Jul 2025

 

Hi friends! I hope you’re all doing well. 

It is hot and humid here in New York but I’m keeping cool right now with a bowl of dark chocolate ice cream and enjoying a little fresh air from the cross breeze in the apartment. 

I like summer… in theory. I romanticize it every year but when it finally arrives, it’s unbearable. There have been some nice moments though like visiting the pond and sharing strawberry bingsu with my niece, finding shade under linden trees, befriending a firefly in the kitchen, blue hydrangeas, and being able to buy a crate of mangoes to refrigerate and enjoy later on. So it’s not all bad!

All the greenery has inspired me to start sketching this month’s postcard. Continuing with the coastal theme this summer, it’ll be an abandoned lighthouse turned into a garden. The postcard drawing will include patron’s pets. The sticker will be a cat holding produce from the farmer’s market. Here are the sketches I have so far…

(If you’re interested in this month’s snail mail, I’ll send them out to any new patrons that sign up for the $10 tier between now and the end of the month. Please note, I will mail July snail mail during the first week of August.)

⚘ New Arrivals ⚘ 

I have some new items in the shop! Along with the new summer bookmark, I’ve listed two new washi tape designs! I’m most excited about their packaging because they’re wrapped in paper instead of plastic. So happy to make the switch and they look like wrapped cookies too (that may be disappointing to others when they realize it’s tape though haha)!

I also have new thank you cards and bookmarks to include in future orders! There are still some of my current cards and stationery pattern bookmarks to get through, but I’m really excited to start using these later on.

⚘ In Transit ⚘

The June snail mail was sent out last week! 

(Sunset Sail Postcard, Sardines with Tomato Sticker, Summer Bookmark)

Also, added more downloadable printables to my Patreon shop (free for patrons)...

⚘ Favorite Little Things & Book Finds ⚘

Some secondhand books I picked up last month! I recently learned about Adrienne Adams and her illustrated work - so amazing! Makes me excited for the spooky season hehehe!

That’s all for now, I hope you have a great day! 

💛 Justine

Jun 2025

 

Hi friends! I hope you’re all doing well. 

I feel strange writing a monthly newsletter sometimes knowing that there are so many more important things to think about and focus on in the world. At the same time, I do think it’s important to check in and hopefully provide a little bit of a safe space here. 

I was reminded of this on Friday after playing a virtual game with friends. We’re all experiencing different things in our lives and living on opposite ends of the country and we’re all feeling a similar sense of sadness and doom. And there’s something really special about being part of a group where we make time to meet twice a month to work together and figure out this unfamiliar game (to us) called Dungeons and Dragons. 

It’s funny because I was hoping to join an online writing workshop this summer and I find that D&D is kinda like that. It’s a fun way to build a fictional world and to think deeply about your characters. It’s also interesting to see the different perspectives that the other players/characters bring and how they react and move about in our shared world.

Anyway, here is my character below. Their name is Figaro "Fig" Fleming. They are a Nakudama Cleric with a penchant for healing others with food. I also sketched out a mini comic from our first session where Fig wakes up from a nightmare.

Since we started playing last month and I spent some time thinking about my character, it inspired me to think about the characters for this month’s postcard. Here is the sketch I have so far…

I decided to draw sardines with tomato for the June sticker which also inspired the pattern for this summer’s bookmark.

I printed the drawing as a greeting card and recently placed an order with my manufacturer to print out my summer bookmark pattern as one of my new washi tape designs.

Here’s a sneak peek of my two washi tape designs:

I’ve been embracing brighter colors in my work and they do make me happier. I’ve also brightened my pin packaging too!

⚘ In Transit ⚘

The May snail mail was sent out the first week of June! While working on the postcard drawing, I decided to change the sketch because the angle and house shape looked too similar to April’s postcard drawing with the crow.

(Wisteria House postcard & Rabbit Journaling sticker)

⚘ Favorite Little Things & Book Finds ⚘

Some secondhand books I recently picked up! Ocean Vuong’s book has been on my list for so long so I was very excited to pick that up!

That’s all for now! Thanks for being here and listening/reading! 💛

💛 Justine

May 2025

 

Hi friends! After a brief absence from work, I am back! And just in time to celebrate the 9th anniversary of my shop! 🥳

Every year I like to offer a discount code as a small thank you for the support. If you’d like, please feel free to use the code “SHOPBDAY2025” on my website, justinegilbuenashop.com, for 20% off your order. The discount will be available from today and ends on Wed, May 14th at 11:59PM (EST).

Thank you all so much for your kindness and continued support! 💛

Things have been pretty busy recently, even before my few days away (which was actually to attend a wedding for my partner’s brother and it was really nice and low-key).

However, I still tried my best to make some time for one of my favorite activities… Spring cleaning! I should say that it’s not the actual cleaning that I enjoy, but there is something so refreshing about having a clean space with things all in their designated places, and it always helps me feel less anxious or overwhelmed. Of course, there are still some disorganized drawers and boxes to go through, but that’s for another time - though hopefully before NEXT Spring 😅… maybe when I finally decide to put up that blue wallpaper!

What really helps me stay on track with the things I need to get done are my to-do lists. I actually like using them so much that I designed one of my own and shared it as a free printable in the Patreon Shop! I like to separate my lists with primary, secondary, and tertiary tasks so that’s why it’s divided into three columns. You obviously don’t have to do it that way haha but I hope you find it helpful too!

⚘ In Transit ⚘

First thing to check off the to-do list: I’ve sent out the April snail mail earlier on May 1st! Here are the completed drawings below.

(Crow’s Song postcard & Crow and Tulips sticker)

Next to check off the list: I printed the crow and tulips as a greeting card. 

⚘ May Snail Mail Sketches ⚘

Still to check off the to-do list: Snail mail illustration! This month’s snail mail will be a writer typing away inside a wisteria covered building under the full moon postcard featuring one of my patron’s cats (Patreon Pet Easter Egg), and a rabbit journaling in a lavender field. Here are the rough sketches so far… 

(If you’re interested in this month’s snail mail, I’ll send them out to any new patrons that sign up for the $10 tier between now and the end of the month. Please note, I will mail May snail mail during the first week of June.)

⚘ Favorite Little Things & Book Finds ⚘

Some secondhand and new books I recently picked up! 

Added Little Women to my Penguin threads series collection, hehe 🤭 

I was so excited to pick up Sarah Kay’s newest book of poetry, A Little Daylight Left!! I love her work so much… I also recommend checking out her other book of poems, No Matter the Wreckage. 

That’s all for now. I hope you continue to have a great week! 

💛 Justine

Apr 2025

 

Hi friends, 

How are you all holding up? Times are, and have always been, a bit uncertain and I hope you’re all doing okay and you’re able to share how you’re feeling. As always, I hope you’re able to take some time for yourselves and do the things that bring you comfort and happiness. 

The weather has at least been okay… though I am ready for some consistency haha. New York has felt like it’s been going through all four seasons in just the last few days! Though, when the weather is warm and sunny, I’ve been able to enjoy some longer walks. The trees are finally starting to bloom. :)

On one of those walks, I noticed an old white house with cornflower blue shutters and a variety of tulips planted all around the front yard. Passing by their window, I heard someone practicing Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” on their guitar. 

I was really inspired by the moment and you can hopefully see that reflected in this month’s postcard and sticker sketches below. I’ve been wanting to practice drawing more anthropomorphic animals and this month’s main character will be a crow in their magnolia treehouse. Here are the rough sketches so far… 

(If you’re interested in this month’s snail mail, I’ll send them out to any new patrons that sign up for the $10 tier between now and the end of the month. Please note, I will mail April snail mail during the first week of May.)

⚘ Some Shop Thoughts ⚘

I think it’s important to take a few moments to talk about these new tariffs. They suck! 🤬😅

Things will likely be changing everywhere and many people and small businesses will be going through some tough times.

When it comes to my shop, as some of you know, I was able to make a lot of changes over the last year in order to make my items more affordable. First, I started printing most of my paper goods at home. With other items I was able to connect to new manufacturers directly (rather than through a middle-person/company) which brought my costs for production down.

I am hoping to be able to keep my items at the same price that they are now - and will experiment with making more changes if needed (with things such as packaging). Things are definitely uncertain, and I am sure that a lot of items/materials will start to get more expensive. I just wanted to let you know how important it is to me to make things affordable for everyone (while also still continuing to source responsibly). I will, of course, update you along this journey - and I wish you all good luck and fortune on yours!

⚘ Small Shop Update and Seconds Sale ⚘

Speaking of the shop…. Haha! There's a new water buffalo pin. I also updated the card drawing too.

The rabbit pin,  sampaguita/jasmine flower patch and pin, and needle minders are restocked. 

I included a Spring bookmark in last month’s snail mail and if you’re interested, there are extras in the shop.

I’ve finally had time to update my Seconds Sale and included more items. Thank you for your patience - it takes me a long time to organize and count inventory. 😅

⚘ In Transit ⚘

I sent out the March snail mail last week. Here are the completed drawings below.

(Apple Tree Bookmobile postcard, Bookish Squirrel sticker, and Spring bookmark)

⚘ Favorite Little Things & Book Finds ⚘

My friend recently mailed me some cute postcard art prints that she picked up when she visited Japan, so cute! They’re from cozyca. I especially love the petal detail on top of the cat’s head.

Some secondhand and new books I recently picked up! I loved reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry but never had a copy until now. Also, I was so giddy with excitement to see one of the Penguin threads series in the used bookshop!

That’s all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s newsletter and I hope you have a great new week!

💛🌸 Justine

Mar 2025

 

Hi friends, 

I hope you’re all doing well! I am very much looking forward to this weekend. Not because I have any big plans, but it has been pretty gray, windy, and rainy. Today it’s finally starting to get sunnier. And warmer! I do think the weather has been reflecting my mood though since I have been feeling a bit of burn out recently and I needed to take a few days off for some rest. Though when I rest I’m immediately filled with productivity guilt so I can’t take it easy and before I know it I’m trapped in this funny loop, haha.

Something that I try to do during these moments is make lists! I may not be able to accomplish what I want to during the day, but it’s nice to have a defined starting point where I can pick back up the next day. One of the things on my list that I’m looking forward to doing is decluttering and organizing my workspace! I’ve been planning to put up some wallpaper behind my desk - I chose the middle one below because I found it the most calming.

It’s just a test swatch, but I love how it looks against the wood. (Btw the wallpaper design is by Forest & Sea.)

I was inspired to use wallpaper after watching a new show on Netflix called The Hot Spot! I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it if you haven’t watched it already. It is so wholesome, calming, and it’s very funny! I love the characters, the story, and the cinematography. Here are two moments from the show - I love the blue wallpaper against the wooden shelves/furniture.

Btw, on a quick side note, I dropped off February snail mail a few days ago.

Looping back around, I’m so excited for the new season! This month’s snail mail will be a bookshop mobile under an apple tree postcard featuring a patron’s cats, bookish squirrel sticker, and strawberry pattern bookmark. I’m hoping to turn the sticker drawing into a pin and the bookmark into washi tape later.

Here are the rough sketches so far…

If you’re interested in this month’s snail mail, I’ll send them out to any new patrons that sign up for the $10 tier between now and the end of the month. Please note, I will mail March snail mail on April 1st.

⚘ Shop Update ⚘

I finished knitting the Sophie Scarf by Petite Knit last month and used my notebook charms as stitch markers. Tbh I have never used stitch markers before until now 🙈 I decided to make backer cards to offer the pigeon and cicada charms as stitch markers in the shop. Excited to design knitting/crochet-related charms in the future though!

I designed a new Filipino-inspired water buffalo pin with jasmine flowers inside. I was inspired by the Swedish Dala horse designs. I’m hoping to list the pin in the shop later this month but I printed the design on a greeting card for now…

Also, I ordered some new thank you bookmarks to include in orders! I made a pattern of my old stationery drawings...

That’s all for now! I hope you have a great weekend!

💛 Justine

Feb 2025

 

Hi friends, 

I hope you’re all doing well! This weekend was cold and gray but today was finally a bit sunnier. I took a few photos of pigeons on my way to the post office and had many cups of chai right after (chai always makes the day better). It has not been a joyous January but I’ve been trying to find ways of including small amounts of joy into my daily life. I hope you’re able to do the same.

One of the things that I’ve been doing is watching old films for inspiration! I love the fast dialogue and humor in Bringing Up Baby, the tiny adventures in Roman Holiday, the light and shadow play in Arsenic and Old Lace, and the apartment layout in Rear Window.

Btw Cary Grant’s expressions and physical acting reminds me so much of a pigeon… 

While watching these movies, I was able to finish my speckled scarf! I used Lion Brand Heartland yarn (in black canyon tweed) with their Black Bear Scarfie pattern. I’m excited to start a new knitting project so I’ll be joining the lovely bandwagon and will try to knit the Sophie Scarf by Petite Knit. I bought the Compatible Cashmere - Knitting for Olive yarn (in dusty dove blue) from La Mercerie.

It feels nice to knit again and have it be part of a routine. Also, I dropped off the January knitting-related snail mail today:

This month’s snail mail will be a silly ice skating scene postcard inspired by Wollman Rink in Central Park. The postcard will include a patron’s pet. I’ve been sketching foxes lately and thought about how hot chocolate always sounds nice after ice skating so that’s basically the inspiration behind the sticker, haha. 

Here are my sketches so far…

If you’re interested in this month’s snail mail, I’ll send them out to any new patrons that sign up for the $10 tier between now and the end of the month. Please note, I will mail February snail mail on March 3rd.

⚘ Shop Update ⚘

I’ve been busy restocking the shop and also adding a few new items: cicada charm, snail mail charm, hummingbird needle minder (sold out), coffee cat (gray) pin

I’m excited to make new designs but I've spent some time experimenting and reconfiguring things with my shop. In this process with finding new manufacturers, I’m slowly restocking old designs first. 

I’ve recently restocked:

  • butter cookie sewing kit needle minder (sold out)

  • butter cookie sewing kit pin

  • camera pin

  • cat nap (black and orange) pins

  • cicada pin

  • coffee cat (orange) pin

  • coffee sandpiper pin

  • hedgehog pin

  • hummingbird (green) pin (sold out)

  • mushroom mug pin

  • pigeon notebook charm 

  • pigeon pin

  • snail mail pin

  • tea kettle pin

That’s all for now! Oh, and if you have any old film recommendations, please let me know. :) Thanks so much! 

💛 Justine

Jan 2025

 

Happy new year, friends!! 💛 

I hope you’re all doing well and having a gentle and warm start to the new year. Towards the end of Autumn, I sometimes think about how much I will miss the leaves outside my window… But looking out now, I still love the winter trees. And as they go dormant until Spring, I’m reminded that it’s important to slow down and take my time with things, especially after the holidays.

Speaking of the holidays, my partner and I wanted to change up our usual gift giving traditions. Instead, we decided to do what we called, “Home Improvement Christmas!” Together, we bought a lot of the things for our home that we’ve been thinking about for a while. Things like lamps/lights, frames, and a few other things to make the space cozier and way more organized. The timing was perfect too since we hosted family in our small apartment for the first time! (At least for a bit before we all went out for dinner in the neighborhood to celebrate the holidays - and I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of the restaurant, but it was a very festive New Orleans-themed place.)

With all the festivities, Peach was quite the introvert haha! Though, now that things are calming down, she is very happy that she gets her spot on the couch back (she’s like a tiny Sheldon Cooper).

I also got to spend a few days with my niece and nephew. It was nice to take a break from work with them and we even had a chance to do some knitting together while watching a bunch of holiday movies (both good and bad).

I’m working on a scarf! Here’s my progress so far… I love speckled yarn/anything, confetti and sprinkles make me so happy!

Speaking of knitting! This month’s snail mail will be a combination of ideas from my last Patreon postcard poll. I’m tying together “knitting the longest scarf” with “a snowy houseboat” - and it will feature a patron’s pet! The sticker will be a close-up drawing of the snowy houseboat since it will be small next to the whale on the postcard. 

Here is my sketch so far…

If you’re interested in this month’s snail mail, I’ll send them out to any new patrons that sign up for the $10 tier between now and the end of the month. Please note, I will mail January snail mail on February 1st. 

⚘ LAST MONTH’S SNAIL MAIL ⚘

The snail mail for December was a Quilt Fort postcard, Tailorbird Quilting sticker, and Winter Bookmark.

 That’s all for now! I hope you all continue to have a restful month! 

❄️ Justine