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:)

Finding the Time

I haven't too much liked the

'business' side of creating.

I would just LOVE to do nothing every day

but Create brand new pieces of art.

It doesn't work that way though...

for those of us who depend on the sales of our art

in order to pay the bills.

For me though...it's been difficult, for some reason,

to organize my time in a way that I have time for everything

that needs to be done.

Oddly enough...it's worse during my slowest times

of the year.  

I find myself a bit 'thrown' but not having to fill

as many orders...

then I'm not sure what I need to do with myself...

so I do a lot of 'trying to figure out what to do'.

I think it must have something to do with being

'off my routine'....

so

I decided the best thing for me to do...

is keep working like I do when I am at my busiest time of year.

And...as a result...I'll have a lot of new items to list late summer

and early fall...when things start to pick back up.

Made in China

I have gotten of an age where I 'typically' don't get "on the bandwagon" as much as I used to.
I figure everyone has their own opinions and a right to those opinions...however...I decided to hop up there on this rare occasion....
I wanted to share this email I received and 'pass it along'......

Well over 50 yrs ago I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they were made in China. Her daughter will recognize her in the following.

Did y'all see Diane Sawyer's special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family's home that were not made in the USA .

There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they showed truckloads of items - USA made - being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price etc..

It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like
200,000 new jobs!

I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID 'FROM CHINA '

FOR EXAMPLE THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN 'FROM CHINA '

I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE DOLE SINCE IT'S FROM CALIF

Are we Americans as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not think? The Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets.
70% of Americans,.. believe that the

trading privileges afforded to the Chinese

should be suspended.
Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? You Can..DO IT YOURSELF,AMERICA !!

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.

Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.

THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!!

Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on Aug. 1st and continue it until Sept. 1st. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.

Remember, August 1st to Sept. 1st !START NOW.

Send this to everybody you know. Let's show them that we are Americans and NOBODY can take us for granted.

If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives,WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!

Pass it on, America ...

Well, come to think of it, instead of doing it for just 1 month why not try to do it all the time.

Moving Forward

I am trying very hard to 'embrace change'...

in fact..

I'm trying to initiate it as much as I can bring myself to do.

I don't think I'm a lazy person...I just think I get into

a 'comfort zone' that is hard to think about leaving.

That's where I've been with my art...

I don't want to 'radically' change things...

but I need to 'shake things up a bit'

to keep it from becoming 'stale and uninteresting'.

With this in mind...

you know I've retired many of my 'Melancholy Girls' prints...

including my most popular ones.

And...I'll be retiring other prints over time...

But...in the meantime...

I want to 'mash up' some of my older 'melancholies' with 'fairytale' settings

to see what new prints I can create.

 

It sounds different and fun...

and will certainly be a change.