Happy New Year!!
New Year, New Brand name!!
Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉
I’m excited to kick off the year by rebranding my Substack from ✏️ "Lines + Letters From My Desk" to ⭐️ "Story Makers Art Club" ⭐️!
First off, a huge thank you to all my wonderful subscribers! Your support means the world to me. If you're already subscribed, no need to worry—your subscription and any paid memberships will stay just the same. You’ll continue to receive all my future posts through the same link, no changes there!
When I started my Substack a little over a year ago, my original plan was to share updates about my books and art. But as time went on, I realized I wanted to include more fun and educational resources for schools, librarians, students, and all the amazing people I’ve met during my author visits and art classes. It’s been such a joy to connect and share little art and bookmaking tips! I hope to turn my Substack into a cozy creative space where we can all come together and build a lovely online community for those who share a love for art and books. That’s why I chose the new name, ⭐️ "Story Makers Art Club" ⭐️ — I think it really captures the spirit of what I want to create!
I’m super excited to bring you even more kid-lit content that goes beyond just printed pages, along with a variety of sketching and painting lessons. Plus, I’ll have a brand-new Art Book available for free download for my subscribers!
I’m also putting together a Kid-Lit Community Substack list where we can celebrate and showcase amazing creators who love, write, illustrate, review, and share children's books, graphic novels, or comics. If you're involved in any of these fantastic areas and want to join the list, I’d love to hear from you! Just drop a comment below.
I’ll keep the list updated and share it with all of you, so we can connect and grow together! 💖
January Event!
The Tiny Glimmers Art Show is now open at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland! The show is absolutely adorable, showcasing lots of cute handmade art. Opening night was a blast, and it was wonderful to reconnect with friends and meet some amazing artists. I put together a little recap video of the evening!
I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to Leanna for organizing this wonderful show, as well as to the supportive communities and art friends. It fills me with joy to see my little dolls find their forever homes with loving families.
If you are in LA, be sure to visit the gallery. The show will be up until January 11.
The story of the Mint Hot Chocolate doll:
I snapped a better picture of the supplies I used for my watercolor art on wood! As a minimalist, I love keeping things simple and sticking to the basics. This helps me focus on having fun with my designs, especially when I’m working on projects with short timelines.
Here is a behind-the-scenes video of my Mint Hot Chocolate doll! I hope you enjoy it!
I drew inspiration for this doll from one of my all-time favorite winter treats: mint hot chocolate! Since I can't have caffeine, I rely on hot chocolate made with rich dark chocolate to give me a little energy boost. Just like many people enjoy starting their day with a warm cup of coffee, I love kickstarting mine with a delicious cup of hot chocolate.
Mint hot chocolate is my wintertime indulgence, especially around Christmas and New Year. There’s something truly magical about that minty flavor that brings a warm and cozy feeling to the holidays. To me, it just tastes extra special during this festive season!
Check out the full Making Wooden Doll series by clicking on this link!
Awesome news! The lovely folks at Golden Maple have decided to extend their special discount on their watercolor brush set. These brushes are perfect for starting new creative projects this year! Happy painting, and have fun!
Exclusive Amazon 15% off link:
Watercolor Brushes Professional Set, 10 Artist Brushes Watercolor Paint Brushes
https://www.amazon.com/promocode/A25O8QR329206
15% Discount code - 15AlinaChau
Discount end - January 8, 2025
⭐️ Story Makers Art Club ⭐️ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.