Our Artist Family
It takes two started with just two: Georgia Rettmer was admired by family and friends for her unique torn paper designs. At the same time, her teenage daughter, Kimberly Rinehart, gifted her family with heartfelt poems and verses. Georgia and Kim were encouraged to combine their gifts and the result was it takes two.
Since that time we’ve added a wonderful mix of complementary styles and art mediums. To stay true to the distinct torn-paper art that represented our first cards, our artists’ styles are always unique. We never overlap style or feel. We credit our expanded products and audience today to this family of creative resources.
Meet Our Family Members
Click on an artist’s name to learn more about them.
After 25 years of creativity, still providing it takes two’s signature look is Georgia Rettmer who, with her daughter, Kimberly Rinehart, founded it takes two in 1984. Georgia’s creative process includes making and dying her own paper and then creating colorful images by tearing the paper by hand — no scissors for this artist. Proud grandmother of eight, Georgia splits her time between her art studios in Mankato, Minnesota, and Bayfield, Wisconsin. She and her husband, Forrest, also enjoy adventures by motor home and boat around the country.
The soft watercolors of Nancy Phelps are gentle expressions of her heart and life. Since 1995, Nancy has grown to be a dear friend and a treasured part of our dream. Inspired by Nancy’s work, Kimberly adds touching verses that are truly quiet reflections. Nancy’s art glows with the beauty of the world around us and has far-reaching appeal. Customers keep asking for more of Nancy’s lovely watercolor creations. While in Minnesota, this native Californian shared her gifts as a mural artist when she painted her beautiful florals on our walls here at it takes two!
The mixed-media drawings of Claudia Rovens provide just the right look to brighten anyone’s day! Claudia’s colorful work can be found on papers and stickers for scrapbooking as well as on greeting cards in several of our lines. Our relationship with Claudia began in 1990 when she became a rep for our company in the state of Wisconsin. Our partnership has grown in wonderful ways since “Claudia the Sales Rep” became “Claudia the Artist.” Today, Claudia is a valued artist and important part of our it takes two family. Her ability to create stunning works of art in several styles and mediums has brought interesting depth and diversity to our lines.
You’ll be delighted with the beautifully-intricate designs of well-known artist Lucy Rigg. Her work is featured in a wonderful line of everyday and seasonal cards, products, and scrapbooking papers and stickers. You will love the way Lucy expresses her well recognized artistry in exquisite detail with fresh new images for all occasions. Lucy lives in Washington State and enjoys being near her two young granddaughters. Our customers love Lucy’s signature style!
We just love the colorful dimension of Cary Heath’s cheerful designs. Her unique style features multi-textured combinations of cut paper images carefully layered to create a look with depth. Cary’s work is featured in an inspirational line of greeting cards and note cards and in a wonderful line of scrapbooking papers and stickers. While this dear artist and friend is no longer with us, we are deeply honored to continue to share the lasting creations of her hands and heart.
Brian Riebe practically grew up in it takes two’s warehouse — packaging cards at the age of 11, working summers and holidays since high school and a stint as a full-time staff member after receiving a BA in Art and Theatre from Briar Cliff College in 1998. Influenced a bit by comic book style, Brian has a fresh, detailed look. An Eagle Scout himself, Brian creates papers and stickers for our officially licensed Boy Scouts of America line. This talented young artist also creates our best selling farm themed paper products especially popular with our FFA and 4-H customers.
Erin Gergen Halls is a self-taught artist whose style of choice is realism with colored pencils. Erin brings a youthful and eclectic style and outlook on everyday life to greeting cards, and scrapbooking papers. This award winning artist lives in southern Minnesota with her young family.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Syracuse University School of Art, Marsha Howe is an extremely versatile and innovative designer and illustrator who began working with us in 2003. As prolific as she is talented, Marsha’s can-do attitude is a delight. She contributes art for the Chip Off the Old Block greeting card line and has designed papers for scrapbooking. Her love of animals is evident in her cards created for our pet sympathy line. Marsha lives in the beautiful foothills of the Colorado mountains with her husband, Dan.
Easy-going and talented Peggy Turchette has been with it takes two since 2003. A nationally-published illustrator, Peggy’s passion is creating cards. She loves everything about her work from the process of coming up with new ideas to the creative stage of bringing images to life. She designs cards for our Chip Off the Old Block line as well as pet-themed papers and stickers for scrapbooking and delightful images for those fun red and purple ladies. Peggy’s work is also featured on a line of quilt-themed notecards, one of which was especially designed to raise funds for victims of hurricane Katrina. Peggy lives in Boulder, Colorado.
Rebecca Barker grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Oxford, Ohio. Her childhood appreciation for quilts and country life inspires the subjects she paints today. She began painting in her early teens and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Ohio University. She also attended Miami University’s graduate painting school.
Her style is realistic with clean, clear colors and a sensitivity to composition and texture and is “meant to honor the beauty of old time quilt patterns. We are delighted to offer her beautiful work on our greeting cards, note cards and pocket calendars.
Chuck Ingwersen brings a completely different style and delightfully whacky sense of humor to our line…something we can all use a bit more of these challenging days! Chuck writes his own copy and creates his characters from his home studio in Chicago, Illinois.
Pat Brangle lends her clever sense of humor to card designs featuring down-to-earth characters and their everyday antics. Her artistic career had an early start when she began drawing humorous pictures on church envelopes at the age of 3. Pat grew up to be a fashion illustrator, a packaging designer, and a freelance illustrator for children’s books. She has a delightful way of finding a touch of humor and leaving a sparkle of laughter everywhere she goes.
Susan Florence, internationally acclaimed author and artist has been connecting people for decades with her simple and profound words and original art. Susan’s work has inspired readers worldwide, through greeting cards, stationery, gift books and gift products.
Susan graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Art and minored in Creative Writing. Her poetry has won prizes and and she continues her passion of writing and illustrating gift books, especially for women.
Susan lives with her husband Jim, in Ojai, California and they have two grown children.
After an exciting career as a producer at Good Morning America and Entertainment Tonight, Deb Eiseman was severely injured in a taxicab accident. During many sleepless nights, while suffering with chronic pain and insomnia, Deb found serenity in teaching herself how to paint. We are delighted to share Deb’s fresh, contemporary art in a line of cards hand embellished with gltter and featuring die-cut windows.
Katie began watercolor painting in 2002 as a means of satisfying the need to respond to the beauty of nature that surrounded her as a farm girl in Southern Minnesota. She now continues painting during her retirement on a lake in Northwestern Wisconsin.
Join Our Family
Are you an artist? Do you have a commitment to excellence and a portfolio full of beautiful designs that are just waiting to be discovered?
Contact us to find out more about submitting your work.