Saturday, March 31, 2012

Art by MAR *************

Store Name
******proseller***** *
Art by MAR
How has zazzle changed your life? *
I love Zazzle! It has given me the opportunity to sell my artwork and designs as well as make a part time income. I love creating art and Zazzle provides a great outlet to share my work with others. By hard work and constantly learning I have been able to increase my earnings each year I have been here.
Zazzle is a... *
  • Part Time Job
What advice would you share with a friend or family member if they wanted to join zazzle? *
There are a number of things I have learned by trial and error over the years to improve my store. Here is a list of the most important.
1. First most create good designs whether it is art, photography or just words for all your products.
2. It is hard work! Except to put in at least a few hours every day.
3. Be patient! Success does not happen over night. Expect a year or more to start seeing income.
4. Manage your time between promoting your products and creating them. Both are important.
5. Read the forums. I have learned a great deal there from more experienced Zazzlers.
What other PODs do you use? *
  • Other POD
What do you do when you are not zazzling? *
My other main passion besides artwork is genealogy. I love both history and researching ancestors. My favorite places to spend a day off are cemeteries and libraries.
How many stores do you have on zazzle? *
2-4
Which do you prefer and why? 1 Mega Store or Several Niche Stores *
Right now my preference is one Mega Store. I started a second store awhile ago but have not worked much on it. I just find it easier to concentrate on one store. I think having a variety of subjects and styles helps bring in a wider customer base.
I usually work... *
  • On my laptop at a desk
A List of your stores *

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Digital Dreams *************

Store Name
******proseller***** *
Digital Dreams
How has zazzle changed your life? *
My creative and technical skills have developed significantly in the last 1.5 yrs since setting up shop.

I've learned so much more in using the software tools, such as Gimp, and its advanced features, and SEO techniques that are now starting to pay back the investment in time.
Zazzle is a... *
  • Part Time Job
  • Addiction
What advice would you share with a friend or family member if they wanted to join zazzle? *
Don't give up easily. It may take you months to make your first sale and initially you may be discouraged by a lack of traffic and sales.

This is not a get-rich-quick endeavour. Plan on a long term return on your investment in time and energy. Devote your time to

- creating content that you enjoy

-promoting your products (even if you don't feel
comfortable marketing other Zazzlers will promote for you, for their referral fee)

- Make products descriptive and add relevant tags that will help your customers find your products amongst the billions of others in the marketplace
What other PODs do you use? *
  • Zazzle
What do you do when you are not zazzling? *
Family, friends being the usual interests of a family man. In addition I have professional interests in computing, and in photography and travel ( and always mentally at work thinking of questions like 'I wonder what that would look like on a T Shirt?' )
How many stores do you have on zazzle? *
2-4
Which do you prefer and why? 1 Mega Store or Several Niche Stores *
At the moment I have a main store and a couple of smaller ones, including a private 'sandbox' store for development and testing. Perhaps with time I should branch off development of products in niche lines into their own stores, but that's a future plan.
I usually work... *
  • On my desktop at my desk
A List of your stores *

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Phyllis Dobbs

Store Name *
Phyllis Dobbs
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Scanned
  • Adobe Photoshop
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
Consistency is the keyword, working on it a little every day, to building my store. Also, cross promoting is vital to getting the word out about my products. I have so much art I want to place on Zazzle products and it just takes time.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
I love seeing my art come alive on all the products. Its wonderful to see how it all works out on the various products.
When working on zazzle you... *
enjoy listening to music
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
Creating art! I license my art and create a lot of fabric designs. I also design quilts and sewing projects and just finished a quilt book. I have lots of free patterns on my blog www.phyllisdobbs.info
What promotion do you use? *
  • Your own site(s)
  • Commenting on other peoples blogs
  • Twitter(s)
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Facebook Profile(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Business Cards
List your Shops *

Sunday, March 25, 2012

krystishollyhocks

Store Name *
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements
  • Gimp
  • Other
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
I have learned to be regular in posting new artwork: that when I frequently post new artwork, my chances of selling a few more products goes up along with my visibility on Zazzle.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Both - every product contains art, even if it is not in my taste I will offer it for sale, since that is what the customers want
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
Zazzle gives me a plausible excuse (making money) for making new designs and being creative.
When working on zazzle you... *
need complete silence to concentrate
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
I like to read books! I am a very fast reader, though, so they never last long enough.
What promotion do you use? *
  • Blogger Blog(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Other Social Networking Site(s)
  • Posting on other peoples squidoo(s)
  • Other Offline Promotion
List your Shops *

Friday, March 23, 2012

arwen_delyon

Store Name *
arwen_delyon
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Photographed
  • Other Raster (photoshop type program)
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
The most important thing I have learned since starting on Zazzle is how to make connections with other designers and illustrators, and bring my art and creativity to the world.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
I enjoy making aquaintances with likeminded (and unlikeminded:) people who enjoy sharing with the world and selling creative work.
When working on zazzle you... *
have the TV going in the background
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
My favorite thing to do when not Zazzling is to paint my art and to read about things which interest me and that I am passionate about.
What promotion do you use? *
  • Twitter(s)
  • Myspace(s)
  • Facebook Profile(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Business Cards
  • Other Profile(s)
  • Other Online Promotion
List your Shops *

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

DisillusionedDesigns

Store Name *
DisillusionedDesigns
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Adobe Illustrator
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
That there are a lot of better designers out there than me :) and my designs need to be the best they can be to stand out
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Both - every product contains art, even if it is not in my taste I will offer it for sale, since that is what the customers want
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
How easy it is to create products and get your artwork out into the world
When working on zazzle you... *
enjoy listening to music
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
Playing my bass guitar and writing progressive rock music :)
What promotion do you use? *
  • Zblog Blog(s)
  • Facebook Profile(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Business Cards
  • Other Offline Promotion
List your Shops *

Monday, March 19, 2012

Andrey&Tiffany Art Gift Store

Store Name *
Andrey&Tiffany Art Gift Store
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Scanned
  • Paint.net
  • Other
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
More work - more success. More study - more success. More communication - more success!
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
Superb support from managers. There are many opportunities for promotion and advertisement without additional investment money. Well-organized site. Excellent print quality and quality of products.
When working on zazzle you... *
have the TV going in the background
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
to study trends in fashion and design, travel, communicate with friends
What promotion do you use? *
  • Wordpress Blog(s)
  • Blogger Blog(s)
  • Posterous Blog(s)
  • Yahoo Blogs(s)
  • Zblog Blog(s)
  • Tumblr Blog(s)
  • Other Blog(s)
  • Twitter(s)
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Myspace(s)
  • Facebook Profile(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Squidoo(s)
  • Pinging
  • Facebook Ads
List your Shops *

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Viewpoints Photo

Store Name *
Viewpoints Photo
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
The most important thing I've learned is to create clear, complete descriptions of each product, so that my customers can "see" what it looks like through my words.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
I love putting my photography on products I can be proud of selling. So far, my clients love them! I also enjoy the support given by sellers with more experience who have so generously shared their wisdom.
When working on zazzle you... *
have the TV going in the background
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
I like to read, take pictures, walk on the beach and play with my cats.
What promotion do you use? *
  • Your own site(s)
  • Posting on other peoples squidoo(s)
  • Business Cards
  • Other Offline Promotion
List your Shops *

Thursday, March 15, 2012

DebinSC

Store Name *
DebinSC
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
I think it's that there is so much you don't have to "go it alone"; that you can learn from the Zazzle community on the various forums. It's also important to keep at it, even on days when inspiration is in short supply.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
That little thrill when someone purchases something I created from one of my photos. It's not just the "sale"; it's a satisfaction that comes from knowing someone else loves an image or the subject of the design as much as I do.
When I get a good shot, or create a design based on one of my photos, it makes me happy, but it's alot more fun if I can share it with someone. Being able to "Zazzle" allows that sharing, so I love getting comments on my work, even if I have no sales that day.
When working on zazzle you... *
have the TV going in the background
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
That's easy. If I'm not Zazzling, I'm either in the garden or out looking for beautiful things in nature to photograph. Gardening is a wonderfully fulfilling and satisfying thing, and being able to capture the results on "film" is a great bonus.
What promotion do you use? *
  • Wordpress Blog(s)
  • Twitter(s)
  • Google+
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Other Social Networking Site(s)
  • Squidoo(s)
  • Business Cards
List your Shops *

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Alina's Pencil: whimsical words and pictures *************

Store Name
******proseller***** *
Alina's Pencil: whimsical words and pictures
How has zazzle changed your life? *
I get to stay up all night and make designs, put them on products, and make some money doing what I love. Then I get to spend that money buying my own products to give as gifts...

Well, as long as I make more money than I spend, I guess I'm doing all right!

Actually, I love the challenge of creating designs to use for my students. Then I can sell those designs, and some end up being fairly popular.
Zazzle is a... *
  • Part Time Job
What advice would you share with a friend or family member if they wanted to join zazzle? *

You need to know that this is a long-term commitment, and if you hope to put up a few designs and make enough to quit your job and go on vacation, you are dreaming!

I taught a friend once--I spent a whole afternoon--how to put up products on Zazzle. I set up a storefront for her, even offered to make a custom banner. We even made one product for her to sell.

But she gave up as soon as she discovered you had to WORK at it. Like, there was actual effort involved! As in, what? This isn't magic, you sprinkle some magic dust and you make easy money? Hmph.

I recently made proseller at Zazzle, after a little more than a year of hard work and effort. I get a growing percentage of my annual income from my hard work.

To me, it's worth it. My friend is still bemoaning the current economic downturn and her lack of money. Enough said.

What other PODs do you use? *
  • Zazzle
What do you do when you are not zazzling? *

I cook and develop new vegetarian and vegan recipes. I had a delicious dinner party last week, and we made grilled pizza. One of my friends is now considering buying a grill, just so they can make that! You can read about the party and find recipes on my blog, Almost Vegan in Paradise.

I write and illustrate my books. I'm working on my upcoming vegan ice cream cookbook, The New Scoop: Recipes for Dairy Free, Vegan Ice Cream in Unusual Flavors (Plus Some Old Favorites.) That should be released in January 2012.

(So I'm also eating way too much ice cream. Right now my favorites are Mocha Almond Fudge and Bumpy Road (Peanut Butter Ice Cream with banana chunks, chopped peanuts, and a chocolate swirl.) Sigh)

Then I have a long list of children's books I am writing and illustrating, so there is no shortage of work ahead of me. Yeah, it's fun work, but work nevertheless.

In the summer I try to go snorkeling every week. I discovered a moray eel and blue fish that have hung out together for many years. In the beginning, the fish was tiny. This year it's enormous and could eat the eel if it wanted to, but it doesn't.

Yeah, I'm writing a children's picture book about that, too!

And I teach music to kids to earn most of my living right now. So I have to learn all these songs I've never heard of. My students write down the names for me, and I'm always like, "Train...is that the name of the song or the group?"

How many stores do you have on zazzle? *
1
Which do you prefer and why? 1 Mega Store or Several Niche Stores *

I have one store now, although I've thought many times about starting smaller niche stores.

The problem is that I have many designs that would fit into several categories. My Scared Pig Barbecue Invitations, for example, can fit into a summer category, food, animals, or invitations.

So I kind of cannot figure out what to do about that. Right now everything's at one store, and I hope my customers are able to find what they are looking for without too much trouble.

(Contact me if you need help--use the "send message" on the left sidebar in my store, about halfway down the page.)

I usually work... *
  • On my desktop at my desk
A List of your stores *

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Forty, Fluffy, & Fabulous

Store Name *
Forty, Fluffy, & Fabulous
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Other
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
That we will need to become more adept at using the programs we have so that we can really promote our ideas in a better way.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Business Person - everyproduct is an item to be sold
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
We love to see our ideas on the shirts, cups, and other products. We love being able to change the fonts. We have a lot of ideas and we love being able to play with them and make changes. The possibilities are so great.
When working on zazzle you... *
have the TV going in the background
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
Training dogs, blog, playing games, raising family, reading, crafting
What promotion do you use? *
  • Your own site(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
List your Shops *

Friday, March 9, 2012

Inspirationz Store

Store Name *
Inspirationz Store
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Inkscape
  • Paint.net
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
I think the most important thing I've learned is how important it is to market your products, otherwise even if your work is really beautiful, it's not going to be seen. Even if you are first and foremost an artist, it seems that if you want to do well on zazzle, you've got to put a business and marketing hat on too.

On the subject of marketing, I also learned not to use wordpress.com to blog about your creations because they see it as spam and remove your blog without warning! I'm currently exploring other means of marketing. The zazzle forums are a great help. :)
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Both - every product contains art, even if it is not in my taste I will offer it for sale, since that is what the customers want
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
I love seeing other creative designs by so many talented artists. I find it truly inspiring and it really gets my creative cogs working too!
When working on zazzle you... *
enjoy listening to music
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
I have a blog which I run that satisfies the other sides of my personality other than the art-loving one :)
What promotion do you use? *
  • Posting on other peoples squidoo(s)
List your Shops *

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Pogfrond

Store Name *
Pogfrond
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Scanned
  • Other Raster (photoshop type program)
  • Other Vector (illustrator type program)
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
Learning to tag and write detailed descriptions so people can find the design and product. It is also important to promote as much as possible.
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
Having someone like my design enough to want to buy it on a product. I like seeing how my designs look on the various products.
When working on zazzle you... *
enjoy listening to music
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
Getting together with family to talk and play games. Listening to records on my turntable stereo system (though I do this when working on some art for Zazzle too).
What promotion do you use? *
  • Squidoo(s)
  • Posting on other peoples squidoo(s)
  • Business Cards
  • Theme Specific Forum(s)
  • Tshirt/POD Specific Forum(s)
List your Shops *

Monday, March 5, 2012

Dragonfly Designs *************

Store Name
******proseller***** *
Dragonfly Designs
How has zazzle changed your life? *
Zazzle gives me an opportunity to sell my photography and get it seen. It's a huge thrill to see my artwork purchases all over the world! It also enables to make a bit of money on the side to help pay for Christmas and birthday presents. I love being able to use my creativity and make a bit of money off of it. Plus my husband used to comment on the expense of my camera and lenses. However now since I am putting it to use other than just filling more photo albums he hasn't said a word!
Zazzle is a... *
  • Addiction
What advice would you share with a friend or family member if they wanted to join zazzle? *
Be careful! Zazzle is so easy and fun it's easy to get hooked! There's a lot of freedom in it so there's really something for everyone.
What other PODs do you use? *
  • Zazzle
What do you do when you are not zazzling? *
I'm usually running all over creation with my 3 boys! And there is always lots of picture taking involved.
How many stores do you have on zazzle? *
2-4
Which do you prefer and why? 1 Mega Store or Several Niche Stores *
Several niche stores. As someone who also shops on Zazzle I think it's easier to find exactly what I'm looking for that way. It's more work but I think the customer experience is more positive that way.
I usually work... *
  • On my desktop at my desk
A List of your stores *

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Art by MAR

Store Name *
Art by MAR
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Scanned
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Photographed
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
Be patient and create something new on a regular basis. Success does not happen overnight so do not get discouraged. I have seen an increase in sales since I started adding a new design each day (or almost every day).
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Both - every product contains art, even if it is not in my taste I will offer it for sale, since that is what the customers want
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
Creating. Foremost I am an Artist so I really enjoy the process of creating the artwork then designing and tweaking for each product.
When working on zazzle you... *
need complete silence to concentrate
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
My other passion besides my artwork is genealogy. I have been researching my family history for many, many years and I still find something new all the time. I have a love for history also so they go hand in hand. My favorite places to spend free time are cemeteries and libraries.
What promotion do you use? *
  • Blogger Blog(s)
  • Zblog Blog(s)
  • Other Blog(s)
  • Twitter(s)
  • Squidoo(s)
  • Posting on other peoples squidoo(s)
List your Shops *

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Diane Clancy's Art

Store Name *
Diane Clancy's Art
How do you create/edit the designs you place for sale on zazzle? *
  • Digital Camera
  • Film Camera & Scanned
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Scanned
  • Hand drawn/painted/created & Photographed
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Other Vector (illustrator type program)
  • Other 3d Program
  • Other
What is the most important thing you have learned since starting on zazzle? *
It is great fun to see paintings that I love and others love on merchandise at Zazzle! I am incredibly appreciative of the artist community here at Zazzle – many different artists have helped me, even though we are indirectly competitors. Perhaps the most important thing I am learning is that I cannot begin to do all that I want at Zazzle. Even though the set-up of things is fairly easy on a basic level, there are lots of things I need to do to improve my marketing of items. It is fairly endless – and this is only the marketing part – not the creating!
Do you consider yourself an Artist selling art, or a Business person selling products which happen to be art? *
Artist - every product is a perfect piece of art i have carefully selected and set to match how I feel they should be displayed
What do you enjoy most about zazzle? *
I love feasting my eyes on all the art that is at Zazzle! Looking at others’ art gives my heart and soul joy. I help my partner a lot with her photography shop and her images make me smile inside. When I see my own art on merchandise, I feel very happy and satisfied. There are several shops (including mine) that just make me feel good and that is my favorite thing about Zazzle!
When working on zazzle you... *
need complete silence to concentrate
What is your favorite thing to do when not Zazzling? *
Creating art is one of my favorite things to do! (Marketing it may come next) I network a lot with other artists about how to create and how to market. But if I have to choose, making art is my favorite thing. I am striving to get caught up on clients’ work and marketing enough to get back in the studio with traditional art mediums.
What promotion do you use? *
  • Your own site(s)
  • Wordpress Blog(s)
  • Blogger Blog(s)
  • Posterous Blog(s)
  • Other Blog(s)
  • Commenting on other peoples blogs
  • Twitter(s)
  • Plurk
  • Digg
  • Myspace(s)
  • Facebook Profile(s)
  • Facebook Page(s)
  • Other Social Networking Site(s)
  • Email List(s)
  • Squidoo(s)
  • Posting on other peoples squidoo(s)
  • Business Cards
  • Pinging
  • Other Profile(s)
  • Tshirt/POD Specific Forum(s)
  • Other Online Promotion
  • Other Offline Promotion
List your Shops *