Kathily Ever After

Katharsis

Almost exactly a year ago, when I started this blog, I proclaimed 2011 The Year Of Transformations.

And it was. But not in the way I thought it would be.

What 2011 actually was wasn't very close at all to what I'd wanted it to be. What I'd mapped out. What I'd planned.

There was a lot of transformation. But it was transformation that fit me.

I don't know if that makes any sense or even what I'm trying to say.

I opened up my Etsy shop five and a half years ago.

And on one hand, the success I've acheived there...the fact that my art is now in places like Sweden and Italy and Oman...is just mind-blowing. The fact that I can sell art over the interent as my job is mind-blowing.

The Chronic Tweaker Strikes Again

Howdy. :)

This past week, I have been playing a lot with color (and from my greeting, I guess, embracing my inner cowgirl).

Mostly I've been tweaking some pieces you already may've seen (because as I might've mentioned before, I'm a chronic tweaker):

Why, yes, you did!

Not quite sold on that bright yellow, but I do kinda dig the black and white!

I also have given The Misfit Mermaid a more traditional tailfin (so now there's orange, blue, pink and green...with a few more probably coming soon!) and a light brown hair color (in addition to the blonde, redhead and darker brunette options):

And this little lady darker hair and a light purple background ('cause I know some little girls - and not so little girls - prefer that to pink!):

These aren't in the shop yet, but if you'd like one, I can certainly get one up right away and just for you.

They aren't there yet -- along with a handful of others - because I'm struggling a little bit with how to offer prints in multiple colorways or with color options. I thought I had an okay system, but lately:

- If I have a print listed with a color chart and instructions to choose and let me know the preference when checking out, nine times out of ten, there is no selection indicated, which means a delay in shipping (and I'm firmly convinced that quite a large number of people sign up for Etsy with secondary e-mail accounts they rarely check...because fairly frequently I don't hear back at all when I send a message inquiring about order details...so if you sign up for Etsy, please use an e-mail address where sellers can reach you if they need to!)

- If I have (like with my little princess and frog and misfit mermaid) a seperate listing for each hair color so I know that I will be sending the buyer what they want, without a doubt, I get frequent messages inquiring if I have it in a different hair color and, of course, I do, but they just didn't see it (and of course I don't mind the contact AT ALL, but it's an extra step I'd like to save shoppers!) Plus I know shops with 5000 listings can get overwhelming and I'm hesitant to put ten different versions (blond hair with pink background, blonde hair with purple background, redhead with pink background, redhead with purple background, etc) of one print up.

Any ideas? I'd love to hear them

At any rate, there are quite a few new prints up in the shop, with more to come (hopefully very soon). You can see all the new stuff in my New For November section, which, ooops, I'll have to change to New For December very, very soon!

That's all I've got for now. Happy (belated) Thanskgiving to you all and happy (early) birthday to my bestie!

P.S. Be sure to check out the Very Merry Indie Christmas Follower Fest being hosted by Casey, Danielle, Kate, and Janel...lots of new blogs and shops to discover!

A Lot Like Christmas

I love Christmas. I do. However, I'm one of those people (and I say that with optimism that there are, indeed, more people like this and it's not just some sort of bizarre quirk possessed by myself alone) that really and truly whole-heartedly, even, believes Christmas celebrations shouldn't begin 'til December 1st. MAYBE the day after Thanksgiving, but definitely not before.

So last week, on like the third of November, I drove by a house down the street that was already fully decked out -- colorful lights strung from everything except maybe the car, a blow-up Santa approximately the size of King Kong, wreaths, reindeer, you name it -- and I nearly went into convulsions.

Hello, early birds!, I thought, shielding my eyes. Surely they were the exception.

Then on Friday night, my sister and I were driving back from Boone, NC where we went to see a concert and had on the radio. Normally, I rarely listen to the radio...I have a carefully crafted iTunes playlist on when I'm home or cds in the car. Anyway...almost every station was playing Christmas music! A station or two were already playing ONLY Christmas music. What!

"Stop rushing the dude," I said. "Santa Claus still has almost six weeks before he comes to town! It's called the 12 days of Christmas, not the 42 days of a Christmas!"

And today, I walked into the grocery store, and was promptly greeted by a decorated Christmas tree, which distracted me to point I almost walked into a display of cereal.

Did someone change Christmas to November 25th and not tell me? I didn't see that trending on Twitter.

At any rate, regardless of when I personally think Christmas celebrations should begin, I do know people are already decorating their homes and many, many online shops have had their Christmassy things out for a month or more, so I am a little late to the ballgame in offering holiday-themed items. But better late than never, right?

Later this week (hopefully Friday) I am going to have a fairly large shop update happening, which a few Christmassy prints, including this one, which I am calling "She's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas":

She is not at all what I envisioned in my head, as I'd originally intended her to be dressed up as a snowman, but I just love her the way she is.

And the good news is...if you purchase a Christmassy print and are located in the U.S. ...it'll arrive in time for you to hang on December 1st....the Kathy approved date for decorating for Christmas. (If you're not in the U.S., don't worry...you'll still get yours with time to enjoy it before the big day...which has, in fact, not been moved to November 25th.)