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.

Handpainted Canvas Art Covers

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

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

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

 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:)

Thanks to my sister...

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

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.

Rustic Goth Etsy is On 'Vacation'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.