vol.25

New Overlay Set- Once Upon A Time plus storewide 50% off!

Shannon seems to be the queen of dreamy and whimsical... I had SOO many adorable images to choose from!

New Once Upon A Time Overlay set use code SUMMERSALE to save 50% off on this set, and anything else in the shop. :)

This set was a blast to work on... it was suggested as an idea for a futute set (via my facebook page) and I was immediately inspired! It was one of those sets where everything just seemed to fall into place. :) I can really see me doing a follow up set. If I do... what would you like to see in the next set?

 

 

Digital Eye Candy - 50% Off SUMMER SALE

To kick of Summer Vacation I am having a 50% off Summer sale in my digital shop! :) That means, anything/everything in my digital shop is half off. I thought blogging about the sale would give me a great opportunity to share my favorite overlay sets with you... you know so I can play around with them again!? :)

My favorite set of all time is the Clouds and Rain Overlay set:

I just love how easy they are to work into just about ANY photo. Image Credit: Shannon Sewell

Another favorite of mine (and my best selling set!!) is the Family Ties Overlay set.

Image credits: Simply Rosie Photography

I can't leave out the Peace and Love Overlay set- definitely one of my faves!!

Image Credits Shannon Sewell

Which overlay sets do you find yourself using the most!?

Use code SUMMERSALE to save 50% OFF!! Jump to the digital shop HERE.

I have soo much blogging to catch up on. Today I'm feeling run-down, so it may be a good time to try and catch up on my blogging... I am fortunate to not have very many allergies, but I think all the wild mustard seed flowers and Queen Anne's Lace growing around our property are finally starting to bother me. Actually though, I am caught up on all my etsy orders, so it would be a good day to work on a new scrapbooking/album templates I've been brainstorming for months.

Happy Mid-week!!

Using Eye Candy Overlays on your instagram photos

Hi!! Have you seen  elsie's fun new app ( abeautifulmess )? It works in conjunction with instagram and really represents her style and I know it was a lot of hard work building and getting the app developed, so congrats are in order for them seeing it through! :)

However, if you are an android user like myself, you are probably a little disssapointed that the app is only available for the iphone. I completely understand why, and elsie says that she hasnt forgotten us android users... so I expect it to hit the playstore at some point in time. :) BUT, until then did you know that you can kinda still feel like part of the in-crowd and utilize your existing eye candy overlay library? Using the same concept but done via your computer and uploaded to instagram after the fact?

See, you just need to:

1) Open your photo in photoshop, crop it square.

2) Apply your overlay(s) and save as JPEG

3) Download an uploader tool like gramblr (it is free and available HERE) This allows you to upload any square photo from your computer to your instagram account... kind of magical really. ;)

4) Sign into gramblr with your instagram account and upload your jpeg wih your Digital Eye Candy Overlay, add a caption, and click upload! :) Super simple.

I had fun going back through old images, and looking at them in new light with the overlays.

Photo above using overlays from the Rockstar and Blog elements 3 Overlay sets

Photo above using overlay from the Vintage Camera Overlay set

photo above using overlay from blog elements 3 overlay set

Photo above using overlay from the Rockstar Overlay set

Photo above using an overlay from the Peace and Love Overlay set

Photo above using an overlay from the rockstar overlay set

Photos above used with the new square blog post templates

I would love to see you give new life to your VOL25 Digital Eye Candy Overlays! Tag your photos either #vol25 or #digitaleyecandy ! Happy Wednesday!!!! p.s. be sure and follow me over on instagram HERE or under the name VOL25 :)

Quote #119 + last day to save in both shops!

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? The weather was really nice here in the Methow Valley. I have been working on making a set of drftwood wind chimes, and finally finished them up. I'll get up an official post in the next couple of days... but I shared updates on instagram as I worked on them little by little. :) I pulled colors from this throw pillow I bought at Target.

I wanted to be sure and remind everyone that TODAY is the last day to save 50% off in the digital shop... and the very last day to receive free shipping in my etsy shop. There is always at least one person that misses the sale, so I wanted to be sure and remind everyone that at midnight tonight, both sales will expire. :)

DIGITAL SHOP 50% OFF Sale with code: MOM

VOL25 ETSY SHOP FREE shipping: FORMOM

I hope you have a great monday! I'm working on a new senior overlay set- and I *hope* to finish it up today!

Digital Eye Candy storewide 50% Off Mother's Day sale + new square blogging templates

BLOG BLING- SQUARE EDITION 

Blog Bling | Blog Post Templates are styled templates set up for photoshop. Their main purpose is to make your blog posts memorable, and personal by introducing a styled regular themed feature post. Readers will look forward to coming back to a blog they feel is organized, consistent and unique. I've been designing similar goodies for my own personal blog for years, and decided I should offer something similar to others who lack the time or knowledge to create their own.

Square Photo Blogging template Features:

"Square" was created as a way of sharing your instagram photos. If you are anything like me, instagram has been somewhat life changing. Sure, I have had a camera on my cell phone for years... but it just wasnt the same thing as instagram. I have over a 1,000 photos on my personal instagram account, and sometimes I just really want a quick stylish way of blogging some of those photos. These templates enable that to be done. Each template features square cropping templates, making them super compatible with your square instagram photos. :)

What are Blog Post Templates?

This listing include 5 .psd templates that are opened and altered in Photoshop, saved as a JPEG than uploaded as an image in a blog post. You can use them quickly exactly as they are... simply adding your own pictures and saving. You can grab your instagram photos by either viewing them online and saving them to your pc.. or by downloading them to your computer via the cord supplied with your phone. You can even copy and paste them directly into the psd's.

Also: The Instagram photos shown in examples are courtesy of Calikatrina.  She has a suuper inspiring blog as well as an etsy shop! :) Thank you Katrina!

 

Working on: Square blog post templates perfect for blogging your instagram photos

 

See!? The above is an example of the new templates, and how you can use them. I pulled the pictures above from my instagram feed HERE. I just opened the photo I wanted to use, right clicked- and copied it... then pasted it in photoshop directly into the layout I wanted to use. :) I currently have 5 designs, and a few different headers you can use. The "snapshots" header above is an example of one of the headers. No need to go into detail on each photo, but you certainly can if you like. :) You make it as quick or time intensive as you prefer! All 5 layouts feature square photos, so they really work perfectly with instagram photos, but you aren't limited to just square photos. :)

I have all 5 layouts designed, now I just need to clean up the layers, and organize the templates, create the listing etc. :) We are helping my parents move some of their stuff out of their house in Prosser this weekend (they have an accepted offer and a back-up offer locked in!) so I will probably not be able to finish this up until the beginning of next week sometime... but the hardest part is always getting the design right. So, hopefully everything will go smoothly and quickly from here! :)

I hope you have a GREAT weekend!!! I have some packing + cleaning to do today, so I'm signing off early. :)

You can now follow VOL25 on instagram

Technically I've been on instagram for over a year... but the purpose of that account was to keep my family updated with pictures of my girls... and then have those pictures printed into a book at the end of the year. Well I recently sent a science poster to a friend named Rachel from smile and wave. She posted a picture of it on instagram and I had people sending me following requests. It was then that I decided I needed to change my sceen name of that account to something a little more personal and use my VOL25 user name for a separate instagram business account. It is a pain logging in back and forth between the two accounts (would be awesome if instagram would at least remember my usernames) but it is worth it. I can finally post about happenings relating to my businesses as well as updates on life in general.

With my previous account I always felt uncomfortable posting things I've been working on for either of my shops because I don't want to be that person who constantly self promotes to family (not that there is anything wrong with that, you do what you gotta do right?) but it has been nice feeling like I can do that and you guys might actually wanna see those kind of updates! ;)

So, if you sent me a request to follow (at the beginning of the week) please go ahead and follow me here, and tag your vol25 art with the hash tags VOL25 :)

Oddly enough: I had signed up with followgram to give you guys an easy way of following me on instragram via computer, and right after doing that, I mysteriously had people added to my following list that I didnt choose to follow! Has anyone else had that happen? I know that followgram had done it, because those same people's profile pictures were showing up at the top of my followgram home screen with the message "become a power user and increase your popularity" Buy for x amount of dollars. It just makes me think those people had paid to be promoted and added to my list. Not a HUGE deal, if I am made aware that something like that will in fact happen when I sign up. Otherwise it comes down to trust issues... what else will they do without me knowing. Has anyone else had that happen? I did a google search and nothing like that came up! Maybe it is something new they are doing? I like to be intentional with who I follow you know- I'm not in for the followbacks. I want genuine ppl who care about what I do following me... even if my numbers are low.. okay super low! ha ha :)

At any rate, I went ahead and deactivated my account, I'll stick to webstagram... ;)

How is your day?! I am having one of those days where I dont feel like I am accomplishing much. Some days are just like that. I had a pretty  busy day yesterday with kindergarten registration and getting orders out yesterday morning... so today is somewhat of a lazy day! Can you believe Journey is starting kindergarten this year? I'm dreading it... but the fact that she is SO excited is helping me cope... I think. :) I had a proud mommy moment yesterday when at the screening the teacher brought up a piece of paper with letters on it Journey had wrote. She said "we have never had a kindergartner draw their letters in bubble, 3d form, I think you have a graphic designer on your hands" I just laughed a little, and said "well, that is kind of what I do." so she comes by it honestly! :) She is always trying to copy what I draw, her and Trin have always been that way.... its cute. :)

She is getting much too big. :) Did I mention she knows everything at the age of 4? She gets that from her daddy. ;)

New Overlay set for little girls + Storewide 50% off sale

-LITTLE GIRLS OVERLAY SET  -

Super sweet set for your sweet little girl(s)! I had received a few different requests for a little girl set, and I knew I had to do one up!

I also kicked off a 50% off tax sale... because I am expecting a call from my accountant any day now, and I know we'll be paying in... and it isnt going to fun! Yikes.

So, use code TAXSALE and I'll take 50% off your order, sale expires on the 16th!

p.s. this shoot Shannon did for Matilda Jane is EPIC!! Creative people make the best collaborations! :)

p.s.s. It snowed yesterday!!! I am so ready for Summer.

BIG news in regards to my newsletters!

I've been posting about this on facebook today, so this will be repeated info if you happen to follow me over there! :)

This morning I sat down and logged into my digital shop. I was browsing my customers, and realized that 1,200 people had opted in for marketing... marketing that I had yet to really utilize! I've been sending out newsletters for the past few years, but when I initially started it was purely for my etsy customers... but after the addition of my digital shop I began combining the two shops into one newsletter. I really didn't like doing this, but wasnt sure quite how to change the set-up.

Well today I downloaded an app from the shopify app store that synced all the customers that have opted in to marketing into a mad mimi newsletter account. Long story short- I am set up to send separate newsletters now!

... and I have to say, I LOVE Mad Mimi.... and if I'm not mistaken it is cheaper than mailchimp. So, I just may need to make the switch for both newsletters. For the time being though- I will be sending out a newly designed newsletter to all VOL25 Digital Eye Candy newsletter subscribers. If you have signed up for my newsletter previously from the blog, you will need to sign up at this new link to still receive updates in regards to the digital shop. If you've made a purchase from my digital shop, and you opted in to receive marketing, you should already be on the list. :) The existing original newsletter will be reserved for etsy shop updates specifically, so you may want to un-subscribe if you are only interested in photoshop templates, overlays and printables. :) When that newsletter goes out, there should be an option to unsubscribe at the bottom of the newsletter. :) Oh- but I've decided to send out free printable calendars with the original VOL25 Art newsletters. So- you may want to remain subscribed just for that! ;)

Sending two separate newsletters, will also allow me to send out a freebie geared towards the two different shops... so excited about this!! Tomorrow I'll be sending out digital shops newsletters for the month of April, and I will also be including a Free facebook timeline cover template... so make sure you are signed up to receive it! I will also be giving away a 20.00 gift card for my digital shop with each monthly newsletter.

So... I feel like I'm rambling and confusing you, and not making much sense. I feel the need to over simplify:

 

VOL25 Digital Eye Candy Shop Newsletter:

•  Monthly newsletters ( I rarely (okay- like NEVER) send out more than one a month)
• Each newsletter will showcase new products from the previous month
• An exclusive monthly discount code, and freebie- just for you guys :)
• One gift card given away each month (post your favorite photo showcasing a VOL25 overlay to my facebook page and if I choose it as a "Facebook Favorite" for the newsletter you'll win a Digital Eye Candy 20.00 gift card!)   

 SIGN UP HERE 

(You may have previously signed up after completing a purchase from my digital shop)

 
VOL25 Etsy Shop (ART) :

• Monthly newsletters ( I rarely (okay- like NEVER) send out more than one a month)
• Each newsletter will showcase new art from the previous month
• An exclusive monthly discount code, and a new monthly free printable calendar.

SIGN UP HERE

(You may have already signed up using the newsletter link here on my blog)

Whew! That was a bit repetitive... I'm working on the Digital Eye Candy newsletter tonight, so it should be ready to go out sometime tomorrow. I also don't expect the etsy shop newsletters to go out for a few more days. I still have quite a bit to finish up before I'm ready to send those out. :) Anyhow, I hope you have a nice night... or morning! :)

Little Boys PART 2- A new new overlay set!

My first set was a big hit, so I created a second set!! :)

Rosie has a knack for capturing the childhood spirit! Her boys are adorable too. :)

You can find the new Little Boys Part Overlay set right here, and grab it at 50% off until 3/31st CODE: BOY2

It is FRIDAY! I have orders caught up... taxes ready to be taken to the accountant next wednesday (thanks DAD!!) and a quiet house. The girls are visiting my mom... the only thing that could make this better is an espresso... oh and some crafts. Now that my taxes are done I have a LONG list of home decor projects I've wanted to do.

I hope you have a great weekend! I have a friend coming to town this weekend, and company planned for Easter weekend!! :) Woohoo. Lets keep our fingers crossed that we have nice weather!

p.s. I'm estimating that I should have the science posters listed within a few days! :) Super excited about it... but also super nervous. You know how I get nervous before I list a new product... well I am especially nervous this time around, I have invested quite a bit of money and time into these big guys, and I hope I can get everything *just* right. :)