Introducing Our 2025 Father’s Day Gift Cards by Joey Coley-Sowry

Father’s Day is personal.

So why do most Father’s Day cards feel so... impersonal?

Generic slogans, tired jokes and shiny “#1 Dad” trophies... not exactly peak sentiment! 

That’s why this year, Card.Gift teamed up with Melbourne illustrator Joey Coley-Sowry to do things differently. Joey's 2025 Father’s Day gift card collection tosses the tropes in favour of something more real – and more relatable.

Each card is inspired by a memory Joey shares with his own dad: a wobbly first wave, a failed skate trick, a bedtime story read a hundred times over. They’re deeply specific – and yet instantly familiar.

Because if your dad ever did anything vaguely chaotic, wildly enthusiastic, or quietly tender… chances are, you’ll recognise him in one (or more!) of these three, beautifully illustrated Father's Day cards.

Behind the Father’s Day 2025 Gift Card Collaboration with Joey Coley-Sowry

Raised in St Kilda, Melbourne, Joey grew up in a house buzzing with creativity. His dad was a major influence – always encouraging Joey and his brother to draw, imagine, and express themselves.

“I started drawing obsessively as soon as I could hold a pen,” says Joey. “We were always surrounded by sketchbooks... even the pockets on the back of our car seats were filled to bursting with pens, pencils and sketchbooks.”

When Card.Gift invited Joey to create a Father’s Day collection, he didn’t have to reach far for inspiration. From skate park stunts to early morning beach runs and endlessly repeated bedtime tales, his memories with his Dad were already waiting – vivid, personal, and ready to be reimagined.

“Each of these pieces is inspired by a childhood memory with my dad,” Joey explains. “Though I hope they'll spark a happy moment or memory in the viewer.”

That’s the magic of this collection: it’s drawn from Joey’s life, but chances are, it’ll feel like yours too. Whether you’re celebrating your dad, stepdad, grandfather, or someone who simply showed up – these cards capture the kind of moments many of us hold onto, even years down the line.

About Joey Coley-Sowry – The Artist Behind Card.Gift’s 2025 Father’s Day Collection

Joey Coley-Sowry is an illustrator and storyteller whose work leans into the playful, expressive, and personal.

While he grew up surrounded by traditional art – from Lucian Freud to Russell Drysdale – Joey’s own style is shaped just as much by comic books, animation, and humour.

“I always loved animation and comic books,” Joey says. “And while my dad always encouraged me to explore ‘real’ art, our house full of books showcasing artists from Lucian Freud to Russell Drysdale, my sensibilities have always tended towards illustration and a bit of silliness."

His approach isn’t bound by a single medium. Whether he’s working in ink, pencil, digital, or something else entirely, Joey picks his tools based on the emotion and story behind the work.

“I enjoy experimenting with different styles and exploring a range of mediums… so I can employ different techniques depending on the story I’m trying to tell.”

Joey Coley-Sowry x Card.Gift: Limited Edition Gift Cards

Old Dog, New Tricks – Mastercard

For the dad who’s a walking highlight reel of half-finished projects and chaotic backyard stunts. This card celebrates the chaos – perfect for the father figure who’d rather make a memory than a fuss.

Buy Old Dog New Tricks Gift Card

We all know that dad – the one who insists he’s still got it.

This card is Joey’s tribute to that determined, slightly chaotic energy. Inspired by a moment caught on film, it shows his dad repeatedly attempting a handstand on a skateboard – trying to beat his last time with dogged enthusiasm while Joey and his brother waited their turn and their mum watched laughing.

“Self-deprecation endears us to one another,” Joey says. “Something as simple as teaching your kid a skateboard trick, showing off a bit and reconnecting with your own childlike sense of freedom can leave a mark that you may not understand until much later – how immensely meaningful these brief seconds can be.”

This beautifully chaotic illustration is a reminder that clumsy, light-hearted efforts often stick with us longest – especially when they come from the people we look up to most.

First Wave - eftpos

For the dad who cheered you on from the shallows – even when your pop-up was more bellyflop than barrel. It’s a sentimental pick for fathers who passed down passions with patience (and maybe a few bacon-and-egg rolls after).

Buy First Wave Gift Card

This one’s for the dads who tried to pass down a passion – even if their kids weren’t totally on board.

Joey’s dad is a lifelong surfer. Which meant Joey and his brother spent many a sleepy sunrise road-tripping from St Kilda to Torquay, boards strapped to the roof, whether they liked it or not.

“Though we loved it, we never got the bug the same way Dad did,” Joey says. “But the sea will always be in us – some of our happiest moments are forever salt-encrusted.”

This design is less about catching the wave, and more about being there – side by side, soaking in someone else’s joy. It’s about presence, not pressure.

The Next Chapter - Card.Gift

For the dad who’s been there through every phase – school runs, side chats, and stories on loop. A thoughtful, flexible option for the father figure who helped shape your every chapter.

Buy The Next Chapter Gift Card

Everyone has that bedtime book. Worn out. Dog-eared. Read on loop.

For Joey, it was Supermoo by Babette Cole – a book he loved so much, he faked being able to read just to get ahead in the story.

“One of the greatest gifts Dad gave me was a love of literature and storytelling,” Joey says. “There is real magic in these moments.”

This card captures that quiet, everyday magic – the soft-spoken rituals, the silly voices, the safety of a story told again and again. It’s a celebration of comfort, connection, and the way a good book (and a patient dad) can shape a childhood.

What Makes These Father’s Day Gift Cards So Personal – And So Relatable

Most Father’s Day cards go for mass appeal – generic jokes, vague sentiments, and the same tired imagery.

These Father's Day gift cards don’t try to be universal. They’re rooted in Joey’s own memories – specific, intimate, and unmistakably real. His dad attempting a handstand. A surf trip at sunrise. A bedtime story told again and again.

But in their specificity, something bigger comes through. Because so many of us have been read to by Dad. Cheered on by him. We’ve watched him try, fail, and try again – not perfectly, but wholeheartedly.

These aren’t just Joey’s stories. In a way, they’re all of ours.

A Father’s Day Gift Card That Actually Means Something

Whether your dad’s the surfer, the skater, the storyteller – or some unbeatable combo of all three – Joey’s card collection offers a smarter, warmer way to say “Thanks, Dad.”

Thanks for the wild stunts.

Thanks for the sleepy storytime voices.

Thanks for being there, even when it didn’t feel like a big deal.

This year, skip the clichés.

Choose something better drawn, better thought-out – and more likely to end up tucked away in a shoebox long after Father’s Day is over.

Shop the 2025 Father's Day collection now at Card.Gift.