An apt icon... "Ahhhhhh..."

[ellenmillion]

I went out to the hot springs today with my sisters and mother and soaked away aches and pains I didn't even realize I had. It was a lovely day, enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes from swarming, and the water was blistering hot. Literally, they warned us when we checked in that it was still being cooled after being cleared, cleaned and filled with straight hot spring water. They were adding cool creek water, so it cooled as we were there, but it's a big pool, and it takes hours to change the temperatures significantly. That morning it had been 117 (according to another user), it was 113 during our first dip, and it had cooled to 109 after our lunch break, which was quite bearable. There were cooler spots, if you could find them, and they had the firehoses going, which make for nice cool sprays of water to stand up in.

It was a gorgeous drive, and a marvelous soak, and wonderful company, and I was out of cell range, so I couldn't check obsessively on Guppy to see if she was being monster-y and feel guilty. (She wasn't - she and Jake had a marvelous fun day together.)

My Kickstarter continues to creep upward - after a bit of a plateau, it's unexpectedly hiccuped to life again, and got right through the $2000 stretch goal of putting Dotminatrix back into print as an option for all the 2+ coloring book reward levels... and is 43% of the distance to the following stretch goal already! I'm going to add another 2 pages to it at the $3000 level, I think. Or, maybe I should put the goal at some lower number? I keep thinking that after I post one, and then wake up after a particularly good day to find that the goal is behind me already. I'm a little nervous I'll run out of interesting and attainable stretch goals! We're not even halfway through! First world, lucky-girl problems. I'm sure you're all weeping for me.

Also, I TOTALLY want to Kickstart a Sketch Fest compendium now... >.> Maybe a yearly compendium? Oo.

The first share from our CSA was magnificent. I mean, it was a little small, seeing as we had snow two weekends ago, but there was plenty for some big green salads: spinach, mustard greens, another leaf-green, these trendy, peppery little arugula microgreens, even radishes! And it's SO FRESH. Nom. Also, Guppy likes fresh spinach, go figure. I gave her a leaf and she looked at it, looked at me, looked at it, and took a bite. Giggling and more bites followed. She also liked radish, which was even more surprising.

I'm quickly running out of steam, so I'll close with some sea monsters that wrapped up sea monster month yesterday:

The art gallery has all of my monster cards now!

When Sea Monsters Attack is a rollicking good compilation about the sea monster dangers of Torn World.

Also, the June Sketch Fest is: June 14-16!

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

YAY for new goal!

SQUEE for Sketchfest compendium...you know I am SO THERE!

Fresh spinach is GOOD! I am not surprised she likes it. :) Finn discovered radishes a while back during his interest in Peter Rabbit. I was amazed at how many he actually ate!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

She has decided spinach is more fun to play with than eat, but she does eventually get some of it in her mouth...

I am definitely giving good though to that compendium. VERY good thought.

[blitheringpooks.livejournal.com]

Woohoo! I'm in! Glad I found this kickstarter link in time.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Woo hoo! Thank you!!

[ellettra.livejournal.com]

Your hot springs trip sounds AHmazing! Glad you got some excellent relaxation!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

It was a seriously, much-needed unwind. And one of the first times my sisters and I have really spent any time together as grown-ups... my oldest sister lives in Pittsburgh, and we rarely see each other.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

How wonderful! Did you ever set up a reward level for getting just the art cards?

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I didn't make it a reward level, but I did add them as an add-on, so it amounts to pretty much the same thing. I also added a set of Dotminatrix cards!

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Not really the same thing. I was imagining something like a cost of A for the books, B for the cards, and C (a little less than A+B) for all of the above.

Instead you jumped from A to C...I don't know what I'd do with the books--I don't have enough time for my original art; there's no way I'd use them. I need to get rid of stuff I don't use to try to conquer the clutter in the house, not add to it!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Ah! I did try to take that into account: With the $8 minimum pledge for PDF copies and an ACEO prints add-on ($25 for Fantastrix, includes shipping), A is $25, B is $32 ($8+$25), C is $50 (saves you 16%). You'd still get the PDF copies, going the B-only route, but I wouldn't exclude those from any reward level. (I did, in my original rough draft, because I didn't think the PDF copies would be that popular, and people complained mightily.)

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

I don't remember a $32 pledge level.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

There wasn't a $32 reward level - you can pledge at any value you want, though! I went in and added an art card collectors reward level, but it's for BOTH Dotminatrix and Fantastrix, at $45. If you think just-Fantastrix cards would have particular appeal, I could add that, but I figured if you were going for an art card collection, you'd want both!

(Also, I seem to have missed that 8+25 is actually 33. Braaaaaiiiins... I need braaaaiiiins.)

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Nah--I want ALL the cards.

Speaking of card-size things, where did you get those ACEO-size canvasses?

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I make them! I have an industrial punch and buy packs of paper and coated canvas that I cut down to a size I can push through the punch. Let me know if you'd like some - I'm thinking about offering them for sale again (but I'll send you a sample to see if you like them!).

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely like to get some...we'll talk later.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Hey, if you do Asterix, will there be art cards of those too?

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

(hugs) Maybe I can actually do that sketchfest. One can hope and pray!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

crossing fingers!