Hi friends,
Happy belated new year, I hope you’re all doing well and finding little ways to take care of yourself. 💛
I usually don’t create new year’s resolutions but I did want to find a new year's word for myself. The word I chose for this year is “practice” and I hope to focus on old and new interests regularly. Honestly, this is an every year goal haha.
I always want to improve on drawing and get out of my comfort zone. I was really lucky two years ago, and found myself constantly drawing and practicing… andddddd… illustrating a picture book! And now I can finally share a little bit about it, starting with the cover:
When I first read Kristen’s manuscript, I was immediately inspired! I love her writing! It is so immersive, and I was really able to see the world that she built. It has a mysterious house, spooky creatures, a curious child and their skeptical dog. Also, do you spot… a hidden frog? (For those that don’t know, I used to include a hidden frog in some of my earlier monthly postcard drawings.)
The book will be released on July 7, 2026 and is available for pre-order now. 💛
⚘ Shop Update ⚘
⚘ En route: December Art Mail ⚘
The December art mail was sent out earlier this month…
(Winter Hot Pot Postcard, Tea Bird Sticker, Winter Bookmark)
⚘ January Art Mail ⚘
For this month’s postcard drawing, the pets included are Rango, Garland, and Tinsel. For the character carrying a log, I wanted to draw a creature that is half-bat and half-nature spirit (inspired from Philippine folklore).
This year, I thought it would be fun to do a sticker theme! I want to draw stickers based on the birth month flower. Each month usually has two flower options and I decided to go with the snowdrop for January. At first, I wanted to draw a Ring-necked pheasant with the snowdrops (mostly because their neck reminded me of collars haha) but then I saw a photo of the Mikado pheasant and I was really inspired by their purplish-blue color. Fun fact… the mikado pheasant is found in the mountainous areas of Taiwan!
(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 during the first week of February.
⚘ Favorite Little Things ⚘
Music: Both of Olivia Dean’s albums, Messy & The Art of Loving
Music: Mother by Sara Diamond
That’s all for now! I hope you all continue to have a great week!
💜 Justine