GCU Forum - Dead in the water ?

Donna_137698

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Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #15 - Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:42pm

I'm sadly unemployed and having to spend a lot of time to seek jobs as per CT regulations now demanding I show proof of trying to find work - like I'm really the kind to take advantage... I'm too young to retire (and have nothing set aside for retirement anyway) and apparently too old for a job now... sigh... Roll Eyes

I'm desperately trying to utilize any skill I have but obviously nothing I do is going to allow me any kind of living... double sigh...

I have a great camera in my Canon 50D that I'm still learning about and stuck with PS Elements 2.0... I cannot afford to buy any kind of upgrade and it seems the really good artists are using something with much more beef to it like CS5. I've studied the tutorials for the most part and looked at what is selling... I just really feel my best just isn't ever going to be good enough... and worse that I'm putting pressure on myself because I NEED to make money to survive.

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Trish_136241 Senior Member artist Posts: 440	Re: Dead in the water ? Reply #16 - Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:44pm I've really been suprised. I've had a sale almost every day and had a 125 card sale the other day. I was shocked! It was one of my very early cards! So hang in there, it will happen for you. Don't give up! And Donna, I think your cards are really special. I know how you feel. But take it from me, sales will come.
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cheryl_133782 Gold Member artist Posts: 1350	Re: Dead in the water ? Reply #17 - Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:45pm Thanks for the reminder Eve, done n' done! Cheryl
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Doreen_137017

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Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #18 - Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:58pm

Quote from Donna_137698 on Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:42pm:

I'm sadly unemployed and having to spend a lot of time to seek jobs as per CT regulations now demanding I show proof of trying to find work - like I'm really the kind to take advantage... I'm too young to retire (and have nothing set aside for retirement anyway) and apparently too old for a job now... sigh... Roll Eyes

I'm desperately trying to utilize any skill I have but obviously nothing I do is going to allow me any kind of living... double sigh...

I have a great camera in my Canon 50D that I'm still learning about and stuck with PS Elements 2.0... I cannot afford to buy any kind of upgrade and it seems the really good artists are using something with much more beef to it like CS5. I've studied the tutorials for the most part and looked at what is selling... I just really feel my best just isn't ever going to be good enough... and worse that I'm putting pressure on myself because I NEED to make money to survive.

Hi Donna,

It was just posted today on a different thread, the one called Free Software I think? Anyway, go find GIMP. It's a free program and to a large degree the equivalent to the full versions of Photoshop. I haven't used it because I've always had Photoshop, but my husband uses it and when he asks me a question, it's always something very similar to what I do in Photoshop. Lots of people rave about it, give it a try. A new free program may be enough to inspire you to continue creating and perk up your spirits a wee bit!

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cheryl_133782 Gold Member artist Posts: 1350	Re: Dead in the water ? Reply #19 - Apr 9^th, 2011, 8:01pm I use PaintShopPro but Gimp is meant to be a terrific program and just because it is free doesn't mean it isn't any good...people rave about how good it is. I agree with Donna, give it a go. Cheryl
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Eve_138255

Ex Member

Re: Dead in the water ?/making text pop
Reply #20 - Apr 9^th, 2011, 10:40pm

Quote from Sandra_137209 on Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:38pm:

Sometimes I will select a rectangle on a new layer that will go between the text and the image, I flood fill with white, then fade the white to really transpartent. The image shows through faintly like a vellum layer. I love vellum on a card and really like the look of a slight faded area behind the text.

Sandra F

I love that idea.

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Ernestine_131365

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Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #21 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 3:29am

Quote from Donna_137698 on Apr 9^th, 2011, 7:42pm:

I'm sadly unemployed and having to spend a lot of time to seek jobs as per CT regulations now demanding I show proof of trying to find work - like I'm really the kind to take advantage... I'm too young to retire (and have nothing set aside for retirement anyway) and apparently too old for a job now... sigh... Roll Eyes

I hear you Donna, sent a personal note. 'e'

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Donna_137698

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Posts: 1064

Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #22 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 6:51am

Ernestine, a public THANK YOU for your private email... I wish this economy would turn around... it's definitely a problem and I know I'm not the only one in a rough way...

Trish and Eve, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement... but I've reached a point of total desperation so being patient isn't something I have time to give in to as much as I would otherwise do...

Doreen, you know I always appreciate your help and I do have GIMP on my computer - when I transitioned to a new machine last year (thank you, tax refund), I could not find my disk that came with my camera (hence, no program to convert my RAW files with) and a kind photographer on a birding forum was kind enough to suggest GIMP to me while another was good enough to burn a copy of the disk at a later date... I personally found it very similar to PS Elements - maybe I haven't explored it enough but it doesn't seem to have features lacking with PS Elements... I'll look at it again though...

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Doreen_137017

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Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #23 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 7:51am

Quote from Donna_137698 on Apr 10^th, 2011, 6:51am:

Ernestine, a public THANK YOU for your private email... I wish this economy would turn around... it's definitely a problem and I know I'm not the only one in a rough way...

Trish and Eve, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement... but I've reached a point of total desperation so being patient isn't something I have time to give in to as much as I would otherwise do...

Doreen, you know I always appreciate your help and I do have GIMP on my computer - when I transitioned to a new machine last year (thank you, tax refund), I could not find my disk that came with my camera (hence, no program to convert my RAW files with) and a kind photographer on a birding forum was kind enough to suggest GIMP to me while another was good enough to burn a copy of the disk at a later date... I personally found it very similar to PS Elements - maybe I haven't explored it enough but it doesn't seem to have features lacking with PS Elements... I'll look at it again though...

I unfortunately have never worked with GIMP, but I have worked with many versions of Elements and if you downloaded the latest version of GIMP it absolutely has to be better than Elements 2.0 considering Elements is up to venison 9 now. I think if you don't know the difference between Elements and a full version of Photoshop, you may not be able to see the difference between GIMP and Elements. I found these which might help...

GIMP vs Photoshop
http://oktyabr.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/gimp-vs-photoshop/

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/linux/reviews/14391.aspx

and Elements vs Photoshop:
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/f/elementscompare.htm

Thought these articles might give you more info and help you explore GIMP as a tool to (for the time being anyway) that can serve you better than Elements 2.0.

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Ramelle_149580

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Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #24 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 2:51pm

My sales seem very slow, too, but I'm new to GCU and only have 218 cards approved in my shop. So there is not much to choose from yet.
I opened my shop "Eloquence" at the end of January--I'm a very new "Newbie". I naively expected my submissions to be approved within a week, so I made Valentine cards. By the time they were approved, I'd missed the boat on Valentine's Day, so I (again naively) went on to make St. Patrick's Day cards. They were approved two days before St. Pat's Day. But I miraculously sold one card.
I finally caught on that if I expected sales, I must have a good variety of categories and to make cards well in advance of the upcoming holidays.
I've now sold a total of 19 cards since I made my first sale March 15. To me it seems a miniscule amount, but I guess it's not too bad, considering the vast amount of choices available on GCU.
I'm going to keep hanging in there. Good luck to you!!

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Carol_136775 Full Member artist Posts: 165	Re: Dead in the water ? Reply #25 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 3:01pm Donna - Your cards are great! I have PhotoShop Elements6 for MAC. If you can use it (it won't work on a PC), send me an email through my gallery. I've upgraded to "8" so "6" is not needed. You won't be able to register it, of course, but it is 100% usable. Carol
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Doreen_137017

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Posts: 5273

Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #26 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 3:22pm

Quote from Ramelle_149580 on Apr 10^th, 2011, 2:51pm:

My sales seem very slow, too, but I'm new to GCU and only have 218 cards approved in my shop. So there is not much to choose from yet.
I opened my shop "Eloquence" at the end of January--I'm a very new "Newbie". I naively expected my submissions to be approved within a week, so I made Valentine cards. By the time they were approved, I'd missed the boat on Valentine's Day, so I (again naively) went on to make St. Patrick's Day cards. They were approved two days before St. Pat's Day. But I miraculously sold one card.
I finally caught on that if I expected sales, I must have a good variety of categories and to make cards well in advance of the upcoming holidays.
I've now sold a total of 19 cards since I made my first sale March 15. To me it seems a miniscule amount, but I guess it's not too bad, considering the vast amount of choices available on GCU.
I'm going to keep hanging in there. Good luck to you!!

You are doing very well Ramelle (another lovely name!). To have sold 19 cards since you opened your store. It takes search engines 3 to 4 months to find your store and your cards, so you should feel very fortunate. Which is also why cards for holidays should be approved and for sale in your store a minimum of 3 to 4 months in advance of when people buy for the holiday. Doesn't mean the occasional customer might not stumble on a newly approved card, I have that happen all the time, but to come up in searches it takes months.

It does mean you should be working on Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas right now. People start buying for those holidays in September.

Keep creating! Great job!

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Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2169	Re: Dead in the water ? Reply #27 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 4:43pm April has been absolutely terrible!!!!
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Robin_145428 Senior Member artist Posts: 251	Re: Dead in the water ? Reply #28 - Apr 10^th, 2011, 5:39pm Keeping Fingers and Toes crossed for a big bang for Mother's Day. Wishing this for all..... Easter is a Flop Got some great ones for next year though
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Judy_139270

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Re: Dead in the water ?
Reply #29 - Apr 11^th, 2011, 4:05pm

Quote:

It does mean you should be working on Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas right now. People start buying for those holidays in September.

I sold several Christmas Cards in August last year!!!

It's strange the way sales are going! I began my second year with 2 fantastic months, selling 18 times the number of cards in Jan/Feb as I did in the same period last year. But then it suddenly dried up in March - and the same with Zazzle - but GCU sales seem to be gradually picking up a bit again.

I think it's bound to have something to do with the economy - a lot of cuts that have been described as 'draconian' and 'swingeing' came into force in the UK last week and there was a lot of build up to them in March in the media. Sad

Times are very hard for most of us and things that we took for granted that we could afford (even cards!) are now fast becoming 'luxuries'.

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