Dreams Come True So Get to Dreaming!

Be Patient, Wait... It'll Happen. Adventures in Self-Publishing

2024-01-25T15:11:00.003-06:00

"Be patient," I tell myself.

"Wait," I tell myself.

"It'll happen," I tell myself.

It's been nearly a year since I wrote and published two children's books, The Cloud Show and The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree, but since my friends purchased Little Bear when it first came out I haven't sold anything more. Not even one copy.

Yes, I've been a bit lazy in the promotion department lately mostly because of frustration at having no results. I did advertise one of the books once which created some traffic, but still no purchases. I've come to the conclusion that I need to pay for advertising on Facebook, Nextdoor, as well as my website, Visages Gift Store on GoDaddy.

I was hoping for better results without using money I can ill-afford to spend. It appears as though that's not going to happen.

So, this is what I'm doing to bring in more income so that I can afford a small advertising budget. First, I amped up marketing my Zazzle store, Visages Gift Store. Again, I don't have an advertising budget for my store, but I'm doing more blogging and I'm making a sale here and there. It takes a bit to reach my payout threshold, but I eventually will which will give me a little for advertising.

Second, I've begun taking surveys at GoBranded.com. Sure, it takes a few hours out of my day to earn a buck (per day), if I'm lucky, but that money goes toward my grocery bill. I don't spend a whole lot for food and such. Last week, the $17 I earned doing surveys went toward my $28 grocery bill. This week, $14 went toward my $20 grocery bill. What I don't spend on groceries will go towards advertising this year.

So, between Visages Gift Store on Zazzle and leftover grocery money, I'll be able to begin advertising.

As always, I try and keep my blogs short and sweet. I don't want to overstay my welcome. Hopefully, I'll have some good news in a few months.

The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

The Cloud Show

2023-12-05T13:47:00.003-06:00

Fun Prank Pulled on Dad 1

My kids had a hilarious idea for a Thanksgiving prank on their dad. They ordered some pajama pants online with his face printed all over them.

The night before the big day, they put on the pants and acted like nothing was wrong. They waited for their dad to notice the weird pattern on their clothes. It took him a while, but when he finally did, he was speechless.

He rubbed his eyes, adjusted his glasses, and looked again. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“That's awesome,” he said, cracking up. He loved the joke and appreciated the creativity behind it.

The point of the story is: I have no clue where they got those pants from, but they were not only funny, but sweet. And that gave me an idea: Why not do something similar for Christmas? You could surprise someone with a pair of pants with their own face on them or mix it up with different faces of your family or friends.

Imagine the reactions when dad wears pants with mom's face on them, or mom wears pants with her bestie's face on them, or the kids wear pants with their grandparents' faces on them. It would be a blast!

Sadly, after searching Zazzle, I find they don't carry blank pajama pants. However, they do have women's leggings. I'm thinking gifts for bridesmaids or for yourself with a picture of that goof-ball sibling plastered all over them.

Of course, there are always t-shirts...

And, here's another idea:

Custom Elegant Best Sister since 1995 7 photo Apron

Custom Elegant Best Sister since 1995 7 photo Apron. Add 7 photos and edit text to customize.

The Adventures of a Senior.

2023-11-02T13:11:00.005-05:00

I'm over 65 now and let me tell you, it's an adventure. From watching my features and body change to accepting the aches and pains that come with age to navigating health insurance options.

Yup. Medicare is something we pay for all of our working lives. Well, that and Social Security. Okay... Okay... And all those dang taxes, but I'm off track here.

Once you turn 65, you automatically get Medicare part A which is hospitalization only. Even then, part A pays 80% of the hospital bill. The other part of Medicare is part B. You have to pay for that. It covers doctors visits.

When I signed up for Medicare, I wasn't in need of part B because I'm healthy and I couldn't afford the $180 a month premium. Honest to gosh, I swear that I read in the (thick) handbook that our government allowed us two years to ponder that expense before the penalty applied, so, I opted out of part B.

Now, two years later, I find out that I had misread the two year delay and I now owe a penalty if I want part B.

I decided to apply for Medicaid since I live on a very limited income. I headed to the designated website and began the application.

Needless to say, working to navigate the government online application was a bust. I had made a mistake and couldn't go back to correct it. (I later found out through an insurance agent that she had had the same problem.)

Now what am I going to do?

The saints be praised! I was in Walmart this morning and sitting along the wall behind the cash registers was a gal signing people up for Medicare. It honestly was a blessing. She listened to my woes and completely understood the problems I had. She navigated the state government website and got me signed up for Medicaid. Now all I have to do is wait three weeks to see if I'm accepted.

Listen. Find a reputable insurance agent who knows their way around Medicare and Medicaid. Don't try to apply on your own. Sure, that gal who helped me will get paid when I apply for insurance through any one of the insurance companies she represents, but – hey – that's how she makes a living. And she makes a living out of being extremely helpful.

Hitting the Snags Forces Creative Thinking

2023-10-16T10:17:00.002-05:00

Snags. What a pain in the butt-kiss. Snags are small problems, still problems that need solving, none the less.

My latest? GoDaddy. Let me back up a bit. I started a website, Visages Gift Store, through GoDaddy. Having little money to spend, I opted for the cheapest plan which offered no perks. My plan was to just get up and running; get SEOs out there in the Internet world. In the world of marketing, it simply means "to get known".

One of the sections in my website is called Gift Ideas. Yeah, not so creative of a title, but what I publish truly are gift ideas. I've been publishing new gift ideas since May of this year, I think. At least somewhere around that time, but I wasn't and don't publish new gift ideas everyday. Perhaps once or twice a week.

Yesterday, I was working on marketing stuff (funny t-shirts for hunters and personalized thank you favors). I generally start with Zazzling Gifts, my Google blog, then head over to my other blog, Miller's Wrapped Expression and finally to my website's gift ideas section.

All of that takes a while. It's not instantaneous. It's time consuming.

Anyway, I opened GoDaddy, signed in then clicked "edit" to edit my website. Either GoDaddy is r.e.a.l.l.y slow or my laptop is because each action takes freaking forever. Actually, I suspect it's my laptop.

When I opened Gift Ideas and prepared to add a section, GoDaddy told me I couldn't add another section for the funny hunters t-shirts I was going to market. WHAT?! I can't add another section? What the...? Now what am I going to do?

The answer is: I don't have a clue. The Gift Ideas section is completely full. I don't want to delete anything because it's been a part of the Internet for months. If I delete a section, there goes all the keywords or tags. Pffft... gone.

What if I add another page and call it Gift Ideas Re Deux? Won't that look kind of hinky?

If any of you have a suggestion, I'll listen.

Miller out...

Patience, Grasshopper... Positive Results from Your Marketing Takes Time.

2023-10-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

I'm Not Going to Give Up. Putting One Foot Infront of the Other and Marching On.

Marketing isn't easy when you don't have the money to spend on advertising and you simply have to rely on posting on your blogs, your website(s) and social media. It takes time out of my day instead of doing what I really enjoy which is creating.

I'm in month ten of marketing my Zazzle products and products of others. The commission is really good on promoting others' products, but - again - I really enjoy creating instead of copying and pasting into various resources.

Anyway, my Zazzle store is showing progress. Not enough for my taste, but - still - progress is progress. I should say, I actually did receive a royalty check recently that went straight to bills. Bills that I don't have to pay this month out of my SS check.

My books, on the other hand, aren't showing a lot of progress despite continuous marketing primarily on my blogs. I should do more on social media, but I don't want to dis what few followers I have by over exposing them to a constant barrage of posting about my books.

And, I constantly have to remind myself that keywords or tags take time to weave their way through the web of search engines. It can take months. Or, maybe I not using the right keywords or tags so people aren't able to find me. Ugh.

Everything you do in marketing is a test. The big guy marketers and advertisers will tell you the same thing.

In the end, patience is what is in order... Everyday, patience is the order of the day. So, I'm going to hang in there. It's only been ten months. I would suggest you also hang in there and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

That said... Please check out my children's books for toddlers and preschoolers ages 2 - 5.

Links and images are below.

The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

The Cloud Show

My Brother Had a Dream

2023-09-27T12:35:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog! Today I want to share with you a little bit about my older brother, who is one of the most amazing people I know. He's four years older than me, and he's always been a role model and a mentor for me. We have two other siblings, and we're all very close.

We grew up on a small farm in the countryside, where we enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. We loved running around barefoot in the summer, feeling the grass and the dirt under our feet. We helped our parents with the chores, and we learned a lot from them.

My brother was always very smart and ambitious. He finished high school a year early, and went to college on a scholarship. He joined the ROTC program, and after graduating, he became an air force pilot. He flew an F-16 fighter jet, which is pretty awesome if you ask me. He was ready to defend our country if needed, but luckily he never had to go to war.

He retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel, and then he became a commercial pilot for a major airline. He flew all over the U.S., and met many interesting people. He had a successful career, and he retired with honors.

Now he enjoys traveling for fun, especially to Scotland and Ireland, where our ancestors came from. He loves exploring his roots, and learning about our family history. He also likes to visit us, his siblings, and his nieces and nephews. He's always generous and kind, and he has a great sense of humor.

He's my big brother, and I'm so proud of him. He's gone from a barefooted farm boy to a lieutenant colonel to an airline pilot to a retiree. He's lived a full and adventurous life, and he's still going strong. He's an inspiration to me, and I hope to you too.

Hey, Mom and Grandma, If you have little ones or grandchildren, don't miss my books for preschoolers. They are fun and educational, and they rhyme too! You can get them as eBooks or printed copies. Sample pages below...

The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

The Cloud Show

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2023-09-12T10:07:00.002-05:00

Hey, I know you hate marketing and advertising. I do too. They're annoying, intrusive, and sometimes downright deceptive. But let's face it: they're also necessary if you want to sell something.

Global advertising was expected to reach $780 billion. Of that, digital advertising was expected to reach $492 billion. It is estimated that the United States spent an estimate of $343 billion and an estimate of 63% was spent on the internet. That's an enormous amount of money.

But...

Think about it. How are people going to know about your amazing product or service if you don't tell them? How are you going to stand out from the crowd of competitors who are vying for their attention? How are you going to convince them that you're the best choice for their needs?

Marketing and advertising are not evil. They're tools. And like any tool, they can be used for good or bad purposes. It's up to you to use them ethically and responsibly.

That means being honest, transparent, and respectful. It means providing value, not just hype. It means solving problems, not creating them. It means building relationships, not spamming.

If you do that, you'll find that marketing and advertising can actually be fun and rewarding. You'll get to share your passion with the world, connect with your ideal customers, and grow your business.

I have to admit, I have very little to spend on advertising. I used all of my book royalties to advertise on Facebook, so I spend just about every day posting my products on social media, writing blogs and tending my website. It takes up most of my time, but that's the price I pay in order to get my products known.

So don't be afraid of marketing and advertising. Let loose of a bit of your income whether it's print-on-demand commissions or royalties from your book, or lots of time. Embrace marketing and advertising as an evil necessity if you're selling something.

Check out my children's books for ages 2 - 5. They're beautifully illustrated and make great bedtime stories.

The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

The Cloud Show

The Frustrations of an Author

2023-09-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

I recently started advertising my new children's book, The Cloud Show, on Facebook. My book's potential reach is up to 120 possible purchasers. The demographics of those potential purchasers are women between the ages of 25 and 65. After doing research on demographics of mothers, I left the demographics broad since everything I do from now forward will be tests. And, I included older women because they're grandmothers or grandmothers-to-be. I didn't include education or interests or target parents because – again – everything is a test. My total budget for seven days was $5.

That was the easy part. The hard part? Ah... The hard part was trying to figure out why Facebook (FB) didn't accept my attempt to publish my ad. The worse thing about that is they DIDN'T TELL ME WHY I couldn't place my ad. I didn't know if it was my ad, my demographics, my credit card or the amount of money I was spending.

After working for probably 30 to 45 minutes reading and re-reading the application page, I finally threw my hands up in the air and signed out. I know when to stop, catch my breath, calm myself and take a day.

The next day, I signed into FB and headed to the ad section. Again, I attempted to place the ad. Nope. Ain't gonna happen.

Fine, let's play with the budget slider do-hickey. I slid the button to $8 and voila! The action button high-lighted allowing me to click it. Why didn't they just tell me my total reach for the budget was too low? Why?

Honest to gosh, I've had so many trip-ups self-publishing my books. Ingram doesn't furnish an ISBN number. You have to buy one. Amazon doesn't allow their ISBN numbers to be used in other print-on-demand sites. Barnes and Noble along with Google Play didn't like my meta data nor a couple blank pages. Amazon told me if I wanted to use the cheaper paper, I'd have to publish at least 72 pages. It was only after I researched that I found their paper type minimums. Again, they don't tell you outright. Amateurs don't know that crap.

If you want into a library, you need their wholesaler and an ISBN number. If you want to get into Walmart, you have to have a business license and an ISBN. If you want to go through Walmart's wholesaler, you need an ISBN number.

I know I could hire a marketer/publisher, but then I'd have to split my royalties with him/her.

Yes, yes, I know it's a choice I've made. I'm just telling you that selling your self-published book isn't as easy and simple as bloggers say it is. There's a lot that goes into getting your book on shelves and into certain print-on-demand sites.

I'm not giving up, though. I'm a tenacious sort. I won't be beaten. I'll find a way to make the money I need to buy an ISBN number, find a way to get my books into Google Play and Barnes and Nobel, and – by golly – I'll get into libraries. When? Well, it won't be soon, but that's okay. Working towards those goals gives me something to do.

Please check out my children's books for ages 2 - 5. They're beautifully illustrated and in rhyme. Both are available in POD or eBook.

The Cloud Show

The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

To Settle to Pay the Bills or Do What You Love

2023-08-19T12:39:00.002-05:00

To Settle to Pay the Bills or Do What You Love

Dreams and aspirations are something that we all have, but not everyone pursues them. Some people settle for a job that pays the bills, but doesn't make them happy.

Others follow their passion and try to make a living out of it. And then there are those who do both: they have a job that they enjoy and they also have a hobby that they love.

I'm one of those people. I love writing and I always wanted to be a writer. But I also knew that writing is not a very stable or lucrative career, especially in the beginning. So, I decided to study something else that I was interested in: commercial art. I didn't get my degree in commercial art (I had two toddlers who I was neglecting so, I thought it best to quit college to tend to my babies' needs.) but I was still able to find a job as an advertising layout artist at a retail store. I liked my job because the head of the advertising department taught me the tricks of the trade, he mentored me and advised me.

But I didn't give up on my writing dream. I'm retired and can write pretty much whenever I want, but I usually write on weekends when I'm not fiddling with marketing my print-on-demand store, Visages Gift Store, and my books, The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree plus my latest book, The Cloud Show. I write short children's poems and four different blogs. I've submitted my work to contests and have won prizes. Writing is not only my hobby, but also my side hustle. It gives me extra income and satisfaction.

Some people might think that I'm lucky to have a hobby that I love. And I agree, I am very lucky. But it's not easy to balance marketing Visages Gift Shop and two books. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Sometimes I have to stay up late to finish a writing project or wake up early to meet a deadline. Sometimes I have to say no to social invitations or family gatherings because I need to write or work. Sometimes I feel exhausted or stressed or frustrated.

But it's worth it. Because I'm doing what I love and what makes me happy. And that's what matters the most.

I know that not everyone can do what I do. Some people might have more responsibilities or obligations that prevent them from pursuing their dreams or hobbies. Some people might have different priorities or preferences that make them choose differently. And that's okay. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to dreams and aspirations. Everyone has their own path and their own journey.

But if you have a dream or a hobby that you love, don't give up on it. Find a way to make it happen, even if it's just for yourself. You never know where it might lead you or how it might enrich your life.

2023-08-11T12:38:00.003-05:00

New Children's Book Release:

The Cloud Show

Hi everyone!

Another of my dreams has come true. I've written another book for kids.

I'm super excited to announce that my new children's book, The Cloud Show, has been published on Amazon in eBook and print-on-demand formats. It's a fun and whimsical book that celebrates the different cloud shapes I see in the sky and is written in poem form for ages 2 to 5.

The Cloud Show is perfect for toddlers and kids who love to use their imagination and explore the natural world. It's also a great way to introduce them to some fun cloud shapes and weather concepts. The book is full of colorful illustrations and catchy rhymes that will make you and your kids smile.

If you're looking for a new book to read with your little ones, I hope you'll check out The Cloud Show on Amazon. It's available for only $3.99 as an eBook or $9.99 as a paperback here.

You can find sample pages below. Thank you for your support and happy reading!

2023-07-11T10:13:00.000-05:00

On Being an Entrepreneur

Hey there, fellow entrepreneurs! I'm sure you know how challenging and rewarding it is to pursue your dreams and create something amazing out of nothing. Being an entrepreneur requires courage, stamina, drive and creativity. You have to face uncertainty, risk, competition and rejection every day. You have to work hard, learn fast and adapt quickly. You have to be passionate, resilient and optimistic.

But you also have to be realistic. Success takes time and should be measured in small bits rather than giant leaps. You can't expect to become a millionaire overnight or to have millions of customers in a week. You have to set realistic goals, track your progress and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they are. You have to appreciate the journey, not just the destination.

That's why I want to share with you some tips on how to measure your success as an entrepreneur and how to keep yourself motivated and inspired along the way. These are some of the things that have helped me grow my business and stay sane in this crazy world of entrepreneurship.

Tip #1: Define your vision and mission.

My mission is to complete “want-tos” on my bucket list.
My vision is to leave behind my footprint on this Earth through my art and my book(s); a legacy of sorts. That's not to say I wouldn't enjoy a bit of financial gain from my efforts. (I'm retired so my mission and vision are going to be different from someone who wants to earn a livable wage.)

Tip #2:

Set small goals like getting known. Blog about your adventure in starting a new business.
Another goal is to make sure you start at the same time every day and put in a full day.
Also, post on social media a discription of your business then post a little something about that day's challenge.
Make sure you let your friends and family know what you're doing.

Tip #3:

Keep at it. Don't give up. It's frustrating at times. It's discouraging at times. My son started his own business five years ago. He removes unwanted wild animals from homes and businesses. He wasn't a success overnight and Covid certainly threw a wrench in the works as well as Google changing algorithms, but he has tenacity. Plus, he has to make a living.

To end this, I'm going to do number two and work on getting myself known. Below are the latest print-on-demand designs from my Zazzle store, Visages Gift Store.

Abstract Labrador Art Coffee Mug
by Visages

Abstract Labrador Art T-Shirts
by Visages

Abstract Labrador Art Can Cooler Coozie
by Visages

Abstract Labrador Art Doormat or Rug
by Visages

Abstract Labrador Art Throw Pillow
by Visages

Abstract Labrador Art Blanket
by Visages

Abstract Labrador Art Pillar Candle
by Visages

On Being Retired

2023-06-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

Retirement... It Can be a Challenge

I retired at 62 which is early. Official full retirement age is 65. I retired because I was working a mediocre job and wasn't kept busy enough. Since I lived with my son and his family (paying rent, of course), I felt I could afford to simply stop working. I had really been looking forward to not working anymore for several years. Forty-four years of working is plenty.

The first few years were easy peasy. I painted art pieces, made jewelry, crocheted a crap ton of Afghans for family and outfits for my new grandson, and enjoyed unlimited television.

Then the day came when I could no longer live with my son and his family. It wasn't working out as we all had hoped. I'm now living in a room in a trailer owned by a 79-year-old woman. I've no place to paint canvases or watercolor paper and I'm bored with jewelry making. Overall, I was just bored. BORED!

I thought about looking for a job, but not for long. There was no way I was going to find an Art Director job. I'd been away from it for too long. Besides, I live in an art drenched city with a killer art college just up the road. The kids coming out of that place are very talented and - frankly - I'm not up for competition. I'm 67 and done with that crap.

Ugh! A job. I didn't wanna. I didn't want to work some menial, lifeless, boring job. What to do?

I remembered I had started a Zazzle store, Visages Gift Store, back in 2011. It got to the point where I was receiving checks every other month and sometimes a couple of months in a row. Because I had neglected it for so long, there were 200 and some odd pages of product that needed attention. It took some time, but I got everything back up and available for people to see then hopefully buy.

Then I headed to my blogs, Zazzling Gifts, Dreams Come True, and Miller's Wrapped Expression. I hadn't blogged in a while, so I was a bit rusty. Still, here I am blogging away.

Next was creating a website. I had used GoDaddy in the past so I stuck with it. As frustratingly slow as it was (and still is), I managed to get a semblance of a site up I named Visages Gift Store which is - coincidently - the name of my Zazzle store.

And I wrote a children's book, The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree, that I'm marketing. With no revenue yet coming in from the updated Visages Gift Store, I'm having to find creative and free ways to market. Research is very time consuming. Yet, there are ways to market through social media, blogging and having a website.

Funny thing. I'm not bored anymore. I'm busier than I have been in years. I'm productive which is a must-do for retired folks. Several of my friends have bought my book, my blog stats have increased substantially, and Visages Gift Store is selling again. In two or three months, I'll have my first check from them. In another few months, I'll get a check from Amazon from my book sales.

Dreams come true, but - dang - is it ever a lot of work!

2023-06-21T11:38:00.001-05:00

Adventures in Self-publishing and Marketing My Book, The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

I'm going to make this as brief as possible. This is basically an outline of all that I've done since finishing my first children's book June 3, 2023. I've never self-published before so I had to learn everything from scratch.

I wrote a book and illustrated, The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree. I uploaded it to Amazon's Kid's Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble and Kobo after satisfying the different formats each company demanded. It wasn't easy, but I got it done.

JPG Cover Image

Now I'm marketing my self-published book rather than going through an aggregator/marketer. Aggregators/marketers take a percentage of the profits as does each of the previously mentioned companies. Remember, those companies also charge you for printing so price your book accordingly.

Researching marketing ideas was overwhelming. Where do I start? I don't have extra money to advertise so I need ideas that cost very little to nothing. I'm retired and live on Social Security.

On a phone call with my son, I told him I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the marketing research for self-publishers I was doing; that I didn't know where to start. Well, my 42-year-old is wise. “Take one at a time,” he said. With that advise in mind, that's exactly what I did and it helped a lot.

First, I hit all of my social media and registered on those that I wasn't a member of. One day, I put a picture of my book cover and wrote an announcement that I had written and published my first children's book. My friends were thrilled for me. First one friend then another then yet another bought my book.

Two days later, I took two sample pages of my book, turned them into PDFs and placed them on all of my social media. A couple of more sales came from that.

I also used the same steps with all my blogs that I had done with my social media.

Next, in my research, it was suggested that I create a website. For about $12, I created a website on GoDaddy. Creating a website is daunting and very slow. For every one thing I did, I had to wait a few seconds for the task to complete. It wasn't instantaneous as I had hoped it would be. Add several seconds to each task on GoDaddy and it adds up to many minutes.

My website, Visages Gift Store, is still in construction, but I've published the pages that I had created thus far which includes announcing my book.

Next on the list was creating a video. Again, I had to research free video-making software. I settled on Microsoft's Clipchamp.com since I'm a member of Microsoft. I spent hours learning the web-based software, but at the end of the day, it was done. I introduced myself and added illustrations from The LittleBear and the Lollipop Tree.

The following day, I added the video to all my social media (or those that allowed it. One or two didn't.) as well as to my blogs (posted here on June 19, 2023) and website.

A couple of days ago, during my research, one of the “self-publishing experts” suggested using hash tags. Since I didn't know anything about hash tags and how they work I had to read about hash tag application and usage. I headed back to all of my social media and blogs. I have to hash tag!

Now I'm writing this blog outlining my adventure. I'll copy and paste it to all of my blogs as well as my website.

If you're on this same adventure, be sure to leave me a comment about your experiences. I'd love to hear from you.

One last thought: You have essentially started a new business. You'll spend eight hours a day reading, learning and applying what you've learned. Don't forget to take breaks and eat.

2023-06-19T10:25:00.002-05:00

Meet Me, Deborah Miller, and View Illustrations From My New Book, The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

You can find my book at Amazon available on eBook or in print-on-demand. Click here.

2023-06-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

My New Children's Book, The Little Bear

and the Lollipop Tree

My new can now be printed on demand. For just $2.99 you can order the eBook
here to see if you like it. If you enjoy the colorful illustrations and the bedtime story, the print-on-demand version is just $7.99.

Here are a couple of sample pages for you to see. My bio follows the sample pages.

Deborah Miller is a retired commercial artist, former Art Director of automotive magazines and Operations Manager of a wristwatch magazine.

She's an artist who has been commissioned to produce a variety of art. Several of her art pieces are displayed on print-on-demand products that she has sold all over the world. She has won contests for her designs and her writing.

Deborah spent the first 15 years of her life on a farm in Kansas but then moved to Lawrence, KS, with her mother who was a High School English teacher.

She has two children, three brothers, one grandchild plus four step-grandchildren. She's the aunt of five nieces and nephews, and great aunt of one.

She wrote her first short story when she was 14 and has dreamed of writing books ever since.

2023-06-06T11:56:00.008-05:00

Children's Book: A Great Gift for Kids

It's finally published and up on three book sites now. I'm so excited.

Let me introduce The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree. I hope you consider purchasing it for your 3 to 5 year old. It's available for $2.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Soon, it will be available on Google Play Books.

2023-06-04T11:44:00.004-05:00

Another Dream Come True

I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish hanging on my closet door. The list wasn't anything too far out of reach. I didn't include wanting to be a millionaire (because I don't really want to be one) nor did I include travelling to Scotland (where my ancestors are from) and staying in a luxury hotel. My - we'll call it bucket list - was simple.

I wanted to write songs. I wrote one for my brother converting the letters of his first name and that of his bride's into music notes. For instance, the letter K converted to a musical note would be F on a music scale. It was my wedding present to them.

I wanted to sell my paintings and get commissioned. It happened to my delight. I also wanted to sell my art on products available through print-on-demand. I currently use Zazzle and have been categorized as a "Bronze Pro". I've sold assorted products in several countries in Europe and to someone in Australia, and - of course - the U.S.

I've entered writing and art contests and won prizes.

But the biggest of all my wants on my bucket list was to write and sell a book. Well, I've written it and it's in the midst of being published on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as an eBook. It takes three days to become live on their websites, so I don't have links to either yet. Below is the cover of The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree.

I still have a few more publishers to upload to, but it's a chore. It isn't as easy as bloggers make it sound and believe me, I've read a lot! You have to jump through hoops providing a W-4 and other personal information. But that wasn't my problem.

'Just upload your book and earn money' is a load of crap. Well, except for Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon has its own free book-making software you can download. It was easy to upload my illustrations and paste in my text then hit "publish".

Barnes & Noble was another story. It took two long days of trying to accommodate their requirements. The problem was my book is illustration heavy. That means if your book is text only and created in Word, you'll have no problem. If you want pictures, you're better off creating an EPUB. Did I mention Barnes & Noble doesn't accept PDFs? And, they don't have their own software like Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing.

The end of my story (because I don't want to make this too long) is that I spent over 17 hours figuring out how to turn my PDF into an EPUB. (Barnes & Noble doesn't recognize Amazon's book version.) Oh, it's done. The configuration isn't exactly the way I want it, but it's on its way to being published.

Sadly, after it's published, I need to make a correction. One of their mandatory questions I had to answer was "Contributor" with no clear explanation of what that even meant. I took it to mean who helped me with my book, so I included my brother's name because he proofread it. Turns out that they listed him as the author and when I tried changing the name in the "Contributor" section, I couldn't because it was currently under way of being published. At this point, I'm banging my head on my bed's headboard.

Maybe one day I'll blog about the assorted software different bloggers (who make themselves out to be experts) convinced me to use and that turned out to be utterly useless.

Still, another of my dreams has come true! How exciting is that?

2023-05-26T11:23:00.004-05:00

Earn a Little Extra Money

  Face it, prices have sky-rocketed over the past few years. It's become a bit harder to make our dollars stretch especially for us seniors whose Social Security checks and retirement savings are minimal. For example, today while grocery shopping I took a look at a package of six boiled eggs. The price was nearly $4.00! It wasn't long ago that I could buy that same package of boiled eggs for under $3.00. On top of the rising prices of groceries, my auto insurance went up a whopping 60% from 2021 to now.  After I panicked, I began to take action. Along with cutting down on my driving (I'm retired) I also cut out some grocery staples and treats then I began looking into ways to earn a few extra dollars. 

First up, I opened a Zazzle account. Zazzle is a Print on Demand site that you can join as an associate/affiliate. You don't have to be an artist. Instead, you'll refer and sell other people's products to earn a commission of 15% which is a pretty nice commission. It's pretty simple to sign up and Zazzle is there to help. What benefits you, benefits them. How to Join the Associates Program – Zazzle Help Center.

  Once I set up my account and was assigned an associate ID, I found popular products that I liked and began sharing links on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and my Google Blogger account. Most people I've noticed don't have a blog or a website but only use social media for their referral links.  Within two months, I made my first sale. The next month I made two sales. That may not sound like much, but it takes a bit to rise from nothing and – honestly – every little bit helps.  For the Referral Program, the minimum pay out is $50 by check or PayPal.  Zazzle Royalty and Referral Percentages – Zazzle Help Center.

 Along with the Referral Program, I signed up for Refer-A-Friend program (Zazzle Refer-a-Friend Program – Zazzle Help Center). For every qualified friend or family member, you'll receive $25 to spend at Zazzle. I'm thinking Christmas, birthday, and other holiday gifts for any reward I may receive. As well, your friend or family member will also receive a reward.  That's it. Easy peasy.

2023-05-21T11:32:00.001-05:00

Best Selling Invitations in my Zazzle Store, Visages Gift Store

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to share with you some of my best-selling creations on Zazzle, a print on demand site like Vistaprint and CafePress. Invitations of all sorts are my best-selling products on Zazzle, and I love designing them for different occasions. Whether it's a birthday party, a wedding, a baby shower, or a graduation, I have something for everyone. Check out some of my favorites below and let me know what you think!

People love vintage pictures

Reunion Dinner Picture Invitation
by Visages

This is an actual 1950s picture of some of my family that I had no idea would be so popular. When I started Zazzle in 2011, I was creating anything and everything in order to earn money. I had no clue what would sell. At nearly 1,200 printed copies, this reunion invitation is the best-selling invitation in my store.

Cowboy Snowman Christmas Party Invitations and Christmas Cards

Cute Folk Art Cowboy Snowman Christmas
by Visages

Coming in at number two at just over 1,000 printed pieces are my Cowboy Snowman Christmas cards and invitations. I came up with the idea of a cowboy snowman while dating a Texan ten years ago. I've been creating them nearly every year since.

Bridal Shower Invitations

Green Victorian Flourish Filigree Bridal Shower
by Visages

Nobody can go wrong selling Bridal Shower invitations.

2023-05-05T12:24:00.002-05:00

A Dream Come True

This little girl was created in chalk pastel over watercolor wash on watercolor paper.

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share with you my journey as an artist. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming an artist. I loved drawing, painting, crafts, and anything that involved creativity. I spent hours and hours practicing my skills and learning from other artists. I never gave up on my dream, even when it seemed impossible.

After years of work, my dream came true. I started to get recognition for my art and people started to buy it. I was amazed and grateful that people appreciated my work and wanted to support me. Now I sell art all over the world. I have customers from different countries and cultures who enjoy my art. It's such a rewarding feeling to know that my art can touch someone's heart and make them happy.

Painting created in acrylic on canvas.

I'm so thankful for this opportunity and for all the people who helped me along the way. I hope to inspire other aspiring artists to follow their dreams and never give up. Art is a beautiful way to express yourself and connect with others. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more updates on my art!

Look for Truth and Don't Blindly Follow

2013-04-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

April 15, 2013

An Open Letter to my Children

Many concerns for our country have surfaced over the past several years. This in turn fuels my concern for my children who will be directly affected, and are all ready being affected.

It's my intent to help fuel desire to find truth, even if it's not what you want to read or hear. It's my desire and hope that you be well informed with truth and nothing but the truth that I write this.

In my many years of experience with the internet – basically since its public inception – I have found I can find any truth I want to find. That is to say: Anything I believe to be the truth should I do a search on the internet the chances are I will find it. It's like a little prize that supports what I “know” versus my being wrong. Nobody likes being wrong and the more my being right is stoked the more likely I will be to pass on the information regardless of its correctness.

I have learned over the past years I have to take what I read on the internet with a grain of salt. I have learned not to take someone's word as fact; learned that despite one's well intentions that they may be misguided therefore incorrect. I have learned that to glean a more accurate truth I must change my search terms – sometimes to quite the opposite of whatever it is I want to know.

It is the same with TV news and printed newspapers. So called information is bandied about as accurate when in fact it is nothing more than iterations of special interest groups' talking heads – and worst – our government no matter if the government is conservative or liberal.

So this brings me to the word “trust”. In my youth I trusted the news media. I trusted they would give me all the information as well as factual information. It was the same with books I read. I absorbed the information without question. I felt well-informed about subjects of which I cared.

Let me give you one example that has stuck with me over the years. It was during Bill Clinton's presidency. I voted for him his first term in office. I believed him, was certain he would not lie because who would have the audacity to lie to millions of people with the chance of getting caught in telling a non-truth? I felt this about all of our important delegates despite Nixon's Watergate coverup.

I remember watching President Clinton's face close up on camera and saying without so much as a twitch, “I did not have sex with that woman.” Now – of course – we know differently but back then I believed him, and why wouldn't I? I didn't question but merely accepted because I trusted him.

That, my darlings, was the beginning my questioning information of concern or importance I obtain or am fed via any venue in regards to and such as social, civil, economic, environmental, and political.

We all know 1+1=2 but suddenly one day – for example – a renown university tells us that is incorrect. We have been wrong all along; that actually 1+1=3. This is an extremely simplified example but one I think illustrates what it is I'm working to convey to you. So here we are. A well known and respected university tells us we've been wrong for all these many years. As a human being, I have a choice. I can choose to believe or I can question the validity.

To not question, to not mull around the information, to not ponder to find questions, to not wonder what effect the information has on you, your family, friends, children, and all citizens as a whole (if it so affects them) is to toss away an opportunity to not only advance yourself but others around you, to perhaps make the world a bit better for (future) others who follow you, to leave behind a footprint of truth however big or small it is.

To not ask yourself: “How will this affect current and future generations? How does this benefit (or not) me, my family and friends, my town, country, city, state and all of the United States now and in the future?” To blindly follow and not ask yourself those questions is a commonality, a trait I hope to never, ever find in myself.

So, truth. It is easily hidden in agendas. Stalin, Marx, Hitler, Nixon and many more past, present and future have and will find a way to make their truth your truth. Ask yourself how it can be your truth when - really – all you're doing is trusting one of many other sources where perhaps the real answer lies. It is up to you and you alone to find the answer. Does 1+1=2 or =3?

Dream of Unique Gifts Ideas

2012-04-06T08:46:00.000-05:00

During these trying times - economically speaking, that is - it's sometimes difficult to come up with gift ideas for - say - birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and holidays.

I like the word cheap but the apparent politically correct thing to say is inexpensive. Inexpensive gifts aren't necessarily lower quality these days. Stores where you find inexpensive items are pushing to get the more elite crowd into their buildings and to do so the items can not be substandard.

Still, to find a unique gift is not always easily achieved especially if the someone you're purchase for all ready has just about everything they'd ever want or need. This - of course - means dreaming up or using your imagination to either make or buy that unique gift you want to give.

Personalizing a gift is always a winner. You will never go wrong in buying or making something specific for the gift recipient with their name, nickname, a special date or a picture of some sort of something they are just ga-ga over. Here's a for instance: Three years ago, my mother wanted me to wood burn a picture she had of my dad sitting a horse with a deer in his lap. I scanned, traced then wood burned the image onto a plaque of soft wood from a local hobby store. For some it would be easy; for others not so much.

A walking stick made from a 1-inch-in-diameter sapling and allowing the kids to paint it with names, dates, pictures or whatever is a fun idea. So what if the receiver of the gift isn't into hiking? So what if the gift-receiver isn't into primitive or rustic decor? The point is to have fun and to give something personal.

Then there are gag gifts. Two years ago for my mother's birthday I gave her a partially used roll of toilet paper wrapped with a single sheet of paper around the middle. I had found and printed a really cute vintage image then added the words, "For the mom who has everything EXCEPT a partially used roll of toilet paper wrapped with a cute image." She got a kick out of it and still has it displayed in her spare bathroom for all to see.

During another event for Mother, I created cute snack sized candy wrappers, printed them and wrapped several snack sized chocolate bars; found a small vase, some Styrofoam, lollipop sticks and made her a candy bar bouquet. She absolutely went nuts over it; oooed and ahhhed like a small child.

Take a picture of something they love like tulips, have a 5x7 or 8x10 printed then frame it, or put it on a T shirt, mug, magnet, or a keepsake plate. You can even add family photos of grandchildren, bride and groom, or an early picture of the gift recipient. These days it isn't hard to add photos to T shirts, mugs, key chains or other items. All you have to do is head to Zazzle where you'll find loads of gifts to personalize with photographs and your own wording.

Red & Pink Tulips Pictures by Visages

More Tulips Keychains

Featured here is a key chain with a picture of tulips I took not far from where I live.

Or, if you have kids have them draw a picture then apply it to a magnet. Of course, if you'll need a scanner or a friend who has a scanner to turn the works of art into digital files.

Paint a T shirt... Here's a tutorial on how to paint a t shirt with acrylic craft paints. The paint DOES NOT wash out or stain other clothing in the washer. This is a perfect project for kids. And for the little kids who aren't quite ready to paint on their own, simply apply paint to their hands then press them on to the shirt to make hand prints for relatives or god parents.

Need other ideas? Just contact me and between the two of us we'll come up with something ideal for your gift recipient.

Have fun!

Dream to Make a Change

2011-12-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you but I've had up to my eyeballs with all the economic crap going on these days. And I'm especially tired of the law breaking within corporations that takes advantage of the little folk; people of the congress using information not readily available to the general public to make themselves richer; unemployment topping out at 9 point something percent.

It's all just too much to wrap my brain around and I'm damn mad at every single one of the so-and-sos in my above list which led me to a dream to line them all up Three Stooges style then smacking them. Greedy, inconsiderate, lying thugs, every last one of 'em.

When Bank of America announced they were going to add a five dollar monthly fee to accounts using debit cards I came unglued and marched straight to my computer then wrote them a letter telling them if they did charge us for using our debit cards that I was changing banks. Period. Apparently many did change banks and many did write BOA voicing their strong opposition to the charge.

Hurray for us! We effectively dismantled BOA's plan to add more money to their bottom line.

My dream of physically smacking some people didn't come true but I was part of a band of people who - through disgust and action - made a change.

Aspire to make change whether it's a personal cause, correcting a multimillion dollar business or whatever. And don't sit on your hands whining that things suck and there's nothing you can do about it. Some times there is something you can do about it. It's just a matter of taking action.

There. That's my two cents worth.

Repurpose an Old Throw Pillow

2011-11-01T17:10:00.000-05:00

What to do with an Old Throw Pillow

Who doesn't like sock monkeys? Am I right?

Here's the scenario: I was at the Goodwill Store looking for odds and ends to repurpose when I remembered I needed stuffing for the bird sculptures I was making. Rather than buying new packaged fiber stuffing, I buy used throw pillows and use the fiber fill from them. Way cheaper - and cost effective - if you sell your crafts. I headed toward the decorative pillow section, found what I needed then headed to the checkout counter.

Weeks later after I'd made my birds sculptures (patterns found on the web), I kept looking at the cover of the pillow that now lay limp and ripped open trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. Goodness knows that I would never trash an item perfectly good for something.


Colorful repurposed throw pillow case

Well, as you can see I finally decided what to do with the pillow case. This sock monkey is absolutely colorful with the orange, lime green, burgundy and blue. I finished him (or her) off with some old buttons I found in my great grandmother's old treadle sewing machine drawers.

Sock monkey patterns can be found anywhere on the web. Just search "sock monkey pattern" and you'll come up with a goo-gaw of patterns. Or if you're brave, come up with your own design like I did.

Visit my Squidoo lens:
TShirt History and How to Personalize

Finished sock monkey

Visages Introduces 9 New Products to Customize Presentatioin
or watch the video

Another Dream Comes True

2011-10-11T05:44:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't enjoy winning a prize and making another aspiration come true? I know I do and was taken by complete surprise when I received an email announcing I had won 2nd place in a writing contest.

Below is my entry for Write that Photo Contest (blog) put on by Kara Stewart, owner of Art in Photography web site and ArtinPhotography Zazzle store. You can read the winning entry at Write that Photo Contest.

Take a look at her blog, photography and Zazzle store. She's an excellent photographer and has wonderful gift items in her store.

I hope you enjoy both short stories. Please note: My story is incomplete and was meant to be an excerpt for the contest entry only.

Gracie and Her Pumpkins

Grace raised herself off her knees then stepped back as she swiped her hands. She pointed her face to the clear Spring sky and hoped rain would soon come to wet the garden soil in which she had planted seven pumpkin seeds. The seeds wold never germinate if they didn't get water soon.

Grace loved Autumn; the colors, the smells and most of all large round pumpkins. She didn't know why she loved pumpkins. She didn't plan on entering them into any contests and she certainly wasn't going to butcher them for pumpkin pie though Lord knows she did love pumpkin pie.

She tilted her head down and stared at the ground to ponder this odd obsession. Her three brothers, mom and dad, aunts, uncles and cousins thought she was a might titched upstairs and didn't bother hiding their opinion of her odd interest in pumpkins from her. In the Spring – the time she planted her seeds – she would begin hearing the comments.

“Mom, are you sure you didn't adopt Gracie? She's so weird about those stupid pumpkin seeds. Yesterday I caught her doing a rain dance around them,” said Jason, the red headed, blue eyed second oldest brother.

But Grace wasn't bothered by his opinions. If anyone looked or acted like they were adopted, it was Jason. Grace looked most like her mother with dark hair, long legs and neck, and trim features although she had her father's dark eyes. The remaining two brothers looked like their father who also had dark hair but he was short in stature and brawny about the shoulders and arms as though he had worked at bending metal upon an anvil like the old time guys in westerns.

Yes, as far as she was concerned it was Jason who was the adopted one not her.

When she looked up at the clear sky again she felt a small twitch of worry in her stomach. This wasn't uncommon. She always felt a bit worried the seeds would die from thirst, and their suffering touched her plenty; touched her as though they were small babies left on their own to survive; and like babies, the seeds could not defend themselves or feed themselves. They were left in the arms of Mother Nature.

The days turned into weeks that turned into months until it was finally fall. Grace had watched the progress of the seeds from the moment they broke ground throughout their growth of leaves then blossoms then fruit. Small pumpkins, wee things no larger than a marble appeared one after another. All seven of her plants produced ; she didn't loose one plant. While watching their progress during the summer months she often talked to them, did her rain dance and suffered ridicule from her family members. But eventually the day came when the pumpkins looked like pumpkins;solid, orange, large and round nestled upon the ground in contact with the soil. Grace was certain the soil and pumpkins talked to one another throughout the day and night when one or the other was interested in conversation.

What the two would say to one another Grace wasn't sure except for knowing without so much as a doubt the pumpkins were grateful to the soil for ensuring nutrition. Water and soil; put the two together and you can create life.

On a morning late in September when Grace was headed to the end of the driveway where the school bus would stop to pick her up along with her brothers, Grace strolled through the garden and brushed each pumpkin softly with her hand as she had done since the pumpkins were large enough to touch. But this day, this cloudy, misty, cool day she thought the pumpkins trembled beneath her touch. Shaking her head in disbelief she continued to the end of the driveway to wait.

Her day couldn't pass quickly enough for her. She thought about and wondered about the reaction the pumpkins had to her touch. She wanted to get back home, run her fingers over the pumpkins again to see if they really trembled or if she imagined they trembled. Finally, the school bus stopped at the end of her driveway. Her brothers rushed ahead of her after shoving her down in her seat. Nonplussed, she quickly scrambled up and rushed after them then ran the whole way to the garden where her pumpkins waited for her.

She stood at the garden's edge breathing hard from the run. She wanted to wait until she had caught her breath; she didn't want anything to contaminate her test of the pumpkins. Once her breathing had slowed, she walked up to the first pumpkin and held out her free hand, grasping her books in the other, and prepared to walk between the enormous fruit. Slowly she walked along one side then down the other while brushing each pumpkin with her fingertips. Just as they had done in the morning before school, each one trembled and vibrated or she thought, “shivered” as her fingers glided along the smooth skins. After she had finished, she remained at the end of the rows and stared at the group, heart pounding at the base of her throat, wondering if she should make a report to her mother of what she had discovered.

Instead, she directed questions toward the two rows.

“Are you trying to tell me something? Am I hurting you when I touch your skin? Are you uncomfortable?

But she got no answer. Not one pumpkin reacted to her questions. For a moment after she finished asking the pumpkins her questions, she thought – for only a moment, mind you – they would somehow communicate with her and put to rest what she was now going to be dreaming about in her sleep and while awake: Are the pumpkins conscious?

Half disappointed and half disgusted, she made her way over the muddy path to the old farm house. She entered the back porch allowing the screen door to slam behind her then shoved open the old door that separated the porch from the kitchen.

“Did you have a good day, Hon?” her mother said while peeling a large potato to put into a pot of stew.

“It was okay,” said Grace. She continued walking, avoiding her mother's concerned gaze and climbed the stairs to her room she fortunately didn't have to share with any of her brothers allowing her privacy to brood over the days event with the pumpkins.

“Why are they doing that?” she wondered. “I must be obsessing to much. Maybe I'm crazy.”

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