greenbeanbaby art

heart to heart

if we could see beyond the blog posts, and into the blogger's life, we'd see much more than those written words... perhaps the blogger has had a rough week, full of tears and frustrations, full of doubts that are sprinkled with discouragement... and who could really blog on such intimate details? it makes you realize that while we all have hard days, we never know how much one of us may REALLY need an encouraging word... and yet, sometimes without having to share such details, there are those who still encourage and uplift, not knowing how those few words can make a blogger feel less frustrated or less doubtful....

yes, we all can relate... we all have moments too tiresome to post about... or sometimes we know that tomorrow will be better so why dwell on today? perhaps we feel that if we share the details, it will make us look insane, or unable to maintain our emotions in a mature manner... who wants to admit when the bills have them too concerned to create artwork that is not paying those bills? or admit that their spouse has managed to boil their blood leaving them feeling like the incredible hulk but only not so strong, merely angry and at a loss of intelligence? who will ever post on how lonely they feel when they choose to pursue the truth? who will ever express their doubts on their success or lack, thereof?

sometimes, it's better we don't post the many perils of a blogger's life... we each have our rough weeks and we each need those light-hearted posts that fill us with inspiration and hope again...  we rely on each other's good week to make our own week a lil more manageable.... we are there for each other without ever really knowing the details... and that is okay... i love it that when there is no one around to listen to me, someone online has left a sweet comment... or when i feel most lonely, someone wants to "friend me"... does that sound silly? on the day where i feel most frustrated, someone sends me paper, caffeine, and chocolates... and they make something beautiful and precious for my kids... the day where i feel my artwork is becoming merely a hobby, i'm bombarded with compliments...

we shouldn't RELY on compliments, but its wonderful when they come when we need them!! and this post is a thank you to those who make a gal feel swell, even when you didn't know... and of course, i thank those close in my life, who never doubt or question who i am :)

ps. these cut paper embellishments will be available on friday 7pm, central standard time...

*EDITED* a very Fairytale event

you are officially invited to greenbeanbaby's first online Fairytale event. There will be many wonderful goodies stocked in her shop, including embellishments and illustrations. You are welcome to come in, shop, and/or browse through these unique products. Now is the chance to own some handcut paper creations to frame or use in your own personal projects!!!

note: A portion of the sales will go towards the fees that are entailed in applying for a Master's degree

[here are the details]

host: yours truly

starting: Friday, September 4, 2009 at 7:00pm central u.s. time

ending: Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 7:00pm

where: in my etsy shop at http://greenbeanbaby.etsy.com

price: $1.75 to $65.00

if you have any questions, feel free to email me... look forward to seeing you all there!!

what's on your plate, greenbean?

wow, my blog has been neglected just a tad... we all know that it isn't because i'm taking a vacation, sipping on ice cold coffee drinks and lounging at the beach with my two kids and husband... while that seems ideal, the closest we get to this picture is the coffee part... sipping on coffee... HAHA...

main course- family:  over the weekend, we had diego's birthday party... i think we celebrated diego's birthday for a month... presents the week before, staying up late and playing games, toys, more toys, more games, sleepover at the cousin's [despite him falling ill yet again], then the party... this kid is not lacking in the love, affection, and toy department! his birthday party was simple, relaxed, peaceful, AND fun... yes, it's possible to have a peaceful 5yr old birthday party that includes fun, candy, and melting ice cream cake.... him and isabella seem to be growing so fast; their personalities sprouting like a well watered plant... with all the work that it takes to raise a family, i'm grateful that so many people agree that my kids are well behaved and loving :)

pasta side- freelance: within the past week or so, i've been working on the rest of my imagezoo illustrations and revising the rubber stamp illustrations... i've only a few more illustrations to complete for the holiday set, which i'm excited about... the rubber stamps seem to be coming along, with revisions being made so that they will be sellable... i've also been putting my portfolio online on several spots including behance, jacketflap, and coroflot... my theory is that the more my artwork is shown online, the less people will steal it since the more people will see that it is greenbeanbaby art... [whoa, that was a mouthful!]

vegetable side- master's degree: yes, i've been looking into getting my master's degree in creative writing recently... i've only a couple of months to get my graduate application in, along with my english requirements in... recommendation letters, 30 pages of fiction, a TEST, analytical writing, and my personal statement...  there is a chance that i could get a full ride since i'm a "qualified student who is a member of a group underrepresented in graduate study"... i'm a first generation college graduate and i'm puerto rican so that qualifies... the thing is, i'm nervous of getting accepted... i've kept up with my blog but other than that, my writing has been sparse and perhaps not enough to get into the master's program?! however, i'm confident enough to try!!!!

dessert dish- etsy love: i don't have a date but i will be having an event in my etsy shop... it will include discounted original illustrations [although to forewarn, they will be higher than my usual prices but lower than i plan on selling them in the future...]... there will also be some NEW items that i cannot tell you about right now... why?! because surprises are fun and because i want to make sure i have the time to do it before i say it out loud... i will say it will allow people to USE my art :)

beverage- more freelance: lastly, i'm still considering sending my stuff out to publishers... i am getting my portfolio underway and trying to figure out how to describe in my resume what i've been doing for the past several years... i have ideas for MY OWN children's book since the one i talked so much about fell flat... another story, another time... however, it's not to say those illustrations won't be discarded but rather revamped to suit the greenbeanbaby world :)... since i'm rusty on writing, i also hope that going for my master's would mean more opportunities in the children's book writing and illustrating world... i don't know how many publishing jobs i can take during the year 2010, while i [hopefully] get my master's degree but i'd like to still send out my work beforehand!

well, that is all folks! quite the read, eh?! i just want to thank everyone who's been supporting my blog over the years, as well as all the encouragement, feedback, and support you all give on here, flickr, facebook, and twitter!

a VERY wonderful sale

right now, all prints are on SALE in my shop... yes, they are older prints from ©2008 but they are only  $6.00 each... and if you buy two, you get ONE FREE!!

all proceeds go towards a mother and her baby... she's not in dire need but i'd like to send her a big box of goodies... would you like to help by purchasing some greenbeanbaby goods?!

have a wonderful weekend!

after thoughts...

thank you all for supporting me through yet another situation of being ripped off...  the situation was resolved and the image was taken down [after over 3,350 downloads]... there is nothing else that i can do... it's been a roller coaster of emotions and trying to make the best decision i can for myself, my art, and my career... i don't think some people understand the feelings an artist has when this happens and might consider me as over reacting... but hey, no one likes to be robbed- it is a violation...

as for the watermarking, i have been doing this for quite some time... most of my images have a copyright symbol of some sort... some of my older pieces might be missing it and there is so much on my plate now that i cannot re-edit my images... BUT i have been adding text to my latest works and most of my art is riddled with copyright symbols... regardless, if people really want an image, they will find a way to get it... so again, despite that fact, i'm trying to make the best decisions without losing my network of friends and supporters...

my theory is that the more i put my artwork out there, the more chances to get seen by clients willing to pay... and the more sites that carry my work, the more people will know that it is, indeed, my work... is that a good theory to have? i hope so... i've uploaded my illustrations on a few portfolio sites which has been work but fun... i've dived into getting the greenbeanbaby/ellia hill name out there... will anyone grow tired of this cut paper illustrator?! hehe, hopefully not!

thank you all for the personal emails, the comments, suggestions, and links... my goal now is to remain focused on my portfolio, my freelance, and start writing again... yes, once upon a time i was a creative nonfiction writer... perhaps a few of my quirky motherhood moments along as well as life with super diego and miss isabella can become a children's book masterpiece :P

here are pictures of the kids in case you are interested.. diego's post might be postponed longer than expected but you can always enjoy the flickr page! have a wonderful week everyone!!

ripped off yet again

how many times does it take to get ripped off?

i've had my panties illustration stolen... i have had people take my art and SLIGHTLY revamp it to call it their own, with no mention of who the originator is... i have had someone from the u.k. steal my art and make it into digital stamps to sell it [and she had MANY customers]...

and now, i have people taking my art, calling it theirs, and using it to GIVE AWAY AS SCRAPBOOKING ART!!! oh yeah, i'm not even giving this person a chance to justify or apologize because i'm THAT MAD!!!!! so at this point, what happens? do i continue to show my art online, just as i am about to put MORE art in online portfolio sites????? should i shut down my blog? should i stay skip it to facebook and flickr?

i dunno, i'm just mad... some folks may not think i have a right to be upset... but i'm tired of everyone taking my stuff and getting the credit except for me... ugh!!

[diego post still to come once i'm not steamin' frustrated]

artwork in the making

things have been busy here... when you are a creative person, sometimes the overwhelming flow of ideas will keep your plate full and your to-do list being refreshed [and rarely completed]... to start, i've been working on the rest of the imagezoo illustrations along with some goodness for a friend... i wanted to get this particular gift done awhile ago but now i have more embellishments and new paper...  i'm really not the greatest when it comes to scrapbook layout... and this project is quite small so i cannot do full sperad illustrations for it either... not to mention, this paperbag book is meant for my friend to fill out with monthly notes and goodness and sketches... so that means i must make room and simplify the layout, right? this is only my second paperbag project so i hope it's suitable...

i've also been working on rubber stamp designs... this is a new venture of an old dream so i'm excited and nervous at the same time... will my designs be user friendly? are they too bulky? are they fresh enough? will they sell? the image above is a wip sample of what i'll be doing... yes, most of the designs are revised versions of my cut paper art... and there are revisions being made in the process of each design so i hope these pan out!!!

in addition, i've begun to intensify my freelance venture as well... i started by divvying up my studio... it hasn't been changed much but it's refreshed and paper pads are organized... if you look at my middle shelf, you will see two big stacks of paper... the upper one is k&co paper... the bottom stack is dcwv... these are my latest pads that haven't been rearranged into my tower of paper ... organization is crucial for a neat freak... and my studio [and entire house] must be clean in order for any art to be completed...

today, i went to the bookstore and jotted down reference and addresses... i've ordered a couple books and signed up on a few sites to get my portfolio up and sent out... i still need to design a good postcard and biz card as well as get my website up and running... [gosh darn that website!] still so much to do but i aim to get much accomplished each night that i can... so once i finish the rubber stamps, imagezoo illustrations, and gifts, my freelance to-do list will be my main focus...

lastly, ramel is on vacation because diego's birthday is tomorrow... we have pledged no internet [except for xbox live] for the evening of monday and all of tuesday... see you all on wednesday with a special diego post :)