Expense Tracking

Every now and then I like to contribute to a little blog called the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.  I get regular queries from them asking for my advice on various topics.  Most of the time it is for something that I don't have much experience with.  But every now and then I get a query for a topic that I have experience with and I can make a contribution.  This topic happens to be about expense tracking.  It is one of those tricky things that is very easy to ignore, yet very necessary to any business in order for it to succeed.  So if you are interested in  some excellent ideas on ways to keep your expenses in order, then check out the blog today:


Toilet Paper Entrepreneur: Tracking Expenses

SOLD! Two Beautiful Paintings!

 Windbreak - 8x10

Snow Covered Fence -16x20

Two of my favorite paintings sold yesterday to a lovely friend of mine here in San Jose.  She saw the winter painting in my Etsy Shop and fell in love with it.  When she came over to my house to look at it in person, she also saw the row of yellow trees and fell in love all over again.  She said that it "just made her happy".  I know exactly what she means.  Windbreak has always made me happy.  It is so bright and colorful and just plain cheerful. 

If you ask me, she has very good taste when it comes to selecting artwork!

Just remember that I am offering 10% off in my shop.  Just enter the code DENA10 at checkout to receive your discount!

Resource For Packaging and Shipping Your Art or Craft

I stumbled upon a great website today.  (I love it when that happens!)  I was looking for cellophane bags to place some of my prints, and even some of my originals, into for storage and shipping to reduce wear and dust.The website's name is Paper Mart.  They sell anything from ribbon to metal jars to cellophane bags to janitorial supplies.  I personally didn't browse through the janitorial supplies, but they are there if you are interested.

I was completely blown away by the number of products they had, and the prices they offered them at.  I found it to be a fantastic resource for just about anyone that needs to add a little professionalism to their packaging and thought I would share.  If you are looking for somewhere to buy nice little packages to sell your bath products, makeup, lotions, food items, or just about any other type of craft, Paper Mart would be a good place to look.

Of course, I was very interested in their air float art boxes. Art boxes are very expensive when bought at retail prices.  These air float boxes are very affordable and will keep artwork safe and undamaged during shipping.  They also have a wide array of shipping tubes available for a very reasonable price.  Shipping tubes are another one of those very expensive items to buy at a retail store.

I looked around a few websites before I decided that this one was worth recommending.  There a few things to consider about this website:

Price
They had the cheapest price out of everywhere that I looked.  Sure having all the bells and whistles is great, but when it comes down to doing business, it's the numbers that matter.

No Minimum Order
One of the pesky things I found at other websites was their minimum order requirement.  While there is no minimum order, you will be charged a $3 small package fee for orders under $15.  However, the same fee on other sites was $7 for orders under $40, so it is definitely a better bet to go with Paper Mart.

Shipping
Shipping is always one of those things that make me choke during checkout. Paper Mart uses FedEx ground shipping and they have competitive pricing.  It is still very expensive, though.  On an order of $25.50, my shipping total came out to $17.51.  So yes, their prices are fantastic, but the shipping is a bit of a turnoff.

Visit to the Triton Museum of Art

Today our playgroup met up at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara.  I have to admit, it was absolute chaos.  After several of the paintings on display had been very roughly patted, tapped, or rubbed by enthusiastic toddlers (I kept my kids hands squeezed very tightly in mine so that they were not guilty of any offense), the kind Museum staff quietly suggested we take our group outside to the park nearby. 

We stayed at the park for a little over an hour.  When everyone was starting to pack their things and leave, my 3 year old told me that she needed to use a potty.  The only one around was in the museum.  So we decided to brave it one more time and go inside.  The receptionist was so kind and showed us right to the restroom.  After we came back out, my 3 year old again had something to tell me.

"Mom, I wanna look at the art."  She said in a very serious voice.

"You want to look at the art?" I was a little skeptical because just an hour before, all she wanted to do was run and jump and yell with her friends.

"Yes.  I like the monster one over there.  Look!  He doesn't have any eyes.  They all fell out!"  She was pointing at an exhibit of anti-consumerism paintings on a nearby wall.

I figured it couldn't hurt to take another spin through the museum, as long as my kids didn't touch anything.  They held my hands very nicely and we walked through each exhibit and looked at every painting, discussing each one.  It is amazing to me how my 3 year old can pick out things in paintings that I never notice.  We talked about the different colors, picked out our favorites, and tried to decide what some abstract art looked like.  We were correct in our assessment of the abstract art.  We guessed that it looked like the beach, and then we saw the name of the exhibit, "Pacific Paintings" by Kenjilo Nanao. They were these beautiful, enormous paintings that simulated coastal scenes.

I am so glad that we went back in the museum and took another stroll through.  My kids had a lot of fun looking at the artwork and talking about them, and I got a chance to look at all the exhibits as well. 

Autumn Medley is SOLD! (Prints Now Available)

Autumn Medley sold earlier this week!  This is another one of those paintings that I just loved.  The colors are so bright and warm, it makes me want to sit down with a cup of hot apple cider and a slice of pumpkin bread.

I had some prints made, so if you are feeling sad that you missed out on the original, you can still buy a reproduction for $16.00 (+$3 for shipping) in my Etsy shop.  The prints are the same size as the original, 9 x 6, and look great when they are matted and framed either in a 5 x 7 mat or at their original size. It makes a fantastic Christmas gift!

Remember to enter the code DENA10 for 10% off at checkout!

Thought Provoking Lyrics

The other night I attended a function that was hosted by my church and we all sang the song "Have I Done Any Good?" as part of the evening. The lyrics of the second verse really seemed to hit home for me. I thought I would share them here.

There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, "Sometime I'll try,"
But go and do something today.
'Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love's labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.  

Text and music: Will L. Thompson, 1847-1909, alt.

So when you are struggling to feel motivated to get up and do something, think of the words to this song.  Remember that you can improve the world around you if you only look for opportunities to do so.

Autumn Brilliance is SOLD!

Autumn Brilliance is SOLD!  It sold on Etsy last week.  I have always loved this painting.  It has such bright, crisp fall colors that just make me happy.  People always ask if it is hard for me to part with my artwork.  I tell them no, because I create each and every piece of art with the hope that it will bring joy to someone else.

I had a lot of local friends whisper, "Darn!" to themselves when this piece sold.  It was a general favorite.  I still have several pieces available in my Etsy shop, and I am working on getting more things listed as well.  You can follow my blog or just continue to stop by to know when I post new artwork to my shop and to see when they sell. 

Inspirational Quote

"Trust in the Lord. Believe in Him. Study His words. The Lord will bless you with the courage to do the things that are most important in your life." - M. Russell Ballard