pilot Parallel Pens

It was my wife’s birthday on Sunday. I’m ashamed to admit that it kind of snuck up on me.

I wasn’t totally unprepared… I had bought her a gift. Well, to be more specific, I had ordered her a gift. The reason I didn’t actually have it is because Amazon lied to me about its likely delivery date. So the only thing that stood between me and empty-handedness was a birthday card. Which I also didn’t have, although I can’t blame Amazon for that.

So, at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning, I considered driving to a local 24 hour supermarket to purchase a card. That would have been quick and easy.

It would also have been folly on my part. Because, on their birthdays, my family won’t accept a shop-bought card from me. With my calligraphy skills on tap, they expect the real deal. They expect ink and effort and nibs-a-scratching and creativity and uniqueness and personalisation. And you can’t buy that kind of devotion in Tesco.

So, while the Birthday Girl slept, I pulled out my Pilot Parallel Pens and got to work. Using a simple process similar to the one I used when addressing my Sherlock Holmes envelope, and creating my son’s birthday card, I made a card for her in less than fifteen minutes (see image above).

She was so delighted with the card that she didn’t appear to notice the absence of a gift. So, with the Amazon returns policy in mind, I decided not to mention her oversight.

Happy Birthday, Liz. Next year, I promise to be better organised!