One Year Anniversary

Great Graphics has a birthday!!!

On January 17th last year, on a lark, I posted my first digital graphics on Etsy. I had started looking around in December to find something to do besides be on the computer working on my husband's website all the time. I like to knit- so I thought maybe I will knit some scarves and sell them on Etsy- um NO, too many people sell them too cheaply (just my opinion), so I wasn't going there- and then I stumbled on digital graphics.

Now let me say, I have been doing graphics for YEARS, and here, falling in my lap, could it be??? the perfect job?  I had visions of drawing and painting all day and just posting them up on Etsy and possibly selling a few. Jokingly as I said in my last post I set my goal for 5000 by the end of my first year. This really was a JOKE!

Well in a lot of ways it IS the perfect job for me. I can be at home in my pajamas all day (like today), if I want to- I get to create what I want, when I want- and I hit my 5000 mark BEFORE my first year.  The down side for me is that I am still on the computer most of the day- but hell, I have reconciled myself to that for the most part. I have bought some great new toys, a Wacom Inkling Pen, so I can draw on paper again, and then it goes straight into my computer- a new Mac laptop to partner with my Big Mama Mac.

I used some of the money I made to enclose my garage for my new studio- which is heavenly divine!

Most importantly, I have met- or I should say- have come to know some of the most talented, funny, wonderful people from all over the world!  I have great customers in Australia-and all over Europe, and even some countries I can't pronounce. I have become friends with a bunch of great people here in the states, some I talk to on the phone, some just through email, but I adore you ALL!

Anniversary Sale!!!

So to celebrate my one year anniversary, I am having a sale- Buy One, Get One- you know the drill, buy the ones you want on my website or Etsy store- but DON'T buy the freebies- just email me and use "anniversary sale" for the code word and tell me which ones you want for free. BE sweet and choose freebies that are of equal or lesser value of the ones you bought- hey, I have a new screened porch I want to build this year :)  You may get as many freebies as you want- to match the ones you buy. 

NOW, to make it more interesting- if you buy 10 or more- for every set over 10 you buy- you get TWO free- and I know what some of you are thinking, but believe me, every time I have one of these sales, I have a ton of people that buy more than 10 at a time.  Because this is going to tax my brain- this sale runs for ONLY 24 hours- starting at 12 midnight Central Time tonight until 12 midnight tomorrow night...January 17th only.  Don't be emailing me telling me you have to have your colon cleansed or you just got a manicure and typing is going to mess up your nails- I have given in before and let people buy them a day or two later...but that just seems unfair and could turn into a nightmare one day. So, it's just tomorrow!!!

So, start your shopping- and have fun, I have posted some new sets in the last few days- just remember DO NOT BUY your freebies- because then i will get pissed off because I have to do all those paypal returns, and Etsy returns and I don't even begin to know how to do that on my website, because...well...I don't DO returns :)  

Thank you ALL for making my first year so fun, for helping me learn the ropes, for being supportive, for listening to me scream and rant about some really stupid questions I have gotten, for assuring me when the copycats started copying me, that my stuff was really better, for giving me some fabulous ideas for sets to add, and most of all for always making me look so good with the things you make using the graphics.  You are a bunch of talented people and I am so happy I know you!!!!

If you want your graphics right away- use the website- because they download instantly there-otherwise, if you order before about 8 in the morning, I will be asleep-but during the day I will be around and happy to send as fast as I can...so thanks again for all the support and wonderful friendship!!!

I really do love you guys....

It's a New Year!

It's a New Year!

Well one of the things I wanted to do for the new year was to post on my blog more. I don't know why I have such an aversion to doing it. For anyone that knows me- it is not that I lack for things to say, because I normally don't shut up.

I think that what holds me back is I fear that I may bore my followers. Not with the wonderful things that I share from the customers that make fantastic things with my graphics (which is why that is usually ALL I post), but mainly anything else I may have to say.  Also, because for some odd reason I feel the need to be "professional" about all this.

Well, not anymore!  I have decided that I am going to post here, just the way I talk and say the things I feel and yes, every now and then there may be a dirty word slung here or there, not to offend, but sometimes I just can't help myself. So, all that being said, you have been warned- here goes.....

This is the cutest calendar EVER!  Made by Michele with a single L

click the picture or the link to see more by Michele in her Etsy shop, she has the CUTEST cards, calendars, and tons of other stuff, all with these amazing gals on them.

 I wish I could say I did the graphics, but they are all hers- LOVE the gals.

My favorite quote in the calendar is 

"Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me,

"You're next".  They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals"

The Number ONE Thing for this year

I posted my first graphics on Etsy on January 17th last year, and as a JOKE, I wrote down that day, that I wanted to sell 5000 sets by my first anniversary. Well, considering at the time, I had 36 sets, it was a joke- but what the hell, why not.  Well as of today- 3 days before my 1 year anniversary- I have sold 5147 sets on Etsy, I opened a store on another venue which will remain nameless as I don't want another link going in their direction- 418 and I also started my own website which as of today I have sold almost 300 sets. 

Now I have always believed that if you BELIEVE you can do something- you can. And I know a lot of people think it is a bunch of hooey, telling your subconscious what you want, etc... but I know it works. 

It has worked for me in the past- even when I didn't know I was doing it- and then I read some things about it and actively started doing it and it works...it always works. Now that is not to say that I tell myself I am going to win the lottery and that will work...we don't even have a lottery in Alabama, and I would have to buy a ticket...ya know.

But I wrote down the number 5000 and it happened. I find if I write down the things I want to accomplish it makes my subconscious pay more attention, because if it was just listening to all I said, it would explode.  I do believe though you should SAY positive things- not just think them, because then it is "out there".  So I try, I really try to say positive things to myself and others. I believe that if you constantly are saying "I can't do that", "I will never have...." then that is a self fulfilling prophecy.

The words "I can't do that" or "I don't know how to do that" have never sprung from my lips- EXCEPT in the case where someone asked me to do something I DID NOT WANT to do. Then it works GREAT!

I just has never occurred to me that if there was something I wanted to do, that I couldn't do it. I mean, when I was younger, I would check out books from the library if I wanted to learn to do something, or read the encyclopedia- for anyone reading this under 30- the library is a place that has a bunch of books- and encyclopedias- well they were books that had information- like Wikipedia now- except that they were not editable. And now with the internet- ANYTHING you want to learn to do you can. Not only can you find the information and read it...you most likely can find a YouTube video and learn by watching. 

So, goal ONE- STAY POSITIVE!  I am going to write down all the things I want to do this year- and let my subconscious MAKE me do them. 

I told you I talk too much, this is already too long, so I post a goal a day- until I have bored you all to tears and but stay tuned, because I am still going to post amazing things that my customers and some other very talented people make on here too.