Business Cards: √ (check)

Business Cards Cheap

9 bucks shipped- no frills, but does the job!

Business Cards Fast

It took less than a week!

• Tuesday, 4:30 pm: I uploaded the completed design for premium business cards to Vistaprint and chose slowest shipping method (21 days).
• Thursday, 1:43 am : Vistaprint email informs my order is shipping early.
• Friday: Order shipped
• Monday: Order received

Image Uploaded for Printing

I had to play around with and re-uploaded my images to get graphics inside the "Vistaprint safe zone" denoted by a dotted line on uploaded image.  This was after I had already prepared document to specifications of  1062x615 pixels and a cut size of 1028x579 pixels.  Other than this inconsistency, the process was easy. 

Business Cards Cost
250 cards is about $25 shipped.
1000 cards is about $36 shipped.

This included these "extras":
Upload of own design (2)
Glossy color on front side
Full color back side

250 cards can be had for about $9 including shipping, without the extras above. 
250 cards (free option) is less than $6 If you allow the vistaprint branding on the back side.

Vistaprint Card Ordering Tips:
Chose slow shipping for savings- it was really pretty quick.
Received a coupon enclosed in my order for 25% off next order plus free uploads.
Continually receive free offers by email- it pays to get on their mailing list.
Vistaprint prints postcards and tons of other stuff too.

Website Launch

Launched latest version of website this month.
Goals:  keep it simple yet professional, make information easy to find, have it visually not too hard on the eyes.

juliesusanne.com

Flaunt It: Business Cards and Post Cards for Artists

OK, None of us is born with business knowledge- but there are tons of resources out there;  I've been reading a couple of great art marketing books.  All of the authors are consistent in their insistence that if we want to make a living using our talents, we must promote ourselves and get our art in front of the public.

Duh?  Yeah, duh!!  Our art DOESN'T speak for itself, it turns out!!

Presenting our most professional self is paramount.  I could scribble my name and number on a scrap of paper, but there is something to be said about the traditional business card. 

HerRealism Fine Art and Design Business Card Draft

Including a graphic that represents my artwork or design service is... how do you say...a no brainer.  Finding a good deal on the printing- priceless.  If you have a local printer you love use them.  Otherwise check out the great online options.  I have seen the products Vistaprint puts out, and they are rather good. 

Although their free card option includes a very small Vistaprint line on the back, it is certainly better than the aforementioned scrap of paper.  Also, much better than the laser printed cards done at home.
However their premium cards are very reasonably priced. 

This week I am sending off my next design (above) and will let you know the turn around time.

In the meantime- check out the great printing deals:

                                                                    

500 Premium Business Cards for $10

50% Off Postcards. Mailing Services Available.



The links above are for products and services I have researched and tried out.  I receive a small percentage of sales from business conducted through these links.  I have not been asked to recommend any product or service in exchange for payment.

The Museum of Censored Art Grand Opening

Censorship Does Not Work in Today's Culture

Spurned by the Smithsonian's most recent act of removing a David Wojnarowicz video from a National Portrait Gallery exhibit in November, the video has received a lot of attention and screenings (see previous posts on Wojnarowicz’ video: click here) .

The Museum of Censored Art Opens its Doors

Now, visitors of the Smithsonian's Hide/Seek exhibit will also get to see the video "Fire In My Belly," by David Wojnarowicz without traveling too far: 
The Museum of Censored Art : Showing Art the Smithsonian Won't  has just opened an exhibit just steps from the National Portrait Gallery. 


Please click 'comments' below to add your opinion

Censorship Not Effective

Video about AIDS Suffering and Oppression Gets Airplay

"A Fire in My Belly," the Wojnarowicz video censored by the Smithsonian in November, has received more screenings since it's 'banning.'  From Washington D.C. to New York to Chicago to Los Angeles to You Tube. See previous post here: Censorship of the Arts.

"A Fire in My Belly" was shown at:

• Transformer Gallery December 3rd through December 4, 2010 as continuous screening for 48 hours in storefront window.
• CB1 Gallery  December 9th through December 19, 2010.  During LA Art Walk the 9th, over 700 people saw the piece.

Wojnarowicz' video can still be seen here:

• Hammer Museum through January 30, 2011
• New Museum through January 23, 2011
• Smart Museum through February 6, 2011

Online viewing of "A Fire in My Belly:"

• Fire in My Belly by David Wojnarowicz 

Please contribute your comments below by clicking 'comments.'

Get Your Blog Listed in Blog Catalog or Blog Search Engine

Why do you blog, anyway?  Hopefully it is to provide useful content to readers.  Pinging blog search engines reaches out to more of those readers.

Have you ever tried to determine the best/most used blog catalogues and how to ping them?  I did and, Dang! Did you know there are, um, I don't know, thousands of them?!! (Last week, I did a post aboutTechnorati, here). I've been sorting through them...

Five Most Useful Blog Search Engine Catalogs

1. Blogpulse.com (now defunct)
2. Blogsearch.google.com 
3. Icerocket.com search is on the slower side.
4. Technorati.com 
5. Weblogs.com although catalogs newest posts, blogs not searchable from weblogs.com website.

Dead, Defunct or Dumb Blog Search Engines
Those we have lost....

• Blogdigger.com: search results continually came up null, read: "dumb, useless."
• Blog.gs appears to be under construction for last 8 months, in effect: defunct.
• Bloglines.com: still exists, but appears to be an rss feed aggregator and no longer a blog search engine- it is not completely clear.
• Blogrolling.com: dead: has clearly ceased operation. 
• Feedster.com: dead: is simply a parked domain name.
• Newsgator.com: has several rss feed readers available, but does not search wide range of blogs from site.
• Pubsub.com: searches publications; all search results were 11+ days old and no blogs found in results. 

Ping the Search Engines

Send the major search engines a notification when your blog is updated.  Services such as pingoat and pingomatic allegedly update some of the search engines.  However, since they both list defunct blog search engines, I question whether they actually are effective.

1. Blogpulse: Can No Longer Submit Blog.
2. Blogsearch: Add Blog.  Google's Blogsearch adds blog to search results.
3. IceRocket: Ping Us. Icerocket also provides automatic pinging instructions on the same page.
4. Technorati: Blog Claim FAQ‘s. An account is required and a code (sent by email) must be in the title of a blog post before blog is claimed and indexed. Then the blog is indexed if it has standing in the blogging community according to the Technorati Authority tracking.
5. Weblogs: Ping Here.

 
Please contribute by clicking 'comments.' below:

Technorati Technorschmati

Blogging For Dollars

Part of using a blog for fun and profit has to do with exposure.  Technorati tags help search engines (and then people) find you. Start by signing up your blog on Technorati so more people can find it.  I tried this a year ago, and Technorati was so back-logged, I could not get blog verified.  This process is much quicker today.
A matter of minutes.