Busy...busy...busy

I don't have a lot of new 'stuff' in any one category

in my CMZart Zazzle Shop

but I have quite a lot of 'stuff'

in general.

It's a little hard...with one Etsy Shop,

a Bonanza Shop,

a Fine Art America Shop,

3 Zazzle Shops,

3 Blogs,

and a few other shops and sites...here and there...

to set aside all the time I need for just one.

My Etsy Shop takes most of my time..

as it is my busiest shop...

but I like a challenge..

and I like keeping busy...so...

I do what I can...when I can..

with my other shops.

I have sketched out a batch of designs for Christmas merchandise..

ornaments..and the such.

Hopefully I'll get them finished up in Photoshop

in time for the Holiday Shopping Season.

Oh yeah...and it's my birthday this week-end...

maybe I'll take that day off:)

New look for my Zazzle Shop

I've got a new look and a handful of new items

in my CMZ Art Zazzle Shop.

I'm loving the new iPhone cases...

this case...

'Serenity Prayer'

just seemed appropriate.

It's one of my favorites.

I've painted a few egg Ornaments.

I've painted Egg Ornaments since 1993.

Actually...my husband started painting them...he knew me

well enough to know that if he started doing them

and they were 'well received'

then I would 'jump in' and do my part.

So..we took our eggs to a Holiday Show...they did very well...

and we painted them every season from '93 through 2003.

Every season since '03, I've had a few people who wanted to know

if I was going to do any eggs....and I always said 'no'.

It was one of those things my husband and I did together ... and I really

didn't want to do them on my own.

Problem was...my husband had blown, sterilized and base painted

about six dozen eggs that have just been taking up space in my closet.

A few of them even had subject matter on them.

So...the girls and I discussed doing what was left

and offering them at the shows...

then...

we decided not to do anymore shows this year...

but..

I had already put the 'word' out that I would

be doing them..

at least for this year...

so...there you have it...

I'm doing a 'limited' number of egg ornaments...

wish I could get better photos though.

My Bonanza Shop

Now that I've found I have more time on my hands

than I thought I would normally have during the holiday season,

I've decided I'm going to do some

new pieces especially for my

CMZ Art Bonanza Shop.

The shops there operate a bit different than they do on

Etsy

and for some reason...

I do like this little shop.

I just haven't had enough 'new' stuff to put in it...

(It started out as my 1000 Markets Shop)

and then I could separate Rustic Goth and CMZ Art

which was my original intention.

Since I can't really do that anymore..

I want to remove all of the Rustic Goth items

and make it exclusively

CMZ Art.

I'm looking forward to it...because I think it

will be fun to do some new art for this shop.

CMZ Art...1000 Markets and a new printer

My Rustic Goth Etsy Shop

is my primary source of income...

so, of course, it takes about 95% of my time.

I'm pretty happy with this shop and it takes a lot of hard work

to keep it fresh and current.

This being said...

I 'finally' made a sale through my 1000 Markets Shop 

and discovered that the process is really quite different.

For one thing...1000 Markets goes through Amazon.com...

which I do love...since Amazon has such a great

buyer protection in place.

I know...because we've purchased a few

'big ticket' items through Amazon...

we got our Pixma Pro Printer a few years ago..

now I'm saving my 'pennies' to get another one.

I've decided to just leave my 1000 Markets sales in Amazon

to help me pay for it.

For one thing...a new printer would cut my shipping times in half...since

I could do them as I need them, instead of having

to impose on Jaime to try to fit my printing into her extremely busy schedule.

So...I'm going to be promoting CMZ Art...1000 Markets...

and the other CMZ Art sites

a lot more often through this blog...

and my new

CMZ Art Facebook Page.

My Facebook page doesn't have much on it...yet!
I know I should have waited until I have more time
to really 'buff' it out...
but..I'm beginning to think that having more time
is just an 'elusion'.

Some Floral Bookmarks

I made up some new floral bookmarks

to put in my CMZ Art Zibbet Shop...

I'm hoping to have them listed by the middle of the week.

I've been so very busy that I haven't

had a chance to list them yet...but they are 

"coming soon".

Taking a little time for art...

I've been juggling so many things lately...

and having computer issues again...

my stress level is up..

and my productivity down.

So..I'm taking a little time for art.

I need a break away from the computer for a bit..

it really has begun to

'rule' my life lately.

Tuscan Art

Thursday Trees

New/ "Old" Prints on Imagekind

I have sooo many things on my plate right now

that I sometimes 'neglect' certain sites...

I really don't mean to..it's just that..well..

I have sooo much on my plate.

I need to organize myself again...I've found this is something

I have to do, at least, once every quarter.

I tend to get so caught up in the 'work' and creating..

which is a good thing..

but my organizational skills tend to suffer a bit then.

So..while waiting for the oils on a commission piece

to dry..so I can finish it..

I decided to do some work on several of my sites.

I put a 'Rustic Goth' gallery

in my Imagekind...and I've uploaded some

Rustic Goth images there.

Squidoo Lens

While looking for stuff to include in my

new website I had almost forgot that I have

a CMZ Art Squidoo Lens.

I put it together a couple of years ago..

and I go in and update it from time to time...

when I can squeeze the extra time to

do it justice.

It's kind of a 

CMZart in a 'capsule'.

Print Sale in my CMZ Art Shop

I have put a sale

on all of my prints

now listed in my

CMZ Art Shop.

These are some of my

favorite tree/nature pieces

of ALL time

and my shop has been filled

to it's current capacity!

CMZ Art....What's New?

I have been asked by several

collectors

if I am going to reopen my

CMZ Art Etsy Shop.

Sadly...I am not.

Perhaps it was the turn of economy,

but I couldn't maintain both shops and Iopted

to keep the Rustic Goth Shop,

since it was doing better.

I still do business as CMZ Art

though...on Zibbet.

Presently I only have prints available

there, however....

I will be posting original tree paintings,

poppy paintings

and other 'nature-inspired' paintings

in my CMZ Art Zibbet Shop

as early as next week.

We only have one

art show left to do this year...

(getting ready for the shows have taken most

of my time the past few months)

and since I do like to keep myself busy,

I will be doing some original

paintings especially for CMZ Art.

I am 'everywhere'...

....at least, that is what it feels like.
I started selling my art online in 2004.
Back "in the day"... I sold on eBay...
but, I thought it necessary to join several other sites
and groups....not really sure why...but, I'm still with most of
those groups and sites.

There's Art Wanted ...
..the first image uploaded there was September 7, 2004.
I really need to pay that site more attention...I
have enjoyed being there.

Art by Us
I signed up there in January 2005.
I sold quite a few paintings
when I first started listing there...unfortunately
the site just never took hold...and now
most of the sales there seem
a bit 'suspect' to me.
(That's just my opinion, of course...)

I'm over at Art.Com
been there since 2005.
Basically...there, I just submit my images...
they make the sales and send me a
commission once or twice a year.
Nothing I can live on...but, hey...I'm not doing the work either.

There's my EBSQ Portfolio
I've combined my CMZart and Rustic Goth pieces there
since it costs me money every month...
been there since 2004...
almost all of the art I've listed online is
in my portfolio there.
(I didn't quite understand how to use it at first...
and deleted quite a few of my early pieces.)
And..lately, I don't always 'remember' to upload
my pieces like I used to...I need to get better at that.


Anyway....when I 'google' myself...I find
it rather fun to see all the places
I have 'stuff' going on.

The image on this post is linked to 'ThisNext' ...
(if I did it right)
I don't even know how I ended up
there??

Update on CMZ Art

I have finally made THE decision
to close my CMZ Art Etsy Shop.

My Rustic Goth Etsy Shop
will remain open
(after taking some vacation time)
and I will be putting a few
select pieces from my
CMZ Art Etsy Shop
into that shop.

Some of the original paintings have been
moved to my
CMZ Art Zibbet Shop
and prints and digital originals
will be added to my
CMZ Art Imagekind Shop.

See where I'm going here.....

I have a LOT of CMZ Art Shops and it
just is
'no longer prudent'
to continue to try to keep the Etsy Shop.

What's next...

I have been considering what,

exactly...I should do with my CMZ Art Etsy Shop.

I've finally decided.

Now, I have to make a decision

about

whether to 'put the shop' on vacation

immediately..

for a month or so...

or just leave it...as is...

and make all the changes

when I'm ready.

Oh Lordy...I do hate indecision!

I've decided that I will decide..by the 15th

of the month, what I'll do...

but,

in the meantime I'll just say...

the pieces that are

currently in the shop

will only be available

for a short time.

When I close the shop...

for 'rennovation'

I won't be relisting anything that

is currently on

when it reopens.

It's Been One Year

I've had my CMZ Art Etsy Shop

opened for one year now!

My anniversary date was November 2nd.

In 'celebration'

of the one year anniversary

I am having a sale!

Everything is marked down

with one exception...

the mirrors.

I had a sale a while back

and marked them down 25%

and just never marked them back to

the original price...so they're the only items

that don't have a sale tag on them!

I've decided to leave those at the 'sale price'

until they're gone.

Do drop in and see what I have

to offer!

I'm a Recycler...

I've always been somewhat of a recycler...even before we knew there was a problem with overflowing landfills..non biodegradables..the ozone layer and global warming. My family just said I was a 'pack rat'...it's true. I hate to throw things away...especially if I can find some use for it..maybe not right away..but, sometime in the future.

I have saved egg cartons, magazines, newspapers, grocery bags, boxes that things come in, cologne bottle lids, scraps of material....you name it...I tend to save it. And, I find uses for many of the items I've packed away.

I use cardboard from various boxes, to keep my art prints from bending during mailing. I'll even reuse bubble envelopes if I can.

My husband used to tell me no, when I asked if I could ride along to the landfill...he just knew I'd find something 'useful' to tote back home...it felt a little like 'treasure hunting'