When Brandy got in touch to tell us about her line of hilarious and adorable LBTQ greeting cards, we couldn’t have been more excited! We here at A Bicycle Built for Two are all about romance via old-fashioned mail, and Brandy’s cards are the perfect medium, designed specially for queer folks.

Then, Brandy offered to send over some cards for free, and we decided that—as much as we’d like to keep them all for ourselves—this was the perfect time for a giveaway! Read more about Brandy and her amazing cards, then scroll all the way down for instructions on how to win a selection of these cuties.

Tell us your story! How did you come to be a card designer/entrepreneur/Etsy genius?

I began my card company in October 2016. My fiancée and I were doing long distance, and I saw there was not much available for LGBTQ cards. A few years ago when I came out I had a popular funny lesbian blog, and the card line branched off from there. Sales have really taken off in the past few months, and the Etsy shop has a five-star customer rating! Customer service is super important to me. I studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design And Merchandising and have done fine art my whole life. I love merging humour and design in my card making!

What are a few adjectives you would use to describe your style?

Modern/classic, cute, funny!

What’s your design process like?

Whenever I have an idea I write it down on whatever I have nearby. Inspiration comes from all over, but mostly my beautiful fiancée! The “I want to whisper sexy things in your ear. Like “Grilled Cheese.”” is an actual quote from something I texted to my fiancée when we first started dating. It’s now my most popular card!

Why is it important to you to design cards specifically for the LBTQ community?

There isn’t a huge selection of cards out there for us, and I think it’s important to represent your community if you live in a safe enough environment to do so. Many parts of the world are still dangerous for LGBTQ people. I like meeting the customers and hearing how happy they are when they get the cards!

Are you married or engaged? Tell us about your proposal/partner/wedding day!

I’m engaged! She proposed to me, and it was a big surprise. We took a gondola up to the top of a beautiful mountain. There was a part of the lodge blocked by a curtain and when we walked around the corner there were photos of us and quotes on this wall. And then we walked around that and there was a wooden sign that said, “Will you marry me?” I went, “YES YES!” And then she said, laughing, “Let me ask!” It was pretty hilarious!

A photographer took photos of us! It was raining so we ended up drenched, but it was fun. She got me the exact ring I wanted: small and super sparkly. I wouldn’t change a thing. I got her wedding ring and planned to give it to her this New Year’s Eve. All the plans went sideways due to a crazy snowstorm, the custom ring I ordered couldn’t get made, etc., but I still managed to make some new last-minute plans and got a beautiful ring and gave it to her right at the midnight countdown. I was nervous and couldn’t get the box open, and then I slammed it down on the table. Such a spaz! We laughed a lot about that after. (She’s asking me why I’m smirking while I type this.)

Proposal planned by Stephanie Reitsma.//Engagement photos courtesy of Christine Pienaar.

What do you envision for your wedding? Will you design your own invitations?

Definitely I will make the invitations! I want it to be warm (so probably summer), and she wants the colour grey. And not toooo huge. I like smaller weddings… more personal.

What’s your favorite song to dance to at a wedding?

I love Ed Sheeran music!

What else would you like readers to know about you ?

I also paint portraits of people and pets! You can check out all my artwork on my Instagram/Etsy/Facebook.

In other news, Brandy’s selfie game is on point.

Giveaway

We’re keeping it nice and simple! To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post telling us which of Brandy’s cards is your favorite AND/OR who you’d be sending your greeting cards to! One lucky person will win five cards (including the famous “grilled cheese” one!) to send to friends & lovers.

(If you can’t wait to see whether or not you won, head over to Brandy’s Etsy store to place your Valentine’s Day orders!)

UPDATE:

The giveaway is now closed, and we’ll be announcing a winner shortly!