Hi Folks!
Starting off the month with so much stuff happening. I know I’ve been hinting at things hitting the fan on my BSKY, but it really is so so much. I’ll start with life before talking about ECCC!
Residency at Shiro Oni Studio is a go!
I’m excited to participate in something I’ve been dreaming of before the pandemic. I never thought I’d have the money for something like this in my life, and although I do make frequent trips around the world, I usually budget for under 1200 USD when I do for like 2 weeks travel. So this has been the perfect storm where everything feels like it’s lining up.
I think I’ll be making casual, very small Tiktok vlogging and Instagrams for my friends. You can join me in watching my adventures come mid-June. I’ll link to the account formally when things start to roll! But you can find me at my usual handles if you want to follow sooner.
Suddenly, house?!
I have been in the process of buying a house. It’s been A LOT. I’ve been scrambling around for papers, scanning things, signing things, looking at the “show house” that is basically a replica of what my house will look like once it’s built. CRAZY! House purchasing feels like an utter scam! It’s all moving so quickly. I spoke to other people, and apparently this feeling of being scammed is just what it is!
But this has been in my 5-year plan! It took me 4 years! This is everything I’ve wanted in a long time, a place to call HOME and to house my friends and potentially a place for other artist friends to get back on their feet if they’re struggling. It’s got quite a bit of space for the place I live, and I look forward to making it the best it can be.
So coming August and September, my life will be all over the place.
MERCHANDISE
I told you all I would update you on the cardigan and glass!
The glass turned out amazing. I believe it’s some sort of heated sticker/UV that’s placed onto glass, since there’s white opaqueness on the back of the design, so it’s not sublimation. It’s also NOT dishwasher and microwave-safe, so this makes me wonder what the application process is like.
Unfortunately didn’t take a picture of them, but this is generally what they looked like! I probably won't do this design again, but maybe stick to something patterned and smaller.
The cardigan was a hit! It sold out on the first day, which was wild. The quality is fantastic?! I think I enjoy the thinner material than something extremely plush. It gives it more versatility when layering your own wardrobe with it.
These photos aren’t super great since I just took them real quick with the help of my roommate, but they get the job done! It’s cozy!
I had to do a lot of tinkering with the original art, and LOTS of crossing my fingers. But it turned out CRAZY good for something print on demand.
Check out FOURTHWALL, if you also want to try out some of your work? It’s definitely NOT for folks who want to order and sell at conventions, but the quality for POD is insane. I hope I can start integrating it to my Squarespace sometime for passive income.
Con bust?
Well, not really! I made all my money back and a little more, but it really was a close call for my local event. I have quite a bit of left over stock, which is a good and bad thing, but I’ll have enough to really get me through a chunk of the year.
The things I sold out on though, are my lower priced items. Sticky notes and bookmarks did really great! Along with my highest priced items, my cardigans. Maybe someday I’ll have my purses and cardigans (and my secret merch that I’m putting together right now) will be all in one place someday!
I spent about 2-3k, and made about 3k. It really wasn’t a good year, at least for me. I wonder why! Maybe our economy and all the tech layoffs really doing numbers! Along with the many celebrities! Gah! Hopefully, I’ll be able to justify going again next year…
Or I’ll have to make up some income through online sales. GAH! Scary!
That’s all for now folks! My brain is scattered with taxes, and I’ll update you with something else SOON!