It's In The Cards

A poster of dogs playing poker — on velvet, no less — certainly sends a message: Welcome to my man cave. I used to be in a fraternity. Things haven't really evolved since then.

We like our anthropomorphic art to send a different message: Hello. Thanks for the flowers. Come to our birthday party.

Which is why we love Toki Cards, a Whitefield-based studio run by artist-musician Toki Oshima. You may recognize Oshima's whimsical work from the Common Ground Fair, or from one of her design gigs at the Casco Bay Weekly or the Journal Tribune, for which she won an Associated Press graphic design award.

Her etchings are at once primitive and elegant, funny and serious. She makes caldendars, but we're particularly fond of her note cards, printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper with vegetable dye inks. They cost $12.95 for a set of eight. For fun, we recommend "The Vegetable Dance." For a taste of Maine, try "Coffee at the A1." And for any occasion, check out our favorite of the bunch, "Squirrel Tea Party" (pictured).

Trust us: squirrels drinking tea and eating acorns trumps dogs playing poker any day.

For more information, visit Toki Cards.

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