Opening a New Online Store Through Redbubble

 

One of my favorite forms of creativity is in creating computer-generated artwork. I have a couple of different places where I create AI art and I've created a lot of images over the past two years. I use most of them for stories or articles I write on Medium.com, here, and on my other blogs. 

The problem is that I've created way more than I'll ever use and I'm wasn't sure what to do with the rest. Now, I have an idea. I've opened my own Redbubble store and added some of my artwork. I can add my images to all kinds of products such as T-shirts and coffee mugs.

Okay, so here's the thing. I enjoy the whole creative aspect of having an online store, I just suck at the whole getting-it-uploaded-and-ready-for-sale part. Redbubble has taken care of that. All I have to do is upload my artwork, choose which products I want my image on and hit the button. They do the rest for me. 

The downside is that I don't much off any sales. I get 20%. It's not a lot, but it's still something. If I actually sell something, I'll be blown away. Honestly, I'm having more fun just adding my images and seeing what they look like on real items. And all those images I've made in the past? Yeah, those are still sitting on a flash drive somewhere. I've been creating new images for my shop.

I've been looking over some of the products others post in their shops and am blown away. There are some very talented people out there. I thought I was doing pretty good, but some of the stuff they're creating shows just what an amateur I really am. 

However, rather than getting frustrated, I'm learning how to edit my images on those products so they stand out a bit more. I'm learning how to customize my own work to make it a little more sellable. I'm learning how to create images that stand out from the rest. I still have a long way to go, but I'm learning.

So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop on by my little shop, Pathways Through the Past. You can see some of my artwork and see what it looks like on everything from stickers to comforters. I'm always adding new artwork and creating new products. If you don't see anything you like today, come back and look again in a couple of days. 

Until next time,
Miss Chris

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Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

A Month of Gratitude

"Being Grateful" by Christine Graves via Canva Pro

 

It's the month of November and I have a lot to be grateful for. There are days when it doesn't feel like it, but I do. I have to remember where I was even just a year ago and I've come a long way. I've spent the past year making my own way in this world while caring for my grandchild in the process. I know it sounds weird, but this really is the first time in my life I've had to do this all on my own.

Today, I'm grateful just to be here, typing this post out, being able to sit in my own home and play on a computer I paid for, with the help of the Internet I pay for each month. Does that sound bad? I hope not because that really is what I'm most grateful for. I'm grateful that I've had the drive to keep myself going even when I felt like throwing in the towel. 

I'm grateful that I've got a decent paying job and am able to afford a few small things. I don't go out to eat all the time and I've got to be careful with my spending habits, but I've been doing this for almost a year now. I just hope I can keep up the momentum. 

I'm grateful that I still have the power to get myself up each morning and get myself out the door. Trust me, it wouldn't take much for me to become a hermit and never come out of my cave. I don't have much of a filter anymore and it takes a lot for me to keep my mouth shut in certain situations. 

Finally, I'm grateful that I got to see the sunshine again today. I'm at the age now where I'm starting to see the obituaries of people I went to high school with. I know I could be next. I'm not getting any younger and though my health isn't horrible, I've had a few scares over the past couple of years. I'm so thankful that I'm still here to hug and kiss my grandbabies.

Throughout the month of November, I'll be posting about things I'm grateful for. I'm so thankful that I get to do this and I'm even more thankful for those of you who stop by to read my silly little things. I consider each of you a blessing.

I hope you have something to be grateful for today. May you all be blessed.

Until next time
Miss Chris

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Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

God Wants Me to Write about Him

"Faith in God" by Christine Graves via Canva Pro

 

Okay, I know how weird that sounds, but it's true. I've had it on my heart for quite some time now that God wants me to do a blog about Him. I've tried to chalk it up to my overactive imagination, but I'm pretty sure it's really Him pushing me.

Here's the thing. I was raised a Protestant. I've been part of the Baptist faith, the Pentecostal faith, the Methodist faith, and even the Koinania faith (it's a non-denominational faith). I was raised to put all my faith in God and trust that whatever happened was God's will. I wasn't always happy with the outcome and God knows that. 

However, even with all the Christianity I've been a part of, I'm NOT a religious person. I believe in God, with my whole heart, but I think the term "organized religion" is a load of crap. God knows this too. I can't say He's happy about it, but He knows how I feel. I believe in God, not all the crap that comes with that term.

So, I've decided to listen to Him and start posting more about Him and how He works in my life. No, this isn't going to become a blog completely dedicated to God (sorry Lord), but I will be doing more posts about Him and His work in the world. I think we all could use a little help from God in the world today.

I'll be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I'll be writing about just yet, but I'm sure He'll tell me what he wants me to say. Anyway, I hope He does. I've got a few ideas. One of my very first stints as an online writer was a little blog called Finding the Father. I was pretty proud of it and I spent a lot of time bringing it to life. However, it was through a site called Webseed.com and they went belly-up and took my little blog with them. I was bummed.

I realize that most people don't want to have Christianity shoved down their throats, and I get that. I'm one of them. But I'm not looking to make this into that kind of place. I want the focus to be on God and His word. Not all the other BS that humans have woven into the mix. 

I hope you'll stop by in the coming weeks and see where I go with this. I promise I'll still have other things here, but I want to bring God into this and give Him a place to be heard. I just hope I can do Him justice. 

Until next time,
Miss Chris

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures.