Off to a Good Start

My year is off to a pretty good start.
I've painted a couple of new paintings in the New Year.
Mostly Tree Art paintings and some Blackbirds...
but it's something.

I've also created some new Tree Art Prints and Steampunk
pieces in Photoshop.
I like everything I've done so far.

I also managed to 'cozy' up my house a bit...
I sewed some curtains and a matching cart cover for my
kitchen...it makes ALL the difference in the world...
and makes my house feel a little more like home.

My husband and I moved a lot over the years,
mostly because of his work...
so I'm used to not getting too attached to any one house.
But, as we got older and didn't move as much,
there were a couple of houses
that did feel like 'home'.

I haven't really felt like that since he passed away..
so I'm hoping that...
even though the house is too small to
really meet my needs...
I can 'make it work'...
I'm doing a little bit here and a little bit there,
to personalize the place...
now I just need to find some storage solutions...
so I have someplace safe...and out of the way..
to store my finished paintings.
That's my next 'project'.

Change gonna Come...

"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!

Paintings and Prints

 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.

I've Been Busy....

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:)

Reaching A Compromise

Jaime and I each have our own Shops

and 

for the most part

our businesses are completely separate.

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

and me in mine.

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

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

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

to keep her busy...

but

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

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

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

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

I just need to be 'smarter'.

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

or an egg ornament

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

and I charge far less.

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

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

then

every so often

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

or

wearable art

or

'whatever'...

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

72 Hour SALE Ends Today

The paintings go back to regular price later today.

I've managed to get some new pieces painted

and I will be listing those soon.

And...I have

decided to postpone

the next batch

"Ending Soon Sale" items

until I can

list all of the new pieces I have

been working on.

So I've taken that section out of the Shop for now.

Wordless Wednesday 9

What's new in the Shop.

A couple of my newest paintings...

11" x 14"

now in the Shop.

What's Going On....

It was a lovely week-end..

I actually took the whole week-end off...

for the most part anyway.

Now it's 

'back to work'..

keeping caught up on my shipping..

and painting a few new

canvas paintings.

I have six children...

five of them live in the same town..

and two of them live with me.

The oldest, of the two,

living at home

has gone back to finish his education....

so

for most of this week

he is in New Orleans.

It amazes me...

if my children aren't living at home..

and they go off..all over the county..I tend to

worry less than I do when they

are living at home.

That's just weird to me...but it is the way it is.

This particular child lived in New York City

for 10 years...and yes, I did worry at times...

but he came home when his dad got sick..

then when he decided to go back to school, he moved

back home..

and I'm

'back to worrying' about him.

Anyway...I am hoping to have the paintings

posted on Friday...

but I'm sure I'll list them

as I get them finished.

New pieces in the Shop.

I've got a few new original digital illustrations

listed in my

Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

I'm also working on a couple of journals..

I've been 'dying' to do these.

Jaime picked me up three 40 page Moleskine Journals

with blank pages.

Now I'm going to collage the fronts and

backs and see what happens..

hopefully they will turn out.

I haven't done these before so I'll just have

to experiment and see what happens.

New paintings will also be listed sometime

in the next week or so.

I haven't painted since before Christmas...

(except in Photoshop)

so I'm very anxious to do some new pieces.

New paintings coming soon....

As well as working on

another project...

I have also been busy working on some

new paintings.

I plan to start listing these

new paintings

the beginning of

next week.

Buy Two and Get One Free

Bellatrix Art

is currently having a

buy two..get one free

fine art print Sale.

These are two of her

'Heartache and Poetry'

prints.

She is also offering free shipping

on purchases of $100 or more.

She has some wonderful paintings

and prints...you might

want to check out her shop.

Newest Dark Art Painting

This is my newest

dark art painting, titled...

'In the Air Tonight'.

It is a little 4x6" chunky...about 1.5 inches Thick.

It was listed yesterday,

in my Shop.

New Dark Art Painting

Here is a new 'dark art painting' that I just

finished.

I also think it will be the first of my

'dark' Valentines.

It is titled..

"Affairs of the Heart"

and is now available in my

Shop.

Rustic Goth Shop Announcement

I will be listing the first of my new pieces

in the Shop

on - Sunday - Jan 11th

New pieces will be added

every other day or so.

I will also be listing some

"dark Valentines"

within the next week or two.

I'm really looking forward to these

little pieces.

New Paintings In The Shop This Week

"I Can't Let You Go"

12" x 16" Acrylic on Gallery Canvas

"My Heart Goes Out"

12" x 16" Acrylic on Gallery Canvas

"Poison Apple"

9" x 12" Acrylic on Canvas Sheet

Paintings will be listed by

Tuesday -- 6/24

2:00 pm

This week....June 9

Yay...I managed to get a couple of new ACEO paintings done this week-end.

"Go Ask Alice".... has just been listed in my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

Inspired by Grace Slick and Lewis Carroll.

"He Needs A Home"... this sad, pallid little gal holds such a sweet little owl. He needs a home, I wonder if she'll take him home.

"It's All Mine" ... is a kind of 'follow up' to another of my paintings, "Give It Back"...

The first piece has been listed...the others will be listed by day's end, Tuesday.

Like getting hit in the gut with a speeding paint bullet...

...it might be great fun, but it looks painful as heck!

Kind of like, self marketing!
Whew!!!
I'd rather be painting!

I am Weak...I'll admit it!!!

I have this adorable little tote bag available in my Cafe Press Shop. I am especially proud of my Summer Poppy painting that I used as decor.

So...I had decided that I was going to do my very, very best to only put a positive foot forward. And, I think I've been doing pretty darned good...ah..then this evening I ran across a 'Monkeybrain' eBay debate in Squidoo and fell to temptation.

I just HAD to add my two cents!!! Shame on me!

I do love to browse through Squidoo and read the lens' though!

I think my own lens' are worth a read as well...

have a look at my first one....

Did you see...?

...I'm out there on Trunkt!

I've included a 'widget' that links to my Trunkt site. I still need to do some work on it...but I was only JUST approved, so I haven't had a chance to finish it.

I've made three trips to Omaha in just over a week...this from someone who rarely leaves the house...talk about messing with my routine!!!

It has put me behind though...so, I'm hoping I can spend the rest of the week getting everything 'back to normal'...at least, normal for me! My house is 'trashed'...I haven't painted in a week...I've got shipping to do...and I've started up several new sites...........WOW! No wonder I feel tired!!