Boost Your Zazzle by Using PromotiGraphics

If you purchase quality graphics or letter art from Project Isabella they come with built in advertising for what you create on Zazzle. Those using the Print On Demand Company Zazzle to create merchandise such as T Shirts, mugs and device cases are usually creative souls already, so why should they go out of their way to buy graphics to boost their Zazzle designs?

I have some great reasons and I am building a business around them - I want to hear you scream about Zazzle sales!

If you haven't heard of Zazzle, then as a quick explanation I would tell you that it is a Print on Demand service that allows creative folk to place images they have rights to use on all manner of things that the company will then print and send to you, or place in a online store and display it for someone else to purchase. If you would like to see a store feel free rummage in my own Zazzle store. Zazzle isn't the only Print On Demand (POD) set up, there are others such as Cafepress, Society6 and more.

So, back to to the point I am writing about today, I call my system PromotiGraphics and here are some reasons why you should consider using graphics from Project Isabella Graphic Workshop with PromotiGraphics to boost your Zazzle exposure and sales.

1. It's good for your store to vary up your work a bit and add new elements, as someone who creates images and graphics for a living I constantly find it is some of my least favourite things that sell, not everyone has your taste or style. Using graphics that push your Zazzle designs out of your normal groove will increase your exposure and potentially boost your sales.
2. It's good for your own creativity and artistic development to work with new tools and elements on a regular basis, why not use elements that are good value for money and offer promotion for your Zazzle store.
3. Project Isabella Graphics contain built in advertising, this means if you use them your item and the Zazzle store it is in will be promoted across many Social Media account and on the website at Project Isabella.
4. The PromotiGraphic catalogue is growing with many themes and each the the themes at Project Isabella contains hundreds of images, so you are by no means going to be struggling to be inspired. You are also able to post requests for custom items or to suggest the next items to be uploaded that have already been created. There is no need to feel like Project Isabella will not be able to produce something you can use in your next creative project.

Graphics with built in PromotiGraphics service can be purchased so far, on Etsy or at the Project Isabella website, other sites are being made available too.

It's not only Zazzlers that can use PromotiGraphics - but I am hoping some Zazzlers will like this as we know that boosting our store traffic to this growing marketplace is what it takes to sell our goodies.

Pinterest for Kick Ass Market Research

 

Pinterest is certainly fun to use and once you are in the swing, it is very compelling, inspiring and frankly hard to stop. Thankfully for my business it has a number of positives so now I can schedule pinning and know it's actually part of my working day - and that pleases me no end!

My business Project Isabella creates graphics, so before I sit down and start on a new batch or a certain subject I start a pin board on that subject. If you took a look at my board Fairy you would know that I pinned over three hundred - yes 300 images from all over the internet on the subject of fairy. I searched Pinterest for pins that contained the word "fairy" and also searched for boards that used the word "fairy".

So how does all this pinning of images of other people's fairies help my business? Surely that is just promoting other people's artwork? So to put pay to that attitude I would like to share the ways this activity helps me.

1. I have established that images of fairies are very popular. There are many boards, pins and pinners for this subject.

2. The subject matter remains active, I know this because when I pin Fairy things they are quickly repinned.

3. The Fairy topic includes vintage and modern material, this interests me as the subject is not a fad of a fleeting fashion pinning frenzy so it should stick around some more - definitely long enough for me to put together my collection of fairies and get them to store.

4. I have been able to study the popular images of fairy that can help me understand some artistic elements such as poses, lighting, colours and attitudes.

5. I can follow where fairies on my board get pinned to - for example is it to a board named "I love these" - or "Things not to touch with a mile long stick"

6. Basically I get the opportunity to study my subject matter and observe the traits of the most successful images as wells as observe the demand for such images. That is pretty good market research and it did not cost me anything other than a small amount of time, time I belief I can happily justify.

I don't think we have ever had to hand such a powerful tool to utilise in Market Research for artists and illustrators and I can confirm that for me it worked - a fairy figure was the first I sold in my new business - and here it is on my clients t shirt.

Brilliant!

You can visit this T Shirt at its store at Who Has Your Back?

So I have done my research on Fairies and now I have images of fairies that I have created for sale and a Pinterest board followed by fairy hungry followers - I wonder what could happen next?

Day 19 Book review! The Name of The Wind @_PVBOnline Daily Challenge

Book review! Which is your favourite book? Why?

I do have a favourite book and it is the first of 3 books. It is the only time I have read a book and then waited impatiently for the second part, I marked it on a calendar and wouldn’t you know it, it got delayed it was awful to have to wait. The second part did arrive eventually and it was brilliant too – now I wait for the third – I’m not good at waiting.

My favourite book is “he Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss and it’s the only time I have rammed a book through someone else's door just so they could read it and we could talk about it. I also wanted to check that it wasn’t my imagination on how beautifully it was written.

Apparently I wasn’t wrong it is indeed a wonderful piece of writing. However my reading chum and I did disagree regarding the main character. I am not sure whether that has something to do with us being different genders. In some books you are guided quite plainly on how you should feel about a character. Kvothe is the protagonist and in these books I honestly don’t believe we guided in our feelings. Having since looked at readers reactions on Amazon then I’m not the only one. There is one discussion titled “Is it just me or is Kvothe a git?” Notice it is a question!

My friend did not feel the character was flawed enough and this gave him a sense of of dis-ease, I however wasn’t as disturbed by him but wasn’t entirely sure I would want him as a friend.

The Name of the Wind is a big romp of a fantasy tale with magic, evil bad guys and a large landscape with travel. I would heartily encourage anyone to read it and then to read it again and revel in the language used.

Listen to this

'I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

My name is Kvothe.

You may have heard of me'

Seriously go and read this and if you are disappointed I’d really like to know why.

Day 17 How do you relax and wind down? @_PVBOnline Daily Blog Challenge

I could so easily give the wrong answer here! At first glance it would seem that creating graphics and fiddling about re-skinning 3D models would be the thing to state. Others around me may even suggest that too. I often get part way through the week and after having a hard slog at the social media, SEO, the website, setting up databases to carry out repetitive tasks I will state out loud – “I’m going to have to make something or I will go crackers!” Then I do that and I feel better. But that isn’t winding down and relaxing that is just getting rid of the anxiety of the fact that I haven’t got to the favourite part of my job.
When you are setting up a new business there is a ridiculous amount of things to tackle, learn and slog through. If you don’t know how you tick and how to do that vital winding down you will burn out rather rapidly. It’s good to know yourself and be honest about it if you are your own boss.
I do feel a great sense of soothing through My Quiet Man, he rarely speaks so he does not aggravate and more than that, where I am fidgety and flamboyant, even flappy (despite actually not wanting to be any of these things) he is peaceful, quiet and calm. His very presence serves as a wonderful salve to my flighty spirit and that is great, however for self preservation I cannot claim that as my answer. I don’t think it is wise to pin a basic life necessity on another person, find them in yourself no one can take them away then!
So to wind down and relax I drink and talk rubbish. I can do this with anyone it doesn’t have to be established friends. Just talk about the big things, the small things, the funny things and do a bit of gentle friendly arguing. Have fun! That’s how I do it.
On the whole this generally happens with friends because they are around you already but as I have said in previous posts I travelled extensively when programming and it was mostly on my own and could be for weeks rather than a weekend. Learning to cope on your own and find social settings that work is a great thing and it has brought me much joy, learning and laughter.
How do you relax and wind down?

Day 15 My most cherished belonging? @_PVBOnline

My most cherished belonging is my computer, not a particular computer but whatever I have to hand that serves the purpose I am trying to fulfil.

I wasn’t geeky straight away in life, it came to me in 1992 when I took a 6 month programming course in C. That was from a standing start and only from using other peoples word processors to do my degree in a not so geeky theology course. I had taken some aptitude tracking things that apparently showed that this sort of study in programming would suit me.

I cherish the ability I have to learn and communicate with computers. I now cherish the fulfilment I get through creating with my computer – I honestly feel a bit lost and lonely when I don’t have it near by.

Day 14 Take us to your favourite place.

My favourite place is the North Yorkshire Moors. This area of the country and it’s landscape I find profoundly moving. There are some stunning little villages and cosy nooks but I really love the desolate looking bleak parts.

I have rounded up a few pictures so you can have a look for yourself.

 

Day 12 Create something. Take photos and show us what you have created. @_PVBOnline Daily Blog

Today is about creating so I could have cheated and just pointed at nearly every product I have on my website as many of them include pictures and they state how it’s done. I haven’t done that though and it was out with the scissor’s, glue and child. It’s no good doing clever crafts and not sharing them with your child, that is part of the fun.

So I started with a new digital scrapbooking kit that I am making in collaboration with @babylonblu who makes jewellery. I mentioned in a post last week that I had managed to forge business connections on twitter and the work had been progressing nicely and today marked the day I wanted to do some prototype boxes from the kit that has been put together with @babylonblu.

So I opened up my BabylonBlu mixed kit (to be released soon) in Serif CraftArtist. then I opened a box template.

I used some of the backgrounds and embellishments to start making some box designs. With a kit like this you could honestly hand the controls to a drunk, colour-blind chimp and the chances are they would make something appealing. Its a case of drag and drop and woop de doop.

Yeah that’s not describing it very well is it. When I haven’t got everyone here I will be adding some videos on my YouTube channel that shows how that goes. In the meantime have a sneaky look in the kit.

Then it was off to the printer (trot over to another desk) with the designs. After that I went shopping and left Blurt to do the cutting out and folding. I reappeared having foraged locally and stuck them together.

Ta-da 3 Prototype Boxes.

Day 9 Outfit of the day. What are you wearing today? @_PVBOnline

Well I work in a workshop so today I was wearing overalls, hard hat and goggles. I don’t like the boots – they rub so I go bare foot.

Actually this blog post title sounds so much like some rather odd calls I’ve been receiving lately that ask the same thing.

Project Isabella Graphic Workshop is in my home and some days I do dress up for it because I like it. Sometimes a ball gown and a trench coat other times my overalls.

I never wear hi-viz though that would be just silly – no one to see me!

I also like to answer the door with a running chain saw in my hand  – it keeps people guessing on what the hell goes on in here and keeps the post man polite when there are customs charges.

Some of this is true – it’s up to you to decide which bits!

Day 8 My favourite quote and why? @_PVBOnline Daily Challenge

My favourite quote is Farmer Mr Hogget in the film ‘Babe’ saying, “That will do pig, that’ll do”. There are so many reasons why this is a favourite. There maybe some spoiler alerts if you haven't watched it – and if you haven't go and do it and then come back.
1. Babe the piglet has just accomplished a task rare and precious. To achieve that he needed the backing of a character that hated him (the male sheep dog) – he got it in the end, by being himself.
2. To accomplish the task of winning the show he need some insider secrets and he got these from the sheep. He got the secret because they had learned to trust him due to to the time he had acted to protect them.
3. Babe accomplished something unique and was willing to be laughed at in order to prove himself.
4. Farmer Hogget danced for that pig and that moved me so much I well up when I think of it.
5. Babe faced the complete truth about himself and his place in the world, admittedly at first he was depressed but with some encouragement and some dancing from someone who cared he rallies round.
So many lessons for life about friendship, trust, faith in one another, acceptance, and the need to encourage are all rammed in this closing sentence – “That'll do pig.”
On that note I’ll also share one of my new pig graphics, these have not been uploaded to Project Isabella yet but this is one of my many - It’s a Kind of Paisley Pig.

Day 7–Goals for the next 6 month– Daily Challenge @_PVBOnline

So it’s a week since the start of the daily challenges began and it’s been such a busy week.

I do have goals for the next 6 months and I’ve made a solid start at achieving them over the last couple of days.

This is one of my goals.

By the New Year which will be the six month marker I want to have made 12 business art collaborations with Handmade Jewellery makers.

I am just working on the first one and bedding the method in to which I will be working to and next week should see the full launch.

I also have another service to do with handmade dolls and toys that I need to map out and pitch to the appropriate clients.

This is a short one again to today as I am working hard to get the first kit ready.

Day 5 Post a favourite photo of yourself. @_PVBOnline Blog Challenge

I genuinely don't have many pictures of myself. However last week I unearthed in an old box a card wallet full of little memory gems – the picture below is from a gym membership card for a gym in the town where I once worked in Berkhamsted. This is from between 1997 and 1998. I am unable to recall the route to the gym but I can recall the pubs, sandwich shop and even the dentist. So I surmise from those memories that I didn't go to this gym very much.


I like this picture from my very limited supply because of it’s position. It’s in a wallet which is a snapshot of what sometimes feels like a previous life.
The other things in the wallet fill out the picture a bit.
Optician card – I am short sighted
Hair dressing card – clearly optimistic there – ha ha my hair is always big and wild even after a hairdresser tries to restrain it.
Membership card for Clay Pigeon shooting – oh yes I used to sling a 12 bore and 20 gauge about with glee!
Membership for snooker card – I used to play snooker and they used to stock cheap beer – winner!
Gold Privilege Card for The Brand Centre – a clothes hunters paradise it claims.
A picture of Alan Shearer
A picture of Peter Beardsley
Australian Business Access Card – it’s like a working card – I was programming then and supporting clients all over the world.
and
A Hot Sausage Saver Card.
Well I think that lots tells a little story. I now have a different name, a child and live 200 miles from Berkhamsted and haven’t left the country since the millennium.

Day 4 Something I’m good at.

The task for todays blog is .. Day 4 (5th of July) Create a post on something you're good at. What is it? Tell us how you go about doing it. Why are you good at it?

OK so I’m not going to get girly and English about this and start making a list of the things I’m bad at, I am going to do what is asked and deliver. I have a whole load of things that I do for my business that I am good at, graphics and patterns and all sorts of glorious things and for the main part I show how they are done you can have a look at the Make Snake and see for yourself.

But in this blog I think I should maybe talk about something that has occupied some of my time today and that was as a result of the #GBHour twitter chat.

If you haven’t heard about twitter chats they come in all shapes and sizes a good place to source them is at The Chat Diary. It’s a great way of meeting new twitter people that share interests.

For home based and lone workers the chance to stop and chat for a bit can be great.

For the business based ones it’s an opportunity to let people know what you are doing and to hear what they are up to. Where possible if you require something say so and see if it can be found.

OK so why am I talking about this? Well I happen to have been proven on more than one occasion to be good at it and been awarded in several venues for good twitter action. But more importantly the activity has brought real value to me. The social contact is welcome as I spend more time putting hair on 3D mice and tweaking pixels than I do talking to people so the twitter thing is great for me and an important part of my day.

So in the social venues – go chat, share and laugh no real strategy involved just use the same common courtesy as you would if you were having a proper conversation and remember that potentially the whole world can see – so don’t go bitching!

In particular I’d like to mention the business twitter chats – these can get manic and hosts can and do get thrown in twitter jail. The energy required is manic but real connections can be found in all this madness. First of all people attending have already proved that they are outgoing and wish to push themselves which means they are often approachable if you need their services or would like to discuss a joint venture or collaboration.

The busy ness of the business twitter may benefit from a little organisation before you go in. Prepare a little text file with the things you would like to say including the hashtags that are required to participate.  These can be things about yourself, your business, requests or how you wish to connect. Throw your Facebook page in the hat if you have one but take the effort to visit the pages of those who have bothered to visit you.

Do follow as many people as you can within the chat and retweet as much as you can – that’s how it works – don’t be the one who drops by leaves information and then does not follow others or retweet it does not go unnoticed and it communicates poorly on your business – if for some reason you do not think retweeting and this sort of action is not appropriate for your business twitter stream then it’s simple what you need to do – something else - don’t take part.

And I can’t say this enough – when you click on a hashtag it drops into the search screen – make sure you select ALL on this stream and not leave it on TOP as you will be missing a lot of the action.

Anyway I am pleased with my twitter chats and this is how I found my latest collaboration with @BabylonBlu – go visit. I’ll have some updates on this next week. 

Shattered after the manic twitter today.

This is how I became involved in 3D Art

Is there something you do regularly, at the heart of you that you would feel a lesser being without? It may be music, sport, work, art tools or software? I’ll be asking that question at the end of this post. I looked back the other day in my blog to discuss how I came to use filter forge – one of the programs I use most on my PC, both as a tool and recreationally. If you read the other post on how I used it in my own self prescribed art therapy then you will have realised that I have an emotional and well-being links to my artwork and the programs I use. As a result of that I discovered I wanted to disclose the path I took to use the 3D programs I use regularly. So it all started with me having a sort of story in my head with quite distinct pictures, I have developed this a bit more over at TheRailwaychild.com, but not as much as I should have due to time constraints. I really could do with a 55 hour day and only need 2 hours sleep, and a 3 day weekend away from work (or not work at all!). The story idea and main thread came about after a short burst of mentor/counselling I had. So I had pictures in my head. I have a natural ability to draw, and a good degree of training but the pictures in my head this time I knew were not going to be satisfied with what I can produce with my own hands so I waited and they were in my head developing and growing, the ideas pushing on with no outlet that was satisfying. A few weeks into this I opened my PC Pro magazine and there was a give-away of Bryce 5 – I always have installed such packages and never seem undeterred that my experience is often poor and that if I don’t “get it” in the first half hour then I stop and give up. My computer gaming is the same. I won’t persevere unless I can completely foresee that I could with some effort make it work and fun for me. Bryce somehow clicked and I was excited I could immediately make something and it looked stunning. So I read the manual (yeah I bet loads of people ditch software without even reading the manual) and I went to the website of the company who had just taken it on and were now giving it away. Daz3d. From that website Daz3D.com I instantly realised that they not only had a cheap upgrade to Bryce 6 from 5 but they had a whole stash of wonderful things (people, trees, vehicles) that were precisely what I needed to get the pictures out of my head and in a format I could share with others. It was like walking into a little software paradise. If I put my business head on here and look at what happened to my experience I can only congratulate Daz on their business sense in their ability to realise that giving something away (loss to them) would lead me to spend loads of money with them (leader). Bryce 5 was a loss leader for Daz. So glad I took it. In my next post I want to develop my stages through various software packages and how I use them. I’d love to know how you came to be connected with the tools you use. Is it pure business or is there an emotionally affinity. This does not have to be about art or software either. Is there something you do regularly that is at the heart of you that you would feel a lesser being without. It may be music, sport, work, art tools or software?

How I treated the Blues with Filter Forge

From previous posts you will know that I have found Filter Forge a fantastic tool that I use regularly for art both 2D Digital Art and for developing materials for 3D art. In this post I wanted to mention one other way it has helped me.

In the summer of last year my chaotic life took some even more catastrophic turns. I lost my job, the dog died and I lost my home – any one of those events was enough to put me in poor spirits but all 3 together in one season left me in a precarious emotional state. I blogged a little about it at the time, but not a lot as clearly I was too busy being in a mess and for some time had no internet connection!

Creatively I was burned out and I was having strange visions and quite dark thoughts. Part of me wanted to draw or digitally create the dark pictures in my head to exorcise them but then I rethought that approach and realised that it may not be helpful to my emotional well being to actively focus on the darkness.

So I turned to Filter Forge and chose 2 colours – Yellow because it represents light which can signify goodness and hope. Green because it is the colour of growth and life. I focused on making patterns with these 2 colours – the tasks had to be simple as my mood was making it very hard to concentrate. I limited my palette to focus my thoughts. I already knew how to use Filter Forge and in these sessions I was not creating filters I was simply messing with the basics of the package, tweaking and clicking

At the time I did not feel hopeful or joyful but continued to make patterns with these things in mind. I stored them all in a folder and the ones I liked best I submitted to RedBubble. Some of them are now my favourite work.

The rhythm and patterns and colour I found very helpful and I know there is such a thing as Art Therapy and I wonder if I accidentally self prescribed some Art Therapy for myself in these hard times. Looking back I doubt anyone else could have prescribed better.

If your creativity dries up due to stress, tiredness or depression I personally would recommend downloading the trial version of Filter Forge if you don’t already own it, grabbing some of the nearly 6000 free filters – and then click through and make yourself something beautiful even if you don’t feel it.

Filter Forge is marketed as an Adobe Photshop plugin but it can be run on Corel Paintshop Pro or as a standalone program.

I will over the next few weeks be returning to Filter Forge and have a look at how it is used.

I am quite aware that this may all sound a schmolzy or some such word – but the truth is often stranger or more icky than fiction.

I have actually shot past my 10 day free artrage stencils

But I have so much more I want to give! So I'll do these today and I'll occasionally drop some more in BUT what I will do is bundle all the free ones I do make into a zip file which I will keep updating and I'll put that in my website at blurtsmum.com which I have now committed myself to updating properly and that will launch properly on the 1st of March -- I'm going to be looking for articles from my arty network too so do get in touch if you have anything. I have enjoyed making the artrage stencils so much that I am also going to make more and create a paid for version too - with a lot more things in! Of course it will be ridiculously cheap and I'll be running some tutorials on how I made them so you can just get on and make some yourself too! Anyway the day before yesterday I hinted at the 8 legged folks and some more interesting lights beams so I'll pop these up now. oooh AND spider webs!

Why I use Filter Forge nearly every day.

I’m taking time out today from creating and giving free stencils for Artrage to talk about Filter Forge. I have mentioned it a lot while creating the filters and when I have made up example work.

I was introduced to Filter Forge in a very round about way. I am a fan of Geekatplay.com and I put in request for some training to use Mapzone which is a free filter making tool which is very powerful but has a steep learning curve – so steep in fact that I never really got off the ground with – I may yet push on with that – I don’t like to be beat.

Geekatplay.com responded that at that time they weren’t considering mapzone training but they would be putting in some sessions on Filter Forge. I must say I was actually a bit disappointed because Filter Forge wasn’t free and was a Photoshop plug – which at that time I didn’t use. I watched the training anyway which was fascinating and learned that Filter Forge would also plug into Coral Paint Shop Pro AND would run stand alone. Now that I could handle! So I set to and downloaded the trial version.

The trial version is a full version unlimited for a month – which is fabulous as you can get stuck in using the repository of nearly 6000 filters made by the Filter Forge users and Administrators and you can start making your own, use them and submit them to Filter Forge Library for others to use.

When you submit a Filter to the Filter Forge Library it’s use is monitored and if it is used to a High degree (High User – HU) you get a point – and yes POINTS DO MAKE PRIZES! In fact you can win copies of Filter Forge – brilliant!

To quote from the site

To get a reward, you must earn a sufficient number of Reward Points. In our current reward program, 1 Reward Point equals 1 High Usage Rank filter. Once a filter attains the rank, it will count towards your future rewards, even if it loses its Usage Rank later.

Here are the rewards you can receive:

• 1 Reward Point = 20% discount coupon for any edition of Filter Forge
• 2 Reward Points = 50% discount coupon for any edition of Filter Forge
• 3 Reward Points = a free copy of Filter Forge Professional Edition
• 4 Reward Points = 5 coupons for a 30% discount each for any edition of Filter Forge
• 5 Reward Points = free lifetime upgrades to all future versions

Filters fall into categories in 2 main camps – 1 camp is where the filter messes about with a submitted image and the other is where patterns and textures etc are created with no image to start on.

These 2 camps are broken down into these categories

Texture Filters

• Building – Textures found in architecture and building, such as bricks, pavements, tiles etc.
• Frames – Picture frame textures.
• Misc – Abstract textures or textures that do not fit into any other category
• Organic – Organic textures such as meat, skin, flesh, leaves, etc.
• Patterns – Textures with regularly repeated shapes, colors, motifs, etc.
• Snippets – Filters that illustrate ideas or techniques of interest to the filter development community
• Stone – Stone and rock textures, natural and processed.
• Techno – Any textures related to industry and technology, such as circuits, rusty metal, diamond plates etc.

Effect Filters - the ones that mess with an image

• Creative – Effects that modify images in various creative ways.
• Distortions – Effects that distort, deform or reshape the original image.
• Frame – Effects that create a frame around the original image.
• Misc – Effects that do not fit into any other category.
• Patterns – Effects that produce patterns based on the original image.
• Photo – Photo enhancement operations and effects.
• Snippets – Filters that illustrate ideas or techniques of interest to the filter development community.

Having played furiously with the downloaded trial I then purchased the standard version (Financial reasons) which was delightful! BUT for me with the programming brain (dying to edit and create my own filters which you can’t in standard version) and wishing to submit images to Redbubble at around the 7000px mark (limited to 300px) it was a bit limiting so I had to save up again and buy the professional version.

I honestly now use Filter Forge nearly everyday – sometimes to do something useful and task driven and sometimes just to play.

Speaking of playing! -- My 12 year old God son came to stay for a weekend the other month. I gather he was a bit reluctant and would rather have stayed at home and hung about with his best mate (as you would!). On this occasion the adults ruled and his stuff was packed up and he came on over to stay. I can’t say I really went out of my way to entertain him in fact on Saturday I had a bit of a bad head from indulging at a party the previous evening and I skulked off back to bed for a bit. What I did do was set him loose with Filter Forge – I have never seen the lad so engrossed! And his Mum when she picked him up was overwhelmed by how much he prattled on about the fun he had had and that he should come round more often!

It was nice to share and that’s what I’m trying to do here.

So ……

If you need patterns

If you need to design materials for characters

If you need funky alien skin

If you want to make stencils

If you want to brighten up your art work and photos

If you want to entertain a teenager

If you want materials for any 3d project

If you want to self medicate pattern making to get over the blues (I’ll explain that one another time - probably next week)

If you want some fun and excitement

Then download Filter Forge – try out the trial version and see what you can come up with.

Look out for Blurtsmum – I’m in there and I have a few filters.

Hope to see you submitting filters.

You light up my life - with free artrage stencils

I'm going to post this set of free stencils today and then tomorrow I'm going to take a break and have a chat about the product I used most in developing the stencils and one I use everyday. Filter Forge This set of stencils is about adding light or the illusion of light at least - I worked with flares of light the other day and on this post I'd like to share beams of light. I'll continue the following day with some more intricate beams and a set of organic patterns by some eight legged friends.

Sunsets and birds free stencils for artrage

I posted last week a few simple sky stencils for artrage. This week I'd like to advance on that with some more intricate sky stencils which can be used as sunsets. Experiment with these to develop interesting texture and don't forget you can invert them to enhance highlights AND you do know you do not have to set out with a simple white piece of paper. Use your layers well and experiment a lot. Also last week I started off a picture using the stylised trees and a sky and the hills - it became clear to me that we needed some birds so as a special sunset treat I have here 3 stencils of birds winging their way home for the evening. These last stencils with the birds on were made using Ron's Brushes Which is a great product and if you need a lot of birds to compliment your outdoor scenes then you will get them here at a very reasonable price.

Solar Flares and such stencils for artrage

Here are some flares so you can add lights stars and solar flares to your artrage images. You can use these with the heavenly bodies that I put up earlier or any other images you are creating in artrage. If you put them to good use I would love to see your work. Happy Creating.

Heavenly Bodies Artrage Stencils for Free

Last week I produced a bunch of stencils that could be used for developing landscapes. After I had done the sky I thought some more and realised that we needed some heavenly bodies -- you know planets, moons etc. So that is what this post is for. I doubt I'll have spare time this week to play with artrage myself but if you do and you use any of these then let me know and we could share them here if you liked. OK then heavenly bodies There are only 3 here but I'll make it up by adding some solar flare stencils before I get to bed.