What’s Foto Friday? It’s our weekly blog post of customers enjoying their Zazzle products. Want to join in the fun and earn $5 towards your next Zazzle order? See details on how to participate in Foto Friday.

Merry & Bright Holiday Card
Custom Flower Notebook
Hallmark Dad’s Service Mug
Flower iPad Case
Surfing Theme Speaker
Pink Flower Notepad
Favorite Recipes Binder
Quilt Binder
Abstract Skateboard
Cinque Terra Canvas
Your Last Name College Embroidered Track Jacket
Summer Vintage Girl and Flowers T Shirt

Mustache Mug

Tequila got me Naked T-shirt

Poppies Spot Tshirt

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

Amy: I come from a very artistic family, so I grew up in love with the arts and a natural sense of creativity.  During High School I transitioned from pencils and crayons to graphic design, after accidentally discovering I had a kind of knack for it.  I’ve now been doing this gig freelance for 7 years, specializing mainly in branding businesses. Websites, logos, business cards, and brochures have been the bulk of my work until recently when I decided to expand my art and open a Zazzle store!

Zazzle: A lot of your work seems to be more vector art, when did you start illustrating? Are there other styles of art you enjoy creating as well?

Amy: I’ve dabbled lightly in digital illustration for the past few years – mainly in logo work for clients. It wasn’t until last spring that I really started to play with creating people and animals. I’ve had so much fun! I enjoy traditional art with colored pencils, pastels, and paints as well…but rarely use them these days. I think digital illustration wins over because it’s so easy to correct my mistakes!

Zazzle: What is your inspiration for your designs??

Amy:  Inspiration is a funny thing…because most of the time it comes out of nowhere. I find the best ideas are like that. Sometimes all it takes is a good mood and a thirst to create. In fact I think all of my designs ultimately come down to a good mood…whether it’s because of a song I’ve heard, or a funny joke from a friend or movie. So maybe it would suffice to say that simple light heartedness is the greatest inspiration…in whatever form it may take.

Zazzle: Any artists you look up to when it comes to designing?

Amy:  Sam Spratt – his imagination and attention to detail never ceases to amaze me.

Zazzle: Who is your favorite Zazzle seller (besides yourself, of course)?

Amy:  I’ve yet to really explore the Zazzle community, but of the handful of stores I’ve seen, I really admire 3ddevine’s work.

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

Amy: Hmm…I’d say it’s a tossup between my Egyptian 80′s chick, and my arguing Shampoo and Conditioner bottles – both of which were equally fun to make. The Egyptian design stemmed from my ongoing interest in Ancient Egypt, and what I really love about it is the unexpected and humorous combination of Ancient Egypt and the 1980′s. I had seen other designs with Egyptian Pharaoh’s in sunglasses before, but never with an 80′s flare. I really love how it turned out.

Zazzle: How do you eat a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup?

Amy: As a vegan, I don’t! LOL

Zazzle: Being a newer seller on Zazzle, what are you looking forward to the most?

Amy: Continued play with new products, ideas and opportunities to spread my work.

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

Amy: I initially started looking into online stores for the freedom to create what I wanted, when I wanted, and just have people buy and enjoy. Isn’t that the dream of all artists? After much research, Zazzle lured me in with their wide variety of products, easy-to-use tools, ability for a fully customized storefront, and most important – good product quality.  Haven’t looked back!

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

Amy: Not sure I’m equipped for tips since I’m still fairly new to the game…but here’s what I’ve found effective so far:

Move one step at a time…never rush through a design, or create products just for the sake of having more products. Present only your very best.

Do your research. I hung out in the forum for a good while when I first started; figuring out how to best customize my storefront and getting tips from ProSellers. You must be willing to learn about what it takes to succeed…and invest your time in doing so.

Enjoy yourself…especially when creating a new design. It really shows through your work.

Thanks Amy!

Currently dominating our bestsellers list, Ron Paul maintains the lead in overall sales. His supporters show that even with his recent 4th place finish in the South Carolina primary, his support is still strong and should not be ignored!

President Obama trails next in 2nd place. The graph does not, however, attribute to his overall favorability. With Anti-Obama products highly popular, this is something significant to note.

Although making headlines for his South Carolina win, Newt Gingrich has had the least sales out of the all the current GOP nominees. But don’t count him out just yet, his aggressive debate style has helped increase his sales this past week.

Rick Santorum, while demonstrating strength in recent debates, still shows minimal sales, only slightly higher than Newt Gingrich.

Last, but not least, Mitt Romney. His product sales and search stats may be increasing, but he’s still a long ways behind his opponents Ron Paul and President Obama.

Here at Zazzle, we hope to be at the forefront of the political conversation in the e-commerce world of customization. Whether you’re supporting (or disdaining) certain stances and figures we encourage your creative expression. Share your political stores and designs in the comments below and let your voice be heard!

Who’s with me! What letters are you going to send to your loved ones?

Hot on the heels of the launch of Rickshaw Bagworks products on Zazzle, we’ve launched another ecologically focused American-made product on Zazzle: Custom Aluminum Water Bottles! Featured in 13 fun colors and two sizes, these 100% recycled aluminum water bottles are a great way to show off photos and designs while helping to keep down the disposable plastic water bottle population (they breed like rabbits). But, what I really love is that these are not just great CUSTOM bottles, they are great water bottles thanks to the small details that Liberty and Zazzle took to create this product. 100% BPA free was just the start. These bottles are the only metal water bottle that exceeds the FDA standards for non-leaching products, they have an easy quarter turn open/close cap (helpful for one handed opening), and they have a tapered neck for smooth/splash free drinking. These design elements make this a great gift that can easily integrate into anybody’s home or work life. See below for some hot new designs from Zazzle Sellers or start creating your own custom water bottle now!

What’s Foto Friday? It’s our weekly blog post of customers enjoying their Zazzle products. Want to join in the fun and earn $5 towards your next Zazzle order? See details on how to participate in Foto Friday.

Honey Badger Don’t Care Value T-Shirt

Lady’s Loopster Chick Singlet Shirts

Hot Purple/Pink Zebra Stripes Monogram Coffee Mug

Frog Custom Tie

Responsibility Champion Mug

Sad Tech Shirts

Spread Your Wings and Fly Tote Bags

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Zazzle: Give us a brief bio, where you’re from and when you started making art.

Lizabeth: My name is Liza Phoenix, I’m from Seattle, Washington and I’ve worked as a professional craftsperson/designer for many years. I’ve done hand painted t-shirts, hand carved sculpture, beads, art prints, and posters.

Zazzle: What is your inspiration for your designs?

Lizabeth: Love, happiness, sweets, treats, magic, and rainbows.

Zazzle: When you’re not creating art, what are your other hobbies?

Lizabeth:  I compile images and information about legendary creatures and fabulous beasts, and I maintain a subject guide to art history.

Zazzle: What’s your favorite style to create?

Lizabeth:  Kawaii! A style that originated in Japan around the 1970s and emphasizes the cuteness of objects to the extreme and then a little bit beyond that.

Zazzle: How many hours do you typically spend working on your Zazzle store?

Lizabeth:  In my mind I work all day and all night on my Zazzle store and my other websites and projects, but in reality it’s probably only about 8 hours a day.

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

Lizabeth: My favorites are usually my latest, but maybe some of my all-time favorites are “Pink Albino Narwhal” and “Super Rainbow Space Cake”. Why? Cute! (I hope!)

Zazzle: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play you?

Lizabeth: Ha ha, Cameron Diaz, but she would need to gain 20 pounds and wear a wig.

Zazzle: Being a newer seller on Zazzle, what are you looking forward to the most?

Lizabeth: Making more money! Also, I have one million ideas that I’m anxious to get out of my mind and onto Zazzle products.

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

Lizabeth: I was with another POD company and the members there spoke so highly of Zazzle that I decided to give it a try.

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

Lizabeth: Put forth a great effort over a long period of time with a confident expectation of success. (Get back to me in a year or two and I’ll let you know if this actually works.)

Thanks Lizabeth!

Want a behind-the-scenes looks on the Zazzle/Rickshaw Bagworks partnership? See how our MacBook Sleeves are made – check out the video!

What’s Foto Friday? It’s our weekly blog post of customers enjoying their Zazzle products. Want to join in the fun and earn $5 towards your next Zazzle order? See details on how to participate in Foto Friday.

That 70s Shirt

Join in the fun now! Learn more about submitting your photos and videos to Foto Friday!
Follow @zazzle