I broke my toe...

This is pretty much how I've looked

for almost a month now.

I'm much...much better

but..still doing a lot of hacking

and coughing.

So then, early Saturday morning..

I was busy working on my laptop

and had to 'shift my self in my chair'

I honestly do not know how it happened

but

one of my feet kind of shot out from under me

and my second toe on my left foot

rammed up again the wood part of my recliner's foot rest.

And..I broke my toe!

How many people

can break a toe

while sitting in a chair??!!!

I know one...me!

Busy on other sites!

I have been quite busy this week...even though I did

try to take a bit of a break on my

birthday..

it didn't exactly work out that way.

We spent much of the afternoon

putting together the new printer.

We decided to print a couple

large prints (since one of us have already sold one) and

it took us a good long bit to get it all figured out.

We did...and the prints came out so close to the

actual paintings... we were thrilled!

So, I took the rest of the day to start revamping

some of my other sites... they were so far overdue!

I'll have some NEW pieces ready to list

...hopefully...

by Monday night!

-----------

New note---on this subject!

I was quite surprised to find

that my 'work on some of my different sites'

actually provided some lovely results.

Friday I sold 200 magnets

on my CMZ Art Zazzle site!

Yay!!

Our NEW Printer...

Our New Printer arrived yesterday...

it is FABULOUS!

I printed out a custom ACEO Limited Edition prints

order and the quality of the prints is

wonderful. I am very...very pleased with this purchase.

We couldn't really afford it just yet...but, I'm

glad we decided to go ahead and get it anyway!

I have already updated all of the current prints

I have in the shop...with the various sizes with

more new pieces coming this week-end.

It's My Birthday...

I may try to take the day off...

or most of it!

It depends...our printer is supposed

to be here sometime today...

so..

we'll see!

Pendants Plus Is Up...

Pendants Plus is up....well, sort of!

We have listed a few pendants...although we have

many more finished and ready

to be listed!

There's just sooooo much work in

taking pictures..

uploading pictures..

cropping pictures..

correcting pictures..

getting the listings...

and on..and on..and on

I discovered

rather 'painfully' I might add...

that it isn't a real good idea to take

226 pictures with a camera

that uploads each picture

at

3000 x 2700 pixels..

it really does take a very long time!

So I AM working

very hard mind you...

just not on my CMZ Art Shop

at the moment!

Pendants Plus Update...

We were 'originally' going to wait until

we had 100 finished pendants

before listing them in our new shop

Pendants Plus.

Now

we're going with fifty

because we have a few more than that already done.

Most of our first pendants will be

glass tiles

with our original art mini prints.

So today or tomorrow

we'll get those first fifty listed

with more to come,

hopefully,

every day!

I 'Googled' myself today!

I 'Googled' Myself today...

to find out where my art is being sold.

I do this every so often

and every time I do it, I find myself in

new places.

I guess, some sites have many..many sites

all with different names.

It must be...since most of the art being

offered started on one site in particular, several years ago,

and is still being offered there.

It also alerts me to sites

offering my art...that shouldn't be!

A new shop...

I know there are quite a few Etsy Shops that

feature the little tile pendants..

now..there's soon to be another!

A couple of my children and I

decided to do some

simple art pendants and

open a new

'Pendants Plus' Etsy Shop.

It's one of the things that have kept us

so very busy this past week,

while not really adding much to our

current shops.

In this shop we will offer..

Scrabble Tile Pendants

Glass Tile Pendants

Bamboo Pendants

Clay Tile Pendants

...we may add a few other types as well.

We have some of all of these pendants, with the exception of the bamboo.

We just got it in today.

The ornate style art pendant pieces, that I have been

offering in my CMZ Art Etsy Shop, will not be

included in the Pendants Plus shop.

I will continue to list those types of pendants in my CMZ Art Shop.

Note--We had hoped to have the first pendants in the new shop on Sunday (the 25th)

...it didn't happen!

We're still not quite finished with them...

(so we've moved the 'grand opening' back a week!)

End of summer

It does seem that summer is nearing it's end

almost as quickly as it arrived.

I've got a lot of new things in the works...

I just wished I could work faster than I am.

Soon....I hope....I'll be able

to preview a few of these new pieces here!

A few of my other sites.

My CMZ Art Etsy Shop

is my primary

'location'

however,

I do have a few other

shops that

I think worthy of mention.

I feel kind of bad that they haven't received

more attention than they have.

Art Cards Wanted

I've been here for

almost a year.

I have recently decided that I will offer

ALL of my ACEO/ATC originals and prints

ONLY

on this site,

beginning September 1st, 2008.

Art Wanted

I don't offer anything for sale on this site

but, I've been a member for about

four years...it's a really great little website

with some really wonderful art and artists.

Art By Us

An art auction site, with 'Buy Now' options on

certain listings.

I've had a 'shop' here since 2005.

iCraft

This is a relatively new shop for me.

I am currently in the process of

creating some pieces,

(or offering prints of some of my paintings not offered elsewhere)

especially for this shop.

I have a couple of shops on Zazzle

and one on CafePress

that I will feature in the next week or two.

Some new things in the works...

Here are a few

images that will be used

on some brand new

pieces...

~now in progress~

Shawn finally won her gold!

Shawn Johnson

Team USA...

She won her gold medal on the Balance Beam.. it really was an excellent routine!

We're all just so happy for her!

We also couldn't help but cheer for

Anton Volkin of Uzbekistan

who won the bronze medal on the Men's Parallel Bars.

It's the first medal ever, for his country, in the sport of Gymnastics.

We're happy for him too!!

--

And we feel really bad for Lolo....those hurdles really can't be all that easy anyway!

---

So, I'm watching..watching..watching

the Olympics...

but, I'm still working on some new

and really nice pieces!

I'm not sure when they'll be ready...SOON I hope!

In spite of the usual controversy...

In spite of the scoring and the usual

controversy that happen every Olympics...

I have watched all of the prime time events..so far..

and find myself watching a lot of the recaps

of events I've already seen.

I don't watch gymnastics,

marathons,

beach volleyball,

track and field..

or any of the other sports

at any other time..

just the Olympics.

I always root for the best athlete

irregardless of country,

but, I tend to 'root' a little louder for team USA.

I suspect the residents of other countries

are rooting their athletes

in much the same way!

Only a couple of ACEOs left.

I only have a couple of

original ACEO paintings

left in my shop

and

I'm not sure when I will do more

or even, IF, I will do them.

With this thought in mind

I've lowered the

prices of the remaining ACEOs

by one third....for the

rest of the time I have them in

the shop.

I will pull any that are left

at some point in the near future.

+++++++++++++++++

I have been 'under the weather' for

two weeks now and I'm beginning to lose sleep.

That really sucks!

I think I've taken just about every herb tea

and every over the counter relief

that I can think of...

I really do wished I'd feel better soon!!!

Never On A Sunday

'Never On A Sunday'

I don't know why I chose that title

for this piece..

but, I did.

I remember watching that movie

but it's been so long ago

that I'm not sure what it was all about.

Maybe I'll have to look at it again

one of these days.

It's 6 A.M.

I always try to write a post

right before I go to bed.

Here it is

6 A.M.

and I'm just finishing up,

so that I can go to bed.

Wishing everyone

"a most 'excellent' week-end!"

T.G.I.F.

It's Friday....Thank Goodness!

I'm glad to have my week coming to an end...it's been a

grueling one!

Wishing everyone

a really GREAT week-end!

Rest...Relax...Enjoy1

F.Y.I

All of my shipping has been done

and everything is on it's way!

And...I'm done in...

I've reached my 'stress overload' point!!

So, Jaime is going to be 'manning' the shop

for a bit...

maybe just a few days...maybe longer!

Shipping issues...

My week hasn't gotten off to a very good start...

I've been sick for about a week now

and still managed to get most everything done.

Then we had a bit of a family 'emergency'

a bit of a set back.

But, the real 'kicker' has been my

internet connectivity issues...I haven't been able

to get all of my shipping done

and it is 'driving me crazy'.

I am very prompt at my shipping.

My policy is 3 to 4 days after receiving cleared payment...

I have often had my packages finished and ready

to go the SAME day of the purchase...

but usually it is more like 1 to 2 days...

with everything that has happened...

I'm looking at close to a week for some of the items..

I am really NOT liking that.

I will have everything out by 8/14

one way or the other!

Everybody but me...is on vacation!

It seems everybody...but me...is on vacation!

Some of my favorite blogs haven't been

updated in almost a week, I've got to wait to

place several orders for supplies..the shops are closed..on vacation.

It would be nice to be

able to take a vacation

that didn't require working!

I really need to try it

sometime....

Shop Update...

BRAND NEW ITEMS

Just listed in the

Shop!

A Quick Note

I'm still soooo very busy! It's amazing what a few cool days can do for the energy level....

I wished I had the same energy I had a few years back...at any rate, though...I'm hoping to have a 'shop update' tomorrow!

...still going...

A busy..busy...week-end ahead!

I have 'stuff' everywhere!!

My table is covered

with jewelry 'fixings'...

paintings are all over the place...

fabric..paints..fiberfill

you name it

it's here somewhere!

So

I am taking the entire week-end

(my wonderful son-in-law..John.. fixed my air-condition unit)

to catch up what I couldn't get done last week-end!

Yay

it's finally cool in my house

so I can work again!

I'll work all week-end...

and I am leaving the computer

alone...

as much as possible anyway!

What I'm 'Up' To....

I've been working on quite a few new

digital pieces that I will be listing in a few weeks.

I think I need to sketch out a bunch of ideas first though...

maybe I'll be able to work a bit faster if I do that.

The new pendants we're putting together are

coming right along

and I am soooo pleased with how

they're looking.

I am hoping to have several to list

over the week-end,

but I don't know if we'll have

them ready by then.

Simon 'informed' us yesterday that...

"you never do anything with me and Ava anymore"

...

I confess...we haven't!

We've been so busy with work

that we haven't done as many 'projects' with

the grandbabies as we usually do.

So...

today

we are going to make

'Thomas and Friends'

bookmarks

and

'Dora The Explorer'

bookmarks.

...

This means that the pendants

will have to wait!

It is what it is!

I've certainly learned the

value of time spent with loved ones...

they really MUST come first!

Getting ready for the fall season.

This will be my first 'fall' on Etsy...so I can't be 100% sure of what to expect... but ...in my previous four years of selling art online...every fall season has been the same...busy, busy, busy!

So, I'm going into this season...with this same mindset. I would much prefer to have more than I need, than to continually try to play 'catch-up'......that just never seems to work out well for me.

I've got a lot..lot..lot of new pendants in the works.

I'm working on some new original digital pieces....a few of which will be, 'one-of-a-kind' digital original paintings...meaning...only one print will be made and sold.

And...there's much, much more in the works.

(I think we may be having a bit of a 'cool' spell --- meaning it's not 95 degrees in my house at the moment...so I mean to make the most of this time. I'm staying busy..busy.)

On my list of "things to do today"

I meant to update the Shop...it was just too hot to do ANYTHING!

I really meant to update the Shop

yesterday

...

at least add SOMETHING new

...

it was just really really tooooo hot to do anything

but sit in front of the fan

and try to stay as cool as possible.

...

We did put a small window air conditioner

in the living room window..

hopefully it will cool things off enough

to make it bearable

in the house.

Even the air unit in the studio is working

overtime..and all for naught!

It's just toooo hot!

----

I didn't want to

list the little 4x6 'Trees' paintings

until I've had a chance to

varnish them first.

----

When I'm able to do that

I'll get them on:)

-----

Today is my oldest daughter's (Wendy) birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDY!!!!

Coming soon....to the Shop!

I've got some wonderful new pieces almost ready to list in the shop.
Some 4x6" thick and chunky canvas paintings..."Just Trees"...series!

They are very reminiscent of Jaime's trees, but with my own 'take'.

I did some of these a few years ago...on much bigger canvas...and just didn't like having to bend over for such long periods of time..so..smaller canvas just seemed to solve that problem.

I'm also working on some 'primitive'-folk pieces....I really haven't done any of these in such a long time...I thought I'd give it another go.

And...mirrors....they're all finally listed! I only did four designs for my CMZ Art shop...and six designs for Rustic Goth!

We're waiting for some more jewelry findings to come in...so we can get more pendants finished and listed...hopefully by the end of next week!