Eagle Scout’s Mother Illustrates Cards for Eagles and Crossing Over

When Pat Achilles’ son Tom earned his Eagle rank in 2012 she drew him a special card of congratulations—depicting a scout on a hilltop holding an American flag with an eagle soaring in the distance. Mrs. Achilles is a professional illustrator and she had already drawn a more whimsical Eagle card a few years earlier when a friend’s son earned Eagle. Other friends wanted copies of the cards and she soon had them printed and sold them through their local Pennsylvania BSA Store, splitting the proceeds with the store. She now sells them nationwide through her Etsy shop and has added more cards related to scouting.

“I was very proud when Tom made Eagle,” Mrs. Achilles says, “proud that he completed the rigorous physical fitness tests and all the badges that he needed, and of course his Eagle Scout project at a wildlife preserve in our town. My grandsons are now in his old troop and I’ve been to courts of honor with them too. I continue to be impressed with the Scouts and the values that Scouting upholds and instills in our young people. The illustration I painted for his card celebrates these values, and I know from experience the Scouts that earn their Eagle rank are deserving of sincere praise for their achievements.”

Mrs. Achilles’ online Etsy shop can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/AchillesPortfolio and she has also has cards for Cubs that are Crossing Over into Scouts and gift boxes of “Trustworthy” notecards that make great gifts for Scouts and leaders. She also has Eagle thank-you notes and an inexpensive downloadable Eagle Court of Honor Invitation.

All the cards are printed on sturdy glossy card stock, with envelopes included; and while the congratulations cards are large, they still take regular first-class postage. The cardstock is from a sustainable-forest paper company and the cards are printed in Doylestown, PA. One satisfied customer wrote “These cards are exceptionally unique and well-drawn. Parents of Eagle Scouts have asked me where I found such magnificent cards—they are an inspiration to the Scouts receiving them.” Many more positive reviews of her cards and service are on her Etsy shop page.