Monday, November 30, 2009

A Lovely Thanksgiving Week-end

This is me
and
count them...ALL 1-2-3-4-5-6
of my kids!
And 7 of the 9 grandkids...
(the oldest 2 are actually 'step'-grandkids
who live with their dad)
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving..
played some Balderdash...
laughed a lot..
had great culinary delights...
All in all...a great week-end...
but
now I'm ready
to get
back to business.
My daughter-in-law, Becky...
figured out how to use the timer
on my camera
(who knew I had a timer...)
and so we were all
able to get into the picture...without having to
grab someone off the street to come in and
snap the photo!
Great job Becky!!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Family Week-end!


I am MOSTLY taking the Week-end
to spend with my
children and grandchildren.
While 5 of my 6 children live
less than 10 minutes away...my oldest child
and his family...
live 12 hours away
so we don't get to see them as often.
At the 'last minute'
he decided that they would
come home for Thanksgiving.
It's been a year and a half...so
I'm taking the week-end to spend with
my family.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

I am Thankful....

This Thanksgiving...
as with all Thanksgivings past..
I am most
thankful for..
the Blessings
of
Family!
The pictures upload so very small...
but
This is MY Family!
The 'gorgeous' couple in the top middle is
my husband and me...
and
we are personally responsible
for all of the pictures
that came after.
My children
and
my grandchildren.


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Etsy Holiday Sale

I am having an
'Etsy Holiday Sale'
in my
On Everything....
Check it out!

Monday, November 23, 2009

We have ONE Show Left!


We had an 'excellent' show this past week-end...
what I particularly LOVED
was that our business was Steady!
This year we started with the smallest
of spaces...since we weren't sure how we would do.
Fortunately...we were able to
get a little extra space at all of the other
shows...
which gave us room to spread out a bit..
and not feel as 'claustrophobic'.
But, for this show..
we GOT exactly what we paid for...
a 10' x 10' space.
We discovered, we REALLY need a 10' x 15' space
to maximize our display...
so..next year...for MOST of the shows we opt to do...
we'll go with the 10x15...
then...if we end up with a 10x20
(as some of the local shows probably will)
I'm considering using the extra
5x10 space for something completely separate...
We'll see.
I just want us to get acclimated to a 10x15' space,
so we can get our display
EXACTLY how we want it for our future shows.
Our LAST show of this season
is December 5th and 6th!
Thanks to all of our new friends...collectors
and other artisans alike...
who have made my 'return' to "live shows" a most
wonderful experience!
I had quite forgotten how much I LOVE to interact
with people...and I intend to do
MUCH more of it...in 2010!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

At The Show....


I'm ALL day at the show...
and
we have to tear down
afterwards..
A long day and late night..
for sure..
Maybe I'll just take the
WHOLE Day off tomorrow!
Jaime took some pictures of our booth...
I'll upload some when I get them
from her.

Friday, November 20, 2009

The "Plan" for This Week-end.


I listed a 'select your own'
Postcard/ Mini-Print Pack
in the Shop.
Just an F.Y.I.
The 'plan' for this week-end...
I am going to 'pull'
my jewelry..
mirrors..
and original paintings
for
(1) day only.
Since it is only a 1 day show...I want
to go ahead and pull
all of the (1) of a kind...
items.
(I know this doesn't apply to the mirrors...but, since
we have to order those in...don't want to end
up selling out at the show...and not be
able to fill any shop orders
until I order more.)
Besides...I have some new items
in the 'works'
that I want to put into the
Shop next week.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Getting ready for the week-end!

Got a one day show this Saturday...
that means...
we'll be spending today doing last minute
finish ups...
Got to do a bunch of varnishing...
and need to pack and get all orders shipped later today.
Wow...this is going to be a
crazy..busy...day!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

A couple of "LOST" paintings.

"Annalea and the Raven"


"Cicely"
I was going through a book today and ran acrossed a couple
of
"Original Small Works of Art"
paintings that I did a while back.
I did them on art paper...so I'm sure I put them there
to flatten them...and got busy with something else.
Anyway...I went ahead and listed them
so they are in the
Addition====It took me overnight to remember...
I actually did these two pieces
when I decided to get a site on Artfire...
they were intended to be Artfire exclusive...
yikes!!
I'm going to do a couple of digital pieces
and replace them on Etsy...
this is why I've started my 'Making It Work' blog...
I've got so darned much going on
that I'm losing track of what it is I'm actually doing!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Grigio Design

I have been the 'subject'

(or...rather..."my art" has been the subject)

of several blogs
over the past two years.


I've been rather shy about doing
something similar but...

I've decided...


Beginning with



I want to 'feature' a

'fellow' Etsy Seller
in my blog
every week.


The picture above...
MADE it to Etsy's FRONT page...

it is






She has created so many very cool

jewelry creations on her

site..

check out her shop

and see for yourself!



Sunday, November 15, 2009

I "Heart" Hedgehogs!



As anyone who has seen more than one or
two of my paintings has probably figured out that...
I 'heart' hedgehogs.

These little 'cuties' appear in many of my
'creeper'
paintings...
(which brings me to another matter...
I don't know why I call them
'creepers'....and I really need to think of something
a little less 'creepy' to call them..)
but...anyway...
I have seen this video before...and maybe you have too...
but I thought I'd share
for anyone who also 'hearts' hedgehogs..
and may have missed it..

Saturday, November 14, 2009

A Couple New Paintings...

'We Each Have One'
9" x 12" on
Acrylic Paper



"All That Matters"
on
5" x 7"
Wooden Plaque



Believe it or not...I do have canvas to paint on but...
I also have so many little wooden plaques...
and I just bought the pad of Acrylic Paper
(much like Watercolor Paper)
and had to give it a try.
Both of these will need to be framed...maybe
I'll see what I can find when I make my next run to
Hobby Lobby.
I'll probably list these pieces today (Saturday)
and then turn my attention to
finishing a bunch of new pieces that I'm doing
for the show next Saturday.
We're doing some different ornaments...
the older crowd aren't as crazy
about my 'art ornaments'...
so we'll do a few different kinds and see
what happens.
Heaven knows I have all kinds of materials
leftover from my 'crafting days'
that I could probably do something with.
Among them...about five or six unfinished bread boards...
I'm thinking...
Snow Scenes or something.
We'll have to figure out how to do a
'Christmas Corner'
so the new stuff doesn't 'clash' too bad with
our current styles.



Friday, November 13, 2009

Call me Crazy...

Call me 'crazy'...
I've started 'yet' another blog.
Why????
It's a long story..really.
I wrote my very first blog post
back in 2005...
without meaning to...these posts
became 'updates' for the doctors and nurses
caring for my husband.
With everything we had going on...it was hard to
keep track of what happened...when.
More than once I had to 'refer to my blog'
to answer those questions.
Since I do earn my living online...
I find that it has become necessary for
me to create something similar
to try to keep a record of
what I'm doing...and why...
and a blog seemed the logical solution.
It worked for me before...
so..
'fingers crossed...
maybe it will work again!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I Have Never Seen ... 'Nightmare Before Christmas'


At every show we've done...this year...I hear
over and over and OVER...
"your art reminds me
'The Nightmare Before Christmas'..."
and you know...
it really doesn't...
I am a Tim Burton fan...but I have never seen
'Nightmare Before Christmas'.
I've seen 'Edward Scissorhands'...'Beetlejuice'...
'The Legend of Sleepy Hallow'...
but...nothing more than a You Tube
clip of 'Nightmare..'
What I have gotten a 'kick' out of
are Tim Burton's other
characters...
'Stain Boy'
'Match Girl'
'Oyster Boy'
'Staring Girl'...
I think I've seen all of

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Nothing but the Best....

'Can U Fix It?'
by
Mike Best

'Dream Come True'
by
Jaime Zatloukal Best

I do the shows with my youngest daughter, Jaime...and her husband Mike.
Here is a sampling of their art...
They've got an Etsy Shop...
and they recently did an interview
with the
'Handmade Gift Guru'.
Jaime gives me far too much credit for
the (1) art lesson I gave her a few years ago...
she is pretty much
completely self taught..
and
not to be 'bragging'..
I think she has taught herself
quite well.
You can read the interview

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Say a Prayer....



I read a number of blogs on a regular basis...

today I read a post on one of these


asking for our prayers.


I 'refer' you to her post

so you can read about a most

amazing couple

and their need for our prayers.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Design by Magriet

I had a pretty full week-end...
even with a slow show...
and to top it all off..
I was one of the 'featured Etsy shops'
in
She has an interesting blog...especially if you
like jewelry.
Go check her out!

Can we have a 'Do Over'.....?

Actually...I'm not sure I would
want to 'do-over' this
past week-end...
for us it wasn't our best show!
Oddly enough...we make our sales when the
crowds aren't as big as we experienced
on this past Saturday.
Even the other 'artisans' seemed to
feel bad that we were mostly just
'twiddling our thumbs'...
oh well...
it happens!
"Back in the 'day'...my husband and I did very well
with the 'crafting' side of the
Arts and Crafts Shows...
here's one of the egg ornaments we used
to make and sell.


We did very well with our 'eggs'....but, that was

"our" thing...so the folks who were hoping I would finally have

new egg ornaments (since it's been 5 years)

are going to be very disappointed:(

In the meantime though....I am going to have

to get my 'thinking cap' on and figure out how to

try to please those show goers looking for a 'bargain'...

and...I have less than two weeks to do it!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Pop Surrealism

I made this video and put it on You Tube
back in our 'eBay days'.
It features the art of myself, my son (Patrick),
my daughter (Jaime)
and my son-in-law (Mike).
The song is Radiohead's Creep...uncensored version...
so word of WARNING...the lyrics are explicit!
I've posted this video in the past...
but it's been awhile
so I thought I'd post it again!
It's been a few months since I put together a video
but...I do have a few on YouTube
featuring other artwork...
including some of my earliest 'eBay' pieces.
Several of the videos were made when
we still had our family group
"The ZOA Group"
intact.
Upon leaving eBay, we did all go our separate ways...
so I let the website go....
just a note to let you know that there is
no longer a ZOA Group...
I'm just not sure how to get the old website address
out of my videos
without re-doing the whole thing:(

Thursday, November 5, 2009

For The Week-End





Our first November show is this week-end!

I am hoping this one will be really great!

I'd love to "sell out"....

I've never actually 'sold out' at any of the shows

we've done over the years...

but we've come close a time or two.


This time round I'm going to do things

a bit different...

instead of leaving the items I take

to the show in my Shop

I'm going to pull everything but the

prints.


I'll be pulling the items on Friday...

anything that doesn't sell at the show

will then be put back after the week-end!




Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The fine line between working and networking.

I'm neither 'working or networking'
in this photo...
we had some really SLOW times...
this was one of those.
But...it brings me to the point...
I worked my butt off (don't I wish:) getting ready
for this show...
and
I still have inventory left to take to the next show.
Someone once told me...
"I wish all I had to do was paint..."
WHAT???
Dear Lord...this 'uninformed' creature had apparently
NO exposure to the world of online
sales and marketing.
I WISHED ALL I had to do WAS paint!!!
Life would be so much easier...
wouldn't it??
I could paint and paint and paint...
each and every day...
and I'd wind up with a house full of unsold paintings.
There are so many things one has to do to become
a successful artist online...
and painting (or creating in any way) only accounts
for a small portion of those many things.
I think the hardest thing online artisans have to do...
is to network and market.
I can vaguely remember those days that I thought..
"all I'll need to do is to 'paint and list'"...
I wished it were that easy!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

My New Facebook 'Fan Page'





Okay....so I've tried for weeks and weeks

to set up a Facebook Fan Page



I searched all over Facebook and couldn't figure out how to do

this.

Finally....I Googled 'how to set up a facebook fan page'

and found this.


Now...I still haven't figured out...other than by bookmarking it..

how to get 'back' into my Fan Page...

I'm sure there are folks that are real 'experts'...makes me

feel like I'm just taking 'baby steps'...


As you can see...

if you look at my

'Rustic Goth Fan Box'


I don't have ANY FANS!!


Hopefully someone will come and be a fan...

how horrifying would it be if no one did???!!!

Monday, November 2, 2009

So Much To Do...


I really have so much to do
with another show coming up this week-end...
you'd think I wouldn't have time to
work on new pieces...
but, I'm finding I'd rather
'experiment'
with new pieces like the one here.
(She's in the shop.)
I feel I fell into sort of a 'rut'...with all of the
'gold backgrounds' ... similar characters...etc...
so..I'm attempting to 'break out' of the norm...
at least, the 'norm for me',
and experiment with some new pieces.
We'll just have to wait and see how they do...
in the meantime..
I do suppose I'd better start getting ready for the
week-end.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Etsy Anniversary Print Sale


This is my newest 'digital collage' print
now in the shop.
"Evening Star" is a combination of a character
from one of my original paintings...photoshopped
into this digital original.
My Etsy 'anniversary' is coming up in a few days...
so I'm having a 50% off
all standard sized prints and print sets
in 'celebration'.
I've set my Print Section to
to make it easier to find
the sale prints.
The sale is only for my standard sized
5x7 and 8x10 prints
(with a few odd sized prints thrown in for good measure)
and doesn't include my postcard/ mini prints.