Project brief: 1. Announce to family and friends the arrival of little Evan Thomas Harman, our second son. 2. Convey the beauty of childbirth. 3. Convey the beauty of child. 4. Do so on a limited budget.

Approach: Babies are small objects but big events.

I wanted to address this dichotomy by producing a life-size birth announcement. I wanted to share our newborn child with all his miraculous little details intact. I also wanted to commemorate his birth with an involved effort on my part, alongside the labors of my wife.

To reduce costs, all printing was done on an Epson printer. “Fake” thermography was created using rubber stamps and craft supplies. The announcement covers were all stitched (and a new skill was learned). I also chose to use a soft watercolor paper with deckled edges. All of these decisions were made in order to create a reverent, handcrafted effect.

Effectiveness: My mom liked it a lot.

Almost like holding the new baby! Handmade; , printed “on demand.”