fieldnotes 07
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Fieldnotes #07
Happy February
Happy February
Thankfully, much of what I have to say this month was drafted a couple of weeks ago, because right now we're in the middle of both bio- and tech-wars at our house! We've been dealing with another (ANOTHER! 🫠) round of various bugs and illnesses that have really put me behind. Then this morning my Baby...my glorious computer that my beloved nephew hand built for me years ago...started acting a'fool. I'm not sure if I should try to nurse her back to health or just put her out to pasture. Either way, I don't have the energy to deal with it today, or even this week. I'm telling you - it's been a MONTH! 😶
So I'm finishing the rest of these Fieldnotes on my iPad - which is not easy because I have no patience! 😅 Like I said, I'm thankful that much of what I have to say was already drafted!
And as always, you're free to just scroll down and snag that sweet freebie at the end! I won't judge! 😅
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My biggest Field Observation this month isn't about Zazzle, but is definitely related to Zazzle - and that's the kerfuffle surrounding Creative Fabrica. If you're unaware, a wise and popular Etsy coach posted a video about some of her students who were sued for using graphics they legally purchased from CF and had licenses (from CF) to use. Long story short, the CF seller had actually stolen those graphics, so these students had inadvertently purchased stolen property that they did not actually have the legal right to use. CF refused to take responsibility or help financially at all, and basically said, "oops, sorry. We sometimes let bad actors in, but we do ban them when we find them!" (I paraphrase LOL)
So the question became: Is Creative Fabrica trustworthy? Should you keep your subscription or continue purchsing graphics from them? It was quite a whirlwind discussion - and the ranges of response were what you would expect.
Here's the thing, and I say this as someone who sells on Creative Fabrica as well as someone who uses the site: Just Be Careful. I'm not an attorney, and this isn't legal advice, but I think it is safe to say that most of what is on CF is legitimate, but there will always be bad actors out there looking to make a quick buck (although why they'd choose CF is a mystery, since their royalty rates are abysmal LOL). Creative Fabrica has done a lot to ensure that its sellers are legitimate, but the bigger it gets, the harder it gets for them to keep an eye out for bad actors.
Bottom line, this problem is not exclusive to Creative Fabrica, and I would lay money that all the other marketplaces (Creative Market, Design Bundles, Hungry Jpeg, even Etsy) have similar exclusions in their licenses that get them off the hook if you inadvertently buy stolen property from their site.
So what do we do? Do we stop buying from these marketplaces completely? I think that's a bit extreme, but if that helps you, then do it. Personally, I choose just to use this as a reminder to be extra cautious about the sellers on all of the marketplaces. Take a few minutes to check them out - look at the websites they list and make sure they are actual designers, not resellers. If they don't have any way for you to check them out, maybe think twice about downloading from them.
I'll add a shameless plug here and then move on: Everything I make for you and for the Designers Toolkits is legal and legitimate! 🎉 Your license is safe, and there isn't going to be anyone coming in to sue you for using the graphics, because your girl Kate made them all with her chubby little hands (and a little Midjourney magic)! 😅 I go out of my way NOT to make anything that might be risky. For example, you'll never see me make Disney or Marvel stuff, but you'll also never see me make BBQ grills or kitchen stand mixers, or VW-shaped vehicles, because I know those shapes are too risky!
So yeah, again, I'm not a lawyer, but I can tell you that I'm a safer bet than Creative Fabrica! 😅 Maybe I should start my own graphics membership!
Alright, on to ZAZZLE things!
If January was slow for you, don't worry! It's normally slow for almost every industry out there! People just naturally pull back in January, after all their holiday spending and splurging. I think the only industry that sees a sales increase in January is gyms and diets! 😉
But don't let it get you down. Press on, stick to the plan, do what you know you need to do, and make progress. Even if it's just a little bit of progress. All forward progress is good!
🚀 Some people tell me they're still having issues with resizing things in the Zazzle design tool. I haven't had too many issues in January, but I've been busier with Toolkits than in my Z stores, so maybe I just didn't notice. I'll reiterate what I said last month: one thing that OFTEN works for me when something goes bonkers with the Design Tool it to switch to a different browser altogether. I tend to go back and forth between Firefox and Chrome, depending on what is working that particular day. And it isn't always consistent.
What should you be creating right now?
If you're doing mostly seasonal products, then focus on Easter and Mother's Day now. I'll drop an Easter freebie below to help you; Mother's Day will be the focus of March's freebie, if you can wait. 😉
Outside of holidays, we're moving into spring...right? It's still pretty frosty here, but spring is only about 45 days away! So it's time to bust out all of those pretty spring florals and start using them.
What should you be promoting right now?
💌 Valentine's Day - same as last month! And St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras if you made anything for those. Otherwise, just focus on promoting your own products. Refresh some Pin images, update cover images (and repin), etc..png)
We've had quite a rough couple of months over here, I'm not gonna lie. Both December and January were just a rotating door of illnesses - super fun times! 😅 But it has taught me patience, and to prioritize my health, and even though I'll admit I've had a few meltdowns about not getting everything done, it's been a very good season of "growth" for me.
But it does mean I needed to make some changes.
🎉 First, I DID manage to get the Original Designers Toolkit sales page updated to reflect the new sales price. It's now $17, but it also now has over 500 graphics, assets, and resources, so it's still a great deal.
💒 I wanted to release the Wedding Designers Toolkit by the first of February, but that was one of the lessons I had to learn the hard way. I've set a goal for February 14 (sooner, if my computer cooperates). It's really going to be an amazing toolkit, and I'm very excited for you to see it! I just want it to be something worth your time. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ♥
âš¡I still have 3 more toolkits on my Bingo Sheet for the first half of 2025, but I may need to do some rethinking and push at least one of those collections to later this year.
🧠I'm also rethinking the small Collections course I was going to do. I might just make a longer Collections video, rather than a full course; if I do that, I would just include it in Zazzle Unleashed rather than as its own course. If you have thoughts or suggestions - be sure to let me know!
Like I said, these past 2 months have really forced me to slow down and rethink my plans. I think that's perfectly fine (I only wish I didn't have to learn these lessons the hard way LOL). I want to have a calm business, and that means sometimes making tough decisions.
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I'm sorry if this month's Fieldnotes seem weird. 🙃 Like I said at the beginning, I'm still recovering from being sick and my computer is on the fritz, so you're getting "Substitute Kate" at the moment.
Case in point. I have an adorable Easter themed pack for your freebie this month! Originally it was going to be Eggs AND Crosses, but of course my computer is not cooperating at all, so it's just Eggs. But they're really pretty! 🤩 And they come with a Commercial Use licence that includes using them with your POD products and even your PLR (just don't include the whole pack in your product). See? Way better than Creative Fabrica! 😅 Just click the image below to grab them.
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But it does mean I needed to make some changes.
🎉 First, I DID manage to get the Original Designers Toolkit sales page updated to reflect the new sales price. It's now $17, but it also now has over 500 graphics, assets, and resources, so it's still a great deal.
💒 I wanted to release the Wedding Designers Toolkit by the first of February, but that was one of the lessons I had to learn the hard way. I've set a goal for February 14 (sooner, if my computer cooperates). It's really going to be an amazing toolkit, and I'm very excited for you to see it! I just want it to be something worth your time. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ♥
âš¡I still have 3 more toolkits on my Bingo Sheet for the first half of 2025, but I may need to do some rethinking and push at least one of those collections to later this year.
🧠I'm also rethinking the small Collections course I was going to do. I might just make a longer Collections video, rather than a full course; if I do that, I would just include it in Zazzle Unleashed rather than as its own course. If you have thoughts or suggestions - be sure to let me know!
Like I said, these past 2 months have really forced me to slow down and rethink my plans. I think that's perfectly fine (I only wish I didn't have to learn these lessons the hard way LOL). I want to have a calm business, and that means sometimes making tough decisions.
I'm sorry if this month's Fieldnotes seem weird. 🙃 Like I said at the beginning, I'm still recovering from being sick and my computer is on the fritz, so you're getting "Substitute Kate" at the moment.
Case in point. I have an adorable Easter themed pack for your freebie this month! Originally it was going to be Eggs AND Crosses, but of course my computer is not cooperating at all, so it's just Eggs. But they're really pretty! 🤩 And they come with a Commercial Use licence that includes using them with your POD products and even your PLR (just don't include the whole pack in your product). See? Way better than Creative Fabrica! 😅 Just click the image below to grab them.
♥ That's it for February ♥
Thanks again being patient with me as I navigate health and technical issues!
Be sure to reach out if you have questions or just want to say hi!
Thanks again being patient with me as I navigate health and technical issues!
Be sure to reach out if you have questions or just want to say hi!
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