26 September 2020

Chillpreneur: How to Run a Wildly Successful Business Without Losing Your Mind

Chillpreneur: How to Run a Wildly Successful Business Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Money!)31. Chillpreneur: How to Run a Wildly Successful Business Without Losing Your Mind by Denise Duffield-Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The writer is actually an introvert which leads to a business perspective I really appreciated reading. Her book is also a nice break from dude-bro business books which mostly just say 'hustle more,' or even business books by well meaning men whose journey to success stories aren't that relatable.

Also great: her book has actual suggestions and scripts you can use. It will be most helpful for someone with a service style business, but I still found it useful.

10 years ago on TTaT: Sketchbook, page 48

25 September 2020

Life of Art #553 [What A Year Holiday Cards and Ribbons]

Inspired by my What A Year flat holiday card making the Zazzle home page banner and its continued presence on the Christmas is Coming page (as of 9/24/20), I created several folded greeting card versions, new real foil cards, and new photo flat cards.

Let's start with the cool shiny foil cards available with and without a custom photo inside. You can personalize the greeting and names inside on both cards:

Here are the new greeting card versions all available in several colors:


And here are 2 new flat card photo templates each with a geometric tree pattern on the back. The top card has a blue and white pattern on the back and the bottom card has a dark red and white pattern.


Extending the idea further, I created some What A Year Ribbons putting the white handwritten script text on some different color backgrounds:

Pinned to boards at Rocklawn Arts on Pinterest.

How was your week?

18 September 2020

Life of Art #552 [Featured Card and Custom All-Over-Print Aprons]

The most exciting thing this week is that one of my holiday cards was featured on Zazzle's home page on the top banner. It may still be there today since the sale is still going on. If you're reading this later, you can see a screenshot of it in my post here. But if you're seeing it now, take advantage of the sale. It's also available in several other color variations.

Get it 50% off with code Z100DAYSXMAS

until 9/18/2020 11:59 PM PST

What A Year Modern 3 Photo Teal Holiday Card:

Also exciting is the addition of custom all-over-print aprons to my shop. I need to make some more collections, but I'll share some here. (Forgive me as I struggle with blogger's forced interface update. I've been reverting to legacy for as long as possible but it seems my time has run out. Adding links is now a much greater hassle.)

I started with gingham, checkered, and pinstripe patterns, some with monograms:

Add your logo, name and/or text to any of the aprons in this collection to create branded employee uniforms. Click through to see all the color variations and style options:

Created a What A Year Modern 2 Photo Blue Holiday Card. This is a folded style card, I'll be making more of these in other colors:

Pinned to boards at Rocklawn Arts on Pinterest.

Made 2 new calendar video pins.

Watched/read "How to use Layer masks and selections to interlock objects in Photoshop" by Colin Smith.

How was your week?

16 September 2020

Featured What A Year Holiday Card on Sale!

I'm excited my holiday card is featured on Zazzle's home page today!

Get it 50% Off with code Z100DAYSXMAS
until 9/18/2020 11:59 PM PST

What A Year Modern 3 Photo Teal Holiday Card (Zazzle changed the sample photos which you can too to personalize it!):

Just click through to customize it with 3 images (2 for the front and 1 for the back), your greeting, and names.

11 September 2020

Life of Art #551 [Custom Logo Air Fresheners]

Created several custom logo (and text) Air Fresheners with different color backgrounds. Easily upload any shape logo and customize the text. You can also choose from 5 scent options:

Also worked on a new product line type, but it's not live yet. Hopefully they will be up on Sunday. I'll be sure to fill you in next week.

Shot 37 photographs hibiscus, flowering bush, creek, begonia. Culled 5, rated rest.

Pinned to boards at Rocklawn Arts on Pinterest.

Made monthly backups. Have you backed up lately?

09 September 2020

Today's Sightings (and Hearing)

A monarch butterfly kept me company for part of my walk.

Heard the rooster crowing.

The creek is really low. Lots of rocks and gravel showing. The stone block from an old bridge long since replaced was entirely out of the water.

Jewelweed blooming.

About five new fireball hibiscus blooms. As I was admiring them, a hummingbird briefly checked them out before zipping into the woods.


10 years ago on TTaT: Trillium and self-portrait

08 September 2020

Fill Out The Census and Be Counted!

If you live in the United States and don't fill out the Census, you literally don't count to the government. You're depriving your community of federal funds for important programs and political representation.

(I live in a county that used to have its own Representative but when population numbers fell according to the Census, our state lost a Representative in Congress, the districts were redrawn, and we were thrown in with larger neighboring counties.)

Everyone who lives in the US and its five territories is required by law to respond. There is NO citizenship question.

Fill it out NOW!
https://2020census.gov/

06 September 2020

The Most Important Thing You Can Do In 2020: VOTE! [Voter Guide]

If you are a United States citizen and are at least 18 years old on or before Election Day (November 3, 2020), you are eligible to register to vote.

Which is to say, if you're over 18, you're set. If you will turn 18 on or before Election Day, check the Voter Registration Age Requirements by State to see what you need to do.

For a few exceptions and more specifics, check out Who Can and Can’t Vote in U.S. Elections.

To be able to vote, you must Register to Vote. You can also confirm you are registered to vote at that link.

Please make sure you are registered! In an effort to suppress votes, many states remove people from their voting lists without notice. You may need to re-register.

Now that you're certain you're registered to vote, learn your options for How to Vote:
The next federal election will be Tuesday, November 3, 2020. It will include voting for president and vice-president, 1/3 of the Senate, and all of the House of Representatives. State and local races will also be on the ballot in many areas.

Vote by Mail/Absentee Voting/Early Voting in Person
If you are voting by mail/absentee, sign up to do it NOW. You need time to receive your ballot, fill it out, and mail it back by Election Day. (I prefer to receive my ballot by mail but then return it to an official drop box myself. Check your city/town's info for where.)
or
Vote on Election Day:
Find your polling place and if there are Voter ID requirements. Plan ahead if you need time off and for how you will get there. If your state has Early Voting, that is a great alternative to avoid long lines.

iwillvote.com/ is another great resource with voting information: check if you're registered, register to vote, vote by mail, vote in person, and information specific to your state.

Finally, for the love of everything you love and hold dear:

Vote for Democrats

all the way down the ballot. No, Democrats are not perfect, but the Republican Party has shown time and again they are in it for their own gain callously and cruelly sabotaging and undermining the rest of us. Trump and the GOP sow fear and instigate violence. That is not leadership: those are bullies who lie, cheat, and rig systems to win and profit at the expense of nearly everyone else. They are a disgrace to this country.

Do not let Republicans steal another Supreme Court seat! Do not let racist, misogynistic, anti-science, xenophobic, homophobic Republicans make decisions that will affect your life and those of people you care about. They do not care about you.

Vote Blue all the way down.


04 September 2020

Life of Art #550 [New Logo and Video Pins]

Embraced a new logo for Rocklawn Arts. I had been reluctant to stray from the full name for a long time figuring most people don't know my business, but social media profile images are so small I doubt anyone could read it. What I realized is that on most sites the name resides next to the profile image anyway.

So here it is. On some websites the edge will appear as a circle. I left enough room so the RA will fill the circle without getting cropped. For pins on Pinterest, I've just been using the letters as a logo mark without the background color. (You can see that in action in the links below.)

Pinned to boards at Rocklawn Arts on Pinterest and made my first video pins. You can see them at the links below:
Custom Business Logo Supplies

Vote Blue Election Gear

Register to Vote collection

Biden Harris 2020 Bold Election Gear

Biden Harris 2020 Blue Watercolor Election Gear

Shot 25 photographs and 1 video, culled 5 photos, rated rest.

Uploaded 54 photographs and 1 video from last week. Culled 18 photos, rated rest.


How was your week?