Loppy Rae
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loppyrae.bsky.social
Loppy Rae
@loppyrae.bsky.social
5.1K followers 270 following 95 posts
Two rabbits in a trench coat.
Mixed media art, junk journaling, & chaos.

Email me at loppydraws @ http://gmail.com

#sketchbook #dollop
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loppyrae.bsky.social
Cyber crime has been at an all-time high thanks to AI, and it's more sophisticated than you can even imagine.

Please protect yourself.

No one thinks they'll ever fall for a cyber scam, but it can happen to all of us, and the technology is changing faster than ever.
I know in today’s economy, there are more people than ever turning to art as a career option. Social media romanticizes artists, and it’s easy to fall for the pretty aesthetic videos. Hell, I’m guilty of it too... But business is business, no matter how small. - Use Alibaba messaging for all communications. If something happens outside of their own servers, Alibaba can’t help you. Private e-mails are susceptible to cyber attacks, especially with the rise of AI technology. - Don’t invest more than you’re willing to lose. Account for every hidden expense you can think of. Start small. Investing in large projects like plushies, apparel, or bags right away can bankrupt you if you’re not familiar with the process. - Separate your business finances from your personal! Your business needs an emergency fund too. Save a portion of every sale. - If you can afford it, invest in small business insurance. Small business insurances can protect you from cyber fraud. - Consider protecting your assets as your business grows. LLCs will separate your personal assets from your business assets in case shit hits the fan. - Don’t become an artist if you’re expecting to get rich. Many artists share their revenue, not their profit. You need to set aside at least 20 percent of your income for self-employment tax, and that’s not even including any relevant state or sales tax. - Art is NOT stable. Hold onto your hourly job for as long as possible until the business is sustainable. Your good months should make up for your bad months. Don’t fall victim to lifestyle creep. Save excess funds to make up for sales during bad months. - Wire transfers should be your last resort. Be careful. Ask your manufacturer to split large payments up into multiple smaller payments. I know the economy is rough right now, and I understand the urge to monetize art by starting a business. But we all need to realize that things can and will go wrong. Please protect yourselves and don’t end up like me.
April 1, 2025 at 1:25 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Keeping this to myself for four months was incredibly painful and isolating, but I thought it was the best option in the end.

The only reason I can finally share this now is because, well, I've done everything I can do. Now all I can do is move forward.
(TW for brief mention of suicidal ideation.) Believe me when I said I tried everything. In fact, I am still trying, but there comes a point when you have to accept that no one is going to help you. Wire fraud is not covered by FDIC protections. My bank was under no obligation to help me. Many of the employees I called condescended me and placed blame on me for sending the payment in the first place. I wracked my brain for what I could do. I was already in a massive amount of debt after the wage theft incident with my husband’s employers. I had already spent the remaining funds on all of the campaign add-ons. Refunding was not an option. The police never followed up with me, even after I filed my report in person. The federal agencies dedicated to helping victims of cyber crime? Yeah, never heard from them either. have to admit, there were many days where the weight of the financial burdens felt like too much. I wanted to run away from it all, and there were many nights where I tried to end my own life. It was all so heavy, and I felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. My family tried to set me up a GoFundMe, but I refused. At the time, the Palisades were on fire. There were and still are so many people who need help, and as someone who, for the time being, still had a roof above their head, I didn’t feel like it was right to ask for help. As long as my kid could have ample food in his belly, I would just have to make it work. So I put my head down, bit my tongue, and worked my fucking ass off. I didn’t have much money to invest in new products, but I had ordered some extras before the wire fraud incident, and was holding out on the hope that the investment would pay off. It’s also why I started making a lot of handmade products again. For months, my sales were ABYSMAL. I sold all the furniture I could part with to put food on the table, I skipped meals, and I made it work. I’ve felt very guilty for not mentioning this, but I hope you can all understand why I chose silence. My backers paid for a product, and it’s my job to provide that product. Simple. Even now, the plushies have been paid for, the add-ons have arrived, and while we are admittedly behind schedule due to holidays, we are still relatively on track for summer completion. So please don’t panic. (That’s another reason I stayed silent.) This weekend gave me hope for the first time ALL year. I’ve admittedly been a little bit scared to acknowledge it... Does that make sense? I have this fear that if speak it aloud, I’ll wake up from this dream and it’ll all come crashing down again. But I just truly need all of you to realize just how much engaging with artists can change their lives. I am still deeply in debt, and I’m afraid it will take me quite a while to recover, but to see that all of those sleepless nights spent planning and drawing and desperately trying to get sales could pay off? It gave me hope for the first time in a long time, and I feel like maybe, just maybe, if I play my cards right, things may get better. Please don’t misunderstand! I am not sharing this story for pity. But I want you all to know just how much engagement helps. Instead of leaving snappy comments on AI art, block that account and share a real artist’s work. It just takes ONE person sharing someone’s creations to start a domino effect. Thanks to people just joking around and sharing my posts, I was able to sell over 1000+ buttons in less than two days. I am BLOWN away. I feel like I can keep going for the first time in a long time. The truth is: your favorite artists are NOT okay. No, they’re not talking about it, but across the board, every artist I have spoken to is barely making ends meet. But still, all we can do is keep posting. In today’s world, attention is currency. You have to spend it where it counts. Even if you cannot purchase from small businesses, you can share them. You may think that dunking on AI is somehow helping, but you’re only giving it the attention that it thrives on. You have to starve it at the root. At the end of the day, AI art is just “content” for people to mindlessly consume. We have to stop engaging with it.
April 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
tl;DR: Y'all gave me hope after a hard year, and I am so incredibly grateful.

There were many times this year where I thought my only option was a "dirt nap," but I'm so glad I stuck around. This past week has given me so much joy and I feel like my hard work paid off.
Thank you all for giving me some hope again. I’ve been holding onto this story since January. I have my reasons for keeping silent, and this situation goes so much deeper, but for now, I am just sharing to give y’all the full context of how much your support has helped me. I also hope this can work as a cautionary tale to new artists. I was admittedly so nervous to put up my recent shop update. The economy has been quite rough, as I’m sure you all know, and I was not expecting much. The turn out though? WOW. Y’all absolutely blew me away with the support, and I just need everyone to know how grateful I am... And I truly mean ALL support! Whether you placed an order or not, my update would not have taken off without y’all showing up for me, engaging with my posts, and interacting! Please never underestimate how much a simple interaction can change an artist’s life. I am so proud and grateful for the incredible community I’ve grown over the years. So to all my trouble buns, thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been struggling a LOT this year, but I know so many of us are hurting in this economy. Truthfully, I never truly recovered after the wage theft incident with my husband last year. But I had enough, and that’s all I wanted. As long as I kept my head above the water, I was content to just keep working hard, hoping that one day it would pay off. Some of you may know that I’m the parent of a special needs child. Artists are already famously broke as hell, and adding up the cost of medication, appointments, and therapy... Let’s just say, it adds up quick lol! The next part is going to be kinda dark, okay? Please don't feel obligated to read it. Just know I am grateful as hell to all of you. The truth is, in January of this year, I was the victim of a wire fraud scam. I lost more than $10,000+ USD, and to this day, I have not been able to retrieve my stolen funds. I know that sounds like an insane amount of money to just have sitting in my bank account. I have never had more than $10k in my account at a time. Of course, this was from the Hurtsies Backerkit campaign. At this point, I had already paid for the add-ons for my campaign (keychains, sticker books, etc.) All that was left was to complete the samples and put the plushies into production. Upon completing the campaign, with all things considered, I should have made a decent profit. After having a horrible year, living paycheck to paycheck and skipping meals, I thought that the campaign would have been my saving grace. So how did it happen? In late December, my manufacturer’s e-mail was hacked. During the security breach, the hacker downloaded our entire conversation history (consisting of 100+ messages spanning over multiple projects,) as well as the Commercial Invoice for the Hurtsies plush production. They then spoofed the entire e-mail chain, and sent me the commercial invoice again... with their OWN banking information. During this time, they were also impersonating me to keep my manufacturer from reaching out to me. Unfortunately, by the time my factory rep realized what happened, the money was GONE. I spent all of January desperately trying to get my money back. I filed a police report. I drove to my bank. I even contacted Shanghai police, as well as the Chinese bank. None of them could help me.
April 1, 2025 at 1:07 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Made a cheesecake for my mama’s birthday! 🎂 I
A chocolate cheesecake with raspberries, strawberries, and dipped Oreos. The same chocolate cheesecake with raspberries, strawberries, and dipped Oreos but with gold and white sprinkles added
March 10, 2025 at 10:03 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Magically delicious!
March 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Loppy Patreon February 2025: Valentine's Crush!

❤️ patreon.com/loppyrae

#art #dollop #stickers
A picture of a Valentine's Cake being stabbed by the Trouble Buns. A list of all Patreon tiers!
February 11, 2025 at 8:29 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
frantic little warmup from when I was off my meds 😫

#sketchbook
A sketchbook page featuring a drawing of a hare, the coloring is frantic and messy with scribbled pink, purple and yellow. A close up shot of the first image.
February 8, 2025 at 11:12 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
OH you just reminded me of my FAVORITE picture of him. 😂💖

I have titled this photo “Weaponized Competence…” (using his firefighter gear to clean a stinky litter box.)
A man wearing a firefighter helmet and full face mask, cleaning out a litter box.
January 30, 2025 at 3:39 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Everything is scary rn so please show me your comfort character. 😭
January 23, 2025 at 4:28 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
If you see this, post a bunny! 🐰
November 27, 2024 at 4:45 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Sour gummy candy. 🍬

[ #papercraft #mixedmedia #kidcore #sketchbook ]
Small paper cutouts of blueberries, cherries, a strawberry, a pear, a star, and gummy bears drawn with bright colors and dipped in clear glitter.
November 24, 2024 at 5:20 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Daily Sketchbook Inspo! 🫡
Not every page of your sketchbook needs original art! Your sketchbook can be a tool for creativity, so add moodboard, collages, and anything that inspires you!

[ #junkjournal #mixedmedia #sketchbook #collage ] 💖✨
A collage using pink, lace, and cherub pieces.
November 20, 2024 at 11:01 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Made a cute charm for my sketchbook. My tiny smooth brain demands jingle bells. 🔔 💕

[ #junkjournal #sketchbook #crafting #upcycling ]
November 20, 2024 at 4:26 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
I love my new sketchbook so much… bark bark woof! 🐶

[ #sketchbook #traditionalart #mixedmedia ]
A collage of three vintage style puppy illustrations on a red and blue background.
November 18, 2024 at 4:44 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
First page in my new sketchbook is a cherub collage to set the vibe! :3

My goal with this sketchbook is to study kitsch illustrations so every page was curated to capture those cute vintage vibes.
November 18, 2024 at 12:11 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
A mixed media sketchbook made from a salvaged children’s book. 💖

It’s filled with premium bamboo sketch paper as well as salvaged book pages and varying weights and textures of cardstock.
November 16, 2024 at 7:37 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Who ordered the hoppy meal? 🍔

[ #art #digitalillustration #foodart ]
November 15, 2024 at 7:36 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
When life is hard, eat a cookie!

Here's my favorite cookie recipe as well (it works for any cookie cutter, but if you wanna make silly bunny cookies, these silly bunny cutters are available in my shop! <3)
Two bunny-shaped cookie cutters on a tan linen towel background. A wooden rolling pin is located at the top right, and a metal whisk is pictured in the bottom left corner. There is a cup of flour on the right side of the photo, with specks of flour dotting the linen. A recipe for butter cookies, featuring an illustration of the white rabbit character, Dollop, laying on his back with his paw on his stomach. There are cookie crumbs on his mouth, and around his body. The cookie recipe is as follows: INGREDIENTS 1 cup salted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 egg yolks, room temp 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp iodized salt 1/4 tsp baking powder DIRECTIONS: 1. Cream together sugar & butter until light and fluffy! 2. Scrape down sides of bowl. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla until fully incorporated. 3. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until just combined. If your dough is still sticky, slowly add 1/4 cup of flour until the texture is a soft, malleable dough. 4. Turn out dough onto a sheet of parchment and roll out to 1/4" thickness. Chill dough directly on cookie sheet for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. 5. Cut out desired shapes and place on cookie sheet, leaving at least 1" between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 6. Cookies should be lightly browned on the edges and appear matte. Don’t over bake! 7. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.
November 15, 2024 at 12:40 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
It’s cookie season!
(I’m biased but my chocolate chip cookies are the best actually.)
November 11, 2024 at 9:38 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Trying out Thrifty Day’s junk planner method!

I’m constantly scribbling things down on scraps of paper so it only makes sense to make use of them.
A calendar pasted over a bright pink background with a nostalgic rabbit drawing adorning it A collage including a to-do list and nostalgic rabbit drawings
November 11, 2024 at 4:28 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
LMAOOO
November 10, 2024 at 5:46 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Realizing how easy it is to make your own sketchbook is a game change.
An assortments of loose sketches and traditional art, including a black goat, rabbits, and other collage art. A yellow hand-bound sketchbook decorated with gingham scraps and buttons
November 9, 2024 at 7:39 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Real isn’t how you are made.
It’s a thing that happens to you.
A brown rabbit plushie drawn with alcohol markers and color pencil pasted over a collage background constructed of florals A brown rabbit plushie drawn with alcohol markers and color pencil pasted over a collage background constructed of florals
November 9, 2024 at 6:59 AM
loppyrae.bsky.social
Good morning, everybunny!
(Brought to you by Bunny, resident studio cat and honorary employee.)
October 28, 2024 at 2:28 PM
loppyrae.bsky.social
There’s always at least ONE cursed sample when designing a plushie, but sometimes you think the plush is perfect and then you open your comment section to see “zombussy” typed a million times over.
October 22, 2024 at 12:47 AM