ellenmillion

Last week I was a featured artist for a Facebook event, and instead of doing a coloring contest, I did a crowd-sourced coloring page. I asked for ideas, and tried to incorporate all of them into one piece, then showed progress shots and even livestreamed some of the process. It was a lot of fun, if a lot to cram into one piece and one week, but I'm very happy with the results:


Prompts included: A forest scene, fairies in the forest, a baby dragon on a toadstool, baby creatures, fae, wands and crystals, and angels. The original is available for $400 and available as a digital download at Etsy.

And because it had a unicorn in it, it counts as my #junicorn 30! Yay!

Got a little over 1k written yesterday, more of the sloggy in-between stuff, but I like how it's all coming together. I think the end will be really fun to write now, because I know how it all ties together!

Today is the last day of summer camp, and I don't have any others lined up. However, my parents are in town, and they are talking about taking Guppy to the library some mornings next week, so hopefully I can continue to plug away at this and get it finished in the next few weeks. I'm doing camp NaNo, and my goal is 15k for the month. That seems reasonable! I'm pretty close to hitting that this month - I actually think I can get there today. (I actually woke up about 5:20 this morning and debated getting up to write... but the bed was sooo comfortable. It didn't happen.)

This morning was exciting in all the wrong ways. Velcro expressed her displeasure at seeing the bottom of her food dish by throwing up on the rug, and down the backside of her bed (which then required laundering), and for extra credit, the one spot on a colored throw rug where it blended in, so I stepped in it and then had to spend time tracking down all my footprints. We were a few minutes late to camp. On the plus side, the other kids were really happy to see Guppy, and our hand-off was basically painless.

Now to try to get that workcount up! Not-a-book is at almost 29k!

Christmas is galloping down on us! I still have unwrapped presents, and half the things I planned to do this week are not done (and probably won't be), but I am still feeling... good. I don't know if it's the extra 39 seconds of sunlight since solstice, the walk that Guppy and I took out in the woods, that I'm shaking off the last vestiges of this cold, that I put the last careful lines on a lengthy commission, or it's just that I'm finally feeling Christmas spirit, but today is a lovely, snowy day and I'm full of cheer and goodwill.

*throws tinsel everywhere*

I also got a new offering up at Etsy - a collection of mermaid designs, which is a steal at $10 for 10 designs: https://www.etsy.com/listing/487447436/mermaid-coloring-pages-for-adults-10

Friday night before Christmas Eve is a ridiculous time to release anything, from a strictly commercial standpoint, but it's the time I had.



Now I'm going to make some delicious dinner and throw more logs on the fire.

Cheers to all!

I have an embarassing backlog of artwork to release this month! Horrah! It's a marvelous problem to have, especially when I think a lot of people need some art to distract them from what a turdstorm this year has been. Look for something (nearly) every day.

First, this one:


This is up at Portrait Adoption now and was part of #inktober! It was also prompted at a Sketch Fest, "shooting star". http://portraitadoption.com/portrait.php?id=2773

I also have skeleton ornaments available on Etsy now: https://www.etsy.com/listing/478402448/festive-dinosaur-dragon-unicorn-or

I've also been writing appallingly terrible poetry for the Scavenger Hunt - https://www.facebook.com/events/201805243563410/ You don't have to join the Facebook event, and it's not a race. The hunt will remain up through the weekend (which is a Sketch Fest weekend, btw!) and you can do some of the bonus things to get extra prizes! Everyone who puts the puzzle together can get the primary prize, which is a coloring and coupon book from over a dozen amazing artists. I will be available online during the event time (noon to four on Tuesday, Alaska time) to give hints and solve any problems, but you can jump in at your own speed and time.

I noticed a tickle in the back of my throat Sunday evening, just a suspicious little dryness. I survived my parent aide stint at the preschool Monday morning feeling just a little spacey, but felt more and more awful as the day progressed. I actually took a nap when I came home, which is shocking for me. It went rapidly downhill from there, and I went to bed at 8 after an evening mostly spent drowsing on the couch.

I slept nearly 12 hours (not exactly un-interupted), and feel remarkably better this morning.

Today, I plan to do a whole lot of nothing. There's a load of clothes in the dryer to fold, and otherwise, I intend to watch a lot of TV and drink a lot of tea. Maybe I'll work on some artwork - I am in sight of the finish line on the next Coloring Alaska coloring book, and if I can wrangle it, I'll have two other books ready for reprints by the end of the week, too.

I got no writing or artwork done all weekend, though I did get through a few various house chores. I also missed dance class last night, to my chagrin.

I do have a sale up at my Etsy shop:


The discount code is good to the end of the month!

I think we will watch Tinkerbell now. Or maybe How to Train Your Dragon. And it's time for another cup of tea!

Tomorrow, I launch my Kickstarter. I am planning to hit go at 11 AM (give or take a few panicked moments), and I am fighting the brain weasels like woah. *fends them off with a pitchfork*

I am taking solace in my confidence in other unwinding projects. *rubs hands ala Mr Burns*

And new artwork! This is #Inktober #20 (except that #15 is still unfinished and #19 is only half-done while I wait for character permissions for the other half...):



He was prompted at the last Sketch Fest (and is sold!). He's available at Etsy with a special introductory price: https://www.etsy.com/listing/252585920/merry-christmoose-digi-stamp-digital

Fantastrix is back to the printer for next round of proofs. Dotminatrix cover is still going slowly. I finished - I think?! - my novella, but am going to go over it with a fine-toothed comb, not this week but next. It is silly and fluffy, and will be released under a penname because it is decidedly naughty, as well. If you want to read it, you'll have to ask nicely and I MAY send you a link to it once it's up if I don't die of embarrassment instead.

I have a new digistamp up at Etsy! https://www.etsy.com/listing/231092373/uncovering-atlantis-mermaid-digi-stamp

Sketch Fest starts in a few hours! http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/index.php

More world domination in progress! MWAHAHAHAHA

Artwork nearly finished! Just needs a little paint and pencil touchup and scanning.

A photo from a few days ago - she wanted TWO braids. (Today, I have THREE braids.)


I've got people coming over for Sketch Fest, so I need to give the house a good once-over, and there is outside play required, and I may need to make granola and I'm working on this spreadsheet, and there are emails to deal with...

*flees*

It was a busy, productive weekend!

I finished the upgrades for the Portrait Adoption site. There are still little things to tweak, but it is MILES above what it was just a few weeks ago. The front text of the site is re-written, and FAQ updated, customization sends a request through the site now and sets a claim, searches work and count properly now... plus all the changes I've been gabbing about last week and the week prior.

I added color to one of my portraits from last year, and it's been posted: http://portraitadoption.com/portrait.php?id=2493

I have one more colorized version in the queue, plus a full color piece that I've had done for a while but put aside to post at a time when I could offer the original, too.

I've also got a new digi stamp available at Etsy, The Gift: https://www.etsy.com/listing/220999695/dragon-gift-digi-stamp-digital-coloring

I also finished my business and self-employment taxes this weekend. Go me!

This week's big goals are to start advertising Portrait Adoption, and to get through my inbox backlog. I'm at 229, and some of them are getting moldy. I also want to make it to the new Children's Museum this week!

Off to do stuff now - Guppy is up earlier than usual, so I'm going to get hustling while the hustling is good.

Guppy was her usual happy self at the post office and charmed the staff and other customers as we mailed out orders. Then we went to the store and bought a humidifier and groceries and she ate her weight in mozzarella sticks and picked the colors for our new (sale) bathmats.

She's getting terrifically conversational, and she picks up and remembers things that surprise me. We drove past McDonalds, which I pointed out to her. "They have the big yellow slide there," I reminded her. "E-I-E-I-O," she returned.

That led to much singing of Old McDonald. She gets stuck in a feedback loop if I'm not singing with her, and there are about 50 "With a woof woof! With a woof woof! With a woof woof! With a woof woof!"s in a row. Her sense of tune for the rest of it is really coming together. Her raven imitation is improving, too.

...

I have a new digi stamp up at Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/217698108/family-garden-digi-stamp-digital?ref=shop_home_active_1

And a new story at Torn World: http://www.tornworld.net/storypageview.php?id=602 (Previously posted here at Livejournal for a Thimbleful Thursday)

...

Customs going into Costa Rica was actually smoothed over by a very restless, tired toddler who was starting to have a meltdown. They bumped us up to the head of a new line and pushed us right through.

We were renting a house near Dominical, a 3 or 4 hour drive away over roads that had been described as poorly marked and very steep, so we opted for a hotel that night in San Jose. After renting a car and going to the wrong hotel, we ended up on our place for the night and walked to the Walmart next door to stock up. Tired toddler fell asleep on my shoulder as we were leaving, and napped face-down on our bed while we ate sandwiches.

We set off the next morning on our driving adventure!

The roads were not as awful as I expected! Everything but the last road was paved, there were ample shoulders, and if local drivers were... er... lax about the passing laws and speedlimits, they were safe for the most part. The country was steep, beautiful, and it was hot.

We rented a house that we shared with Jake's sister and her husband, up in the hills a short drive from several gorgeous beaches. We had a private pool, and a view of the ocean to the west, perfect for sunsets:


( more photos... )

(to be continued!)

It was a nice weekend - sunny and rainy by lovely turns, and full of family and good sleep and funny stories and art and getting things done.

I have a new article up at Torn World on Prescriptive Music in the Empire: http://www.tornworld.net/settingpageview.php?id=293

It's a short read, but may give you a fun meta-fiction look at one way the sprawling Empire tries to keep control of its citizens.

I have updated and added digi stamps to my Etsy store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/ellenmillion

Like this one!



It still needs a banner and some polish, but it's a start. I plan to put up a new design at least once a week as I burn through my backstock of suitable images.

I got to 100 likes at my artistic Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/EllenMillionArtistrix

(I realize this is pretty small fry, but I like round numbers, and considering how little I've done with the page, it feels nice.)

I've got a few orders and some prizes to mail this week, a $%^@ letter I keep forgetting to work on, and some programming to accomplish. (I'm eyeing the waitlist feature at Sketch Fest and wondering how complex I actually want to make it. I could make it just send an email when a piece becomes available again. Or... I could make it actually MAKE a claim and deduct credits if they are available and re-finalize the sale. But not THAT many pending sales actually get canceled, so that would be a LOT of careful work for not a lot of return... I think I've talked myself out of that for now.) My inbox is at 54, which is not 0, but also not 600. I finally got my new printer set up, because I finally sold my old printer! It is awaiting pick-up, and I ADORE the replacement already. (Though the cartridges are SO LITTLE. I've got to see if there are bigger ones available.)

And I'll leave you with Guppy stories...

My adorable little Geek-in-Training asked last week for "Kablooey! Star Trek with Kablooey!" And I about died when I realized she was asking, specifically, for the episode of ST:tng where the Enterprise blows up four times. It's one of my favorite episodes, and I must have been extra enthused about the explosions when we watched it, several weeks ago. Kablooey!


Though you wouldn't guess it to look at my house, she's a very orderly child. If she finds a piece of wood around the yard, she says "Wood! I put away!" and trots over to find a hole in the woodpile it will fit into.