Well hello there
Hey, hi, hello. I’m Elspeth. Elsa or Els work, too. Or Chrismerle if you just wanna stick with usernames. There have been a few iterations of my pinned post, but I figured it was about time to put together a new one.
I’m 30 years old. Greyromantic asexual. Nonbinary. I prefer they/them but I accept she/her. I crochet. I make jewelry. I do tarot readings. I write (mostly ghostwriting lately, but sometimes I have time to write something I can actually share on tumblr). I edit. I do a bunch of things.
This blog is mostly a mishmash of fandom stuff, art stuff, some political stuff, and cute animals. I don’t try to stick to any one theme in particular. Theoretically, I’m a writeblr blog, and I’m open to tag games or answering questions about my WIPs, but I’m very inactive as a writeblr because of work. My queue spits out 30 posts a day, and I also periodically reblog random shit on the spot.
My WIPs:
- #wip: threshold: Portal fantasy of mixed/indeterminate subgenre, wherein a bunch of young adults from the regular world get lured through a portal and stranded, and need to be guided back home. Complications occur. (Smells a bit like Fallen London.)
- #wip: brothers: Short story exploring what it means to find your own identity when you’ve only ever been part of a package deal before.
- #wip: eigengrau: Vaguely European low(-ish) fantasy dealing with gods and fae being fickle, zombies, cults, and a zombie cult.
- #wip: ties that bind: Honestly I don’t even fucking know. I’ve started it over twice and haven’t liked it either time. It’s vaguely about people finally getting to tell their own story after the world has silenced them and made up a story for them, but the story itself keeps falling to shit.
Most of my original, non-reblogged posts:
- #actual journaling: Mostly me yammering on about my day or my pets.
- #elsa liveblogs nonsense: My running commentary on whatever I am watching, playing, or reading at the moment.
- #writeblr: All of my original fiction writing stuff, including my WIPs and some things that otherwise weren’t tagged.
- #jewelry drop: Stuff I’ve made for my Etsy shop. Not all of it is actually jewelry, but I didn’t want too many tags just for the shop.
Support me:
- Writing commissions
- Editing commissions
- Crochet commissions
- Tarot readings
- Etsy shop
- Ko-Fi
- PayPal: t.elspeth.williams@gmail.com
- Venmo: @Taylor-Williams-1105
- Or tip this post!
Other places to find me:
- AO3 (currently locked to members only; I have extra invites if you need one)
- Discord
Chicken thigh highs
i have several options for making hot cocoa. some of them are fairly pricey. some of them were gifts. one of them i made myself! am i using any of those options tonight?
no. no i am not.
i am stealing my dad’s nesquik.
Day 24093
This is my house.
I won’t allow anyone to harm it.
There should have been no more intruders after the last one.
I do not want these people here. They will leave-
Day 24095
They are siblings. They are loud.
Always singing and talking and stomping. As if they must be louder than anything else.
Day 24106
There are bolts on the door now. Bolts and hideous, gaudy new locks.
How dare they-
Night 24112
I was going to fill the night with terrors. But he woke up screaming before I began. She came running from the other room. They sleep right across the hall from each other, with the doors on a crack.
…they are young, are they not, to be living on their own. Was I ever so young?
Day 24114
She has fixed the squeak in the door at the top of the stairs.
It never squeaked when I still lived.
Day 24121
The noise of the doorbell scares them. But they get so many deliveries.
It is a good bell. It has worked all these years-
I can see one of the men coming now with his packages, trudging up to the door.
…perhaps if I knock before he is here, they will come and look before he can sound the bell.
Day 24129
He is planting flowers in boxes on my windowsills.
I always wished I could have some flowers.
Night 24137
She is afraid of the dark. I could see it in her eyes when she got out of bed.
…I lit the lamps for her.
Day 24142
They have moved the couch to the sun spot a little to the right of the window.
That is where I used to have my armchair.
It is the only sensible place for it.
Day 24163
Sometimes the noises of the world are suddenly too much for him. He winces and tries not to sway his head.
This is my house.
…I can keep it calm and quiet for a while.
Day 24178
She just got a phone call and now they are both laughing.
Laughter is a good sound, isn’t it.
They said this house has been good luck…
Night 24205
They are singing in our kitchen.
He found my cookbook in the gap at the back of the kitchen cabinet and now they are trying to cook.
They wanted to start with the soufflé. They don’t even know how to make béchamel!
I turned the page to the casserole instead.
Day 24236
This is my house.
These are my boarders.
I won’t allow anyone to harm them.
Attention non-artists who commission artists: don’t fuckin do this???
Actually had someone do this to me too. Was doing a art stream, it took me over 2 hours to do his inked commission, he got a refund cause ‘it took too long’ that he figured I wasn’t going to do it after I gave him the file.
Don’t do this. Do not.
I’ve had this happen to me with a $350 comic :/ I had already finished it, it was full color, 6 panels and had a full bg in every panel. I was lucky in that I didn’t spend him money yet, but it left me without funds. I’ve also had the above happen to me as well.
Don’t do this shit to artists. We’re people too. Drawing for you is more than a hobby. It’s a job.
Use Paypal Invoices.
I cannot stress this enough. That shit helps A LOT when it comes down to Paypal refunds/disputes.
There’s a description box that let’s you put in what the product is/how long it’ll take/yadda yadda, and then there’s another little memo box that only you and paypal can see where you can say it’s a digital commission and doesn’t require shipping (So Donald Mcfuck can’t say that they never got their commission).
And there’s also a box for your Terms & Conditions where you can say, if you have any conflicts/want a refund - email me, or you can actually tell the user that this is a digital commission and they won’t be getting a hard copy of it.
ARTISTS. PLEASE USE PAYPAL INVOICES. it will SAVE you.
And to: the people who do this to artists – Fuck you. It’s okay if you change your mind and want a refund. But freaking TALK to us and let us know what’s going on. Let us WORK with you.
ALSO A HUGE TIP: Invoices paid will automatically set up a shipping notice which, if not fulfilled, can land you in SERIOUS hot water with PayPal. Since a lot of artists don’t print and ship the commissions, this is a huge problem.
However! Totally manageable. Just go to your PayPal, scroll down to find Seller Preferences
>> Shipping Preferences
>> Display Ship Button. Make sure all the boxes are unchecked. Then you’re all set!
As a big supporter of artists, don’t you ever fucking dare fuck over an artist like that. Like don’t. And if they take their time to do a good job, don’t shit all over them for it! Don’t be a fucking ass hole. Just don’t. These people put a LOT of work and time and effort into their artwork. Just don’t be that guy. Often times these artists aren’t even getting what they deserve in compensation.
I am very grateful my customers have been good to me, but I’m spreading the word.
Very important!
As a new artist, I’m very grateful for this post. Never knew this. Thank you.
1. Use PayPal invoices
2. Don’t treat PayPal like a bank- use it as intended, to move money. Too many artists let their PayPal balance sit and then get locked out of it. Get that money in your bank!
3. If at all possible, do not immediately spend that money in the bank- hang on to it and budget for delays.
If art is your business you need to treat that money as “business money”; when I did commission work, I wouldn’t consider that money spendable until the transaction was completed, a.k.a the commission is *finished*. If you need to adjust how you charge (half up front, half upon completion, charge a nonrefundable deposit for the time, ect) do that.
Since the OG post is like from 2016: paypal invoices let you untick a box for “this is a digital product and does not ship” now btw
It’s that easy!
For anyone having a rough go of it... Can I just... offer you these 32 seconds of comfort?
kitten photo dump for the soul
I have to say that “warm gentle glow emanating from the shell of a turtle” is without a doubt my favorite genre of lamp
These are fucking amazing
The figure swinging the earth – The Force Of Nature by Lorenzo Quinn
The guy being dragged by a bird – part of an installation titled Hacienda Paradise – Utopia Experiment by Fredrik Raddum.
The balancing elephant – Balancing Elephant by Daniel Firman.
The tea splashes kissing – Kiss of Eternity by Johnson Tsang.
The figure emerging from the wall – Break Through From Your Mold by Zenos Frudakis
The meditating figure splitting apart – Expansion by Paige Bradley.
The horses running through water – Mustangs at Las Colinas by Robert Glen.
The giant peeking from under the lawn – Popped Up by Ervin Loránth Hervé
The man under the raining umbrella – L’uomo della Pioggia (The Rain Man) by Jean-Michel Folon.
The huge bearded guy – The Appennnine Colossus by Giambologna.
The impossibly balanced stones on a beach – Untitled by Adrian Gray
The dragons with an egg – The Dragons in Love or The Varna Dragons by Darin Lazarov.
The stairway to nowhere – Diminish And Ascend by David McCracken
The underwater circle – Vicissitudes by Jason deCaires Taylor.
The epic warrior guy – General Guan Yu by Han Meilin
The sinking library – Sinking Building Outside State Library, Melbourne, Australia. I couldn’t find an artist’s name.
The giant hand holding a tree – The Caring Hand by Eva Oertli and Beat Huber
(via Beth Lily Redwood)
Madam, you are looking very posh in your fancy dress, if I may say so.
Those earrings are a delight, darling and I love what you did with your hair.
These are rough times. Here: have a cat. 🐈⬛
I love finding out new things about Saint Robin Williams
BEING A GOOD ALLY SOMETIMES MEANS GUARDING THE CLOSET DOOR
Bring it on!
Worth cold for that outfit!