martaharvey

Your shop name *	martaharvey
Zazzle to me is a... *	Part time job I would like to make a full time job
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *	The best advice I have received on my shop was on how to organize it using categories. First I looked in the Zazzle forums, but didn't find anything about it. Then I looked at a lot of different shops, and it seemed that everyone was doing something different. Most shops I found very confusing and they made me want to leave after a minute or two; I did not want my potential customers to feel the same. So I asked some friends I knew at Zazzle, and some of my family members as well, and finally found a way that works well for me, and I hope for everyone visiting my shop.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Redbubble
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	Before Zazzle I spent most of my time creating art, reading, and playing soccer. Now, I still play soccer (need it for the exercise and to de-stress), still create and read some, but seem to have less and less time. I have a more-than-full time day job, so working on my Zazzle shops can be quite relaxing, believe it or not. It is a lot of work, though, and I think it uses a lot of my organizational skills to keep everything looking neat and the best way possible.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Photoshop elements
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I started working with Photoshop a few years ago, but I am not very proficient. My current version is Photoshop 4. As I create art mostly on paper or on canvas, I use Photoshop to work with the scans, change lighting, contrast, resize, and such. I have only created a couple of designs digitally, with Photoshop elements and a pen/tablet, but have not had much time to really get into it, yet. I have a lot to learn, and what I enjoy about both products is that there is so much you can do, and so many different ways you can create and modify your images, that I feel I will never really master it - unless this becomes my full-time job :)
Will you make custom orders? *	No
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	Truthfully, I don't know. I have done it for a friend and for family, and I loved doing it, but I know that sometimes it is very hard to get it right for someone you don't know. I did some custom work for a customer before creating art from scratch - not on Zazzle - and I remember it took many, many days of creating different versions with different looks, until the customer was finally happy. I was thrilled that she loved it in the end, but looking back I spent a lot of time, effort, and money for a $15 piece; it just was not worth it. It may be very different on Zazzle, I don't know.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/martaharvey http://www.zazzle.com/cmcreativephotos

Want to know how we made this work? Check Out Wufoo.com

Atlantic Dreams Photography

Your shop name *	Atlantic Dreams Photography
Zazzle to me is a... *	Hobby that occasionally pays
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
Make sure you have really great descriptions and tags. You have to think like a customer who is looking for your production. Write your description as if you were describing the product to a friend over the phone. Also finding a niche market and really developing products for that market. Seek out and join forums that are relevant to your niche market, and interact with the community, don't just spam the forums. Using Squidoo and other similar platforms to write about topics that are related to the type of product you are promoting. Having a large number of products available also increases the odds that one (hopefully many) of your products will sell. The most important thing is to enjoy creating your designs and the interaction with your fellow shopkeepers.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Redbubble
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	I have been a lover of music all of my life and became a musician in my late teens. I still play in a classic rock/blues band. My main passion now is photography, and have slowly been getting clients for portraiture, weddings, etc.... I also combine the two passions by photographing local bands when they play a gig.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Illustrator Other photo-editing software
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
Most of my photo editing consists of basic corrections such as adjusting the white balance and minor colour and contrast enhancements which I do using LightRoom. I shoot exclusively in the RAW format rather than jpeg which gives me some leeway in my adjustments and it also means I don't have to worry about degradation of the image files do to the lossy compression that comes with jpegs. It also means there is no destructive changes to my original file. When I need more heavy lifting I use photoshop which is great for removing distractions that appear in photos, and when i want to create something completely different like using the 3D features.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - no prepay required
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	This actually happened to me today. A potential customer sent me a message about one of my designs asking if it could be created on a different product at a different size. It was not possible with the image file I had already uploaded to Zazzle, but I was able to create what they requested from the original file with some slight modification. I just set it to direct only and sent them the link. Hopefully they will end up buying the customized product. I believe in providing customers with the products they want if it is possible to do so.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/atlanticdreams http://www.zazzle.com/sruhs

schmeer

Your shop name *	schmeer
Zazzle to me is a... *	Hobby that pays for itself most of the time
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *	Keep up the good work. Keep the talent coming. Keep us laughing. I really haven't had any shopkeepers tell me to do anything different with my shops that I can think of. Just some custom requests is really all I get. I have tho seen other shopkeepers helping other shopkeepers with set up or needing to add or remove things in their shops. Even ideas on what products best suits their designs because not all products look good and or are not the correct shape for a particular design. It does make a world of difference as to what is used.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress Printfection Greeting Card Universe (GCU) Redbubble
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	Drawing portraits once in awhile was the best thing I did with my free time. Otherwise I rode my bike miles and miles when the weather permitted. Those two things are my passions. Now I fiddle around with graphic designs for fun using mostly Photoshop CS4 or pencil drawing sketches.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version)
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *	I use Photoshop CS4 which comes with ps elements. It is very easy to use for sure. I have a lot of fun with colors and many of the features included but there are so many that never get used. That is probably my own fault because I just don't need them or want to bother with. The fact that you cannot really make solid/ perfect circles or lines is the biggest issue I have with this program. Because of that only, I would love to learn Illustrator and be able to maybe afford it sometime in the near future.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - sometimes free, sometimes fee required upfront
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	The requests in the past have been simply for different wording or a different placement or adding an image on another product are freebies. Creating a design may not be free if is for non - family members. I don't like it when the "no buy" happens after having done special work. Ugh.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/schmeer

Prime Vintage

Your shop name *	Prime Vintage
Zazzle to me is a... *	Part time job I would like to make a full time job
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
The first great advice was to learn how to use Quick Create. Without that, I would be lost. The second was that everything on Zazzle takes time and I needed to develop patience - not always my strong point - and the third - that sales do not happen automatically because the products are sitting prettily in your store. Promotion and marketing are vital and I probably spend as much time on that as I do on creating new products. The balance between creativity and the administrative jobs involved in running a store is constantly changing from day to day - I suspect the perfect balance is almost impossible to find.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress Imagekind Redbubble Other
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	I was always involved in making art of some kind and selling it in the real world rather than online. Zazzle makes a whole new opportunity to show the art to a wider audience. When I'm not on the computer, books are my great love - reading them and writing them. I live on the the very tippy-top of a mountain so wildlife is high on my list of things to be involved with - especially the bears that live in this area.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop elements PSP (any version) Gimp Other photo-editing software
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *	My favourite software is PSP. It was the first one I bought way back when I first got a computer and I have stayed loyal to it for years. I like its interface which is really simple for even a beginner to use. I also use a very, very old version of PhotoImpact which doesn't even exist any more but I keep hold of it because it has great fonts and a surprising number of actions which you would not necessarily expect from such a simple program. I guess, when the software eventually dies on me, that that will be that and I'll have to find something else to play with.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - prepaid only
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	As I said, I have always been involved in the art world and been prepared to do custom work but experience has taught me that spending hours on a piece of work which the customer then decides they don't want any more is a tremendous waste of my valuable time. Pre-payments make them consider more carefully before making an order.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/primevintage http://www.zazzle.com/christmasvintage http://www.zazzle.com/eppsoliverart http://www.zazzle.com/floppydog http://www.zazzle.com/illustrationstore http://www.zazzle.com/oliversmiscellany http://www.zazzle.com/plaincolorstore http://www.zazzle.com/shenandoahstore http://www.zazzle.com/susaneppsoliver

Want to know how we made this work? Check Out Wufoo.com

Star Stream Design

Your shop name *	Star Stream Design
Zazzle to me is a... *	Full time job - with full time pay
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
I really don't recall receiving any particular advice, per se, but I have found that a major factor in anyone's success is to never expect anything. Even if you are not in love with a design, that doesn't mean that it may not appeal to someone else. Always give options and think about the final use of the product. How can this design be used? Would there be another way to express this idea, either through color, layout or focus? Always be true to yourself and your style. Just because the latest craze may be graphic chevrons with a modern flair, that may not be your own style. Keep at it and find your niche!
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress Other
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	Before Zazzle I was pretty busy with my daughter, now I like to say "What social life?" lol When I actually have free time, we spend a lot of time together as a family. I am a voracious reader and read almost any second that I have free. I also try to spend time at the gym since Zazzling can be quite addicting and is not conducive to ones physical health. ;)
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Illustrator
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I use Illustrator CS for about 80% of the artwork I do. I love the ease and the crispness of vector art. I have been using both Illustrator and Photoshop CS since their introduction and in fact, was a Photoshop beta tester. To say that I'm pretty dedicated to these programs is obvious. I am a trained graphic designer and a big of a typography-geek, so I love the control Illustrator gives me over typography. I find it much more effective than Photoshop in that regard. To recommend any of these to someone would really depend on one's graphic style. Obviously, a photographer would do best with Photoshop.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - sometimes free, sometimes fee required upfront
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	I will do custom orders for free as long as they are a minor change to an existing design in one of my shops. It can be a color change, adding room for additional text or taking that design and incorporating onto a different size or onto another product on which is does not currently exist. Prepaid orders are obviously designs from scratch or ones that require more work and back-and-forth with clients.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/starstreamdesign http://www.zazzle.com/starstreambusiness http://www.zazzle.com/starstreamgifts http://www.zazzle.com/funshirtsandstuff http://www.zazzle.com/typographix http://www.zazzle.com/theskinshop

Want to know how we made this work? Check Out Wufoo.com

Zandiepants Zazzles

Your shop name *	Zandiepants Zazzles
Zazzle to me is a... *	Part time job I would like to make a full time job
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
There are a few things that have made a great difference for me. One of them is to put designs on a variety of products. When I started Zazzle I would mainly make greeting cards, not really thinking that those designs would fit on anything else. After reading the advice to be broader then one products (one of those 'duh why didn't I do that?!' moments) I simply tried if it would work on other products. I found that I wasn't always able to use the whole greeting card design, but I could definitly make elements of the cards work on buttons, magnets, mugs etc. I'm sure it helps that I work mostly in Adobe Illustrator so it's easy to only use a few elements of a design.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	Ever since I've discovered Adobe Illustrator a good portion of my free time has gone to making things in there. That has remained the same, with the difference that if my tries, doodles and experiments turn out well, I can actually use them on PODs. So in the end a lot of my free time still qualifies as working on PODs lol. Other then that I love arts and crafts, love making cards with paper and rubber stamps, I love how I can get lost in a craft project and time just flies by. Going to museums and watching movies are other favorites.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Illustrator Other raster software
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
As mentioned before Adobe Illustrator is by far my favorite software to use. I must admit that I hated it at first, but after a serious crash course it became my favorite. I'm not as good as I would like to be at drawing by hand, but taking my sketches into illustrator allows me to tweak the lines indefinitely until I'm either happy with it or think "that's good enough" (otherwise I'd spend days on one design, which does happen on occasion lol). I like taking my vectors (which come out of illustrator) to photoshop to give them some textures, something that is much easier to do in photoshop. A while ago I bought Flame Painter, a wonderful program that allows me to just zone out and come up with abstracts (although I'm in the process of learning to use it in different ways), I take those files to photoshop and make kaleidoscopes / circular designs out of them.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - sometimes free, sometimes fee required upfront
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	I haven't gotten many custom orders on POD sites yet. I do custom orders as a graphic designer and sending them directly to a printer, those require at least partial pay up front. For POD sites I do custom orders but I might price them higher if it's so specific that I can't sell them again. It greatly depends on the request.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/zandiepants http://www.zazzle.com/wavingflames http://www.zazzle.com/ToonFun http://www.zazzle.com/the_frame_shop http://www.zazzle.com/hello_you

Want to know how we made this work? Check Out Wufoo.com

Myshelle

Your shop name *	Myshelle
Zazzle to me is a... *	Part time job I would like to make a full time job
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
When I first started with Zazzle 2 years ago,I thought it was just a matter of slapping a photograph onto a design.My first was a magnificent rose in memory to my late mum.I did not understand about the correct sizing and I was to find out the hard way many months later,that this design was far too small and did not fit the product when a customer went in to customize,showing the yellow triangle warning. I had no option than to delete all these products. I have since learn to check sizing and to create products by design which I had not done in my first shop. The importance of good tagging and descriptions. To promote your shop as much as you can.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Inktastic
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	I spent my time working as a Carer in aged care and my hobby was beading,but a workplace injury,to both shoulders stopped me. Then I found Zazzle,I started with photography and am now teaching myself graphics. I spend a lot of time in Photoshop and Gimp,this is a big learning curve for me.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Gimp Inkscape
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
My favourite is Photoshop,I have a very old version 6, it has taken me a long time to try and learn the use of this programme, with help from my online friends and tutorials. I especially like video tutorials as I am more of a visual learner,there are many to be found on-line.I still have much to learn.,but thoroughly enjoy this. I also like Gimp as I can load some great brushes into it.I often use both for designs. I have only just recently downloaded Inkscape a free programme but am only still playing around with it. Without Zazzle and my friends there, I would never have even known about these programmes.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - but only for people I know personally
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	I still do not have enough confidence to make custom orders for the general public,but will for friends and family. I have made sets of business cards for my sister who is in childcare and since sold both designs on Zazzle. I have made a mug for my dad for Fathers Day and also one for my son-in-law for his birthday. Both these designs too have also sold for me on Zazzle.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/myshelle http://www.zazzle.com/MyshelleEclecticMix http://www.zazzle.com/LifeontheBeach http://www.zazzle.com/cases4cases http://www.zazzle.com/posterpizzaz

Want to know how we made this work? Check Out Wufoo.com

Flamin Cat Designs

Your shop name *	Flamin Cat Designs
Zazzle to me is a... *	Hobby that I wish would become a full time job
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
I have gotten advice from many shop keepers. I can't think of any one thing to cover it all so here are a few things: -Be sure your image fits your product properly. -Design something you love, but not too personal. It has to appeal to a wider amount of people. -Make most items customizable by the customer. Making personalized items is a very popular feature for customers at PODs. -Make your shop easy to navigate. -Promote your shops and products on social media sites and blogs. -If you are frustrated or having a bad day with designing or working with your shop, take a break. Come back the next day or a few hours later. Frustration halts creativity.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	I was working full time and took early retirement in May of 2011. I spent a lot of time online sharing my photos and making photo edited avatars for the different sites I had been using. I got a lot of complements on my avatars and other edited images that I shared. Once I retired, I decided to see if I could do something from home that would supplement my income. I had purchased items from Zazzle for Christmas gifts in the past, I never thought that I would someday be designing products for a shop on Zazzle.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Illustrator Other raster software
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I have a very old version of Illustrator that I hope to someday be able to replace. I can do some things on it but nothing like the new version. When I was working I learned how to use Photoshop but our company wouldn't pay for upgrades. I had an even older version on my computer at home. Being short on extra money I bought a program by Corel, Photo Impact Pro. This program has turned out to be quite powerful. Besides being able to do basic photo editing, there are plenty of advanced settings. You can even draw and create raster images with this program. There are lots of filters and effects that I can use on a photo or a raster image that I have created. I hope to upgrade to a new software in 2013. I just don't know which one I will pick yet.
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - but only for people I know personally
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	I have only created one custom item for a friend. It was a really cute clock with her cat's face on it. I did not request any prepay for this item. At this point I don't think I would require a customer to prepay, but maybe if I got a very complicated order I would. I have a shop that I am making items for a message board. I expect some custom orders to start coming from that shop soon.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/flamincatdesigns http://www.zazzle.com/flamingraphicdesign http://www.zazzle.com/friendsoffursbook

Susan's Zoo Crew

Your shop name *	Susan's Zoo Crew
Zazzle to me is a... *	Hobby that I wish would become a full time job
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *	Several great pieces of advice really. Most important is to keep adding! Regular updating of the shops seems to be a key in bringing traffic in. Another great piece of advice I received for my zazzle store was to be flexible in promotion. If a new great social networking comes up, give it a try! Have multiple types of promotion going and do not rely on just one thing. If you only blog and blogging is suddenly not the "in" thing, you'll be playing catch up. If you do a little blogging, a little tweeting, etc, you've covered all of your bases!
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress Inktastic
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	I grow bonsai trees (well, I try too!) as well as regular vegetable plants. I also play music, currently bass guitar , in a local band. I do photography and art (which tie in nicely to zazzle!). I also have a houseful of animals. None of this has changed from being online on POD's, although I do find myself looking around for a photograph that might sell as a design when I'm taking pictures :).
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Other photo-editing software
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I originally started using Photo Impact, which is a watered down version of Photoshop. I used it simply becaues I was familiar with it from my work place. No complaints except one........you can't buy it anywhere! I'm not sure why but I couldn't find it. Now I am learning how to use photoshop itself. Luckily a lot of the the controls were the same in PhotoImpact so I could start doing many of the things I was already doing without a huge learning curve. However, there is so much more that's doable in Photoshop and that's my biggest complaint-HUGE learning curve for the more advanced things!
Will you make custom orders? *	No
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	I've had many requests for alterattions on a design.......and a 90% rate of people not bothering to order anything later. I've even had someone ask me to send them the high resolution version of the business card I customized for them so they could "check around". If there was a guarantee of getting an order, I wouldn't mind. The few times I'll do them now is if its something I think would sell elsewhere.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/susanszoocrew http://www.zazzle.com/bonsaidesigns http://www.zazzle.com/musicianevents http://www.zazzle.com/pepperparadise http://www.zazzle.com/bassisforgirls http://www.zazzle.com/itsabeach

Digi Dz Designs

Your shop name *	Digi Dz Designs
Zazzle to me is a... *	Hobby that occasionally pays
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
Everything that Amy and all those who responded to my questions was advice that was "spot on" and enabled me to take a step back, revise and revamp my two shops so that they would make more sense to the shop visitor. The colors needed to pop, the categories needed rearranging, and the whole concept of how a shop should look (of which I was totally naive) needed a complete makeover. I was frustrated because I couldn't find answers in Zazzle but a team of savvy zazzlers made it all possible for me to take it step by step and work on improving the shops. I am very grateful to all those who participated in helping me to sort things out, because I had originally dived into the project without having a good grip on what to do, and consequently had put up 2 shops which left a lot to be desired.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Greeting Card Universe (GCU) Imagekind Redbubble Other
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *
I've never had much free time to begin with since my profession is teaching. I have been an adjunct online language instructor for many years since retiring from full time teaching, and in between correcting exercises and compositions I would gravitate to chilling out by turning to art for relaxation, and with the hope of creating something interesting. I have always enjoyed photography and subsequently used my photographs to transform them into new visual creations, often representational but other times totally abstract. The designs in my current shops are abstract creations based on original photographs transformed through special software.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Photoshop (any version) Other raster software Other vector software Other photo-editing software
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I use a combination of software to create my images and designs, through various pre and post processing steps. I enjoy the versatility and challenging aspects of Studio Artist, a very sophisticated program which is a digital paint program, an image processing and photo manipulation program, a video processing program, a paint animation program, a procedural art generation program. It is "an incredibly rich sand box for artistic creative exploration and discovery" with a high learning curve. I have worked with it for years but have only scratched the surface of its possibilities, and that is with working almost exclusively with the paint program. There is so much more to delve into, the possibilities are endless but so tempting and exciting! I am never bored (sometimes frustrated though) when using this software because I know that there is a new discovery lurking around the corner, sometimes revealing itself in a "happy acc ident".
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - prepaid only
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *	I have not had the opportunity to do a custom order yet as there have been no inquiries regarding this possibility. However, should it come to pass that there is interest in doing a particular design, I would certainly entertain the idea of accommodating a client to the best of my ability. I don't know whether it would be a prepaid order or not so cannot be more specific at this time.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/activepalette http://www.zazzle.com/digigraphics

HahpiStuff

Your shop name *	HahpiStuff
Zazzle to me is a... *	Full time job - with full time pay
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *	The best advice I ever got was when someone taught me how to make a background transparent so I didn't have that big ugly square around my images! I didn't go to school for art or anything, so my training is more than limited, so everything that I have learned how to do I have either learned from trial and error on my own, or from advice from fellow Zazzlers. I know it seems like a small piece of advice and something that just about everyone knows how to do, but to a girl who was as computer illiterate as I was back in 2006, it was like the holy grail of info!
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress MySoti Greeting Card Universe (GCU) Redbubble Wordans
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *	Honestly? Before I found Zazzle back in 2006, my free time was spent doodling in sketchbooks and notebooks, not making a dime off of any of it. Now...well, now I can't say that I have free time because every moment that I have is either drawing something that I know will be published and sold as a product, promoting myself, creating custom designs for clients, or promoting my fellow artists of The indiExhibit.
What programs do you use to make your designs *	Illustrator Gimp
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I use Gimp for 99% of my work 1) because it is what I know, 2) because I am too busy to take the time to learn Photoshop (or all of Illustrator for that matter!) and 3) well, it's FREE! You can't beat free, I don't care what anyone says :) I use Illustrator to clean up my edges, or to enlarge images, that is about it, not because I don't want to use it, but because I haven't had the time to learn how to use it. I know how to 'trace bitmap' and um, that's about it. If you have time to learn a program, I suggest that you learn with the best--Photoshop and Illustrator. I have heard that there are a lot of great tutorial videos on YouTube and I'm sure if you ask around, there are plenty of people willing to give you step by step instructions. Again, lol, if you have the time to learn. If you are stubborn like me, you will learn in time :)
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - sometimes free, sometimes fee required upfront
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *
I typically ask for at least 50% in advance for custom orders, although there have been times that I have just started them without an advance. I do suggest that you have a deposit just in case you take a horrible client who refuses to pay you after you have sent them their image. Also, WATERMARK EVERYTHING that you send to them before giving them the final image. Send everything, other than your final image, in low resolution. This *helps* keep someone from cheating you, but it doesn't always prevent it. There is always some cheap loser out there who will attempt to use watermarked material on stuff. Sad, but true. I go back and forth on custom orders. I enjoy doing them when a client is all happy about it and the fact that they wanted ME to do something special for them always makes one feel good. THEN you get one of those clients where nothing is ever good enough, their vision is something that will look horrid and even though you try to tell them that, they don't listen, and you are forced to chose between making the client happy and being paid, or having something you are not 110% happy with having YOUR name on it.
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/hahpistuff http://www.zazzle.com/shazjustice http://www.zazzle.com/gloomanddoom http://www.zazzle.com/ghouliescouts

Flagnation or Flags of Nations

Your shop name *	Flagnation or Flags of Nations
Zazzle to me is a... *	Full time job - with part time pay
What is the best advice you have received from a fellow shopkeeper about your shops or designs you would like to pass on to another shopkeeper? *
Good question. Best advice I have ever received came from someone who never sold anything in his life. It was my godson, and cousin, Patrick. Back in the old days when CafePress was the only game in town, and you could only place one design in a shop, he suggested that I create several shops for each design. He further advised that I place the size and location of the image differently in each shop. He told me that he likes his designs on the pocket area, but other people like them large, medium or small in the center. Some people like them on the back only. Others on the front only. His theory was that I would sell more items if people had more choices. So, I did as he suggested. He was right. Gotta love that kid! Well, he's no kid anymore, but he is one cool dude.
What PODs do u currently use or have shops on? *	Zazzle Cafepress Printfection Spreadshirt Skreened Inktastic Spoonflower
What did you do with your free time before zazzle or other POD's....and what do you do with it now? *
Before Zazzle and other PODs I spent my free time creating graphics for fun at www.ameriyank.com. Now, uh, what free time? In the past, I liked to read, sew, cook and embroider. I once won an award at the County Holiday Faire for my embroidered Christmas ornaments. I do like moves and some TV. Especially, science fiction. I am looking forward to seeing the "Avengers" in a few days. On TV, I love "Grimm" and "Eureka". Oh, and I am really hooked a show called "Missing", ex-CIA mommy looking for her son who has been kidnapped. Mama bear wants her cub back, and she can kick-rear! Cooking is lots of fun for me, when I can do what I want and not pay attention to the budget. I used to make lots of cakes and stuff, but now that I have diabetes, that's over. But I still enjoy making the things my Greek grandpa made, pilaf, and veggies and chicken. That's about all I have to say!
What programs do you use to make your designs *	PSP (any version)
Tell us more about what you like and do not like about each software you use, what makes it special. *
I use Paint Shop Pro 7. I have X3, but haven't quite figured out how to use it for everything I need. I love PSP 7. I know where everything is and exactly what it does. Trouble is, I run on Windows XP, which very shortly will not longer have support from Microsoft. It is my understanding that PSP 7 will not work in higher versions of Windows. Sooooooooo, I gotta figure this out. DARN. I guess the reason I like PSP 7 so much is that I have used it since 2001. I know where everything is. I know how to use it inside, outside and backwards. I can even use it forwards. It does everything I need it to do for my work. I am very happy with it. PSP X3 is not as easy to use for me. They added a lot of stuff I do not need and those things get in my way when I am trying to do anything. Plus, a lot of the basic things have changed and I can't figure out how to do them in the new program. Soooo, I have to find some tutorials and learn how to use them. And I am waaaay too busy for that. But I must before I get a new operating system. DOUBLE DARN!
Will you make custom orders? *	Yes - sometimes free, sometimes fee required upfront
Elaborate on your answer above regarding custom orders... *
The answer is actually "sometimes" but that was not a choice. I have repetitive stress issues. And bone spurs in my neck and a few other troubles. So, whether or not I can customize something depends on my health at the moment. But, if I am healthy at that particular moment, I will add any caption that is legal to any of my designs, size it however you like, whatever. As long as I am not violating anyone's trademarks or copyrights, no worries. Usually, I do not charge anything extra. That is because I will sell the design over and over in POD shops. Now, if you want something that only you will ever have, we are going to have to talk. Then it depends on how much time it will take me to create it for you. If all I have to do is add a few words to something, I probably won't charge you very much. If you want a brand-new image and a lot of stuff that will take me hours and hours and hours to do, you will have to cough up some more change. :)
List your shop URL's *	http://www.zazzle.com/flagnation http://www.zazzle.com/maryandjesus http://www.zazzle.com/thedemocratlady http://www.zazzle.com/awardgear http://www.zazzle.com/laughstuff