Sticks and Stones

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!

I've got a Mailing List

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Last day for Rustic Goth Wearable Art

 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...

"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

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

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

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:)

Happy Holidays SALE

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....

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.

2012 Calendars

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:)

Cell Phone Cases

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.

Alice in Wonderland - Encore

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.

Where 'Retired' Prints Go

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:)

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

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:)

Some news and updates...

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!!