Hallmark Master Designer Eric Brace recently worked with Studio Ink to create a lighthearted vintage-inspired collection of Father’s Day cards. Think.Make.Share couldn’t be more excited to show it off. Read on as guest blogger and Studio Ink Art Director Rachel S. gives you a peek at the collection—and also a look into Eric’s life as a dad.

When it comes to dads, they don’t come much cooler than artist Eric Brace. He’s silly, sincere, creative and a giant kid at heart. (All of these things are also true of his cool kiddo, Hudson.)

Eric was the perfect guy to design our first ever Studio Ink Father’s Day collection.

We’re crazy about his amazing lettering and vintage details.

It’s nearly impossible to pick just one…so don’t! Buy a few for all your dads, like-a-dads, husbands, and dad friends.

We got curious about Eric and what inspires him, so we asked a few questions!

How long have you been at Hallmark?
Holy cuss, I can’t remember if I’ve been at hallmark 28 years or 29. I started working in Shoebox right after I graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in June of ’88.

What is your favorite thing to draw?
Over the past three decades at Hallmark, I’ve drawn a lot of squirrels, bunnies, foxes, but I’d have to say my favorite thing to draw is a bear…only because my “stupid human trick” used to be drawing a bear without looking. Sometimes they would be really skinny and misshapen…but, it was better than anything else I had going.

What is your favorite Dad moment?
I recently picked my boy Hudson up from school and noticed he had a giant wet spot on his pants. When I asked him what was in his pocket, he said, Cantaloupe.

Me: “Don’t you think keeping cantaloupe in your pocket as a snack for later is kind of a bad idea?”

Hudson: (Silence)

Me: “Are you going to do this again?”

Hudson: “It depends. I really like cantaloupe.”

The boy has a point…cantaloupe is pretty good.

It’s funny. Long before becoming a “papa,” I imagined what it would be like to have a child of my own, how we’d bond over a game of catch, bedtime stories, and making art projects together, but it turns out that my favorite moments with Hudson are the things I never could have imagined; the weird, funny, unpredictable “cantaloupe moments” that will charm me forever. For me, those are what life is about.

You can find Eric’s Studio Ink collection in Gold Crown stores and online. Make sure to check out other Studio Ink collections in-store and online, too. Tag us if you share your favorites on Instagram. (@think.make.share @getstudioink) And if you can’t get enough of Studio Ink, find them on Twitter and Tumblr.

Family photos courtesy of Eric Brace | Product photos by Studio Ink

— Rachel S.