Saturday, October 27, 2012

Farming and Art


I think I have new respect for farming...
even though I grew up in 'farming country'
I never thought much about
what a 'gamble' it really is
to do that for a living.

In comparing my own situation to farming..
I've prepared the soil
(my online shops)...

planted the seeds
(listed my artwork)

watered them
(regular new listings or renews)

and even fertilized them
(marketing and promotion)

HOWEVER
'suddenly there was an eclipse of the sun'
that lasted much longer than usual
(Etsy changed the way they do things so my items
can no longer be found as they used to be...
and Zibbet just doesn't attract the traffic
Etsy does)

...so...without the 'sun'...
my seeds won't grow and yield a harvest.
Not sure why Etsy chose the busiest time of the year for
most sellers on Etsy...to make such dramatic changes..
but..like the farmer...
when I make the sales during my 'busy season'
I have to manage the funds
to get through the 'non-harvest' seasons...
but
...this year...
that's not looking so great.
Still have to pay the bills...
so...

I'm not sure how much longer
my Etsy Shop will be
on..
I just can't afford the fees
without some kind of
visibility...
and I'm hoping that my
Zibbet Shop will be able to
'pay for itself'.

In the meantime...looks like I'll have no choice
but
going back to the 9 to 5 workforce...
if they'll have me.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wondering 'if' a Job is in my Future

Horror of horrors....
I'm seriously considering the 'possibility' of re-joining
the workforce.

I haven't had to do the 9 to 5 since 2004 and the thought of it
makes me 'cringe' a bit...
but...

after what Etsy has recently done to it's site...and subsequently
to my site...
Sales...visits...all of that is down by more than half.
Then..they 'mysteriously' closed my shop for
several days...and NEVER did give me an answer as to why...
so I am never sure from one day to the next
if my shop will be active there or not.

So...I went to Zibbet...LOVE the site...but
unfortunately...
they don't get the traffic that Etsy does
(I'm assuming folks are still visiting Etsy anyway).
 
I can't tell where the Zibbet shop views are coming from
and I don't have the data I need to make
'informed' decisions...
as they don't offer google analytics.

I am going to try one or two more things...
as bills are piling up and I don't have
much time to play with here...
and if they don't work...
well..
I guess it's 'hello' Work place...
'good-bye'
Studio space!


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

My Rustic Goth Shops

I am gradually getting everything moved from my Etsy Shop
to my Zibbet Shop.

While my shop is still up on Etsy...for the moment...
I don't know for how much longer.

It saddens me that Etsy has made all the sweeping changes
that have recently...it certainly has affected so many
sellers whose shops have become harder and harder to find.

I think the saddest thing is...that the 'powers that be' there
didn't give anyone a definite 'heads up'
to the changes...
they always just said it was being
'Beta Tested'.
Then suddenly...it was no longer a test.

If they had given folks some notification of what they would
need to do to retain their visibility...that seems to me
to have been the fairest thing for all.

While I do understand Etsy can do whatever they want...
without giving two s***s about their sellers...
and that's okay...
it's all made me a bit nervous.

After my site going down for four days..
and NEVER Ever have I heard a word in response to my
dozens of emails...
I find myself wondering...from one day to the next...
heck, sometimes from one hour to the next...
if my Etsy Shop is still 'up and operational'.

So...as for Etsy...right now I'm up...and still listing...
but who knows for how long???

Friday, October 5, 2012

This Week-End


This week-end I will be adding some new 
Steampunk Art and Goth Art prints to my
Etsy Shop.

Any items remaining in my Clearance Sale section
on Monday will be retired.

And...I'm having a SALE on Everything in my
Shop...
including my new Steampunk Art pendants

Sale prices range from 10% to 50% Off
and prices have already been adjusted.

Have a great week-end!!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Genesis of A Single Creation


A couple of years ago
my daughters and I decided to do
the arts and crafts show at
the State Fair.

10 days...from 9 am until 9 pm...except on the last day...
we closed at 6 pm...
anyway...

we decided to bring..
paintings
prints
postcards
small items
and
Art Dolls.

We wanted something that 'fit' into the crafts portion
of the 'Arts and Crafts' show...
I decided to do some 'goth' dolls and some fairytale dolls.

Needless to say..the fairytale dolls were most popular at a State Fair...
when the show ended and I went to do something with the photos I'd taken...
I liked the doll faces enough
they inspired me to create some original digital art creations
based on JUST the faces from my dolls.

The above photo is a good example of the
'Genesis' of a Single Creation...
my 'Alice in Wonderland' doll
became the girl in my
'All in the Moment' print
the girl from that print became...
'Steampunk Alchemy'.

You'll note that I use only a handful of the same girls over
and over...I like to be consistent I guess...
but then, we all wear 'different hats' from time to time...
don't we?