AutumnRoseMDS

Store Name *	AutumnRoseMDS
How has zazzle changed your life? *
I have created digital art for years and loved it. Before zazzle, I always had to create a product to put my graphics on. In a typical day, I would spend the majority of my time creating or finding products, finding reliable suppliers, and packing. Design time was squished into spare time. This was fine for a while, but it became clear that I spent a lot more time managing the products than I did creating the pictures. I began looking for an alternative. That’s when I found zazzle. It allows me to do what I love without having to worry about supplies, orders, quality. Zazzle takes care of all of that! It allows me to do more of my passion and less of the cumbersome tasks of running a business. Zazzle has changed something else in my life too. I have never been able to settle down to one style. With most artists, they develop a style that people identify with them. After a while, you see an image and you recognize the artist without even looking at the name. I was never able to do that. I am all over the board with designs, colors, and subjects. But with zazzle, it works out fine; for different artwork – I set up a new store!
Zazzle is a... *	Full Time Job Addiction
What advice would you share with a friend or family member if they wanted to join zazzle? *
For those who are just starting out, I suggest downloading the zazzle templates and doing some research on graphic size, resolution, type. There is nothing worse than finishing a picture and then discovering it is too small for the product. I think it also helps to focus on a set of products to begin with and then experiment with additional ones as you go along. I started out doing cards and mouse pads. Now, about the only thing I don’t do is skateboards and shoes. Tool wise I invested in Photoshop. But Corel’s Paint Shop Pro is good also. Then there is Gimp which is free. If you are into abstracts almost any paint program will suffice, although it might limit your designs somewhat due to lack of bells and whistles. The best advice I can give for someone starting out is to plunge in and get some experience. If you are interested in creating graphics, developing clever witticisms, or just creating personalized gifts for the family, get started. It’s great. You’ll love it.
What other PODs do you use? *	Zazzle
What do you do when you are not zazzling? *	When I am not zazzling, I am kind of boring. I have several cats and a dog. They seem to monopolize my time going out, coming in, it is snack time, I want to be held…. well, you get the picture. I also like to landscape. Some people garden, I landscape. The landscaping supply companies around here must gasp each time I place an order, “She is doing what with 4 tons of river rock and she wants it when?” Throw in a terrific best friend, a wonderful sister, and brother-in-law, and you have my day to day life.
How many stores do you have on zazzle? *	2-4
Which do you prefer and why? 1 Mega Store or Several Niche Stores *	I have a mega store and a niche store. This set-up is mostly because of the way I started. I had been on zazzle for quite some time before I realized you could have additional stores! It works well this way, though. I might start up a few other niche stores as I go along. But I think it is important not to spread yourself too thin.
I usually work... *	On my desktop at my desk
A List of your stores *	http://www.zazzle.com/AutumnRoseMDS http://www.zazzle.com/ABitBiased