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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! I’m Adria - a queer, trans author/illustrator of books for kids! I’m interested in BB, PB, and CB. I’m repped by @litagentsaritza.bsky.social at @andreabrownlit.bsky.social #kidlitart #cutpaper #linocut

A brown linocut print of a tree with green leaves blowing off to the right. A pink kite is stuck in the tree and a child in blue is climbing to get it while a child in yellow watches from below.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

It was so fun to get to table with @anneappert.bsky.social at the Newton Children’s Book Festival on Sunday! I saw so many people and failed utterly at taking photos… so here are two I managed and one from Victoria. They star the very cool @weyakindesigns.bsky.social and @andrewchacket.bsky.social !

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Victoria K. Chapman (she/her) @weyakindesigns.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Had so much fun seeing friends, meeting new friends, and looking at and buying SO MANY BOOKS at the Newton Children’s Book Festival today! In photos: @phaeacrede.bsky.social @adriakarlsson.bsky.social @anneappert.bsky.social @andrewchacket.bsky.social #kidlit #kidlitcommunity

Victoria K. Chapman takes a selfie with author, Phaea Crede at the Newton Children’s Book Festival.

Victoria K. Chapman takes a selfie with author, Andrew Hacket at the Newton Children’s Book Festival.

Victoria K. Chapman takes a selfie with authors and illustrators, Anne Appert and Adria Karlsson at the Newton Children’s Book Festival.

Victoria K. Chapman takes a selfie with author and illustrator, Adria Karlsson at the Newton Children’s Book Festival.

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Lee Wind @leewind.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

#KidLitLaunches BANANA MENORAH celebrates creativity, a two dad family, and Hanukkah... feeling grateful I get to create #kidlit that would have changed my life if I read it as a kiddo!

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Jacob Souva @jacobsouva.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Hey! It's #KidLitArtPostcard day. I'm an author/illustrator of books for kids. I try to work texture and color into everything I do. I love manuscripts that are quirky, funny, and have a load of heart. I'm rep'd by @jenrofe.bsky.social of @andreabrownlit.bsky.social. ✨ www.twofishillustration.com

A girl in black and white climbs a ladder and uses a bullhorn to make a creative proclamation. Lots of colored items and movement are coming out of the bullhorn.

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Cindy Lozito @cindylozito.com · 06/11/2025

Of all the trees that transform and autumn, ginkgos are my favorite! Happy #kidlitartpostcard day 🍂 I am open to illustrating kids books and black-and-white interiors. cindylozito.com cindylozito@gmail.com Happily rep’d by @litagentsaritza.bsky.social @andreabrownlit.bsky.social

A scene of a young girl in a butterfly costume dressing up her toy rhino in a set of butterfly wings beneath a ginkgo tree losing its leaves in the wind

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Julian Plum @julianplum.com · 06/11/2025

Hello #kidlitartpostcard day! I'm Julian, a queer 🏳️‍⚧️ picture book illustrator working in gouache. I've climbed out of the final art mines to wave around a little flag that says "let me illustrate a book about frogs or bugs!" 🌌 julianplum.com 💌 hello@julianplum.com #kidlitart #picturebooks #art 🐸 🌿

Gouache painting in lush dark green and blue featuring a cross-section of a pond at night. A green harlequin-patterned frog with a hint of tadpole tail climbs half out of the water into the cattails, looking at the stars. In the darkness lurks a taloned heron foot. The water is full of tadpoles, pond weed, insect larvae, and frog eggs. A single bright mayfly hangs on a cattail leaf above the frog's head. Text below reads JULIAN PLUM | Represented by Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary, julianplum.com

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! I’m Adria - a queer, trans author/illustrator of books for kids! I’m interested in BB, PB, and CB. I’m repped by @litagentsaritza.bsky.social and @andreabrownlit.bsky.social #kiltart #cutpaper #autumnleaves

Kidlit art postcard in cut paper and dried fall leaves. Fairies grouped around a cauldron on a fall day.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

#ChatsByTheCauldron - This is my fourth prompt for #ABLArtFest… and maybe my favorite?! I really love how the leaves turned out for the background and these characters are some of my favorites. I wonder what they’re all chatting about? 🍂🍁 . #picturebook #kidlit #kidlitart @andreabrownlit.bsky.social

Cut paper art with pressed autumn leaves that form a forest around a campfire. There’s a large cauldron on the campfire and fairies around it looking cozy and chatting.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

3rd piece done for #ABLArtFest - this one is for #GhostlyEncounters! Apparently that doesn’t make everyone think of alien encounters… but that’s where my brain went! 👻 👽 🎃 . @andreabrownlit.bsky.social #kidlit #illustration #cutpaper #picturebookillustration #ghost #alien #oldbarn

A cut paper image. Two ghosts in the foreground hiding in front of an old dilapidated barn are watching an alien beam down from a flying saucer. There are two more aliens in the flying saucer. The background is a starry sky.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 13/10/2025

federal agents stealing children and sending them south. where have i heard about that before?

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Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Whistling when ICE is about to kidnap someone for no reason is incredibly effective. They know what they are doing is wrong and will scatter in the wind when too many witnesses gather.

FORM A CROWD
STAY LOUD
PROTECT EACH OTHER
CODE I:
ICE NEARBY
BLOW QUICKLY IN A BROKEN RHYTHM:
PRE-PRE-PRE!
→ ALERTS THE COMMUNITY THAT ICE AGENTS ARE IN THE AREA.
ROGERS PARK WHISTLE PROTOCOLS
WHY A WHISTLE? ON THE STREETS
• A SIMPLE TOOL FOR FAST ALERTS.
• LOUD.
RECOGNIZABLE.
IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE.
• OUR VOICES ARE
STRONGER TOGETHER.
WHISTLES GUIDE
PEOPLE TO:
• FOLLOW ICE CARAVANS
• CATCH UP WITH THE CROWD
• ALERT NEIGHBORS
TO JOIN IN
NOISE = VISIBILITY.
CODE 2:
CODE RED
BLOW THREE LONG BLASTS:
PREEEE-PREEEE-PREEEE!
→ ICE IS DETAINING SOMEONE.
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD.
DON'T STAY SILENT. STAY NONVIOLENT.
WHY IT WORKS
• INSTANT ALERT
SYSTEM
• FASTER THAN SOCIAL MEDIA
• TURNS SILENCE INTO COMMUNITY
ACTION
ORIGINAL FLYER CREATED BY:
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• WEAR YOUR WHISTLE AROUND YOUR NECK
TEACH FAMILY
EIGHBORS TH
CODES
• USE IT WHEN ICE IS
SPOTTED
• PROTECT EACH OTHER, ALWAYS
TOGETHER, WE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD.
THIS FLYER DISTRIBUTED BY:
PROTECT RP
• @PROTECTRP_

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Got my 2nd piece done for #ABLArtFest - this one is for #TheCrystalBallReveals! This started out fun and ended up slightly ominous… what with the approaching rain clouds and all. . @andreabrownlit.bsky.social #kidlit #illustration #cutpaper #picturebookillustration #itsybitsy #spider #treehouse

Child with black pigtails and a green hoodie gazes into a crystal ball sitting on a brown wooden chair. A friendly spider is perched on top of the crystal ball. Inside the crystal ball is a treehouse with a same size spider web built next to it and a tiny image of the kid and the spider waving at each other. In the top of the crystal ball are approaching rain clouds. All of the image is rendered in cut paper.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

My 1st piece for #ABLArtFest - the prompt was #fallfestivities! I adore the sneaky dragon, the determined bunny, and the trying-ever-so-hard robot…. But the mad scientist and dog for sure “steal” the scene (see what I did there?!). #kidlitart #illustration #cutpaper @andreabrownlit.bsky.social

Four kids are trying to eat donuts hanging on strings without using their hands. The first one is a curly redheaded white kid dressed as a purple dragon and is cheating- using their hands to hold the donut. The second is a south Asian kid with straight black hair in a large pink bunny suit. The third is Black kid with an Afro and a hair pick, dressed up as a mad scientist - his donut has been stolen by a white dog. The dog is running away with the donut. The fourth kid is a smaller white kid dressed as a robot who has not gotten any donuts yet. There’s a large tree with fall leaves and a stone wall in the background.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

2nd carpal tunnel surgery today! I had my right hand done 4wks ago. So I’ll just be hanging here with my Advil and my bag of peas waiting for ONE OF MY HANDS to feel normal.😩 (ok, I have to teach middle schoolers in 3 hours… but until then, and after that, it’ll be just me and the peas.)🫛 #kidlitart

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

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Anne Appert (they/them) @anneappert.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Oh hey #transdayofvisibility. I’m here and trans! It’s hard being trans in this country right now (understatement), but I love being me and hope that the future is still bright. And I hope there are lots of queer books in my future. love to my enby partner in crime @adriakarlsson.bsky.social 🩷🤍🩵

Photo of a person with short, rainbow hair, big sunglasses and a light purple jacket standing in front of a tree.

Picture of two people standing in front of cabins and a rainbow. One is embracing the other from behind and both are smiling

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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

The Massachusetts governor, the city, and the university needs to drop everything to locate and free this girl and make sure this doesn't happen again. This is DEFCON-1. If they do this to someone who wrote an op-ed in a college newspaper, they will do this to anyone they don't like.

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Phaea Crede @phaeacrede.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

April 5 10:30 AM Word on the Street in Marlborough MA Join us!

Oh deer launch party at word in the street 162 Main Street in Marlborough ma. Games, cookies, cryptid drawings, and free prizes for the first 10 preorders.

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Porter Square Books in Cambridge & Boston @portersqbooks.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

OK, let's do something fun, something we did a few times on Ye Olde Textcentric Microblogging Social Media Platform, a little distraction called JOSH READS WAYYYY TOO DEEPLY INTO A KID'S BOOK WITH POTENTIALLY ALARMING RESULTS. Today, the absolute work of genius PRINCESS IN BLACK Let's go...

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Julian Plum @julianplum.com · 06/02/2025

Hello hello, #KidLitArtPostcard day! I'm Julian, and I'm a queer & trans picture book illustrator painting in traditional gouache 🖌️ The snowdrops will come back soon enough :) 🎨 julianplum.com 🌿 Rep'd by Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary #kidlit #kidlitart #illustration

A gouache painting of an amber mouse in white snow looking up at blooming snowdrops against minty green. It reads "Julian Plum" at the top, and below the snowdrops against the snow it says, "Rep'd by Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary, julianplum.com, hello@julianplum.com". The mouse has left little footprints in the snow.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Hello #kidlitartpostcard! I’m Adria Karlsson and I write/illustrate books for kids! I’m interested in BB, PB, and CB. I’m repped by @litagentsaritza.bsky.social at @andreabrownlit.bsky.social #kidlitart #kakapo #nzbird

Two kids around 8 years old - one brown skin with black curly hair and the other white with straight shaggy brown hair - watch a kakapo feed its baby. Cut paper illustration.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Every time I go to a conference I get to meet new, cool people - this year’s #scbwiny25 was no exception! Thanks for being a new friend, @caitdarfler.com !!

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Dropped off my portfolio, ran into @leewind.bsky.social, and shopped for unnecessary art supplies at the Kikokuniya bookstore. The conference is off to a good start! Maybe I’ll see some of you tonight at the hotel bar? #scbwiny25 (apologies in advance for the face blindness! Please say hi!!)

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Made it to NYC! #scbwiny25 starts tomorrow… but for tonight I’m going to the @joyoladokun.bsky.social concert and I’M SO EXCITED!! 🥰😊😁

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

The puppy will be staying behind, but the portfolio and dummy are ready for the @scbwi conference this weekend! Who all is going to be there this year? I feel very out of the loop with everything else that’s been going on…. . #scbwiny25 #kidlit #nescbwi #picturebookauthor

Black and white mini Aussie dog lying with his head on a black art portfolio on a couch. On top of the portfolio is a picture book dummy with a rhino on it.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Teacher gifts are ready to go! I hit on this idea a few years ago and it’s definitely become a yearly expectation and fan favorite. 🥰 I’m so stinkin’ grateful for the adults that make up my kids’ extended world! 💕 . #teachersrock #glögg #swedishamerican #teachergifts

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

The blobby monsters in blobby hats turned into a thing. And now are on sale at Chartreuse Microbus in Cafe Zing in Porter Square! #notecards #portersquare #cambridgema #somervillema #kidlitart

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Betsy Bird @fuse8.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Day 11: 31 Days, 31 Lists - 2024 Message / SEL Books for Kids. SO many picture books with a message are terrible or (far more likely) meh. Here are the legitimately great ones. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2024/12/11/3...

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Spent an evening blobbing blobby hats on blobby monsters. I’m pretty happy with how cute they ended up being. ☺️ #kidlitart #watercolor

A somewhat messy workspace with a tv remote, pens, and paper. Five small images of blobby watercolor monsters with varying numbers of eyes and different winter hats on.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Linocut print of orange monster with lots of legs and two pink wings, heading a soccer ball and popping it. They are flying over the field and the edge of the woods.

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 03/12/2024

1. In a major development, the first national consensus guidelines for trans youth have been released in France. They recommend affirmation and medical care, denounce "wait and see." They refute much of the Cass Review. Subscribe to support my journalism. www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-french...

erininthemorning.com

New French Guidelines Recommend Trans Youth Care, Denounce "Wait-And-See" Approach

The new guidelines, published by the French Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, create the first French national medical consensus on trans youth care.

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Sandra Proudman @sandraproudman.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

25% of kids in the US are Latinx, so here’s your Latinx KidLit starter pack and make sure to read, boost, and support Latinx stories all year long! go.bsky.app/CGXLiaz

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Thanks for adding even more info, Maria! Can’t wait to see you there. :)

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

I’ll be at this event, too! I’m so excited it’s happening!! Come meet so many cool local authors and illustrators. 💕- December 14th! #newtonma #cambridgema #kidlit #nescbwi #parenting

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Brian LaRossa @brianlarossa.com · 01/12/2024

I've given this piece of advice to students more than any other.

Screenshot:

Listening to the whisper of an urge to fix something is the path to achieving excellence in your work. It’s not easy, and it certainly doesn’t become easier over time. As an art director it’s within my power to declare something finished and send it out into the world. Sometimes the final stages of a book come after working on it for years. By the end I yearn to be done with it, and again, I have the power to decide it is, but it’s those times when I’ve pushed through the temptation to say it’s good enough, that I’ve made something excellent. Every time I’ve listened to the the whisper of an urge to fix something, I’ve transcended my abilities—I’ve grown.

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Charlene Chua @charlenedraws.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

I feel like putting together a Starter Pack of South-East Asian #KidLit illustrators. Anyone wants to be added? You can be of SE Asian descent (see comment for countries) but live outside of SE Asia; you have to do children’s illustration.

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Natali Simmonds @natalisimmonds.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Firstly, writing isn't something we choose to do...it's something that chooses us. If you're reading this thinking, 'Maybe I should be an author for a living' but have no great fire, passion, or need to write then don't bother. Choose something else. It's a headfuck you don't need in your life.

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Anne Appert (they/them) @anneappert.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

So I’m going to do what I can to help the fight against book bans and keep writing and illustrating my own queer stories. And I hope we all will keep doing what we can too. Because #BooksMatter (5/end of my somewhat rambling thoughts and emotional processing 😊💛)

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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

An Open Letter to our Publishers has been sent to over 90 Publishing CEOs this morning in response to the concerns of our members. 1/4

With the election of the trump administration and its policies as embodied by Project 2025, we authors have deep concerns about how our publishers will be operating and how publishers will advocate for and protect authors. Trump's agenda explicitly calls for the criminalization of authors, teachers, librarians, and publishing professionals with the consequences including, "imprison[ment]," and being "classed as registered sex offenders" (pg 4 Project 2025)

For authors who are not citizens, this could also result in deportation. This promises to be a pro-censorship, pro-book-banning administration, and the successful implementation of its policies will require willing compliance of America's institutions, including its corporations.

The freedom to write is as important as the freedom to read. We have been heartened by many publishers' willingness to engage in legal and legislative pathways to fight book banning and want to be sure that you will double-down on your fight during this consequential time.

This past week AABB help open forums with authors from all genres and age levels to better understand author concerns and needs. While this may not be a complete list due to the rapid turnaround, we know we have a short time before January to prepare for what is to come and we want to this start this conversation sooner rather than later.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Got to do a school visit with some cool teens at Manhattan Star Academy today thanks to @behindthebook.bsky.social ! Thanks for bringing me into town. :) #kidlit #authorvisit #schoolvisit #newyorkcity

Me - 41 year old, short, salt n pepper hair, purple vest, collared white shirt in front of a window with Manhattan Star Academy written on it.

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Jemele Hill @jemelehill.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

This explains why conservative fear-mongering is such an easy play in America. — Ppl believe trans ppl make up 21% of the population (Real number: 1%) — Ppl believe Black ppl make up 41% of the nation (real number 12%) — Ppl believe Jewish ppl make up 30% of the nation (Real number, 2%)

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Charlene Chua @charlenedraws.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

TONIGHT!!! #KidLitArt chat 🎂🥧

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

All set up at the Chartreuse Microbus market inside of Cafe Zing in Porter Square! Come shop my stuff, or all the other very cool art and vintage stuff in the old porter square books location. #cambridgema #somervillema #market

Three shelves with ceramic creatures, stickers, prints, and cards.

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

“Quote post with a picture of yourself and show the newbies who they’re dealing with.” #kidlit This is me and my crew. Having them seemed like an excellent form of chaos; life has mostly confirmed that. Generally, I’m a half step behind my intention to do ALL THE THINGS but love what we have built.

Five kids ages 5-13 with hats and rainbow colored hair looking for hermit crabs on a stony beach.

41 year old person with sticky up hair at the front in brown and white. Blue eyes, white skin, stripy navy coverall.

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Charlene Chua @charlenedraws.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Someone let me know my art was being stolen (again), this time on Temu. She reported it & the listing seems to be removed now. But it’s a reminder to pls not shop on Temu, esp art stuff. Even at a glance, so much of it is obviously stolen from independent artists 😢.

Screencap of page from Temu showing a print for sale with my stolen art

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Adria Karlsson @adriakarlsson.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

There are many things I enjoy about my #13yearold cooking dinner - the dogs’ also enjoy it, but I suspect for different reasons. 😂 #raisethemright #spoilthedogs #goodkid #gooddogs #parenting

Teen in overalls cutting up avocado at a counter, watched closely by two hopeful dogs.

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