Gift pick No. 29: Cardtorial wood dog cards

You might wonder if Cardtorial’s laser-burned “wood paper” cards really belong in a Handmade Holidays gift guide, given that they’re machine-made. But hear founder Yvonne Leung’s story, and you’ll understand how she carries with her the spirit of this series.

Leung said she used to burn and cut her designs into super-thin sheets of real wood using equipment at TechShop, a membership-based shared work studio. Then last year, she raised enough money on Kickstarter to buy her own laser cutter and handle her own fabrication in Southern California.

She has begun collaborating with local artists, including Nicole Santo, with whom she makes wood prints. Our pick for our Handmade Holidays gift guide: dog cards that Leung produces in collaboration with illustrator Jillian Tipping.

The breed-specific designs feature Tipping’s artwork and laser-lettered language that most dog owners probably would find fitting, whether the dog in question is a Forrest Gump-ish beagle (“adorable is as adorable does”), a great dane (“the dog that walks you”) or another favorite, a German shepherd (“smarter than the average human”).

The dog cards are $10 each. Why slip them into envelopes? Mount one in a frame for hanging above the water bowl.

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