tartx

Hope you are having a lovely summer. . .I am busy working on the new Tartx apparel line and I will not be blogging until it is done. See you this coming fall. Xo

Mizuko in Her Octopus Garden (Click for Supersize) Illio Friday topic - Garden

So I was almost done with this piece just needed a shadow here or there, another blade of grass, etc. I go to turn my computer on and it has crashed. Luckily, after spending the entire weekend working and thanks to information on the internets I was finally able to get it back up and running. Which made me so frickin’ happy since this piece is comprised of about 200 layers and I had added about 50 layers since backing it up externally. Of course I immediately backed up everything!! Must remember to always - always - regularly back things up.
Not sure if she is done yet. . .needs more work I think but gotta step away to decide what needs work. Getting close though. . .

I have been working on some other projects that I should be able to post soon. Also, some freebies coming up that I just did not have time to finish. Here is one of my more recent lighted pieces. Also, click for Supersize.

So before I go I wanted to share some art business-y info and stuff.

If you don’t do bunches of shipping the rest of this post will be hella boring. Sorry!
For the past few months shipping has just been a different world for me. A lot of shipping. . .a lot. I came across a service called Endicia. Oh so awesome! Unfortunately, it is not free, it’s $9/month for the basic service. You can buy and print postage from your computer like you can with Paypal (which is a free service). There multi-shipping service rocks you do all your labels at once and you can set presets for things you ship often but you can only use it for Domestic shipping! Such a bummer! Which is why finding Endicia was just fabulous! When you do your International labels it also fills out your customs form and combines it with your shipping label. Ah. . .no pesky green customs form to fill out by hand for each and every package anymore. Unlike Click and Ship and Paypal it works for First Class International not just Priority Mail. Most excellently with this type of customs form you don’t have to wait in line to give it to an actual person anymore! Just stick in the mail, drop it off at the post, etc.

Both Endicia and Paypal let you print out a SCAN form. Oh the SCAN form. . .how do I love thee. I add Delivery Confirmation to all my packages just for my piece of mind that way I can tell when something was delivered. What a lot of people do not realize though is that Delivery Confirmation is not tracking. It is just Confirmation of Delivery and often times the package will not be scanned until it is delivered. Sometimes even after it has been a few days since the package has been dropped off when you click on the Delivery Confirmation link it still says “USPS has been notified by the shipper to expect a package”. Ugh!! Now to a customer this makes it look like their package has not been dropped off yet. Also, it does not prove you actually shipped the item. The SCAN form is just one piece of paper your print out that contains a master barcode that represents all the packages in a shipment. When I put that with my packages the post scans that and that changes all my Delivery Confirmation links to “Shipment Accepted”. So that eliminates extra emails for me because now the customer can see that the package was indeed delivered and has entered into the Post’s mail stream.

Now that best part they offer low cost domestic and International insurance that you can use for First Class or Priority Mail, etc.

• Domestic - $1.10 per $100.00 value
• International - $2.10 per 100.00 value.

The costs get lower as well if you have better plans that is for the standard plan. Oh and also for domestic first class I can use these labels that get 4 to a page. You can also insert graphics, your logo, change the font to spiffy up your label. http://www.onlinelabels.com/ol5100.htm They also have cute circle and oval labels! Of course you gotta pack things cute so labels get cut with my lovely Carl. Mmmmm. . .decorative edges!

Anyway - it has been a life saver since there is not an insurance option from the post when sending things First Class International. Now I don’t have to fret when I send out expensive orders and wholesale orders overseas. Well, speaking of shipping I am done with todays and I gotta go squeeze in some art time. Deadlines! Plus, I really need to get out and visit peoples blogs! I just keep slinking away from the virtual world. I don’t know why I just know that I adore my well. . I don’t what to call it. . my actual world. Back soon. Xo, Tex

Carousel Americana - click for Supersize

This is one of the projects I have been working on over the past month the print is now in the shop. This piece was commissioned for a project that I can not spill the beans about yet. The Carousel is pieced together from old etchings and then colored in Photoshop. After finishing the piece I thought these winged horses would make fabulous Photoshop brushes. They are on the big side as this piece is just shy of 4 gigabytes. I did size the horses down a tad to make the brushes but they are still pretty big. However, I figure you can shrink them down easier than you can enlarge them.

I whipped out a quick set so help yourself - click on the picture for the download. These were made in CS3. I own all the images - of course use them for whatever you want. Commercial, not commercial, credit me, don’t credit me it is all good with me. thumb

It has just been a whirlwind these past few months. Lately, packing is taking about 6-8 hours a day. Which is kind of fun - I usually just jam out to music or listen to books on tape. My last book was Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. I adore his TV series No Reservations on the Travel channel. If you have not seen it before I highly recommend it! Anyway, the book is fabulous - sort of a cross between a memoir and a behind-the-scenes expose of the restaurant kitchen business. He is a great writer and his baritone voice is just right for an audio book. He is funny, irreverent, mildly obscene and crass with quite a big dash of humility. So as I listen to that I pack. . .spicing the packages up with freebies and stickers, etc. Which just makes packing more fun. However, packing tape is always so dull - I have come across a few nice ornamental tapes but I wanted my own. I went ahead and designed some and had a case of it made. Here is a piece of it on black paper - is it not just so cool?

My show at The Boulder Library is still up for a few more days. (I also have the art vending machine there).

November 30-January 6— Legends, Myths and Fanciful Tales Retold (Work by Tiffini Elektra X)
Public Reception: Friday, November 30, 5-7 p.m. in the Canyon Gallery

I am so very excited about it and will definitely post pictures and everything. I am really looking forward to showing some of my new pieces printed with my new Epson 7800 large format printer. It is the most amazing thing. . .ever! An early xmas present lets just say. There is just something so cool about seeing some of these pieces so huge! I just love it and I will be adding large prints to the shop soonish. I am not much for rolling a print up in a tube so I spent quite a lot of time investigating the best methods. I finally have that all narrowed down and I am waiting for my special packing materials so they can ship very well protected and flat.

Before I go a couple of links to suggest:

Trunkt, a juried shopping guide to independent artists and designers. This gorgeous site is so filled with amazing talent and creativity. You can sign up for a free wish list account and rate portfolios and things like that. I am still working on my portfolio it is listed under tartx
I definitely recommend checking it out - just a ton of inspiring beautiful items.

Jenny Hart’s interview at VenusZine. I thought this was just great. It really just summarizes what it takes to start and keep a business going. (This is only the first installment as well - can not wait for more!)

Have a fabulous rest of the week! I will be visiting soon. . .now that the holidays are over. . . I will finally have some free time! Xo Tiffini

I have had the most lovely month off from zee blog. It has just been a frickin’ lovely summer. I have been preparing for a couple of art shows. Ignoring the computer as much as possible. Now I am back on “the internets”. . .a bazillion bloggies to visit. Fall just around the corner. Halo 3 on the way. . . It just does not get better.

After seeing the illio friday topic Visitors it just seemed like a good idea to just take a day, sit down and do a piece. I dig this girl anyway. I used her on this light box and have always wanted to extract her from that old cabinet card. It could still use some work but I am really liking the direction the piece is going. I love the thought of these characters from various fairy-tales living in a perpetual state of wanting to relive their big moment. . .the 15 min of fame - if you will. Always on the lookout for another child to come around and play.

^{Recruiting A New Alice} - illio friday topic Visitors - Click for Super-size.

Also - in my time off “In This House” came out.

Oh I am so happy with it - dang Angela and Sarah did a fantastic job. My work is showcased through Chapter11. My inspiration came from Carmilla, the fantastic short story of a female vampire by J. Sheridan LeFanu. Illustrating the story with old etchings and antique engravings. If you have never read the story - you should it is so fantastic.

You can even download it for free. . although I am not much for reading a whole book on the computer myself. More of a tactile thing reading is - I think.

Oh and speaking of those fabulous gals (Ang and Sarah) they also have a new zine out. It is such a cool format 8.5 x 8.5. I love that size! It came out just so wonderfully. Glossy pages full of fabulous art. I am also honored to be the first artist interview in their new venture. You know, I am so impressed with what I have seen from lulu so far. I also have a friend who used them to put out her own book. Anyway, for anyone looking for a way to self publish something. . scope out lulu.

Well, making this short and sweet. I do have some fun freebies coming soon - just was not ready yet. However, I am back in the swing of things so I will be seeing you very soon. Xo