Best of Zazzle – Quotes Edition #5

As I seem to be needing some extra motivation this morning, I decided to share some of the more inspiring possibilities of Zazzle design with you. Uplifting stickers, keychains, and postcards are an inexpensive way to remind yourself, and the people you love, that going for your goals and dreams is possible. Enjoy!

Simply click on the link below each item, for checkout and more information on the individual piece.

GREAT QUOTE from the Buddha by spiritcircle

The EARTH without ART is just EH! Quote by countrymousestudio

Predict The Future – Motivational Quote by AlwaysDesire

Vintage Emerson Inspirational Leadership Quote by Coolvintagequotes

Be the Person your dog thinks you are Quote by Ebony_and_Ivory

Inspirational Quote: Soul Happy by QuoteLife

Life begins Inspirational Quote Typography Print by quoteprints

As always, thank you for supporting independent artists!

Claudia

Disclaimer: The above post contained affiliate links to Zazzle, at no cost to you – see Disclosure page for details

Wordless Wednesday: Black And White Flowers

Black And White Flowers by Claudia H. Blanton available on RedBubble here

This post is a part of the following blog hops:
Black And White Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday’s Around The World

xmasdolly’s Wordless Wednesday

 

10 Minute Mugs

The following post is a guest post by Elizabeth, the Author, and Creator of the 10-Minute Mugs course.

Raise your hand if you like coffee? How about tea? Hot chocolate? Me, I’m a hot chocolate girl. In contrast, my husband can down a pot of coffee and 9:00 at night and go to bed shortly after. If you took a poll of your city, your state, or even your country, odds are good that a vast majority of the people would report that they drink some kind of beverage from a mug.

Not only am I a hot chocolate fan, I’m also obsessed with crafts. These two interests led me to one of my favorite kinds of projects: mug-making. It started with dotted Sharpie mugs. I made a mug for my sister-in-law and she loved it.

 

It turns out other people like mug crafts, too. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a consensus for how to make Sharpie mugs and thus was born The Ultimate Guide to Sharpie Mugs, a guide for others who wanted to create these mugs but didn’t know how.

 

And then came Marbled Nail Polish Mugs and How to Transfer a Design to Mugs. It was mug madness!

 

Out of this mug madness was born 10-Minute Mugs, an eBook devoted to quick and easy mugs that you can make yourself. I know, you’ve got to be thinking, “Can there even be any more ways to make mugs?”. Why yes, yes there can be. 10-Minute Mugs includes tutorials, tips, tricks, and designs to help you create beautiful mugs in a flash. While some of the mugs have been featured on my blog, there are three mugs that are exclusive to the eBook (and honestly, out of all the mugs I have made, I think these  are my favorites.)

Glitter Mugs

Metallic Spray Painted Mugs

 

 

And if you’re not a designer or don’t have perfect penmanship? Never fear! 10-Minute Mugs has 18 downloadable patterns for your next DIY mug.

 

If you want to become a mug-making master, make sure to check out 10-Minute Mugs.

About The Author:

Elizabeth is the author of Destination Decoration, a crafting blog devoted to providing tutorials that make crafting accessible to all. Destination Decoration is a home to all things crafty, from woodworking to watercolor, from canvas art to Dollar Store crafts. Elizabeth is also a self-taught calligrapher and an eager and willing learner of all things hand-lettering.

Apart from crafting, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband and cats (though admittedly, she’s more of a dog person). She is an avid reader and to be honest, drinks more soda than she probably (definitely) should.

Colors, Shapes And Design – A Weekend Coffee Share Post

Vintage French Perfume Label Mug

Glad you came over for a cup of coffee. Sorry, that I did not have time to bake, but I brought my favorite cookies to share. They have chocolate in the middle. I hope you like them.

How was your week? Mine was busy, filled with working on designs, emerging myself in the colors and shapes that hopefully create something people will enjoy. I enjoy them. I don’t think I could try to sell something, I would not believe in or would not want to hang in my own home.

“Colorful Silhouette”

I love being an artist. Do you love what you do? I hope you do. Despite the fact that I work 15 hour days on average, it does not feel like I am working. It does not matter, if I am writing, or if I am creating visual art pieces to sell, it does not seem like work, simply because  I love it. I hope you are lucky enough to have a job like that. I surely wish that for you.

Colors and shapes are fun. Even though I have been mostly working with roses and other flowers over the last few days, sometimes I stray from it and work with other shapes. Like the above silhouette. A classic shape, that feels so “French” to me. Speaking of “French”, do you  speak it? I have tried and failed. Besides the fact that English is my second language (German is my first), I read Dutch, speak a few words of Turkish and Arabic, and can understand basic Italian, I have never been able to get my head around French. Not because I have not tried. I have, really.

“Old-Fashioned Key”

As a kid, I traveled a lot (including to France). I wish I still had some pictures of my travels with my parents in Europe, but that box (amongst a few other things), was stolen when we had our stuff in storage a few years ago. But I got my memories, and stories. And I hold the colors I saw dear to my heart, hoping to bring some of them into the designs I create. Have you traveled much? Where are your favorite places to travel to? (Mine is Bardolino, Lake Garda, Italy, and Verona – also in Italy).

I am sorry that I don’t have much time today. I still have to run to the store, get some fresh veggies for dinner. Maybe the next time you can come over, you can stay for dinner, just let me know what you like. As long as it is not meat. It will be a vegan dinner, sorry. For stuff with meat, you would have to talk to my husband.

Thanks for stopping by!

See you next week!

Claudia

Best of Zazzle – Pillow Edition # 2

I love how easy it is to add accent colors to our home, by simply adding some pillows. It is an inexpensive way to freshen up your living room or bedroom and add an extra creative touch. Here are my current favorites available at Zazzle.

Moroccan Quatrefoil Pattern

Purple Pattern Pillow

Heart Fretwork Scroll Pattern Pillow

Yellow and Gray Floral Pattern

Whimsical Retro Flamingo Pattern

Persian Carpet Pattern Pillow

As always, thank you for supporting independent artists.

Have a wonderful day!

Claudia

Best Of Zazzle – Floral Edition # 1

I love designs that feature nature in its full beauty. Floral designs are a great way to add some color into our sometimes quite gray lives. They can instantly brighten up a space and lighten the mood. Here are some examples of my favorite floral designs currently available on Zazzle.

(For more information on the individual product, click on the individual image)

As always, thank you for supporting independent artists, with your purchase. Not only are you receiving one of a kind art pieces, but with your support you are allowing independent artists to grow and flourish.

Thank you

Claudia

Best of Zazzle – Throw Pillow Edition # 1

A Dash Of Color – Our Very Own Pillow Collection

Over the last few weeks, we have been enjoying the creation of our own designs just as much as the promoting and assisting of other Print On Demand Artist. Today, I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight my favorite pillow designs we created exclusively for Avalon Media.

“Victorian Frame” Pillow / Avalon Media by Avalon_Media

Vintage Flowers – Pillows by Avalon Media by Avalon_Media

“The Center Of My Attention” Throw Pillow by Avalon_Media
Look at Zazzle Pillows

“Sadness” Dark And Light Pillow by Avalon_Media

I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed designing them for you!

And as always, please support independent artists! Thank you!

5 Quick Tips For New Print On Demand Artists

Getting started on Print on Demand sites, like RedBubble or Zazzle, can be overwhelming. To ensure a smooth start, I have compiled five quick tips that can assist you on your journey of selling your art online via these platforms.

1. Use strategic listing titles
A Day in the sun might sound poetic, but does not describe your art very well – instead go for something like “A Watercolor rendition of a family relaxing in a park”. Does not sound that good, but it gets the point across.

2. Use the hashtags.
Make them relevant, but make them thorough – the more, the better. In Zazzle use your most descriptive to the point tags first – the first ten are considered your power tags.

3. Make sure your designs fit properly.
Zazzle has a great little tool, that allows you to see if your design is big enough to fit properly – this is especially important with items such as pillows. In RedBubble, you can adjust the design in the individual product category. Use it. What might look good on a pillow, might not look that good at the same size a cell phone cover.

4. Write clear, and informative products descriptions that include keywords.
Be precise, to the point, but try to convey the product in a way that someone who can  not see a picture of it, would understand the basic idea of what it is about. Include the customizable options, and size options (if applicable) in your description as well. For example “Customizable to fit a variety of cell phone covers for you newest phone, to include the iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6, and more”

5. Tell your story!
Make sure you have a compelling profile, that includes a little personal information and how you came to be an artist. Talk about your passions. The more you care about your art, and voice that, the more your customers will care about it too. Make it personal.

Wishing you the best success on your journey as a print on demand artist!

Featuring “Purple Cup” Duvet Covers – Our Newest Addition To Our Redbubble Shop

“Purple Cup” Duvet Covers Twin-Size

 

If you enjoy coffee as much as I do (and I am a certified coffee addict), I have the perfect home decor for you. Our “Purple Cup” duvet covers are a fresh, timeless design, that adds just the right splash of color to your home. Available in three sizes, these covers also make a great housewarming gift.

They feature:

• Brushed polyester printed topside
• Soft cotton/polyester off-white underside
• Concealed zipper and ties for securing your duvet inside
• Machine washable on a cold water gentle cycle. Use a mild detergent, but stay away from the bleach.

Sizes available

• Twin: 68″ x 88″  only US $ 97.87
• Queen: 88″ x 88″ only US $ 115.30
• King: 104″ x 88″ only US $ 143.86

Thank you for shopping with us!

Your Avalon Media Team