Baby Bonnets + Narwhal Block Prints

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My friends are having babies. Babies upon a babies.

So I’m making baby stuff.

I like making stuff for kids — not only do I think the fabrics are cute, but baby projects can usually be finished within an hour, which is just my style.

This weekend it’s been bonnets. I made a variety, but this little narwhal is the only one I carved and fabric printed for the project.

Little narwhal Soft Cut linoblock
The bonnet from the top —
the lining is the same cream shamrock color.

The ruffled bonnet is reversible, though why you would ever want anything but the narwhal on the outside is beyond me. Size 6-12 months.

Fast by Permission

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When you block print on old cookbook pages and then make crossout poetry from the remaining words, it gets a bit… steamy.

It’s been a long while since I worked in a restaurant — I did for awhile when I was starting my freelance business, but quit in 2010 to go full time — but some of the stereotypes are true. There was quite a bit of intrigue and lack of inhibition that comes from long, fast-paced nights, in and out of a hot kitchen. Especially when the owner is a bit liberal with the Italian wine.

Perhaps some of it is how visceral the process of making food is, so visceral that we’ve taken food words and sexualized them. Steamy. Simmer.

And in English we also use food words as terms of endearment — sugar, pumpkin, cookie, sweetie pie.

Food and Sex and Science

The pleasure from eating and the pleasure from sex are also very intertwined in the brain. They both light up our pleasure centers, engage all of our senses and cause an avalanche of hormonal and chemical responses in our bodies.

I’m sure there’s some scientific research to back up what I’m saying here, but googling it is giving me a bunch of listicles on what to eat for better sex and I’m getting a little depressed.

Rainbow in the Storm

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Over the last year I have participated in John Pedder‘s truly fantastic #oneofmanypostcard project three times.

It works like this:

Artists from all over the world make a run of postcard sized art, which they offer to send for free, anywhere, on a specific date.

People can check out the hashtag on Instagram and request whatever pieces they may want, with one caveat:

In exchange for each piece of art, you donate what you would have paid to the charity of your choice. Donations of time are also welcome.

The goal is to spread a little good.

John is in the UK, so he chooses dates for the send that are related to Brexit… but it’s good for everyone, everywhere.

I think it’s a lovely project — and I also do well creating to a deadline — so this little “Stormy Rainbow” will be going out on October 31st.

Stormy Rainbow Linocut Block Print

It’s a two-layer, 5″x7″ linocut block print on 120gsm Strathmore printmaking paper. The inks are all Speedball, though I used a mix of their basic and professional lines.

I made a run of 24 prints but am only happy with about 15 of them…

And all 15 of my cards were requested within about 12 hours of posting, which was super nice of people.

I’m actually going to try to squeeze in a few more prints this weekend because I’m not great at saying no and promised about four more prints than I have.

A Love Hate Relationship with Facebook Ads (a.k.a. Sh!t That Makes Me Crazy)

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Facebook Ad Screenshot

The bane of my existence this week?

THIS AD. THIS FREAKING FACEBOOK AD.

I’ve been running this Facebook Ad for one of my clients for weeks. Successfully, might I add… just check out that social proof, baby.

  • 8900 Reactions
  • 42 Comments (some of them TOTALLY QUALITY)
  • 75 Shares

SEVENTY-FIVE SHARES.

People are clicking this baby and opting in left and right. My opt-in rate has been chilling in the 75% range. It’s been pretty sweet.

None of my split tests have held a candle to this puppy.

So this week I was doing some rapid audience testing (I’m trying to sell a course here, guys, not just get your email in exchange for a free PDF…)

AND FACEBOOK DECIDED TO DECLINE THIS AD.

It’s been running for weeks, and they’ve suddenly decided it doesn’t comply with their advertising terms.

I appealed. Multiple times. I followed up with the appeal.

I begged. I pleaded.

But alas…

…This ad is lost to the Facebook Ad Graveyard, where good ads go to die.

I had to start from scratch as of Wednesday, without that gorgeous little share number.

I’m going to be irritated about this for awhile.

And yeah, okay… maaaaaaaaaaaaybe I knew when I published the ad that it was walking the line a little bit.

I knew I was treading on one of the Facebook advertising rules. Not breaking it, exactly… but giving it a little massage around the edges.

Just a little one.

That’s what rules are for, right? To show you where to push the boundaries a little?

But seriously, Facebook… why get my hopes up only to DESTROY them weeks later?

Right when I’m TRYING to give you more money?

So. Rude.

(end rant)

“Yesterday”

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I finally watched “Yesterday” last night and it was fantastic. Warm. Funny. Sweet. Incredibly enjoyable. Not at all cheesy or overdone. I had expected it to be cute but was totally enthralled.

I haven’t felt this way about a film in a long time.