It’s oh so quiet…shhh…shhh…

April 26, 2015April 26, 2015 / bobbimarbles / Leave a comment

unnamedre

What can I say? It’s been some time….a lot of time…since we’ve posted anything, Plans are made, then life happens, and plans change. Last year was a pretty good one. Until there was a very significant death in the family. That put a lot of things into perspective, and….changed plans.

Bobbi Marbles has not been put on hold. Not officially. We still have our Etsy shop, and we have some product in our lovely local shops (The Octopus and the Fox and Haven Skate Shop, wassup ladies!). But as far as new designs and product, we’ve taken a bit of a hiatus. It was more natural to focus on a few other projects for the time being. We do plan on pursuing new designs and products, we just haven’t been able to wrap our heads around anything else for now.

That being said, we have both been so very very busy (call it a grief coping mechanism…call it avoidance…or call it growing up *barf*). We’ve been working very hard, and trying new things. One of these biggest “things” has been Karl’s new work for Stranger Factory‘s three person May exhibition, “UNWOUND“! Karl is making his largest body of work, to date, for this show. The last post here, on this site, was from his participation in last July’s SF x CCM exhibition. We didn’t think we could be more excited for his artwork being in an exhibition, but here we are. Nearly a year later, and Karl finalizing his pieces for this incredible opportunity to show with two other insanely talented artists, Joe Scarano and Scribe.

slide

It’s amazing what can change in such a short amount of time. My dad, Martin Garley, the wonderful man we lost last year, was always so proud of Karl and his artwork. He always teased and said, “One day people are going to point to your paintings and say, ‘Hey look! That’s a Deuble!'”. He even had one of his small paintings hanging up in his kitchen. He won’t be here to see all the hard work Karl has put into his paintings, but I can be proud enough of him, for the both of us.

I don’t know why I decided to get so personal on a blog post that at most, only a handful of people will read. But I feel that it is all connected. Dad dying. Not working on our Bobbi Marbles project. Being too busy to think. And being so excited, happy, proud, and nervous for such a great achievement. I just wanted to share that Bobbi Marbles is not gone, she’s just cat-napping, and that if you need some creepy weird-teethed artwork in your lives for the meantime, go to Stranger Factory in May to see “UNWOUND”. Better yet come to the opening reception on Friday, May 1st, from 6-9pm. We’ll give you awkward high fives!

-B

we love stranger factory.

February 27, 2014May 7, 2014 / bobbimarbles / 1 Comment

sometime last year, k was asked to come up with a design for an exclusive stranger factory t-shirt. he has been working with the good people at stranger factory for well over a year, printing various jobs for them, and as mentioned in this post, he was invited to participate in their annual halloween-themed art exhibition.

after coming up with several designs, the owners narrowed down their choice to the “stink eyes” design. k printed them up, delivered them, and on january 31, they went live for sale!

hot off the press.

have i mentioned this design is for stranger factory yet?

details.

k used this original sketch of his from 2012 as direct inspiration for the shirt design.

it has been so exciting for k to work with the fine folks at stranger factory, and to be included in the circus posterus collective. if you have yet to peruse their site or visit the physical gallery + store in albuquerque, please do so IMMEDIATELY. we visit stranger factory at least monthly, and always leave with inspiration, a smile, and more often than not, a new purchase to add to our home collection of unique art.

-b

it’s just one of them days, don’t take it personal or: how i learned to stop worrying and love bobbi marbles.

January 30, 2014 / bobbimarbles / Leave a comment

(do you like how i can make both a monica AND a dr. strangelove reference in one blog title??)

tonight’s post is going to do double duty. first, i wanted to write and let everyone know about the valentine’s day art market we will be participating in this weekend. it will be at the very cool factory on 5th, and it’s set to be a very fun time. there is an opening reception on friday january 31st, from 7-10 pm and there will be music, a food truck, and more. saturday’s hours are 10-5, and sunday’s hours are 12-5. we will have a table set up each day, and we hope to see as many of you as possible! we’ve got a few new cards (very much love based), as well as new sweatshirts and stickers.

second, i just wanted to write about what a crazy couple of months it has been. since my last post, last november we participated in our third asunm arts and crafts fair. it was by far the most successful fair we have participated in so far, and we had such a great time! in the last four days leading up to the fair, we were like busy little bees prepping and making so much for our booth. karl designed and printed his ass off, while i sewed and worked my ass off. it really was such a blur, but all well worth it.

i am happiest when i am busy doing what i call “bobbi marbles work”. i love sewing, designing (or rather, asking karl “can you make this idea that i have into something?”), making tags, and yes, even doing inventory and keeping track of our numbers. i know karl is happiest designing, printing, and creating. and we are so lucky to say that we both got to do more of the things we love in 2013 than any year previously. but while 2013 was the most successful year to date for bobbi marbles, it was also a rough year, personally.

i struggled with what’s going on in my own head, as well as with some relationships in my life. it was odd to be really happy about the work i was doing, while also really upset with what was going on in my head + heart. so i’ve made the decision that 2014 is the year for both professional and personal growth.

as i said, since i’m happiest doing “bobbi marbles work”, instead of second guessing our every move, and what everyone thinks of us or says about us, i aim to transform negative energy into positive energy. i’m really proud of bobbi marbles; i think karl and i do something special, and it makes me happy to share it with my partner.

we’ve got a lot more planned for this year. “expansion” is the word that comes to mind for us. just more and more and more of everything we have done in the past three years for bobbi marbles, and in the past eleven years as a couple.

and to thoroughly nail the cheesy-ness factor to this post, i’ll end with a quote by theodore roosevelt:

“comparison is the thief of joy.”

so here’s to the year of being ourselves, and being happy.

-b

bewitching III group art show at stranger factory.

October 25, 2013October 25, 2013 / bobbimarbles / 1 Comment

i’m a little late on this post (what else is new?), but k and i wanted to share with everyone the exciting news that he has art hanging at the bewitching III group art exhibition, at the always fantastic stranger factory. (if you are unfamiliar with stranger factory, it’s time you get acquainted very quickly.)

“the skull” by karl deuble. mixed media, 8″ x 10″. $250

“the witch’s breath” by karl deuble. mixed media, 8″ x 10″. $250

“the bat dance” by karl deuble. mixed media, 10″ x 8″. $250

stranger factory puts on an annual halloween show showcasing local, national, and internationally recognized visual artists and designers. several months ago, k was invited to participate in this always intoxicating and delightful group show. since the initial invitation, i have watched him wrack his brain for ideas, then sketch, draw, print, and paint his way to the five pieces he submitted to the show. each piece is very halloween and very karl deuble.

“the sorcere’s gaze” by karl deuble. five color print on stonehinge, 9″ x 14″. 1 of 10 prints. $80 framed, $40 unframed.

“the fat head” by karl deuble. three color print on stonehinge, 11″ x 11″. 1 of 10 prints. $70 framed, $35 unframed.

the show reception/opening was friday, october 11th, and it was such a fun night. i can’t express enough how proud i was to see k’s art hanging up among many other artists we both admire and appreciate (kathie olivas, brandt peters, mike egan, allison sommers, chris ryniak, amanda spayd, etc. etc. etc.)

the show runs until october 31st, so please head on over to stranger factory at 109 carlisle blvd ne albuquerque, nm 87106, or you can view all of the artist’s works at the exhibition page here.

-b

august planning.

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013 / bobbimarbles / Leave a comment

whoa whoa whoa. how is it possible that we are already this deep into summer? not to sound like an old fogey but, where is the time going? we blink for one second and it’s already the end of august, jeez…

i hate to drop off the face of the earth, but i also find it hard to post about what’s going on when there’s not exactly much to show for it. i mean, we already have several of those posts, oops. but k and i ARE working! the wheels are always turning. we’re preparing to set up an online shop, new products are being designed, and craft fairs are on the horizon, as usual.

we finally got some professional business cards. “because we want to win some lunches!”

we are also planning for…dun dun DUUUN…the holidays! yes, after two years, we have learned that sooner is better when it comes to holiday planning. to anyone else involved in our type of business, this is really no surprise. and in fact, august is not even particularly early, as far as getting the holiday prep started. but k and i are constantly learning as we go, and we’ve learned that starting holiday prep in the fall is ok, but summer (and maybe even earlier) is better. because one day…ONE DAY…it would be nice if we weren’t completely scrambling at the last minute, leading up to holiday craft fairs.

this is some font we’ve been practicing and playing around with for potential new cards.

and really, when it comes down to it, it’s so that we can give our customers more of a variety of product. the more prepared we are, the more we can have for you all to peruse and purchase when the holidays come around. (bobbi marbles calendars, greeting cards, and sweaters, anyone?)

-b

ACE re-cap

June 27, 2013June 28, 2013 / bobbimarbles / Leave a comment

i just loved this sign, it made me smile.

well, everyone, bobbi marbles has her very first albuquerque comic expo behind her. it has been four days since ace ended, and k and i still have a bit of a “hangover” from it. don’t get me wrong, by now we have both caught up on our sleep, have started eating normally again, and we’ve even had some down time to lounge and watch a few movies. (while i iced my carpal tunnel-y wrist. ouch.)

no, the “hangover” we still feel is referring to the feeling after the nagging stress of getting 1000 tasks completed in a very short time period. i can’t help but think, “wait, i have time to clean the house? what bm task am i neglecting? there has to be something i’m forgetting, if i have time to clean the house…”

yes, it was an intense whirlwind, the weeks we spent preparing for ace. but it was all well worth it, because the three days of ace that we spent selling, hustling, and talking with lots of really cool people was just so much fun! there’s really nothing like seeing people stop in their tracks so they can get a closer look at our items, then fork over their hard-earned cash to buy something that we’ve put so much work and love into. it is such an incredible feeling.

our humble table at artist’s alley. i’m convinced k can never take a serious photo.

we genuinely want to thank everyone who stopped by, shopped, chatted with us, and even just cracked a smile or laughed as they looked at k’s designs, when they walked past the table.

i have to say that, even when k and i were just sitting there at our table, when things were slow, we were far from bored! there was some incredibly detailed and well thought-out cosplay going on. and as a self-described voyeur + eavesdropper, i got a kick out of hearing a lot of excited and geeked-out conversations happening. i felt right at home, among so many others who weren’t ashamed to get publicly excited about something they like, something usually considered “nerdy”.

on one last note, i just wanted to say how smoothly everything went for us at the convention center. the staff and volunteers for ace were so great, and they helped make ace an even more enjoyable first time experience for us. so a big thank you also goes out to all those fine people!

we walked away with a lot of great feedback, encouragement, and new ideas, so we will definitely see you again next year, ace!

-b

ANOTHER quick update for a monday evening.

June 17, 2013 / bobbimarbles / Leave a comment

labels for new cards + screenprinted ears for new "pillow dolls". aka hand cramp inducing tasks in preparation for ace.

labels for new cards + screenprinted ears for new “pillow dolls”. aka, tiny hand-cramp inducing tasks of the past few days.

k and i must feed off of the stress of a deadline, because this last week we have ticked off more things on our to-do list than the month leading up to now. and while i know i always think it would better to get things done in a more timely matter, the fact is that there’s nothing like a looming deadline to poke at that panic button located in my brain.

oh, but what an exciting deadline! the albuquerque comic expo is THIS weekend, folks! that means in three days (or is if four, since it’s monday? i have never been ever to figure that out…), we will have our bobbi marbles table set up in the artist’s alley area of the albuquerque comic expo. what up, table D8?!?!

along with all of our regular merch, we will have TWO new tank top designs, THREE new greeting card designs, a ton of new stickers, a very special new screenprinted and sewed item we are calling “pillow dolls”, and two brand new t-shirt designs. it is possible that we might have a third design ready by friday, but that’s only if k decides he really doesn’t need any sleep this week, afterall. (did i ever mention k works full time, plays in two bands, does freelance design and printing work, and is required to spend at least a few hours a week with me and our two cats, ON TOP of all of his bobbi marbles work? he’s cray.)

i most definitely will be posting pictures of all of our new items very soon. however, if you want to stay more up-to-date on the day-to-day of bm, please like us on facebook and follow us on instagram!

-b

a quick update for a monday evening.

May 20, 2013 / bobbimarbles / 1 Comment

look at us, being all organized and productive with our neatly folded shirts.

once again, i just wanted to give a quick update on what’s up on the bm front. (i hope you can get used to me using “bm” instead of “bobbi marbles”. it makes me laugh.) the spring octofair was a great success! it seems to get bigger and better every time, and this was definitely the best yet. i’ll admit, i didn’t know what to expect with the slight location change and the fact that the octofair would be held on mother’s day, but we were busy, busy, busy all day! we got to talk to a lot of cool people, and when we had time, we were able to check out all the other amazing vendors. in fact, i bought a gorgeous hand bound journal from shamuball, plus some heart-shaped turquoise earrings from chebeth. if you get a chance, check these ladies’ etsy stores out; they were so friendly, and their merchandise is as cool as can be.

with the spring octofair behind us, k and i are focusing our efforts on ACE. yes, ladies and gents, it is official; we will have a table set up at this year’s artist’s alley at the albuquerque comic expo from friday june, 21 – sunday june, 23! i can’t even tell you how excited (and somewhat nervous?) i am that bobbi marbles will be participating at ace.

in the very short five weeks leading up to june 21st, we are going to be designing, printing, sewing, tagging, and basically just preparing for the expo as much as possible. as touched upon briefly in our last post , k and i are constantly taking in all kinds of inspiration, which produce an abundance of ideas. but we don’t always turn that inspiration and those ideas into a concrete object. so these next five weeks are about focused work and dedication. don’t get me wrong, we haven’t been totally lame about production lately. we have a new shirt design that k has printed onto adult sized shirts, as well as on children’s sized shirts. but that’s for another post. check out our facebook and instagram feeds for more regularly updated bobbi marbles news and merchandise.

ok! so that “quick update” wasn’t exactly as brief as i had intended (sorry), but i think you can live with it, yeah? thanks. :)

-b

inspiration vs. knowing where to start.

April 2, 2013April 11, 2013 / bobbimarbles / 1 Comment

detail of “big things have small beginnings”, a commissioned painting by karl deuble.

i’ve been having a bit of writer’s block lately. i’m just not sure what to share. k said to not over think it, to just write about what’s going on. seems simple, right? but every time i start, i get a few sentences in and then i just get discouraged and stop. i over think and over analyze everything (maybe that’s why i’ve always been drawn to studying the mind and psychology), which just makes me go mad and stops my productivity dead in my tracks. k has learned, and has taught me, that you just have to keep pushing through. when he feels stuck in a painting or a drawing, he just keeps on working on it until he’s happy with it.

which leads me to bobbi marbles. k and i have so much inspiration right now, but we are having trouble figuring out where to start. we’ve seen some amazing art, music, movies, and people lately, so it’s definitely all seeping into ideas as to what to do with bobbi marbles designs. and while it is good that we have a lot of ideas, as opposed to being totally uninspired, without a clear plan on where to start, we’re working on getting unstuck.

the good news is that we have a potential deadline for a lot of new product! we’ve applied to have a table at the Albuquerque Comic Expo’s Artist’s Alley, and we’re totally excited. we can’t confirm if we will be selling there yet, but as of now we’re planning for have a lot of new product by mid-june (and preferably sooner). k has been keeping busy with a lot of freelance work, including a large painting. he titled it “big things have small beginnings” (shout out to prometheus, anyone?) and i thought that was a perfect concept behind bobbi marbles’ goals for this year.

we have a lot in store for you all. promise.

-b

fall octofair success!

November 3, 2012November 3, 2012 / bobbimarbles / Leave a comment

our am set up. notice k’s friendly greeting?

welp, it was another beautiful fall day. isn’t it nice when the weather is still warm enough to take a stroll without cocooning oneself within layer upon layer of sweaters, flannel, scarves, and gloves? i, for one, am soaking up every last warm fall day before it’s too late.

incidentally, today was the perfect weather for the octopus and the fox’s fall octofair. we had our very own table set-up this time around, and it was nice to sell some of our handmade stuff to a bunch of lovely people. k got some new drawings done, and i made headway into a new scarf i’ve been knitting.

by the time the octofair ended, the sun was warming our backs, and that incredibly wonderful sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet greeted us as we packed up our belongings.

after today we will be preparing for our next big thing, the annual asunm craft fair, set for november 28th-30th at the unm student union building. we just got some new shirts in, just itching to be printed with new bobbi marbles designs, and we’re really excited to show them to you all! as always, please check out our etsy store, and follow us on instagram, at bobbimarbles.

but right now. it’s time for some pumpkin spiced chai and a mini “wilfred” marathon.

-b