What cool and unique ways have you used Zazzle products? Share in the comments! Or, better yet, send a picture to community@zazzle.com so we can post it on the blog!

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.

Beer? Tee Shirts

axoLOLtl Tshirts

cool story bro, tell it again. sweatshirt

Wishes from home to home card

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

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

Christina: I live on Prince Edward Island with my husband, Shaun and Dog, Dooku. Living on the East coast of Canada has done us well. It’s a very inspirational place to live… a place where your imagination can take over. I was trained as a Graphic Designer but found that my interest in arts was taking over.

Zazzle: When and how did you first become interested in art? How long have you been making art?

Christina: I picked up art very young. It was always a great outlet for me. I wasn’t very good with words and I used to draw a lot to explain myself. I guess you could say it came from necessity. I’ve always had a great imagination, and being able to make those ideas come to life was magical. At age 6 I got interested in Polymer Clays. It wasn’t until I was 21 that I found a way to make a profit from my sculpting skills. It was when I made my first custom wedding cake topper of some friends. By age 26 I decided to make this my full time career.

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

Christina:  It fluctuates from week to week, but since my husband introduced me to the site I have been very excited about the possibilities with Zazzle. It was my goal to use every drawing and sculpture that I’ve made on Zazzle product.   At the moment I have over 350 images spread across my two Zazzle storefronts. Which means I’m averaging 100 images a year

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

Christina: I’m pretty focused on art as my hobby, but the line between work and play is always blurry. I enjoy nature and walking with my dog. I do take many photos that I haven’t put on Zazzle yet. Maybe that should be my next storefront!

Zazzle: What is your favorite style to create?

Christina:  I am a whimsical artist. I try to be serious but it’s fighting against my goofy nature. I like comedy, laughter and love.

Zazzle: What is your favorite medium to use?

Christina:  I love using Adobe Illustrator, pencils and Polymer Clay. I use Clay in my day job so it is fun to draw and use other medium in my spare time.

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

Christina: Fast … and sometimes with ice cream.

Zazzle: What was the first product you ever sold on Zazzle?

Christina: Year of the Dragon Sticker was my first Zazzle product sold in 2009 which seems so strange, because 1) it is 2012 and now it is the Year of the dragon, and 2) that is was three years ago already.

Zazzle: What got you interest in selling your art Zazzle?

Christina: My husband suggested the site to me. I thought it was a brilliant way of showing my work and maybe making some money in the process. I don’t want to deal with inventory and shipping so why not let someone else do it?

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

Christina: Have fun and promote yourself.

Thanks Christina!

Don’t forget to use the special promo code: BLACKHSMONTH

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.

Cartoon Cardigan Welsh Corgi Coffee Mug

Sasquatch Research Team Tee Shirts

Duel in the Dirt Print

Butterfly Refrigerator Magnet
Mice in cheese refrigerator magnet
Trees and houses fridge magnet
This one’s for my mom Magnet

Red Dianthus With Raindrops – Medium Postage

The New American Revolution Tshirt

I Love My Dingo T-Shirt

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

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

Ashley: I’m a small town girl from Louisiana, currently residing on the grounds of the State Penitentiary. For as long as I can remember I’ve been into art and designing. It was clear to my family members at an early age that I had a passion for art, just ask my poor Grandma whose house still showcases the designs I doodled onto her walls. I was always painting and doodling away. I took every art class I could in school and in my early teens I was introduced to digital design and would later fall in love with Photoshop. I’ve worked for various advertising agencies and companies as a freelance designer over the years.

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

Ashley: I really love Susana Parada (ParadaCreations) and Katie Daisy (thewheatfield.) Their art is amazing and so uplifting and motivating. It’s nice to see art remind you that it’s the little things in life that are important. Little reminders that tell you not take life too seriously and to just live. I admire artists who can send a message as well as create amazing art.

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

Ashley:  I love to curl up with a good book or slack off and watch really crappy reality tv shows. I spend the weekends exploring and thrifting… I’m obsessed with Ball mason jars and old books. My boyfriend is a bull rider and a stock contractor so I’ve grown a huge love and passion for cattle and bucking bulls. When I’m not in my office you can usually find me in my kitchen cooking up a huge meal or baking up a batch of anything. I love to be covered in flour!

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

Ashley:  I don’t really have a favorite. I’m completely critical of my designs and never satisfied but I guess if I HAD to pick, I’d go with something simple and striped!

Zazzle: If you could be a superhero, what would be your super power?

Ashley: I’d love to be able to freeze time (is that a super power?) I constantly complain that I can’t find enough hours in the day to get everything I want to get accomplished finished.

Zazzle: Can you give us a sneak peek of a feature design?

Ashley:

Zazzle: How do you promote your store?

Ashley: I try to use social media, but I’m really not that great of a Tweeter. I don’t have the time or the patience to tweet all day. I recently had the opportunity to showcase some of my designs at GBK Productions 2011 Emmy Awards Gift Lounge thanks to The Artisan Group and that was a very good move for my store.

Zazzle: What got you interest in selling your art Zazzle?

Ashley: I wanted to design and I wanted to make money but I couldn’t figure out how to combine the two without being completely swamped. A friend told me that she had recently purchased invitations from Zazzle and that I should check it out. I was completely skeptical. It sounded way too good to be true, but Zazzle was one of the best things that ever happened into my life.

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

Ashley: Be patient and be diligent. Watch the trends but don’t depend on them. Create designs that are really YOU. Designs that people will see and go, “That’s so YOU! I knew immediately it was your design!” And most of all don’t be discouraged if you don’t get 100 sales a day. It takes time. Create, create, create and promote your butt off!

Thanks Ashley!

Best of all you can put your adorable pet’s photo on any of these great HSUS gifts!

The contest runs the month of February — get started now!

Towards the end of the segment, the reporter makes the statement, “…And the outlook? More tags saying made somewhere else.” What do you think about that? I don’t think that’s the case. As personalization becomes the norm (what if your iPhone was partially designed by YOU?) and the cost of overseas labor and transportation rise, I believe there will be a demand for locally made/high quality products.

What do you think? Is American manufacturing coming back? Where do you want to see American manufacturing return?