greenbeanbaby art

projects delayed... a story worth reading

there are wasps in my studio... big, fat, wasps... and in case you didn't know, i am horribly afraid of bugs... i get instant hot flashes if i see one and the place where the bug once was becomes hard for me to enter... so it's troublesome that i am finding wasps in my studio... i haven't been able to work in there since friday night and lemme tell you, my unfinished project is not even completed... and there are swap packages waiting to go out but i haven't the nerve to enter my working space...

it all began on friday night... just as i was about to grab for my x-files dvd, i saw a black/yellow wasp (supposedly male) sitting on my nic nacs... a bloody scream filled the air as i practically tumbled down the stairs to wake up ramel... he killed the thing and i desperately tried to forget the incident as i worked to finish up two packages, one being my vintage swap buddy... it wasn't easy... my hands shook, my body jumped every time i felt something touch my skin... the two boxes still couldn't be completed as my nerves were too shot...

so saturday night, it was all good... i finished the same two boxes and was about to work on the third when i got up to grab something... and there it was... flying around my ceiling light... a big black and blue wasp (female, and they are the stinging ones)... another chilling scream escaped my mouth and again i went downstairs to wake up ramel... i was scared and mad... ramel seemed nonchalant (although, it was 2am so it could have been lack of energy) and he looked all over for the wasp... i manned the door since the bottom has a big gap enough for the wasp to escape and attack with vengeance... apparently, ramel is uneasy with wasps too because he was upset when the cats refused to help him in the studio (they left outta there)... after one hour, ramel still couldn't find the darn thing so i was really mad... how can i work up there if a wasp is loose????? and goodness, i wanted to get the rest of my list done!!! i still have atc cards to complete... and swaps to pack... and illustrations to finish up... i was mad that ramel didn't kill it... i was mad that wasps were entering my studio and terrorizing me...

sunday morning he found it, and killed it... but now we both are worried... is there a wasp nest nearby? and if so, how can we afford an exterminator? we had a buddy help us look around the house to see if maybe one is swarming with these bugs but they only found "possible" spots... in the meantime, they figured the bugs are coming out of my studio closet (there is no door, only sheer curtains) so ramel took out what i needed and taped it up with plastic covering the whole entrance of the closet... now i am supposed to listen to see if wasps are in there... how absolutely horrifying!!!! i am scared to enter my own studio... and when i do, i immediately get hot flashes and horrible images of wasps attacking me and not being able to escape...

today i tried to muster up the courage but the plastic had fallen and well, lets just say my unfinished projects have remained unfinished... and to those who i am sending packages too, i really hope i can send it soon... i am tempted to make the kitchen my new studio space for the entirety of the summer just so i can get work done... but it defeats the purpose of having my own studio... sigh... this is not a happy matter...

online business links...

a short introduction to those (that i know) who have online businesses... these are NOT etsy shops but i will be doing another post with purely etsy shop links soon :)... so if you have a shop, email me or tell me in the comments... i'll be happy to spread the word... i am sorry if i missed anyone, it's not my intention to do so...

•amy of apl creations

•madeline of colorful cute

•eric of digital snowshop

•alexandria of fashion compassion

•judy of five and a half

•mariah of demarco designs it's still in the works, though

•robert of mahar dry goods

•angela of northreads
 
•leslie of paper princess

•chrystal of plumpkin

•teresa of sewing stars

•holly of tear drop

*the above picture is from daddy's birthday cakes by miss frances ©1953

from canada to poland to wisconsin

welcome to canada, the maple leaf state... i never knew much about canada other than what five iron frenzy sang about... until i met my friend, joann... we both have a son the same age and we love to chat on yahoo... anyhow, she's super sweet and sent me this awesome package of goodies!!!! since i am still working on my photography skills, there is only one of the four balls of soft yarn she sent... there is also crochet hooks and some crochet books for me to learn- and start- crocheting... she even packed some quilt fabric and a quilt book so i can make one! how thoughtful is that?! maybe by the end of summer i will master a simple crochet stitch and some sewing projects...

      
she was the first to introduce to me ketchup chips... it sounds gross but goodness gracious, they are addicting!!!! you know how you get those super golden french fries from mcdonald's?! and you dip it in ketchup?! they taste like that! even diego was grubbing on them... and then there's smarties, which are different from the states smarties... the canadian ones (by nestle) are similar to m&m's... chocolate with a candy coating... joann also included aero bars (chocolate bars with tons of holes in it... like when  you do pottery and can't get all the air pockets)... they taste delicious!! the caramilk bars have, of course, caramel in them... ramel must have loved it because he ate a bunch of it... and those coffee crisps! they are soooo yummy with coffee... even folgers tastes gourmet with these babies!!! but i saved the best for last... maple candies.... ohhhhhhh, they melt in your mouth and it's just too good to describe... very rich and sweet; quality candy... this tastes good with coffee too...

joann also made these two hooded towels... one for diego and one for ananda... they are so soft and cozy... thank you so much joann for the lovely surprise! i cannot wait to finish your package and send you some goodies too :)

      
and agnes from poland, also known as polka pink atarri, swapped with me recently... and lemme tell you, this week was fulla wonderful surprises... agnes sent some wonderful books that are fulla cute illustrations... i don't understand the language but no doubt, my 4yr old niece will be able to interpret the story... and in the package there was also a very old, pre-first world war german book!!! its soooo old and precious... she told me that the pages can be used for art, but i think i will save the book along with my other vintage books... on the bottom of the first picture, there are vintage vinyll postcards... square shaped records that you can mail!!! i've never seens something like this before! and they played on my record player and it was just too cool! diego was dancing, ramel was surprised, and i was as giddy as a kid eating candy (well, maybe that is because of all the sugar i've been eating, anyhow)...

agnes also sent some traditional polish wafers... they are almost as big as someone's head!!! and they are extremely delicious... diego and ananda begged for more but i don't want them to eat them all up... and there was a cute bear puzzle with many facial expressions... she also sent some handmade stationary... she included items like this for my mom, even!! it's just too sweet of her...

      
agnes also sent a ton of fabric and ribbons for me too... i amjust too excited since june is the month i will be sewing... at least that is the goal... between fabrics from australia, singapore, poland, and canada, i will be sewing some cute tank tops and skirts... aprons too! i'm a tad nervous on starting and wasting such precious fabric however, ya gotta take a dare (hah! what movie is that from?)... this swapping business is so exciting and addicting...

lastly, agnes sent some beautiful rainbow papers from the 80's... and some stationary and handmade paper too!!! but let's not forget these lobster tails candies... they are hard candy sort of like those after dinner peppermints (with the red lines)... but the inside of these candies have a filling... kind of spicey and peanutty... it's hard to describe but it definitely tastes good! i'm truly grateful for all the sweet items you sent, agnes! thank you very much!

the origin of greenbean baby...

i was tagged by madeline of lavanotes on this topic: how did i get the name greenbean baby for my blog? but the real question is, where do i begin?!

while i was in college i planned to have my own line of greeting cards one day... and since i am short, i work small and i'm an artist, i decided to call my work "teeny tiny art"... eventually, that metamorphosed into in teenie tinies... and that is the name i used for everything... emails, screen names, my business, etc...  it would be a cute name, right?! however, by the time i was ready to get a site rolling (or at least, claim the domain), teenietinies was taken...

not to mention, my work evolved to more than just greeting cards... i began doing baby clothes and some adult clothes... and this began because when i was pregnant, STRANGERS would rub my belly... i made some iron on's that said "keep your fingerprints to yourself"... and then once diego came along, people would just snatch him from my arms... it was very bothersome... it wasn't so much the dirty hands but more of the fact that they were too rude to even ask... thus the reason i began making baby clothes with sayings that said "ask mommy first"... with this evolution, my dream expanded into more of a baby/mom boutique...

so i needed a new name... something that would be hip and cute... and something with a site not taken... yeah, that is a hard one... after many days of pondering and asking others their opinions, i settled with greenbean baby... simple as that... it wasn't until later that i realized my favorite color was green...

a small tale...

i won't tag anyone this time, not by name at least... but if you have a blog, i would LOVE to hear the origin of your name...

retro illustrations & links too

aren't these pages from better homes and gardens magazines ©1955 lovely?! i love the old fashioned illustrations and always wished i could draw this way... but well, i got a different style no matter the influence of nostalgia around me... i am the person that really judges a book by its cover (for the most part)... an illustrator can make or break a book... if the pictures are ugly, how can one enjoy the story? how can it be mentally appealing? and if a story is horrible, but the artwork is amazing, people tend to forgive the author thanks to the artist... does that make sense? i mean, as necessary as illustrators are in this world, i wonder why it's so  hard for me to find work... looking in the wrong direction, perhaps or maybe not pressing myself enough...  it's been four years since i graduated and there are many more years to pursue a freelance career in this area, right?

when i graduated, there was a buddy of mine who worked in a very quirky style much like the above page (also from better homes and gardens 1955)... his name is mitch mortimer (even his name sounds cartoony)...he didn't watch many old cartoons but his style had such a retro feel to it and his work always amazed and inspired me... we used to say his stuff looked like  nickelodeon's cartoons but he didn't even watch the network!!! but i'm blabbering...

but he's not the only good illustrator around... here are some links to fantastic illustrators!!!!! check them all out;  you won't be disappointed....

i tried to put their medium down to the best of my ability... sorry if i am wrong, illustrators!

• amy of life in the lyon's den... mixed media

•anette of wylen... watercolor/ink

•artipantz of artipantz... watercolors

•carolyn of mizutamago... digital

• christine of mumspotting... pencil, and watercolor (i think)

•courtney of 5 elephant studios... inks/watercolors

• dee of taking flight... acrylics (?)

•donna of donna doodles... digital, mixed media(?)

• holly of holly hatam... watercolor/ink

• judy of jubilee's artbox... acrylics and/or watercolor (so sorry, judy)

•leezy of leezy bloggs... acrylics and oils

• leslie of rubber sol... digital

• mariah of drawing trees... digital

• rania of gosh darn knit... watercolors

• rightbrainers... a blog of two artists...

•rozzie of rozzieland... mixed media

•theresa of rock paper scissors.. mixed media

•teresa of sewing stars... digital

•tricia of frizzlestix... mixed media

those peaceful moments

if you ever met diego, then you know moments such as the ones captured in these pictures are above rare... diego is a very active and loud toddler... running from one corner of the house to the next... over and over until he is panting and out of breath... if company is over, he is suddenly a vaudevillian, falling all over the floor and being downright goofy... and if any music is on, he has to dance... but most times  he is jumping... running... jumping... running... at least he is happy and healthy and extremely active, right?!

but diego is the kid the whole block now hears... if windows are open, diego is screaming, yes screaming, "yello" to anyone jumping in or out of their car... or perhaps he is shouting out "e i e i ohhh"... my kid is loud although his mom was never known to be a quiet child, either... according to ramel, i still tend to talk louder than the average human being... diego is a kid of many words but very few are comprehensible... recently, i've been able to decipher a few and now, i am one of those moms who is the only person who can translate their child's language... i feel proud to know that my kid is saying "mean face, happy face" although it sounds more like, "me dace, datty dace"...

so my point?! moments when he is asleep, this house is quiet... at a standstill peace... even the cats are quietly sleeping... no blues clues is singing in the background... so squirrel is hissing outside the window... everything is peaceful! and after 10pm, when i begin my artwork, the dishwasher is going, the house is picked up and everything is in order... with order, i can work on art... and i can only work on art if diego is asleep... and gosh, i love my diego and his happy active self, but i cherish those naps and bedtimes...

shipping is this week...

all the lovely people who are participating in the vintage love sweetpea swap, get your vintage goodies packed! we can finally ship out and share our goodies to our swap buddy! thank you all for joining and we all look forward to getting our packages fulla vintage love! i will send out a reminder email by wednesday just in case some of you miss this... if anyone has questions or concerns, please email me...

 we have a flickr group just for these swaps! here we will be able to share photos and discuss what-have-you's... we can also meet everyone who participated and of course, check out all us vintage and paper lovers' sites! so, here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sweetpeaswap

collage artist links...

meet polly becker, a collage/mixed media artist... the first artist i discovered who did work using glue and scissors, not just paint... since then i've loved the world of collage, although, i myself, am not good at it (at least, not in this style...) i love seeing illustrators who work beyond just the standard mediums... so

as said before, i have many blogs linked and/or bookmarked on my computer and would love to share these wonderful sites with you all... now i know some of these blogs can fall under several categories (according to ellia's decimal system)... but eventually, i will have links of illustrators, photographers, business owners, other crafters, collectors, etc, etc... who knows, there may even be a misc. category where you will just have to look and see what they do.... i've met so many talented bloggers that i must tell you about them!!!

anyhow, here are some admirable mixed media/collage artists in alphabetical order... (there will be more links next time)

•carolyn of laughing duck

•cat of phantom crimes

•corey of corey moortgat

•jennifer of scissors paper glue

•marieke of treats and treasures

•michelle of michelle caplan and creative swoon

•risa of muerto de risa

•sofia of la fee coriandre

note: photo is from polly becker's site...

some links to share...

the more i blog, the more people (and inspiring sites) i find...  my side list of links doesn't even include all these wonderful links... however, there are so many bookmarks on my internet that they are categorized and written down just in case diego deletes them... (yes, i tend to organize everything)… so i'd love to dedicate some posts to sharing some of these... it will be done in random categories with a brief description...

these are crafty/artsy bloggers who are expecting or just had a fresh sweet baby... (that i know of)

•alexandria of she is crafty: crochets, crafts, and has fashion compassion...

•joyce of slateblu: crafts, knits & crochets, and sews too

•madeline of lavanotes: crafts,  knits, and will be opening a store soon

•moira of apartment #3: crafts and makes beautiful books & photo albums

*note: age is from my better homes and gardens baby book ©1951

it's very belated

remember i said that i make an illustration for my niece every year for her birthday? i posted it here... well, her birthday is in march, and she has yet to get her 4th piece from her aunt... but part of my unfinished project goal, is to complete her birthday gift... framed and all...

so yesterday i completed the figure all together... she was pretty simple and fun to do... i need to do more ethnic characters too so i thought it'd be a wonderful goal to add to my lonnnnnng goal list... haha... (next year i will try an asian girl)... anyhow, the theme of this illustration is "first day of school" since nana will be attending k4 in september... and my sister is very excited... nana is too...

the background will hopefully be outside... maybe a cheese in the background (cheese= yellow bus)... but  don't know how skillful i am in that area yet... but keep a lookout! this piece will be done soon!

p.s.. her backpack is reminiscent of my very first backpack for kindergarten... mine was pink and purple with a big huge flower that kinda stuck out by the petals