Earn a Little Extra Money

Face it, prices have sky-rocketed over the past few years. It's become a bit harder to make our dollars stretch especially for us seniors whose Social Security checks and retirement savings are minimal. For example, today while grocery shopping I took a look at a package of six boiled eggs. The price was nearly $4.00! It wasn't long ago that I could buy that same package of boiled eggs for under $3.00. On top of the rising prices of groceries, my auto insurance went up a whopping 60% from 2021 to now. After I panicked, I began to take action. Along with cutting down on my driving (I'm retired) I also cut out some grocery staples and treats then I began looking into ways to earn a few extra dollars.

First up, I opened a Zazzle account. Zazzle is a Print on Demand site that you can join as an associate/affiliate. You don't have to be an artist. Instead, you'll refer and sell other people's products to earn a commission of 15% which is a pretty nice commission. It's pretty simple to sign up and Zazzle is there to help. What benefits you, benefits them. How to Join the Associates Program – Zazzle Help Center.

Once I set up my account and was assigned an associate ID, I found popular products that I liked and began sharing links on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and my Google Blogger account. Most people I've noticed don't have a blog or a website but only use social media for their referral links. Within two months, I made my first sale. The next month I made two sales. That may not sound like much, but it takes a bit to rise from nothing and – honestly – every little bit helps. For the Referral Program, the minimum pay out is $50 by check or PayPal. Zazzle Royalty and Referral Percentages – Zazzle Help Center.

Along with the Referral Program, I signed up for Refer-A-Friend program (Zazzle Refer-a-Friend Program – Zazzle Help Center). For every qualified friend or family member, you'll receive $25 to spend at Zazzle. I'm thinking Christmas, birthday, and other holiday gifts for any reward I may receive. As well, your friend or family member will also receive a reward. That's it. Easy peasy.

 Best Selling Invitations in my Zazzle Store, Visages Gift Store

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to share with you some of my best-selling creations on Zazzle, a print on demand site like Vistaprint and CafePress. Invitations of all sorts are my best-selling products on Zazzle, and I love designing them for different occasions. Whether it's a birthday party, a wedding, a baby shower, or a graduation, I have something for everyone. Check out some of my favorites below and let me know what you think!

People love vintage pictures

Reunion Dinner Picture Invitation
by Visages

This is an actual 1950s picture of some of my family that I had no idea would be so popular. When I started Zazzle in 2011, I was creating anything and everything in order to earn money. I had no clue what would sell. At nearly 1,200 printed copies, this reunion invitation is the best-selling invitation in my store.

Cowboy Snowman Christmas Party Invitations and Christmas Cards

Cute Folk Art Cowboy Snowman Christmas
by Visages

Coming in at number two at just over 1,000 printed pieces are my Cowboy Snowman Christmas cards and invitations. I came up with the idea of a cowboy snowman while dating a Texan ten years ago. I've been creating them nearly every year since.

Bridal Shower Invitations

Green Victorian Flourish Filigree Bridal Shower
by Visages

Nobody can go wrong selling Bridal Shower invitations.

 A Dream Come True

 

This little girl was created in chalk pastel over watercolor wash on watercolor paper.

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share with you my journey as an artist. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming an artist. I loved drawing, painting, crafts, and anything that involved creativity. I spent hours and hours practicing my skills and learning from other artists. I never gave up on my dream, even when it seemed impossible.

After years of work, my dream came true. I started to get recognition for my art and people started to buy it. I was amazed and grateful that people appreciated my work and wanted to support me. Now I sell art all over the world. I have customers from different countries and cultures who enjoy my art. It's such a rewarding feeling to know that my art can touch someone's heart and make them happy.

Painting created in acrylic on canvas.

I'm so thankful for this opportunity and for all the people who helped me along the way. I hope to inspire other aspiring artists to follow their dreams and never give up. Art is a beautiful way to express yourself and connect with others. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more updates on my art!

Look for Truth and Don't Blindly Follow

April 15, 2013

An Open Letter to my Children

Many concerns for our country have surfaced over the past several years. This in turn fuels my concern for my children who will be directly affected, and are all ready being affected.

It's my intent to help fuel desire to find truth, even if it's not what you want to read or hear. It's my desire and hope that you be well informed with truth and nothing but the truth that I write this.

In my many years of experience with the internet – basically since its public inception – I have found I can find any truth I want to find. That is to say: Anything I believe to be the truth should I do a search on the internet the chances are I will find it. It's like a little prize that supports what I “know” versus my being wrong. Nobody likes being wrong and the more my being right is stoked the more likely I will be to pass on the information regardless of its correctness.

I have learned over the past years I have to take what I read on the internet with a grain of salt. I have learned not to take someone's word as fact; learned that despite one's well intentions that they may be misguided therefore incorrect. I have learned that to glean a more accurate truth I must change my search terms – sometimes to quite the opposite of whatever it is I want to know.

It is the same with TV news and printed newspapers. So called information is bandied about as accurate when in fact it is nothing more than iterations of special interest groups' talking heads – and worst – our government no matter if the government is conservative or liberal.

So this brings me to the word “trust”. In my youth I trusted the news media. I trusted they would give me all the information as well as factual information. It was the same with books I read. I absorbed the information without question. I felt well-informed about subjects of which I cared.

Let me give you one example that has stuck with me over the years. It was during Bill Clinton's presidency. I voted for him his first term in office. I believed him, was certain he would not lie because who would have the audacity to lie to millions of people with the chance of getting caught in telling a non-truth? I felt this about all of our important delegates despite Nixon's Watergate coverup.

I remember watching President Clinton's face close up on camera and saying without so much as a twitch, “I did not have sex with that woman.” Now – of course – we know differently but back then I believed him, and why wouldn't I? I didn't question but merely accepted because I trusted him.

That, my darlings, was the beginning my questioning information of concern or importance I obtain or am fed via any venue in regards to and such as social, civil, economic, environmental, and political.

We all know 1+1=2 but suddenly one day – for example – a renown university tells us that is incorrect. We have been wrong all along; that actually 1+1=3. This is an extremely simplified example but one I think illustrates what it is I'm working to convey to you. So here we are. A well known and respected university tells us we've been wrong for all these many years. As a human being, I have a choice. I can choose to believe or I can question the validity.

To not question, to not mull around the information, to not ponder to find questions, to not wonder what effect the information has on you, your family, friends, children, and all citizens as a whole (if it so affects them) is to toss away an opportunity to not only advance yourself but others around you, to perhaps make the world a bit better for (future) others who follow you, to leave behind a footprint of truth however big or small it is.

To not ask yourself: “How will this affect current and future generations? How does this benefit (or not) me, my family and friends, my town, country, city, state and all of the United States now and in the future?” To blindly follow and not ask yourself those questions is a commonality, a trait I hope to never, ever find in myself.

So, truth. It is easily hidden in agendas. Stalin, Marx, Hitler, Nixon and many more past, present and future have and will find a way to make their truth your truth. Ask yourself how it can be your truth when - really – all you're doing is trusting one of many other sources where perhaps the real answer lies. It is up to you and you alone to find the answer. Does 1+1=2 or =3?

Dream of Unique Gifts Ideas

During these trying times - economically speaking, that is - it's sometimes difficult to come up with gift ideas for - say - birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and holidays.

I like the word cheap but the apparent politically correct thing to say is inexpensive. Inexpensive gifts aren't necessarily lower quality these days. Stores where you find inexpensive items are pushing to get the more elite crowd into their buildings and to do so the items can not be substandard.

Still, to find a unique gift is not always easily achieved especially if the someone you're purchase for all ready has just about everything they'd ever want or need. This - of course - means dreaming up or using your imagination to either make or buy that unique gift you want to give.

Personalizing a gift is always a winner. You will never go wrong in buying or making something specific for the gift recipient with their name, nickname, a special date or a picture of some sort of something they are just ga-ga over. Here's a for instance: Three years ago, my mother wanted me to wood burn a picture she had of my dad sitting a horse with a deer in his lap. I scanned, traced then wood burned the image onto a plaque of soft wood from a local hobby store. For some it would be easy; for others not so much.

A walking stick made from a 1-inch-in-diameter sapling and allowing the kids to paint it with names, dates, pictures or whatever is a fun idea. So what if the receiver of the gift isn't into hiking? So what if the gift-receiver isn't into primitive or rustic decor? The point is to have fun and to give something personal.

Then there are gag gifts. Two years ago for my mother's birthday I gave her a partially used roll of toilet paper wrapped with a single sheet of paper around the middle. I had found and printed a really cute vintage image then added the words, "For the mom who has everything EXCEPT a partially used roll of toilet paper wrapped with a cute image." She got a kick out of it and still has it displayed in her spare bathroom for all to see.

During another event for Mother, I created cute snack sized candy wrappers, printed them and wrapped several snack sized chocolate bars; found a small vase, some Styrofoam, lollipop sticks and made her a candy bar bouquet. She absolutely went nuts over it; oooed and ahhhed like a small child.

Take a picture of something they love like tulips, have a 5x7 or 8x10 printed then frame it, or put it on a T shirt, mug, magnet, or a keepsake plate. You can even add family photos of grandchildren, bride and groom, or an early picture of the gift recipient. These days it isn't hard to add photos to T shirts, mugs, key chains or other items. All you have to do is head to Zazzle where you'll find loads of gifts to personalize with photographs and your own wording.

Red & Pink Tulips Pictures by Visages

More Tulips Keychains

Featured here is a key chain with a picture of tulips I took not far from where I live.

Or, if you have kids have them draw a picture then apply it to a magnet. Of course, if you'll need a scanner or a friend who has a scanner to turn the works of art into digital files.

Paint a T shirt... Here's a tutorial on how to paint a t shirt with acrylic craft paints. The paint DOES NOT wash out or stain other clothing in the washer. This is a perfect project for kids. And for the little kids who aren't quite ready to paint on their own, simply apply paint to their hands then press them on to the shirt to make hand prints for relatives or god parents.

Need other ideas? Just contact me and between the two of us we'll come up with something ideal for your gift recipient.

Have fun!

Dream to Make a Change

I don't know about you but I've had up to my eyeballs with all the economic crap going on these days. And I'm especially tired of the law breaking within corporations that takes advantage of the little folk; people of the congress using information not readily available to the general public to make themselves richer; unemployment topping out at 9 point something percent.

It's all just too much to wrap my brain around and I'm damn mad at every single one of the so-and-sos in my above list which led me to a dream to line them all up Three Stooges style then smacking them. Greedy, inconsiderate, lying thugs, every last one of 'em.

When Bank of America announced they were going to add a five dollar monthly fee to accounts using debit cards I came unglued and marched straight to my computer then wrote them a letter telling them if they did charge us for using our debit cards that I was changing banks. Period. Apparently many did change banks and many did write BOA voicing their strong opposition to the charge.

Hurray for us! We effectively dismantled BOA's plan to add more money to their bottom line.

My dream of physically smacking some people didn't come true but I was part of a band of people who - through disgust and action - made a change.

Aspire to make change whether it's a personal cause, correcting a multimillion dollar business or whatever. And don't sit on your hands whining that things suck and there's nothing you can do about it. Some times there is something you can do about it. It's just a matter of taking action.

There. That's my two cents worth.

Repurpose an Old Throw Pillow

What to do with an Old Throw Pillow


Who doesn't like sock monkeys? Am I right?

Here's the scenario: I was at the Goodwill Store looking for odds and ends to repurpose when I remembered I needed stuffing for the bird sculptures I was making. Rather than buying new packaged fiber stuffing, I buy used throw pillows and use the fiber fill from them. Way cheaper - and cost effective - if you sell your crafts. I headed toward the decorative pillow section, found what I needed then headed to the checkout counter.

Weeks later after I'd made my birds sculptures (patterns found on the web), I kept looking at the cover of the pillow that now lay limp and ripped open trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. Goodness knows that I would never trash an item perfectly good for something.

Colorful repurposed throw pillow case

Well, as you can see I finally decided what to do with the pillow case. This sock monkey is absolutely colorful with the orange, lime green, burgundy and blue. I finished him (or her) off with some old buttons I found in my great grandmother's old treadle sewing machine drawers.

Sock monkey patterns can be found anywhere on the web. Just search "sock monkey pattern" and you'll come up with a goo-gaw of patterns. Or if you're brave, come up with your own design like I did.

Visit my Squidoo lens:
TShirt History and How to Personalize

Finished sock monkey

Visages Introduces 9 New Products to Customize Presentatioin
or watch the video