Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Upcoming Season


We're going to be doing several different kinds of
pendants for the Fall Shows.

I've already listed a few of the Scrabble Tile pendants...
and I'm very pleased with how they've turned out.

We'll be doing a few 'ornate' pendants...and we're planning
on doing some interchangeable
button pendants.

We're doing a few things that are just for the local shows...
and I'm trying to figure out what to do
'especially' for Christmas.
Hopefully I'll come up with something different.

In the meantime...I won't be posting as often...
and
my 'me' Saturdays
are going to become
'work' Saturdays.
It happens every year...

Sunday, September 26, 2010

A Few new Paintings




They look the same...but they really are quite different.

And...the top painting has already sold.

I have really liked doing these trees and decided to do a few
paintings without the characters...
especially for the local shows.

But...then I decided to go ahead and list them in the Shop.

I can always 'pause' them on Show days...

Friday, September 24, 2010

A busy week and a few new things in the Shop.


Wow....I'm 'gone' for a week and the whole
'blogger' thing has changed!

It's been such a busy week for me...
but I did manage to
get a few of the Scrabble Tile pendants...
something new for me...
listed in my Shop.

I've been working on things for the next show...
October 9th...
and for most of the week thought I only
had one week...
turns out I had 2.

Ah well....lost my cable/ internet for a day...AGAIN!
According to the guy who came out this time...
because the cable wire runs through the branches
of 2 trees in my back yard...
I can either have a tree trimmer come out
and cut the branches...
or put up with losing my cable from time to time.
I told him I thought it odd that I had very few problems
the first 3 and a half years I've lived here...
but have lost everything
4 times in the past 3 and a half Months...
he just shrugged...

I've done a few new paintings...
even though I originally planned to save them
for the shows...
I decided to go ahead and put them
in the Shop for now.
About half of them don't have any characters in them...
but I do like them anyway!


Friday, September 17, 2010

First Show of the Season

Everything that we can possibly get ready
for the Festival is done...
We've got a ton of checkbook covers,
notepad covers,
journal covers and a few composition book covers.
Scrabble tile pendants and button magnet pendants.

We'll also be taking some mini prints, regular sized prints and
bookmarks.

We aren't taking any paintings to this show...since it's an hour
away and we don't have room for the backboards..

But...I'll probably be listing
pendants and new art covers in the Shop
early next week...
if I have anything left:)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Another Shipping Debacle


I 'think' I'm finally through the latest Shipping Nightmare....
I won't breathe any sighs of relief until the packages actually reach
their destination though.

Losing my computer as long as I did...during a 50% Off Sale....ended up
biting me in the 'behind'.

Jaime did my correspondence and listings for me...but I really couldn't
put all the shipping off on her too...and because I did think my computer
would be fixed much sooner than it was...I figured everything would be fine.
Boy..was I wrong!
I was so backed up on shipping that I thought it would be
easier to ship packages directly from the Post Office.
Just print some address labels
take the packages to the Post Office
pay for them and send them on their way.

I even enlisted the help of a couple of my kids
to haul the packages for me.
Well....I sent a batch with my son, on a day that
he could run them by the post office on his way to school.
On his way...he popped into the University Bookstore
and discovered they had a little Post 'office' in the Store...
 he decided to ship the packages from there and save some time.

Well...long story short...I started getting convos from folks wondering
where their packages were.
I discovered that all of these packages had been shipped from the
University Bookstore.

Patrick went by to find out what was going on..
they said they mailed them out...
several days later he gets a phone call..
The packages had been placed back inside the bag he carried
them there in...and were 'found' under the counter...
"did he still want them mailed out?"

What??!!!!

Oh my gosh...are you kidding me???

So...the packages are finally enroute...at least I HOPE they are...
and Lesson Learned...
I will no longer ship from the Bookstore...
and I probably won't ask anyone else to run my packages...
if they need to go to the post office...
(i.e.---International First Class packages)...
I'll take them myself...on Saturdays.

Everything else is going to get shipped via My House
through Postal Pick UP...
I don't think my Carrier 'appreciates' my scheduled pick ups...
which was one of the reasons I opted to send them from the Post Office...
but..
oh well...
I have to do what is best for my business !

Friday, September 10, 2010

A Couple New Paintings in the Shop


"The Heart Will Follow"




"Friends of Mine"

I got a couple new 11" x 14" paintings done and listed in
the Shop earlier this week.

I've been so busy trying to get the Art Covers and other
small items ready for the
Applejack Festival September 18th and 19th.

We hadn't planned to do this festival since it's out of town
and starts really early in the morning...
but my oldest daughter works with the gal who
is running the show and she knows our work and talked us
into doing it.

My husband and I did the festival some years ago
and it was pretty good then so we thought...
what the heck...
let's give it a go!

I did a batch of  'rustic'  covers that I think will appeal
to pretty much everyone...as well as quite a few
of my Rustic Goth pieces.
We're hoping we have
'something for everyone'!


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Getting Ready for Fall


Our first show of the season is coming up in 10 days...
so we've been busy painting new art covers..
working on some Scrabble Tile pendants
(something we've never offered before)
and re-designing new bookmarks.

These are all Brand New to the local Shows
so we're hoping they are good sellers for us!

I finally got All of my Shipping caught up only to discover
that the items from one shipment isn't arriving to my collectors...
my son mailed them from the University Book Store postal store (huh??)

I told him to check with them today to make sure they actually sent them....
I guess I'm re-learning the old saying...
"If you want something done 'right'...you've got to do it yourself."

Bless his heart...he meant well...I just can't afford these kinds of  lessons.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

As Time Permits


The girls and I are hard at working...
creating a lot of new 'stuff' for the Fall Show and Shopping Season.

We'll be having some new pendants...
including
Scrabble Tile pendants.
We did a few tiles a couple years ago...so I have a lot
of tiles still on hand...and we've decided to finish them up
and see what we think.
I love the looks of the tiles....so I think they should be a hit.

We're currently working on a lot of new
Checkbook Covers
List Covers and
Journal Covers.

Jaime's going to be painting some of her designs on a few...
so 'hopefully' I'll still be able to sell mine:)
(I'm truly envious...and proud...of Jaime's art.)
We're hoping to have some brand new mirrors...in time for the October show.
Being without my computer as long as I was...kept me from
being able to design the new mirrors I want to do this year...to have them in time
for this first show...
so..hopefully...we'll be able to get them designed and sent off
when we're finished with the items we're currently working on.

So...my blogging is going to take another 'hit'.
I'll blog as I can...
I'm still reading my favorite blogs...
(I HAVE to do this for my own enjoyment)
but I'm not leaving as many comments...
it's a 'time' thing.

I am so hoping we can hurry up and get caught up
to the point that I actually have a little time
to read and relax...kind of 'do my own thing'...




Friday, September 3, 2010

ALL Caught UP


I'm all caught up on Shipping and Commissioned Paintings and I'm
having a Week-End
Buy 2 Standard Sized Prints...Get 2 Prints Free
in the Etsy Shop.

My Standard Sized (5"x7" or 8"x10") Prints
have all been discounted 25%
for the Fall Season....
so my buy 2..Get 2 is a really good Sale.
I'm quite pleased with myself.

NOW...I'm gearing up for the Fall Shows.
We've added a new show, 
the Applejack Festival.
It's in Nebraska City over the week-end of
September 18th and 19th,
so we don't have a lot of time to get everything ready
that we want to take.

The girls and I will be spending the week-end getting
as much done as we can.

I plan on painting a few art covers with 'apple' themes...
we'd like to take some new mirrors and pendants...
a few paintings...
and our new design bookmarks.
These will have ribbons attached to them...to make them look
more like bookmarks.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A 'different' kind of Sale


My Shop is back up and I am almost
current with my Shipping...

I still have my paintings and Large Prints
left to Ship....but I'm hoping that I can get those out tomorrow.

I'm leaving my 'Vacation' banner and avatar up
until then...
in case I end up getting too much
activity and have to go back on a 'brief vacation' again.

I'm 'bound and determined' to get 100% caught up with my
shipping...(I'm completely caught up with my Commissions)
before I feel 'comfortable' with where I am at.

I like to find a good Sale...
so I guess that's why I tend to
have as many as I do.

This 'Sale' is a bit different.
First...all Standard Sized Prints
...the 5" x 7" and the 8" x 10" prints...
have been discounted by 25%.

THEN....I'm having a 'secondary' sale...
Buy 2 Prints and Get 2 Prints FREE...
This puts my prints at their lowest price yet...
it works out to $6.00 Each.

The Buy 2 Get 2 Sale will be for a
limited time ONLY!

And....the Sale in my Zibbet Shop does end later this evening!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Lowest Print Prices EVER!


I am FINISHED with my Commissioned Paintings...
and almost caught up with my Shipping!

So....I decided to take a break from shipping and show my
Rustic Goth Zibbet Shop some 'love'.

My prices in this shop were already lower...I guess because I've never
gotten a lot of traffic there...
so the 24 Hour Half Price SALE..
puts these prints at my lowest prices EVER.

I'm running the Sale through Thursday....and most of the prints
are exclusive to this Shop!