A New Year, a New Start

Here we are in 2020 and I realize it has been years since I posted in this blog!

But, rather than make excuses for my absence, I thought I would just pull myself together and start over.

The purpose of this blog is two-fold.  First I will be highlighting my own latest designs and artwork that I have created, and showing some of the items on which they are available in my Zazzle and FineArtAmerica stores.

And secondly, I would like to provide a showcase of the work of other artists and designers on #Zazzle by featuring some of their items here.

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I started the New Year the way I mean to go on by working on  some new art.  As some of you may know, I use the 3D graphics program DAZ 3D to create my art.  It's a program that allows you to create scenes on your computer, with a 3D environment, including figures, scenery, lighting much like a photographer would stage a photograph.  Then you take a virtual "photograph" of the scene and do the usual post work that any photographer does to create the final image.

Here's my first artwork of the new year, inspired by a card I received at Christmas.  I called it, surprise, surprise, "Dashing Through the Snow".  

Once the image was post processed and ready, it was time to get to work adding it to my Zazzle store.

Naturally, the first thing I did was to add it to a wrapped canvas print. Zazzle's wrapped canvas prints are made from an additive-free cotton-poly blend, making them long lasting and fade resistant.

I also added it to posters and prints for framing, postcards and customizable greeting cards.

Dashing through the Snow - Running Horses Canvas Print
by 3DDesignsByJayne

Then came the really fun part - adding the image to some of the quality products on Zazzle and posting them to my store.

I won't show them all here, or this post would be a mile long! But here are a few that I am especially happy with:

I love how the image looks on this throw pillow and can just picture it on a sofa beside a roaring fire in a cozy cabin somewhere.

Dashing Through the Snow - Running Horses Artwork Throw Pillow
by 3DDesignsByJayne

Another item I think my artwork looks especially good on is this custom wall clock. Featured in two sizes, this wall clock is vibrantly printed with AcryliPrint®HD process to ensure the highest quality display.

Dashing Through the Snow - Running Horses Large Clock
by 3DDesignsByJayne

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So that's it for my art today. Now it's time to feature some of the lovely work of other designers and artists on Zazzle. Since my latest artwork features horses in the snow, I've made that the theme of today's links.

I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and this one featuring a family of appaloosa horses is especially nice. It's available in a variety of sizes, up to 20" x 30" - 1014 pieces, which I think would be quite challenging!

Black Appaloosa Horses In Snow Jigsaw Puzzle
by ForestWildlifeArt

Postcards are a great and affordable way to collect and share art that you love.  This postcard features two bay horses, with white feathers on their legs and white blazes on their faces, galloping in the snow under a full moon.

Horses Running In The Snow Postcard
by tyraobryant

Cross-body tote bags are very useful for carrying just about anything and this one features a cute photograph of two foals playing in the snow.

Icelandic Horses Foal Play in Snow Funny Crossbody Crossbody Bag
by Kathom_Photo

And finally, I've been a fan of the digital artist CWRW since I first got introduced to DAZ3D.  Laurie specializes in dramatic equine art and this poster is an excellent example of her work.

Winter Thunder Poster
by artCWRW

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Now it's your turn!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The Majesty of Monarch Butterflies

When I'm not working at my day job, or working on my digital art and now pastel painting projects, I like to garden for wildlife.

My garden is registered as a Monarch Waystation and I've got lots of tropical milkweed, as that is the host plant of the Monarch butterfly, and the only plant that Monarch caterpillars will eat.

I was in the garden this weekend when I saw a Monarch butterfly flitting around.  I grabbed my camera, determined to get a photograph of it.

When I looked at the photograph full size on my computer, I could hardly believe my luck! Not only had I captured the butterfly, but right next to it on the same plant, there was a healthy Monarch caterpillar, munching away on a leaf!

I edited the photo by blending it with some texture for a more painterly effect and I'm very happy with how it came out.  It's been added to several items in my store, including this iPad sleeve.
 

Monarch Butterfly and Caterpillar iPad Sleeve by 3DDesignsByJayne
Check out more Monarch butterfly iPad Sleeves at Zazzle
 

There are lots of Monarch butterfly designs on Zazzle, so I'm going to showcase just a few of them.

I love the black and orange of the Monarch butterfly against the beautiful purple of the asters in this mousepad from CardsbyCarole.

Mousepad Monarch Butterfly on Purple Asters by CardsByCarole

This card from the very aptly named Butterflysarebloomin is made more dramatic by the way the background is black and white but the butterfly and flower are in color.

Madam Monarch Butterfly Greeting Card by Butterflysarebloomin
View more Butterflies are blooming Cards at zazzle.com

My final choice, among the myriad of Monarch designs on Zazzle, is this great bumper sticker from GardenDelightsArts which urges people to plant milkweed, to save the Monarch.  I need to get one of these bumper stickers myself!

Save monarch butterflies - Bumper Sticker by GardenDelightsArts
Make your own bumper sticker online at zazzle.com

Now it's your turn.  If your a designer on Zazzle and you have products in your store featuring Monarch butterflies, you are invited to your links in the Linky Tool below:

Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

It's hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner!  Are you ready for the holidays?  I suppose I'm about as ready as I'm going to be for this year.  I had sort of wanted to get more stuff done for my Zazzle store, but you know how it goes... day job gets in the way... life happens... 

So just a short post from me today.  One thing I was able to do was get some Christmas ornaments in my Zazzle store. Here's one of them - with a beautiful Red Cardinal, one of my favorite birds.

Red Cardinal with Pine Cones Christmas Ornament by 3DDesignsByJayne
Shop for Christmas Ornaments online at Zazzle.com

And here it is on our Christmas tree this year.

Here's another one - I love these little snowflakes.

Snowman in a Top Hat Snowflake Ornament by 3DDesignsByJayne
View other ornaments at Zazzle

Now it's your turn.  If you are a designer on Zazzle, you are invited to add a link to your ornaments in the Linky Tool below.

Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

The Beauty of Fall

Fall is my favorite season.  After six months of the heat and humidity of a Texas summer I am more than ready for a change.  I love fall colors, although we don't get too much of that down here, and of course, I love feeling that (very slight) chill in the air.

When I think about it, a disproportionate amount of my artwork features fall scenes.

Here's my latest artwork, "Country Lane in Fall", which is available as a poster, as well as on numerous different products, such as this mousepad.

Last week, I wrote a post on my Art by Jayne Wilson blog about how I created this image in the 3D graphics program, Vue.

Country Lane in Fall Mouse Pads by 3DDesignsByJayne
Find other Autumn Mousepads at zazzle.com

One of my favorite fall-themed artworks is "Autumn Companions". It's seen here with a wonderful quote from Elizabeth Lawrence, "Even if something remains undone, everyone should take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

Autumn Companions Poster with Inspirational Quote by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse for more framed art posters at zazzle

This is another autumn scene, Autumn by the Lake, which depicts a deserted lakehouse, surrounded by trees with turning leaves. All the summer visitors have gone home, leaving only the rowboat tied to the dock.

Autumn at the Lake Print by 3DDesignsByJayne
Search for another framed art work

On a more whimsical note, this sweet Autumn Fairy is a departure from my usual style of art. Earlier in the year I did a number of fantasy artworks, of which this was one.

The Autumn Fairy - Whimsical Fairy & Rabbit Print by 3DDesignsByJayne
See more Fairy Posters at zazzle.com

There are so many gorgeous autumn themed designs on Zazzle, I hardly know where to start. I'll just show you a few that caught my eye and then I'll let you have a turn.

My first selection is "Autumn Stillness," a poster from Zazzle designer HopefulOne, a very serene scene of a pathway leading through woodland.

Autumn Stillness Poster by hopefulone
Find additional posters for sale at Zazzle

This canvas print, "Tree Story" from yesterdaysgirl looks like tryptych with three side by side images of a tree through the seasons.

Tree Story Wall Decor Canvas Print by yesterdaysgirl
Make a photo canvas online at Zazzle.

Couples planning to get married in Fall will love this colorful Fall Wedding invitation from pics4weddings. It features colorful yellow, red and orange leaves falling into a river and is easily customized with your own wedding details.

Colorful Fall Wedding Invitation Autumn Leaves by pics4weddings
Make invitations on zazzle.com

Or perhaps you're planning a fall baby shower. There are hundreds of selections on Zazzle, including this one from OrangeOstrichDesigns.

Fall Baby Shower | Leaf Carriage Announcement by OrangeOstrichDesigns
See other Fall Invitations

A great way to bring some autumn color in to your home is with this Autumn Leaves Are Falling Throw Pillow by Zazzle designer CustomPro.

Autumn Leaves are Falling Throw Pillows by custompro
View more Autumn Pillows

Imagine sitting on the deck of your lake house in autumn, taking in the panorama of the fall colors around you and sipping hot coffee from your Lake House Personalized Coffee Mug! What a great idea from pamdicar!

Lake House Personalized Coffee Mugs by pamdicar
Browse other Welcome Mugs

As always, I could go on and on but I'll wrap it up here. Now it's your turn. If you are a designer on Zazzle, you are invited to add a link to your fall or autumn-themed designs in the Linky Tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

Hummingbirds - Flying Jewels

I love this time of year for a number of reasons.  First, being a keen gardener down here in the hot and humid South, I can start kidding myself that really is getting cooler outside.

And second, this is the time of year that the hummingbirds gather and prepare for their annual migration south.

This year we've been hosting them on and off since May and I've been spending a lot of time on the patio with my camera trying to catch a good photo.

I think I was successful with this shot, and the quotation by Robert Brault is very appropriate. This poster would make a nice gift for anyone.

Hummingbird Poster with "Little Things" Quotation by 3DDesignsByJayne
View more Hummingbird Posters

Just the other day, as the sun was starting to go down behind the house next door, I saw a hummingbird approaching the feeder on the patio.  I snapped some photos and loved the way the sinking sun shone through the blur of her wings.

The only problem with the photo was the background -- a not very interesting view of our neighbor's brick wall!

So.... I played around with the photo and used a texture from a set that I had purchased to get rid of the blah background and isolate the hummingbird.  Then I did the same thing with a photo of some fuschias that I had taken and merged them together.

The result is this customizable greeting card. It can be made into a birthday card, a "thinking of you" card, or whatever the buyer is looking for.

Hummingbird and Fuschia Customizable Greeting Card by 3DDesignsByJayne
Find more Hummingbird Cards at Zazzle

I love the way this turned out and added it to some stickers too:

Hummingbird and Fuschia Sticker by 3DDesignsByJayne

Looking around Zazzle, there are some beautiful products from other Zazzle designers featuring hummingbirds. Below you will find just a few of the selections I found.

This lovely hummingbird with fuschias postcard is available in the NationalWildlife store. I didn't know the National Wildlife Federation had a store on Zazzle, but they have some beautiful items, created with photos that have been donated to them by the artists.  

Hummingbird and /fuchsia postcards by nationalwildlife

This postage stamp from tracidwilson, (no relation to myself!) features a photo of a hummingbird with a beautiful orchid bloom.

Hummingbird with Orchid Postage Stamps by tracidwilson

We seem to have mostly female hummingbirds in our garden at the moment (I think the males have already started heading south). I love this sticker from Diane_Jacky which shows a male ruby-throat and some bright red blooms.  Hummingbirds love red!

Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Round Sticker by diane_jacky
View other Hummingbird Stickers

This lovely postcard from designer angelandspot has a vintage feel to it.

Vintage Hummingbird Post Cards by angelandspot

As you see in the photo at the top of this post, I have a couple of hummingbird feeders out at this time of year. But check this out!

Zazzle designer Gramabarb has used this photo of lots of hummingbird feeders on a porch.

She says: "These delightful hummingbird photographs are from http://www.ustream.tv/channel/katersch who has given me permission to make custom cards. She wants you to enjoy her Porch.

Watch the live action of these little jewels of the bird world."

What fun!

Hummingbird Porch Card by gramabarb

OK - that's enough from me.  I need to make some more nectar for my hummingbird feeders!

So now it's your turn. If you are a designer on Zazzle you are invited to add a link to your hummingbird themed designs in the Linky Tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product. 

Gift Wrap/Wrapping Paper - Perfect for Any Occasion

Okay, so I haven't posted in here since MAY!!!!  No excuses, well unless you count a full time day job, a part time job on an equestrian website and an emerging art career, as well as my Zazzle store, 3D Designs by Jayne.

Other than the day job (pesky things, but one does need to EAT), creating art seems to have taken more priority than actually blogging about it, BUT, I promise to do better in future :-) 

There's no doubt I've been lax at keeping up with the new products at Zazzle this summer.  I completely missed out on the flip flops and I haven't got around to creating any wallets yet.

But this morning, after sweating in the garden for a while, pulling weeds, I started thinking about a white Christmas and decided to create some wrapping paper for my Zazzle store. 

Snowman with Snowflakes and Blue Stripe Paper by 3DDesignsByJayne
Look at other Christmas Wrapping Paper at zazzle.com

I could even make a Christmas card and a gift tag to match, right?

Snowman with Snowflakes Gift Tag by 3DDesignsByJayne
Create your own personalized address label at zazzle.com

Snowman with Snowflakes Christmas Card by 3DDesignsByJayne
Make a card on zazzle.

But I digress, we're talking about gift wrap here and the next design I worked on was this simple, yet elegant Christmas tree, on a dark green background.The tree was part of a set of design elements purchased for commercial use, and I had fun placing it on my template so it would tile nicely.

Tone on Tone Green Christmas Tree Paper Gift Wrap Paper by 3DDesignsByJayne

Here's another holiday gift wrap using design elements purchased for commercial use. This one looks like golden jewelry, studded with large blue cabochon jewels.

Holiday Jewels on Deep Red Ground Wrapping Paper by 3DDesignsByJayne

So I'm having a blast with these today -- and I'm only thinking of Christmas at the moment - the possibilities are endless!

For example, this lovely aqua and green squares gift wrap from RiverJude will work for many occasions and is suitable for gifts for men and women.

Blue Green Aqua Squares Modern Wrapping Paper by RiverJude

This gift wrap from Cutencomfy features the birthday girl or boy's name in neon bright colors on a black background.

Personalized Custom Name Collage Colorful Birthday Gift Wrap Paper by cutencomfy

And this gift wrap from designer kitandkaboodle (love that name!) features adorable little blue, pink, green and yellow ducks so it's perfect for any baby shower, whether it's for a girl or boy.

Cute Ducks Baby Shower Wrapping Paper by kitandkaboodle

This wrapping paper, or gift wrap, has only recently been added to Zazzle, but already there are lots of designs, suitable for many occasions.  I've just scratched the surface here, but now I'd like to get back to making some more for my own store!

So now it's your turn. If you are a designer on Zazzle you are invited to add a link to your gift wrap/wrapping paper in the Linky Tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product. 

Inspirational Quotes on Posters, Cards and More

Some bad weeks at my day job have had me feeling low and seem to have sucked the creativity right out of me.  I've had a hard time completing any art projects and I haven't had the energy to blog either.

Well enough of that.  I will not let it get the better of me! 

Today I thought I would add a quote to this render that I did recently. I think it makes a great inspirational poster. In fact, I think I might revisit some more of my art and see if I can find suitable inspirational quotes to go with them.  It might make up for the recent creative doldrums!

Ride the Sky Poster by 3DDesignsByJayne

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I've always liked this quote about rain, ever since attending a Dale Carnegie seminar many years ago, and it always makes me think of Fred Astaire.

Dance in the Rain Goldfinch Postcard by 3DDesignsByJayne

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I knew if I looked around Zazzle, I would find lots more inspiration and as always, my fellow Zazzlers didn't disappoint.  I'm feeling better already :-) 

Here are just a few of the inspirational items I found:

I love the idea of an inspirational fridge magnet. You can give it as a gift to a friend, or to yourself, and be inspired each time you go to the fridge.  

Note to self ... good idea... I see some magnets in my creative agenda....

what lies behind us ... fridge magnet by ginnyl52
Look at other Inspirational Magnets at zazzle.com

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Framed postcards are an inexpensive way to create an art installation and they make great gifts. Your friends will appreciate an inspirational postcard like this one from smangieri.

"When you feel like giving up..." Post Cards by smangieri

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I love the quote by Plato on this poster from Inspiration Posters and it's certainly something I try to live by every day. You never know what other people are dealing with and a smile or act of kindness goes a long way.

Kindness Posters by Inspiration_Posters

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This beautiful motivational poster from LifeArtHouse would look great in the home or the workplace.

Discipline Motivational Poster Print by LifeArtHouse

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Inspirational quotes don't just come on posters, cards and magnets - you can wear them too, such as this Environmentalist T-shirt from holiday tshirts.

Be the change t-shirt by holiday_tshirts


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I'm certainly feeling in a more positive frame of mind after researching this blog post.  Of course, I've only scratched the surface of inspirational and motivational quotes available at Zazzle.

Now it's your turn. If you're a designer on Zazzle, you are invited to add a link to your inspirational or motivational quote-themed designs in the Linky Tool below.

Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

Love is in the Air!

Well okay, technically we're still one month away from Valentine's Day, but now is the time when people start thinking about it.

I was excited to get an email from Zazzle the other day, notifying me that someone had purchased 20 customized copies of my Cartoon Horse Valentine's card.

Cartoon Horses Valentine's Card by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse Valentine's day Cards online at Zazzle.com

It occurred to me that I don't have very many Valentine's themed items in my Zazzle store at all, but I have some images that I think I can work with, and I'll start that this week.

The card below is one I designed for my store at Greeting Card Universe. Unfortunately it has yet to be approved, so in the meantime I've added it to my Zazzle store. Note to self, allow plenty of lead time when submitting designs to GCU.

Pink Heart Valentine's Card by 3DDesignsByJayne

While I may not have many Valentine's Day themed cards and gifts, other Zazzle designers have been busy creating, so I took a peek around and here are just a few of the things I found.

No matter what style of Valentine's card you are looking for, there's something to fit your needs.

I like this one from TheCandiedThread. Not sure what it is, it just appeals to me :-)

Valentines Day Greeting Card by TheCandiedThread

I love this sweet little vintage Valentine's card for kids, from kidsonly. Perhaps it's because I'm a tea lover :-)

Vintage Valentine's Day Card for Kids by kidsonly

In addition to thousands of cards, there are also other Valentine's themed items on Zazzle, such as this cute "Cardinals in Love" mug.

Cardinals in Love Mug by pasaiidesignstudio

This Love postage stamp from ViolettoDesigns will add a touch of elegance to your correspondence.

Love Postage by ViolettoDesigns
Create your own postage stamps at zazzle.com.

I could go on, there are so many wonderful cards and other items. But now it's your turn.

If you're a designer on Zazzle, you are invited to add a link to your Valentine's Day-themed designs in the Linky Tool below.

Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.