Suddenly we have something a lot more like summer weather – dry and sunny but with quite a stiff breeze to keep us from overheating.
The schools broke up last Thursday and it is so unusual for the weather to change for the better once the children are at home – it’s usually the exact opposite!
I heard that the birds are getting confused by the weather and migrating at the wrong times and something quite bizarre is certainly going on with one of my little apple trees –
I’ve been working on that rose and lavender design, making it into a repeating pattern, trying not to get frustrated with my laptop running out of memory and placing the design elements as accurately as I can by eye.
But on Saturday, I heard about some so-called ‘improvements’ that Zazzle are making to the site, which most people seem to think will be disastrous for sales!
Products seemed to have gone missing from our stores - I clicked on the 'Tote Bags' button only to find that there were 'no products found' in spite of knowing that I had created more than fifty tote bags!
I was quite overcome by a feeling of 'powerlessness' in respect of the various Print-on-demand websites I sell through. During this past year, each one of the four main sites I use has made changes that have adversely affected the artists and there’s not a thing we can do about it.
I read on the forum about an artist ‘leaving her computer in tears’. I felt a bit the same way but instead, I went out and mowed the lawn and took out my exasperation on the edges with the shears! I should really have been working on my designs - putting the 'greetings' on the Roses and Lavender card above! - but it was the first of the beautiful summer’s afternoons and it would have been a shame to stay indoors.
I often do my most constructive thinking whilst trimming the edges of the lawn!
And as a result of my pondering, on Sunday morning I did a google search for online surface pattern courses as the products that Zazzle have launched this year – cushions, bags, sleeves etc, have reawakened my love of surface pattern design.
I was completely amazed when a UK-based course came up straight away and it looks like just what I need!
Here it is -
The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design
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4 comments:
I don't know about the birds, I am just happy to have sun!!
Usually, when Zazzle is going through changes, I just step away and keep creating.
Lou
I agree, Loubee, sometimes that's the best thing to do. But two of the other sites have started closing down artists' stores, after having previously accepted their work. And one has cut its commission to 5% after previously being one of the better payers. So Zazzle's changes were perhaps the last straw. I'm sure all these companies are feeling the chill of these harsh economic times but its the artists who seem to be bearing the brunt.
Beautiful design! I don't know about zazzle...wish I had more time to work on my stuff on the site, but life gets in the way. In the past two month's I've had surgery on my hand which and subsequent recovery times. And now for the last two weeks I've had the worst cold/flu I've had in a long time. Still not over it. Anyway, maybe someday I'll sit down and work on some things that need working on. Hope you get all the kinks out of your sites soon. :-)
Hi Crystal - sorry to hear you're still not well, so a special thanks to you for coming visiting!
I think a lot of the 'kinks' are going to be permanent, only time will tell, but I'm so excited about the course I've signed up for that I'm not worrying about that too much.
Hope you'll soon be out of the woods!
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