Zazzle Blog

Rebecca, from the Zazzle store PeppersPolishMafia, was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions about her experience as a Zazzler. Check out the interview below and don’t forget to check out her store PeppersPolishMafia!

Zazzle: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Rebecca: I was born in South Dakota and moved to Maine several years ago. I got married to a wonderful, supportive man and had some amazing children. We own a family business on the coast of Maine that is surrounded by Art Museums.

I do ink drawings, paint with acrylics and graphic art. I love to add an odd imagination to my art. I was born with a smile on my face. I enjoy life and insist at the end of a day to find good in everything. I live by the rule of staying honest and true to myself and those around me. I believe everything we go through, be it good or bad, is something we can learn from, live by, and use in tomorrow’s adventure.

Zazzle: What’s your inspiration for your designs?

Rebecca: Every day I experience something unique, that seems to stay in my head until I draw it out. Most often this will be a family, friend, animal, or some shape I see in the clouds.  Then, of course, there are my dreams.  I will wake up and know I must draw whatever I was dreaming about.   My drawings may not come out the way I had thought it would from my dream, but it makes it more interesting to me.   Often when I start drawing, I go deep into my imagination and search for something odd. I really have no idea what the end result will be until I am completely done.  I love to draw emotions, and I’m always inspired by people just being people.

Zazzle: What has been your favorite design you’ve created, and why?

Rebecca: I really have three that stand out to me. The first would be one which I dreamt about called “Harvest Moon Baby”.  In my dream, I was asked to go to the moon and decorate it, but I wasn’t sure of the reason why. I got up to the moon and realized I had many issues. I was not sure how the moon really looked as I decorated it.  As I painted the moon, I had no way to step back and see how things were looking.  If I stepped back, I would forever fall into space.  So I had to trust in myself and wing it! I also realized that the moon was not always full, but that it had phases, and I knew I had to section the moon as much as I could.  When I was sent back to earth, I was so excited for nightfall so I could see the new moon. When nightfall came and finally showed the moon, I woke up. I only got a slight glimpse of it, so I knew I had to draw it.  The second is my “Tea Reader” design.  She just brightens my day.  Her friendly face with a cup of tea just calms me down!  Then, there is “Crows Feet”.  This design was based on the animals in life. My Yorkies, Sadie and Oliver, along with Howie (my daughter’s dog), all happened to be barking off and on one day at these crows.  The crows seemed to be deliberately flying in the yard, laughing at the gated dogs. Later that evening the dogs all charged outside like crazy, since they thought the crows were back, but instead it was a skunk.

Zazzle: Do you have any fun stories about being a seller on Zazzle?

Rebecca: Not as a seller, but as a buyer… I bought a pair of Washington D.C. slip on Keds from dlgray. I bought them for a friend who had said she was going to make a run for the Whitehouse.  I knew she would enjoy wearing them and have fun too, but I got the wrong size.  So there was a silent auction coming for an annual charity event, and we donated them to the silent auction. Later on that evening, I had someone come up to me asking about the shoes. They told me that they wished they would have known we had donated them, because they had an auction coming up for the local school, so the children would be able to go to Washington D.C.  They said those shoes would be a popular attraction! My husband and I talked about the fact that we really should bid on them ourselves, so that we could donate them to the students. We had to stand by the silent auction signup paper all night, running back each time to bid higher. We ended up winning the shoes back, and we donated them to the school auction.  I will not say how much the shoes cost us in the end, but I told dlgray. It’s sort of thrilling to think that those shoes made it to Washington D.C, but I will leave the rest of this story to others’ imagination.

Zazzle: What is your favorite Zazzle feature? How do you use it?

Rebecca: Create a Product! This is so easy and smooth. I love to push that button! I am happy with everything Zazzle offers. I also love the Zazzle watermark.

Zazzle: What got you interested in selling your art on Zazzle?

Rebecca: I had been searching for a site that let me place my art on products. I bumped into Zazzle.com and took a look around. My first question was how safe is Zazzle.com?  I thought I would try it out and see what happens. By the time I put up my first product, I found how easy it was. I just knew there was no turning back. I felt very safe here.  I am a busy person, like so many people, so when I realized I had just found a place that offered making a store very easy; uploading, selling, and buying… I knew it was my kind of place.

Zazzle: What tips can you give someone who is just starting out on Zazzle?

Rebecca: Enjoy the Zazzle Community.  I have always thought, if the world could run as smooth and easy as Zazzle does it would be a great piece of art! Fellow Zazzlers are always so supportive, and they offer great input.  I find it a treat to get up early every morning, have my coffee, feed my doggies and go directly to Zazzle. Everyone has the art of being creative, and Zazzle is a great place to let it show.

Thanks Rebecca!

This entry was posted on February 4, 2010 at 6:01 pm and is filed under General News, Seller Spotlights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.