#i want to print out one design for my friend's gift

[lorrainestea]

You think I am stubborn?

Wait until you meet my printer.

Because she is the real oversensitive drama queen.

[nopefer-art-tu]

The Sky Above, by @mediumorange

I am SO excited to finally share this project with everyone!! Way back in the fall of 2023 I embarked on my first foray into bookbinding, and I thought, what better work to start this hobby off on than with one of the greatest works the Brokeback Mountain fansphere has to offer, written by my dear friend Emily?

And so began my year-long journey with this work, haha.

The book is a square back bradel style binding, covered in turquoise bookcloth. I used a kettle stitch to sew the textblock, and then Lineco-brand PVA glue as the adhesive for everything that needed to be adhered.

While I'm proud of the entire book, I have to admit the thing that I'm most proud of is the cover design.

To make a long story short, I wanted to find a way to make fully illustrated covers on bookcloth, and most of the popular methods of cover design that I had seen were all very limiting for me as an artist to do the things I wanted to do. Thus much of the time I spent making this book went into deep-diving into the world of textile design and ink transfer methods.

In my research, I discovered these types of toner sheets called Direct-to-Film (DTF, lol) transfers. Basically, you can print any design you want at most any size using the full range of the CYMK color spectrum + black + white, then you use a heat press to transfer the design onto your fabric et voila: your design is embedded into the textile.

Because neither the Renegade Bindery discord nor the bookbinder reddit groups really knew what I was talking about when I asked if anyone had ever tried this method out, I put my little rodent ears on and became the guineapig lol.

The first practice attempts I made at this came out tentatively successful, and when I tried it again for the real cover, it came out perfect. I'm still floored by the results tbh. This is such a game changer and I hope more binders can utilize direct-to-film transfers in the future!

Anyways, I really hope you love your belated birthday gift as much as I loved making it, Emily 🥰 Thank you for sharing your talents with such a small fandom sphere, and I can't wait to bind more of your works in the future!!

Editing by me

Typesetting by me

Binding by me

Art by me

[helslastangel]

Random Astro Observations #6

@helslastangel

Disclaimer: These are based on personal observations and experiences and may not resonate for everyone with these placements. If it doesn’t apply, let it fly 🪽

🔥 Leo sun men as fathers often make excellent financial providers but poor emotional support for their children

💧Scorpio moon women are often overprotective of their sons and very harsh or demanding of their children's love interests

🌬 Aquarius mars placements don't get mad, they get even. the definition of neither forgive nor forget

🌿 Capricorn moons pay attention to what you like and will send you relevant memes or funny videos if they like you. They love making others laugh and sharing humor is a love language to them

🔥 Sagittarius sun women with Aries placements can be self-centered in their day-to-day actions without realizing it and sometimes end up with strained friendships and issues with their siblings

💧Cancer venus men can be some of the most caring and kind if they like you, but they are also vengeful and will ruin your day on purpose if they feel like it will make their point

🌬 Libra suns are typically cheerful unless they have Virgo or Capricorn moon - those can be quite serious or melancholy. if they have Sagittarius moon they may have more anger management issues and are more confrontational in general.

🌿 Taurus sun men prefer to be chased than do the chasing. if a Taurus man is chasing you, he seriously likes you something different because they're not getting off the couch for just anybody

🔥 Aries moon and Sagittarius mercury can make anyone 2x more fiery than they would be based on their sun sign, or give an otherwise chilled-out chart a massive energy boost. I had a Scorpio sun, Aries moon, Sag mercury, Libra venus, Scorpio mars friend and she was the sweetest but most aggressive Scorpio I ever met. Nobody believed she was a Scorpio tbh her Aries + Sag energies overwhelmed the rest of her placements. I knew someone else with Scorpio sun, moon, venus, mars, and Libra mercury and they were like a huge teddy bear and kind of a pushover most of the time.

💧Scorpio risings deal with a lot of unexplained hatred from acquaintances and random strangers. Most people react to them with either love/obsession or intense anger. It can cause them a lot of anxiety and people like to pick physical fights with them.

🌬 Gemini women are extremely loyal friends besides the tendency to talk a little bit too much to one person about someone else's business. The thing is, Geminis value community and communal traits a lot. I think they subconsciously forget that their friends aren't automatically your friends too, so they do need to ask before sharing things you only wanted them to know.

🌿 Virgo suns/moon LOVE to dance, or if they can't/won't, they might either enjoy watching other people do so, or just enjoy some form of physical movement that requires some coordination and focus in some way (martial arts, boxing, yoga, Tai chi, etc). But yeah if they become comfortable around you, just like with Capricorns, you'll discover a whole other side to them

🔥 Leo venuses are known for liking gifts but tbh it's not just any gift - they want things that are high quality at the very least. Even better if it's something they can show off to others. My ex has this placement and I remember for Valentine's Day, I got him a bunch of things ranging in price, some for glamour and others because I just noticed he could use them. Yeah well, he loved the $250 gold earrings and immediately put them in and went to show his friends, and he loved the black woven bracelets because they "looked exclusive" but I found the tracksuit, graphic tees and the card with the lipstick print I got him shoved in the back of his closet. Asked about it and after lying about putting them there "just for a second to sweep the floor" he eventually admitted that because they weren't designer he really didn't want them. Lesson learned 0_0

My dad also has Leo venus and although he doesn't particularly care about things being designer or not like that, he WILL pick at the quality of anything you get him and only be happy if he can do the boomer thing where they say how "solid" something feels and how it will "last." If it's something like a book, it has to be a super popular bestselling "everyone is talking about this" title or else... yeah your gift is ending up in a sock drawer :/ lol

💧 Water moons experience a lot of guilt whenever they set boundaries with others and it's something they have to overcome as early as possible or they will suffer from a lot of headaches or stomachaches from anxiety

🌬 Aquarius sun men can be extremely toxic when it comes to wanting and chasing someone only after that person loses interest or displays nonchalance towards them. It is almost like they like a challenge to the point of manufacturing it over investing the same energy into a personal connection. The thing is, this is fun for a while but if they do it too often to too many people within a closed environment (school, activity group, work, etc), word gets around and they can often suddenly find themselves losing friends and romantic prospects. They can become lonely at that point and try to double back with their top interests, but won't admit they f*cked up. They just show up either acting as if nothing happened or being kinda arrogant about the whole thing and insisting that you're the one playing games with them.

🌿 Earth signs in the big 3 can make someone develop very peculiar ways of organizing. It can be physical objects, locations, or even just their thoughts, but they will have a whole elaborate process that can be kinda cute to watch unfold.

🔥 Fire signs in the big 3 can make someone highly expressive and have huge energy, even if they're a shy or quiet person. You'll know they've arrived at a function long before you see them and can find them in a room by just following the vibes ✨️

💧Pisces placements, especially suns, are extremely perceptive and people do not give them nearly enough credit for this. They're noticing everything and taking notes for future reference - looking like they're in the own world is just how they seem on the outside. Just because they didn't say anything doesn't mean they didn't clock your tea.

𓆩♡𓆪

↤ go back to the masterlist

[lavaramen]

【Thoughts in the Dark】 A 14page Good Omens fancomic/fanzine!

Designed to be easily printed (double side A4) as a small book, so that anyone can own a physical copy :) like so:

You can make one yourself with Printable formats here!!! for freeee!

Gosh the making of this took so long, plz reblog I need the support!

This zine is a "love letter" to Good Omens, to which I am a long time fan; And to the friends I made and lost in the fandom through these years. Good Omens is a wonderful story, full of love and hope to the world,  one that made the universe a better place. It sparked a passion and love in me, and spoke an encouragement for all to give-pour-throw love to people and into the world.

It is one of the great stories and things in the world that inspired me to create my own works.

Physical copies were originally given out at a local convention as free gifts, but I really wanted to share this so ANYONE ANYWHERE can hold a copy in their hand, as a hug from me^^

Stuffed a lot of multi-media Good Omens reference in it! See if you can spot the nods to Radio Omens and the various book covers!<3 Hope you had a good read! Best wishes and hopes for GO Season 3!

printing sheet and instructions can be found HERE, or under cut:

if you do print it pleaseee show me!

[elenthyaolyenths]

This one was a gift for my dear friend @kotias!

She came one day and asked me if she could use the design of my dress (here) for one of her Human!AU fanfictions she is still writing. I was so happy to agree! Then, with all the precious details she gave me about her Crowley (He/Him), I decided to make a brand new illustration of her character in this famous dress, just for her!

It took me a very long time, because I really wanted to be able to colour this WIP. Plus, that was the first time ever I tried to draw such a gothic-inspired make-up.

Thank you for this wonderful occasion, Madame! ❤️‍🔥

↓HD images under the cut!↓

My other Good Omens illustrations: [Previous] [Next Day] [First Day]

Prints available here! - ❤️‍🔥Support me on Ko-Fi❤️‍🔥

Masterpost (Art Gallery, news)

Tag list (tell me if you want to be in or out <3):

@goodomensafterdark

@goodomensafterdark @floscrap-blog @demonsandpieohmy @amagnificentobsession @captainblou

@ineffable-hyperfixation @quoththemaiden @paperclipninja @silverdphantom @neverlet

@fearandhatred @eybefioro @crowleys-bentley-and-plants @ashfae @malohkeh-main

@mad-aims @daisydimple20092

[hxrnyforsturns]

guess C.S

based off of guess by billie ellish and charli xcx

SMUTT. p in v, oral sex,nudity. swearing. tattoos. making out. pet names.

y/n X chris sturniolo

you: pink

chris: orange

friend: purple

a/n i haven't seen enough fics about this song so im adding to it ;) it like 2 am i wrote all of this in one night. i'm not proof reading it so there is probably a lot of errors but idgaf.

i was out with my best friends shopping after we got tattoos together. we got matching lower back tattoos. the design was a heart with a pretty design on the sides of the hearts, kind of looking like wings. all i could think about was chris's reaction to it. an up beat song is blasting through the speakers as we walk into a victoria's secret in search of nice lingerie.

"i know i got chris a lot of gifts for his birthday but i see him today for the first time since he left for his birthday. so i was thinking ill get a special set in his favorite color and surprise him. what do you guys think?"

"girl your gonna get an orange set? that's gonna be hideous "

"not in his eyes"

"whatever do what you want, i'll be getting an actual nice color!"

i roll my eyes at her comment. he was very special to me so the least i could do is get a set in his favorite color, even if it will not look good. i rummage around the colors, i found a vibrant orange mesh thong with a matching mesh bra. it was bedazzled on the straps of both pieces, it also had a slight leopard print on them. they were both exactly my size, it was a sign, i had to get it. i ran to the checkout

"wow that's a color!"

"he's gonna love it! i'm so excited!!"

i arrived home with my shopping bag. chris wasn't home from the airport yet so it gave me time to try on and wear my new purchase. i slipped on both pieces and they were gorgeous, i was afraid that it wouldn't look to good on me but it was phenomenal. my new favorite set. i put shorts and a big t shirt over it so i could surprise him once he got home.

an hour or two passed. i was watching tv and i heard the keys jangling. i shot up and ran to the door and there he was. my beautiful boy was there. his eyes looked bluer since he left.

"CHRIS!!"

"hey my love! ugh i missed you so much!" he pulled me in fora hug as he dropped all of his bags on the floor of the kitchen

"come on! i have been waiting all week to give you your gift!"

chris opened all of his wrapped gifts. he finished opening all of his gifts except for the one I had bought that was on my body.

"for this next gift, we have to play a little game"

"ooh fun!" he smirked

"guess."

"guess what?"

"just guess a color."

"hmm blue?"

"wrong"

"red?"

"wrong."

"what exactly is the item that i'm guessing the color of?"

"you'll see once you get the color right. i'll give you a hint it's your favorite." i smirked at him while laying him down on the bed

"orange?!"

"correct! now you get to see!"

his eyes widen as i take my shirt off and as my panties make an appearance.

"for me? tonight."

"all for you baby, always and forever."

"that's all i want. wow i like your new tattoo! it's so beautiful. like you!"

we smash our lips together as i fall on top of him. grasping on his hair as muffled moans leave our mouths still pressed together. we grow sloppier and sloppier. i pull away just to kiss down his neck to his collar bone. i make it down to his stomach and i tug at his boxers letting him know i want them off.

"please?"

he immediately rips them off. his cock sprung out to his stomach. i grasp it and start to kiss the tip of his dick.

"god i've missed you so much."

i take his length in my mouth the farthest it could go in my mouth. my eyes start to water. he's nonstop groaning as he stares at me.

"fuck- i wish you could wear that everyday it's really turning me on." he expresses in between pants.

"fuck baby. m'gonna- cu-" he shot his load in my mouth and around my face

"shit baby i'm so sorry. i didn't mean to!"

"no need to apologize baby." i took my finger and dragged it around my face gathering his cum on my finger.

"want a taste?" i shoved my finger in his mouth.

"god baby never take that outfit off. "

he fidgets with the black bow on the waistband. i'm laying on the bed and chris plays with my panties. he pulls them to the side and my head shot up. he buried his face in my pussy. he licks everything like it's his last meal. he stuck his tongue as well as his fingers. i grasp the sheets so tight i feel they will rip any second. i moan loud as ever he detaches his lips and finger for a moment. he grabs my panties off my body exposing my throbbing pussy. he kept the panties in his mouth for a moment as he tore his shirt off. he had them in his hand for the duration of the night. he grabbed his dick and shoved it in, a loud gasp coming from my mouth.

"oh my fuck, your the best ever. don't stop there." i'm staring up at him as he holds my panties in his mouth while his hands on my hips as he aggressively thrusts into me.

"i'm about to cum now baby"

"same- oh my FUCK-"

he pulled out seeing our juices mixed at my pussy.

"that set got me so turned on. best birthday gift ever "

"glad you enjoyed it"

"let me see that tattoo again." he placed kisses for about 3 minutes on the tattoo as he drifted to sleep on my bare ass.

chris never goes anywhere without my panties in his pocket.

[creations-by-chaosfay]

Groceries are absurdly expensive, and having dietary restrictions (celiac disease for me, diabetes for husband) makes it even worse. Between groceries, fuel, and bills, we'll be hurting in a week. My husband hasn't been able to find a new job. Or, more accurately, no one is calling about an interview.

I have listings in my shop, with digital downloads starting at $0 USD, and everything has the option of Pay What You Want (PWYW). Currently, I have several tutorials, art resources, and quilts of varying sizes. There are also quilt tops with the option of having me turn them into finished quilts.

Commissions are open until June 1st. Use coupon code GOHOGWILD for 15% off, with one small catch: you choose the size range, I choose colors, design, and prints. I will work on unfinished commissions over the course of the summer.

You also have the option of being a monthly supporter for as little as $5/month. There are goodies like automatic discounts in my shop and commissions, freebies, postcards, and some other fun surprises.

Here's a link to my gallery of work, with work-in-progress all nicely laid out. Take a look and see if my style works for you and if it's in your budget. My commissions start at $20 USD.

If fine art is more your style, you can purchase prints of my paintings and photography here. I have the original paintings in my ko-fi shop. I haven't made any new paintings in years due to lack of paint. Someday, that'll change. Right now, however, food, fuel, and bills come first.

Should you decide you would rather treat me to nice things (seeing as all money otherwise goes to necessities), you can send me one of the things on my Throne list. Right now, I need thr humidifier so my asthma will behave. Dry season is here, and my lungs are feeling it. I also have paint on the list.

To send money direct, you can choose to donate via Ko-fi (Stripe, PayPal), or any of the following options:

For PayPal direct, you must mark it as a gift or I will otherwise need to return the money.

Here are some examples of my work:

[lucky-cherries]

THIS WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO END MY WEEK BEFORE WINTER BREAK

I gave him his gift which was a lil tray in the shape of a raccoon that I made of clay and painted. He was so happy with it!! He said "omg this is awesome. Did u make this? It's so cute." Then he gave me a fist bump :3 Then he showed it off to a studnet who didn't give him anything and he said "look *student's name.* U should be more like her. She gave me a handmade gift." LMAO

I was working on stuff and he picked up the project on the desk next to me and said "did u do this?" Cuz it was an absolute mess and he said "no u would never do this, ur not dirty, ur nice and clean" HAJSJSHS

THEN I SPENT THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON WITH HIM AND after school when our class had a pizza party :3 we were supposed to be at this stupid activity but i skipped with my friend to just chill in his class hehe. I love him so so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It was just so nice to be in his presence even when we weren't talking. I love talking nonsense with him. He went into this small room in his class which he stores the clothing and other merchandise that we can print designs on. He came out and went up to me and said "choose a bandana, which colour do u want?" IT WAAS SO RANDOM LIKE WHY HE GIVNG ME FREE STUFF NOT THAT IM COMPLAING LMAO i took the pink one eheh

When I was about to leave i told him i was gonna go and he said in such a sincere tone "Thank u for all ur hard work, have a good break. I'll see u in the new year!" IM GONNA MISS HIM SO MCUHH

[my-deer-friend]

Play along: Amrev codebreaker!

While browsing through some primary materials reading up about John Laurens’ mission to France as special minister to the court of Versailles, I came across a letter that he wrote to the president of the Continental Congress on 9 April 1781 that included a coded message using a numerical cipher. 

I took a shot at deciphering it – here’s the process I followed, and you can play along too!

1. The first step, of course, was to determine which specific encryption was being used. After a bit of digging, I came across the immensely useful United States diplomatic codes and ciphers, 1775-1938 by Ralph E Weber. He explains that the cipher in question was “prepared on separate encode and decode sheets, the latter contained 660 printed numbers, with usually 600 words, syllables, and letters of the alphabet scattered randomly throughout the sheet.” So, for example, the word “congress” is “143”, the syllable “el” is “593” and the letter “r” is “215”. This cipher was an updated and improved version of the one used by Benjamin Tallmadge, and Weber explains that Laurens was the first one to use it. Weber also handily provides the decode table in an appendix. 

2. The second step was to design an efficient way to decode the hundreds of numbers Laurens used in his letter, and the obvious answer was my good friend the spreadsheet. I transferred the table from the book to Google Sheets, which was mildly tedious but hugely time-saving later on.

3. Now the fun part! I typed out the numbers from Laurens’ letter, and then used a simple LOOKUP formula to match the number to the decoded text.

The cipher also includes two nuances - an underscore beneath the word means a plural, and an overscore denotes adding an “e” - so I marked these in the cells with pink and green highlights respectively.

4. The final step was correcting a few errors in my table, refining the decoding (some numbers have various iterations to save space, such as 103 which can be any one of “ec/eck/ek” depending on which syllable is needed), and extracting the final text. 

It all reads very smoothly, with the singular exception of “ght-f-t”, which is the way Laurens rendered the word “gift”. The obvious explanation for this mangle is that he mis-wrote 340 (ght) instead of 170 (gi).

That’s definitely 340, 304, 196 which decodes as “ght-f-t”.

While it seems like a strange error to make, bear in mind that the encoding sheet (the one Laurens was using to change plaintext into numbers) would have been listed in alphabetical order to make finding the numbers easier (while the person at the other end has the sheet in numerical order, to reverse the process just as easily). And when we sort alphabetically, we can see that 340 and 170 are right next to each other:

A simple slip to make for someone writing coded letters late at night in low candlelight.

If you want to play along:

Here’s the code/decode spreadsheet. 

And here is the transcribed text (underlines for plurals, asterisk for added “e”). I've given the solution under the cut!

I have employed the most unremitting efforts to obtain a prompt and favorable decision relative to the object of my mission_ 381, 304, 543, 437, 366, 377, 276, 75, 75, 226, 269, 385, 426, 377, 17, 465, 197, 481, 428, 593, 381, 355, 153, 278*, 428, 333, 70, 18, 405, 184, 226, 291, 197, 376, 524, 330, 446, 362, 449, 143 The Count de Vergennes communicated to me yesterday his most Christian Majesty's determination to guarantee 381, 59, 594, 18, 9, 205, 330, 497, 254, 401, 376, 503, 306, 503, 467, 428, 226, 236, 330, 278*, 245, 205, 506, 99, 376, 381, 381, 256, 184, 90, 340, 304, 196 ...and the value of the military effects which may be furnished from the Royal Arsenal, 418, 330, 497, 428, 197, 380, 377, 196, 376, 45, 278, 245, 205 I shall use my utmost endeavours to procure an immediate 467, 208, 491, 18, 278*, 9, 205, 45, 278, 42, 381, 230, 215, 355, 18, 237, 330, 497*, 215, 167, 290, 377, 376, 341, 278, 182, 302, 75, 376, 59, 594, and shall renew my solicitations for the 357, 34, 197, 18, 203, 291, 491, 481, 484, 34, 325, 89, 113, 392, 197, 269, 336, 458, 278*, 97, 18, 245, 205 may not be 126, 21, 215, 497, 376, 341, 296, 75, 477, 226, 103, 196, 481, 278*, 483, 215, 553, 75*, 18, 238, 377, 59, 374, 478, the providing this article I fear will be attended with great difficulties and delays as all the 476, 490, 481, 36, 228, 351, 392, 226, 197, 18, 237, are remote from the sea, and there are no 441, 420, 50, 563, 503, 197, 18, 377, 59, 278, suitable to our purposes. The cargo of the Marquis de la Fayette will I hope arrive safe under the convoy of the Alliance_ 481, 341, 78, 465, 75, 426, 408, 596, 115, 76, 376, 174, 196*, 291, 103, 197, 75, 75, 184, 226, 197, 281, 5, 171, 278*, 428, 593, 381, 355, 492, 194, 236, 376, 45, 574, 408, 504, 366, 381, 506, 197, 197, 193, 213, 75, 197, 199, 291, 377, 197 The Marquis de Castries has engaged to make immediate arrangements for the safe transportation of the pecuniary and the other succours destined for the United States_ 481, 350, 215, 167, 450, 196, 376, 34, 381, 75, 473, 376, 76*, 458, 278*, 72, 208, 449, 577, 114, 89, 405, 486, 497, 197, 113, 126, 34, 361, 376, 269, 278*, 277, 291, 104, 381, 113, 278*, 401, 230, 408, 550, 552, 342, 291

Have fun!

I have employed the most unremitting efforts to obtain a prompt and favorable decision relative to the object of my mission_ after many discussions, difficulties and delays with the details of which it is needless to trouble congress.

The Count de Vergennes communicated to me yesterday his most Christian Majesty's determination to guarantee a loan of ten millions to be opened in Holland in addition to the six millions granted as a gracious gift.

...and the value of the military effects which may be furnished from the Royal Arsenal are to be deducted from the six million.

I shall use my utmost endeavours to procure an immediate advance of the ten millions from the treasury of France to be replaced by the proposed loan,

and shall renew my solicitations for the supplies of the ordinance and military stores on credit that the present of six millions may not be absorbed by thousands objects and the purchase of necessary clothing

the providing this article I fear will be attended with great difficulties and delays as all the wool and manufactories of France are remote from the sea, and there are no

public magazines of cloth suitable to our purposes.

The cargo of the Marquis de la Fayette will I hope arrive safe under the convoy of the Alliance_ and by satisfying our immediate necessities prevent the delays above-mentioned from having any disagreeable consequences

The Marquis de Castries has engaged to make immediate arrangements for the safe transportation of the pecuniary and the other succours destined for the United States_ and has repeatedly assured me that the naval superiority which will be established on the American coast the ensuing campaign

[sillywabbits]

🎶 Soo I had a birthday yesterday! 🎂💕✨

Made extra special this year by a new found community and fandom (you guys!) and some special people in my life! Please allow me to gush a little hehe~ 💞

Found out our grocery store can print images on cakes! So we got a custom one done with befittingly sweet artwork courtesy of @thatmooncake that I commissioned a bit ago that I love to absolute bits! 💞💞 Thanks bunches Fable! 💫

@rambunctioustoons (We're spouses btw! 💘) made me the most perfect, unexpected, most sweetest gift. I designed my OC Bunny a Security/Daycare badge a while ago.. and they attentively made it for me!! Even got all her little stickers and everything!! 💞💞 I was so touched and in awe. (They also got me the bunny squish) Thank you so very much Rammy! 💖✨

Our close friend @unearth1y came by and she prides herself on amazing gift-giving for a reason BECAUSE SHE GOT ME PLUSHIES! ☀️🌙💞💞 I made all the unholy noises and held them dearly for a very long time, believe me lol. She also made me the cupcakes! Strawberry ones that I've been wanting f o r e v e r 🍓❤️❤️

And last but certainly not least, Ram also commissioned my new dear friend @urbanqhoul to do some very sweet and sappy pictures just for me! Oh I grinned like the biggest dork you ever did see and kissed the screen fjfjfjf I'm still gushing over them, you ain't got no clue 💞💞💞💞

I cannot thank each and every one of these people enough for contributing to make my day feel more special than they'll ever know~ 💞 I'm again just.. so stupid happy to have come into the DCA community, that led me to all of these new experiences and so many lovely people! I can't wait for a whole new year of it! 💘💫

-Thank you endlessly everyone. So happy and lucky to be here 💖✨🌙☀️

[godesssiri]

Champaign Tastes on a Bottled Water Budget (because let’s face it, even beer isn’t cheap anymore) Thrift Tips

People are over living in white boxes. We now want richness and texture and colors and interest. Traditional design styles with lots of molding and detail and antiques are very in. People are making a living selling antiques online. Décor bloggers aspire to being able to bring back a container from European flea markets. People want to make their homes look like you have generational wealth.  But how do you have a home full of beautiful old things when you’ve got no money? Thrifting.

1. Always always check the art. Remember if you love the art but hate the frame you can always put it in a new frame, or makeover the current one. And vice versa, if you love the frame but hate what’s in it then it’s the simplest thing in the world to swap it out for something else, another piece of thrifted art, a print from Etsy or one of the many other places artists sell digital copies of their work, a color photocopy from a library book. And frames are very easy to make over, sometimes just changing the matting or painting a frame a different color or adding a little rub n buff makes a world of difference.

2. Rub n Buff or similar waxes are your friend for getting a gorgeous, antiqued look. The thrift stores are full of pieces that have great shape but they’re too modern looking for what you’re trying to achieve. But rub gold on the high points or a dark wax into the crevasses and suddenly they look completely different. I’ve got a ceramic parrot that looked very 80s when I got my hands on it but when I covered it with gold (leaving the original dark colors in the crevasses) he immediately looked like an antique. Just spray-painting something gold doesn’t have the same effect, using a wax creates depth.

3. Darken it up. Most old things are darker than new things. Darker furniture, fabrics, accessories, add depth and richness. If something is already dark, then when you thrift it then great. If it’s not then that’s what dye, paint, and stain are for.

4. Old souvenir pieces. I’ve got a load of old pieces that people have bought back from Greece and Rome, from Egypt, from China. They make my home look like it belongs to someone who has been on a Grand Tour. A lot of them are copies of ancient pieces which means they look timeless. They’re cheap tchotchkes that people have bought at gift shops but mix them in with old books and candle holders and natural pieces like chunks or crystal or large seashells, and they look classy and interesting.

5. Old books. Do you have any idea how many old books get thrown out by thrift stores? Like genuine antiques that get sent to landfill? Most thrift stores don’t want to deal with old books because they smell and harbor dust mites and are out of date and often look tatty. You may even be able to get a bunch for free if you sweet talk the volunteers. If you’re worried about dust mites, then pop them in the freezer for a few days. I know there are those who look down on people who use books just as décor, but if you using it as décor saves it from a landfill or a junk journaler and preserves it for a future generation then isn’t that a good thing?

6. Glass display items. Putting things behind glass makes them look lux and precious even if it’s some cheap trinket or even a bunch of dried leaves or other completely free natural items. Look for domes, plain clear vases you can turn upside down and glue a knob on top, display boxes holding ugly stuff that you can rip the ugly stuff out and re-purpose.

7. Antique reproductions. There’s been many points in history since humans started to mass manufacture stuff, that we have looked to the past a re-created what our forbears made by hand. There’s so much that ends up in thrift stores that looks old even if it’s no more than a few decades old. Cleverly mixing this stuff in to your décor can help you achieve the look of a home furnished with antiques at a fraction of the price.

8. Search ‘Old’ ‘Antique’ and ‘Vintage’ on FB Marketplace. Don’t get more specific than that, just literally type those terms into the search bar, set a distance you’re willing to travel, and scroll. People are always selling stuff that they don’t quite know what the heck it is, but they know it’s old. Yeah you’re gonna see a lot of trash but it’s worth it to find the treasures.

9. Candle holders and candles. I’m actually pretty meh about candles, I get why other people like them but scented candles mess with my allergies and I don’t get any joy out of candlelight – but if you feel the opposite to me, I do understand and encourage that. Candles are wonderful décor objects if you’re going to light them or not. Always check the section where your thrift store keeps candles, there’s often some really good ones. And candle holders come in so many different forms that you will always find beautiful and interesting ones. A figural brass candle holder will make my heart go pitty-pat. You don’t just have to use them for candles either, I have a gorgeously detailed pewter candle holder that I use as a display stand for a large mother-of-pearl shell, and my pair of huge Victorian cherubs currently have clear quartz crystals sticking out of them.

10. Actual antiques. I have hundreds of antiques big and small. I just tried to remember how many of them had been bought at actual antique stores and I think the total is 5. Real genuine antiques turn up in thrift stores All The Time. Sometimes the thrift store realizes what they’ve got and will price it up, more than you’d usually pay at the thrift but still way less than it’s really worth. Sometimes they don’t know/don’t care, they just want to turn over stock so they price it at whatever will get it out the door. You CAN furnish your home with antiques entirely from thrift stores. It just takes time and patience.

[starry-eyesanddaydreams]

Prompt 15 of @deepperplexity 's Rickmas2023 prompts

December 15: Coal and Cards

Sinclair Bryant x Reader

You've recently moved to the outer suburbs of London and run into a beautiful, sweet, talkative man.

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Maybe you had gone a little bit overboard, you thought as you balanced the bags in your arms. But in your defence, you loved Christmas. And the stores along the high street of the town you’d recently moved to had so many beautiful holiday things. So now you were balancing two paper shopping bags of last-minute gifts, decorations and the ingredients for gingerbread cookies, along with a bag of coal. Your new flat had a cute potbelly stove in one corner that was in working order and you couldn’t wait to get it fired up and making your flat nice and cozy. It had snowed the night before, covering the street and sidewalks in beautiful white coat. But while it looked lovely, it made walking a bit perilous, as you soon found out as your foot skidded on an icier patch of snow and you felt yourself starting to topple. On instinct, you dropped the bad of coal in one arm and grabbed hold of the nearest thing available, a streetlight, which stopped you hiding the ground. Getting your bearings back, you saw that a few items had fallen from one of your shopping bags and bobbed down, setting the bags on the ground and collecting the fallen pieces. “Are you okay?” You heard a deep voice ask. You looked up and saw a man who had bobbed down in front of you. Your breath caught in your chest at the sight of him. He had warm hazel eyes, strong features and fluffy blond hair that fell across his brow. The most uniquely handsome man you’d ever seen. “Um, yeah,” you blinked, “I’m fine. Just slipped a little.” “Do you want some help with these? It looks heavy.” He asked, picking up the last piece of your fallen shopping and handing it back to you. “Actually, that would be very nice. My eyes were a bit more than my arms could handle.” You laughed and he smiled in return. He had a beautiful, bright smile. The man picked up on of the shopping bags and the coal bag in each arm and stood. You grabbed the last bag with your baking supplies and stood too. “Thank you for helping me.” You said, “I’m y/n.” “Sinclar Bryant. And it’s my pleasure. Where were you headed?” “Oh, my flat, it’s just at the end of the street.”

You and Sinclar headed down the street, taking their time navigating the snow-covered path. “Have you been living here long?” He asked. “Actually, I just moved in a few weeks ago. I used to live in London and needed a change of scene. It’s so lovely and peaceful out here.” “It is. I work in London. Living out here is a wonderful break from the chaos. You walked quietly for a few moments before Sinclar glanced at the bag he was carrying. Sitting on top was a packet of hand painted Christmas cards. “Did you know Christmas cards were invented by a man who had too many friends to write too?” “No, I didn’t know that.” Sinclar hummed and kept talking, almost absent mindedly, “Henry Cole in 1843. The new penny post system meant a lot more people could send letters and he got so many Christmas letters he couldn’t answer them all properly. And in those days it was considered very bad manners not to answer mail. He worked out an idea with an artist friend, JC Horsely, to design a card with pictures of a family celebrating Christmas and helping the poor. He printed a thousand of them to send out to people. Over time, others started copying his idea and it became fashion to send Christmas cards.” You looked up at him, perplexed by the sudden history lesson but also finding the way he spoke endearing.

Sinclar’ train of thought apparently drifted to the other bundle in his arms and he continued, “You know in Italy, they have the tradition of a Christmas witch called La Befana. Legend is she tried to follow the three wise men to find the baby Jesus, but couldn’t find them, so she gave out her gifts to good children and gave lumps of coal to the bad ones. Today the give out sweets that look loke coal called Carbone Dolce as a joke instead.” Sinclar looked at you and saw your expression, a mix of confusion and amusement, and he blushed slightly, “I’m sorry, I have a habit of talking too much. I apologise if it’s annoying you.” Something in his eyes as he said that tugged at your heart. “You’re not.” You assured him, “It’s actually very charming. And interesting, I didn’t know either of those stories? A Christmas witch? It sounds fun.” Sinclair smiled again and the two of you kept talking more as you walked, first about random Christmas traditions and then about the town. He’s been living there a few years now and you were happy to hear his recommendations about the areas shops and events.

Sinclair felt happier than he’d felt in a long time right now. You were clever and curious. Talking with you was so easy. You’re smile was beautiful and your eyes were so warm and gentle, he found the persistent knot that had sat inside his chest for months finally starting to loosen.   “Oh, and you have to try this bakery, Lenora’s. It’s near the library. The best pain au chocolat and pasties you’ve ever tried. And at Christmas they make amazing hot chocolate.” He stopped, turning to face you properly, taking an impulsive chance, “Are you hungry? If you’re not busy I could take you there, show you around a bit.” He asked, hope and slight nerves colouring his voice. To his relief, you nodded, “I am hungry, actually. And that sounds great, I’d love to have lunch with you.”

You reached your flat and you quickly stashed your shopping just inside the door and headed back out with Sinclar. You walked towards the bakery, arms occasionally bumping into each other, and chatting idly about anything that came to mind, not yet realising that this was the start of something very special.

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Hope who reads this likes it. Sinclair deserves so much love. I want to hug him so bad. I am planning a continuation of this with another prompt.

[heavilycaffeinatedsblog]

Okay LOVE LOVE LOVE Silver Bells. Thank you for making this Christmas so iconic with your fic and giving the fandom something to look forward to everyday💝 Literally has been such a highlight and I look forward to every chapter!

Anyways if you need any more inspiration or christmasy ideas I tried to think long and hard about ideas to give you, that were unique in some way. Think it's an okay list (some are basic but iconic so wanted to highlight and encourage 😂). If I can think of any more will let you know, but I hope any of these help!

>Christmas carols - I don't know how Americans do it but where I live adults and children (whoever knows how to play an instrument goes around usually violins / small portable cello? ) go caroling and we invite them inside and all the adults (carolers and the household) take a shot of vodka "to keep warm"  and then go off to the next house where they sing and are given more shots 

> I'm not religious myself but my parents are and we go to church and watch children put on a play and or sing carols. 

>Mistletoe kisses😌

> Something just feels more christmasy is just being more intentional with small acts of kindess

>Doing a fancy or silly photoshoot and then printing them out as christmas cards and sending them out to people - Lance may or may not tell Keith what the photos are for as like a funny suprise when Lance gift him and his friends their christmas cards or they can be more intentional and biker about the design choice on the card. 

>Along with Christmas cards, theres also christmas notes so just letters of gratitude to people. I've heard of people making then and tying them to a balloon too or burning them. 

>Building and decorating a gingerbread house. Me and my sisters usually take a side of the house to work on so each side looks different. There's a family I know who have like a competition where they put out graham crackers, chex mix, pretzels, marshmellow fluff, frosting, and a bunch of candies, etc  and you can either make a house or construct whatever they want. It could be a house, a train, fire truck, someone did like a harry potter quidditch stadium thing.

>Neighborhoods around me usually have a santa on a firstruck ride around with their sirens on and give out candy canes to people. 

>Christmas light walk/drive through, or going to those neighborhoods that go all out and even put on a lights show to music.

>Something more chill like making a holiday playlist, discovering new holiday songs, sometimes we dont put in christmas music but ones that we associate with the holidays. My sister and I share a spotify and she stubbornly puts "night changes" by One direction in my christmas playlist. 

>Reading christmas stories to children. 

>Christmas parades, tree lighting events, going bar hopping and trying their christmas drinks and shots. I don't drink alcohol anymore but still go out with friends and a lot of places make mocktails or make really good non-alcoholic drinks as well. 

>I think a lot of times "christmas time" traditions happen randomly with just things that you associate with the holiday time. Like me and my friend would come together and pick a random genre and read books from that genre during the holidays and that's become somewhat of a holiday tradition now. Maybe Lance can help Keith establish hos own little traditions like that? Idk how or if itll read well but just an idea to throw out there, maybe inspire you in someway. 

>Omg sleigh rides! I would die reading a chapter on them going on a horse carriage sleigh ride. But since they're romantic maybe have him invite everyone and then have no one else show up. Though I think they can be a bit expensive, at least in the city... idk about farms i think....maybe like it can be a whim of a moment thing where the person running it is having a slow night and just tells them to hop in or give them a discount. Also my city banned the horse carriage rides not too long ago, I think because of animal safty concerns 😔 which there's a bunch of discord about in general but it still it would be such a cute idea 🥺 

>Since they work at a toy store maybe have Keith pick out toys that he wanted as a kid to heal his inner child and then donate them. (maybe they could be snowed in or the lights stop working and have to close up and wait for someone to fix it something in the meantime)

>They go to one of those pop up ice rinks with christmas music blaring about near or around a christkindlmarket (usually free if you bring your own skates so maybe Lance gives Keith a pair from his siblings) and Lance teaches Keith how to ice skate or has him hold on to one of those penguine or dinasour helper things. 

>Sometimes there's street preformers around singing or playing christmas songs. Could help bring out a nice romantic atmosphere for a scene 😌

>Also something to note about Hallmark movies- though thry are still cheesy af they arent what they used to be and this post captured it well: https://www.tumblr.com/unearthedivory/769098615859855360?source=share

Sending you all the health, happiness, and positive vibes! ✨️

Cute cute cute!!!! Love it!!

[alicenpai]

taking a break from merch!

been feeling incredibly burnt out, so here are some thoughts on merch and events and shop stuff this year 🤔 LONGGG ass ramblings below

im going to be posting maybe like 1 or 2 merch posts daily for the next week-ish, just as a heads up!

i apologize in advance bc i feel like sometimes people just do not care about merch posts as opposed to regular ol' drawings (yes i know the psychology is that people dont like to be advertised to)... but i think the launch of my shop opening was pretty poorly timed 😬

the canada post strike (making canadians averse to purchases online, although i do not use canada post, i think a lot of people are under the assumption that most businesses use canpost) + combined with the EU product safety scare + maybe with tons of black friday competition + posting on the weekend has mixed results ..

i'm reconsidering the decision to reopen the store in dec, as i won't have any new items. additionally, this has been long overdue - i'm going to take a break from merch (besides the few events i already have coming up in dec+jan) to focus on what i really want from art. another thing that i gotta bring up is - this is the first year where i started doing more events past the summer, and well into the winter. i usually make a huge batch of new designs in late spring (for my biggest event, anime north), and a smaller batch in late summer (otakuthon). but, now i've been making new designs year round, which really is not something i'm used to, and contributed to the burnout. i've often been questioning myself, "does this need to be made?", "is this good art?" and it leads me to spiral more than necessary.

similarly, i should be working on my portfolio instead, as a lot of my portfolio works are from art school T__T i keep postponing it, i tell myself "oh just one more event, just one more event" bc i have trouble dividing my attention. how did i even do personal art + buttload of homework during animation school? HAHAHA. not to be harsh but like. what am i doing honestly 😭... i love making personal art, but i WISH i had MORE to show for my career. i want to go back into visual development. once im ready, i'll go back to drawing illustrations. in the meantime, i'll do a lot of reflection and chatting with friends, playing games, etc. getting in touch with the things i missed while i was busy crunching... --- also compiling a list of products that i have thoughts on - charms: - right off the bat, as i mentioned before, i think i've exhausted all i can from this lineless/borderless charm style! chibis for me are not artistically that interesting to draw hahaha... i don't think i'll make any more of charms in this style (unless i get a really good idea?). - i've been thinking of either stopping charms altogether, or lessening charm designs in the future. if i still... want to make charms after my break... i might opt to draw in a bust style instead. i'm really inspired by these one piece designs by my friend avenoirn..!! and these rdr wood charms by searift are so good!! but otherwise my current plan is to just focus on prints and stickers. they are infinitely easier to store too AHAHAHA.

- above: furthermore, this style does not suit all series unfortunately, examples above where i think the design is a bit weak... and i think that's where my weakness lies T__T i make things to satiate my curiosity for a short while HAHAHA but there are so many times where i'm just not proud of, or i feel indifferent, to the merch i make months down the road. - unfortunately charms are a huge seller at conventions, because of their small nature and cute quality i guess they make good gifts? i find that for me my charms didn't sell well in the past, until i switched over to this new style in 2023. i think along the way i started prioritizing charms more, and just making things that didn't work in the style like above. in reality, my heart wanted to make illustrative stuff like prints and sticker sheets, even though these products take infinitely longer to create, due to the amount of drafting and research i put into each piece. (funnily enough charms dont sell as well online + people buy stickers more) - it's getting infinitely more and more expensive to import charms from asia. first of all, shipping costs have increased, and secondly... government customs fees are truly the icing on top. it's been hard for small businesses since covid, and how heavily chinese packages have been taxed. - to be transparent, here are my suppliers: - i used vograce from 2015-2022, but over time felt that their quality declined so i stopped using them. - i use juno consistently, but also opt for kuien if i need a rush order done (~within a week, but also gotta pay premium for that rush service!!). - i have tried wooacry and can attest that their quality is good! to me it's not much different than juno's quality, besides small colour nuance and there (since wooacry's printers have the ability to print from RGB), however my designs tend to be on the simpler side.

- above, wooacry: although, it's hard to keep sizes consistent between designs (but i am a fool in this regard because i didn't check the digital mockup that precisely), so i probably won't use wooacry for huge character lineups unless i am 100% sure my charm designs are all the same size. - also geez... i didn't know people felt so hostile towards charms. (the entire disk horse on twitter if you've seen it. the original poster made a 2nd post that clarified their intent, which was, honestly?? incredibly well thought and nuanced. but the first post opened a whole can of worms, that didn't need to be that explosive from the get go, exposing myself and many other artists who make charms to other people's aggressive viewpoints). - at the same time, i understand that the scope of "anime fan merch" is very much "lowbrow art", but to act superior because one doesn't make acrylic products is a bit discouraging to say the least. i have already wanted to stop or slow down on charm designs for a long time, but this is the final blow for me. like damn. okay. ---

stickers: - importing stickers from US suppliers into canada has also similarly become more expensive with taxes TT to be transparent, i use stickerbunnies and i personally love them, however with taxes and slow response times, i cannot vouch for them all too much if you don't live in the US. however i think they would be okay if you didn't have a deadline (e.g. off peak con season) - currently i'm looking into local canadian manufacturers with affordable pricing, as well as the ability to commit to rather large orders (a few hundred)... unfortunately i'm rather picky with vinyl quality. my biggest character flaw. i used jukebox for a few designs, however they are pricey if there is no current sale. --- specialty: - also this is something ive been thinking for a while, but i'm likely going to discontinue "specialty" merch in the future..

- above: anything that's not prints, stickers, regular charms... - it's ironic bc as artists grow bigger they want to branch out into new unique types of merch.. i just don't find that they sell that well for me >< i'm a bit sad at the marcille pudding, i honestly thought it would sell better. still fawkin love it though. - they cost an arm and leg to boot = higher price = harder to sell? or maybe my design sense is just bad!!!!! - the only specialty stuff i have ideas for right now are some baccano coins + poker chips... wooacry posed a potential interest for them so im. rubbing my hands greedily like a fly. -- wood: - whoa i was really negative above LMAO. one thing i DO want to try out more are layered wood pins!!

- i really enjoyed working on the wooden layton pins i have... they don't sell that well online anymore i guess bc all of my followers have seen it a million times already LMAO but they sell quite well in person!! - thankfully wood is not that pricey and i can stick to small batches for them (like 10 quantity each?) - inspiration: i LOVE these wooden dunmeshi pins seirui made. i cant wait for mine to arrive...!! also love the backing pins, they add so much character!! general - oftentimes when i make a set of products, i find that main characters sell better than supporting characters. after a while of promoting them as last chance items online + bargain bin items at cons, they just don't sell and i'm left with a ton of unwanted merch T__T what do i do with the rest of the characters that don't sell? i do have to admit i'm concerned about waste, and there are no good resources on recycling old merch. - what i did in the past was - for buttons specifically - tear them apart AHAHAHAHA. buttons are made out of metal + paper + plastic and the former two can be recycled in my area. i'm not sure if it helps but i tried to do it as per my area's recycling rules... - acrylic charms are another matter altogether. i try to gift them as much as i can... - prints are great however because i can just use them as scrap paper or recycle them if unwanted!! - i got a little carried away making merch this year. i think i'll have to go back to my old method, which was making merch in small quantities, and only sell a small number that i can confidently rely on (~10 or less).

[madameoni]

Alright- I figured I might make a lovely long post detailing my commissions options to link to over here.

I want to start with pointing out that my main pride and joy is communication and feedback loops to archive just what you want. The commission process can be long due to the back and forth, but good communication makes great results!

If you're curious, this post shows some of my sketches in the feedback loop stage!

My usual time from start to finish (might depend on the time it takes you to answer) is around a month.

Lets break down the options and prices!

prices are in $usd

prices are for personal use only (ya' know, you can print it for yourself, a friend, but not sell it or use it for business promotion!)- commercial use can be discussed (:

contact me to melinamnovelli@gmail.com

These can be taken as guide, if you'd like something that doesn't fit here- feel free to contact me to discuss it.

CHARACTER DESIGN

Full character design. Detailed wings, anthro, animal and highly complex designs can change the price.

BASE PRICE: $170 2 full bodies - front view 1 nude or underwear + 1 complete outfit.

Extras Extra outfit: $50 each Weapon: $50 each Extra body: $70 each (alternate version, extra pose, etc) Back view: +50% of the total

OUTFIT | WARDROBE DETAILED

For characters that already are designed. Detailed wings, anthro, animal and highly complex designs can change the price.

BASE PRICE: $120 2 full bodies - front view 1 nude or underwear + 1 complete outfit.

Extras Extra outfit: $50 each Weapon: $25 each Extra body: $70 each ( alternate version, extra pose, etc) Back view: +50% of the total

NEW! | OUTFIT EXTRA: GARMENT DETAIL

Detailed front and back view of a single garment. Its an extra to the outfit or character design commission.

BASE PRICE: $50 front & back view of a single garment a few close ups if needed

NEW! | WARDROBE SKETCHED

For characters that already are designed. Detailed wings, anthro, animal and highly complex designs can change the price. Clean sketches of several outfits instead of detailed finished pieces.

BASE PRICE: $200 full bodies - front view 1 nude or underwear + 3 clean sketches of different outfits

Extras Extra 3 outfits: $70 Weapon: $25 each Extra body: $70 each ( alternate version, extra pose, etc) Back view: +50% of the total

WEAPON | PROP DESIGN

Fully rendered and detailed design of prop or weapon on its own.

BASE PRICE: $50 1 full view 1 close-up of detail

Extras Extra view: $30 each

PORTRAIT

From only face to waist up (showing arms).

$170

one character

double price for extra character

includes simple background, and decorative elements like flowers, jewels, etc.

FULL BODY ILLUSTRATION

BASE PRICE: $250

for one character

+100 each extra character

includes background, props and decorations.

extra charges might apply depending on the complexity of the scene- feel free to ask!

Lovely, right?

Now, some basic Terms of Service:

I won't accept any work related to NFTs and I don't allow my work to be used as NFTs.

Credit is very appreciated when reposting but not necessary as long as you don't claim the work is done by anyone besides myself.

The character designs & adoptables can be resold and gifted with proper credit (link and @), those are the owner's responsibility.

Since I'm a breathing human being, I have the right to reject a commission for whatever reason.

I take payment via PAYPAL. I'll make an invoice once the order is settled. I only work with full payment upfront.

For big pieces (+400usd) we can discuss signing a contract or doing payment plans for everybody's comfort.

I don't have a linear queue and I don't work with deadlines, but I will keep you updated regularly and have no problem with showing progress as anytime. Just ask!

Given that I show updates regularly and request feedback during the whole process, big changes once the work is past its sketching stage can require an extra fee.

I don't do refunds past the first sketch.

I guess this covers everything- feel free to contact me with any questions!

Please contact me via email for an easier and organized process: melinamnovelli@gmail.com

[fuck-customers]

It's almost sad that when I tell my regulars I only make $14.50 an hour at a job where I do professional level graphic design and print work, they all get shocked and say I should be making more (I work at a locally owned print shop, and I love the job for the most part, I just hate how I'm rushed and hate certain clients).

WcDonads employees make more than I do. Gas station employees around here make more than I do. And I honestly feel quite jipped because I was told to go to college. Get a degree. Find a job in the field I go to school for and I'll be set (I'm one of those "zillenials," too young to be a millenial but too old to be gen z). Some people say i should be thankful, $14.50 is a lot, but cost of living where I'm at is at least $20/hr. Granted, my college is completely paid for so I don't have student loans to worry about and I'm happy I have graphic design and photography experience. But when I'm at work and I feel the bald patch from where my hair has been falling out from stress from workload, it makes me feel like I was tricked.

I'm so conflicted. Like I said. I like this job. When things aren't busy it's wonderful. But those are becoming fewer and farther between where stuff has completely reopened from Covid and more people want printing for events and sales.

And I've met wonderful people! And learned about small businesses in my community I would have never known about otherwise! I love getting to make nice designs and print beautiful art every day. One of my current friends I've met copying her artwork for her! My gifts to my family have been photo prints and even signs for my dad's workshop that I've gotten printed at a discount and they're all loved so much. And I don't have to wear a uniform - jeans and a t-shirt of my choice every day!

But I've also been yelled at over small shit like maps not being printed on time, or how the color on a flyer isn't as "vibrant as it is on screen," or told to hurry up on a yard sign that someone decided they needed today rather than next week, or have a someone chew me out because I haven't even had time to print three sheets of mailing labels because I've had to hold the hand of a very picky woman who wants her rental guest book to look "just right" yet can't be assed to learn how to use a computer on her own. I've had packages thrown at me when I've said people need to pay to ship them. People getting mad over $.20 black and white copies and $.49 color copies. People saying they're going to get their business cards from PistaVrint because it's cheaper. People come to us and act like we're tech support - "Why is my computer not opening Wicrosoft Mord?! Why is my email not sending?! Why is my phone doing this?!" Like I don't know! Take it to Bye Best!

My manager hardly gets paid any more than I do and she's been with the business for almost 30 years and drives an hour each day to come to work. I only got bumped to $14.50 after my boss overheard I was interviewing at a college print shop that would have paid me $18 an hour. He couldn't even wage match! And I didn't even get the job.

I don't have funds to move to another location where I could find a better paying job in my field, nor would I want to as my family and community are here.

There is a pillow factory here I never knew about. They're hiring various positions starting at $19 an hour. Evenings and weekends mostly off, only needed to work if they need to fill a very large order. My friend started there this week and while she says she's physically tired, the environment seems nice so far and I'm so burnt out here that I've already asked her if she can get a word in for me to start there. More pay? And way less customer interaction? I could do that! But it sucks that I feel like abandoning what I like to do because of my pay grade and the stress I feel. I wish it was all different.

Posted by admin Rodney.