Wishing Everyone A Happy New Year!!

Wrapping Up 2010

Reflecting back over the past year..

I think.it has been a very good year!

I've had my share of things that I've complained about...

mostly to do with my computer and internet..

but I've managed, in spite of them.

This was my best Etsy year ever...

and I did it mostly from my dining room table

or my from my recliner.

With my youngest son now living in North Dakota...

and my 'college' son happy with his little 

'efficiency' upstairs...

I'll be turning my basement back into my Studio.
This should mean...
more original paintings in my Shops.

I've changed the looks and the contents of my
Bonanza Shop.
I've removed ALL Rustic Goth pieces from this Shop
leaving only my CMZ Art pieces,
which all have much 'lighter' themes.

My Rustic Goth Artfire Shop
houses my 'melancholy' girls
which will not be found on Etsy or Zibbet.

I'll be adding a lot of new Rustic Goth pieces to my
Fine Art America Shop
which make my art available on Greeting Cards
and on Gallery Wrapped Canvas.

Hopefully, before the beginning of the year,
I'll have new pieces in my Zibbet and Zazzle Shops.

A nice 'Plus' to the end of my year...

my 'Two Hearts' piece was featured on the Front Page of

Fine Art America

recently!

All in all...I'm looking forward to a Great New Year!!

Big plans for the New Year!

It's that time of year again...that I decide which items to 'retire'.
I'll be placing those items in a

'Clearance' Section...

in my Shop..

As I list the brand new items I create...I'll begin to 'unlist'

those items that haven't sold.

I like to try to keep my listings from becoming too overwhelming...

so as I list the new items..

I 'retire' some of the older items..

in an effort to keep my Shop as fresh as I possibly can.

Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas!

My favorite Trans-Siberian Orchestra Song.
I think it really says a lot about how I feel about Christmas.
I hope you enjoy!

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Thinking Christmas....

I'm thinking Christmas...purposefully so!

Jaime and I were talking a while back...she's my one child

who is ALWAYS soooo excited about Christmas way before any of the others.

This year...she got off to a bit of a shaky start.

I think it comes with having an online business that requires so

much work during the Holiday Season.

Even when one is completely caught up on shipping,

packages tend to get 'lost' somewhere in the deep Abyss of the USPS.

She had one International package that was returned twice...

(the buyer did not pick up the package either time)...

for some reason she had to pay $24.00 Customs Fee on it the last time

it was returned...

and still the buyer wanted it re-shipped (on Jaime)...

all this in the middle of the normally hectic Christmas Season work.

She also discovered...by a very compassionate postal worker...that her

post office was holding a batch of International packages

because she hadn't put the words...'from'  and 'to'  on them.

This after they had accepted them and received postage fees.

That's still being investigated.

So...you see...with all this 'drama'  it becomes very necessary

to make myself  'think' Christmas. 

I have to find that 'spirit' that lights the joy within...

so that I don't risk turning into some kind of 

'Grinch'.

While I Wonder

Sometimes I feel like I just 'wander' through life 

without a plan or a clue...

luckily I don't feel that way often..

mostly when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed..

like I have been lately.

Because it's essential...for my livelihood...

to make as many sales as I possibly can everyday..

I put off taking the time to do a little pre-planning and organizing.

Eventually I need to just 'stop' and regroup...

that's where I'm at currently.

I'm getting everything out as quickly as I possibly can...

but I'm not really working on anything new...

just ideas and thoughts

for new pieces for the coming year.

So...I'm wondering which of the older pieces I need to retire...

what I want to do with new series ideas..

I reflect on ideas that I thought were good ones

that didn't go anywhere...

and why.

I wonder what I will do about Christmas gifts for my family...

and what my youngest son will do out on his own.

I wonder about a lot of things....

Taking An Internet Break

I've been soooo busy with my Etsy Shop

holding 'Sales',

packing, shipping...

just trying to stay 'afloat'...

that I've totally neglected the Season...and the meaning

behind it.

Sooo....I'm taking an Internet break...for at least a week

maybe even until after Christmas.

I'll monitor my shop and emails a couple times every day...

but  since I tend to spend way too much time everyday on my computer

it leaves so little time for anything else.

Forget doing any decorating..baking...or gift making/shopping.

So, I need to pry myself away from my computer long enough

to do everything that needs to be done to have

a joyful Holiday Season.

 

I've run into similar problems the past few years...then...

before you know it, it's a day or two before Christmas and I'm scrambling around

trying to throw up some decorations...

doing my Shopping at the last minute...

baking a few goodies...

and it's not really that much fun or joyous.

So...I'm scheduling some blog posts...

some Etsy listings...

and taking a step back...

so that I don't run into the same last minute scramble.

This year I really do want to enjoy the Season.

It's a bit too easy to get a little too caught up with my online business...

and I want to take some time to reflect on how

I can spend more time with myself and my family

in the coming year...

I don't want my business to become so grueling that

I grow not to like it so much!

Gift Certificates in the Shop

I've given a lot of thought to whether or not to offer

Gift Certificates in my Shop.

I've heard they don't do well on Etsy.

But...I decided to go ahead and offer a few of them anyway.

I am offering them through email...

quite simple for any last minute gift giving...

and this is how it works..

*Once purchased... I will email you the Gift
Certificate so you can print it. Especially
good when time is of the essence.

*This Gift Certificate is redeemable ONLY
in my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

*Each Gift Certificate has it's own unique
code, which appears on the Gift Certificate.

*Rustic Goth Gift Certificates do not expire.

*Rustic Goth Gift Certificate balances do carry over.

*There is not a 'handling fee' on Rustic Goth Gift
Certificates...you will not be penalized for using
them.

*Gift Certificates are Not Refundable or Redeemable
for Cash.

*Any balance spent Over the amount of the Gift
Certificate will be due and owed by the user, and payable
via PayPal.

*Gift Certificate amounts can also be used toward
shipping costs.

I'm Caught Up with Shipping

Okay...this picture is a MAJOR Exaggeration of

how much shipping I had to do...

but when you are doing it by yourself and you get behind

it can often feel like this!

I'm caught up to 5 business days...which is great for me.

Once I get my own printer, I'm hoping to cut this to 3 days...hope..hope!!

The only things that are still behind are the calendars.

I'm still waiting to get those from the publisher.

Hopefully they'll be here so that I can get them shipped right around

the 15th!

I've Been So Busy....

I've finally got 'almost' everything
packed and shipped.
Hopefully everything will reach it's destination before
Christmas!
My calendars should be on their way from the publishers and
I'll ship those out as soon as I get them.

I've ordered new canvas...so I can get started on some
new paintings for next year...whenever I can sneak some free time.

I haven't had a chance to visit my favorite blogs...so I'm hoping to sneak some
time as I can...and find out what you all are up to during the Holiday Season.
I still haven't had a chance to put up a few decorations
to make my home feel a little more 'festive'...
maybe I'll try to set aside a little time for that.
I think I'm feeling a little 'blue'...
my youngest son has always lived with me...
and he will be moving out the week before Christmas.
Not just out of the house...but out of the State!

I guess I'll deal with that when it actually happens.

Reaching A Compromise

Jaime and I each have our own Shops

and 

for the most part

our businesses are completely separate.

Her and Mikey are free to do as they please in their Shop..

and me in mine.

But...we still do our little 'brain storming' every week.

What new things can we do?...that sort of thing.

She is of the belief that original paintings and prints are more than enough

to keep her busy...

but

the 'crafter' in me is constantly wanting to 'expand' my line.

And...I tend to try to 'talk' her into going along.

Now that we aren't doing anymore shows this season...
(and possibly not next season either)

I think I'll let her do her thing and just keep doing what I enjoy doing.

I just need to be 'smarter'.

For one thing...it takes me almost as long to do an art cover

or an egg ornament

as it does to do an 11 x 14 inch painting...

and I charge far less.

So...I've reached a 'compromise' with myself.

Next year...I'll concentrate on the paintings and prints...

then

every so often

I'll switch over and do a batch of covers..

or

wearable art

or

'whatever'...

See...the 'crafter' in me is 'always thinking'...

2011 Calendars on Etsy

 

Today is the last day to get one of my 2011 Calendars

in my Etsy Shop.

I won't be able to guarantee delivery by Christmas

if I have to order them from my publisher

and then ship them out when they come in.

I have posted links on my sidebar

to be able to order the calendars directly

from the publisher

for anyone who wants one and didn't have a chance

to order through my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

The Winner is...

I found a random generator link on one of my

favorite blogs...

and used it to draw the winner of one of my

2011 Creeper Calendars.

The winner is....
Daphne White!

Please contact me (cmzart@yahoo.com) with your address

so I can get your calendar to you

as soon as they arrive.