xiaolu627

This might be a bit of an unconventional Show HN, but I think many of us here (myself included) are tired of generic default wallpapers or overly busy designs. We stare at our screens for so long, and a visual environment that feels calm or joyful can have a real impact on focus and mood.

So, I built Pink Canvas (https://pinkcanvas.net).

The core is simple: a curated library of pink-themed wallpapers. But I wanted to make it genuinely useful, particularly for the tinkerers and creators among us:

Precise Curation: Walls are well-tagged (Kawaii, Floral, Minimalist, Fantasy, etc.) and by resolution (Mobile, Desktop, 4K). It saves the time of sifting through Pinterest or Unsplash for that specific look for a specific device.

Built-in Maker Tools: Here's the key feature and why I'm posting it here. I integrated AI Generate and AI Edit tools directly into the site. You can take any wallpaper and, using natural language, ask it to "add a small cat in the corner" or "make it cyberpunk" to create a unique variant on the fly. It's surprisingly handy for creators who need quick custom graphics or inspiration.

A Growing Library: There's a submission flow. User-modified or created images can be submitted and, after moderation, added to the main library. It's small now, but the vision is for it to grow into a community-curated collection.

Nothing too fancy tech-wise—Vue frontend, Python backend handling image processing and AI API integration. The bigger challenges were building a moderation flow that maintains quality and managing the growing asset library while keeping the site snappy.

I built this partly because my wife could never find a desktop background she liked, but more because I believe tools and aesthetics can merge. Even a niche like "pink," when executed with focus and user empowerment in mind, can be a utility.

I'm very curious to get this community's thoughts, especially on:

What's your take on the value of such aesthetic/consumer-focused tools in a space often dominated by infrastructure tech?

If you used it, what "power-user" or practical features would you want to see in the AI edit tools?

Any advice or lessons on fostering a sustainable, quality UGC community?

Thanks for looking! You can find it here: https://pinkcanvas.net

Does anyone else ever blank out when trying to write a birthday message? You open the chat, fingers hover over the keyboard, and… nothing. You end up typing “Happy Birthday!” and feel like you phoned it in.

I did. All the time. As someone more comfortable writing code than prose, I found it awkward. Last month, I needed a witty message for my brother (who has a very specific sense of humor) and a respectful one for a mentor I admire. I was stuck.

So over a couple of weekends, I built HappyWish for myself (and hopefully others). https://happywish.org

It’s simple:

You select your relationship to the person (friend, colleague, family, etc.) and the tone you want (heartfelt, funny, short).

The AI generates a few non-generic message options based on that. It’s not just mashing sentences; it tries to understand the context.

If you like one, you can instantly turn it into a clean, simple e-card to download or share.

I kept it intentionally lightweight. It’s currently free, no ads, no login required. The tech is a straightforward frontend hooked to the OpenAI API. For me, it has already saved the day a few times.

I’m curious what the community thinks about tools that solve these small but real friction points. Would you use something like this, or is it completely unnecessary? I’m also interested in discussions about AI’s role in smoothing over these minor social interactions.

All feedback, critique, or feature ideas are welcome. You can comment here or use the feedback form on the site.

I’ve used Elfster or DrawNames every year to organize Secret Santa for teams and friends, but I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with their mandatory user registration and email collection. For small, informal groups, it’s complete overkill and creates unnecessary privacy friction.

So, I decided to invert the design: What if the entire event state lived inside a shareable link?

I built Secret Santa Generator. Here’s how it works:

The organizer enters names, sets exclusions (optional), and clicks generate.

The system creates a unique event ID on the server and produces a hashed link (e.g., /event/abc123def456). All participant data, matches, and wishlists are tied to this ID.

You share this link with the group.

Each participant visits the link, enters their name, and instantly sees their assignment (matching logic runs server-side on first access). They can add a wishlist.

No accounts, no emails, no profiles. Close the browser tab, and the event is “gone,” but the link remains active until it’s purged.

Stack & Decisions:

Frontend: Plain HTML/JS (Vue.js), focused on speed.

Backend: Node.js/Express. The core is ensuring random, fair draws while respecting exclusions.

Data: Events are stored in memory (e.g., Redis) with a TTL (e.g., 14 days) for auto-expiry. This is key—we don’t want to store anything permanently.

Privacy: No analytics (e.g., Google Analytics). Possibly only minimal, anonymized server logs.

Challenge: Ensuring valid matches for all participants while respecting “A cannot get B” constraints (a graph problem, solved with backtracking).

This isn’t a startup. It’s a weekend project solving a specific itch. I think the web needs more of these simple, self-contained tools.

If you need to organize a quick, frictionless Secret Santa this year, give it a try. Technical feedback is welcome.

Link: https://secretsantagenerator.online