Photograbee!

Tag: gifts

  • September to remember

    September to remember

    A new image and focus for Photograbee, come see…

    Hey all, I’ve so enjoyed meeting so many of you at the markets this past summer! OMG! You’re all delightful and fun, and it’s an honor to be decorating your homes and offices with my images. I’ve heard they’re ending up in Georgia and Japan and Korea! Wow! Honored! And it’s been so great meeting my fellow vendors and artists – you’re all SO talented! I love seeing what everyone has on offer!

    And I so enjoy sharing the sleepy bee story live – you can tell! I can’t make it up, the bees make the rules! I’m just along for the ride, as Gaia’s paparazzi, lol!

    That said, the markets are really hard on my body (I’m disabled with EDS), so I’m going to dial them back just a touch. Oddly, I’ve learned that larger tents are easier to set up and take down than my smaller one somehow. BUT, that is still not the best path for me. I will not stop doing markets, oh no, especially not indoor ones. BUT, I’m going to try to pivot more of my business indoors to consignment and wholesale, and online. I’m cranking out extra stock and dialing in my catalog to that end as you read.

    Meanwhile, I finally cooked up my first rose image for sale – isn’t she beautiful! I didn’t know what the exact variety was, so I called it A8 – La Vie en Rose I. (Because I have more roses in the wings.) She’s available in all 3 card sizes and as a magnet now too. I’m working on the 5×7 and 8×10 prints next. (I need more ink!)

    And, I may have to increase my prices a touch thanks to the price of paper and ink. I apologize for this, but you know I’m doing every bit of the work. Not one bit is outsourced or drop-shipped to me or anyone else. (If only!)

    Nope. I’m up late most nights trying to get it all done. And paper and ink aren’t cheap, sigh. I’ll keep them as low as possible, but I gotta make a living at this, not just give my time away. (It’s not a hobby, this is my only job presently, and I can’t work every day due to my chronic illness. If only.) Thank you for all of your support!*

    *If anyone wants to just outright donate to me either one-time to help me buy more ink, or in an ongoing fashion, I welcome you to do so here.

  • Winter markets I’m attending 2025

    I just hatched an Upcoming Shows page to share my growing winter market schedule with you all as I suddenly started to get booked up! (I had to do some juggling for a minute as some of the markets collided with each other, phew!) Keep up with the latest news always on all my socials here:

    Anyway, in case you don’t find that page, know that you can catch me THIS weekend,Saturday December 6th at Woodmere Elementary School for their Winter Bazaar 11-5. Located at 7900 SE Duke, Portland, OR 97206. Free, we have warm refreshments and a raffle and a scavenger hunt too! Park in front of the school off Duke, enter in the middle, and find loads of super crafty and talented artists and vendors in the cafeteria, and ALSO in the gym! (Don’t forget the gym! – I’ll be just left of the gym entrance after you enter.) I’ll be debuting my first 5″x7″ prints too ($10 each), thanks to the kind staff at Art Supply Store (formerly I’ve Been Framed) on SE Foster who helped me find proper packaging. (Thank you!) Come and see!

    Then I’ll be at the Clackamas County Gleaners Christmas Bazaar NEXT Saturday Dec 13th, from 10-4 pm 13821 Fir Street, Oregon City, OR 97045 (just off 213)*. Free, not sure if there’s a raffle, but pretty sure we’ll have refreshments. Dress warm, it’s in their unheated warehouse where they sort all the gleaned food they save for hungry families in the area. This is an amazing program that literally saves tons of perfectly good food from grocery stores that would otherwise be tossed. I’ve seen it, and it’s amazing. (I’m picky, and don’t like anything too old, and I was blown away by what they saved back in 2019! If you live in the area, you should check them out.)

    *Note this is a change to the previous address I had (I just caught the update on Facebook! Eek! It was 13895 before, and now I have to update all my marketing materials, sigh.) Onward…

    Then, last but not least (for now), on Sunday 12/14 12-5 pm I’ll be at the Spot Market in the old GAP store space in the Lloyd Center Mall next to Macy’s on the second (middle) level. (Not at the east end by Marshall’s as my flyer mistakenly read, sorry, my bad!) They have killer refreshments (wine and hibiscus tea) and an hourly raffle for all shoppers that buy something. The Food Court 5000 may come through once or twice too – they’re a dedicated bunch of joyful mall walkers who start up in the 3rd level food court and cruise around the whole mall with loud jazzy music!

    There’s lots going on at the Lloyd Center that whole weekend, so don’t be too distracted, and forget to stop by and see us! :)

    a colorful floor plan showing the Spot market in the old GAP store location next to Macy's in the Lloyd Center
    Find the Spot Market by Macy’s on the second (middle) level of the mall

    Hope to see you here or there! Jan – December 5, 2025

  • The sleeping bees are coming to eBay and more! 11/1/25

    The sleeping bees are coming to eBay and more! 11/1/25

    I’m going to start listing the Sleeping Bees duo of cards I just shared in my last post on eBay starting November 1st too! (I was just working out shipping details.)

    ETA 6/23/26: I just finally managed to get some video uploaded and working in the blog, so I’m adding it in below! And I plan to refresh things on eBay soon too. (I’ve neglected them in favor of craft markets, for better or worse.) Now back to the original post…

    Their origin story is so hilarious! I dragged myself to my community garden on July 16th, 2025 (it was around 97 degrees F that day – too hot for me and the garden) to water my poor thirsty plot, and slid over to the Gaillardia (red and yellow blanket flower) patch as per usual. But I only had my phone camera on me, as it was so hot. (I live in the same range as butter: when it melts, I melt.)

    Anyway, that’s when I encountered the FIRST image below, where no less than six longhorn bees were snoozing sweetly away in a perfect circle around the center of a single Gaillardia flower blossom, swaying peacefully in the breeze. Totally unbothered. Bums up. Shown here:

    Photo of a notecard made with a photo of six longhorn bees sleeping neatly and sweetly away around the center of a red and yellow Gaillardia flower.
    Sleeping sweetly July 16th

    I snapped several shots and took a little video to prove this was NOT Photoshop nor AI! (I rarely use either, honestly.) Here’s a small snip:

    Dreamy sleepy bees

    So I swore I’d return the next day with my Nikon Z50 to see if I got as lucky again. Well, the laugh was on me! Because there was not one single bee sleeping sweetly away in any fresh fully open Gaillardia blossoms like the day before – oh no. That would be too easy, Jan. You had your chance yesterday!

    No – they were all clustered up twerking while clinging to the tattered petals of a bedraggled, spent (mature) Gaillardia blossom, also swaying gently in the breeze, looking like a biker gang after a bender! LOL! Here you go:

    Ahh… I laughed so hard! That’ll teach me – ALWAYS have your camera on you, silly! But, if you don’t, the best camera (as always) is whatever you have on hand at the time the image presents itself. (Yay for quick reflexes.) Here’s that image I’m calling “The After Party”:

    Photo of a large notecard with a photo of a gang of longhorn bees dangling from the tattered petals of a bedraggled Gaillardia flower. Looking like they were on a bender.
    The After Party 7/17.

    Ahhh… people love both images separately for different reasons I’m finding. As well as the pair together, for the contrast. (I have all three sizes available now.)

    Update: Get them from me live at markets, else on eBay for now 4/23/26.

    PS I’m lining up multiple holiday markets, but not all are confirmed yet. Some may get confirmed at the last minute so stay tuned on my socials (see links below) for late-breaking updates. (I try to keep this up to date, but don’t always succeed.) Cheers.

    Jan and the Sleepy Bees October 29th, 2025.

  • Only available at CHB for now (Oct 2025)

    While I do plan to make some copies of my award-winning Multnomah Falls shot available on eBay, right now they are only available to buy as small cards at Crystal Heart Boutique in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon. (269 E Main Street. The MAX Blue Line stops one block away!)

    Aerial photo looking down at the front side of two small photo notecards featuring upper Multnomah Falls frozen (including the Benson bridge) on the left, and the lower falls frozen on the right. A wooden ruler shows beneath for scale.
    Aerial shot looking down on two photonotecards featuring frozen Multnomah Falls. The upper falls with the Benson bridge is on the left, the lower falls on the right. A wooden ruler shows on the left for scale.

    Grab them while you can! They are one of my most popular images. Especially for out-of-town guests and friends.

    They’d make great gifts for Christmas too!

  • On consignment in Hillsboro September 2025!

    On consignment in Hillsboro September 2025!

    I was not expecting to end up on consignment so quickly, but Spirit nudged me to grab my street kit (bag of cards I now carry to sell in person or at street fairs) along with my yellow apron when I went to get my glasses fixed by the retired optician housed at Crystal Heart Boutique in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon last Wednesday 9/10/25. (269 E Main Street, 1 block off the MAX line for the win.) And I’ve learned to follow those nudges lately. They tend to pay off as you’ll soon see.

    PHoto of a glass store front door with website CHB.rocks and other signage including the hours: Tues-Sat 10-5, closed Sun and Mon. The interior and some art and the wooden floor are visible through the glass.

    Of course, my first order of business was my broken trifocal glasses, which are not easy to replace. My temporary McGyver job with a straight pin wasn’t going to hold too long or well.

    But as I waited for the optician to fix me up, I struck up a conversation with the clerk behind the counter. I asked if they happened to consign people (it looked like it, from the eclectic array of arts and crystals for sale) and she said yes! Was I interested in buying – or perhaps selling? And I hesitated, but fessed up – selling. And pulled out a handful of my small notecards for her to see.

    She was impressed, and said that while she could not make the final decision, she could give me the consignment application form and let her manager know. Plus, the store owner was due back any time from a lunch break, so, if I didn’t mind waiting, perhaps we could actually get a final decision since I was from out of town.

    Meanwhile, the optician had my glasses all fixed up as good as new (for reals, he’s amazing) and for very cheap. So we chatted for a bit too. Then I wandered the store for a bit – there’s so much there, I could easily spend a week just perusing it all. And I noticed some other cards for sale on racks, though none quite as bright as mine, of course. (I really do get uniquely vibrant colors on my printer.) But also quite interesting and fun. (Good job I didn’t have any money to spend – there were tons of cute handmade items I’d have loved to buy.)

    Anyway, I decided to go explore the nearby area while I was waiting for Norman the owner to return. Plus I could fetch more cards (including my medium and large ones) for them to consider too. Off I went, finding the nearby transit center (MAX line from Portland), and some other cute boutiques and consignment shops nearby. But at 4:45 pmI figured I best get back before closing at 5 pm, lest I miss him! (They said they’d call me if he came back but then didn’t.)

    Well, turns out I’d just missed him in person BUT – I was consigned if I wanted to be! And how many small cards could I leave with them? Well! How many would you like? :)

    Meanwhile, the store manager came up beside me holding what looked like a large live dragonfly in her palm. But I was so busy trying to do a quick inventory, wrap up business and get out of their hair (they needed to close promptly), that I couldn’t quite tell. Finally, the photographer and naturalist in me could stand it no longer and I asked: “Is that a real dragonfly in your hand?”

    Yup! It sure was! She had just rescued it from out front of the store, caught in a spider’s web~! No kidding! I was stunned – talk about a God wink! ;) Unfortunately she had to rush off to pick up her son promptly, so I could only take a couple quick shots on my cell phone. But how kismet was that? Heck, how kismet was the whole day!

    We’re still ironing out a few details, but I’m happy to be underway with them, and ahead of the Christmas season. Meanwhile, I really gotta get cracking on those worker bees – we gotta be ready to restock again soon! Plus add some more images. Oh frabjous day, calloo callay! Things like this keep happening, and falling in my lap, so I know I’m on the right path, yay.

    Go see for yourselves if you’re in the greater Portland, Oregon area. But plan to make a day of it – the store itself is loaded with amazing locally made art and crystals and gifts to choose from (seriously, chock-full with tons of variety), aimed at the metaphysical community, but with something for almost everyone, truly.*

    And they are in the heart of the old-town Hillsboro district, which has lots of other cute boutiques and antique shops to browse as well. Plus lots of good food around. So, take a day and come on out. Of course, there may be seasonal events in store that I’m not yet aware of too. You know I’ll keep you all posted here and on socials (see below).

    Back to the hive – I gotta get cracking! A la prochaine… Jan Groh, Photograbee 2025.

    *Heads up to my fellow zebras with MCAS – the store is heavily scented with various items including incense, essential oils and aromatherapy, so plan accordingly. (Wear a Vogmask if you have one.)

  • My first coupon code is born! 9/1/25

    Phew! It took me a minute, and I had to pass an intelligence test (I couldn’t figure out the user interface for a minute), but I finally did it: I hatched my first discount campaign for 20% off all auctions through 9/21/25!

    Use code: NEWBEE20 at checkout to get 20% off all Buy it Now (fixed bid) auctions through 9/21/25.

    Square promotional graphic with a brown background, shows a camera lens with a bee in it upper left, "Don't miss my first discount offer good through 9/21/25...", a large honey bee below that. "Code: NEWBEE20" then" At checkout, use discount code NEWBEE20 for 20% off all fixed price auctions (max $10 savings) 9/1/25 through 9/21/25!" Then a graphical logo that reads "Photograbee.com" with a cartoon honey bee flying up and away to the right from it.
    My first discount code

    NB – I also lowered the price on the last two auctions that haven’t moved as well, so you’re gonna get a steal! And, I’ll be uploading more soon, including some fresh new images!

    It’s just hard being the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, AND Gardener, AND Tech support, AND Photographer – WHILE disabled, phew! Pant, pant pant… wait for me…. I’m a BIZZY BEEEEEE! :) <—- more like sleepy, but shhh… don’t tell anyone!

  • Why notecards?

    Why notecards?

    As I slowly give birth to this bouncing baby bee-loving business, I realize that a lot of people have lost touch with the old art of writing notecards and letters and sending them via “snail mail”, or postal service. Whether in the US or around the world. Once upon a time it was de rigeur and fairly common.

    We would send birthday cards, Christmas and other holiday cards, and love letters. Especially service members overseas – the mail was a life-saving connection to loved ones back home helping give them the will to keep soldiering on.

    Although I dream of a post-war world, I think we could all use the pleasure of a sweet handwritten note in our mail, even more in this digital age of spam in our email inboxes, and way too much social media.

    I know, it’s so much easier to just send a DM, email or comment. But how much more special is it to receive a handwritten piece of mail with a beautiful image on it, especially chosen for you?

    I’ve never given up writing notes. I’ve slowed down, yes. But never given up. And never will. I think it’s even more important in this day and age of “instant” but often superficial or para-social connections.

    I hope you’ll join me in giving your loved ones near and far a little boost any time you’re thinking about them, not just on their birthdays or other special occasions. I know it means a lot to me to receive a hand-written card someone chose just for me. Will you join me?

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