[Aquanet] any news lately?

Mon Oct 27 22:55:22 EDT 2008

Thank you Pat, for taking the time to share your expertise with aquanetters.  I, for one really appreciate this info on card production.  At the present time, I've been photographing my art & having 4x6 photo prints made to fit on cards I buy from Cheap Joe.  I would prefer to have the art printed on the card, as it would save so much time.  Thanks, June

--- On Mon, 10/27/08, patchapin at mindspring.com <patchapin at mindspring.com> wrote:

From: patchapin at mindspring.com <patchapin at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Aquanet] any news lately?
To: "Virginia Haines" <341vch at suddenlink.net>, , "Phyllis Mcdonough" <quilts at gis.net>
Received: Monday, October 27, 2008, 9:08 PM

It depends on whether or not you are interested in making money, or getting your name out as a card person.  Fifty cards does not make any money. Assuming you'd like to make something on them, here is what I do:

1.    First, you need to have a couple of paintings that will fit your card size -- I print cards on 5x7, so a painting I do needs to be taken into a photo or art program; you crop as necessary, and then reduce until your design fits your card; it should be almost to the very edges, but not quite (so you avoid what is in printing called a 'bleed', which often costs more).  Or, you can do it the other way, and make your paintings in multiples: for 5x7 cards, you can paint in 10x20, for instance, or larger in multiples of the 5x7 measure.

2.    The riskiest part of cards is picking a card design.  Anyone can join this contest: go to the Cards section of my site at www.ThreeMermaids.com, and pick which of the cards is the worst seller, which is the best seller, and which is the most consistent (people come back for more of the same design).  Or, simply pick the worst seller.  Maybe you will be better than I am, but this is a way to test!

3.    Black and white cards can be done at a printer's and are not too expensive.  Colour sells better, of course, but is a lot more expensive (and what is watercolour in black and white?).  Art printers will send you a packet (Color Q, Colson Printing, etc.) showing prices for different numbers of cards; if you are really good with a computer and have a quality printer, you should print them yourself I suspect, or check out a Kinko's.  You will need to have at least two different designs to print up.  Even on a try-out basis, never have fewer than 100 cards made.  [I get my "good" designs done at 8,000 a printing, to get the price per card down, but you don't have to worry about that yet.]  Don't forget to allow for your name, the name you make up for the card company, your address, etc., to be on the back outside cover of the card (Kinko's can help with this kind of stuff if you get a good person).

Now, to envelopes: my cards are 5x7, which take what is called a Lee envelope.  The easiest way to price envelopes is on a computer -- put in "bright white envelope" to a search engine like Google, and your State, and look at their prices, or go to a printers and see what they need -- don't just say 'white' or you will be unhappy with what you get, say 'bright white', or pick a colour envelope that will go with both cards.  Store them closed, as envelopes in colour or white get shopworn from light.

For the packaging, you need bags.  I put 6 cards/6 envelopes in a resealable gusseted bag; I get mine from Clear Bags because they are cheapest, but you have to purchase a heckuvalot of bags.  Again, put 'clear bags' into your search engine and see what you come up with closest to you.  Also, if you live near a city that has a company that makes boxes or bags, call and ask.  You'd be surprised at the deals you can sometimes make.

Now, find a victim (mine was once my 4-year-old son).  Someone has to fold all the cards, count them out in sixes, and count six envelopes to go with them.  You yourself will do the bagging (if not all of it) because it is trickier.  To bag the cards properly, you need to have the front (picture) facing out the front, and the back of another card showing at the rear of the package (the part with your name and stuff).  You might trick your husband into doing it once, but very few husbands will do it more than that.  It is not hard labour, just tiresome, I guess, kind of like ironing.

You only put one design in each package, not two.  If someone cannot make up their minds, they then can purchase a package of each, because they won't be that expensive.  You keep all your bagged packages in clean, paperlined boxes (cardboard eats things), in the dark when you are not filling orders.

I wish I could finish this with somehting like "then sit back and wait for the big bucks", but of course, it trickles back instead of floods unless you get really lucky -- I have one company that buys a particular card of mine in bulk every year because it has a product relation for them, but mostly what you do then is go around to boutiques and gift shops, and see if they will buy your cards wholesale (half of retail value).  If you have a 'theme' (mermaids, cats, local scenes, etc.) then you widen your market -- local scenes might interest any local museum shops, sometimes the municipality itself.  Cat stores will look at cat cards, etc.

pat chapin
www.patchapin.com
www.ThreeMermaids.com

--- Original Message ----- 

From: Virginia Haines 
To: patchapin at mindspring.com ; Phyllis Mcdonough ; 'aquanetart' 
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 5:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Aquanet] any news lately?

I know one of my artist friends did several versions of line drawings of several basic ideas of Christmas Card scenes..she had 50 printed at a local 'print shop'.  She then painted each in watercolors to finish the cards.  envelopes for 3"x5" cards are available at Wal Mart stores, or order the watercolor card box sets from art supply catalogs. the envelopes are included with these 4"x6" w/c paper folded cards.   

---- Message ----- 

From: patchapin at mindspring.com 
To: Phyllis Mcdonough ; 'Virginia Haines' ; 'aquanetart' 
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Aquanet] any news lately?

Bev, how many do you want to print?  Or are you asking which way is the best 
profit?
pat chapin
www.patchapin.com
www.ThreeMermaids.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Phyllis Mcdonough
To: 'Virginia Haines' ; 'aquanetart'
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Aquanet] any news lately?

Just busy Virginia. I have just cleared my calendar for the next 10 weeks 
and I feel great, I get to choose what I do each day.  Happy Holidays 
everyone.
 Bye the way does anyone have a suggestion as to the best and simplest 
manner in which to print homemade cards?
Go to staples, use a computer or hire a photographer /printer to come in and 
“sell” to the clients?  Or….

http://geocities.com/pollyanna_18

From: aquanet-bounces at thedigitalbraintrust.net 
[mailto:aquanet-bounces at thedigitalbraintrust.net] On Behalf Of Virginia 
Haines
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 12:45 PM
To: aquanetart
Subject: [Aquanet] any news lately?

Just checking to see if there has been any watercolor news and why it is 
quiet at this end?  Hope I am not disconnected again from aquanetters.
Virginia H.
visit my site at:
www.arkansasdirectories.com/vhaines.asp
http://www.hometownartgallery.com/art/vhaines

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.8.4/1749 - Release Date: 10/27/2008 
7:57 AM

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.8.4/1749 - Release Date: 10/27/2008 
7:57 AM

Aquanet mailing list
Aquanet at thedigitalbraintrust.net
http://lists.thedigitalbraintrust.net/mailman/listinfo/aquanet

Check out the Aquanet web site:
http://www.aquanetart.com 

Aquanet mailing list
Aquanet at thedigitalbraintrust.net
http://lists.thedigitalbraintrust.net/mailman/listinfo/aquanet

Check out the Aquanet web site:
http://www.aquanetart.com

      __________________________________________________________________
Instant Messaging, free SMS, sharing photos and more... Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger at http://ca.beta.messenger.yahoo.com/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.thedigitalbraintrust.net/pipermail/aquanet/attachments/20081027/ae34d03b/attachment-0001.html 