Lettering artist and author Jessica Hische is talented and smart and charming and an admitted fan of oversharing. So just be prepared to become immediately smitten with her and her work. Jessica collaborated with Hallmark on Christmas cards for Signature, and that was all the excuse we needed to hit her up for answers to our usual questions. Read on for answers to our Jessica Hische Signature Style questions.
What inspired your collection?
For my collection, I wanted to make something beautiful and lasting. The right card can be so meaningful, but we save so few of them after the seasons pass. The ornaments on my cards can stay with you year after year, a reminder of the person who sent it and of that moment in time. I also wanted to make something that would appeal to every generation—something beautiful and classic but still fun and youthful—so that teens, parents, grandparents—everyone—would love them!
How would you describe your collection?
My collection combines clean white paper and crisp silver foil with natural wood textures and hand drawn typography. It feels warm and inviting but still fresh and clean. The color palette is almost neutral, save for the small touches of Christmas red on the ribbon and metallic foil dots.
Do you have a favorite card from it? If so, which and why?
This is a tough one! If I had to choose, I would probably say the Season’s Greetings wreath. I just love how wreath shape lets you see into the center of the card’s starburst. When designing the cards, I wanted to make sure they looked good with and without the ornament in place, so I love how this one lets you see how the base card could function and be beautiful all on its own. But then again, the fact that the other three cards leave this little reveal as a mystery is also fun!
What was your work process like to create the cards in your collection?
I start each project by brainstorming. I especially love dreaming up series—figuring out what will unify them is really fun—be it a color, a shape, a texture, a style. I worked up sketches for a few different routes that the collection could take, but this one was definitely my favorite. I just loved how consistent they all felt. When I sketch these days, I use an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and the program ProCreate. I still love drawing by hand, but drawing digitally allows me to play with color more easily, and get my sketches closer to what I want the final to look like. I do almost all of my sketching in coffee shops around Oakland and San Francisco, so if you see me one morning say hi! Once the sketches were approved, I created the final art in Adobe Illustrator, a vector-based program.
What are your favorite holiday colors and patterns?
I love metallic gold and silver, an abundance of white, and little touches of bright and deep reds and jewel tone greens. For patterns, anything with celestial shapes, poinsettia, forest scenes, snowflakes, and wood textures.
Who would you send each of your cards to?
I’d send Joy to the World to every member of my family along with a picture of all of us—it’s my son’s first Christmas (and the first one my daughter will probably remember—she’s 2). I’d send Have a Very Merry Christmas to my closest friends (my friend-family). I’d send Happy Holidays to every client I loved working with this year. And I’d send Season’s Greetings to everyone that made my year a little better through my daily interactions with them—especially my morning baristas 😉
What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?
Every Christmas morning my parents would bake cinnamon rolls in the shape of a tree to celebrate my brother’s birthday (Christmas Day!)—it was always one of my favorite family traditions. As far as greater holiday traditions, decorating the tree is my favorite. I love digging through boxes of ornaments and remembering when each of them came into my life. We have a lot of handmade ornaments on our tree from when I was a little kid.
What are you most looking forward to doing this holiday?
This is the first year that we’re creating some traditions on our own by spending the holidays at home with our kids. I’m going to miss heading east to see as many relatives as possible, but I’m really excited to witness to my daughter’s first memorable Christmas in the home she’s growing up in.
Tell us a little about your blog/site and brand.
I’m a lettering artist, illustrator, and author. I work for all kinds of clients in all kinds of industries—I design classic book covers for Barnes and Noble and Penguin, create greeting cards and gift cards, create and redraw logos for companies like MailChimp and Southern Living, and I’ve even drawn the film titles for a movie! (Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom). If you follow me online, you’re following me, a person, not a brand. I try to be my truest self—the person you “meet” online is the same as the person you meet in person.
Where can our TMS followers find out more about you?
You can find out tons about me from my website, which has info and links to podcast interviews, conference talks—you name it—and by following me on Instagram and twitter @jessicahische.
Pick up the Jessica Hische Signature Christmas cards online or at your Hallmark Gold Crown store. And if you aren’t already, join our Christmas Card Challenge to get inspired to send seasons’ greetings. Be sure to tag us if you share your favorites on Instagram: @think.make.share @hallmarksignature and #pswritebacksoon.
Photography by Jessica Hische. Videography by Bill Antonucci.
Where am I able to get all 4 of these Christmas Cards in this collection. I absolutely LOVE these and would like to be able to find out where I can purchase them?
Hi Jeralyn! Unfortunately, these cards are from 2017 and are no longer available. So sorry!