How to Create a Collage of Your Paintings

Plein Air Studies from PACE16 Tucson, Arizona      all pastel   ©Karen Margulis

The first thing I did when I got home was to start my laundry. I find the longer I procrastinate unpacking the harder it is to tackle it. Diving in and getting it done is the best approach. The second thing I did was to take out all of the paintings I did during the Plein Air Convention. My husband was surprised that I didn't have more for a 2 1/2 week trip but I reminded him that help of that was spent in the car driving from Atlanta to Tucson! The rest of the time was spent teaching a workshop and attending convention sessions. So overall I was pleased with what I accomplished. It was time to make a collage!

5x7 pastel study

It is always a good thing to take some time to review the work you do over the course of a few weeks. It helps you to see what you did well and what you might need to work on. One way to do this is to physically set out your paintings ....line them up against a wall and study them. Take notes. Is there a common thread that runs through all of them? Is there something that you are doing consistently well...or not so well?

Ideally, this evaluation should be done every few months. There is a simple way to do this instead of taking the paintings out physically.....create a digital collage. I learned about a wonderful website that allows you to make a free photo collage when I was doing Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 painting challenge. She recommended Picmonkey  and it is a great way to make an easy collage of your work. This collage can be used in many ways...make cards, Facebook banners, promotions of all kinds. It is also an excellent way to see a collection of your work all in one place!

All you need to do is visit the PicMonkey website and select Collage. Next you upload the photos you want to use and choose a layout. You can change the size and color of the border. Be sure to save your collage when you are done.  Have fun with making a collage of your own paintings!

a collage of my paintings for my Facebook cover photo

How to Ship an Unframed Pastel Painting

'Sunny Days'        6x6  inches         pastel           ©Karen Margulis
available for 40% discount

It is a great question and one I get all of the time....How do I ship my pastel paintings. I decided that it was time to bring an article about shipping out of the archives and present it again. I hope you find it helpful. Be sure to scroll down to the end for a special treat!

'Just Add Sunshine'    4x4   available 40% savings

I've got my shipping down to a science. I have packaging and shipping unframed pastels down to a science.  I have shipped hundreds of pastel paintings to their new homes. And the method I use has not failed me. My paintings arrive safe and sound. I only ship unframed paintings. If I ship a framed piece to a show I use an airfloat box. So what is my shipping method? I make a foamcore sandwich! Here's how I do it:

A painting all ready to ship safely wrapped in it's foamcore sandwich

• Cut the foamcore so that it is a few inches larger than the painting. I use a utility knife. I cut a double wide piece, score it in the middle so that it can fold shut.

• Tape painting inside the foamcore using white artist tape. I hinge the tape. See my post on hinging tape here.

• Cut a piece of glassine paper slightly larger than the painting and tape it down to cover the painting. I usually only tape two sides so the glassine can be lifted to view the painting. I get my glassine on rolls and cut it to fit. A roll lasts me a long time.

• Close the cover of the foamcore sandwich and tape shut. I have printed a label with instructions that I put on the foamcore (see below)

• I slip my foamcore sandwich into a clearbag that has a self adhesive strip. I include some business cards, a bio, pastel care information and a thank you card.

• I have just started to wrap the whole package in nice gift wrap with a handmade card.

The finished package with my information and business cards

The painting is all wrapped and ready to ship

The painting is now ready to be slipped into a padded envelope or Priority Mail box depending on it's size. If it is over 8x10 then I have to make my own box from a couple of Priority Mail boxes. I save my Dakota and Blick paper order boxes for shipping large paintings. I use USPS for all of my shipping and after shipping hundreds of paintings I have never had a problem (knocking on wood here!)

And now for the treat!  I have decided to offer a Spring Savings of 40% on all paintings in my Etsy store. It is time to make for the paintings I will be doing on my upcoming trips! Visit my Etsy shop to see what's available. I have paintings in all sizes. Use coupon code SPRING40 at checkout for the 40% savings.

www.etsy.com/shop/karenmargulisfineart

Three Simple Rules for a Painting Commission

'A Peaceful Way of Life'        16x20        pastel         ©Karen Margulis     sold

You either love them or hate them. That seems to be the consensus regarding painting commissions. Some artists welcome commissions and enjoy creating custom work. Some prefer to steer clear of them. I happen to love them. I just finished a nine painting commission project which has been a a lot of fun.(today's blog paintings)  I have developed some simple rules to guide me through the commission process. This ensures that the entire process is stress free and enjoyable.

Whether you are a full time artist or just painting for fun sooner or later you will be asked to paint something special for someone. Having some rules or guidelines in place will make it easy! Here are mine.

• No Down Payment. I like to keep things simple. I don't have a lot of requirements. I don't ask for a down payment before I start a painting because I will only paint something that others might want to purchase. In other words it cannot be so unique or bizarre that it would never sell. I have done many commissions and only one time was a commission cancelled while in progress due to illness of the client. That painting went on to win an award in an exhibition! Being free of any money takes the pressure off. I am simply painting for enjoyment and if the client is pleased then they pay.....I never have any problems with payment.

•  Be Clear and upfront about what you will paint. I will only paint subjects I am comfortable with. I will only take commissions of places I have visited.  I prefer to work from my own photos of the place. I don't mind having the client suggest colors or give input but I decide if those suggestions will result in a painting that will stand on it's own....that someone else might like as well! A commission painting has to be something I would choose to paint on my own. That is what makes it fun and less pressure for me!

• Emphasize that the painting will not be an exact copy of something else. It could be similar to a painting I have already done but it will never be an exact copy. I make sure the client knows this before I start. I usually paint small studies before painting anything large and email photos for approval before I start. This eliminates misunderstandings although it is important to also emphasize that the painting will not be an exact copy of the study either.

 Painting commissions has added a wonderful dimension to my life as an artist. Even though most of the contact with clients is online or by phone it has been great to get to know those who choose to purchase my work.  As long as I am clear about my expectations and my 3 rules.....commissions are very welcome!

All nine paintings together

How to Make Better Business Cards

'Garden Party Time'              6x6            pastel               ©Karen Margulis
painting available $65

 I want my business cards to be keepable. What's the point in giving out business cards if they end up in the garbage. Business cards need staying power. You never know when your art or services may be needed. If your business card is a keeper it is more likely to be there when the need arises.

I am a big fan of Moo.com. I love their business cards and I am always trying the latest products.  I was excited to try the new square business cards. They measure about 2.5 x 2.5 inches. I got my first order and love them so much I ordered another set!

Square cards are cool!

I think these cards will be keepers! I decided to showcase about 50 different wildflowers paintings on the front of the cards. The great thing about moo cards is the ability to use up to 50 different images on one batch of cards. There is no set up fee or extra image fees. It is a very simple upload process. The back of the card has my contact information. You get full color printing on both sides for no extra charge.

I am very pleased with the printing and color reproduction. The card stock is heavy and feels expensive. You can even upgrade to an even more luxurious card stock.

The quality of Moo cards is wonderful

If you don't have business cards or need to get new ones consider giving Moo cards a try. If you use this link to create your cards you will get 10% off your first order.  Click here for the link.

If you don't have business cards or make your own, treat yourself to some really nice business cards. You are your own brand and your business cards reflect you as an artist. You DESERVE nice business cards!

A Unique Way to Use Your Art Business Cards

'Evergreen'          5x7      plein air pastel           ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $50

 Business cards don't have to be boring.
I love the business cards I get from Moo.comhttp://www.moo.com/share/wgf6bt. They are not boring. They are the best icebreakers money can buy. When I pass out my cards conversations are sparked. My cards have a full images of 50 of my favorite paintings. They look great, the quality is wonderful and since they look like little works of art, it is more likely that they won't get thrown away.

A new order of Moo cards

I just received a new order of cards and as I was looking through them I had a brainstorm.
These cards would make great little Christmas ornaments or gift tags! The cardstock is so nice a sturdy all I had to do was attach a loop of twine to the back of the card. I could get fancy with pretty ribbons but I like the natural look of twine.

Moo allows you to upload and use up to 50 different images to one batch of cards with no extra charge. So I have 50 different potential ornaments or tags!  If I had thought of this earlier I would have selected only my winter images. The possibilities are endless for themed ornaments!

My Moo order nicely packaged

 If you are looking for new business cards consider trying Moo.com. Follow this link to start creating your own cards. [click here]

Painting notes: Today's painting is a 5x7 plein air study I did as a demo for a workshop. uart paper, no underpainting.  I love fir trees!

Get People Talking about your Paintings

'Simple Pleasures'         5x7        pastel
purchase on etsy $45

It's time to put on our business hat. Artists wear many hats and as much as we might prefer to stay in the studio and paint, sometimes we have to tend to the business side of things. One of those things is marketing....we need to promote ourselves and our work if we want to sell or get noticed.  That is often a tough thing to do. It is hard to put ourselves out there and say "Look at me and my great paintings!"

It helps to have an Icebreaker and I have a great one for you!

Try Moo.com and get 10% off your first order click here

A fabulous business card holder that is sure to spark interest and conversations about your work. It is called The ShowCase and it is only $10.99.  It is sold by Moo.com which is where I get my business cards. Moo does a fantastic job with my cards. I've reviewed my experience HERE.  Once you have your wonderful cards with 50 different images.....you need a good way to share them.

The ShowCase card holder is perfect.  It holds up to 15 business cards. You open it up by flipping the lid and fanning it out like a deck of cards. Now when you are sharing business cards you are able to show a variety of your images.  People love having a choice and it always sparks conversation. They want to pick their favorite image.

The bonus for you is that you are showing off more of your work and the ice has been broken. The little card holder has done that for you now it is easy to talk about what you do.

Here is the card holder in action. That is my dog Heidi in the background.

Here is a little blurb and link  from the Moo.com website about the cards.

Business Cards should always be something special. Less a method of handing out your phone number, more a way of starting a conversation. They're an introduction to you, your company and your work. A good business card should intrigue people, get them interested, invite them to ask you more.

Visit Moo.com to see all of their great stuff and get 10% off your first order.

My Review of Moo.com Business Cards

'She Loves Me'          12 x 16         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
purchase painting here $175

Do you have business cards?  If you are an artist you should have them and keep them handy.  It doesn't matter if you are a professional artist or just paint as a hobby, a business card connects you to both collectors and other artists. How many times have you been at an art event and met people you would like to remember?  Those are the times that exchanging business cards would be helpful.

If you are selling your work then a good business card is essential. You want to share your card with collectors and potential collectors. But here's an important consideration:

You need a card that people will KEEP.  If they toss it, they won't remember you or won't be able to get in contact with you.

When I exchanged cards with fellow artist Denise Rose, I was impressed. Her card is like a little work of art and I keep it on display. I had to have some cards like that!  (thanks Denise!)

I just received my batch of cards from Moo.com and I am thrilled.

My new business cards form Moo.com

I love Moo.com.  I have had some of their mini moo cards and stickers made in the past and love them. Their service is fantastic and it is so easy to design cards. So I was already familiar with the company.  I had not considered them for my full size business cards.  I have been using Vista Print which I feel is an excellent value. I have been happy with my cards from Vista Print. But when I saw Denise's card and felt the weight and quality of the Moo cards I was sold.

Yes they are a bit more expensive than Vista Print. But if you want a card that people will KEEP it is well worth the extra cost.

My new cards!

The great thing about the Moo business card is the ability to have up to 50 different images printed in the same batch of cards....in full color and front and back! With Vista Print I could only have one image for the entire batch of cards.  I chose to have rounded corners for a small extra charge and I like how they look.  Here is some more information taken from the moo.com website:

"Handing out a business card is often the first impression people take of your business, so you need to get it right. Using your own photography or artwork to create custom business cards can help, and MOO makes the process easy with our simple online tools and templates.

Our Business Cards are double sided, printed in full colour at no extra cost, and available in short print runs. There's a choice of premium paper for Business Cards too: As well as sustainably sourced Gloss, you can choose 100% recycled with a light satin finish or sustainably sourced, with a smooth matte laminate."

If you are ready to upgrade your current business card or need to get some for the first time consider Moo.com.  You can follow this link to start creating your own cards. http://www.moo.com/share/wgf6bt

How to Display Unframed Pastel Paintings

'Make a Little Magic'         5x7         pastel
sold

 It's a Daily Painter Dilemma.  How will I  decide what paintings to share at my Open Studio?  I paint just about everyday so that adds up to a lot of paintings. Sure some are just small studies and some have  been sold and some just aren't up to par.... but that still leaves quite a few paintings in need of a good home.

I have read some tips for successful Open Studio.  It is suggested that your studio should be like a gallery with only a small number of framed paintings on display.  Oh how I wish it was that easy.  My studio is a working studio and classroom. It would be hard to make it look anything close to a gallery. And Framing!  I rarely frame my paintings since I sell them unframed through my online galleries.

I need  a good compromise! I think I found one.  A way to display unframed pastels while keeping them protected...and no frames are needed!

Crystal Clear Bags to the rescue!

A painting with it's foamcore and clearbag package

I've actually used this method of displaying pastels for years. And I can vouch that paintings left in the bags for years are no worse for wear. Here is what I do:

• Order a selection of Crystal Clear bags to fit your painting sizes. I usually allow for a bag slightly larger than my painting size so it fit's snugly.  What are Crystal Clear bags? They are high quality clear bags with an adhesive flap seal. They are acid free and archival safe. They come in an huge array of sizes. I order mine from clear bags.com
• Cut a piece of foam core the size of the painting. Slip this piece of foamcore into the bag.
• Slip the painting into the bag. The foam core backing will provide support. Since it fits snugly in the bag there is no need to tape the painting to the board. Also the snug fir means the painitng won't move around and get smudged.
• I take an extra step and include a preprinted slip of paper with my contact information and care instructions. I suggest that the bag be cut off and pulled away from the painting. You can take the painting out without cutting the bag if you are careful.

Yes you do get some residual pastel dust on the inside of the bag but it isn't enough to make a difference. The key is to make sure the painting and foamcore fit snugly inside the bag. You do not want the painting to be able to slide around.

To give you an idea I order bag B75 for my 5x7 paintings. They measure 5 7/16 x 7 1/4

A basket full of recent 5x7 pastel paintings

I have selected some of my favorite paintings and packaged them in clear bags. I put them into baskets so my visitors can easily look through them and actually touch them without smudging them.

I hope my local friends will be able to visit during my Open Studio this year. Check out our blog for more information about the other artists on the tour. It's going to be fantastic!  Art Mob Open Studio Tour November 15,16, 17.

Two Options for Blogging on the Road

'On the Way to Cape May'            8x10         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $145

 My suitcase will stay packed this Fall.  I leave this weekend for NJ to attend a workshop at Stan Sperlak's Farm. I'll be home for a week then I am off to Pawleys Island for a painting retreat.  I love being on the road and I love sharing my adventures and paintings on my blog.

Now I have two choices to blog from the road that fit my criteria of Low Cost, Low Tech and Low Maintenance:   Blogsy and Blog Go.  I use both of these apps for my Blogger blog.

• I used the iPad app Blogsy during my month long trip around the Southwest. It worked flawlessly.  It was easy to insert photos where I wanted them in the size I wanted. I could save a post as a draft and publish it when I wanted. It was easy to find the photos I needed on my iPad. It never crashed. Publish time varied depending on my internet connection but I never had to wait too long. After using it for a month I fell it did everything I needed it to and I don't think anyone could see a difference in how my posts looked. I will use it on any trip where I can get wifi with my iPad. (I don't bring my laptop on a trip anymore)

• What if you don't have wifi available? This happened to me at the Blue Ridge Paintout. I was staying in a place without internet. But my iPhone did have service.  So I found the Blog Go app.  (this app is also for iPad but I don't think it was available when I found Blogsy)  Blog Go worked great as well.  I was able to blog about my plein air experience using photos I took on my phone. I can't wait to upgrade my phone for a better camera though. I didn't have the best photos!  I was happy that the app let me make my photos the same sizes as Blogger allows. I had no issues writing and formatting my text and publishing was fast and easy. 

 I have options to blog even without internet. All I need is phone service and I can keep up with my blog!  I will do my best to give a daily trip report so please stay tuned!

my own homemade support on gatorfoam 

Today's painting: Getting ready for Cape May County....this sunset is from the last Stan workshop a few years ago. It is a view as we drove back into Cape May after a day of painting. The painting is on gatorfoam with a pumice surface.

How to Make Time for an Art Blog

'And the Mountains Sing'          5x7         pastel       ©Karen Margulis
sold

It's all I can do to find time to paint!  How can I possible fit in time to sit at the computer and write a blog post?  Does this sound like something you've said?  I get this question a lot.  I had to think about the answer.  Blogging to me is such a habit that I don't think about it as making time for posting.  It's the other way around. Often what I want to post will guide what I paint. Or it at least causes me to make time to paint.
Because if I don't paint I have nothing to post. And we all know the benefit that comes from lots of painting time!  So having a blog is often my incentive to paint rather than waste time or find excuses.

Maybe you need more incentive than that.  Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Take advantage of the feature to save posts to draft and publish when you are ready. This way you can write when you have a block of free time.

• Decide on a posting schedule that works with your activities. Plan on posting at least once a week. And on posting days either write a new post or use one of your drafts.

• Make a list or calendar with blog post ideas.  If you have good ideas ready you will save a lot of time. Most of my time is spent on figuring out what I want to post! 

• Come up with an easy routine for posting. For example I always do my post as soon as I upload the photos of my daily painting. I am already sitting at the computer and so it is easy to open up Blogger, load the photos and write the post. 

• Keep posting and post often! The steps involved in doing a blog post may seem time consuming at first but once you get familiar with it, the posting goes so much faster. So if it seems to take a long time....keep posting and it will get faster!

Today's Painting:  White Wallis paper with Terry Ludwig pastels. This is a view of Mt Moran in Grand Teton National Park.

My Top Three Tips for an Art Blog

'Heaven on Earth'       5x7         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

 So maybe you want to start a blog for your art.  Or maybe you have one but don't see how it is helping.  As a blogger since 2005 I'd like to share some things I have learned along the way. First if you aren't convinced an art blog is for you then you might like to read my post about the benefits of blogging HERE.  There are lots of things I could share about blogging but I will narrow it down to three things.  Consistency, Content and Clarity.

1. CONSISTENCY:  You should be prepared to post on a consistent basis. You don't have to post every day. (It is a habit for me)  I would recommend a new post every week. 2-3 times a week is better but once a week is a manageable goal.  Why post consistently?  One of the benefits of having a blog for your art is to establish connections with collectors and other artists. You want people to check in and follow you.  If you are sporadic or erratic in your posting you risk losing your audience. You may have wonderful work and interesting posts but if there is nothing new on your blog week after week, your readers will stop visiting. If you are always pressed for time you can write several posts when you have time and save them as drafts. Then you have new material to spread out and share when you are short on time.

2. CONTENT:  Your readers not only want to see your work they want to hear what you have to say. I am not interested in following an artist who posts nothing but images with prices. I want to read about the art or the artist.  A blog is your opportunity to connect with others. Take the time to write something to accompany your art. I recommend starting by writing about the piece, how you did it, the inspiration behind it. Once you start writing the ideas will flow. Just be yourself! ( I took a blog triage course 2 years ago with Alyson Stanfield and she recommended that we decide who are audience is and write to them...I decided to focus my posts on information of interest to other artists)
Another reason for including content is to help you get found. The search engines like content. I will be talking more about search engine optimization in another post.

3. CLARITY:  Make sure your blog layout reflects your art. I try to have my blog clean and easy to read. I don't like to have a lot of clutter on the sidebar, just the essentials. I could do a better job though!  Make sure you have good photos of your art. Make sure the photos are clear and in focus with accurate color.  I have discovered that some Blogger templates allow the photos to show larger so be sure to test out the template you plan to use to make sure the photos are bog enough.

About today's painting: This 5x7 pastel is done with Terry Ludwig pastels on white Wallis that was mounted to foam core. There is a watercolor underpainting. This is a scene inspired by a trip I took to Ouray Colorado one summer at the height of wildflower season. We took a jeep tour to Yankee Boy Basin which truly was heaven on earth.

Three Great Reasons to Start an Art Blog

'Not Too Shabby'          11x14          pastel           ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $165

 Did you ever wonder about the purpose of a blog?  I just gave a talk about online art marketing to the Booth Artist Guild in Cartersville,  Georgia.  One of the things we talked about was blogging. I love to blog. I try to convince my artist friends to start their own art blog. But the question always comes up....why?  Why are blogs useful?  Here are three reasons why you should consider starting a blog:

close up detail

•   Blogs help you paint better.  This is the reason I started my blog back in 2005.  It was a personal journal for me.  I would do my daily painting and post it to the blog. I could see the painting with fresh eyes. I could see I was making progress. It was a visual diary of my art journey....so much better than throwing paintings in a box.  I felt accountable to the blog. I had to post so that meant I had to paint. It was one of the best things I ever did to improve my work. (and by the way if you don't want to share with the world you can set the blog to be private and invite the people who you wish to see it.)

• Blogs Open up Opportunities for you.  If you share your blog with the world and you post consistently you will be found. You just never know who will find you either. I have had many opportunities come about from someone stumbling across my blog...galleries, book covers, teaching and speaking engagements to name a few.  Taking the leap of sharing yourself and your work through your blog can be well worth your time and effort. (blogs are great for getting found since every page you post is a potential web page to be found)

• Blogs Make you a Real Person.  If you wish to connect with other artists or maybe sell your work online you need to network. Blogs give you the opportunity to share something about your work and yourself. You become a friend...someone others feel comfortable with and trust. This is important for sales.  But even better is the friends you make through sharing yourself with the world. I treasure my followers. When we have the opportunity to meet in person it is like we are old friends!

Have I convinced you to start a blog?  Tomorrow I'll share some pointers with you!

Today's painting:  11x14 Uart 500 paper with Terry Ludwig pastels. This is a scene from a trip I took to Pawleys Island South Carolina. 

An Easy Way to Make Your Images Larger on Blogger

'Discovering Beauty'            8x10        pastel       ©Karen Margulis

This is an art blog.  The images need to be clear and easy to see.  But this is something that has eluded me.  For some reason my images were small even when I chose the large setting.   It bothered me.  Last year I did some research and discovered a way to change the html code to allow for larger images.  It was an extra step but it worked.

That is until readers told me that this adjusted images didn't show up in their email feed. So I stopped changing the size and tried to be satisfied with the small images.

Then I came across Debora Stewart's wonderful blog.  She does fantastic abstracts and I was excited to see that she has a blog!  If you aren't familiar with her work you can see it here.

When I opened Debora's blog I noticed that her paintings were LARGE!  And she was using Blogger like I am. They looked great!  Hmmmmmm what was I doing wrong?  So I emailed her and she graciously replied that all she was doing was choosing the 'large' option under her images.  Well so was I.  This time I wasn't going to give up.

The answer was SO SIMPLE that I am almost embarrassed to share it. Here is what I did:

• I checked the template I was using. Perhaps the template wasn't allowing me to make the photos larger and this was part of the problem. So I switched my template to 'Simple' . I have used  this template in the past but had to make adjustments to get it to look the way I wanted. This time they had a version that was perfect.  And Blogger lets you preview any changes before you are committed. But this still didn't solve my problem. My images were still too small.

• Then the light bulb went off!  I realized that when I chose the Large and Extra Large setting for photos they bled over the the information on the sidebar.  What if I made the sidebar smaller? So I looked at the available adjustments and there was a slider that quickly adjusted the size of the text boxes and the side bar. And all of the sudden my images were as large as I wanted!  I am thrilled.

And it was so SIMPLE!

Below is a preview of one of the approaches we will be trying in this week's pastel class. Stay tuned for details later in the week.

Free Business Cards for Artists!

'Untamed Beauty'          9x12         pastel          ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $145

If you like Free stuff I've got a great deal for you.  There is a small catch. (isn't there always a catch)  You need to have a shop on Etsy. If you do then you can get 100 free Moo Mini Cards.  If you don't have an Etsy store it is well worth paying for a set of Mini Cards to promote your art.

If you haven't heard of Moo.com let me introduce you. It is a fun online company that prints great business cards. I especially love the mini cards.  They are half the size of regular business cards which make them a great conversation started when you pass them out. They are just so cute!  

What I like though is the ability to put your work on the front of the cards.  You could actually use as many of your photos as cards you want. I chose 10 paintings and got 10 cards of each design.

A few of my Moo Mini Cards with the Etsy logo

It is a very user friendly and easy process to order cards from the design and uploading of work to paying. Moo.com is great about keeping you informed about your order. And the quality is great. The cards are nice and thick and the colors are accurate. I am very pleased.

I even ordered a felt holder for my mini cards. There will be no more excuses for not having business cards handy!

My Mini Cards with the felt holder

Here's the deal about the free mini cards. Moo teamed with Etsy for this promotion. You have to pay the shipping and you will have the Etsy logo on the front your cards.  I don't mind this at all though. I will use these cards to promote the work I put in my Etsy store. Here is the link for those of you with an Etsy store Free moo mini cards link

If you don't have an Etsy shop and want to sell your work online, it is an excellent place to be. It is easy and professional and very popular. I will be posting more about Etsy soon but I invite you to visit my shop. And as readers of my blog I'd like to offer you 10% off any painting. http://www.etsy.com/shop/KarenMargulisFineArt