At Perky Pen, our greeting cards aren’t just messages, they’re miniature pieces of art infused with culture, creativity, and personalisation. Every design goes on a journey, from a spark of inspiration to a hand-drawn illustration, and finally onto our eco-friendly seeded paper that blooms into wildflowers.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how each card comes to life from concept to creation.

Step 1: Drawing Inspiration from Culture & Community

We draw heavily from our Zimbabwean and Nigerian roots, blending personal memories, monuments, as well as taking inspiration from other African, Carribean and ethnically diverse communities. From bold patterns, African textiles to heartfelt family sayings, our designs reflect the beauty and richness that’s is heritage.

We're also inspired by real conversations with our community of friends, customers, fellow creatives and passers by  who want to see themselves and their experiences represented in thoughtful, meaningful ways.

“Sometimes, a conversation or memory sparks a whole new concept. We see art as a way to reflect lived experiences and uplift voices that deserve to be seen.” Co-founder Victry 

Step 2: Illustrating Time

Once we’ve sketched out a concept, we bring the artwork to life using an iPad, stylus, and Procreate.

This is where the fun (and the fine-tuning) happens. We sketch, ink, and digitally paint characters, patterns, and backgrounds; layering colours, adjusting details, and experimenting with texture. Procreate allows us to blend hand-drawn authenticity with bold digital flair.

We then move onto Canva to lay out the final card design, combining our artwork with text, exploring font pairings, and ensuring the message complements the illustration.

“Even though we’re creating digitally, every design starts from a personal place. It’s not just a drawing, it's rooted in community, creating something people feel deeply connected to.” Co-founder Tobi

Step 3: Crafting the Message

Words matter just as much as the visuals.

Whether it’s an uplifting message, a cheeky joke, or a heartfelt birthday wish, we craft each message to reflect real-life emotions and cultural nuances. You might find playful expressions, or messages that simply say what we all really want the recipient to hear.

Finding the right words isn’t always easy, especially when we’re aiming to make them feel inclusive, honest, and culturally rooted. We want to reflect the way our diverse communities speak to each other with warmth, humour, respect, and realness.

To help shape this, we sometimes use AI tools (both in messages and images) to explore tone or structure ideas  but every final message is carefully refined by us as artists, to make sure it aligns with our values. It's still our voice, our culture, and our creativity just with a bit of digital help along the way.

Step 4: Collaborating as Artists & Storytellers

We don’t create in a bubble collaboration is a huge part of our process.

Before a card is finalised, we share designs and ideas as a team, asking for honest feedback, gut reactions, and cultural insight. We bounce around opinions, test reactions, and make sure the design aligns with our values of representation, and creativity.

“We work together not just to refine the art, but to make sure the message and meaning feel right like something our community would be proud of.This collaboration helps us spot what might be missing, challenge assumptions, and strengthen the emotional impact of the final design.” Co-founder Victry

Step 5: Printing on Seeded Paper

Once the design is final, we print it on our signature plantable seeded paper, a biodegradable material embedded with wildflower seeds. Once it’s served its purpose, the card can be planted in soil and will grow into a vibrant reminder of your thoughtfulness.

We print in small batches with eco-friendly inks, preparing them for our community pop-up events, workshops, and local sales, this keeps our footprint small and our creativity local.

“We’re committed to creativity that doesn’t cost the earth. Our cards are meant to bloom in more ways than one.”

Our cards may be small, but they carry a big purpose.

Each one reflects:

• Culture – rooted in heritage and authentic storytelling

• Creativity – original, hand-illustrated designs

• Care – for people and the planet

• Connection – with messages that speak directly to our communities

In a world of fast, mass-produced products, we believe in slow design with real impact and we’re proud to create cards that grow both memories and wildflowers.

Take a Peek at Our Collection

Explore our latest designs here, or subscribe and we’ll keep you updated on our upcoming events. Whether you’re celebrating, encouraging, or just saying hi — there’s a Perky Pen card for every moment.