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mytherapistthinksiamfunny · 4 years

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I am Christmas Shopping in September during a global pandemic.

What does that mean?

It means that life goes on and we have to plan ahead. People are dying, and those of us that remain will need a little shallow shiny thing during winter.

And those of us that remain will need something that helps us remember

that we remain.

Personally, I have made it clear to my spouse that I want and expect many gifts, many items wrapped in shiny and aesthetically pleasing paper. I want a combination of specifically specific items from specific stores/sites in specific shades/sizes/palettes/editions S P E C I F I C!

I also want random items that he chooses in any variety of quality/thoughtfulness/expense

Whatever it takes to make the moment last. The glorious moment of joy in opening a gift that someone has chosen just for you

I love doing that for people I care about. I bond with people by making them feel seen or letting them know that I find them intriguing and would like to know them better.

This year especially, I need to do this for the people I love and that matter to me. And I need to receive it or something like it from the people that care for me and/or have put up with my declining mental health and decent into madness

I see it as a form of self care and staying grounded through my relationships with others. Because if I succumb to my self-indulgent self-hatred I will end before this sentence does.

So...

Since I am still strong enough to fight for my life...

I have decided that I will shop for my life.

I know it sounds shallow. Or.. R E P U B L I C A N...

But I have come to the realization that it really is the thought that counts for me.

I truly love the knowledge that someone took time out of their day to think of me and wonder if something would bring a smile to my face.

Because people are dying and we remain.

And if all we do is survive to December 25th, or whenever you celebrate the end of year holy days

mine are Friendxmas the weekend before Christmas, December 12th, Christmas Day movies and Chinese food, New Year’s Day music shopping and movie-binge-watching with friends

and the anxiety-inducing panic of rushing through the last few pages of a book so I can count it on my reading challenge and then I can briefly forget the exhaustion of not enjoying my book long enough to ambitiously add 2 titles to my New Years Resolution Reading Challenge

So.

I am shopping. During a global pandemic.

Because my brother has made it through the better (haha) part of 2019 and all of 2020 without a drop of alcohol. He has faced his demons and punched them in the mommy issues

And last year when he told me he was in rehab and had been clean for 3 months and counting

I was so proud of him for fighting his way through the cycle of abuse and depression

I’ve been there too.

It’s not the same. His demons attack him externally. Mine attack me internally

It’s not a competition. And it’s not for me to judge him. Or his fight. It’s for me to support him in any way he needs me to.

Recently, it has meant that I selfishly used him to solve my financial troubles by having him take on my beloved Stella Roland, her room and board, his weekend warrior excursions, her resourcefulness and street savvy. I’ll explain later.

But my point was that I promised my brother a trip to Disneyland if he managed to stay sober for 6 months.

Just before his 6 months were complete...

The pandemic hit the news cycle

and everything shut down

It is very important to me that my little brother understand that he has done something amazing in a time when it could have broken him. And that he is so important to me that I was living in fear that I would hear from someone somewhere that he passed in some bizarre way. Or an all-too-expected one

And I need him to know that if anything were to happen to him, I would be destroyed

So I will do that. Let him know that he has done something amazing and that he means the world to me.

Because that is what my promise of Disneyland was all along. Not a bribe, but a promise of celebration.

We cannot control everything.

Sometimes plans change. Sometimes they have to

But that doesn’t mean we give up hope.

Because hope is the most dangerous thing in the world.

Those who have it will never give up

And those who lose it have nothing left to lose

So...

That long post was to seek shopping advice.

If you were a recovering young man trying to get his life back on track and looking towards family for comfort but your mother’s a batman villain, your father’s a recovering fuckboi, your sister’s daddy issues require their own well-lit corner of the family closet, your brother-in-law has knowingly and willingly joined this psychotic traveling circus by marrying your sister after learning that she was related to Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and you have not seen your young daughter in many years possibly triggering the childhood trauma you experienced as a child when your mother kicked your father out on his drunk ass for trading in the family vehicle to the gang across the street for copious amounts of cocaine

Should I get him the ReMastered Taylor Swift Box Set and ridiculously over-glittered “13″ foam finger that will inevitably be released closer to Thanksgiving/Black Friday?

I mean, it’s a prediction but you know Ms. Swift got something up them Cardigan sleeves. I bet the foam hand covering will be split into a heart-hand shape where one hand is holding up the middle finger to denote the “1″ and the other hand is holding up 3 fingers to denote how many album masters she owns while fulfilling the contractual agreement that releases her from BMLG and cuts into Tricycle Brawny’s profits

Or should I get him The Shining and Doctor Sleep by Dr. Stephen King, PhD?

You know, the feel-good story of a child who witnessed his father’s decent into madness and turn violent toward his family in an isolated hotel that haunts the nightmares of anyone remotely familiar with the story clear into the second chapter of the sequel that sees him grow into a man that has followed his deadbeat dad’s path to the bottom of a bottle through the mountains of cocaine it takes to help forget his past and reaches bottom when he remembers that he has a supernatural gift that can help save the next generation from falling victim to the same cycle of self-destruction and self-inflicted pain as penance for past sins or minor transgressions.

Or is that too on the nose?

So far, I’ve gotten him

A small Batman that he could stick to the dash in his car

A golden Batmobile Hot Wheels

Two Lion King puzzles

One Lion King set of stickers

A bag of All Pink Starburst

Convinced him to celebrate his Sobriety Birthday

Decided to gift him items 1-6 as his Sobriety Birthday Gift

Volunteered to get him an Oreo Ice Cream Cake and pop blue Powerade bottles in his honor. i should also pick up a pumpkin pie and orange sodas and Doritos

Or should I get him The Haunting of Hill House?

Gift-giving is hard.

I think I’ll get him a Czechoslovakian Football.

Or this

https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/playful-sports-mugs#255120000000

#mental health #self care #thoughtfulness #mindfulness #you matter to me #your life matters #batman villain #suicide squad #not an ad

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coffeecakey · 7 years

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hello! uhh i saw u @sabo last yr n i was digging through old photos and i saw ur table so hopefully this isnt too out of the blue? (if this question makes u uncomfortable pls just ignore) would you mind sharing how you make your prints and such? im tabling for the first time this september @ sabo and i dont realy know where to start.. ive never had to deal with printers and such before especially not like buttons/stickers/prints without (1/2)

“without investing in a better printer or button press or something? i feel like something is bound to go wrong considering its my first time doing something this big but any advice would b really much appreciated..! sorry about the sudden msg i hope u have a nice day !! :) 2/2”

HI absolutely not a bother at all!! And I’m sorry I’m only just responding to you!! But here is a comprehensive post in re: CONS because AA stuff is hard when you’re just figuring stuff out, and I’m still working on it myself. But I can definitely prevent you from making the same mistakes I did (like getting 11x14 prints for $9 each for my first con OTL)

First off, let’s talk prints.

Prints should always be the main event of your table, especially if it’s your first con. If you showcase your art style on a large scale, it is more likely to attract people to your table. You want to build your stock around the prints you choose to make.

Since saboten is the biggest anime con in AZ, you’re going to want at least a few (I would say at least 6!) 11x17 size designs for print. The less designs you have, the more of each print you should have. I like to have 12-15 print designs for each con, so i buy 8-12 of each depending on popularity. For really popular things, I like to have an upwards of 20. But since this is your first con, I would suggest you start with a smaller stock with about 10-15 of each one, 15 being for your most popular fandom!! A total stock of about 75 prints should be good, and I don’t think you would need more than that.

And while it’s a good idea to choose subjects that you like, it’s also important to choose popular fandoms and subjects. Voltron, Yuri on Ice, and Sailor Moon have been among my best selling subjects over the last year! I know people are also interested in Breath of the Wild, Overwatch, Final Fantasy, and MP100. Do your research in what’s up and coming in the next few months so you know what’ll have traction. It takes practice to understand, but also talk to friends, look on instagram to see what people are planning for cosplay, etc. For example, Voltron will have a lot of hype because of SDCC in July, so people will be excited for season 3, whenever it comes out in the next year. Cater to those people! The point is that you have to balance what you want to sell with what people want to buy. Also, it’s worth noting that generalized/group images sell VERY well because they appeal to more people.

Postcard sized prints are ALWAYS up to you, and feel free to make them individual characters or popular pairings–and how many you have is sort of just up to you. In my opinion, they don’t sell perfectly well. People are more interested in things they can either put on their wall or on their bags, so they aren’t as popular. Between 5-10 of each design should be acceptable. It’s also okay to make a smaller version of one or two of your anticipated larger best sellers (you can usually assume).

Now, where to order them from!

Catprint is absolutely the best place I have ordered prints from, and I prefer it to having them printed at Kinkos. They do absolutely any size, with different paper stocks, finishing options, and coating options. Holy customization, Batman! Plus, it’s cheap (especially if you manipulate a little. Not in a bad way, of course, but in a way that suits your needs). I like to order 11x17s on Matte Lightweight cardstock because they’re only $0.65 each and are sturdy and beautiful! For postcards, I arrange 5x7s/6x4s & 5x5s on an 11x17 file and cut them out with an industrial cutter when i print stickers and buttons at Kinkos, rather than ordering them (because for some reason they severely overcharge on postcard sizes). This is also a good idea if you want an irregular shaped print but want to save!

Also, make sure that you follow the file requirements that Catprint lists on their website–it’ll save you time and money!!

If you like, here is my referral linkfor catprint that will save you (and me!) 10$ when you order.

On to buttons and stickers!!

These are GREAT for first cons, especially because they are cheap for buyers and they can buy all their favorite characters or pairings!

For stickers, it is cheapest and easiest for me to buy unscored, matte label paper on amazon or ebay. And lots of it. I am still hacking through mine, even after using them for my stock, shipping labels, and freebies. I make all my stickers circles because I’m hard enough on my hands as it is and… uniquely shaped stickers sell exactly the same. So I own a 2.5" circle punch and make all my stickers 2.44" so there’s a white boarder. You can always fill them to be exact (and go over to about 2.6" for the design file), but i think they look finished this way, and if you miss the mark a bit, you won’t have any added whites on your design.

Buttons are certainly more complex, and it depends on whether or not you already have a machine. If you have one, don’t buy one unless your current one breaks. If you don’t have one, WAIT until you’re making good figures to buy an American made button maker. Chinese made machines are cheap, but pricey to fix and replace. American Button Machines are FANTASTIC (they’re what I use!) and use all metal fixings so that they’re basically guaranteed to last. But until you are making 2-5k per con, it’s not really worthwhile to buy a nice machine.

BUT! You CAN team up with other AA people local or otherwise (LIKE ME) who are willing to make buttons on their fancy industrial button makers and cutters (if you’re interested in this, I proof files, print them myself on no-bleed paper, and assemble the buttons myself. I also do proofs for $0.50 a button with no minimum and there’s flat shipping fees for under 100 buttons! I can set you up with my pricing for labor and materials if you like). This is very much so your cheapest option for buttons if you don’t already have a machine, as most companies charge more and have higher minimums per design.

My recommended size are 1.25" buttons. They’re not too small and they’re not too large! This is the only size I offer, but if you’re feeling specific I know places like PureButtons have great options and pricing.

You will certainly want to have lots of each sticker design. They sell very well, and people will even buy original designs of stickers if they’re cute enough! Buttons are a little more tricky, and it’s better to have less if you are ordering them, and better to have more options if you make them yourself. I don’t really sell more than 30 buttons at any con since it’s not my main focus. So choose wisely for button designs!

I know I went overboard with this answer, so please feel free to ask me more questions on ordering prints. This is mostly my process, but I hope I was able to help you at least a little bit!!! Let me know if you want help with displays, business cards, packaging, or con commissions. I’m happy to help !! ♥️

#Artist Alley #Artist Alley help #AA help #conventions #exhibitor hall #rune slayer

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