Another Painting Blog

Sticks and Stones

2012-01-21T15:41:00.000-06:00

I got a Twitter Message yesterday that said...

"Are you aware of the rumors/bad things that are being said about you?"

There was a link...

and I clicked it...

I wanted to know what bad things were being said about me.

Turns out...the sender's account had been hacked

and the hacker was attempting to

spread a malicious virus of some sort.

(The link sent me to a sign in page...and I didn't sign in...

so hopefully my computer is okay.)

But...after giving some thought to my reaction...

I came to realize that I'm not as 'thick skinned' as I thought I was.

I do care if someone is saying bad things about me.

Maybe that's because I don't say bad things about people...

at least nothing that I wouldn't say directly to their face.

Some time ago...I ran across a forum thread in which

someone suggested that I might be 'copying' another artist.

While I am a big fan of this artist...

and have, on occasion, wished I had thought

of one of her particular ideas...I've never copied anyone...

at least not since I taught myself how to paint

many years ago....(I learned how to paint by 'copying'

the back covers of Reader's Digest magazines).

I have no idea what ever became of those early efforts...

certainly they were never given to anyone else.

As an artist, I do realize that not everyone is going to like what I do..

and that really is okay.

I don't necessarily like everything that I see...

but I respect the right of the artist to express themselves

how they choose.

So I don't berate the art or the artist...I either like it or I don't..

which is my right.

But I choose to exercise that right...in silence.

I'm really not about purposely...or inadvertently (if I can help It)

hurting someone else's feelings.

On another note...

...while you can't see it from the preview...

my 'Nevermore' print

is the back cover of this book...

"Strange Fruit: A Ghost Story"

by Rey Otis.

I thought that was really cool and I'm going to have to grab

a copy for my own library!

My 2012 Wall Calendars

2012-01-18T11:57:00.000-06:00

My 2012 Wall Calendars

are now only available through this blog

or directly through the publisher.

I have place direct to the publisher buttons

under the image of each calendar

on my side bar.

Now...through January 20th...you can

save 20%

with the special promo code

PRICETHAW

I've got a Mailing List

2012-01-12T09:37:00.000-06:00

I have considered doing a monthly
newsletter
for quite some time.
Well...I decided...since it was the beginning
of a new year...
I'd go ahead and give it a try.
I started a mailing list..
for anyone who might want to join
it is here.

I sent this desktop wallpaper/ background
as a 'Thank You'.
I'm using it on my own laptop and
quite like it.
It's the first time I ever created anything
especially as wallpaper/ background
and I think it worked out nicely.

New Paintings to Share

2012-01-05T12:23:00.000-06:00

The Springtime of Our Lives.

I did the background on this one a few weeks ago

and then couldn't decide what to do with it.

I decided to do an 'impasto' tree..since they seem to be

all the 'rage'...

and because I thought it fit the background so well.

I won't be doing many (if anymore at all) of this type of painting...

as I don't usually do what others are doing...

but I must admit...

even if it doesn't sell...it will look really nice on my walls:)

Night of the Dragonflies

is another new piece.

It didn't photograph well so I'll be taking more and more

pictures to see if I can fix that.

Dance of the Dragonflies

If you look real close you can see there

are two dragonflies on the center panel.

Again...I didn't get good pics.

But I like this one so much that it is still in my

dining room...so I can look at it often.

I'll have to put it away soon...so nothing happens to it...

but it is one of my new 'favorites'.

Looking Back at 2011

2012-01-02T16:41:00.000-06:00

In January I listed my Zodiac Girls Collection...

I had so much fun creating each piece...

and tried to stay true to the elements

and traits that go with each sign.

March 8th I got Skittles...

she has been such a Blessing in my life...

I don't know what I would ever do without her.

March 15th is the only time any of my art

has been included in Etsy Finds...

which is a pretty 'big deal' for

anyone who has a shop on Etsy.

They included my 'Ides of March' print

for their

'Ides of March' issue.

I became a Zazzle Pro Seller..

and a couple of my Zazzle items

won some awards...

including my Twilight Shoes.

My 10th Grandbaby...

Oliver Aurealius

was born September 12th...

Jaime and I watched him the month of November

and I can tell you...

in the few weeks since we last watched him

on a regular basis

he's grown like a weed and doing so many

new things!

Alice in Wonderland - Encore
I LOVE this painting...but it took so long for me to paint
that I decided that I would do fewer 'character' paintings
in the new year.
I'll do more paintings...but these will be more along the lines
of abstract landscapes..
some tree art..
bird art
and the such.

I moved...
and I'm still adjusting to living
in a home one third the size of the house I'd lived in for
the last five years.
But...it's all good. I'll eventually get it all figured out:)

Looking Ahead

2011-12-29T14:46:00.002-06:00

I've been so busy working on some new pieces

for the New Year.

I'm hoping to have 12 new Steampunk Prints

and 12 new Tree Art Prints

ready by the 1st.

I may start listing the pieces

earlier...though.

Jaime got me a bunch of new canvas and some new paints

for Christmas...

I won't actually be able to get started on new paintings

until after the 1st...but

I'll have some new paintings shortly after.
I plan on painting a lot more abstract and contemporary
tree art and nature paintings
and only a handful of character pieces.

A few changes to the way I will be doing things

beginning in 2012...

I will sign the 5x7 and 8x10 prints only on request but,

I will continue to sign, date and number

the Large Limited Edition prints.

I've already combined the 5x7 and 8x10 prints into one section

in my Shop

and I will list the new Collections in separate sections.

I will begin ending the items in the Clearance Sale Section

today through New Year's Eve. Prices
have been lowered again...
in case anyone is
interested.

With family activities this week-end...I want to have

as many of these items cleared as possible

by New Year's Eve.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-27T13:02:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday Season.

Things have been pretty busy at my house...

I managed to get all packages that were purchased prior to the 21st

in the mail and on their way..

hopefully in time for Christmas.

Now I need to get busy and get the rest of the orders

packaged and mailed.

My youngest son, moved to North Dakota right before Christmas last year...

surprised me by showing up at my door early morning Christmas Eve.

So all six kids were home for Christmas this year...

but we ended up having to call 911 Christmas night

because my poor 'baby' got so sick he threw up for two hours straight.

He had to go to the E.R. and get two units of fluid.

He's fine now...but I've been a little 'squishy'...so I'm taking the

day to just kind of stay put...

I should be printing and packing...but I'll have to wait and do that tomorrow.

My 'Guardians of Everlast' iPhone cases on Zazzle

were a big hit over the Holiday Season...

I was very pleased at how many of those were sold..

and they are continuing to sell:)

All in all...I've had a wonderful Christmas

and really looking forward to the New Year...

I'll be listing a lot of new pieces come January...

several new digital Steampunk pieces

will be previewed in my next post.

Print Changes and Clearance SALE

2011-12-21T11:16:00.000-06:00

I have made some changes to print sizes

in the Shop...

the only 5" x 7" prints I am leaving will be

my Creeper pieces and some of the

'storybook' prints...

My girls have all been 'bumped up' to 8" x 10" sizes.

I find that I personally prefer the 5"x7" sizes...I think I find them 'cuter'

in those sizes...

but the collectors prefer the larger 8" x 10" sizes...so...

I wanted to make those changes before the first of the year.

Depending on image quality...

unfortunately I didn't save the early Creeper painting pics

at large enough pixels to offer anything over a 5" x 7" print...

so those will stay the same...

or be retired.

But...with the exception of Large Limited Edition prints and a handful of mini prints...

I will no longer offer my art in both the 5" x 7" and 8" x 10"

for the same print,

it will be one or the other.

With this in mind...

any 5" x 7"s that had also been offered as 8" x 10"s

are now in my

Clearance Sale section

for a very limited time, as

I want to clear this section by the first of the year.

Handpainted Canvas Art Covers

2011-12-19T11:32:00.001-06:00

My art covers went over really big last year...

this year..

not so much.

So...today is the last day for the covers

and I won't be offering them in the future.

They just take too much time and work...

which I really need for so many other things.

If you want one...you can get it here.

Zodiac Ornaments

2011-12-17T07:14:00.000-06:00

I guess my mind has been on a thousand

other things...

trying to figure out what I wanted to do in the New Year.

I meant to show these Zodiac Ornaments...as I'm really happy with

how they look...I think I'll order the entire set

throughout this next year, to have for myself.

Anyway..

I did one for each Zodiac Sign...with my girls...

and they are available in my

Rustic Goth Zazzle Shop.

What the New Year will bring in my Etsy Shop

2011-12-15T12:51:00.001-06:00

I've made some decisions on what I will be carrying in my

Etsy Shop.

I will keep my two panel,

Alice in Wonderland - Encore painting..

Off to See the Wizard painting,

Jar of Hearts painting,

most of my tree paintings and bird paintings.

Most everything else is already in my

Clearance Sale Section

and will be offered for only a little while longer.

I won't be painting as many character paintings,

again...the vision thing...but I will expand my painting line

significantly.

I'll just be doing a lot more 'experimental'...to me anyway...paintings.

Hopefully these will sell fast enough that my storage space...

or the lack of it...

doesn't become a problem for me.

I'll be 'retiring' a lot of prints in the New Year,

I just haven't completely decided which ones yet.

I will be combining the 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" prints

into one section called,

Small Prints

and expanding my line of Large Limited Edition prints.

Calendars will be available until right after
the New Year.

The art covers will be discontinued in just a few days

and I won't be offering them in the future.

They just take too much time...

and like the wearable art, with my vision,

I just can't work on these small pieces anymore.

My daughter, Wendy, has agreed to take over

my wearable art line...and Jaime's..

and offer them in our 'partnership' Etsy Shop..

RusticChicBoutique.

Wendy has a full time job as contact center manager

for a major insurance company...and a family...

so she doesn't have a lot of free time...

but she has helped so often in the past, that we talked

and decided it was time she actually got something for her efforts.

She was willing to do them for us to offer in our own shops,

but

we decided that this would give the 'Boutique' a bit

of the 'jump start' that it needs (hopefully)

and give her a little something extra...

with three kids

she needs that extra all too often!

I'm hoping to have some of the wearable art listed in her shop

by the end of the week-end.

So...in the New Year...

my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop

will be devoted primarily to new style paintings

and select prints.

Last day for Rustic Goth Wearable Art

2011-12-13T05:11:00.000-06:00

I think I have mentioned

that I will be discontinuing my

wearable art line

in my Etsy Shop.

Thursday is the last day I will offer

wearable art in any of my shops.

Truth is...my eyesight isn't what it used to be...

and it's getting more difficult for me to see

what I'm doing...so I'm discontinuing it completely.

Thanks so much to everyone who purchased or admired

these fun little pieces. I do so appreciate you:)

Change gonna Come...

2011-12-11T02:24:00.001-06:00

"Change gonna come"

to my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

I have stressed about this for several weeks now...

what to do with my Etsy Shop?

Should I keep the Shop name...Rustic Goth...or

change it to something else?

Should I clear everything out and start brand new?

What to do...what to do?

So...

I've decided I'm keeping the Shop Name...

I guess I'm rather 'attached' to it...

but

most of what I currently offer

is 'going away'.

At least it's going away from my

Etsy Shop.

I'll be moving my Melancholy Girls, Steampunks,

and Zodiac Girls

to my Rustic Goth Zibbet Shop.

Currently I have a 50 item max in that shop,

so I'll have to pick and choose

which pieces to offer.

(If that site picks up, I'll pay for the premium account

and list more...but I have to see what happens

before I commit to paying a monthly premium.)

My whimsical art prints and creeper prints

are going to find a home in my

Bonanza Shop.

Wearable art and handpainted art covers

will be discontinued after the Holidays...

and I won't be doing those on any of the sites.

I've already done away with the bookmarks...and don't think

I'll be offering them anywhere in the future.

I'm going back to 'basics'.

In my 'eBay' days I made a dandy little living

from my abstracts, tree art paintings...etc.

so I've decided to get back to what used to work.

I'll keep a handful of my signature character and fairytale paintings...

in my Etsy Shop...

I just won't be doing new character pieces as often.

I'm still not fully committed on what prints I'll offer

in my Etsy Shop yet...

and I won't be making the drastic changes all at once.

(I don't want to have an empty shop...

though,

I wished I could afford to take a month long vacation

and reopen with all new stuff...)

((...in a perfect world))

Anyway...change gonna come to my Shop

and my Art in 2012

and I am rather excited about them!

Shipping Deadlines

2011-12-08T15:49:00.001-06:00

Holiday Shoppers - Order Deadlines for Shipping

(International and APO/ Military purchases can no longer be guaranteed to arrive before Christmas!)

All international orders last day shipping of December 9th.

APO/ Military orders last day shipping of December 10th.

Domestic US orders last day shipping of December 21st.

Calendar order deadlines have passed to arrive in time for Christmas.

Wearable art order deadlines have also passed to insure delivery prior to Christmas, as all wearable art is made to order.

Any orders placed after these dates cannot be guaranteed to ship in time for Christmas, though I will do my best.

Changes in 2012

2011-12-04T11:57:00.001-06:00

Everyone who has read many of my posts know that

I depend on my art to keep myself going..

physically, mentally, emotionally and financially.

With this in mind...and the fact that 2011 wasn't exactly

a 'banner' year for me...

I've decided to make several significant changes in 2012.

First...I will be doing a lot more 'wall decor' paintings

than character paintings.

I understand that more folks are into original pieces they can

put on their walls as decorative pieces...than pieces that have

sweet little characters in them.

So....these pieces will become fewer and farther between.

Second....I'm retiring some of my all time favorite pieces.

Anything that is over a year old...is being retired

from my Etsy Shop.

I'll retire my prints in stages...as I usually do...

and probably won't start until after the first of the year.

I'm still considering whether or not to continue to carry wearable art

in my shop...

perhaps I'll just make it a seasonal thing...

or do away with it all together.

I still haven't completely made my mind up about that.

Finally...

I will be doing a brand new blog.

I won't do away with this one...I've had it far too long

and it feels like a comfortable pair of shoes...

but I'm working on better marketing, branding and the such...

and in so doing...I'll need to put together something

that speaks to those efforts.

I'll keep everyone up to date on the changes

as they 'unfold'.

What's New for Year's End Rustic Goth Etsy

2011-12-02T17:35:00.003-06:00

I brought back my bookmarks

by request...

but they are honestly just not working out

in my Etsy Shop.

Since there is a fee to list, relist and renew each item on Etsy...

having the bookmarks in my shop is no longer cost

effective for me.

I'm not doing away with them completely...

I'm just moving them all to a shop that doesn't charge

any listing fees.

They are currently in my 'clearance' section...

with a few soon to be retired prints...and small OSWOA paintings.

~~I'll probably leave them there until they sell or the listings expire.~~

Today is actually the last day these will be available..
so sorry.
I've had to tend to a family emergency situation
and bookmarks are the only thing I carry
that it is necessary for me to have to finish
outside of my home...

I'll be doing quite a bit of

'house cleaning'

throughout the month of December.

I am hoping to start...FRESH...in 2012...

and I'll be 'retiring' a lot of the prints that have

been 'standards' for several years...

I'm looking forward to a lot of new ideas and creations

in the coming year:)

Thanks to my sister...

2011-11-30T15:57:00.001-06:00

She bought me a new cord for my poor old

laptop

so I was able to take the giant clip down

and plug my laptop in.

Now, I can move my laptop all over the place

and not have to worry that it will shut itself down.

She also got me started on the wonderful weight loss
and increased energy shakes that I cannot
go without...

Thank you Lori...you are so very sweet...

and you have saved my poor neck and shoulders,
not to mention my cholesterol, blood pressure and
general overall health:)

Happy Holidays SALE

2011-11-28T08:03:00.001-06:00

It's "Cyber Monday"

and my SALE will run through tonight!

I've had a "Happy Holidays" Sale in my Shop

for several days...

which includes FREE US Shipping on Original Stretched Canvas Paintings.

Wrapping it up for the year....

2011-11-26T15:56:00.000-06:00

There won't be as many to choose from this year but,
I just listed a few art journal covers...
and checkbook covers.
I really like the covers...but since it takes so long to do just one...
I opted to stop with what I've completed this far.

I'm feeling just a little overwhelmed already
so I decided to slow things down a bit...
and maybe just concentrate on creating gift items for Christmas instead.
There's not as much pressure to do those...unless I put it off until the
very last minute.

I've got a few ideas...especially since getting my new sewing machine...
and I haven't really gotten into the Christmas "spirit" the past few years..
because I've been too busy to really appreciate the season.

Rustic Goth Etsy is On 'Vacation'

2011-11-19T16:07:00.002-06:00

My Etsy Shop is currently 'on vacation'...

it's a little complicated, so I won't go into it here...

but it occurred to me

that anyone wanting calendars for Christmas

might not be able to get them in time with the shop currently closed.

So...I decided to post a link to all three calendars

so they can be purchased directly through my blog.

I've discounted them 10% and they will remain so as long as they

are on my blog sidebar.

You are purchasing them directly from me...and the calendars

will be shipped directly from the publisher within 3 to 5 days of purchase.

Here are some pictures to show how the
calendars look when opened.

My poor computer

2011-11-15T16:38:00.000-06:00

If you look at the top right hand corner of the computer...

you'll see I have a giant clip attached to the edge...

the clip is keeping the cord in place...

otherwise..

my poor computer just shuts itself down.

I guess it's the cord...but who knows for sure????

It is a 'hand me down' and it's had it's 'issues'

but...in spite of the missing keys...

being on the third cord...

the bugs and viruses I've had to clear off...

it has done me well.

I do think I need to begin thinking seriously about getting a new one...

but I've been looking at battery packs and cords on eBay instead.

I'm surprised at how cheap they are...for brand new ...still in the package...

cords.

Maybe I'll go that route instead??

In Time

2011-11-13T00:39:00.001-06:00

I'm having some issues getting everything done that

I want to get done.

So....I won't be updating my blog as often...

and I'm cutting back on other things as well.

I need to decide where my time is best spent

at this point.

I'll only be taking care of Oliver for another couple of weeks...

but I do want to get the most of these weeks.

I can't get back this time...

so I refuse to 'put business first'...

my babies are far more important in my life...

so ... come December 1st I may be quite a bit backed up...

and I want to be 'prepared' for all possibilities.

Oh yeah...this painting...'In Time'...was recently listed

in the Shop.

Small Paintings

2011-11-10T10:11:00.000-06:00

I went 'thrifting' a few weeks ago and found

some cool little frames that were just

'begging' for some tiny little paintings.

The 'nova' - 'soli' frame is pretty heavy and I wasn't quite sure what

to put in it...so I went simple and did a couple Red Trees.

The middle frame is sooo cool ... it has such wonderful angles....

even though it has a couple of dings and scratches...

I couldn't bring myself to paint over the frame

as I thought the dings and scratches gave it a little 'character'...

so I did a little 'Bare Tree' landscape to put inside.

The top frame is a simple 5" x 7" frame...

nothing special...

and I bought four of them...

I put a single coat of black gloss paint

to give it a somewhat 'shabby chic' look and I think

the 'Blackbirds and Dragonflies' painting

looks right at home in this little frame.

They're reasonably priced and in the Shop now.

The Original Art of Patrick E Zatloukal

2011-11-06T07:28:00.001-06:00

Today is my late husband's birthday.

Usually...on his birthday

and often, on the anniversary of his passing,

I upload a video of him.

'Behind a Picket Fence'

This year I decided to show a few of the paintings

that he painted (and sold) in the year before

he was diagnosed with cancer.

"Harvest Moon"

"Contemplating Nature"

"Sundown Silhouette"

"Life in Red, White and Blue"

"Ebony and Ivory"

"Tranquil is the Night"

"In Memory of Trees"

"An Age of Wisdom"

"Bring Me To Life"

All of the paintings shown here were sold on eBay in

2005.....as were a number of other pieces not shown.

He was diagnosed in May and continued to paint until

that fall.

After his surgery, (which took place at the same time Katrina was making landfall)

he painted very little, so these pieces are very precious indeed.

'Eye of the Dragon'

One of his last pieces, sold in early 2006, to someone at MTV...

he was very 'stoked' about that.

To see more of his art, you can go here...

I had other things on my mind at the time...and many of the paintings

that sold didn't get marked as such...

luckily though, I do have a few of his paintings that hang in my home.

We really had so much fun...painting together.

I'm so happy to share a little of his art with you all:)

2012 Calendars

2011-11-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

This is my new Melancholy Girls 2012 Wall Calendar..

it's actually the first calendar using my 'melancholy' girls...

last year I used my 'steampunk' girls.

This calendar actually has the origin of the month included...

the link is here.

See a 'sample' of those calendar pages below.

For the 'plain' version...without the month origins...

you can find that one here.

I also put together a 'Tree Art' Wall Calendar this year.

This one just features a select few 'tree' pieces I've done the past few years.

The link for this calendar is here.

I talked Jaime into doing a few calendars this year and I am so

excited with how well they turned out...

Links to Jaime and Mike's Calendars on Etsy

can be found here.

I hope you liked the little preview of calendars for

2012

and I'm especially pleased to be able to share those

of my daughter and her husband...I think they are so very cool:)

Jaime's Art

2011-11-02T19:27:00.001-05:00

Jaime is fixing to take a large number of her

prints out of her Etsy Shop

kind of like I do once or twice every year.

She hasn't done this in such a long time that she has way too

many prints to manage.

She's put a list of the prints she's retiring

in her blog...

hopefully this will help her be able to stay on top of everything else....

especially since she's also helping me

take care of Oliver 4 days a week.

Oliver, Jaime and Me

2011-10-30T00:48:00.000-05:00

This is Oliver and his very sweet 'mama'....

sadly...she has to go back to her job starting this Wednesday.

Then...

it's going to be Oliver, Jaime and me...

from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

four days a week.

Skittles has been very jealous of Oliver...but I'm hoping it was

just a 'heat' thing.

She's FINALLY over the back to back heat of the past two months....

and beginning to get back to normal...and I'm praying

that means she won't be jealous and 'barky' whenever I hold Oliver...

I'm sure it will be fine.

I'm very much looking forward to it!!

Cell Phone Cases

2011-10-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

I was discussing, with my girls, what kind of Art covers to make this year. It seems I'm a 'dinosaur' when it comes to writing checks, so those weren't the 'obvious' choices this year. But, I couldn't figure out what I thought I'd have the skills to do, even though I really wanted to offer some kind of art cover...and I wanted something new.

So then, my cell phone rang and while I was grabbing it out of my pocket, I accidentally hung up on the caller. It became apparent that I, at least, needed a cell phone case. So I made myself a cell phone case and started using it.
I can't hear my phone when I'm in another room, so it was the perfect solution for me and I LOVE it! I haven't hung up on a single caller since I started using my case.

Whether or not to make them for the shop was another matter entirely. See...I'm not the best 'seamstress' in the world. Most of the time I can't seem to sew a straight line. I thought a new sewing machine might help...it didn't.
So, I did the best job I could do and with a little paint here and there, I think I hid most of my janky sewing pretty well. The biggest point is...the cell phone cases seem to be really durable and not too badly made.

I started with primed canvas...same as the checkbook and journal covers of last year. Then, I lined them with a soft fleece lining, to help protect the phone. I added a loop to these cases (though I may leave them off some future ones, I'm not sure yet.)
A little painting is then added and finally they are varnished twice with a gloss varnish, to protect the painting and the case.

They have a small painting on both sides of the case...which makes them unique 'One of a Kind' "designer" cell phone covers. I did design them, after all.

What my 'creepers' mean to me.

2011-10-22T17:09:00.029-05:00

'Say A Little Prayer'

was the first painting I did in the 'creeper' style

a few months after losing my husband to cancer.

It was a pretty dark time for me...

I couldn't seem to pull myself out of the 'dark' place

I had gone.
Grief stage 1 - Denial.

'Give It Back'
Grief stage Two -- Anger.

'Two Hearts'

Grief Stage Three -- Bargaining

With their hearts on their sleeves or dragging in the dirt behind them,

I think I was at this point the longest.

Grief Stage 4 - Depression.

Finally...though it

took a few years... eventually my art

began to take on a lighter and more hopeful 'feel'.
Grief Stage 5 - Acceptance

Now...I think I can move on to other things

and other characters in the coming year.

Not...that I've given up on my creepers....I think we'll see them

'evolve'.

All Hallows Eve

2011-10-19T13:33:00.000-05:00

A couple of my children are going 'all out' for Halloween...

seems they do every year.

This year they've decided to have a party...

so I may be going to that...we'll see.

I've been buying treats for several weeks now..

since I've moved to a neighborhood with children...

I anticipate getting 'trick or treaters' this year.

We've got costume making going on here...

need to get some hot chocolate to have on hand

for these cooler fall evenings...

summer is officially over for this year!

Alice in Wonderland - Encore

2011-10-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

My newest painting on Etsy.

"Alice in Wonderland - Encore"

It is my first two panel - 'fairytale' painting

and I really LOVE it!

I will be listing two different sized print sets

one will be an 8 by 10 inch set

and the other will be a 12 by 16 inch limited edition set...

it will also be the first time I offer a print set

in Limited Edition size.

Working in some different shops.

2011-10-01T15:22:00.001-05:00

I've been noticeably absent from my blog

and facebook of late.

This is one of the reasons why....

I've teamed up with my oldest daughter to offer graphic downloads

in a new Etsy Shop...

'Rustic Graphics'.

I'm trying to get as many items as possible into the shop...

and it's basically for other folks to use the

designs in whatever way they choose..

except for the sale of the downloads themselves.

Most of the designs are free to use public domain vintage images...

but I've spent a lot of time working on some of

our own designs.

So...that's just one of the things I've been "up" to...

once the shop has a few items in it...I'm hoping

it can kind of 'run itself'...

hopefully I'm not being too naive.

Getting ready for Fall

2011-09-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

I am going to have three calendars this coming year.

I've already listed two of them...

my 'Melancholy Girls' calendar

and

my 'Tree Art' calendar.

I'll have a new 'Creepers' Calendar in another week or two.

Currently I am working on new

journals, checkbook covers and a couple other ideas

I have for 'functional art' items.

We'll see how that goes in the coming weeks.

I'm thinking about making some

Scrabble Tile pins....

anyway

my mind is going all kinds of places thinking about

the Fall Season/ gift items...and all

that good stuff.

Looks like I'm going to be able to keep myself busy..busy

this fall....

not to mention...

I'll be taking care of my precious little grandbaby

beginning Nov 2nd...

so my postings will probably be either fewer...

or shorter..

whichever I can manage to fit in.

Body by Vi and Oliver Aurelius

2011-09-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

I don't normally 'plug' products...unless they happen to be my own.

But...I am taking a minute to 'plug' this one.

My sister put me onto this product...it's mainly for weight loss I guess.

I'm okay with my weight...I suppose I could stand to lose five or ten pounds

but no more than that.

But, with my really hectic schedule I really needed some kind of

vitamin or something.

The kit pictured comes with a shake mix, some energy drink powders and a thirty day

supply complete vitamins. In their words....this has

"a patented anti-aging and energy formula, balanced nutrition, and hydration and energy without the jitters. The program is founded on keeping your nutrition in balance with one shake per day, to help your body fuel itself with lean protein, digestive enzymes, fiber, calcium, and prebiotics to support your bodies normal regularity. Combine that with our comprehensive Vi-Pak, for sound nutritional support from head to toe, and patent-pending Neuro Smart Energy drink mix, to support healthy brain function and keep you sharp."

I guess lots of people are losing quite a bit of weight by replacing one or two meals with the shake...

and it really is tasty.

I had a few problems getting my first package. My UPS driver delivered it to the wrong

house. The company was quick to send me out a replacement package and

wouldn't you know it...the first package was found the day before the replacement

was delivered.

I told the UPS driver and he sent the second package back.

Well...I should have received this month's package last week and it didn't come.

It turns out that when the replacement package was returned...the company

thought I was canceling my automatic shipments...

yikes!!!

I've had to 'ration' what I have left to get me through until this is all straightened out...

and I realized...

I really do LIKE the product.

It's a little pricey...but I think it is worth every penny.

My sister has been selling it over on eBay and can barely keep up with the orders.

Anyway...thought I'd 'share' that little bit of information.

And..on an even happier note...

I have a new grandbaby!!!!

Oliver Aurelius

(his dad has a thing for Roman Emperors)

He is so darned sweet and cute!!!

And I'm so darned proud and happy:)

Where 'Retired' Prints Go

2011-09-01T17:53:00.000-05:00

I have quite a few pieces of art...
thousands actually...
and..sadly...most of my art can't even be
viewed online.

They were pieces that sold without ever having had
even one photograph ever taken.
Those were 'back in the days' before the internet..
or digital cameras.

I never even thought about taking pictures of my art...
heck...I didn't take near enough photographs of my kids...
raising six of them..
putting food on the table and a roof over their heads
always came first.

But...anyway....I do digress.
So what happens to my 'retired' prints.
Many of them end up on
Zibbet.

It doesn't cost me anything to list them there...
it's all set up and ready to go.
And...it's a site that I have really neglected.
I'm really going to have to get better about that...
and I've been trying so very hard.

I've been pretty much 'bed-ridden' the past three days...
I have the nasiest ear infection
in both ears!! And the pain has been more
than a little distracting...
so, it has put me a bit behind in all my work..
but
I'm trying to get back on track.
My ears are still bad...I can't hear a darned thing...
but the pain is tolerable today...so I'm determined
to get some work done:)

I wished there were more hours in the day...

2011-08-26T09:04:00.001-05:00

I have so many things going on...all at the same time...

that I sometimes wished there were more

hours in the day.

I don't feel this way often...just the last few days.

At times, even I don't think I realize

just how many things I have going on at once..

this is just a little 'clue'.

But...I do enjoy what I do...and I have to keep myself

busy...

I just need to learn to be careful about

what I take on...

sometimes I tend to bite off more than I can chew.

What I've been 'up' to...

2011-08-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

I've been able to change up a few things

since I now have my own printer:)

As you know...I've got bookmarks back in the shop....

and

now I've been able to bring mini prints back.

(Jaime was having problems getting the mini-prints to print

right...I tried a few before I listed them...and they appear

to be coming out just fine on my printer.)

I've got about 14 paintings on Clearance Sale at 50% off.

The sale on these pieces ends Sunday

and any paintings that haven't sold will be removed

(I have very limited space for finished paintings...and

I've reached that limit.)

I'm getting very restless to do some new paintings

and the only way I can do that...is

to make room.

So...those pieces can be found in my Clearance Sale Section

in my Etsy Shop.

And "HORROR OF HORRORS"

to me..at least...

my little Skittles is in 'heat'.

I am having all kinds of fits about this.

I thought I had a little more time before getting

her spayed.

It looks like I'm in for three weeks of 'hell'.

She's been getting me up very early in the

morning wanting to go outside...and she really

will not leave me alone until I get up.

I need to figure out how I can keep her inside

for the next few weeks...

oh...it is just too soon for this!!

On a brighter note...

Patrick had his first play of the new season on Sunday night...

he's been working on it all summer...

it was so funny..

I really needed a laugh:)

Blog Features

2011-08-20T11:04:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to have two very sweet people

blog about me and my Rustic Goth Shop

this week.

The latest blog was written by the lovely Carrie, at

Cherry Blossom Tattoo

It is an interview based post and she is giving

one of my prints to the winner.

It really is a nice post..so if you have a free minute

or two...please check it out and let her know what you think.

The other post was written by the enchanting Raven

Etiquette and the Victorian Gothic Aesthetic

The post is very charming and entertaining.

I am very flattered at all the nice things she said

about me and my art.

I hope you find an extra minute or two to give this

post a quick read and leave a comment...

she is such a lovely little gal.

I am so very honored that anyone finds me interesting

enough to want to write about me and my art..

and I am hoping that all of my wonderful readers

might find me curious enough to want to read more:)

Some news and updates...

2011-08-13T00:08:00.000-05:00

Art bookmarks are back...and in the shop.

A few of them anyway.

I'll be adding new bookmarks as I get them done and

a few of the older 'models' will be added

a few at a time.

And....{{{{{drumroll}}}} please....

oooh...this is really good news....

Jaime got me a Pro Printer for my birthday.

It came yesterday...

so that means I'll be able to take a big

load off Jaime and do all of my own

printing...

it should cut both of our shipping times

significantly.

YAY!!

"Communing" With Nature

2011-08-04T15:52:00.000-05:00

Since my move...and probably needing to take Skittles out so often to go potty...

I've 'experienced' a lot more of nature than I've done in years.

Sitting on the front step, a couple weeks ago, I looked over

and noticed a spider weaving it's web on the outside

of my front porch.

I watched it...quite fascinated at it's speed and precision as it

did what nature meant for it to do.

And...I left it alone.

As long as things don't 'bother' me...I don't bother them.

And..this was located in a place that I wasn't 'bothered'.

Then...a few days ago...I was standing outside my front porch
and a gorgeous dragonfly...with black wings..
landed on a bloom just inches from where I stood.
She seemed non-vexed by me...and I appreciated
being able to 'study' it at such close proximity.

But, when a bat came flying through my dining room at 2:30 this morning...

just as I was fixing to head through to go get my pajamas on...

I was OVER my 'commune with nature'.

It flew through my dining room....I flew into my bedroom..

with Skittles close behind...

and then realized I'd left my phone in the living room beside my chair.

So I 'braved' the LONG journey to my chair...grabbed the phone

and called 911.

"I don't know if you consider this an emergency..."

I responded to the question 'What is your emergency'...

"but, there is a bat in my house."

They sent animal control...who weren't as prompt as I hoped they would be...

or maybe it just 'seemed' like a long time...

they couldn't find it anywhere.

Jaime and I and the grandbabies checked the house the whole time they were here..

John, my son-in-law, came by to see if he could find it...

NO LUCK!!

So...I'm sitting here, nervously looking around every few minutes...

wondering where in the devil that bat is at...

and how I'm going to get it out of my house!

New Paintings in the Shop

2011-07-31T11:49:00.000-05:00

I've got a couple 'larger' sized paintings
listed in my Shop.

One painting, Red Leaf, is an abstract
tree art painting. And, I've done quite a few abstract tree
paintings lately...but this one is a two panel, which I don't do often.

The other painting is very contemporary abstract...three panels for a pretty good
size of 20 by 48...or more, if panels are separated slightly.

This painting, 'Making Waves, is the first in my
'One Step' series.
(If you look close...you can see my footprint in the right panel.)

I've been thinking about this series for a bit now.
My inspiration is based on..

'taking that first step...one step...that marks

the beginning of change'.

Going on a diet...getting out of a bad relationship...

taking a chance on a gift or talent...

all of it needs to begin with one step...then another..and so on.'

Anyway...that's the inspiration...and I have several other

painting ideas flitting about in my head...

so I'll be doing more

abstract..large pieces in the coming weeks.

Retired Prints SALE

2011-07-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I retired any of my prints

and it's time.

So...I've selected 22 prints that I'm "retiring" from my

Etsy Shop.

This means they won't be available on Etsy, once they've sold

or the 'retired prints SALE' ends.

These can be found in my

'Retired Prints SALE' Section.

A few of the prints will probably be listed elsewhere,

I'm thinking in my Rustic Goth Zibbet Shop.

I'll be working on this shop in the coming days,

and folks will be able to find some of my

long ago 'retired' prints there.

I've decided I'm going to be bringing back

a few bookmarks

and I need to make room.

(The kids' TNT Creations shop had to be put on vacation

due to the sudden death of my son-in-law's sister

and I don't know when they will want to reopen it.)

Plus...I've got some new canvas on the way

and hope to have some more new paintings listed

in the next week or two.

I recently listed, 'Forest Deep', which was a merging

of an abstract landscape with my whimsical creepers,

and I like it a lot.

Zodiac Girls Updates....

2011-07-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

I've done a lot of work with my

'Zodiac Girls' the past

week or so.

After the Scrabble Tile Pendants,

I decide to list all the 'girls'

as 8" x 10" prints. They are listed together with the 5x7's.

I've made each one into iPhone cases on Zazzle

and

included them on my Fine Art America site

where they are available as greeting cards, regular prints and

canvas prints.

I will be offering them as bookmarks (at some point)

and sometime in the Fall

as pocket mirrors.

That will probably be 'it' for my girls...

but it's been lots of fun to see what all I can do with them.

New Pieces in the Shop

2011-07-15T00:36:00.000-05:00


Zodiac Girls Pendant - Capricorn

I've got a few new pieces in the shop,

including some Zodiac Girls Scrabble Tile Pendants.

I've already made all twelve, but I'm having some

problems getting good photos.

As soon as I can get some 'passable' photos...

I'll have all twelve listed.

Woodland Fairy

This painting is an 11 x 14 inch fantasy fairy painting done

on canvas with acrylic paints.

I finished it a couple of days ago and have listed it in the shop.

I'm finally starting to get used to this house and have begun

to set up my work spaces so that I can actually get a few things done:)

Getting Back 'On Track'

2011-07-10T10:45:00.000-05:00

Well...Skittles and I are both getting settled in

and I think I'm getting 'back on track' with the work and everything else.

Skittles is really loving her new home.

She gets to spend a lot more time outside at this one.

Course...that means more flea baths and a flea collar...which she's

not particularly fond of...but, she does like the outdoors

so it's a necessary 'evil'.

I'm not a fan of hardwood floors...and thank goodness...this house has carpet.

I would much rather push a vacuum a couple times a week.

I've listed a couple new paintings in the Shop, with more to come this next week.

The back is healing...I've taken it pretty easy so that I don't

keep aggravating it....though I really do need to finish

unpacking and organizing things.

My space is small enough that I really do need a place for everything

with everything in it's place.

My Etsy Shop has reopened.

2011-06-28T21:04:00.000-05:00

I was going to reopen my Etsy Shop on July 1st...
but I hurt my back during the move
and I really needed to stop trying to unpack...sort out...put up
and all of the things that go along with moving to a new home.

So...I opened it back up today.
Hopefully it will give me enough to do
so that I am okay with taking a little more time
to get everything
'just right'.

I don't have anything new just yet...maybe after the 4th of July.

I finally have Internet Installed...

2011-06-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

It seems like it's been 'forever' since I've had

internet or cable TV.

I finally got the internet installed....YAY!!!....so I don't

feel as isolated as I've felt pretty much this whole month.

TWC couldn't come out right away...due to getting backed up

over Memorial Day week-end...so..by the time

they could get here...

I'd already signed up for Direct TV for my Television

and so TWC got reduced to internet only.

But...it ended up being way cheaper in the long run

to go with the Direct TV over the TWC cable TV...

hopefully it will be as great as they say it is.

I'm still wading though a lot of boxes....the new place is much smaller...

and I threw my back out during the moving and unpacking...

right now I can hardly move and bending over is a whole other story.

So...it looks like the boxes aren't going to be all sorted out anytime soon.

I won't reopen my Etsy Shop until some time in July...

I really have to find and organize everything.

I can't believe how this move has kind of turned everything 'upside down'...

I'm having to find new places for all of my 'stuff'...which includes

all the 'stuff' I use in my Etsy business.

But...it IS coming together...slowly but surely!

I've moved but....

2011-06-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

...I still don't have reliable internet service installed yet.

I've been in my new house for two weeks now and this is the first

time I've been able to connect to an unsecured wireless network in my

new neighborhood....

I didn't have that option at my old place.

Anyway...I called to have my service transferred

and was told I had to pay my bill completely...including the June bill

(I called in May)

before they could transfer service.....but, they said....

they'd continue to bill me at the old address.

Well....long story short...I have totally cancelled service

with them.

I'll be going with a new provider...

I've spent much of the last two weeks trying to resolve

the issue with TWC...as I've been with them since

1997...

evidently that doesn't count for anything.

I'm hoping the new provider will be much more reliable than

TWC has been...

keeping my fingers crossed and sending out a prayer or two.

In the meantime though...

I've placed my Etsy Shop on vacation...

Jaime tried to run her shop and mine...and found both

shops were being neglected.

(I posted a picture of her and her cat...'Crookshanks'.)

So...I decided it would be better for me to settle in

without having to worry about a lot of shipping...correspondence...etc.

I did decide to put a couple of my paintings

in the kids' eBay site...

jut to see what happened.

I don't really have to do anything..unless one or more of them sells.

We'll just have to see.

I'm Moving...

2011-05-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

I'm moving....

I've been in this house for the last five years.

My husband and I signed the lease a couple of weeks before

my husband lost his battle to cancer...

and I've stayed put for sentimental reasons...

even though he never actually got to move in to this home.

Anyway...I've got more room than I can use...and

the extra room is beginning to remind me of the

'Hoarders' program on the A&E.

I've found a much smaller two bedroom home...

without basement or second floor.

Rent is less and I should save a small fortune

just by lowering my utilities.

I'd been thinking about moving for several months now...

and I was 'shooting' for July 1st...

but the house I found seems to be just 'perfect'...

and they are okay with Skittles...

so..I'm moving a bit sooner than I had originally planned.

I'm not ready...but with a long week-end...I'm hoping my

kids can pitch in and help.

I still haven't decided whether or not to put my

Etsy Shop 'on vacation'...

I guess I'll 'play it by ear'.

My Bookmarks are Available....

2011-05-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

I had gotten to the point that I could no longer offer bookmarks

in my Etsy Shop.

Not having a car made it just way to difficult to get

the bookmarks to the Staples and laminate them....

I tried doing a bunch ahead of time and it never failed...

I always seemed to sell whichever bookmarks I was 'out' of.

So...to eliminate some of the stress...I just decided to 'do away' with them.

My two oldest children have recently decided to open their own Etsy Shop...

and they've started with bookmarks.

Jaime and I both decided not to continue to

carry these in our own shops and we are happy

to have them available at

TNT Creationz.

Nothing Much New

2011-05-16T15:51:00.000-05:00

I don't have a lot of 'news'....but I wanted to share the cool

frames one of my collectors did to frame a few of my

Steampunk Girl prints.

She painted the frames with a black enamel and then

glued some little watch cogs and wheels to the corners....

so very cool!!

I'm working on getting some Zodiac Girl pendants made for

my shop....but I ran out of supplies,

so I've got to order more.

I want to wait until they are all ready to list before listing any of them.

Starting May 26th...my schedule is going to change for the next few

months.

Jaime and I are watching the youngest grandbabies again this summer.

They're not really babies anymore...

Ava's going to be six in June and Simon was seven in October...

wow...they are growing fast.

Still they 'bore' easily and tend to wear me out quickly...

so I'm sure they'll keep us 'hopping'.

I feel bad because this is really going to cut into Jaime's work schedule,

but the constant 'needs' of two little children, I do need her help...

We were so hoping to be all caught up and maybe even little ahead of the game,

before needing to get up with the chickens...

it just didn't happen!

Ah...such is life!

Hopefully this week

we'll at least be able to get caught up a bit more

than we are currently.

Course...I've got my sisters coming for a week this Wednesday...

wonder how that's going to work out??

Wearable Art Back In...Bookmarks Out!

2011-05-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

I've pulled all of the bookmarks from my Etsy

Shop.

For one thing....I don't have a car and it's getting more and more

difficult to find someone to take my bookmarks and get

them laminated.

My youngest son used to take them for me several times a week...

then he moved to North Dakota.

The son who is back in school could do it since there is

a Kinkos right across the street from the theatre where he has most of his classes...

but school is out for the summer...

so... I've decided to replace the bookmarks with the Scrabble Tile pendants...

I pulled the pendants when I got so backed up a while back

and just never put them back in.

I'm going to be designing some pendants using my Zodiac Girls...

and adding some of the other designs that haven't been

offered before.

That should keep me busy for a bit.

Zodiac Girls

2011-05-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

Well...it took me a while but...I finally have all twelves

of my Zodiac Girls created and listed.

I'm sticking with the original twelve...

I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

and even gave them their own 'section' in my

Etsy Shop.

When It Rains...

2011-04-28T17:16:00.000-05:00

Well....I'm back up...
I've spent the last few days just
trying to answer all the emails and convos
that built up while my computer was in shop.

I had someone 'clean' up my computer...to get me by for the time being...
and before I could do anything with the computer
Skittles chewed through the cord.
Yikes!!!

She was real sneaky about it too!
Luckily she didn't electrocute herself!!!

It took me a bit to find a cord that would work...so I'm back up...for now.

Right before my computer went into the shop...
my printer went down and I can't seem to get it up and operational...
so I'm going to have to invest in a new one
just to get my shipping labels printed.

I swear...sometimes...'when it rains...it pours'!!

I've listed a few new
'Zodiac Girls'
now I've got four more and I'll
have that series complete.

As soon as I get 'back on track' I'm hoping to get back
to my regular 'blogging'....and reading my favorites...
hopefully SOON!!

Paintings and Prints

2011-04-07T16:25:00.001-05:00

Wizard of Oz - Emerald City

The Spirit Within

I've removed all of my mini prints and wearable art pieces

from my Etsy Shop.

I had a batch of mini prints go out late because we weren't able

to find the paper we use anywhere in town...

(that's a problem when you live in a smaller city.)

One of our regular suppliers ordered some for us...

but we had to wait for it to get here.

This is the third time we haven't been able to get

this paper, so I decided to pull all the mini prints...

I just can't 'deal' with upset buyers.

I was running into a similar problem with my wearable art pieces...

a couple of the suppliers I have regularly used

no longer have shops on Etsy...

and I haven't been 100% happy with some of the

new supplies.

The new suppliers have been very prompt and courteous...but

I didn't always quite get what I expected...and the descriptions

for those items were somewhat incomplete.

Anyway...I think I'll reserve these pieces for

special holidays and only offer what I

have finished...it's easier than making to order.

Week-Ends Off

2011-04-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

I think I picked a good name for my puppy...Skittles.

The only thing that might have been better...'Onry'...

she's a little 'hand-full'.

I love her to pieces...but, she's most definitely a little

'firecracker'.

Given that I was already busy as could be...

with this little 'girl'...I'm even busier.

So...I decided I'm taking week-ends off...

doing very little online work.

With Statsky...I can schedule renews...which is soooo helpful and FREE!

Occasionally I go on long enough to relist anything that might have sold..

but I'm saving the convos/ emails

and other online work for week-days.

It was very helpful to be able to devote a lot of time

to Skittles over the week-end...

she'd taken to using my throw rugs as her 'potty pads'

and she lays on the unused potty pads.

We spent a lot of times outdoors over the week-end

and she had only one accident...

on one of my freshly washed throw rugs.

I will be soooo happy when the accidents are all in the past!!

Save the Date Postcards

2011-03-30T17:24:00.001-05:00

I designed this 'Save the Date' postcards

a few weeks ago.

I used my little 'Betrothed' Goth Couple...

and I really like how it turned out.

I sell quite a few of my 'Betrothed'

Save the Dates

but wanted to design something especially for

Zazzle.

This is what I came up with.

New Paintings Coming...

2011-03-28T16:22:00.001-05:00

My poor computer has gotten to the point that
it doesn't co-operate very well with my Photoshop...
so I haven't been able to work on very many new digital pieces..
including my Zodiac Girls.

I'm gradually trying to clean a lot of the pictures off my computer
so that I can, at least, get the rest of my Zodiac series completed.

In the meantime...I've been working on some new paintings.

I've borrowed Jaime's 'Harry Potter' audio books...which makes painting
so very enjoyable.

(I love painting...this just makes me love it even more!)

A New Twist...

2011-03-25T15:57:00.000-05:00

While I was at Jaime's I decided to put a new 'twist'
to my typical 'creeper' paintings...
I've added whimsical houses to some...
new trees to others...
and even some new color on occasion.

I was getting rather bored with the old style...
and I'm really enjoying doing the new.

All of the paintings shown here have already sold
so it looks like other folks like the new style too:)

I've Been Busy....

2011-03-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

While I was at Jaime's....I 'borrowed' the most gorgeous

turquoise paint and had to run and get some of my very own.

You see I have gone a bit 'wild' with this color...but it is so beautiful.

Unfortunately it doesn't photograph well...the pictures are much 'bluer' than they

are 'in person'.

But...still of the three paintings shown here...all completed in the last couple of weeks...

two are already sold.

So...I'll be doing a lot more paintings with this color.

I got so far behind in my blog reading that I decided to just read some of the

later posts...sorry everyone. I love to read your posts...I just got way too behind...

so it's easier to just start 'fresh'.

Maybe I'll actually get a minute here and there to try to catch up...

but no promises.

When I'm not busy painting or shipping...my little 'girl' (Skittles)

is keeping me hopping ... literally.

Her personality is shaping up to be quite 'active'...

and we're having a little problem with the biting during play.

I've tried everything I know to stop this...but so far..no luck.

She is a little love most of the time though...

and the one thing I swore I'd never do...let a pet sleep with me...

guess what????

she sleeps with me.

(She loves to snuggle under the covers.)

She's a bit stubborn with the pottying...

knowing she'll get a treat when she goes on her pad

she still isn't going there often enough.

But when she does...she looks up to the shelf I keep

the treats on..and patiently waits for me to give her one.

She's learning to play fetch with a tiny little tennis ball...

all in all

she makes me smile more often than I frown these days.

But..she does keep me quite busy!

I suppose that's a good thing:)

Ides of March

2011-03-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Today is March 15th...

the "Ides of March"...

This print is in a number of different Treasuries...

most of which have been posted on my Facebook Page
and the rest in Twitter.

But I've gotten so many Shop Hearts today that I wasn't sure what was
going on...even with that many Treasuries...
then I got a note that this print is part of this
Handmade "Ides of March" Gift Guide
so that must be where all the visitors are coming from.

A Lot Has Happened...

2011-03-12T12:09:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh...so much has happened in the past
few weeks.
After being 'displaced' for almost a week..
then having to wait for the cable to come out and
restore my internet...
I was JUST getting things back on track when...
my 16 year old Grandson showed up
with this little 'bundle of "joy"'.

He had mentioned that he wanted to get me a puppy...
'he didn't like to see me spending so much time alone'...
and I told him I'd first have to talk to my landlord...
(there's a 'no pets allowed' clause in my lease).

Well...I talked...the landlord said he'd "think" about it...
and after everything else happened...
I'd forgotten all about it.

Bless his heart...my grandson has been making payments on this puppy,
determined that I WAS going to have someone to keep me company...
what a wonderful child he is...I love him so much!!

And I am 'in love' with Skittles.
That's what I've named her!
And the name definitely fits her personality...
she has so much 'flavor':)
She's a mix of Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese.

Long story short..
I have introduced her to my landlord...
he just says,
"don't let her pee on the hardwood floors"...
otherwise I think he was rather 'smitten' as well.

And...if I thought I was busy before...

she doesn't give me too many minutes without being right underfoot..
she thinks I'm her 'mommy'.

Rustic Goth Pendants

2011-03-01T23:37:00.001-06:00

Enchanted Glass

has featured her pendants

with my images

in her Etsy Shop this week.

Jaci does such lovely pieces...it's such an

honor and wonderful partnership...

to be able to work with her.

Check out her shop and see everything

she has to offer.

Everything Has Changed...

2011-02-28T16:59:00.000-06:00

Change happens all around us...

everyday.

But...sometimes I am 'overwhelmed' with change...

and have a hard time adapting to it.

Recently..

Etsy changed it's look..and a lot of the

things behind the scenes.

I'm constantly clicking back to the 'Classic'

view of my Yahoo email...

the new look isn't what I'm used to...

Twitter changed it's look..

and I'm always switching that back to the old one..

but

the most difficult change for me by far..

EBSQ

Things have pretty much been constant

there since I signed up in

2004...

now

with all the changes to EVERYTHING

I can't figure out how in the heck to

use it.

So...when I can get my computer all 'fixed'...

I think it's going to take me a whole day...

or more...

just to get all of the art that I need to upload to my portfolio

done and in the proper galleries.

I guess I'm pretty set in my ways

as I get older.

I'm Back Home

2011-02-25T14:53:00.000-06:00

Well...it took almost a week and a half...

but, I'm back home.

I'd like to say...back to normal...

for now I'll just say...I'm very appreciative of my home.

It's taken me almost five years for this to 'feel' like

home...

and I haven't always 'treated' it as such...

but...home is where the heart is...

and right now

my heart is in this house I have called 'home' for the

past five years.

I'm Amazed...

2011-02-22T19:26:00.001-06:00

I know that I complain a lot about my computer

and all the problems the poor thing has...

in it's defense..

it's totally overworked

and not exactly 'new'.

After thinking about it...though...

I'm actually amazed.

I grew up in the middle of the last century...

heck...

I remember when the transistor pocket radio first came out

and how amazed I was that that tiny...portable little radio...could

operate without a plug...etc...etc...

I've always been amazed by radio and TV...

the internet is a whole 'nother matter...

wow...

I've just got to give kudos to those pioneers

who came up with all these wonderful things

that have made our lives so much easier...

Bookmark Day

2011-02-19T18:24:00.003-06:00

Last year I participated in the First

'Bookmark Day'

over on the wonderful

Bibliophilic Book Blog

This March 15th..the sweet Monica

is having her second

Bookmark Day.

Instead of giving away bookmarks...

this year I'm going to offer a special

promotion discount through Bibliophilic Book Blog...

I'll let you know more information...

as soon as I have it.

Displaced

2011-02-16T14:05:00.000-06:00

My year isn't off to a very good start...

and I'm not really sure what is going on.

I've been temporarily 'displaced'...
and it's too complicated to go into...
but I'm staying with Jaime and Mikey for a few days.
(And their little 'family' of pets...two dogs and one
very 'feisty' kitty..she bites when she plays.)

My friend has been too busy to get to my computer..
and I really needed to be able to stay busy...
so I just grabbed it back and I'll have to
'deal' with it for now.

Anyway....it's been one challenge after another this new year...
I'm ready for things to get back to 'normal'!

Taking another Little Break

2011-02-13T13:35:00.002-06:00

I've been having computer problems again....I keep transferring

all my pictures and Photoshop brushes...documents and the such...

to a second zip drive...

just 'waiting'..

I find this makes me very nervous.

I haven't made anything near what I need to buy a new computer,

so I have to try to keep this one

up and running as long as I can.

So...since this is a really slow time in my business,
I'm having my friend see what they can do to clean my computer

to try to get me by until I can finally give it the 'rest' it needs.

In the meantime...I'm hoping I can get my studio

put back together...

even if I can't work in it until the weather warms up.

I've Changed My Mind

2011-02-10T13:17:00.000-06:00

The great thing about running one's own business...

is that one has the option of changing their mind,

if they've had second thoughts about a decision they've made.

Like my decision to pull my bookmarks from my Etsy Shop

and make them only available in my Bonanza Shop.

I'm not sure I ever thought the Bonanza Shop would equal Etsy...

but I did think it might do better than it has.

So....with that in mind...(and I'm not giving up on Bonanza by any means)

I've put a handful of bookmarks BACK in my Etsy Shop

and added a few new ones.

But...I still plan to keep the number of bookmarks at a manageable level,

so I'll be monitoring how each bookmark 'performs' and replacing them,

as needed, with new ones.

Hurry Spring...

2011-02-08T12:50:00.001-06:00

I am really anxious for this nasty, cold, icy and snowy weather to be over for the year.
For one thing, it keeps me inside....I not only don't drive in this weather (I had to do that
for so many years that I just don't anymore)...I also don't try to maneuver the sidewalks
and parking lots more than I absolutely have to. One slip and there goes a hip!!

What I'm most anxious to get out and do is...go thrifting! I LOVE thrift shops...especially for
the frames I like to use with my smaller paintings. These frames usually have so much more
'character' than the frames I can find in the art supply shops. Every now and then, during the
warmer weather, my wonderful neighbor has 'endless' yard sales. He's an elderly widower
that likes to go to estate auctions then bring the stuff he buys and have a yard sale.
I have found so many really wonderful frames from these sales.

Yes...I'm anxious for spring to hurry and get here...the walls are beginning to close in.

I'm Having a 48 Hour SALE

2011-02-07T11:55:00.000-06:00

I don't usually offer so many original paintings in my Etsy Shop..

because my storage space for keeping them safe and sound is very limited...

at least until I can finally get my studio back in shape.

Well...it's been cold as heck here and the studio is in the basement...

so I need to wait until it warms up a bit,

so I can go down there and get it all put back together.

Not sure how Ryan handled the cold for as long as he did.

I've got all these long tables in the garage...that I am just itching

to get cleaned off and put in my studio...all that space to paint!!!

Then I have some shelving units and craft show backboards that I can set

up for storage!!!

I can hardly wait until it warms up!

In the meantime though...I need to move the paintings I've already

painted...so I can paint some more!

So I'm having a 48 Hour SALE with

50% off the Prints and Larger Paintings...

and 25% off my small canvas sheet/ acrylic paper Paintings.

I Was Going to Have a 'Me' Day....

2011-02-06T12:24:00.001-06:00

...but I ended up painting instead.

I remembered back to my 'eBay days'...most of my paintings were smaller ones...

because I've never had a home with walls that would actually hold a lot of the larger

canvas paintings that I do like so much.

That doesn't mean I never paint larger or multi canvas pieces...I do on occasion.

But...I like to keep those little spaces that just 'need' that something extra in mind.

I like painting on watercolor or acrylic paper...and on those scrap canvas pieces left over

from the art covers...(I'm really not much of a 'waster').

Then, I love to mat and frame these smaller pieces in larger frames...to give them a little more 'flair'. For some reason I really like to frame a 4" x 6" painting in an 11" x 14" frame. I once saw someone do that with a postcard collection they had matted and framed. It so impressed me that I could have original 'small' art on my little walls in frames that actually drew the eye to the art.

So I spent my Saturday, painting several little abstract landscapes, with the silhouette trees I like to do...

I will be offering them 'unframed' with the option of getting them matted and framed before shipping...for extra of course.

I know I'm constantly having to 'pull' some of the older pieces to make room for the newer ones...(in an effort to keep my Etsy Shop listings to only 175)...and rather than retire all of those pieces, I'm putting them in one of my other shops for now.

Adding new Abstract Landscapes

2011-02-05T10:34:00.000-06:00

These are my newest paintings listed in my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

I haven't done many abstracts or landscapes in recent years...and I miss doing them.

So...

I am giving my 'Creepers' a rest...

and for a while I'll be concentrating on some different

style paintings.

Maintaining my Sanity!

2011-02-03T13:15:00.001-06:00

I've been in the
'customer service'
profession
my entire life.

Every job I ever held required that I deal with people.
And...I've always tried very hard to do the best job I could possibly do.

To my horror, when customer service is taken 'out of my hands'
i.e....International Shipping/ Post/ Customs...etc..
I tend to Stress majorly!

Everything's okay now...the week off did wonders for my stress levels...
but I did decide to maintain fewer listings in my Shop
keeping the number of items between 150 and 175.

To do this...and still be able to list new items...
I will need to pull some of the older items from time to time.
I've already pulled some items...
Wearable Art Bracelets...
1/3rd of the Scrabble Tiles and Some Prints.

I'm right at 175...with new pieces in the works...
so I'll be pulling more items this next week.
I've decided to put some of my 'favorites' in my other Shops...
since those shops don't get the 'love' I give to my Etsy Shop. Course...there's
really no place quite like Etsy...but, I have a few pieces I just can't bear to
retire just yet!

My "Me" Days

2011-02-01T13:09:00.002-06:00

My "me" Days have always been Saturdays.

Turns out...these are getting harder and harder for me to take...

at least on Saturdays.

Since Ryan moved to North Dakota...and Patrick is always in school

or doing something school related, so he doesn't have time (or much opportunity)

to do my errands...

consequently...Saturdays have become my 'errand' days.

Not as laid back as my 'me' days.

This past Saturday...I attended Patrick's

'University Directing Debut'

and went to see the play 'Dog Sees God'

...I thought he did a good job directing it!

I think though...that my 'me' days are going to be more like

'me' hours...to catch as I can!

Today is 'Inspire Your Heart with Art' Day!

2011-01-31T09:46:00.005-06:00

Today is...

"Inspire Your Heart With Art" Day!

As near as I can tell...the first 'Inspire Your Heart With Art' Day

was back in 2001...

Odd that I'm only now learning about it...

and that was from someone posting

a comment on Jaime's Facebook page.

Pretty much all of my Creeper paintings and prints have

'hearts' in them...so...as well as having a Print Sale

that I extended through today....

All of the paintings...with hearts...are on Sale too!

I hope I can...

'Inspire someone's Heart with my Art':)

A new 'Zodiac' Series

2011-01-29T13:02:00.002-06:00

It is really amazing what a few days 'off' can do.

I've got a new 'style' painting series in the works...

"Masquerade" -- "and She Thought"

and I'm working on two new pieces in this style.

I painted seven new ACEO paintings.

I got COMPLETELY caught up.

And...

I decided to do a new

'Zodiac Goth Girl' series.

(I decided this before I read about the 13th sign...

which I've opted to just 'ignore'.)

Since I can remember there have only been 12 signs...

so I'm sticking with those.

Capricorn

is the first in the series.

I've included all of the symbolism that goes with the sign...

Element - Earth

Quality - Cardinal

Ruler - Saturn

Symbol - Goat

It was just so much fun creating this piece...

I'll be doing

one each month...

February's sign is...

Aquarius

and I hope to have it listed

early February.

January ACEO Paintings

2011-01-28T14:58:00.000-06:00

During my 'vacation' ...
I worked first on getting my missing Internationals
remade and shipped...
got all caught up on the rest of my shipping...
painted a few new paintings
AND
I reviewed my Etsy Shop
from Day #1.

I started my Shop with a few prints and a handful of
ACEO paintings.

Over time I stopped doing ACEOs...almost entirely.

I wasn't sure what to do with the canvas scraps left over
from the Art Covers...sooo...
I decided I would start painting ACEOs again.
At least a few new pieces every month.

These are my January ACEOs....
"When You're Gone"

"I'll Put It Away...Until I Need It"

"Fly Away From Here"

"Don't Play With Scissors"

"Stronger Everyday"

"Far Away From the World"

"Hoot"

All That Scrap Interview

2011-01-27T13:54:00.000-06:00

"All That Scrap" is a wonderful blog

and the lovely Kristin

asked me to do an interview for her first

'Thursday Artist Feature'...

Talk about bad timing...I put my Shop on vacation

the same week the interview was featured on the blog....

(Sorry Kristin.)

Seems like there are always reasons that I can't put my shop on vacation...

so just had to make a judgment call and

'save my sanity'.

But...I wanted to share the interview...

even if it is a week late...

I'm Back....

2011-01-26T15:46:00.000-06:00

I'm finally back....
wished I could say,
'from a wonderful vacation'...
you know, the kind other people take
when they actually leave their homes and go 'someplace'...
but
it was a good 'vacation'...just in being able to get
100% caught up!

And...I was able to use a couple of those days...to paint something
very different from my usual 'fare'.
This painting, 'Masquerade' took me a couple of days to complete...
and I really like how it turned out.
It's done in my own 'style' but with very different subject
matter.
I'll be doing more pieces similar to this one in the
coming days and weeks.

Here's a painting I did before the 'Masquerade' piece...

it's not as heavily textured...

'...and she thought...'

Grandma..what big ears you have.

A new 'Red Riding Hood' piece.

It's Been a Strange Week!

2011-01-21T12:38:00.000-06:00

Anyone who visits my Etsy Shop

probably knows, by now, that I'm "on vacation!"

I Wished I were on vacation...just kicking back and relaxing.

Instead...I've been remaking/reprinting all of the

International orders that never reached their destinations,

as well as everything else that has been ordered since.

After getting so many notes about missing packages...

and with business as slow as it's been..

it just seemed like the best solution for me was

to just pull everything in the Shop and put it 'on vacation',

so I could get EVERYTHING printed,

made, packaged and shipped

all at once!

So...that's what I've been doing.

I won't reopen until ALL of my packages are

on their way to their respective owners.

In the meantime...

I've made some other decisions.

As per my last post...

all of my International packages will have to be

sent Priority mail from now on.

The first class International mailings were just too stressful, on so many levels.

There is really no good way to track those packages and

they are the only ones that I have to actually take to the post office.

Since I don't have a car...that has always been problematic for me.

Either I have to send them with someone else or get someone to take me

and the packages to the post office.

(It all worked fine until Ryan moved to North Dakota. Now I have to wait

until one of my other kids have some time in their own busy schedules

to do it for me.)

Can we see the timing issues in this arrangement???

Anyway....that problem solved...and I do apologize to my

International friends, as there are some items that won't be available

for International shipping (like the Tile pendants or mini prints)

Another decision I made...

I no longer offer bookmarks...

for reasons similar to shipping.

These have to be laminated

(another thing Ryan did for me each week)

and so I have to wait until I get them from Jaime and then

find a way to get to Staples to get them laminated.

Just too much trouble for me at this time.

I'm cutting back on everything in the Etsy Shop...to make it a bit more

manageable.

I've put all of my 'non-character' paintings in my

CMZ Art Bonanza Shop

and I'll be giving a lot more attention to this shop and some

of the other shops that are really needing my attention,

which means that I won't be listing new items as frequently

in my Etsy Shop.

Hopefully all of the work I've done this week will make my

life...and my business...a lot easier to manage

when I reopen the Shop next week.

Some Shipping Changes

2011-01-17T19:24:00.000-06:00

It seems that the International First Class
Shipping problems I encountered over the Holidays,
just won't go away.
Even my Post Office can't give me an explanation
as to why the packages seemed to have just disappeared.

Most of them get to Jericho NY and then all tracking information stops.
A couple packages took more than 2 weeks JUST to get to NY.

So....I've done away with all International First Class Shipping.

I only encountered one or two problems with the
International Priority Flat Rate packages...
and those were all very trackable.

From this point on...
I don't offer International shipping on
Scrabble Tile pendants,
bookmarks
and mini prints.

International shipping has been upgraded to
Priority or Flat Rate Priority on everything else.

It's just costing me too much money to redo and reship all
the packages that have already been shipped once.
The post office have offered no help...
and I have to run all First Class packages to the Post Office in person.

So...it just makes sense to me
to be able to ship the International packages at the same time
I ship everything else..
and the only way I can do that
is through Priority Shipping.

Very Cool Etsy Apps

2011-01-16T17:10:00.001-06:00

In my business...it's important to be

'seen'.

On eBay the only thing one could do was...

list often.

With all the 'knock off' overseas artists that flooded the

market there, that didn't help much.

Within seconds of listing...I was usually pretty much buried.

When I started on Etsy...I didn't realize, for months, that

it was possible to renew a listing.

I couldn't believe how much it improved my visibility and my sales.

So now I try to list or renew about 10 items every day.

The only problem with that was how much it 'kept' me tied to my computer.

Lo and behold...someone came up with an Etsy App

that will schedule my 'renews'...

what a time saver that has become.

Statsy has become another one of my

new 'favorite' apps.

I can now schedule renews for times that I am sleeping or

away from my computer..

and I am getting so much more done!

It is really great!

I love it!!

My other favorite app is

Etsy on Sale...

it lets me schedule sales in my Shop

with starting times and ending times.

A great app but....

I see they are now charging 4 credits per Sale

and credits are $1.00 each....

so I won't be having as many Sales in my Shop.

New Year Resolutions

2011-01-14T12:48:00.000-06:00

I'm not nearly as organized as I would like to be
and I'm not one that actually makes New Year Resolutions.
But...

after the mess I found myself in
last month...
I do have ONE resolution that I have to make...
to 'plan ahead' and be much more
prepared during this next
Holiday Season.

I waited...almost too late...to order the calendars
and I only Hope they all made it by Christmas.
The publisher was supposed to print and ship within a 3 to 5 day
window...
which would have been plenty of time..
it took almost 10 days...
YIKES!!

Then...I had the calendars shipped to me to reship...
another YIKES!!

I was soooo stressed out over these calendars
that it threw me 'off my game'
and other orders ended up going out late.

Suffice it to say...it all had a domino affect...
shipping supplies weren't coming in as timely as they normally do...
even our printing supplies became scarce and hard to find...
the bails for our scrabble tile pendants
were 'crap'..
(I'm not sure why, since we got
them from our usual supplier and had not had any problems
before)
so we had to drive all over town trying to find bails
that would 'do'...there were no bails in town
so we ended up having to fashion our own.

We had all of this to do...
and I hadn't even done ANYTHING for gifts
for anyone.

So I had to pause long enough to make
something for each of the 18 family members
who would be here on Christmas Eve!
They all got journals or planners
with original art covers...
even the youngest ones
loved their little notebooks..
with the cutest little characters on the covers!

If I don't do anything different this year...
I resolve not to run into this same mess during the next
Holiday Season.

I'm already working at getting my own printer...
I think even before I get a computer...
so that I don't have to pile my work on Jaime
during a time that is sooo busy for her.
And I'll begin to stockpile the art paper and inks in October.

I've switched to Aanraku bails for my pendants...
and I'll be stockpiling those too!

Hopefully I'll learn from this Holiday Season
what NOT to do during the Next one!

To my Blogger friends...

2011-01-12T15:05:00.001-06:00

Thank you for the wonderful blogs you write on a regular basis...

they are so interesting to read.

Sometimes they are fun and make me smile..

other times I shed a tear or two..

I find that I care greatly for what happens in your lives.

I try very hard to read your blogs, at least once a week...

and leave a comment or two.

Sometimes though...'life' gets in the way..and I get behind.

And catching up...well...it's so hard to do.

But...while I've finally got a moment or two...

taking a bit of a shipping/ painting 'break'..

I wanted to give a "shout out" to some of my new blog friends

as well as some 'not so new'...

I received a

'Kreativ Blogger' Award

from dtwilight

at Goddess of Cats blog.

She's pretty new to blogging...so please check her out

and give her some 'blog love'.

Kristin

over at

All that Scrap

recently 'interviewed' me to be

the featured artist on her blog

January 20th.

I'll post a link on Facebook once it is up.

'Lady Euphoria'

over at

Thoughts from an eclectic goth mind

has given me

'food for thought'

about things in my own life.

Kathryn

Dyche Designs

creates some of the most interesting art

I've ever seen.

Oh...and she makes the Best Soaps!!

Kimberly Vanlandingham

paints wonderful landscape paintings...

check them out at her blog.

Finally...for this go around...check out

The Rainy Day Wanderer

if you haven't already.

I love reading her blogs.

I have so many other blogs I could recommend...

but I'll save those for another day!

but I'll save those for another day.

Wearable Art Changes

2011-01-10T14:42:00.000-06:00

I had a bit of a 'disaster' with my latest Scrabble Tile pendants.

The bails that attached the tile to the chain I received were 'crap'....

I didn't realize this at first...

although one of my daughters said she thought

they were lighter weight than the ones we had been

using (from the same seller)...

Well...long story short...they started arriving in pieces...

Oh my gosh...

can you imagine my horror and panic!!!

I went directly online and most of the suppliers I normally use

were on Holiday Vacation.

I had to run around town trying to find something comparable...

NOTHING!

So I had to 'make do' with what I could find...

something that doesn't set well with me.

I've since switched to Aanraku bails...

they are way more expensive...but I've used them in the past

and have had no problems with them.

But...since they are as pricey as they are...

I've decided to make all of my Scrabble Tile pendants...

'made to order'...

This was I'm not 'wasting' any of the pricey bails

on pendants that just sit in my finished pendant box.

Making to order might add a few days to my shipping times...but I

still think I can ship in the 5 business day goal I've set.

Ringing In 2011

2011-01-07T14:40:00.000-06:00

I had a very good Holiday Season in my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

And...I'm still working on getting all the orders packed and shipped.

But...since I had to wait for supplies that were late in getting here,

I spent a lot of time also working on some new paintings

for the Shop.

The supplies have been gradually arriving...and I'm

hoping to have all 2010 orders out by Monday.

I made a New Year's Resolution to

'cut my shipping times in half'.

Instead of 7 to 10 business days....Jaime and I are working

at trying to get this to 3 to 5 business days.

She's going to start printing twice a week...

which means we can ship twice a week!

(Except for Internationals...those will continue to ship weekly...

since I don't have a car...I have to either get someone to take them

to the post office for me...or take me.

So it works best if I can get those ready for Jaime to take home

on Sunday...then take those when she mails her International orders.)

But...yay!!!...I'm almost caught up...

and I have so many ideas for new paintings...

so I'll be listing heavy in the next few weeks!

A Giveaway on a Wonderful Blog

2011-01-04T14:56:00.001-06:00

Becky...over at

Rainy Day Wanderer...

is having a HUGE Giveaway on her blog.

She's giving away a couple of my calendars...

and a few other items...

as well as some goodies from Dyche Designs..

Best Art Studios...

and so much more.

Check out this wonderful blog...

and become a follower..

her blog is definitely one of my favorites.

The giveaway ends....January 12th!

Wishing Everyone A Happy New Year!!

2010-12-31T13:56:00.000-06:00

Wrapping Up 2010

2010-12-29T13:57:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-12-27T14:03:00.018-06:00

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!

2010-12-24T14:34:00.001-06:00

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....

2010-12-21T13:57:00.015-06:00

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

2010-12-18T13:44:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-15T13:26:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-13T14:29:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-12T13:32:00.000-06:00

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....

2010-12-10T12:07:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-07T13:10:00.000-06:00

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..

wearable art

'whatever'...

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