I guess we're doing another mega update...
2022 nov 11 11:11
I have been meaning to write an update since the 2nd, but life always happens, doesn't it?
I'm gonna try to sum up the last 2 months as best I can and hopefully it won't be chaotic as fuck. So here goes nothing...
I think we left off last with my printer sale and hoping to get the new beast soon. I think a couple of days after the last update, I managed to order my new baby: the Ecotank Pro 16600! It's definitely a workhorse and it couldn't have showed up at a better time! I was in the middle of working out how to make coil-bound books and got a punch/binder to move forward with making dateless planners. I had a few of the pages laid out already and was super excited to get that finished up and had also planned on making a coil-bound notebook, both in Notebook Critters style!
There was definitely a bit of a learning curve with the coil-bound stuff I only realized that there are two different sizes/hole-spacing/wire-thickness for thinner books compared to thicker books. I had bought the machine for thinner books when what I was needing was the one for thicker books. So that threw a bit of a wrench in my plans but I eventually found a way to make it work. They're def a bit on the pricier end due to the sheer amount of pages it is, plus labour, but hopefully people think they're worth it!
My brand new printer! Meet ChonkiBoi!
the notebook critters dateless planners
I also managed to make a mini Notebook Critters pocket notebook as well as post-it design! I had been meaning to make more post-its but I just never found the time to sit down and work on one. I figured a Notebook Critters was a good one to do considering the entire collection I had already built (two sticker sheets, a sticker set, postcards, two notepads, a list notepad, a planner, a couple of notebooks, a calendar, etc) so there you go!
Notebook Critters notebook, post-its, list notepad and pocket notebook
I also got back into making greeting cards. I had done a set of hostile greeting cards back in 2014 and wanted to revisit that idea so I came up with a set with cute critters in my current drawing style. They did okay at markets, not a huge hit or anything, but anyone who loved them REALLY loved them. So that made me feel great. I was always iffy about the whole greeting card things cuz they're never really "best sellers" but I like knowing that I can make them unconventional for anyone looking for something other than your typical Hallmark saccharine shit.
Revamped Hostile Greeting Cards and some other ones
The theme for September's subs as you all know was the "Oink Oink" Lil Pigs theme with Lil Fay showing her clear disdain for law enforcement. It was an idea I had rolling around in my head a bit and seemed like a good time get out considering Montreal's Punk Rock Flea market was around the corner and I figured that and the Animal Uprising stuff would be a hit.
"Oink Oink" Lil Pigs
October's theme was obviously Halloween. I struggle with it a bit, wondering if I should bother with Halloween stuff this year, but I really wanted to make another Tombstone notepad, so I kinda just went with. I also had fun making the other Halloween designs this year, so I'm glad I made a Halloween set this year!
This year's Halloween set
Honestly, working on stuff for subs the last couple of months has been a struggle. I guess it still kinda is. Between driving back and forth between countries, prepping for markets and being able to work for a chunks of time I'm back in Montreal, it's been rough. Being burnt out from all that usually means that even if i have inspiration, I don't have the energy to execute the work. Or if I don't have the inspiration, I don't really have the energy to come up with anything. I think I've had equal amounts of both. That, or just not enough time to get everything done.
I have also been working on more "traditional" work. On December 10th, I'll be participating in the first edition of Creatives Con in NYC. A lot of the people I know participating are street/graffiti artists I know from back in the day when I would draw on USPS 228 Priority Mail labels in between tasks at work when I was back at the labs on night shift. I met a lot of cool artists back then, some of whom I still speak to. I figured I'd dust off the old paint markers and mailing labels and make some stuff geared towards that crowd, with ended up being the theme for November and I guess a part of December as well. It's been a fun trip down memory lane and I may find myself doodling on labels a bit more in the future as just a fun way to be creative when I'm having artist block.
Priority Trash Critters
Markets have been really fun but they are time/energy consuming. I do have to say that the last few have finally been financially worth it and was kinda sad that, aside from holiday markets, market season was winding down. I was def looking forward to signing up to a couple of holiday markets just to make a bit of last-minute money before the end of the year. But of course, when things start to get good, that's usually when shit hits the fan.
On my last drive back to the US after a very tiring week of markets, I get pulling into secondary inspection at the border. For those of you not familiar with this, usually you just pull up to a booth when driving across the border. You hand over your passport and answer questions and usually you're on your way after that. If anything seems off or require more questioning/inspection, you usually have to pull over to a secondary spot to either have your car searched, to go into the border security office for further questioning, or both.
They didn't search my car this time but I did have to go inside to answer a bunch questions about my job and where I live since 1. I am self-employed and don't have an outside boss or company to answer to, nor do I have to physically go into a place for work on a regular basis and 2. I am married to an American and I guess visiting him on a regular basis (since I can work from anywhere) is highly suspect. They also claim I'm nearing my 6 months that I am allowed to visit the US, which is complete bullshit since I KNOW that it's 6 months CONSECUTIVELY and not 6 months total out of the year. Again, for those of you who don't know: If you're Canadian, you don't necessarily need a visa to visit the US, just a valid passport. You're allowed to stay in the US for up to 6 months without issue. And the some goes the other way if you're American. Since I have gone back to Canada 5 times in the last year, that 6 months has been reset that many times. Now, I get that it starts to be a problem for other reasons (as I recently found out when it comes to my medical coverage under the Quebec government, the last time I actually used my medicare card in the last year was to get a box of free covid tests). But yeah.
We did managed to see an Immigration lawyer a couple of days after I got back to the US and he suggested that I actually just stay in the US for now and apply for my green card so I won't run into any problems in the future. So that's what we opted to do. Which means I guess I'm stuck here until that whole process is done. Which could take anywhere from half a year to over a year. So I guess I get to low-key stress about that in the background while doing all this other stuff.
I guess it seems that if I'm not overwhelmed about one thing, it'll be something else. I guess I'm just trying to make it past the December sub stuff and I may just lay low for a bit. Since I have 6 designs of postcards/stickers from Nov, I will be splitting that up with Dec and I've also made 3 holiday cards that will replace the letter set I usually make, and then I'll eventually have to come up with a notepad. But yeah. I still think I need a few more days to kinda just... chill for a bit and clear my head.
Anyway. I hope everyone's been doing okay. I can't believe there are less than 2 months of the year left :| I am not ready for another year, tbh, but I'll keep on going as much as I can. Until next time!
I know it's early, but... the revamped Yule Critters: Krampus, Julbock and Jolakotturinn!