greenbeanbaby art

winners all around....

 

first of all, thank you all for your kindness and support with the etsy restocking!!! many goodies have been shipped off to a swell home today... i tried my hardest to price fairly including shipping as i buy all my envelopes, tissue papers, and ribbons to make each item pretty... for those who bought something, or checked out the prices, i would appreciate any feedback concering new products, prices, and overall greenbeanbaby-ness...

as promised, everyone who purchased goodies from the 18th to the 20th, were entered into a raffle to receive a free handmade cut paper illustration by yours truly... diego picked out the winner...

and after several attempts to get him to hold the paper up so we can see the winner, we were able to get a semi-decent shot of the name [and a cool shot of diego and his new haircut].... THE WINNER OF THE RAFFLE IS MISS POPPY LAUREL!!!! a BIG congrats to you!!!!!!!!!

on another topic... this is my lil kratos in the game informer magazine!!!! i've sent a couple submissions to them in hopes to make it in there... and i did!!! it's the reader art submissions and i am unsure if i won or not but either way, it's pretty awesome!! if you live near an eb games or a gamestop store, you can pick up this issue.... :)

lastly, i want to thank miss judy for awarding me the arte y pico award as well as the brillante weblog award.... she is just too sweet and i will work on givng these awards away when i get a chance.... it's going to be quite hard to narrow it down but i'll do my best :)....  it's been a wonderful week all around [with a few bumps in between]....

biggest hugs to you all!!!

see you in a few hours...

it's 5:55pm here... in little over 6 hours, all items will be stocked into my etsy shop...

see you then  and happy shopping/browsing :)

interested in a prize?!

yes indeed!!!!! with the july 18th etsy restocking, i have some extra goodness! any customer who purchases an item [in my shop] between july 18th and the 20th will be entered into a raffle to win a FREE ORIGINAL GREENBEANBABY ILLUSTRATION...

winner will be announced by july 22nd and contacted via email!

i have been up EVERY NIGHT until the wee hours of the morning and i'm feeling the effects... ysesterday i picked up my prints and purchased the necessary items to ship these babies out perfectly... then i spent EIGHT episodes of x-files signing and numbering and titling each print, and putting them in the clear sleeves... ramel and i took a half hour to figure out prices and fees [profits vs losses, etc etc]... after that, i began uploading items to my etsy hop and listing them [then making them inactive]

i had over 125 listings to do on etsy [90 were prints] and managed to complete 75%... it was 3am by the time i went to bed and my feet were swollen from all that sitting.... i was so tired i couldn't remember people's names to name items after [remember, i am naming each item in etsy after flickr and blogging buddies]....

this morning i was too tired to wake up so ramel went to work later and fed the kids breakfast and got them situated... by the time i showered,dressed the kids, fed them snacks, cleaned the house, and chugged a pot of coffee, we went for a walk... it was 12:15 when we began... it was 4pm when we came back from our walk.... we managed to go swimming, go to the park, go to some stores, and head home a few shades darker than before... needless to say, it's only 11pm right now, and i am plum tuckered out.... so excuse me if this blog post is a bit ditsy...

i will blog once more on the 17th... there may be new items to show:) after the etsy day, i will have OODLES of pics of the kids uploaded on the blog and flickr... don't ya miss them?! hehe....

and now, for some good night rest- unless i end up working on  some sketches ;)

NOTE: you can check out the notes on this photo, and this photo, and this photo to see the some of the friends' names of each item :)

overload cute

july 18th is the big day for the greenbeanbaby etsy restocking!!!!! right around midnight, all the items will be uploaded to the shop... it takes a good 15 minutes to do it so don't freak out if it's 12:04am and you can't find what you are looking for...

the above magnets are called nina's friends.... there will be one BIG set and one SMALL set available...

within the past few days, i made over 110 pieces of magnets to sell... yes, that is right!!! 110 pieces of lil wood with magnet strips glued on the back... a bazillion pieces of paper cut out to make the people... and plenty of hours [with a few burns, a couple cuts, and one knuckle missing a bit of skin] gluing and assembling these pretty mamas.... it's left little time to do much else...

these friendly gals are called li li's friends... each set will have 4pcs... and there will be 3 sets available

however, tomorrow i will be working on the printing process for the illustrations that will be available in the shop... somehow i had thought this etsy restocking would be focusing primarily on illustrated prints... i don't even remember how this magnet mania began!!!! still, hopefully, the prints are a good seller :)

these lil gals are called meghan's friends.... there will be one or two sets of these... there are only 6 lil gals so they may be all sold together or in two sets of 3pcs

i want to make more magnets too... and illustrations... but time won't allow... today i will be making all the descriptions for my items... this is a time consuming process as there has be added tags, uploaded pics, figuring out of prices, then making the listings inactive until july 18th... there are alot of items!!!!

these lil ladies are called madeline's fairies... every mama needs a set of these... there will be one BIG set and one SMALLER set available...

in the process of making one set of magnets, i had two hot glue guns plugged in... a big one for the magnet part... a small glue gun for the bigger paper pieces that need more than regular glue... well, right as my sister called me, i heard a loud POP!!!!! the lights flickered, the smell of something burning filled my studio... smoke was seeping out of the mini glue gun and all i could think of, this would be the worst spot for a fire to start... i guess that mini glue gun was used one too many times!!!!!

these are called linda's kitchen angels.... there will be one BIG set and one SMALLER set available...

i tried  to make two sets of each magnet set.... there will only be 4 notebooks, one scrapbook, and 4 lil mini books... there will be a limited set of prints as well... SO MANY IDEAS of what could be made for the shop!!!!! there might be another etsy restocking date sooner than usual.... [depending how well this goes, and how much sleep i can get]... there are so vintage notecards that i'd like to illustrate in cut paper for  a special series in the shop too...

on top of all this, ramel and i celebrate our 5th anniversary on saturday.... mr. potato head is coming to the betty brinn's children's museum.... and my kids love them some potato heads... [i've had to holler at them for sticking the ear pieces in their ears....] so our anniversary may be spent with mr. potato head and the kids we love :)

the last set of magnets shown are called debra's girls... there are a couple more sets not shown on the blog but you can see them on my flickr page....

happy monday!!!

magnets galore

this post is going to be fairly short but with plenty of pictures... i am still behind on emailing people so all of you who have commented, i will respond soon.... i've been making some magnets lately in my oh-so-hot studio.... it's like a mini sweatshop only consisting of one person, a few bugs, x-files, and one little fan blowing hot air... at least my mood is better, artistically despite the 90º attic situation...

anyhow, meet simone's fairies... these are paper illustrated magnets that are about two inches tall...

yes, with this new etsy re-stocking, i will be naming every item after my fellow blog and flickr friends... these are meadow's cherries which are really teeny tiny... they are about the size of a nickell....

and these are aletha's fairy mamas.... also magnets...

these are teeny flower magnets from julie's garden [these are also the size of a nickel]... actually, two are from this julie's garden... and two are from this julie's garden :)

these are janae's angels... i don't have a link for janae but she is a one year old sweet pie who's mom is a beautiful lady... we have a son the same age, a daughter the same age, and we are both from the same city...

these are erica's cupckaes... these are also teeny tiny and were a doozy to glue the lil leaves on it...

lastly, these are gracie's roses.... these are 3d paper roses that i made and mounted onto an old key plate... these are magnets as well...

enjoy all!! these goodies will be available in my shop on july 18th midnight, sharp!

etsy restocking date moved...

with the date approaching rapidly, i had thought my paypal issues would have been resolved by now... as i've  stated in a previous post, my paypal was hacked into and tampered with... items were purchased from this thief, causing several tiresome issues to deal with... i've been on the phone with my bank and paypal in hopes that all this would be resolved on time... and it hasn't so i've had to push the date back a week... instead of having the etsy date for the 11th, it is now moved  to july 18th
and while i regret to do this, it's not to say the week won't be a waste... it will leave me more time to make extra goodies for the shop that all of you can enjoy... between prints, notebooks and a few new items, i hope to have something worthwhile for all who are interested... i'm even working on TRYING to get some framed original illustrations in the shop, that will resemble retro greeting cards...

on the topic concerning the previous post, thank you all again for the encouragement... i am sure some of you are tired of reading about my emotions in this same area... like a yo-yo, i have my days only lately, they seem to be recurring more frequently... i think there is just so much on my plate... and so much of it is the sort of thing where you don't see instant results... my patience wears thin but perhaps it is patience that i am to learn....

i have a ton of ideas and a ton of dreams [but not a ton of time]... concerning my art, i have two ways to take it and both require a 100%... i can work on sending my portfolio out and find work in the publishing area... or i can continue making artwork for the etsy shop and work on getting more prints available... both are good choices and i REALLY wanna do both but i can't... some days, i can't even handle being a mom AND an artist... [and of course, motherhood takes precedence....] either way, this topic requires a whole new post so i better just end it off with saying, right now, the etsy shop is going to be nice and full for the 18th... i hope you all will enjoy it :)

in the meantime, check this link out for more peaks of what will be in the shop

on a personal note...

thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes... my birthday turned out wonderful despite the rough start... [and this post is about that rough start]... i've briefly mentioned that i've been on an emotional rollercoaster... perhaps it is just the realization that life goes a different path than what you planned... not that it turns out worse but you dream of getting so much done and wake up to find out your still so far away from your destination... instead of heading south, you had to head east because of road construction... [pertaining to life].... you plan on spending x amount of hours on a project only to have to sacrifice this time on a valid reason... you set goals only to have to put them on the backburner for a season... but this season seems to be taking longer than you hoped...

i have my family... and i am quite grateful for that... i have a husband who loves me and who helps me in so many ways... i have a husband who is willing to change the stinky diapers and bathe the dirty kids... i have two happy kids who get along with each other and aren't picky with toys or clothes... they are each unique and both strong willed... i am grateful to have chosen the route of being a stay at home mom although not every day am i smiling about it... the truth of the matter is, a mom can wonder if she is doing enough... cleaning enough... teaching her kids enough... a mom can wonder if she is feeding her kids enough... she can wonder if she is utilizing her time AND talents properly or if she is focusing on one thing too much... being a mom is alot of work...

and in my case, being an illustrator is alot of work... art never came EASY to me... i loved it but often it tested my emotions... my esteem... there were always people to root me on but i've had to fight doubts for years... i had hoped by this age, i'd have grown out of this thinking but apparently the thought of getting older made these thoughts more transparent... i guess its all a matter of perspective... i have ranted with frustration over my lack of skill in drawing the way i WANT to draw... i should be able to have more environments in my illustrations, right? i should be able to MOVE them more in the drawings instead of each character posing nearly the same way... i shouldn't be stuck on color anymore right?! it's the same stuff i struggled with for YEARS! it was the same stuff that made me wonder if i was even MEANT to illustrate... it's nice to have family and blogging friends to keep me encouraged and inspired... if i illustrated purely for myself, i'd have quit long ago...

we can all nitpick at our creations... we can evaluate them and compare them to other people's work... the flaws we find prevent us from getting to another level or experimenting... the frustrations that we dwell in often leave us too exhausted to work on something that we once had a joy for but allowed our own thoughts to kill that excitement... some days its hard to NOT listen to the doubts and worries... you hear yourself saying "it's not good enough" or "you'll never do more than this" or sometimes worse... you feel guilty for allowing yourself to believe the lies and you crawl into a cave, put on a hat, and throw yourself a pity party... and all the time, other people are still cheering you on and giving you compliments on your work...

and after awhile you have to make a choice... how long will you stay in the cave, crying at your pity party? how long will you use excuses of lack of time or energy before you had enough? how long will you say no one cares when you already have an audience? is it selfish to give up?! you make a quick wish of getting that "it's a wonderful life" experience but then wonder if it will be as extreme as jimmy stewart's... so how long will you mope like eyeore and get NOTHING accomplished when the whole reason you are moping is because you felt you haven't accomplished enough?! so in the end, you have to dry your tears, unwrinkle those sketches, grab the tools from the garbage pail [where you threw them in during your bette davis moment] and grasp onto all the wonderful comments and wishes and encouragement people have given you....

after all, we don't create soley for ourselves... it would be selfish to quit when others enjoy our work even if we aren't always pleased with our outcome... and although i've said this before, i am truly grateful for all the support my family and blogging friends have given me... if i didn't have an audience, i wouldn't create... it's like a pastry chef cooking tasty dairy desserts but having no one to eat them [and the chef cannot eat them due to lactose intolerance].... we all need support and encouragement as it is often the fuel for creativity... and it helps us get out of that pity mode.... it helps us WANT to get better instead of giving up... yes, i am truly grateful for you all.... i can only hope that i can give the same encouragement to you all that you have given me... thank you all from the bottom of my heart :)

ps. yes, these are more goodies for the july 18th etsy restocking...

what a week! warning: long post

before i begin my long post, i'd like to tell you all that my mom has joined the blog world... be sure to check her blog out as she will be posting about her thrift store finds and rummage sale finds... she's including tips too!!!! she finds so many treasures, that she continuously amazes me... she has a flickr page as well but i'm glad to see her writing about her trips!

on the other side, i'm STILL slow at blogging... life seems to be full of one thing after another... each one of my family members seem to be dealing with something leaving us all in dire need of a vacation... sadly, the closest we get to a vacation is a walk inside the local museum... and yes, i realized that seeing the stuffed animals and ancient artifacts at the museum was as close as i'd get to experiencing life outside of milwaukee... the closest i will get to texas is eating garlic texas toast... the nearest i will get to a giant body of water, is lake michigan... 

ok, can you see why i haven't blogged? dark satire, emotions that go this way and that, and the thought that i'm one year older in less than a week... of course, i'm only turning 27 so ONE DAY we will get our vacation... hehe... but every day there is a test to my emotions, my will, my actions... for instance, my paypal was hacked into... i'm nervous about using that account again so most likely, i will have to set up a new one for my etsy shop... i'm hoping this whole ordeal won't delay the re-stocking on the 18th... still, i'm left feeling nervous at what else this person has gotten a hold of... my empty bank account? my etsy shop? my blog? they have my address and my phone number...

it frustrates me that someone hacked into my account and tried to buy so much stuff... i don't even spend that much in real life!!! i haven't seen money like that in my hands since i had to PAY my gas and electric bill... if i had a couple thousand dollars, do you think i'd buy video games?! first off, even if i DID buy a video game, i'd have gotten the lego's indiana jones... i'd buy dye for my graying hair! i'd get another haircut! i'd get myself a darn good sandwich at panera bread... i'd pay my bills, for goodness sake! it's a shame that something like this NOT ONLY affects me but it affects the sellers who got jipped out of a deal... i hope the person who did this gets caught and pays a hefty price [literally and figuratively]...

it's not just this though... i have had to go to the doctor several times... isabella caught a contagious rash which left us homebound for a week... it's clearing up but it's hard to NOT get cabin fever in the house... by the time her rash cleared up enough to go out, we were all happy to take a walk to the park... she loves her new 20" baby [keep in mind isabella isn't even 30"] and she loves strolling her all about, regardless of her size... isabella is so funny even with her scabby lil feetsies... she is one serious gal who forever dotes on her brother and is forever handing out teeny kisses... and she is quite protective over her new "beh-beeee"

and diego has had to see the doctor too... he was bitten by some bug not in the mosquito family... and only him... at first i thought it was flea bites caused by squirrels burrowing into the ceiling of his bedroom... we think he was just bit by a mite from outside but still, the kid has all these red marks on him... but nothing makes diego happier, than a new batman mask... diego LOVES his new mask and wears it everywhere.. to the museum, to the grocery store, at target, and of course to bed... the first day it was over 83º in the house but he wore his mask and long sleeved outfit... he told me "mom, my face is all wet!!!" then whenever we are in public, people will say "hey, look its batman!"... diego will tell me "wow, mom they know batman!!!! they know ME!!!" he trips me out, my diego boy!

overall though, things aren't bleak... i'll have more goodies to show you for the etsy shop by the end of the weekend... i have a couple sketches which were a trial to even draw!!! i had one of those moments where i say "i'm never gonna draw again... i'm gonna close my shop... i'm gonna quit blogging... i'm never cleaning this house again... i'm gonna make paper airplanes with all my sheets of paper".... yes, i did warn you all that my emotions have been a bit topsy right?! haha... i can laugh at it now, but trust me, i've shed some tears... i'm glad to have family and blogging friends to keep me inspired, encouraged, and motivated... 

ah, now lets take a deep breath after such a post!

re-stockin' the etsy shop plus 5

well, there is finally a new date set for the re-stocking of my esty shop... july 18th is the date and there will be tons of sneak peeks up until that point... there will be paper goods and some other goodies in the shop so be ready! i hope this one wll have enough goodies for everyone :)... and there will be limited edition prints available too!!!!! yes, indeed i'm trying to mass produce without losing the essence of my greenbean baby art...

and mr. juan manuel [who does amazing paper art illustrations!!] tagged me for a 5 favorites meme...  this meme is about your 5 favorites of something so i chose modern television shows...

1. the office- this show is hilarious!!!!! any bad day can be lightened up with a bit of steve carell
2. x-files- can't NOT love this classic sci-fi show... mulder is really a hoot!
3. lost- hmmm, what else can i say except it's deep and intriguing?!
4. heroes- my new addiction.... i love how it has a x-men feel to it...
5. smallville- although lana STILL gets under my skin, i love how evil lex luthor is getting [his true nature]

and i'll tag miss kiwi, miss nyx, miss heather, miss simone, and mr. ramel...

midnight!!!

in less than 10 hours, all the goodies will be up in the shop and ready for sale... at 12:01 -12:20am central timezone on march 28th, the greenbean etsy shop will be stocked to the brim... please understand that it does take a bit to load all items in the shop...

there will be unique notebooks and a few retro notecards too... hopefully all the prices are reasonable for everyone... and hopefully there is something for YOU!!! if by chance, something has already been sold, and you wanted it, let me know... i will see what i can do but there are no promises...

this is short and sweet, as my mom is watching the kids downstairs... and i am working on art all day to make as much as i can for the shop... coffee is brewing, and while i am extremely tired, there is plenty of excitement left in my system :)...

you can see more goodies here... i won't be blogging anymore today but will upload pix on flickr as time permits... otherwise, check out the etsy shop!! see you in a few hours!!!