June Monthly Newsletter

read to the end for a handsome cat

Photography

July has been a crazy time for me offline. My little sister was visiting for most of the month so I spent a lot of my time doing touristy stuff. Having lived here for four years, I didn’t think there was much left to do but I was glad to be wrong. However I am relieved I waited until after experiencing the 7.4 earthquake in April to visit the nearby earthquake museum built around a destroyed middle school. I’ve got enough anxiety.

A hobby I’ve had since high school is photography, even doing it professionally for a bit in university. Anytime I go somewhere new (i.e. aforementioned touristy stuff) I lug along the very same DSLR I use for stream - a clunky Canon 700D from 2014. If you, like me, find it hard to leave the house and touch grass every once in a while, I can not recommend photography enough. It’s not the cheapest hobby to get into, but I’ve never spent any money beyond my initial investment.

Photography guides might look pretty intimidating, but you only need to understand three numbers (ISO, shutter speed and aperture) to do almost everything. If you’re less controlling picky than me you can even get away with not caring about any of that. My main point is that going outside to take photos is free(ish), time flexible, and doesn’t require any nearby friends (huge win).

I’ve had a Flickr account for years full of artsy-photos I’ve taken and I treat it like a visual diary. Check it out for a summary of my adult life, and consider photography if you’re struggling to get out of the house.

This Month’s Art

New Cross-Stitch Pattern

I participated in the Flower Language Omori Fanzine, and created a cross-stitched piece for it - the first time I’ve stitched off stream in years. The pattern is free on my ko-fi for any Omori fans (and non-fans, if you’re only interested in the background flowers). The piece itself will be up for sale as soon as it is washed and re-framed.

New Stickers Soon!

I’ve made a bit of a financial leap this month and made my first ever order of proper vinyl stickers. I’m very excited to try them out and see how they are, but until then I’ve reduced how much my boring old sticker sheets cost. I’m not planning on making this design ever again, so if you’re interested in a ludicrous number of cats staring at you, grab a sheet here.

Breath of the Wild Tapestry Update

Community Shout Out

This month I’d like to shout out miniature figure painter MikeMoans. He’s a super entertaining streamer and Dungeons and Dragons pro making great stuff. After endlessly fighting faceless corporations, he’s finally been made into a YouTube partner, and we all wish him many more victories in the future! Here’s his first video after making partner:

ps: here’s a very handsome cat