wetfish designs: June 2008

Blog fixed, Mystery Photo clue and link to an awesome freebie!!!

24 comments | Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Okay, so now I have my blog template fixed so there isn't a big box or bar in the middle anymore. Perhaps this means I'll get more comments? I hope so, I just love hearing from people. It is so strange because on my computers it looked okay. But I went in and played with the html (which in my case is like a miner playing with dynamite and having no clue as to what and how to do it) and it actually worked. Now I can officially so I am not AS technically challenged as I was the day before. So thanks to everyone for alerting me to the big box in the way. I appreciate getting that kind of info so I can fix things I don't even know are wrong.

New prodcuts in the store!!! More vintage stuff that is personal or commercial use. Hope you like it. Click on the image to get to the product in the store:

So I went the farmers market today and snapped tons of mystery pictures. Tonight I am going to post one on the Divine Digital challenge for photography which I am in charge of and so far has been a bust. I think the mystery photo thing, with instructions on how to then turn the mystery photo into an overlay or texture file, will be a hit. So be on the lookout if you have liked playing it here on my blog and I will continue to post fun mystery photos here at least once a week because I have so much fun taking "weird" pictures. At the farmers market today this guy was teasing me for taking pictures of his dirty table. Check him out, he is just too funny, especially with that hat----I am his most regular customer and he always has old books, postcards, newspapers, etc. waiting for me. He is a real character. Very funny and he has an awesome collection. Today I purchased issues of the local paper from the early 1900s and late 1800s. And he had some really awesome post cards from the middle east.

I will share some "non-mystery" photos with you from today, too. I just love photography. I wish it would pay the bills so I could do it as a full time career. But around here, in a small rural area, people go to who they know and who is established. They are hesitant to try someone new when it comes to something important like portraits. So I've been concentrating on shooting stuff that I can sell on iStock. So far they are liking my texture photos, but that doesn't mean anyone is buying them. I have to figure out the best way to tag my photos on iStock so they get mainstreamed a little more. They also want photos of people and I have tons of photos of my sons that I need to touch up before I try and get them accepted. So, I will continue to take pictures of the weird and use them for photo challenges and iStock submissions. Either way, it still makes me happy and that really is all that matters.

So my one and only CT member, Rebecca, is just getting started with her SNAPlet album work at Divine Digital. At Divine Digital we call quickpages "SNAPlets." Sounds snappier I guess...Anyway, she gave away some quickpages on her blog that she made from my "Angler" kit (and I am so happy to read in the comments that the add-on is highly anticipated!) and now she has two brag book pages up on her blog as freebies. She made these from my "Inch by Inch, Row by Row" kit. Aren't they cute? Click on the image to get to her blog and download them. While there, say hi and leave a comment since she is new to the blog world and a lot of scrappers haven't found her blog yet. So go. Go now!!!

So why only one CT member? Well, I had more. One started a smack blog and smacked me around (Digital Disturbances) and others just kind of went off and never came back. Rebecca is my champ. And to be honest, she is all I need. I am so sick of reading about how CT members are cheerleaders for designers, pimps for designers, etc. It seems like having a CT member is a bad thing in the eyes of the scrappers purchasing products. From what I've been reading at DST, the galleries, praise games and gallery standouts are being flooded with CT layouts and the little people aren't getting noticed and comments are rarely given to anyone who is not a part of the "in crowd" or CT mania. So I will just hang with Rebecca because it works for me and I like her a lot. She is honest and talented. I hope she gets a lot of business with her new SNAPlet boutique at Divine Digital and I will be posting updates here on my blog when she officially opens up shop, has sales, new products and freebies on her blog. So go Rebecca!!!

I'll end this post with some of the many photos I took today at the farmers market.. They aren't touched up yet, but that takes time I don't have for nonwork photos, so they are untouched.....so just shoot me if that bothers you! The first one is my favorite....

Oh and the mystery clue? This is an item often found on a dresser. Keep guessing...I have nine more coupons to give out!

Best,

Cyndi

posted by cbwetfish

at 1:04 PM Permalink

| 24 comments

Posting a Comment--here's how

5 comments | Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I've had a lot of emails about where to post a comment and my footer for my blog being huge and hiding things. I'm working on that, but in the meantime, if you want to post a comment post on the number of comments posted listed right under the blog title. At the bottom of the comments posted is a "post a comment". Click on it and you can leave a comment.

So give it a go.....I love comments!

posted by cbwetfish

at 11:42 PM Permalink

| 5 comments

Day 24 Freebies!!! Mystery Photo!!!! New Products!!!

26 comments

Well, I finally have time to post today's freebie for "Daddy's Candy" here on my blog. It has been a long day after a long night of toddlers not going to bed. I'm ready to go to bed now and it is only a little after 3:00 in the afternoon! My youngest sleeps upstairs and once I've read to him and turned on his music, he runs to the door (baby gated) and throws his donuts (two giraffes that he is attached to---Sam named them donut, perhaps living so close to Dunkin Donuts had something to do with it) and his bottle/sippy cup down the stairs, along with any toy or book he can get his little hands on. A nice collection of items can be found within fifteen minutes at the bottom of the stairs. This goes on and on and on and on.....until finally he falls asleep at the doorway, and I have to put him back in his bed and return all his goodies to his room. So I'm not looking forward to tonight. He is going through this attachment phase with me that my other son must have skipped. He is glued to me all the time. I'm about to go nuts! So that is why I am late today with this post. I fell asleep. Yes, I took a nap. Alert the media!

Thanks to everyone who purchased my "Get Textured" product after all the problems I had with it (ie. coupons, coupons, coupons). It is still in my shop in case anyone missed it and remember to use a coupon, just not any coupon for over 50% off! I get so many orders come through from people I know have at least the bekind coupon that gets them 25% off. So if you haven't picked up this heck of a HUGE deal (i.e. ALL my texture products compiled in one product for $20), use a coupon and get it while you still can! Click on the image to get to the product in my store.

And, for those of you who spent $20 or more in my store this weekend, don't worry, your $5 coupon is on its way. I'm just busy picking up bottles and toys and donuts ( I wish they were really donuts from Dunkin Donuts) from the bottom of my stairs.....I'll have an email going out tomorrow. Your coupon will be good towards my 4th of July sale which will be here before you know it!

I have four new element packs in the store that I am really excited about. They are for personal or commercial use and so much fun! Months ago I picked up a bag of vintage matchbooks at flea market not having a clue at the time what I could use them for. So they sat on a shelf in my office for months and the other day I scanned and extracted them for use in layouts. It was really cool to look through the bag and read the matchbook covers from gas stations, restaurants, etc. that have long since closed. There are four sets and each set has ten matchbooks that are PNG images and 300dpi. Each set is priced at $5. Click on any of the images to get to the product in my store...

And, just to show you what you can do with these matchbooks (possibilities are endless) here is a little freebie I whipped up while waiting for 4shared aka turtle site to upload my files for today. I used one of the embellishments from my "Patriotic Doodads" collection and a little journal thingee that will be released soon in another element pack. I hope you like it! Personal use only and say hi when you download:

Other things I am currently working on so they are in my store for the 4th of July are an add-on kit (really it is a full size kit) for "Angler," a series of antique elements (I hit the local antique fair and snagged some cool things to scan), a patriotic kit that will include papers and elements but will also match "Patriotic Doodads" as far as color schemes are concerned, and a set of embellished borders. Not sure what to call them other than embellished borders, so if anyone has any ideas, send them my way!

Now, on to today's freebie. Here is the "divine" freebie that you can pick up in THIS THREAD today only at Divine Digital:

And here is the freebie for today. Click on the image to download and say hi if you do. I read all the comments and someday I will hit the 100 comment mark on 4shared....

Now, on to the "Mystery Photo." I kept meaning to do this earlier than today but things got in the way---such as life. So here is the photo. All guesses are welcome and please guess by comment on my blog and if you can't find the comment box (some people reported it was difficult to find) email me cyndi@divinedigital.com The first ten people to guess correctly will receive a $5 coupon to use in my store towards anything they want. If no ones has guessed correctly by tomorrow night, I'll post a clue or two. So have at it.....

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the freebies, make a guess for the mystery photo and stop back here on Friday for another "Daddy's Candy" freebie and possibly some more goodies!!!

Best,

Cyndi

posted by cbwetfish

at 3:02 PM Permalink

| 26 comments

Summer Solstice Sale has begun!!!!

3 comments | Saturday, June 21, 2008

Summer Solistice Sale is on! Today and tommorow, ending at midnight on Sunday, take 21% off your entire purchase using the coupon code summersolstice. This coupon applies to every item in the store. So welcome summer with some Wetfish Designs products! And if you are on my email list, you got an email last night about another way to save some bucks in my store this weekend. If you spend at least $20 in my store this weekend, between yesterday and Sunday at midnight, I will send you a coupon for $5 good towards any product during my 4th of July sale which I will be running July 3-5. New products will be in the store so there will be new pickings to choose from if you already have purchased a lot of my designs. So go shopping now and save later!

Okay, back to the business at hand---freebies!!! Here is my offering today for "Daddy's Candy" that can be downloaded sometime today at Divine Digital in THIS THREAD:

And here is my blog freebie for today---photo not included (LOL). Click on the image to download and say hi here, there or somewhere......

If you didn't catch this through my email list or on the "new arrivals" section of Divine Digital, I just added "Patriotic Doodads" to my store last night. I had a lot of fun making this, knowing that it will be great for not only 4th of July layouts which are always fun, but also Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day and anything military. So I hope you pick it up (use your summer solstice coupon code!) and create some great layouts with these elements. Click on the image to get the product in my store....

So, while I am waiting for my freebie to upload to 4shared (so slow it should be called 4turtles), I will share with you some of the products from other designers that are on my wish list this weekend. I don't think I've ever done this before---sharing my tastes in design and what I purchase and from whom I like to purchase. So here are some things that have caught my eye this week and I hope to cash in some paypal dollars after the bills get paid:

Note: Debra Tope is having a 30% off sale at her store at Oscraps. Great stuff at a great price even without the sale! HERE is the link to her store so you can go see for yourself!

So have a fun weekend, whether you are on the computer or off. I will keep track of invoices and email coupons out on Monday for those customers who spend at least $20 (after discounts) and earn their $5 coupon for my 4th of July sale.

Thanks for stopping by,

Cyndi

posted by cbwetfish

at 9:09 AM Permalink

| 3 comments

Coupon Confusion!!!!!! And a Patriotic Freebie

2 comments | Thursday, June 19, 2008

Well, today was not my day for technology or coupons. I tried so hard to put in a new product, "Get Textured," so that for the sale at Divine Digital this weekend customers could get ALL my texture products together at a drastically reduced price. The shopping cart system was supposed to not allow coupons to be used on this product but it was letting the coupons go through any way. So I'm working on the honor system now after telling everyone to hold on to their coupons until after the sale and then saying "go ahead" use them, I'm enacting the honor system because I don't want to upset my customers. So please, if you would like to purchase "Get Textured" please just place it on a single order and don't use any coupon that will give you over 50% off. The "bekind" 25% coupon will still work on this product, so for those of you who have this coupon it can be redeemded on this incredible value of textures.

Did I say this was an incredible value? For $20 you get $66.50 worth of commercial use, texture products. Wow, what a deal!

Here are all the products included and the price you'd pay for each one if purchased individually:

Real Life Textures Sets 1,2 & 3 $6 each/$18 total (these were in one of my June commercial use grab bags!)

Stucco Textures from Wetfish Designs $6

Chance of Clouds $6

Texture Stock Overlays Set Five $6

Texture Trio One $8

Texture Trio Two $8

Junkyard Overlays $6

Down and Dirty Overlays Set One $3

Down and Dirty Overlays Set Two $3

Texture Overlays Set One $3

Texture overlays Set Two $3

Wetfish Textures Set One $3

Texture Stock Photos Collection Five $3.50

Texture Stock Photos Collection Four $4.00

Texture Stock Photos Collection Three $4.00

Texture Stock Photos Collection Two $4.00

Texture Stock Photos Collection One $4.00

So put this product in your cart and for $20 you are on your way to texturizing your designs at a huge savings. Even if you have one or two of the items included, it is still a great savings to purchase the lot. So you can see why I am asking customers to refrain from using their 50% off coupon on this product. Hopefully the honor system will work as I do have good faith in my customers who have treated me so well since I started designing.

Now, I promised a freebie for all those emails I had to send to you today, so here we go. Since I surveyed my customers to find out what they want more of from me in terms of designs, a lot of customers asked for element packs or kits and in particular, embellished frames and elements. So that is what I have started with for my 4th of July product for this year, "Patrioric Doodads." Tonight's freebie is a clustered, embellished frame. I hope you like it! Please click on the image to download and say hi here or there if you do. I appreciate you putting up with all my coupon catastrophes of the day!!!!

And here is another item in the element kit. "Patriotic Doodads," that will be in the store tomorrow. I used the photo everyone seemed to comment about for the preview of this one frame. This element kit has 20 items in it, mostly all embellished and lots of frames and options of things you can do with them. I think you'll like it!

Thanks and see you Saturday with Day 21 freebies for "Daddy's Candy."

Best.

Cyndi

posted by cbwetfish

at 8:25 PM Permalink

| 2 comments

Daddy's Candy Day 18 Freebies

6 comments | Wednesday, June 18, 2008

It is hard to believe that June is halfway over. It seems like just yesterday it was May! You'd think it was May if you were here because it is in the mid-60s today. BRRRRRR!!! We had jackets and pants on to go to the farmer's market today and it still felt so cold! Probably because on Sunday it was hot and humid and temps were near 90 degrees. Speaking of the farmer's market, I looked for that steamer trunk to photograph the "big picture" of the image that I used for the mystery photo earlier this week, but the antique dealer wasn't there and that is probably because he is an outdoor vendor and it has been raining periodically all day. Perhaps next week....

Yesterday, while my older son was at VBS, my younger son and I went exploring. Just going down roads we've never been before and discovering new things about where we live. I do that a lot. Not exactly the best kind of exploring to do in my minivan, but I do it anyway. I should take my husband's SUV but it only has one car seat and as he puts it, he has "his" car and I have "my" car. Oh well, we'll see what he thinks when I get a flat tire on some gravel road up on a mountain.

Henry's favorite words right now are "mow" and "tractor," so I was hoping to just drive around and entertain him with all the farmers out riding on their tractors. If he just sees green and yellow on something moving he is ready to poop his diaper he gets so excited! And for him that was an easy way to kill two and 1/2 hours while his brother was at VBS. And it was easily accomplished because it was a beautiful day, not too hot and not too sunny, and the tractors were out everywhere and he had a ball saying "tractor" and "mow" at least ten million times in two hours. I must say that was so much better to listen to than "Diego" on the DVD player.

Anyway, we came across this really old church and cemetary in the middle of the woods along an old country road. I don't think I could find it again if I tried (navagation system doesn't cover where we live). So we stopped and checked it out. The church was so old it still had a working outhouse. Looked like something out of a Stephen King movie. Henry enjoyed all the flags and picking up all the locust (I think that is what kind of bug they were) skins on the plants (did you hear me say "yuck" as I typed that?). And, since the graves were very old, I had my hands full trying to keep him from climbing on them. Anyway, I had my camera (of course) and was able to capture some unposed moments of my son as he went from grave to grave, flag to flag. I think they turned out nice so I thought I would share some with you today....if only we sent cards on the 4th of July, these would really be perfect:

Now, back to business.....

I just put one of several new overlay sets I've completed in my store today. The other overlay sets are done, I'm just finishing up the previews and I managed to get this one in my store this morning before we headed out to the farmers market. Making previews seems to take longer than making the products sometimes. I hate making previews and it is particularly hard when you have two little ones running their matchbox cars across your computer keyboard or climbing all over you with sticky fingers that you want desperately to stay away from your computer. Click on the image to get to the product in my store and remember, the 76% off sale is still going on. Just put at least $20 worth of products in your cart and use the coupon code dadisstill76 and you will get 76% off your order.

I am the featured designer today for "Daddy's Candy" at Divine Digital. Here is the offering and just click on the image to get to the download thread:

And here is the freebie to go with my featured download today at Divine Digital for "Daddy's Candy." I hope you like it. Click on the image to download and please say hi when you do:

BIG sale this weekend at Divine Digital!!! Of course I'm participating so make sure you check out the new stuff that I will be putting in the store as it will be a part of the sale, too. I won't have any full size kits but I will have some mini-kits (something new I thought I'd try), some commercial use overlays and some element packs (again, something new that several people suggested--thanks if you did---I try).

Bonus freebie alert: Rebecca Labbe, who is my only CT member and just started her own SNAPlet designing business, has a double quickpage freebie made with my "In Bloom" kit posted on her blog: http://kiden.blogspot.com/

Check it out and head on over to her blog to download and say hi:

So, enjoy the freebies and I part today with my favorite image that I took on Father's Day, my husband with my son, Sam, in our little pool (we build inground pools as a business but I'm not ready for one of those yet, so we have this nice inflatable pool)...

Have a great day and I'll have another mystery photo this weekend,

Cyndi

posted by cbwetfish

at 1:49 PM Permalink

| 6 comments

Mystery Photo Update: We've got some winners!!!

5 comments | Monday, June 16, 2008

After so many great guesses that came so close, we have some winners! We didn't get ten, but we got nine. I decided to stop the guessing so that we can move on to a new photo perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday. The photo is a closeup of an old suitcase, sort of like a steamer. There were travel stickers all over it so it was hard to find an area of the suitcase to photograph with my compact macro lens that didn't have anything but the cool texture. It was from the early 1900s. If it is still at the farmer's market/flea market (they sell everything at our farmers market!!!) I'll photograph the whole suitcase so you can see how cool it is and why I photographed it.

So, the following people need to send me an email (cyndi@divinedigital.com) so you can get your coupon for $5 worth of free products from my store---please put on the subject line "I am a Winner" (isn't that just a great thing to be able to say in general?):

Caroline

Jamie

cioichar

Angel's Imaganiations

ratherhave8

LVMommy22

sunny1972

Kathy

Wendi

Wow, that was fun. I think that I will make the photography challenge at Divine Digital something similar to this. What do you think? If I posted a texture photo and the challenge would be for scrappers to guess what it is and then I'd turn the texture into an overlay with a little tutorial on using it--for me different textures call for different blending techniques. Let me know if you think that would be a good challenge. And I will still post fun photos here and do this, perhaps once a week. It is fun since I have some many photos of unusual things that I will probably never do anything with! A contest would be a great way to use those photos squatting on my hard drive.

I'm going to close this post tonight (and I need to close soon because it is storming and the thunder is getting closer as I type and the dog is get more nervous I'm afraid she'll pee on my bed) with some quotes that have really hit me the past couple days as I have stumbled across them in an email or an article in a magazine or newspaper. I'm a big quote person. It is a shame I stink at word art (perhaps that is another design item I should try and improve?) since I have so many quotes that I could share that way. Well, I regress.....

Here are the quotes that I thought about as all the "drama" of scrapbooking got a bit overwhelming this weekend. Someone I respect and admire very much told me that we're not soldiers, we're artists. And that scrapbooking, whether digital or paper, is about preserving out memories for ourselves and our families. To think that people go to the ends of the earth to bring shame to something so purposeful as scrapbooking is really quite sad. So tonight I have lost my anger and now I have moved on to genuine sadness. Sad for me, that people will think of me as someone I am not. Sad for the anonymous posters that must have so much bitterness and hatred within them that they feel such a strong need to spread it around, bit by bit, comment by comment. Perhaps someone visits my blog from that blog or one like it (unfortunately there are several) for the first time and will come to their own conculsions and find that I am not the egotistic designer I was made out to be. What I was searching for by responding to those who chose and will continue to choose to remain nameless was the truth. But we don't always get that in the world, do we? So quotes about truth and the way we treat others really stood out to me through my travels in print and online. I hope you enjoy those I selected tonight....

Life is adventure, not predicament.
James Broughton, 1913-1999
American Poet, Filmmaker and Teacher

Balance is the key to success in all things. Do not neglect your mind, body, or spirit. Invest time and energy in all of them equally - it will be the best investment you ever make, not just for your life but for whatever is to follow.
Tanya Wheway
British Businesswoman, Health Spa Director and Author

To work in the world lovingly means that we are defining what we will be for, rather than reacting to what we are against.
Christina Baldwin
American Author, Speaker and Educator

Everything in society tells us to distrust others. I think it's the other way around. We need to profoundly trust in those around us, in their potential and in who they are.
Nelsa Curbelo Cora
Ecuadorian Peace Activist

There is great hunger and thirst in all of us for the truth whether we are aware of it or not. There is no-one unfeeling or unseeing. To think ourselves unique is the height of ignorance. --Agnes Martin

Our true wealth is the good we do in this world. None of us has faith unless we desire for our neighbors what we desire for ourselves. --Muhammad

But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing. --Thomas Paine

Peace,

Cyndi

posted by cbwetfish

at 11:10 AM Permalink

| 5 comments

Mystery Photo Clues

52 comments | Sunday, June 15, 2008

I just cannot believe how very, very close some people came to guessing what this photo is and no one, not one person got it. So here are a few clues:

It is portable.

It is old.

The photo is a partial image--I didn't crop, I just photographed one part of this item.

So keep guessing, I'll hold out until I get my ten winners!!!

And I cannot believe how many of you emailed or posted a comment to let me know your thoughts about different directions to consider in my design work. I appreciate each and every comment made and each new idea or suggestion for improvement you shared. To thank you, as I said I would, I am posting a set of texture overlays that were in my commercial use grab bag for June, "Real Life Textures Set One." You are getting a whole set of texture overlays. Even if you aren't a designer you can use these to add texture to papers and elements by using different blend modes, such as overlay or soft light and adjusting the opacity. This link will only be up until Tuesday and I am not announcing that it is here other than through my email list. So grab it while you can and leave a comment here because this wasn't uploaded to 4shared, but to my ftp account at Divine Digital and you can't leave comments there. Click on the link to download and this is commercial use okay!

http://www.divinedigital.com/designers/cyndi_wetmiller/wetfishdesigns_reallifetextures_setone.zip

"Blog Me" Round 2 has begun. I sent this along to the next person on the list, tessthescrapper. Click on the image to get to tessthescrapper's blog to find out where she takes this creation that will be our second quickpage this month:

Lastly, today was Father's Day and we had a wonderful day with my husband, his parents and his sister and her kids. It was a lovely day. A little spoiled by some more heat on that "evil blog" but I took it with a grain of salt and fought back as best I could before giving up and realizing that sometimes I can't always get the last word and can't fight every battle if I want to win the war . If you posted today and stuck up for me on that blog, thanks. And if you lurked and watched as I came out fighting, I hope you did not come away with the opinion of the anonymous commenters who conveyed that they thought I had an attitude and a big ego, not to mention a few other things that aren't worth a spot on this blog. I truly love designing and scrapbooking. I love sharing my thoughts and feelings about life here on my blog and in my designs. But sometimes it is hard when something like a silly grab bag has the power to change your business, your passion and your attitude. I am fighting the power to not change and not give in. So thanks for sticking with me and giving me the honest feedback I need to keep going.

So look for some new designs this week. I'll heed your advice and try some new things. First thing I will be working on is a new preview and a better way of putting my previews together. Then I'll make some kits and perhaps a paper pack or two (ROFLOL)....

Have a great night,

Cyndi

p.s. Isn't this layout great? It was posted by Scrappy Diva for the photography challenge going on at Divine Digital. She was the only one who participated so we are revamping the challenge. How about the mystery photo game? Do you think that would be fun? Let me know!