A couple of years ago, before I had the bright idea to open Customizables, I discovered Etsy and gave it a shot with less than spectacular results. I eventually decided it would be best if I focused on getting my Zazzle shops off the ground first, then I would be free to give Etsy another try while Zazzle was earning me money in the background. Well, as my avid readers (all five of you) already know, I've been making a living on Zazzle for a while now, and I finally decided to give Etsy another go. I enter this endeavor with no intentions of making my fortune as I had before, but rather as a fun way to occupy myself. If I can play with sculpey and earn enough money from the results to pay for my materials, I consider that a success. I'm not in a position where I have to depend on this as a lucrative source of income--Zazzle is doing a fine job of covering me there, thanks--so I can afford to just have fun with Etsy, as I'd hoped I'd be able to do someday when I put it on the back burner in 2008.
So far I've had two sales, and they have not earned me enough to pay for my materials yet, but I have been having so much fun making my items and finding neat ways to display them that the financial loss doesn't have much of a sting. I've made sushi beads, a hippo figurine, a cricket pendant, and a slew of other items. On my desk now are the makings of an Autumn Harvest bead set, and with any luck I'll have them done and posted before Friday. The rain in the forecast, however, will make it difficult to give them the glossy coat I prefer for finishing my items. I could always just spray them indoors, but I'm not a big fan of running into walls because I've gotten high from art fumes.
To my readers, few though you may be, I present this offer. If you have someone on your gift list this year who is difficult to shop for, you may want to consider enlisting my services. As you can see from my Etsy store, I am capable of a wide variety of beads, charms, pendants, and figurines, and I do so at affordable prices. In addition, I can assemble the beads into jewelry, keyrings, and so on if desired. I also, of course, have my various Zazzle stores, and would be more than happy to design custom coffee mugs, t-shirts, three-ring binders, etc. if that's what you need this holiday season.
That's all this time around. Until next time!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
No, Zazzle is Not a Scam
It doesn't come up very often, but when it does, I am always left scratching my head a little bit. Someone will come into the forums either asking if Zazzle is a scam, or insisting that it is. Just today, a gentleman (I use the term loosely) was looking for a "financial backer" to help him sue Zazzle and Google. Mind you, the Zazzle forums aren't really the best place to find support for something like that, seeing as how they're populated by avid Zazzle shopkeepers, many of which make their living there. All the same, we checked out his complaints, and what did we find? This "gentleman" believed Zazzle and Google were stealing his images and selling them without his permission, because 1.) when customers clicked his links in google they were taken to a simple list of products on Zazzle instead of his storefront and 2.) when he visited one of the international domains like the Canadian or Australian versions of Zazzle, his products were different prices.
OK, number 2 is obvious, or at least it should be. Different countries have different currencies and different exchange rates, so yeah, the same product is going to show up as a different price in another nation's currency. As for number 1...well... This fella should have made a trip to the New To Zazzle forum and asked for help on this one, rather than embarrassing himself to such a degree. The fool has his shop set to "Private", so, yeah, customers aren't going to see his storefront! Instead, they're taken to a list of his products in the Zazzle marketplace. He can still make sales (Though, I can't imagine anyone shelling out over $1,000 for a pair of his shoes like he wants), but customers won't see his storefront.
If anyone has doubts about Zazzle or thinks it might be a scam, let me set the records straight. I've been on Zazzle since 2005. I've watched them go through many changes in that time, and they just keep getting better. They are by far the most versatile, easy to use, trustworthy, and profitable POD (Print on Demand service) I have ever used, and their customer service has been above and beyond expectations every time I've had an issue with an order.
It's because of Zazzle that I am able to make a living doing what I love. It's because of Zazzle that I've been able to leave the abusive employment situations I was in and focus on taking care of my health and my home. Zazzle lets me decide what my work is worth, and when I make sales, that's exactly what I get. Zazzle takes care of its designers and shopkeepers, and they treat their customers right.
There are plenty of real scams out in the world today (I know, I get about a dozen of them a day in my inbox), but Zazzle is not one of them. If you're an artist, photographer, or designer looking to get your work out into the world, there's really no better way to go than a site that asks nothing of you but your time and talent.
OK, number 2 is obvious, or at least it should be. Different countries have different currencies and different exchange rates, so yeah, the same product is going to show up as a different price in another nation's currency. As for number 1...well... This fella should have made a trip to the New To Zazzle forum and asked for help on this one, rather than embarrassing himself to such a degree. The fool has his shop set to "Private", so, yeah, customers aren't going to see his storefront! Instead, they're taken to a list of his products in the Zazzle marketplace. He can still make sales (Though, I can't imagine anyone shelling out over $1,000 for a pair of his shoes like he wants), but customers won't see his storefront.
If anyone has doubts about Zazzle or thinks it might be a scam, let me set the records straight. I've been on Zazzle since 2005. I've watched them go through many changes in that time, and they just keep getting better. They are by far the most versatile, easy to use, trustworthy, and profitable POD (Print on Demand service) I have ever used, and their customer service has been above and beyond expectations every time I've had an issue with an order.
It's because of Zazzle that I am able to make a living doing what I love. It's because of Zazzle that I've been able to leave the abusive employment situations I was in and focus on taking care of my health and my home. Zazzle lets me decide what my work is worth, and when I make sales, that's exactly what I get. Zazzle takes care of its designers and shopkeepers, and they treat their customers right.
There are plenty of real scams out in the world today (I know, I get about a dozen of them a day in my inbox), but Zazzle is not one of them. If you're an artist, photographer, or designer looking to get your work out into the world, there's really no better way to go than a site that asks nothing of you but your time and talent.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
An Unintentional Inspiration
Back in November, I informed my fellows on the Zazzle forums that I was finally able to quit my day job and become a full time "Zazzler". I received many wonderful responses, including a shoutout from the Zazzle staff themselves in the Zazzle blog. After a while, folks stopped posting on the thread and it slipped into the oblivion of inactivity, as all threads do in time.
Then one day a short while ago, I checked the forums and found that someone had dug up my old "I am now a full-time Zazzler!" thread and responded to it, commenting that they wished for my success as well. I thought, "isn't that odd that someone would resurrect such a long-dead thread?" thinking for sure it would quickly slip back into the abyss of hundreds of pages of inactive threads.
But that's not what happened. More and more people responded to the thread, commenting on how inspiring it was to know that you CAN make a living on Zazzle, telling me that I'd motivated them, inspired them to give their shops a renewed effort. Before I knew what was happening, Zazzle stickied the thread at the top of the forum, ensuring that it would never again slip away into nothingness...
It may seem like I'm being overly poetic about this whole thing, but there is something you have to understand about the world I come from. I live in a part of the country where people don't buy art. If it weren't for a site like Zazzle, I never would have been able to make a living doing what I love. With the internet, it's now possible for just about anyone, with just about any hobbies or passions to make a living doing what makes them happiest, and for years, I've been encouraging the people around me to explore those possibilities. I've encouraged coworkers at Wal-Mart to sell their crafts through etsy, I've coaxed friends into taking up blogging to discuss their passions, and I've been toiling with my dad to make his dream of a profitable produce stand a reality. Why? Because I believe that people shouldn't have to feel like they're stuck doing something they hate just so they can pay the bills. I believe that within every coherent human being there is the ability to step off the beaten path and forge your own way. Whatever it is you love, whether it's art, writing, gardening, cooking, or whatever else, if you have the imagination, you have a way to do great things with your passion.
So when I log onto the Zazzle forums and I see people telling me that I'm an inspiration, it makes me rather warm and fuzzy inside. I'm still rather baffled that of all the successful Zazzle designers and shopkeepers out there, I'm the one inspiring people. I'm hardly the most organized person. I don't have the greatest designs out there, and I'm certainly not as successful as many Zazzlers I could name, but maybe that's part of it? If a 20-something from the sticks that barely graduated high school can be a successful shopkeeper and designer, then surely, anyone can be, right? That's what I believe, anyway.
So for those of you out there that still have doubts, know this--if you have the desire and if you have the imagination, there is nothing stopping you from making a living doing what YOU love. I'm rootin' for you!
Then one day a short while ago, I checked the forums and found that someone had dug up my old "I am now a full-time Zazzler!" thread and responded to it, commenting that they wished for my success as well. I thought, "isn't that odd that someone would resurrect such a long-dead thread?" thinking for sure it would quickly slip back into the abyss of hundreds of pages of inactive threads.
But that's not what happened. More and more people responded to the thread, commenting on how inspiring it was to know that you CAN make a living on Zazzle, telling me that I'd motivated them, inspired them to give their shops a renewed effort. Before I knew what was happening, Zazzle stickied the thread at the top of the forum, ensuring that it would never again slip away into nothingness...
It may seem like I'm being overly poetic about this whole thing, but there is something you have to understand about the world I come from. I live in a part of the country where people don't buy art. If it weren't for a site like Zazzle, I never would have been able to make a living doing what I love. With the internet, it's now possible for just about anyone, with just about any hobbies or passions to make a living doing what makes them happiest, and for years, I've been encouraging the people around me to explore those possibilities. I've encouraged coworkers at Wal-Mart to sell their crafts through etsy, I've coaxed friends into taking up blogging to discuss their passions, and I've been toiling with my dad to make his dream of a profitable produce stand a reality. Why? Because I believe that people shouldn't have to feel like they're stuck doing something they hate just so they can pay the bills. I believe that within every coherent human being there is the ability to step off the beaten path and forge your own way. Whatever it is you love, whether it's art, writing, gardening, cooking, or whatever else, if you have the imagination, you have a way to do great things with your passion.
So when I log onto the Zazzle forums and I see people telling me that I'm an inspiration, it makes me rather warm and fuzzy inside. I'm still rather baffled that of all the successful Zazzle designers and shopkeepers out there, I'm the one inspiring people. I'm hardly the most organized person. I don't have the greatest designs out there, and I'm certainly not as successful as many Zazzlers I could name, but maybe that's part of it? If a 20-something from the sticks that barely graduated high school can be a successful shopkeeper and designer, then surely, anyone can be, right? That's what I believe, anyway.
So for those of you out there that still have doubts, know this--if you have the desire and if you have the imagination, there is nothing stopping you from making a living doing what YOU love. I'm rootin' for you!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
It's to be expected
I knew this was coming, but it's still frustrating as hell to have to deal with it. March is proving to be a slow month...a very, very slow month. At this rate, I may have to take on some odd jobs to make up the difference :P
Don't have much to say. Just frustrated and grumbly. Putting in a lot of work in Customizables and Shopping for Baby and not seeing a lot of returns right now.
Don't have much to say. Just frustrated and grumbly. Putting in a lot of work in Customizables and Shopping for Baby and not seeing a lot of returns right now.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Be Aware: Phishing Scams
Lately, I've been receiving a lot of lovely little scam e-mails in my inbox, pretending to be everyone from a Nigerian prince to a foreign lottery to Paypal.
Most of us are able to identify obvious scams. When someone claims they can give you something for nothing, it's usually a red flag. When a person claims to represent a lottery you never entered or a country you've never been to and wants you to pay them to receive a huge sum of money in return, you are wise to send that e-mail straight to the recycle bin.
But sometimes, it's not as obvious. If you get an e-mail asking for personal information like your credit card number and social security number, take the time to figure out where your e-mail really came from. It may look like a legitimate Paypal e-mail, but Paypal wouldn't ask you for that information through an e-mail. Trickier phishing scams will ask you to click a link in order to verify your Paypal account. When you do, you're taken to a website that looks exactly like paypal, asking you to log in, but if you check the location bar you will find the address doesn't match up. If you don't pay attention and just plug in your login information thinking you're logging in to paypal, you've just handed over access to your finances to whoever REALLY sent the e-mail.
In the fake Paypal e-mail I received today, I was asked to include the following information to verify my account:
My e-mail address
My Paypal password
My full name
My bank's name
My card type, number, expiration date AND verification number
My street, city, state, country, and zipcode
My mother's maiden name
My phone number
My social security number
AND my date of birth.
Needless to say, if I'd fallen for this phishing scam, I would have handed over not only access to my finances, but my entire identity. Be aware! If an e-mail is asking you to verify your account with a company or is asking you for personal information, be extremely careful. Odds are the e-mail is bogus and you are in danger of handing over precious information to some very unscrupulous individuals.
Until next time.
Lydia
Most of us are able to identify obvious scams. When someone claims they can give you something for nothing, it's usually a red flag. When a person claims to represent a lottery you never entered or a country you've never been to and wants you to pay them to receive a huge sum of money in return, you are wise to send that e-mail straight to the recycle bin.
But sometimes, it's not as obvious. If you get an e-mail asking for personal information like your credit card number and social security number, take the time to figure out where your e-mail really came from. It may look like a legitimate Paypal e-mail, but Paypal wouldn't ask you for that information through an e-mail. Trickier phishing scams will ask you to click a link in order to verify your Paypal account. When you do, you're taken to a website that looks exactly like paypal, asking you to log in, but if you check the location bar you will find the address doesn't match up. If you don't pay attention and just plug in your login information thinking you're logging in to paypal, you've just handed over access to your finances to whoever REALLY sent the e-mail.
In the fake Paypal e-mail I received today, I was asked to include the following information to verify my account:
My e-mail address
My Paypal password
My full name
My bank's name
My card type, number, expiration date AND verification number
My street, city, state, country, and zipcode
My mother's maiden name
My phone number
My social security number
AND my date of birth.
Needless to say, if I'd fallen for this phishing scam, I would have handed over not only access to my finances, but my entire identity. Be aware! If an e-mail is asking you to verify your account with a company or is asking you for personal information, be extremely careful. Odds are the e-mail is bogus and you are in danger of handing over precious information to some very unscrupulous individuals.
Until next time.
Lydia
Sunday, December 20, 2009
I honestly don't know why I bother...
I try to be a good member of the Zazzle community.
I genuinely enjoy helping people, so I'm always eager to help newbies get started or help a veteran sort out a dilemma, but lately I've become soured on the whole experience.
When I stumbled across a suspicious store, I made the mistake of seeking the input of my fellow ProSellers. It wasn't long before I had a shopkeeper jumping down my throat for making accusations and jumping to conclusions and "starting a fishing expedition", when everything I was trying to do was to AVOID that. I got no backup, and I was basically told that what I was doing was libel and I was a bad, evil person for trying to verify that someone was actually stealing graphics BEFORE reporting them.
So I was a little put off from the forums for a while, but I did eventually come back, and I did get involved again. I eventually decided to follow through with an idea I'd had a while back, and establish a place where Zazzle users could gather and chat without having to worry about whether or not their discussions were "Zazzle related". (The Zazzle forums no longer provide a place for shopkeepers to just discuss whatever is on their mind--if it isn't Zazzle related, the post is removed.) I started a Yahoo group for Zazzlers, and after a slow start, it experienced a sudden boom in membership when I posted an open invitation in the forums. In a single day, it went from only a handful of members and rare posts to a bustling conversation...
But just as quickly as it blossomed, it was cut down.
ONE PERSON saw fit to piss in everyone's lemonade. A comment that was made in the Yahoo Group was taken out of context and posted in the Zazzle forum with a remark to the effect, "and I bet they're just falling over themselves to help a backstabber like you."
Mind you, the post that was copied out of the yahoo group was innocent enough. It was only an expression of frustration that Zazzle will address some concerns but not others--a fact we have all been discussing openly on the Zazzle forums themselves! It wasn't as though we'd snuck off to some dark alley to slander Zazzle's good name or badmouth it where the staff couldn't see, but because this one person with an overzealous and poorly-executed loyalty to Zazzle, it seemed the group was doomed to die as quickly as it had come to life.
The unsubscribe notices keep appearing in my inbox, and I can't blame the people leaving at all. I offered them a sanctuary, and that sanctuary was violated. Needless to say, I'm livid... Not because my yahoo group was trod upon, but because someone was so arrogant and self-righteous that they felt the need to hurt a good and honest person who was only voicing her opinion.
After a few hours to cool down, I posted a very colorful message to the one responsible for this whole drama, and set to work on a new retreat for my fellow Zazzlers--a forum this time, and one that is not visible to non-members.
If this falls through, then I'm done. I will just keep my nose in my own business from now on and leave the forums to fend for themselves. I've tried to be a good person, but I'm still human, and I have limits like anyone else.
I genuinely enjoy helping people, so I'm always eager to help newbies get started or help a veteran sort out a dilemma, but lately I've become soured on the whole experience.
When I stumbled across a suspicious store, I made the mistake of seeking the input of my fellow ProSellers. It wasn't long before I had a shopkeeper jumping down my throat for making accusations and jumping to conclusions and "starting a fishing expedition", when everything I was trying to do was to AVOID that. I got no backup, and I was basically told that what I was doing was libel and I was a bad, evil person for trying to verify that someone was actually stealing graphics BEFORE reporting them.
So I was a little put off from the forums for a while, but I did eventually come back, and I did get involved again. I eventually decided to follow through with an idea I'd had a while back, and establish a place where Zazzle users could gather and chat without having to worry about whether or not their discussions were "Zazzle related". (The Zazzle forums no longer provide a place for shopkeepers to just discuss whatever is on their mind--if it isn't Zazzle related, the post is removed.) I started a Yahoo group for Zazzlers, and after a slow start, it experienced a sudden boom in membership when I posted an open invitation in the forums. In a single day, it went from only a handful of members and rare posts to a bustling conversation...
But just as quickly as it blossomed, it was cut down.
ONE PERSON saw fit to piss in everyone's lemonade. A comment that was made in the Yahoo Group was taken out of context and posted in the Zazzle forum with a remark to the effect, "and I bet they're just falling over themselves to help a backstabber like you."
Mind you, the post that was copied out of the yahoo group was innocent enough. It was only an expression of frustration that Zazzle will address some concerns but not others--a fact we have all been discussing openly on the Zazzle forums themselves! It wasn't as though we'd snuck off to some dark alley to slander Zazzle's good name or badmouth it where the staff couldn't see, but because this one person with an overzealous and poorly-executed loyalty to Zazzle, it seemed the group was doomed to die as quickly as it had come to life.
The unsubscribe notices keep appearing in my inbox, and I can't blame the people leaving at all. I offered them a sanctuary, and that sanctuary was violated. Needless to say, I'm livid... Not because my yahoo group was trod upon, but because someone was so arrogant and self-righteous that they felt the need to hurt a good and honest person who was only voicing her opinion.
After a few hours to cool down, I posted a very colorful message to the one responsible for this whole drama, and set to work on a new retreat for my fellow Zazzlers--a forum this time, and one that is not visible to non-members.
If this falls through, then I'm done. I will just keep my nose in my own business from now on and leave the forums to fend for themselves. I've tried to be a good person, but I'm still human, and I have limits like anyone else.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Binders, Binders, Binders...
Well, only my second entry, and I already have two followers! It's nice to know someone's listening!
I'm at my dad's house, using his internet because mine hates Zazzle for some reason. I'd love to say I have some wonderful new designs to share, but unfortunately I've been way too busy posting binders to get anything new done. Avery and Zazzle teamed up to provide us with binders, which are wonderful, but it's taking me forever to post my existing designs on the new products. To make matters worse, a LOT of my designs aren't big enough to work well on binders--apparently, my photos are plenty big enough to be printed as 20 x 30 inch posters, but too small for the cover of a standard binder. Bah, whatever, I'll make it work.
I have successfully created a selection of Christmas-themed binders, so if you want a personalized Christmas photo album, memory book, scrap book, etc, you might want to check out my Christmas Section.
I've been jotting down ideas and sketches to flesh out my secondary shops. Despite having only a handful of products, Shopping for Baby has made a few sales already, which is encouraging. Also on my to-do list: Pet Threads and the Event Shoppe... (I'm not linking you yet because they are not yet dressed enough to be out in public.)
I also have to finish some commissions that I've been putting off for way too long... I never thought I'd be so reluctant to draw for money. lol It's not that the commissions on my list are hard or unpleasant--I'm just having wayyy too much fun doing my own thing right now.
Well, time for me to pack up and head home. Until next time!
I'm at my dad's house, using his internet because mine hates Zazzle for some reason. I'd love to say I have some wonderful new designs to share, but unfortunately I've been way too busy posting binders to get anything new done. Avery and Zazzle teamed up to provide us with binders, which are wonderful, but it's taking me forever to post my existing designs on the new products. To make matters worse, a LOT of my designs aren't big enough to work well on binders--apparently, my photos are plenty big enough to be printed as 20 x 30 inch posters, but too small for the cover of a standard binder. Bah, whatever, I'll make it work.
I have successfully created a selection of Christmas-themed binders, so if you want a personalized Christmas photo album, memory book, scrap book, etc, you might want to check out my Christmas Section.
I've been jotting down ideas and sketches to flesh out my secondary shops. Despite having only a handful of products, Shopping for Baby has made a few sales already, which is encouraging. Also on my to-do list: Pet Threads and the Event Shoppe... (I'm not linking you yet because they are not yet dressed enough to be out in public.)
I also have to finish some commissions that I've been putting off for way too long... I never thought I'd be so reluctant to draw for money. lol It's not that the commissions on my list are hard or unpleasant--I'm just having wayyy too much fun doing my own thing right now.
Well, time for me to pack up and head home. Until next time!
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