Finished!

And here it is - I just finished it this morning - let's see if this one fits the bill:

The Many Iterations of a Frog

There are times I just know that a new design is going to be a hit and times I just create a design I like and cross my fingers others like it, too. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. The ever changing popularity of the Frog Clock has been a total mystery to me. This is the first one I did. To be honest I didnt' love it, but it was wildly popular for many years, one of my top sellers. 

Then, almost overnight no one wanted it anymore. That happens, and that's fine. I love rethinking designs, coming up with a new version is fun for me. So I created Tree Frog, a more graphic take on the little guy. 

Personally, I loved Tree Frog. It's a more modern style, the frog is central but the border is the key to it's appeal. At least for me. But...no one wanted it. 

Now I know Frogs are popular. My Frog Alarm Clock has always been a best seller, and so have the Frog Magnets. But no one else seemed to love this little guy. So last year I tried again and came up  with Leap Frog, going back to my usual whimsical style.

Again, I love this happy guy. He just made me laugh. He reminds me of a kids book illustration, he just seems like he must have a story. I was sure frog sales would pick up again when I added him.. But again... almost no one wants him. I was (and still am) puzzled.

Now, I've looked around stores, shows and on the web, and frogs are still popular. Not the fad they once were, and not like cats and dogs and horses, but still very popular. So, I refuse to give up. This week I sat down, and here I go again. 

He's almost done. Wish me luck...

I've decided that the reason I'm so bad about blogging is that I feel like I need to make time to write a long post. (And frankly, because I hate using blogger because it is so difficult to format pictures, etc.) So I keep putting it off until I have time to write a longer article about an important topic. And as you've probably noticed - I rarely do.
So I've decided to post more often and share shorter tidbits, which is more realistic expectation, and to be honest - more fun for me. So here we go!

 

If you have a Costco Executive membership you may not be getting the most out of your rebate.
The thing they don't tell you when you sign up, is that with the $100 year dues they guarantee a minimum of $50 back. Here's how it works: If your rebate is less than $50, instead of spending the coupon at the register you can bring it to the customer service desk and they'll give you $50 for it. You can even get it in cash! No one at my Costco told me that when I signed up, (or anyone else I know, either) so for years I got piddly little rebates, used them at the register and was always dissatisfied. Then one lucky day a nice cashier stopped me, told me NOT to use it, but to take it to the membership desk. And to my surprise, they handed me $50 for it and explained the deal. This way your business membership costs you the same as the regular membership. YAY!

If you are considering switching to a mobile credit card processor - this is a great article about comparing services and rates. http://www.artfairsourcebook.com/news/mobileprocessors.htm