Some of the art I created especially for the Holiday Season

2013 Calendar

My 2013 Calendar

it's Free.

Download it here.

Save it as your desktop wallpaper

or print it yourself...

my 'gift' to you

and

wishing you

"A Happy and Joyous New Year"!

Framing your print art...on a budget.

Over the years I have painted many

small OSWOA paintings...

and I often try to offer them

with a frame included.

The frame above was a very cool find
that I found at a yard sale
and it worked 'perfect'
for my original little painting...
it sold pretty fast too...
just with the frame included.

I do quite a few small paintings each year
on sheets of acrylic or watercolor paper...
or small pieces of unstretched primed canvas...
and as often as possible...
I do try to make sure I put these in a frame...
not always though.

 A lot of my art is created digitally,
which means that in order to display it...
a frame is needed.
My favorite frames are not the
pricey ones found in framing shops...but rather...
the little 'treasures' one can find
at yard sales or thrift stores.

I found an interesting tutorial about

framing with 'thrift store frames'

here.

Prices lowered for some International Packages

As of December 17th...I am no longer

charging International Priority shipping rates on

standard sized or large limited edition prints.

I am now offering First Class prices, which are significantly

lower in price...

however...

the shipping times on First class packages is usually

longer in duration...

just an FYI.

I will also offer First Class shipping on my smaller paintings...

again...

the times are longer

so Priority shipping is an option for anyone

wanting to expedite shipping.

Originally my thoughts about charging priority shipping prices
was that I would be able to 'track' the packages through
to delivery...
such is not the case...
tracking updates cease once the package departs
the final US Sort Facility.

Also...I don't have a car...so I couldn't make regular trips
to the Post Office to mail my International packages.
To solve this problem...
I will 'catch a ride' to the post office
once a week...
so the 'turn around' time on International packages will
be a couple days longer than the US packages.

Deadlines for Shipping

While I have been completely caught up

with my Shipping,

I thought

I would post a reminder that purchase

deadlines

for shipping packages in the US is:

Tuesday - December 18th.

 

Both first class and Priority Mail can still be delivered 

by Christmas with this deadline.

 

Sorry...but all International Shipping

deadlines have passed.

 

 

Eight Years and Counting

I have been selling my art, online, since 2004.

I started with my own 'shop' on eBay...

and then joined forces with my husband, one of my sons,

my youngest daughter and her husband...

to become a Family Art Group...

and we listed our art as the

ZOA Group...

the Z.O.A stood

for "Zatloukal Original Art".

While on eBay...I painted everything from 'Tuscan Folk Art' to 

 

Modern 'statement' paintings to

 

Florals and Abstract Tree Art Paintings...

It was easier to manage the site as a group.  

 

The year following my husband's passing...eBay began to make changes that

directly affected the artists selling on eBay

and where we had been making a fairly comfortable living on eBay for three years...

our sales began to 'flatline' because of the changes.

 

And my art reflected how I was feeling...

 

 

 

Soooo....

we all went our separate ways.

Patrick decided to go back to school...

Jaime and Mike opened their own shop and...

I opened my Rustic Goth Shop on Etsy...

why

"Rustic Goth"?

 

 

Well...I was still dealing with the loss of my husband and kind of

'saw myself' as one of those 'tragic widows' from the

Gothic Novels I used to read in my teen-age years...

and Heaven knows I love anything 'rustic'...

and I just liked the name...

Rustic Goth.

 

To be honest...I didn't really associate the word 'goth' with the kids

who dress all in black, wear black eye makeup and lipstick...dye their hair black

and wear black fingernail polish.

So...in that sense of the word...I'm NOT 'goth'...

 

 

My 'melancholy girls' were a reflection of the stages I was

going through personally...

 

 

...though my Creepers were an even better reflection...

 

But....

life goes on...

and I am finally moving on too!

I have recently opened two shops...

one on Artfire and one on Etsy...

which I've already talked about...so I won't go into that...

and I've taken on the attitude...

...and I'm looking forward to, at least,

another 8 years of creating and selling my art online...

those are my plans, at this time, anyway!

 

As the Year Draws to an End

It feels like 2012 just Flew by....

unfortunately...

more often than not...

every year is beginning to feel that way

as I find myself getting older.

Ah well...it is what it is...

I tried something 'different' this year...

a Kickstarter Project to

get the funds needed for 

Steampunk Art Cards

and Jewelry.

I succeeded at reaching my goal...

spent the money on cards and jewelry supplies...

but

neither were the 'success' I thought they would be.

 

I am glad I 'went for it' though....

 

I also decided to 'go back to basics'

meaning

art designed especially for the 

'young and the young at heart'.

 

I have two shops dedicated to this...one on Etsy

and one on Artfire.

While neither shop has been even minimally successful...yet...

I do have hopes for both of them.

Why two shops...when neither are doing well?

Well...I rank higher in Google for my

search terms

with my Artfire Shop...

and Etsy tends to draw it's own crowd...

so I am hoping to gain exposure from both avenues.

I decided to go this route...when Etsy made the changes 

within their site

that have greatly impacted my

Rustic Goth Shop.

I know it's going to take a lot of work on my part

to make all of my shops successful

and so...in 2013..I guess I

have my work

cut out for me.

Last day for Scrabble Tile Pendants

Today is the last day to get Scrabble Tile Pendants

in ANY of my Shops

this year.

These are all 'made to order'

and

this year

I do want to enjoy the holidays.

It seems every year since I started doing the scrabble tiles,

I am working like crazy to get these made

and to the buyers

in time for

Christmas.

Then...on Christmas Eve...I can start thinking about

my own holiday.

I really am just getting too old for the added stress...

so I've set December 5th as the deadline for these...

no exceptions.

(though I'm sure there will be one or two

who 'didn't see my announcement'

and talk me into doing some.)

Who knows...this might be the year...I

'stick to my guns'!

In the Coming Year

I've been thinking A LOT about what to do with my life

and my shops

in 2013.

As of December 10th,

 my Rustic Goth Zibbet Shop

will go back to the Basic Shop

of only 50 items.

I really like the site, but unfortunately...

it does have some issues when buyers check out

that require me 'doing the math' and issuing

refunds for overpayments...usually on

shipping.

They have announced improvements

and upgrades to their site,

but it hasn't happened yet so,

I decided to wait until they do to go back to premium.

 

I will not list any duplicates on the site though...

it will only be pieces I've 'retired' from my Etsy Shop

and some pieces 'exclusive' to the Zibbet Shop.

It is also the only places I will offer my

Steampunk Art Calendar and my

Creeper Calendar.

 

I have opened a new shop on Etsy...

it is art for kids rooms...

and is called

Fairytalez 'n Fantasiez.

similar to my

Artfire Shop

Sugar 'n Snails...

I actually had this shop 'in progress' when

all the weirdness went down on Etsy...

I decided to wait to see what was going on before opening it...

and now that it appears to have straightened itself out...

I went ahead with it.

Why similar shops?

Well...basically because of what happened on

Etsy in October.

I don't plan to get 

"caught with my pants down"

again.

Selling my art online is how I pay my bills...

and the unexplained closing (even for only 4 days) of my

Etsy Shop...

which I might add...

has never been explained...to this day...

I'm sure it was a 'glitch' as it coincided with the

'upgrade' to the entire site...

but...

I still think it would only have been courteous

to respond to my emails

to say...

'whoops...our bad'

or something of the such.

I didn't much like just having my emails ignored

with no idea of what was going on or

what happened...and it's left me a bit 'gun shy'.

But...in a nutshell...I will be doing more

'happy' art...for the two newest shops...

fewer 'Creepers'.

Since I'm no 'spring chicken'

I also plan to concentrate on smaller paintings...

4" x 6" to 12" x 16" and 'in between' sizes.

I'll do an occasional 16x20

but not many.

Poll results

Well...I've closed the poll...

"Which Online Shopping Sites do  you prefer?"

and these are the results I've gotten.

Mind you it can't be considered a scientific poll by

any means...it was for my own benefit

to help me decide on my options.

I was very surprised to see only 1 vote each for

ArtFire and Zazzle.

I included 'Brick and Mortar'...realizing that is not an online shopping site 

but,

some folks just do not shop online

so I thought I needed to include it...

it too only got 1 vote.

So..Etsy wins out by far.

Guess I'll see what I need to do

to make Etsy work for me once again.

Getting it all sorted out.

Apparently a job is not in my future...I don't know how many

applications I filled out online...since that is apparently how things

are 'done' now...

and I've only had 1 response...and that was a 'no'.

I have so many ideas 'floating around in my head' that I want

to commit to paintings (either digital or acrylic)

in the coming months...

perhaps I just need to get better at marketing.

I've got approximately 250+ pieces listed...between all of my shops...

but still making very few sales.

I know that I have relied so much on site driven traffic...

and that has pretty much gone away...

now I just need to figure out what I need to do

to drive my own traffic.

And...I'm working on it.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you enjoy family, friends and 'feasting'...

have a very

"Happy Thanksgiving"

Art Business Update III

Well...once bitten, twice shy...as the saying goes...

still worried my Etsy Shop could close

at anytime.

In spite of all of my 'upset' with the recent

changes...I think I've decided I don't want to 'voluntarily' close this shop...

I've had it for five years and have built a loyal customer base...

 

But, I have come to realize that I need 

to expand my online art business to other sites.
I was under the mistaken impression that it was
necessary to devote all of my time and resources
to one shop and make it the best shop I could
possibly make it.

And while I have made some very nice sales and
built a loyal following on Etsy, I also put myself
and my business in the hands of a single site that I had
very little control of.
So...here I am, at what should be my busiest time of
year, starting once again...from scratch.

I am not complaining, mind you, it's just a "lesson
learned".  "Don't put ALL of your eggs in one 'basket'."
For one thing, I am having to learn a whole new set
of do's and don'ts...what works and what doesn't

on the new sites I have recently joined.

 

I plan on staying with all of the shops I currently have

Etsy

ArtFire

and

Zibbet

as and, if, they are...until after the first of the year.

I know it is mostly duplicates offered on all three sites...

the reason being...

I wanted to see which site I thought would

best suite my needs.

All of the sites are now based on 'relevancy' rather than 'recency'...

which basically means...

I have to learn and implement a lot of SEO...and do a lot

of promoting to get any of my sites seen.

But..since all these sites are owned by someone else...

(I just basically 'rent' space there)

I made the ultimate decision to open expand my current website

to include a small 'shop'

in early 2013.

 

It's too late in the season to have to worry about trying to

bring customers to a brand new website...

and besides..

I need to concentrate on the shops  I currently have

if I have any kind of business this holiday season...

but

I want to 'CONTROL' my own online destiny

and I think the best place to do that would have to be

my OWN Shop on my own website.

So...decision made...hope everyone has a great holiday season...

especially my fellow online sellers!!

          

Art Business Update II

With the changes on Etsy...my shops on Artfire and Zibbet...

it has become apparent that I am now left to

drive Most...if not ALL...traffic to my sites.

The biggest problem with this is...

How to do it...

without seeming spammy or repeating

myself over and over on the

social media sites I currently do most of

my marketing through?

 

I check my meager stats on Etsy and found that I had

one search term 'whimsical landscape' that

had come in through Google the day

after the election...

try as I might...

I tried that search term in Google

and never did find any of my art.

 

Sooo...

I've recently joined

Wanelo

Ownza

and added new 'boards' on

Pinterest

and really need to update my

Kaboodle...

as these are all sites that

have posting buttons in one or more of my shops.

I'm not a stranger to social media or marketing

my own art...I just think that I'm not very good at it.

So...rather than work on new creations...

as I have a lot of new pieces that are getting much 'love'

at this time...

I've decided to learn much more than I know now

about social media and marketing.

So...while the job search still continues....

I will also be learning more about

how to increase my online presence and hopefully

grow my business to even more than

it was

when Etsy pulled the rug.

A very quick Poll

In helping me to make decisions concerning

my online Art business...

I would sooo appreciate it if you could

take a few seconds to answer this poll...

Art Business Update 1

Things have really taken a 'turn' with my online

art business.

Unfortunately the turn isn't a good one either.

Suffice it to say that I should have known better

than to place all of my 'eggs in one basket'.

Since I can't control what site owners do or don't do...

it was rather foolish of me to have only one

'real' online shop and promote only that shop.

So...now, here I am, in what should be my

busiest time of year...

trying to grow 2 Brand New shops...

and it is more than a little time

consuming...

and somewhat 'disheartening'...

For the first time in 8 years...I've had to

try to find a job...

and that is no easy task.

Every place I've applied wants the application

submitted online...and thus far...I've only heard back from

one of the dozens upon dozens of places I've applied...

to tell me I wasn't qualified for their position.

I've done a lot of  'soul-searching' this past month

and...

I still haven't come to any firm decisions.

I really do NOT want to let my online art business go...

but the decision may not be mine.

Since I still have to pay my bills...

and they are beginning to pile up...

I may end up flipping burgers at McDonalds.

Farming and Art

I think I have new respect for farming...

even though I grew up in 'farming country'

I never thought much about

what a 'gamble' it really is

to do that for a living.

In comparing my own situation to farming..

I've prepared the soil

(my online shops)...

planted the seeds

(listed my artwork)

watered them

(regular new listings or renews)

and even fertilized them

(marketing and promotion)

HOWEVER

'suddenly there was an eclipse of the sun'

that lasted much longer than usual

(Etsy changed the way they do things so my items

can no longer be found as they used to be...

and Zibbet just doesn't attract the traffic

Etsy does)

...so...without the 'sun'...

my seeds won't grow and yield a harvest.

Not sure why Etsy chose the busiest time of the year for

most sellers on Etsy...to make such dramatic changes..

but..like the farmer...

when I make the sales during my 'busy season'

I have to manage the funds

to get through the 'non-harvest' seasons...

but

...this year...

that's not looking so great.

Still have to pay the bills...

so...

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

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

Wondering 'if' a Job is in my Future

Horror of horrors....

I'm seriously considering the 'possibility' of re-joining

the workforce.

I haven't had to do the 9 to 5 since 2004 and the thought of it

makes me 'cringe' a bit...

but...

after what Etsy has recently done to it's site...and subsequently

to my site...

Sales...visits...all of that is down by more than half.

Then..they 'mysteriously' closed my shop for

several days...and NEVER did give me an answer as to why...

so I am never sure from one day to the next

if my shop will be active there or not.

So...I went to Zibbet...LOVE the site...but

unfortunately...
they don't get the traffic that Etsy does
(I'm assuming folks are still visiting Etsy anyway).
 

I can't tell where the Zibbet shop views are coming from

and I don't have the data I need to make

'informed' decisions...

as they don't offer google analytics.

I am going to try one or two more things...

as bills are piling up and I don't have

much time to play with here...

and if they don't work...

well..

I guess it's 'hello' Work place...

'good-bye'

Studio space!

My Rustic Goth Shops

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Week-End

This week-end I will be adding some new 

Steampunk Art and Goth Art prints to my

Etsy Shop.

Any items remaining in my Clearance Sale section

on Monday will be retired.

And...I'm having a SALE on Everything in my

Shop...

including my new Steampunk Art pendants

Sale prices range from 10% to 50% Off

and prices have already been adjusted.

Have a great week-end!!

Genesis of A Single Creation

A couple of years ago

my daughters and I decided to do

the arts and crafts show at

the State Fair.

10 days...from 9 am until 9 pm...except on the last day...

we closed at 6 pm...

anyway...

we decided to bring..

paintings

prints

postcards

small items

and

Art Dolls.

We wanted something that 'fit' into the crafts portion

of the 'Arts and Crafts' show...

I decided to do some 'goth' dolls and some fairytale dolls.

Needless to say..the fairytale dolls were most popular at a State Fair...

when the show ended and I went to do something with the photos I'd taken...

I liked the doll faces enough

they inspired me to create some original digital art creations

based on JUST the faces from my dolls.

The above photo is a good example of the

'Genesis' of a Single Creation...

my 'Alice in Wonderland' doll

became the girl in my

'All in the Moment' print

the girl from that print became...

'Steampunk Alchemy'.

You'll note that I use only a handful of the same girls over

and over...I like to be consistent I guess...

but then, we all wear 'different hats' from time to time...

don't we?

Made to Order

Only three days left for my Steampunk Art Project on Kickstarter

and I'm only just over the halfway mark.

I'm staying 'positive' that I will reach my goal...

but I decided to make a 

'judgement call'

 "just in case I don't".

If I don't....the Postcards and Greeting Cards

will not be available in my Etsy Shop

until sometime next year.

If I don't...Steampunk Art Jewelry 

may not be available in my Etsy Shop

during the Holiday Season....

but..

I will make 'made to order' Steampunk Art Pendants

available in my

Zibbet Shop.

The reason for Zibbet and not Etsy...?

I only accept PayPal on Zibbet

and I will need the time to create each pendant

as it is ordered.

On Etsy...now that I offer Direct Checkout...it is set up

that I need to ship my items within 3 days and

this is not always possible with made to order jewelry items.

I am currently asking for 10 days from order

to shipping..though it may not take this long..

it will depend on how many orders I have.

If you don't wish to sign up for a Zibbet account...
just message me on Facebook

or email me

and let me know which design you prefer

and I will send an invoice to your email address in PayPal

with the $55.00 price Plus shipping.

About the Rewards for My Steampunk Art Kickstarter Project

I am more than 25% of the way to

my Goal of $1,000 

on  my 

Steampunk Art Kickstarter Project!

And...I still have 10 days left to reach that goal!

I'm really excited that I decided to do this project.

Even though it 'seems' like I am asking for money...

I'm really not!

Well..I am...but I'm not.

See..

with the 'rewards'...my backers will get 'something' for

their pledges...but only if the project is successfully funded.

For a $1.00 pledge...you get a 'thank you' and Shout Out

on my Facebook page.

But...with all the other amounts...

my backers will actually get rewards worth More than the pledge amount...

and Free Shipping to US backers.

Here's the breakdown...

Pledge -
$1.00 = My thank you on my Rustic Goth Facebook page.

$5.00 = One Steampunk Bookmark..One Steampunk Postcard and 

a 'Thank You' on my Facebook page. = (Value = $5.50)

$10.00 = One Steampunk Bookmark...Three Steampunk Postcards and 

a 'Thank You' on my
Facebook page = (Value = $11.50)

$20.00 = One Steampunk Bookmark ...Six Steampunk Postcards or 

Four Steampunk Greeting Cards..

and a Thank You on my Facebook page. 

(Value = $20.50/Postcards or $22.50 for the Greeting Cards.)

$40.00 = One Steampunk Bookmark ...

Four Steampunk Greeting Cards...

Four Steampunk Greeting Cards and 

a Thank You on my Facebook page. (Value = $40.50.)

$50.00 = One piece of Steampunk Art Jewelry 

and a Thank you on my Facebook page.
(Value up to $75.00 ...Backer's Choice.)

$100.00 = Twelve Steampunk Art Postcards...

Ten Greeting Cards..

One Piece of Steampunk Jewelry...

One Bookmark 

and a Thank You on my Facebook page 

and on my Website.
(Value...From $113.50 to $163.50 ... Backer's Choice.)

$250.00 = Twelve Postcards...

Ten Greeting Cards..One Bookmark...

TWO pieces of Steampunk Art Jewelry...

YOU as my newest Steampunk Art Character + 8"x10" Signed Steampunk Art Print 

with You as the Character.
(Value = From $258.00 to $318.00)

The biggest reason I decided to go with Kickstarter was the Rewards.

So I look at this as more of a

"Pre-Order" project.

 

I really do believe my project will succeed and those orders will

start being fulfilled mid to late October...

there is a delay on receiving the money and I'll have to wait

until I get that to be able to start ordering everything I will need...

thus the reason I only ran this project for 14 days...add another

10 days or so before funding is distributed .

My 'Steampunk' Project on Kickstarter

There was a reason I did a 'survey' on Steampunk Postcards, Greeting Cards and

Jewelry.

I wanted to get some feedback before I decided whether or not to

launch my

'Steampunk Art Cards and Jewelry'

Project on Kickstarter.

I decided to go ahead and 

'go for it'.

I need your help!

I currently make 'almost' enough to pay my bills

with my Etsy Shop so, there really isn't anything

left order to be able to add anything new for the upcoming

Holiday Season.

I frequently get questions concerning postcards, greeting cards and Steampunk jewelry

but the bottom line is...

these things all take enough of an initial investment

that I can't really afford to pay for printing and get all of the

materials and supplies needed to offer enough of a

variety to give my customers and collectors 

something to 'choose' from.

So...anything from $1.00 and up would be greatly appreciated and

a 'plus' for you is...

if the project is not funded...

you won't be charged a penny.

I'm not one to 'ask for help'....I'm really not...

but..

I do believe in this project

and

the rewards offered for the pledges

are actually a pretty good deal for those who are interested.

And...if you're not interested...

that really is okay too!

But...maybe you could help me out by

recommending the project to someone you think would

be interested in what I am offering.

Thank you so much for considering this project

and for any help

you might be able to offer:)

This is just a sample of what types of Steampunk pendants I would like to

offer

in my Etsy Shop this fall.

Steampunk Postcards and Greeting Cards

I am considering adding 

Steampunk Art

Postcards..

Greeting Cards..

and

Jewelry

to my Etsy Shop.

The cards would be offered both as..

singles and packs.

The Steampunk Art Jewelry

would feature a small oval or round print

of one of my Steampunk girls

in an ornate setting with an assortment of

steampunk charms, works...etc.

I need your help...

would you purchase

Steampunk Art

postcards...

greeting cards...

or

pendants

if they were offered?

Please weigh in on this for me...

as I am trying to decide whether or not to

fund these projects.

I'm not looking for a 'commitment to purchase'

but rather...

just an answer to my question.

If you would be SO KIND as to help me out

by answering a couple of questions for me

...

I promise it will take less than a minute:)

HERE


Oh yeah...I'll have a little 'gift' for everyone
who completes the survey for me
and sends me an email address to
Rustic Goth.

Zazzle v Etsy

I love creating art, whether it be a painting with acrylics

on stretched canvas,

or working layer upon layer in Photoshop...

I just LOVE creating art.

Over the past few months, I have posted

a LOT of new items in my

Rustic Goth Zazzle Shop.

I think it is just too cool to see my art on such

a variety of merchandise.

Even though I don't make much money...

10% tops..

I think it is important to provide

the folks that like my art

with as many options as possible.

So..over the coming weeks...

especially as Etsy seems to be 'transforming'

into something quite 'unrecognizable'

I will be posting

more and more merchandise

in my Zazzle Shop.

I will also be 'shopping around' for

new sites...just in case

Etsy "goes South"

with all the changes that are being made.

Where have all the bloggers gone?

Recently I had some 'time to kill'...which doesn't

happen often...and decided to go and

read some of the blogs I've been following.

I was floored at just how many of them

haven't updated their blogs in a year or more.

Perhaps Facebook has become their 'go-to' source for

'connecting'

as it has for me.

I didn't want to just give up on my blog though...

so

I'll continue to post something...

at least once a month...

more if I can...

guess you can call me

die-hard:)