Naked Pixels

2010: Not What I Expected

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We certainly did! Even though Christmas hasn't been the same without my grandparents these last few years, my sister's kids are turning Christmas into something that is different than it used to be, but no less wonderful. Something about the holiday would be terribly incomplete without them.

My husband and I had a talk after Christmas about how to tackle some long-term goals in the new year. One of the things I'm not verry happy about, but that isn't as bad as it first sounds, is that I need to cut back on my art for a while. This is not what we had planned, and to have gotten well into doing things the way we had planned, then having to stop and say, "No, this isn't going to work," is really frustrating. Almost heartbreaking, really.

Our plans had been based on the fact that, in the past, his physical concerns have been less severe in the fall and winter months. There's a lot to be done around here, and fall and winter was going to be our time to do it! Instead, I spent the entire month of December feeling pretty ill, and his physical limitations have not allowed him to take on the things we thought he'd be able to. There is now enough work to be done that I have to choose between my art and my home.

As I said... it's really not as bad as that makes it sound. It's not like I'm going to quit drawing completely. I'm just going to quit holding myself to a schedule for it for a while. I'll still keep doing the "at least one blog post a week" thing, and any posts that happen on a Wednesday will still be "Webcomic Wednesday" posts. This may even be what I need to help me get back to what I originally set out to do with this blog... talking about how and why the art is done, not just the fact that it's ready to be sold. I haven't been happy about how far I've drifted away from that over the months.

This is why I'm reluctant to announce plans for things. Not everyone's life can fit into a regularly scheduled workday, and part of why I'm able to do this is that I get the flexibility I need. But I don't feel so great about it when it means having to say I'm not going to have to put off for a while longer something that I've got people looking forward to. I can only hope that some of my readers are gamers. That would mean you're used to not knowing when something new will come out, being told it might come out on a certain date, being promised it will be out one month later than that, and then finding out it won't be ready for another year. Yes... I'm working on "game release date" time here.

I'm disappointed, yes, but not sorry. I see how many people feel they can't choose home and family over their work, and they hate themselves for it. I get to choose home and simply scale back work... not having to give it up completely, and not a permanent scale-back. It's not what I expected, but it's the right thing for us for now.

Now let's see where the rest of the year takes us.

Closed for Christmas!

Thank you all so much for continuing to be patient with the less frequent posts, lack of new designs, and general "Yeah... I'll get to that" way things have been going as I try to get through to the end of this year. And thank you for shopping in my Zazzle store! The month of November was the first month that I had a sales total that qualified me for a volume bonus on my commission! I simply don't have the words to tell you all how happy it makes me to see that people really do like my work, and to be making some money from that even as I'm overwhelmed by so much of what's going on in daily life around here. The daily stuff may get me down and prevent me from always having a smile on my face, but the response to my art has put a smile in my heart.

I've stuck to my promise to post at least once a week until things are ready for me to go back to a more regular schedule with the art and this blog. Next week is an exception. I'm taking the week off for Christmas! I'm in the middle of that push to have things ready in time, and Christmas Eve will bring time with my husband, parents, sister, and neice and nephew. And staying updated as NORAD tracks Santa! Posts will resume after next week has come and gone.

I wish each of you the very best Christamas ever... at least until next year!

What Color is Your Christmas?

There was a bit of excitement in my area one day last week when it looked like we could get some snow! A few hours of snow, resulting in maybe a half inch on the ground, sure to be melted away by the next day is still a cause for celebration around here. Snow just doesn't happen very often along the Gulf Coast. That got me thinking about the idea of having a "White Christmas". We never do.

Christmas is really warmer colors in my mind. Golden stuffing, and golden brown ham with brilliant yellow pineapple slices and ruby-red cherries on top. Red wrapping paper, with sparkling gold ribbons and bows. Red stockings waiting for Santa to fill them. The red of Santa's clothes, and Rudolph's nose! Rich brown reindeer pulling a red sleigh. It does get cold enough for people who have fireplaces to build fires. So when I think of the winter, I do think of red, orange, and yellow flames dancing in a fireplace. (Our lack of snow is mostly due to weather conditions other than the temperature. It's a myth that it doesn't get cold enough here.)

Of course, Christmas is accented by many other colors. Green trees, with lights and ornaments of every color! And the fruit salad on the table is almost like a bowl of Christmas lights, with all the different colors of fruit. Besides the red and gold presents, there are presents wrapped in many other colors, with ribbons and bows in blue, green, purple, and white. But it seems that my Christmas i mostly red and gold. And, in spite of being a winter holiday, it brings many memories and feelings of warmth for me. (Or maybe that's because it's a winter holiday... a nice contrast for balance.)

What color is your Christmas?

Cyber Monday Geek Shopping! Teacher gift's, too!

There will be real posts with more meaningful content later this week! It almost happened today, but then I remembered everyone is sitting at home shopping. To help you with that, I've got two things for you... a sale code for free shipping on Zazzle, and I'm featuring today some of my designs that would be great for any geeks on your list this year! Some of them would also make great gifts for teachers. A math mug for a math teacher, perhaps?

This free shipping code from Zazzle is only good for Cyber Monday! Put in FREESHIP2DAY at check-out for free shipping on all orders! And don't forget that you can always check the coupons page to see what discounts Zazzle is offering.

Okay, geek gifts time! Some of these have picked up in sales recently, and it made me realize quite a few people may be buying for their favorite geeks, or possibly their favorite teachers. (Then again, they could just be buying for themselves. So tempting while holiday shopping!) If you don't have a geek to buy for... well, everyone should have at least one geek around... go find one! But until you find your geek, there are still plenty of other designs you can check out in my store.

You Don't Understand Math Mug by rosaamarilla
Make personalised mugs on Zazzle

This is also available on a shirt. The mug, though, makes a great gift for a teacher!

Scrodinger's Cat "Wanted" Poster by rosaamarilla
More posters at zazzle

There are several products with this design on them in my Math & Science line, and all of them have become more popular through the month of November. Makes a nice gift for a science teacher (especially a physics teacher), or your favorite science geek.

He Who Controls The Spice Magnet by rosaamarilla
fridge magnets online by zazzle

This one is for a sci-fi geek. There's a whole line of these for your favorite Dune fan. Because controlling the Universe has to start somewhere!

Happy shopping, everyone! I say doing it at home is the way to go... you stay comfortable, and you still get to enjoy the smiling faces and hugs when they unwrap the gifts.

Celebrate the Harvest with Vintage Victory Garden Stamps!

October is gone, Thanksgiving is on the way, and you'll be thinking about holiday meals soon... if you aren't thinking about them already! The growing season in my little back yard veggie garden ended a bit too early for me to have any of the vegetables left by now, but I had a great time growing them and can't wait until it's planting time next year.

With all this thinking about food, harvest, and vegetables, today I'm recommending a postage stamp that's been on my "Favorites" page in my Zazzle store for a while now.

Vintage Victory Garden Postage by boutiqueshops
Shop other custom stamps on Zazzle

Need a postcard to put it on? I found a nice one for that, too!

Fruits of Victory ~ Vintage Victory Garden by TheVintageVamp
Make a Full color postcard on zazzle

I know I will definitely be looking at some of the other things in the store the postcard comes from... The Vintage Vamp.

Art Challenge for the Holidays

Yesterday was the first day of November. The day after Halloween. I do my grocery shopping on Sunday afternoons, and the first thing I heard when I walked into the grocery store was Christmas music.

The day after Halloween!

Christmas just isn't what it was when I was a child. Some of that is the difference in perspective. Christmas just looks different when you're only about three or four feet tall. It's a time when ignorance truly is bliss, and you can enjoy the tree-decorating because you didn't have to haul the tree in or straighten out the lights, dance around while cookies and candy are being made because you didn't have to buy all the ingredients, and presents seem to magically appear because you didn't have to buy and wrap them all.

Some of the changes to the Christmas season are a matter of other changes in life. My grandmother passed away a few years ago just before Thanksgiving, and we lost my grandfather earlier that same year. Christmas just hasn't been the same without them, and I especially feel my grandmother's absence in the kitchen. As difficult as it can be to make room for everyone around the table, that kitchen is just a lot emptier with one person missing.

It's still Christmas, though! My mom makes a great meal herself, and my sister's kids are now there to run around and tear into packages. And even if the exact names and position in the family of various family members has changed over the years, we all still go to the same house, sit around the same table, and spend that time together. It's different, but it's still worth it. It still matters.

That's something you really can't put a price tag on, and no store will ever have control over it, no matter how early they start the music or how many sales they have.

What does this have to do with art? I'm getting to that. Indulge me for another minute or two, though.

I've just explained why Christmas matters to me. You could give it any other name, though, and it would still matter. You could call it Hanukkah, Yule, Three Kings Day, or any number of other holiday names related to this season. I'm not too picky about the religious or cultural basis for the holiday, as that doesn't have much to do with what makes it, for me, "the most wonderful time of the year".

I know what's going to happen. It happens every year now. I'm going to get annoyed by the music. I'm going to want to start mowing down crowds of people with my shopping cart. I'm going to feel the burden of the financial balancing act. I'm going to feel the pressure to get everything done in time. I'm going to want to pay the bell ringers to stop ringing. (Which is a clear sign that it's all getting to me, because those bell ringers are doing a wonderful thing and even dropping a little change into their bucket matters.)

Then I'm going to get an email from my mom.

She puts a quote from Dr. Seuss at the end of her emails during the Christmas season, and it always seems to show up just in time for me. Just before I reach my holiday breaking point. The quote she uses is the last couple of sentences from this:

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?"

That gets me through the holiday stress until I can see Linus explain, once again, to Charlie Brown what the true meaning of Christmas is and that little tree gets some love. And that's not about the religion, but about having that one person who will remind you that there's more to this than the stress, rush, and marketing. It applies to whatever name you call the holiday.

Again... what does this have to do with art? I have a small challenge for each of you this year.

Get the jump on your inner-Scrooge by expressing what's good about this time through your creativity! It doesn't have to be something big. If your holidays are already full of things to do (as most people's are) it would probably be best for it not to be something big. But do something that will fill you with holiday cheer. If you like to bake, bake some gingerbread men for yourself one afternoon. Or spend a couple of hours one weekend helping your kids make some Christmas cards for a few of the people on your list. No kids? Make a card for someone special yourself. (One of my most prized possesions is a green and red crayon scribbled card my nephew made for me his first Christmas. Looks like chicken scratch, worth more than an entire museum.) If you have the time and like to knit or crochet, make one of the gifts on your list by hand.

I'd love emails and/or comments if you decide to do this. Share the holiday love! Feel free to wait a few weeks before you get started, though. After all, it was just Halloween!

Tricks and Treats!

First, a little update news...

I was nearing the home stretch on some humorous art involving the book of Revelations and some beloved cartoon ponies (That should keep you guessing for a few more days!) when I woke up with serious ear infections in both ears and my third case of strep throat in the past two years. The doc says strep throat is airborn and seems to be more prevelent in my area than it once was. I'm actually not their most frequently seen case, though I probably do still hold the dubious honor of having the worst case my doctor had seen in over twenty years of practice.

That knocked out working on the ponies for a few days. I'll be working on getting well this week, but I'm already doing enough better that I should be able to finish the piece. Especially since I shouldn't be moving around too much and drawing pretty much demands that I sit still for hours at a time.

In other news, I believe the changes to Zazzle's browsing system that I talked about last month have had just the type of positive impact I expected. I have now had more orders since those changes rolled out last month than I had all year up to that point! It seems that people are finding my products more often now, and I'm glad you like the designs enough to spend your money on them. :)

Enough with the news! It's not too late to order Halloween merchandise yet, so here are some suggestions...

Ghosts

Ghosts were people too!!! by flyboy103181
Make bumper stickers online at Zazzle

Let's get Sheetfaced Ghost Halloween Womens Tee by Jamene_Clothing
See more Let's T-Shirts

Goblins

Halloween Goblin Dance by hallocards
Make a custom shirt at zazzle.com

Do Not Feed the Goblins by thefrozenduck
View more The frozen duck Mugs

Ghouls...

Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun by countdracula
Design a customizable bag at zazzle.com

... and Zombies

i shotgun zombies by strk3
More I T-Shirts

Sorry, ghouls... you only got one spot because I couldn't resist the zombie design!

And one more plug for my Witches Stitches line!

Witches Stitches Mug by rosaamarilla
More Witch Mugs

Spotlight On: "I <3 Halloween" & Doug Smith Art

I Love Halloween With Scary Witch Flying her Broom by iheart
Buy t-shirts at Zazzle

I really, really love this design! The whole "I <3 [whatever]" thing should be worn out by now... maybe it is for some people... but the meme became interesting all over again for me when people starting putting other things in place of the heart. (A slightly rude example is here. Rude, but funny if you're a gamer.) Sometimes you just can't get rid of the heart and have the whole thing still make sense, though.

This turned up under "You may also be interested in..." when I was looking at the shirt, and I think it's a great piece of art:

Vampire Witch Mousepad by Artboy0630
Make your own mousepad with zazzle

I'm looking at some of the other things in that artist's Zazzle store now, and I'm impressed!

Enjoy your weekend... and buy candy now so you can enjoy some before you have to buy more to give away in a couple of weeks!

Holiday Shopping and Coming Attractions

A message from Zazzle went out a few days ago reminding all of us that the holiday shopping season is almost here. I thought this was one of the most interesting things in the message:

Black Friday is November 27. Cyber Monday (which beat Black Friday in US online purchases in 2008) is November 30.

Honestly... I'm not just saying this because I sell things online... save yourself some trouble and buy what you can early from the comfort of your own home.

Or, you know, if you enjoy the crowds, lines, adults fighting over a toy like it's the last piece of food in a village going through a ten year famine, and getting the finger in traffic as often as the radio plays "Jingle Bells"... To each his own.

As for what to expect in my store for the holidays? Not too much holiday-specific stuff. I'll certainly be adding a few things here and there, but I'm more comfortable with doing designs that can be enjoyed all year long. There should be at least one new line showing up in the next couple of months, and I wouldn't rule out the possibility of two. A few of the old lines will be expanded. This is the time to buy a shirt that you thought your sister would love a couple of months back, but you just couldn't justify spending almost twenty bucks purely on a whim. Or getting those shoes that you know would look adorable on your kid, but fifty dollars worth of gas in the car was more important than fifty dollars worth of adorable on your kid's feet.

(Side note: I was so happy with how these shoes turned out when I designed them that I ordered a pair for myself. If you're going to buy shoes, order them soon. Zazzle prints most stuff and sends it out really fast, but shoes take a while because of the process used. They are worth it, though! They are actual Keds shoes, not just made in the same style, and I love mine. The sizes seem to run a little small, so you may want to order one size larger than what you normally wear.)

I had intended to slow the Zazzle designs down a little for a few months while I focus on some other things, but I've been keeping a list of ideas for future designs and this is the perfect time to pull it out. And since I'll mostly be focusing on "new designs and products" rather than "Christmas-specific new designs and products", I'll be happy to throw you some links to other Zazzlers who are decking the halls and cooking the Christmas goose.

Just don't look for too much of it before Halloween is over. Please... I don't want to start Christmas while there are still pumpkins on porches and little goblins on sugar highs.