Need holiday cards? Get Claire's photography and design cards/stickers/labels for 50% off!

Red, White, Green Meander Greeting Card by RocklawnArts
Create unique personalized photo note cards from zazzle.com.

Hey everybody,

I hope you've having a lovely October.

If you need cards, postcards, stickers (the small 1.5" stickers make great envelope seals), return address labels or postage, please consider my art and photography store, Rocklawn Arts. Now is an excellent time if you would like to show your support.

Get 50% Off all of my customizable Cards, Labels, and Stickers
and 10% Off Postage – no minimums!

Code: 50OFFEBCARDS
Offer is valid through October 28, 2013 at 11:59pm PT.

Get free shipping by signing up for a free 30 day trial of Zazzle Black when you check out.

Footprints in Snow Card by RocklawnArts
More Non religious Cards

You can easily personalize (or delete) the greeting on any of my cards.

Geometric Christmas Wreath Postage Stamps by RocklawnArts
See other Christmas Stamps at zazzle

Looking for holiday fare? Try these links:

Christmas cards, postcards, stamps, and labels
Christmas stickers

Winter cards, postcards, stamps, and labels
Winter stickers

Green, White, Red Diamond Pattern Sticker by RocklawnArts
Get stickers printed online at zazzle.com

This year, I've added new designs and photographs to my shop as well as new products including Wrapping Paper, iPhone Cases, Jelly Belly Candy Tins and Jars with flavors you can choose, and much more. I hope you'll stop by to check out Rocklawn Arts.

I hope you all have a happy holiday season to come!

Claire

Life of Art SitRep #194 Creation and futility

This week, I created Orange and White Zigzag and Christmas Zigzag designs:

Orange and White Zigzag iPhone 5C Cases by RocklawnArts
See other Orange Casemate Cases at zazzle

Orange and White Zigzag by RocklawnArts
Browse more cases for the iphone

Orange and White Zigzag Sleeve For iPads by RocklawnArts
Shop for Orange iPad Sleeves online at Zazzle.com

Orange and White Zigzag Binders by RocklawnArts
Create custom printed vinyl binder at zazzle.com

Christmas Zigzag Gift Wrapping Paper by RocklawnArts
Browse more Christmas Wrapping Paper at Zazzle

Christmas Zigzag return address label by RocklawnArts
View other Christmas Labels

Christmas Zigzag Bicycle Card Deck by RocklawnArts
Look at additional Playing Cards at zazzle.com

Rocklawn Arts blogged New Red, White, Green Meander design, New Christmas Meander design, New Blurred Christmas Lights photograph, New Purple and White Meander design, New Pink and White Meander design, New Lavender and White Meander design.

Read some new advice on tagging and rethought my approach. Re-revised my tags on all the designs I'd edited so far. Argh. Keywords/SEO/tags: my understanding of them is ever evolving. We'll see what the new approach yields (if anything quantifiable).

Revised descriptions and tags for 4 more designs.

Started a spreadsheet of places I've had sales from. Not tremendously useful I suppose but I'm entertained by seeing where I've reached, both near and far off locales.

Read Popular Photography Oct. 2013 issue.


A year ago on TTaT: Life of Art SitRep #142 Full steam ahead!

Fortunately, the Milk

34. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I didn't mean to, but I read the whole thing in one sitting.

A fantastic tall tale with wonderful illustrations.

Skottie Young's ink drawings make me want to grab a Bic and a notebook and go to town sketching monsters and dinosaurs and cities and jungles.

A really fun, imaginative story for kids and adults.


3 years ago on TTaT: Sketchbook, page 52

The Apex of Sociability

"We have a visitor!" a voice called upstairs.

Demonstrating the apex of sociability, I yelled back, "OK?"

A moment later a familiar voice said, "It's OK, Claire, you don't have to come down."

We don't cross paths often and I wasn't sure how long she'd stay, so I got to an intermediate stopping point in my work and went down to say hi. And answer an impromptu computer question which makes me laugh because I am not a tech guru by any means.

I listened to a couple of stories exchanged and then cut out to go back to work.


5 years ago on TTaT: Note to self, ed. XIV; Milkweed

Life of Art SitRep #193 Where were we then?

I was feeling out of step by the end of last week, but started this one with a trip to my favorite contemporary art museum around here. They had a great selection of exhibits up and it was a beautiful day to wander the grounds and take 172 photographs.

Watched 1st half of day 1 of Revitalize Your Workflow with Lightroom 5 with Julieanne Kost on creative LIVE. Since I'm not currently using Lightroom, I decided the info would sink in more by reading a book I happened to have won on the topic. I started reading it and felt inspired to go through some of my photographs.

I worked on Blurred Christmas Lights and added it to my shop. I like how when it's viewed sideways it makes me think of a visual representation of sound spreading out.

Blurred Christmas Lights Cards by RocklawnArts
View other Christmas lights Cards

Blurred Christmas Lights Jelly Belly Tin by RocklawnArts
See other Christmas lights Candy Tins

Blurred Christmas Lights Magnet by RocklawnArts
Browse other Christmas lights Magnets

My Dad said he'd seen this photograph so I asked him if he liked it or (being diplomatic) if he thought it was interesting.

Pause. Pause. Pause.

"I would've liked it better if it were in focus," he said.

Which made me laugh because it completely missed the point. I'd also bet money it's not true because he couldn't tell what the original was or how I'd changed it. It would be a dull photo indeed in focus. I didn't make the bet though because it's not smart to make a bet that requires the other person to pay up for agreeing with you.

"Well, I guess you're not getting that one for your Christmas cards this year," I said with a laugh.

There was a time his long pause and comment might've bothered me, but I like the photograph I created and that's what matters.

This week, I also created Lavender and White Meander and Pink and White Meander designs:

Lavender and White Meander iPhone 5C Cover by RocklawnArts
See another Zazzle iPhone 5C case

Lavender and White Meander Gift Wrap by RocklawnArts
Find another gift wrap online at Zazzle

Lavender and White Meander Coffee Mug by RocklawnArts
View other Lavender Mugs

Pink and White Meander by RocklawnArts
See other Pink Casemate Cases

Pink and White Meander Stickers by RocklawnArts
Browse other Pink Stickers

Pink and White Meander Wall Decals by RocklawnArts
Check out more Pink Wall Decals at Zazzle

Made a new vertical wrapping paper template.

Rocklawn Arts blogged New iPod Touch 5G Cases at Rocklawn Arts!, New Blue and White Meander design, New Green and White Meander design, and New Red and White Meander design.

Moved Bokeh in Spring, Blue Bokeh into new Bokeh Photos folder.

Rearranged store a bit.

Worked on my photograph archive some, deleting images and organizing.

How was your week?


3 years ago on TTaT: What serves me?

Life of Art SitRep #192 Gangbusters! Hold, please

Well first, Happy National Coming Out Day!

Just flashed back to college where the LGBTQ group would write, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" in huge colored chalk letters on the sidewalks for this day. I wonder if they still do that. I'd be able to take it in the playful way it was intended now.

And now for our regularly scheduled SitRep:

Early in the week, I created several new variations of my meander design for my shop: Blue and White Meander; Green and White Meander; Red and White Meander; Red, White, Green Meander; Christmas Meander, and Purple and White Meander.

Blue and White Meander Mug by RocklawnArts
Personalize coffee mugs at Zazzle

Green and White Meander Courier Bag by RocklawnArts
See other Green Messenger Bags at zazzle

Red and White Meander Premium Jewelry Box by RocklawnArts
See more Red Premium Gift Boxes

Red, White, Green Meander Greeting Card by RocklawnArts
Create unique personalized photo note cards from zazzle.com.

Christmas Meander return address label by RocklawnArts
Make personalized photo labels online at zazzle.com

Purple and White Meander Plate by RocklawnArts
See other party plates

Updated LOA summary and links files.

RA blogged New iPhone 5/5S Cases at Rocklawn Arts!, New Light Blue and White Meander design, New iPhone 5C Cases at Rocklawn Arts!, and New Orange and White Meander design.

Revised descriptions and tags for 5 designs.

Started work on a new design idea but didn't get far. Need to think it through a bit more.

And then I hit a distracted slump or post burst of creativity let down phase coupled with life distractions.

Still a good week overall. Just need to find my way back into the groove.

How was your week?


3 years ago on TTaT: Happy National Coming Out Day! (or don't let the motherfuckers get you down)

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

32. Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Steve Martin's evolution as a comic follows an encouraging course of discipline, theorizing, experimentation and refining over years. It's the scientific method at work as applied to comedy.

An enjoyable journey to read.


3 years ago on TTaT: Life of Art SitRep #35 Window washing counts too, yes?

Autumn

Pouring down pine needles, a sea of orange lines falling from above.

The street and front yard are completely covered, probably an inch deep.


Two years ago on TTaT: Life of Art SitRep #87 The bog

Life of Art SitRep #191 Meandering Momentum

Have you backed up your computer recently? Not exciting perhaps but also not as tedious as some tasks either. At least in my life of art. Rolling into October, I did my monthly backups. I also backup more often than this, but the monthly backups keep the big picture in mind with a variety of files I update.

Inspired by serendipity discovered while creating Wrapping Paper last week, I decided to create discrete meanders: Black and White Meander, Orange and White Meander, and Light Blue and White Meander.

Black and White Meander iPhone 5 Case by RocklawnArts
Check out another iPhone 5/5S case at zazzle.com

Black and White Meander by RocklawnArts
Browse other Black Casemate Cases

Black and White Meander return address label by RocklawnArts
Browse Black Labels

Orange and White Meander Gift Wrap Paper by RocklawnArts
Shop for additional gift wrap at zazzle.com

Orange and White Meander Heart Sticker by RocklawnArts
Design personalized stickers and labels at Zazzle

Orange and White Meander Courier Bag by RocklawnArts
Browse more Orange Messenger Bags

Light Blue and White Meander by RocklawnArts
Find other Blue Cards at zazzle.com

Light Blue and White Meander by RocklawnArts
Check out other Blue Playing Cards at zazzle.com

Light Blue and White Meander by RocklawnArts
Browse Blue Binders

Rocklawn Arts blogged New iPad Cases at Rocklawn Arts!, Custom Gift Wrap now available at Rocklawn Arts!, New Black and White Meander design.

Set up AdWords account since Google did away with free Keywords Tool. So far not finding it nearly as helpful. sigh.

Revised descriptions and tags for 20 designs. So many more to go, but it's a start.

Listened to Photofocus podcast excerpt on FB proposed changes. Basically if these changes go through, FB will own rights to your images for commercial use. "If you're not paying for it, you are the product."

That about sums it up for me. How was your week?


5 years ago on TTaT: I believe it