World of Whimsey, 3/23; The Tim Tam Tree

A Po-em by Judy Goddard

(She holds a daisy and bows)

Willie was a little boy who very slowly grew.

He lived in the far off land of the red kangaroo.

Wille didn't want to eat, each meal he'd try to flim flam

The only thing to pass his lips were biscuits labeled Tim Tam

Each night his mum and dad would shake their heads and worry.

Willie climbed the stairs to bed, but he was in no hurry!

He snuggled down beneath the covers to wait for sleep to come

And as he drifted off to sleep, he pretended he had, at least, a crumb.

A dreamy dream came to him and what did he see?

Upon a distant hill a wonderful and dreamy tree!

Running in the dreamy grass, he couldn't wait to reach

The lovely hill and fancy tree bright with fruit, he could not reach!

Up he spread his little arms and joyously he found

The branches of the mighty tree bending toward the ground.

At last! He thought and then he danced round and round that tree

And gathered up the those wondrous fruits, Tim Tam biscuits falling free!

All that night he sat and ate until he couldn't eat no more

And when he woke, here's what he found;

Tim Tam wrappers, like fallen leaves, littering his bedroom floor!

☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃☃

This painting was one of my first "Alchemy" special Etsy orders, painted for a five year old boy.

Tim Tam is a brand of cookie available in GB and Australia.

You can see other examples of my whimsical artwork at my Etsy shop!

www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

Thank you, Pat for spurring my imagination to write this poem!

www.leaningonthepromises.etsy.com

www.measuremecharts.etsy.com

www.finishthis.etsy.com

www.JudyAGoddardArtisan.blogspot.com

Samples of my drawing and painting skills

Here are some examples of drawing and painting.

the young man is my son. (Shhh! It's his Christmas present!)

The basket is a tile I painted using special enamals for painting on glass or tiles.

The cat is my kitten, Angela.

The tree was a sketch for an Alchemy customer I just finished for.

The bare back rider was for a blog challenge.

The motorcycle was a wedding card.

The wolf was for my hiking sticks, that I sell.

www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

www.finishthis.etsy.com

www.JudyAGoddardArtisan.blogspot.com

www.JudyGoddard.Homestead.com

"All the Leaves are Brown, and the Sky is Grey....."

This morning the sky is a shade of silver that tells me that rain is on the way. When I hooked the dog on to her lead the yard was blanketed with rustling brown oak leaves. The trees all around have lost their color and are settling into their sleeping season.

It's hard to believe that the season has progressed so far so fast. And now, Thanksgiving is just two weeks away! I made a collection of Autumn themed baskets and listed them on Etsy, but no one has purchased them, so now I'm discounting them by 30% of their original prices. Any of them would make wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving decorations. And, on top of that, they serve a purpose. They are more than "just a pretty face"!

Help to launch my basket sales! I've been so busy knitting and felting that I've got quite stock pile, and tons of new ideas to implement!

Christmas Baskets are ready to list!
http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

The Forest for the Trees

If each new task is a tree in the forest, and each time a tree proves fruitless a new one is planted, how can I tell the forest for the trees?

I've set up my shop.

I've taken good, clear and sharp photos.

I've engaged in the chat rooms

I've posted in the forums

1. to ask for critiques

2. to ask business topic questions

3. to promote my shop

I've 3 joined teams

I've set up a blog and post almost every day.

I've set up a flickr.com account.

I'm working on a face book site.

I've let my family and friends know I'm open for business.

How do I keep from despairing?

Making art for arts sake is very good and sounds like a noble endeavor. But what you end up with is piles of art and no place to store it.

And I admit, that as an artist, I seek validation! I want to know that my ideas are valid and that others think they're worth purchasing and giving as gifts. So not making sales is not only hard on the pocket book, it hurts my soul.

Every time I kvetch people tell me to hang in. My products are good, great, cute, wonderful. The prices are fair. The pictures are clear and good.

But as the Christmas season comes on, and I spend more time looking at other Etsy shops and see how many sales they've had since the time that I signed up, it just makes me ache.

This is the gift God gave me. And for my entire life I've tried to find the niche that will enable me to justify the time and money I spend on my art.

Can you relate?

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

www.Flickr.com/judyagoddard/