Self-Promotion Sunday

Hey everyone, and welcome to Self-Promotion Sunday! Today would have been my second day at CT GamerCon, but due to COVID19, that is obviously not happening. So, right now, I am doing my best to try and keep spirits up while I update my Etsy shop and pray I can bring in some extra income. Allow me to elaborate:

While I am not a full-time artist like many of my fellow artist sellers, I am a teacher. As such, we just finished our first week of distance learning. As this week came to a close, one of my principals shared the reality of this: due to the sudden recession, we may loose students who cannot afford the tuition. Because of that, our school may be in jeopardy next year. If not in jeopardy, then my position may be up on the line to prevent closure of our school. Many people know that usually Music/Art/PE are the first to go when cuts are made. Since then, my boyfriend also became unemployed, and he worked at a local printing company. While he is positive the company will open back up (and I have the same feeling too), it's a situation that sucks because the extra income I make from cons helps with my meager teacher salary (I make about 50% less than a public school teacher being in a private school). I know many artists are going through the same struggle, but I wanted to use this time to just share with you my own personal situation as well as to please encourage you, no matter what, support your local artists and any local businesses you can.

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In the meantime, I have put up some new merch, specifically some face masks based on Akali. Now, I am NOT trying to price gouge with these, nor am I trying to horde. I only found 10 of these in my classroom, leftover from when I did a samurai mask project with my 6th graders. I would honestly rather sell these to normal people so that disposable ones can go to our healthcare workers, WHO REALLY NEED THEM! People, please! Leave disposable ones alone. I guarantee you, you can find fabric ones on Etsy, support smaller businesses, and have a permanent mask of your own! Please!

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Also, I am finally adding some of my newer figurines, and some paper craft pieces that I have been meaning to add. My Eevolutions of Flareon and Sylveon are up, as well as my Nightmare Moon glow papercraft, and I just put up a DJ Pon3 papercraft as well. 

Happy Fluttershy Friday: #138 and My Work

Hello everyone and welcome to another Fluttershy Friday! I think it's time for a break from the crazy! This week, not only will I update my collection with my latest (and probably last for a while) Fluttershy, but I will also show off a few of my pieces that I currently have for sale that involve the kindest of ponies. I also want to remind you to go check out my survey to help me decide some pieces that I need to get made soon for the upcoming TrotCon! It might SEEM like a long way off, but trust me, folks, cons come up FAST! So please, I need as much input as possible to help me decide what sort of merch I should bring! 

Here is my survey: https://forms.gle/pM3G3JbkY6iHeC5i9

Now, first off, my latest Fluttershy. SHE IS HUGE! She came all the way from New Zealand from someone who had her custom made, and I am blanking on the original artist (the artist wasn't the seller.) If you have any ideas on the artist, please drop me a line! I love this latest addition, but I am OFFICIALLY out of room until I get a new place, and in the environment we find ourselves in, I need to conserve resources. To that end, PLEASE SUPPORT SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES! And not just artist, but mom and pop places. My boyfriend works at a printing company and they are in danger of closing due to the current economical environment. So please, make sure you shop SMALL! Support the community you live in and support smaller name places!

Now, some cute Fluttershy artwork! I have my lovely Fluttershy keychain which is up for sale on my Etsy page, so make sure you check it out.

Also, I just finished a cute design of Fluttershy and Discord in my silhouette pose. It feels very much like a yin-yang sort of design with this, especially since you consider the personalities of the two of them.

(Not So) Happy Self-Promotion Sunday! LOTS OF NEWS!!!

Hello Everyone!!! I am honestly not sure I can call this a happy day. Around this time today, I would normally be working on prepping for my first two conventions of the season. However, due to the outbreak surrounding COVID-19, that is not happening. I do want to express my concern with every one my followers and hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy. I am personally trying not to panic, especially finding out that someone in my family came in direct contact with someone who is currently showing symptoms of the virus. I came in contact with that family member not long after their exposure to that first person. This is almost becoming like 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon in a sense. 

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To that end, allow me to update everyone on my convention list (SUBJECT TO CHANGE IF ANYTHING ELSE GETS POSTPONED OR CANCELLED): 

Hudson Valley CC: May 9-10 

ConnetiCon: July 9-12
TrotCon: July 17-19 

TerrifiCon: August 14-16

CT GamerCon: September 12-13

RetroWorld Expo: September 19-20
IncrediCon: October/November (TBD)

 

I will say this, though: please, everyone, keep healthy, keep safe. If you have kids, I understand that you are dealing with disruptions, but do not put aside your child's education. As a teacher, I know how much work we all put into our lessons, especially some of us who only had about 24 hours of notice to try and get something together--I have about that long to get about 10 grade levels worth of art lessons to get together. 

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Anyway, in this time of need, especially since I am being as confined as I am, and not able to sell, please make sure you check out my Etsy store. I am currently running a sale: Use the coupon code CORONA20 on any order over $25, and you will get 20% off your entire order. This coupon is good for one month! Use it while it lasts! And people, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL AND SMALLER BUSINESSES!!! WE ARE SUFFERING JUST AS BAD IF NOT WORSE!

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Also, please make sure that you go and vote for my Yue design for the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" design. Honestly, any support I can get on this would be appreciated! The Moon Spirit Yue

Lastly, amidst the chaos and panic, I have come up with a few designs to continue my silhouette series. I have a feeling these will be done as vinyl decal stickers. I did a Mistmane/Rarity (in honor of both VA of the spirits of Beauty/Generosity being at TrotCon), a Kirin/Nirik design, and FINALLY the FlutterCord design I have been thinking of.

ONWARD for Movie Review Monday!!!!

Good evening fellow readers! Another Monday, another movie! This time, let us travel far, and wide! Let us travel...

"Onward" (Director: Dan Scanlon)

When it comes to Disney/Pixar movies lately, I have been more than skeptical. They seem to be rehashing what made them popular and because they are Disney/Pixar, it feels like they can get away with whatever they want. I mean, did we REALLY need a ‘Toy Story 4’? No. It was the continuation that no one asked for. But no one seemed to be coming up with any original ideas. 

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Then came ‘Onward.’

‘Onward,’ which came out this past weekend, was the latest installment of the Disney/Pixar universe. When watching the initial trailers, it seemed like a simple sibling tale of two elf brothers going somewhere on a trip. That was BEFORE we were introduced to the main issue of the story—getting to see their dad.

Now, we all know Disney seems to have a thing for at LEAST one parent missing when it comes to kids—cue just about every Disney princess movie every made, ‘Finding Nemo’ and even the ‘Toy Story’ franchise, the first three (as in, the ones that mattered.) But it seemed that with ‘Onward,’ Disney wanted to address the question many might ask themselves if they were missing a loved one: if you had one more chance to see your missing loved one, what would you do?

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Following the Lightfoot brothers of Ian and Barley in what becomes a real life role-playing game quest for the two of them, they try to get the top half of their dad back after a spell goes awry and only brings back the lower half. The catch? They have only 24 hours to do so. Ian is the Sensible, down to earth younger brother, so it is a bit of a shock to see that he is the one who has the magic within him to do spells and be a wizard. Barlye is the one that, if you grew up playing games like ‘Magic the Gathering’ or ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ you can completely relate to him. Barley is the one who is considered the town screw up, which is due to his fearless nature and we later find out why: he decides he will not be afraid after failing to be brave the one time he felt he needed to be. Yet, as with any sibling rivalry will show, it’s when the polar opposites come to a compromise that anything can happen.

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The story is a bitter sweet one, with quite a few times that will bring tears to your eye, and quite a few good jokes that anyone can relate to. It finally feels like we have a bit more of an original idea coming from the studio that has been able to bring many joy over the years.

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Happy Self-Promotion Sunday

Hello my fellow readers! Welcome to another Self-Promotion Sunday!! After last weeks news of getting into TrotCon, I have been churning out a bunch of My Little Pony silhouette designs that I though I would share with you. That doesn't mean I am forgoing anything else, I am actually working on a Last Airbender design for a contest (more on that in a bit). I do need your help, my fellow readers: whether you are going to TrotCon or not, I need your vote on what you would like to see this stuff on in terms of merchandise. Make sure you check out the form here: Merch Form 

I will eventually be posting these MLP silhouette designs both to my TeePublic and Redbubble pages, so make sure you check those out! Check out the designs below (I still need to do Mistmane and Rarity together):

I also finished a recent commission, using this silhouette format, of two OCs from two different VAs from MLP. Check out the design below (this one is NOT going to be up for sale, as it's a custom piece):