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Bean Up The Nose Art is happy and lucky to introduce you to terrific Ginger McCleskey, of Queen of Hearts Cards, Etc. . . . she's our new sales rep here in Northern California!!!
 (Photo courtesy Ginger and Queen of Hearts Cards, Etc. Facebook page.)
Ginger has been a sales rep for greeting card and gift sales for 25 years. Wow! We admire all the knowledge, skills and get-up-and-go this represents. Let's find out more about her, shall we?!?!
What is the job like?
I spend approximately 75% of my time on "road sales," and 25% of my time is office work. Most of my time on the road is on day trips, and I usually travel after the morning commute, and return home before the evening commute. For those trips to farther destinations within my territory (such as trips to the Monterey Bay or to Mendocino County), I usually plan overnight trips. My territory extends from Fort Brag, in Mendocino County, south to Big Sur, in Monterey County.
I call on independent stores, and some locally-owned chains, such as Books, Inc. The types of stores I call on include book stores, gift stores, boutiques, galleries and restaurants.
I am largely my own boss -- occasionally, a vendor will contact me with a lead or make suggestions about how they would like me to expand business for them, but ultimately, every decision about which lines I represent, which stores I will call on, and how I spend my work-related time and energy is up to me. Fortunately for the artists and manufacturers I work with, I have a strong work ethic, and am self-motivated and self-disciplined!
About how many lines do you carry?
I am currently working with about 50 manufacturers, so I am quite full up on lines right now. I am not looking for more lines, but I am usually willing to consider looking at a new line. Having said that, I am many months behind responding to artists who have contacted me looking for representation.  (Here's Ginger with one of the artists/lines she found at the National Stationery Store last year . . . "Just Eleanor." Photo courtesy Queen Of Hearts Cards, Etc. Facebook page.)
Do you sell other items, too?
Yes! Many of my card lines offer related gifts such as journals (or notebooks), boxed cards (including invitations and announcements), magnets and prints; some offer less-common items, ranging from luggage tags, soaps, baby onesies, t-shirts, rubber stamps and coloring books, to pendants, tea towels, decorative pillows, limited-edition prints, and hand-carved birds. In addition, I represent a few gift lines, including a handmade paper line, a candle line, a line of oilcloth bags, and a line of cardholders, passport covers, wallets, etc.  What are your favorite, and least favorite, parts of the job?
I am a people person, and a problem-solver. I enjoy most aspects of what I do, especially anything around working with customers and/or providing vendors with the information they need to make their lines better. One important point: I am not really much of a sales person. What I feel I provide is service -- I find great card and gift lines, and bring them to my stores, who try them and hopefully sell them. For me, it's all about helping other small businesses. What works for my stores will benefit my vendors, in the form of re-orders, and will ultimately benefit me! So far, this seems to be working . . . .
Judging by the stack of files and papers on my desk, I would have to admit that my least favorite part of the job seems to be filing . . . . [Bean Up The Nose Art note: we feel you, sister!]
When you're not working, what else do you like to do?
I do work long hours, but in my limited spare time, I dance (mostly West Coast Swing, which is a contemporary sort of swing dance), and enjoy walking around this beautiful area in which I live. I'm going to be doing more blogging soon, too! Working on a website and blog now . . . .
You can find out more about Ginger at that site. Click here :)
We are happy and grateful to have Ginger representing us here at Bean Up The Nose Art. Her spirit suits us to a "T." We love her kindness, humor, savvy, independence, creativity and connectivity. Thanks a bunch for being our rep, Ginger!!! YOU RULE!!!
Some days are way, way harder than others. This was one of those days. We've written here about animal love. And here about The Black Kitty's passing last fall. Today, we lost The Grey Kitty.  Selfishly, what I miss is her being on the planet with me. Forget about the grown-ups and grown kids. Forget about the 70 lb Rottweiller/Golden Retriever mix of a mess that is Gracie the Dog. Forget about big bruiser Black Kitty, may she now rest in peace. It was seven-pound Grey Kitty who was the alpha animal in the house. She let you know who was boss. Of herself, and of you. With a well-timed, "MeeeeeeEEEEOW!" for breakfast, dinner, or a rub when she felt like it. With a swift turn of her butt to you when she didn't . . . and then hours of disdainful ignoring your silly existence when she wanted to sleep under the bed alone. With a swipe of her paw toward the dog's nose when the dog got too enthusiastic about wanting to play. With a PLOP right into your lap while you needed to work at the computer, but she needed to be petted and purr at you. (Note: no other cat ever purred as loudly as The Grey Kitty. She sounded like a motor boat. You could hear her from across the room.) Not having The Grey Kitty pacing back and forth through the house letting you know what you should be doing to make her life better . . . . that sucks. We're only about seven hours into this absence, and I already miss my boss. Maybe it's because I'm a Leo, and I need another cat to help me out . . . and for the first time in almost 20 years, there's no other cat in the house. Maybe it's also because of the February timing: lost my mom 27 years ago, almost to the day . . . on an identical weird-assed February day clear and blue and and warm as a day in May. Whatever the reason, this loss feels harder to be philosophical about that lots of others. It's just sad. It's just pure and simple bereavement. Because she was a very awesomely wonderful cat. Even though she was -- or, maybe because she was -- quite a beeotch along the way. The Grey Kitty was 1,000% always, undoubtedly, her own bad-assed self. All right. Time to pull it together and get philosophical. I am quite certain you'd want me to buck up, Grey Kitty, and be just as much of a bad-ass as you always were. And I'm very certain you are now the boss of very many other animals, with your lungs and bladder and kidneys intact and raring to go. Rock on, Grey Kitty! And I'll be taking a page from your book -- doing my own version of sleeping under the bed. Taking a week off (under the bed) from blog posting, and from tweeting. Wise cats know when it's time to hide out, lick their wounds, and heal. Thank you for all the love and teaching, Grey Kitty. Be well.
Yeehaw!!! In celebration of Bean Up The New Art's new studio space -- ultra-conducive to fun, visiting, learning, creating, all things art-ing -- we're trying something new: hosting a class that will be taught by another local artist.
Voila!
 On Saturday, March 10, wonderful Marilyn LoRusso (who you might know on Twitter as @fun_master) will be teaching a Vision Book Workshop.  And here are all the deets, straight from Marilyn herself:
"Join me for a FUN art workshop where you will begin to create a Vision Book using the altered book collage method. A Vision Book is like a Vision Board, only in a book! This way you can carry it around or move it from room to room easily in order to gaze upon its pages and enjoy its images and messages. You can include anything in your Vision Book . . . images and messages that make you feel good and inspire you, places you would like to visit, activities you want to try . . . anything! Your imagination is unlimited."
"I will provide instruction on how to prep your book, different collage methods, and tips on how to make it beautiful. You will leave with two-to-three pages completed, and ideas to continue your creative and fun Vision Book journey."  "I will provide all the materials you need, such as:
* Books * Magazines * Beautiful papers and ribbons * Rubber stamps and stamp pads * Feathers * Glitter glue * Colorful sparkly gems * Markers/oil pastels * Glue sticks * Scissors
There will also be complimentary tea and cookies to munch on as we create! You are welcome to bring some of your favorite images and old magazines.
And the fabulous mixed media collage artist, Tamara Holland, will be on hand to add to the FUN!" [Aww. Thanks for that, Marilyn!]  And here's Marilyn's bio:
"Marilyn LoRusso is the CFO (Chief FUN Officer) at FUNitude HeartQuarters. She believes it's all about your FUNitude and raising your FQ (FUNtelligence Quotient). For Marilyn it is all about feeling inspired and focusing on the best in any situation . . . feeling good, no matter what. Life is supposed to be FUN. When you add a sense of FUN to any situation, it transforms the experience for you and everyone around you!"
"She writes the column "For the LOVE of Kids" for The Patch on-line news site and has published a series of e-books entitled, "Celebrating Children: Conversations With Kids." She has been an arts and crafter her entire life, has taught art classes to children and now wants to spread fun, joy and art to children of all ages."
"Marilyn has a B.S. from Northwestern University, and M.S. from Columbia University, and an F.S. (FUNMaster of Science from Life University. She is currently working on her Doctorates in FUNology from Eternity University."
Marilyn's Vision Book Workshop will be at Bean Up The Nose Art's studio space at 2 Florence Ave., in San Anselmo. Saturday, March 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Cost: $35.00 per person. Class is limited to six lucky folks. To reserve your space, e-mail Marilyn at marilynlorusso@sbcglobal.net.
We hope you can come and play :)
2012 is barely seven-weeks-old. But it's already evident the little baby year has amazing potential to change things up, and grow new ways and relationships.
Today, we're highlighting the new brick & mortar friends Ginger and Ivette have already made for Bean Up The Nose Art. Yay!
 The following very fine establishments have just joined up with us to carry Bean Up The Nose Art goodies. We thank them profusely . . . and hope that when you're in their neighborhoods, you'll support them.
 * Arlington Pharmacy, 299 Arlington Ave., Kensington, CA * PegasusBooks, with three locations: 1855 Solano Ave., Berkeley, CA 2349 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 5560 College Ave., Oakland, CA
And we remain oh so grateful to our established accounts with brick & mortar friends -- many of whom we've been able to tell you about on this blog. For example, we're thankful for recent re-orders from:
 * Avatar Community Business Center in Fairfax, CA (click here for our blog post)
 The greatest source of Bean Up The Nose Art's revenue is business through our brick & mortar friends. As our blog posts attest, we admire the moxie, tenacity, creativity, boldness and courage of folks who open up their own shops and do business in the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you to shopkeepers everywhere. YOU RULE.
We would not be here without you.
Typing away on this post about last Saturday's Valentine's Day Quickie Shop, I feel like an order at Cafe Gratitude*: YOU ARE LOVED. That's you. And me. Both of us. All of us.
Because it was a great day -- from its beginning a couple of weeks ago, right up to the end of the day. And there are a lot of people to thank, for spreading all the love.
 First, @toddlieman. (To those of you not on Twitter, nor interested in being there . . . the man's name is Todd Lieman. He's at Skadaddle Media. He rocks.) Todd became a friend in real life after we met first on Twitter. Around the first of the year, he sent me an e-mail introducing me to another artist friend of his: Willow Older. Todd thought Willow and I should get together and talk about our art businesses. Todd was right. THANK YOU, TODD! Because, in the way these things magically work, I invited Willow to be in the Valentine's Day Quickie Shop. On the phone, before we even ever met in person. And she said yes. And SHE rocks, too. You can find her etsy shop here. Color, color, color. Hearts. Energy. Love. Awesomeness.
 Second, friends helped publicize in the days ahead. With Facebook postings. With tweets and retweets on Twitter. With a blog of their own about it -- telling their readers to come to the show. With providing information the day of the show to people shopping at their nearby places nearby. Totally amazing. There was this little army of love, publicizing away. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Heather Kenney (Facebook postings); to @pcarlson0001, @dianefischler, @ctygrl99, @emerald150, @sally_k, @ipeggy, @ripelife, @toddlieman, @lisakifttherapy, @nextmoon, @fun_master (for tweets and retweets); to @sally_k (for a whole darned blog post); and to @emerald150 for telling people at the Fairfax Away Station to come on down.
 Third, big thanks and love to wonderful Suskia Hyde, another great artist at the show . . .
 . . . for bringing your awesome table set-up of old-timey trunks and boxes and mirrors, for providing so much fruit and chocolate goodness to the treat table, for offering totally cool jewelry of all kinds -- from watch-works and key necklaces, to felted pieces, to great earrings and bracelets. YOU RULE.
 Fourth: the people who came by. O.M.Goodness. Wow. So great to open the new studio space to the neighborhood and get to meet the kind people nearby. Including Pamela from pamelafrye.com. And Greg, who got the day off to a wonderful start by buying Valentine's Day goodies from all three artists. (Now THAT is a mensch.) And thank you so much to all the friends who came on out and supported us local artists. Thanks to Heather Kenney, to Bogi, to Toni from Avatar, to Kirstin and David and baby Jack, to Kenji, and to all the Twitter crowd in Marin who support each other on-line, and in-person. Like @dianefischler, @lindasea, @lisakifttherapy, @momntwins, @nextmoon, @pcarlson001, and @tonicarr . . . who brought along her fabulous Ollie.  And to @fun_master, who brought A MILLION DOLLARS for us (because that's what your tweeps do for each other):  Thank you so much to everyone who not only showed up, but who bought our goodies. Like, wow. We totally appreciate it, and get a good feeling in the tummy thinking of our Valentine's Day cards going out to folks :) Most popular of the day: And most popular luggage tag: It was an awesome afternoon, filled with kindness and love and treats and chocolate and champagne. We feel so loved! And hope you do, too. Because boy oh boy, it is a very good feeling indeed. 
* * * * * * And while we're sharing our love and gratitude . . . another thing for which we're very grateful these days is the sales of our Kindle book! If you or a friend are thinking about making your arts & crafts hobby into a business, we've got a $3.99 Valentine's Day present for you! Click here for our 100 tips book to help.
 * * * * *
*For those of you who have never been to a Cafe Gratitude restaurant, their offerings are all titled with affirmations: "I am _______." As in "Radiant," "Fulfilled," "Nourished." Yes, it is sweet. Yes, it can also be amazingly, ingratiatingly, New-Age-Nazi irritating . . . especially on the days when you want to say, "I am Anxious" or "I am Frustrated," or "I am In Existential Angst."
Maybe it was the truly great women who signed up for Bean Up The Nose Art's "Quickie Class: Matchbox Valentines" last Saturday evening . . . one of whom said at the end of class, "We've been giving a back seat to our creative needs. And they need to climb up into the front seat now!"
Maybe it was the art journal page Bean Up The Nose Art made the morning before, envisioning holding the class space and the folks in it with fun and love.
 Maybe it was the terrific class venue: Sunny Day Salvage, in Fairfax, CA (which we've talked about here before).  Maybe it was the bubbly we provided :)
Whatever the reason, whatever combination of them, we are most grateful for getting to "teach" one of our most fun, rip-roaring classes so far.
By "teach," we mean that the eight women who were "students" needed only about 30 seconds worth of explanation of how to turn matchboxes:  into Valentines. Then, the rip-roaring began. Because those gals were off and running. Rummaging through the materials provided. Sharing scissors, glue, pinking sheers, Dresden foil bits . . . and lots of jokes and laughter about . . . well, what girls say about Valentine's-type topics. Folding, glueing, cutting.   This is not an exaggeration: what I did after the first 30 seconds of "instruction" was help find more glue. Pour some more champagne. Pass around the chocolates.
And in the 90 minutes we had together, these women created matchbox Valentines much more cool and innovative than the sample I'd pulled together. For example.  This one ended up including a PUZZLE on the inside!  Another artist composed and folded a two-sided story book into hers.  Three-dimensionality ruled.  And voila! Folks went on to design and make their own bounty of Valentine's cards, too.  What an absolute treat to spend that Saturday evening time with women who jumped in with such gusto, who were creative and confident and content in their makings-of-love. It was a gift to me to be in the company of folks who already believed they could make art. Who understood already that, as one woman said of the students she teaches to sing when they think they can't, "They're not failing. They're just confused." Who already knew that when we doubt ourselves as artists, we just need to get ourselves unconfused and unstuck. What joy to spend that time with eight folks already grounded in this understanding, who confidently went forward and made SO MUCH COOL STUFF! And who were funny, and kind to each other, and supportive -- of the folks they already knew, and of the new friends they made that night. too.
It was one of those times when I giggle inside with glee, in delight at what is going on around me, and thinking I also get paid for it :) Thank you, "students." YOU RULE!!!!
* * * * * *
And now, a plug for our next Valentine's Day Quickie!!!
Hoping that if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, you will stop on by the new studio space and  Yep! Come on over to 2 Florence Ave. in San Anselmo, CA. From 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. this coming Saturday afternoon, February 4.
Bean Up The Nose Art is teaming up with two other great local artists to provide a one-stop shopping spot for Valentine's Day goodies: cards, mugs, jewelry, and other gifty-goods!
  And the fabulous Suskia, who makes great steampunk-and-more jewelry. (My bad: this photo does not do it justice.)  And awesome felt creations.  And, of course, we've got cards for you:)  Hoping to see folks here this Saturday afternoon. Cool indoor studio space. Bubbly and treats while you shop. What's not to like?
Thanks for playing :)
Today, Bean Up The Nose Art tackles . . . wait for it . . . REALITY.
Yes.
The Whole Enchilada. The Entire Shebang. And we also propose why we should all go out and make our owned darned versions of it.
 Ready?
Come on!!!
* * * * * Bean Up The Nose Art got its name from the time I ran up to my mom and assured her, "I DON'T HAVE A BEAN UP MY NOSE!" 
All of my issues with "reality" are apparent right there. 1. We don't truly know what is going on in any situation until we live it ourselves. ("Hey! Let's see what happens if I put this up my nose!") 2. Humans always spin situations based on their own agendas. ("Wait! I know! I'll just tell her it's not there!") 3. Confidence in your view will not necessarily win the day, and untruths will come to light. ("She didn't believe me?!?!?") 4. You never really know for sure how things are going to turn out. (For instance, I do not know the end of the story. My mom has passed away, and my dad cannot remember the outcome. For all I know, the bean is still up there. And lo these many years later, it has became a kick-ass business name. Who knew?) In short, my healthy dose of curiosity about -- and potential skepticism over -- the rules, authority, and how things worked was apparently something I was born with.
And it just got more pronounced.
When we learned division in grammar school, I asked what happened if you divided by zero. I was told, literally, "You cannot do it. It is impossible."
Fast-forward to more advanced math classes a few years later . . . where, lo and behold, you COULD -- and SHOULD -- divide by zero! Because that was how you got to imaginary numbers, which was part of the assignment.
 WHAT?!?!?!? In fourth grade, you couldn't divide by zero. Because it was IMPOSSIBLE. But in seventh grade, you HAD TO?!?!?!
I was outraged. Here's how that translated in my particular let's-stick-a-bean-up-our-nose brain: in that instant, what I internalized was that "reality" and rules and whatever else gets portrayed as "the truth" by folks in authority is really just one version of things. (A darker perspective: it's an outright lie, perpetuated by any number of motives . . . including being too tired to explain to a fourth grader that one actually could some day learn to divide by zero, but it just was not going to happen today.)  Nowadays, my attitude toward folks pedaling any version of the "the truth," is to smile to myself on the inside and say, "Okay. It's your version. If it helps us, let's go with it." To me, all religion, and all science, is -- at its best -- a set of the best conjectures and best faiths based on the best information folks have got on hand at the time. Things change. Perspectives change. Information changes. No one really, really, really knows what happens when we die. Or who's running things. Or how the universe started. No one does, for sure. None of it can be absolutely proved, or disproved. All faith and all science is simply a matter of a set of beliefs.   And all of this is to say that I am increasingly frustrated and sad about humans' predilections to get their panties in a bunch about what "the truth" is, and how the rest of the world should believe it, too. When no one can prove for certain what is true and what isn't in these matters, why can't we just admit that, and be kinder to each other about it all? And, in fact, why can't we view it as a glorious opportunity to create our own versions of how we want our worlds to be? Because if "the truth" and "reality" are really only versions of how things are, why can't we make up new and better ones? I for one would make up a world where the more soft and flabby skin you develop on your neck as a mid-life woman, the more powerful and attractive you become. That would be a start. And then we would tackle world hunger, war, illiteracy, slavery, racism, and poverty.  Hoping you will join me in your own do-it-yourself reality-making. To the extent we can. Whatver that is. Because who the heck really knows? But since no one can really prove to us that we can't, WHY THE HECK NOT TRY?!?! Thanks for playing. Keep us posted on your results :)
We here at Bean Up The Nose Art would like to introduce you to one of our favorite creations: fabulous daughter (and artist, and oh so many other things) Meryl Phillips.
 (This photo via wonderful Heather Kenney.)
We cannot take all the credit. Other people were involved. And this chick came into the world already packing her own amazing brand of can-do spirit.
She was, after all, the kid who explained to me as a six-year-old how to get over sadness:
"Two anger and and four happiness molecules come into my forehead. And then, I'm not sad any more."
And how she got over her fear of dogs:
"I said to myself, 'Meryl, you're going to be around dogs your whole life -- now, just get over it.' And then I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and did a 'poof' with my fingers, to make it stick."
And she's just become even more savvy and wonderful with age. These days, 26 years old.  Meryl's a 2009 studio art major graduate (minor in film) from Mills College.  She won awards. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa. I'm telling you this because a) I am her mom and I am proud of her and b) she pulled out of UC Davis as a sophomore when she was bombing out. And figured out what to do next, each step along the way. And went back to college with a better fit. And kicked ass. WE LIKE THAT WAY OF DOING THINGS.
Art from Mills time. Senior installation, examining neighborhoods of Oakland. She did not want to take the required sculpting class. Voila.  She started Mills to study film and videography. She made butt-kicking documentaries there. But she didn't want to take the required drawing class, because she didn't think she could draw. She found out you could learn.  In the years since graduation, Meryl has strung together a stunning range of jobs and activities. Even more than us, Meryl is truly The Boss Of Herself.
She designs and draws by hand these shoes . . . which landed her in juried craft fairs, and now a designer spot at Bucket Feet.  For the past three years, she and her boyfriend Chris have been renovating their house in Oakland, which Meryl chronicles every step of the way on her blog, Picardy Project. There, her kick-ass nature abounds, replete with cussing and honesty and humor. The other day she let drop in a conversation that companies post her all the time, asking to advertise on her site. She ignores them, because she thinks it would cramp her style.
She is way more fearless than we are.
And she wields a mean skill saw.  But that's not all.
Nope.
When Meryl was three-years-old (and still sucking her thumb), we took her to her first baseball game. A night game at the Oakland Coliseum, before it became the Al Davis Travesty. As we came out to our seats on the third deck, with the green green green field spread out before us in the lights, Meryl stopped and stood stock still. She pulled her thumb out of her mouth, to exclaim in awe, "This is a VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE!"
And from then on, she was an As fan.
 And since 2008 when she got an internship there, she's been working every season behind the camera, behind the desk, behind the scenes as a slo-mo and still store/PDR operator. What does that mean? Well . . . she knows who wins every Dot Race and Under The Cap game. And the answer to all the Player Trivia questions. And who's going to be up on Diamond Vision. And sometimes, you see her out in the crowd, filming. Or down on the field. She's also a part of the film and video team for the Raiders, has worked for the Warriors, and Earthquakes.
She's also an organizer, personal assistant, bookkeeper, girl Friday to anyone lucky enough to book a slice of her time. Like we get to, every once in a while. Because she also trains really hard as an athlete, and is an incredibly fast distance runner.
And when she's got a cold and needs some down time? When she's feeling "unproductive?" She'll design and whip out a Kindle case from scratch in an afternoon . . . .
 Here's a big, fat, wonderful Bean Up The Nose Art cheer for fellow artist, uber hip and crafty and oh-so-energetic go-getter . . . and fabulous daughter . . . Meryl Rose Phillips. As she said just yesterday when helping out Bean Up The Nose Art in our new digs, "Life needs more exclamation points." Meryl Rosie, here's a big helping for you!!!!!!! We are actually in awe of you, and think the Universe must be a pretty darned wonderful place if we were lucky enough to be a part of your making. YOU RULE!!!!!
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(Photo courtesy Ginger and Queen of Hearts Cards, Etc. Facebook page.)
(Here's Ginger with one of the artists/lines she found at the National Stationery Store last year . . . "Just Eleanor." Photo courtesy Queen Of Hearts Cards, Etc. Facebook page.)
What are your favorite, and least favorite, parts of the job?
