Yes, I’m still alive. And kicking. Celebrating 37 today, feeling old, fat and tired. But still working.
Here, I’m writing to express my surprise by this blog is being rated 5/10 - totally unexpected. And my graphics-illustrations.com is still 3/10 
I know I neglected this blog for a while, but I was suffering from loss of time, self-esteem, being captured by WP from posting paid articles and other things that lowered my eagerness for blogging here. I was out of town for a few days and after catching a flu I’ve spend last few days laying in bed watching TV and doing almost… nothing.
So, what’s new?
I started off with my own shop on graphics-illustrations! Oh, yeah! And first 10 days of it’s life went on just fine. I’m pretty satisfied. I think I’m offering a good value for the money, but almost each of the items is offered in Lite (free) version.
For now I’m selling some Photoshop brushes, graphic images, photos and vector illustrations. Latest item in shop is my vector illustration package on “working woman / shopping woman” theme, set of four illustrations in various formats (jpg, ai, eps…). This is just the beginning, I’ll draw more and more in the future until I have killion of them!
I took some steps in order to settle our gallery (physically, not over the Internet) and now I’ll lose my mind with workers here in Croatia. They are impossible to handle!!!
I managed to contact Craft magazine, and they will prepare a small article where they will include my brushes and I’ve just replied on theirs interview questions! WooHoo! I’m totally cool now 
My AdSense and AdBrite are going pretty well for now, but I will not include LinkWorth because they constantly offer casino related stuff; which I do not like and don’t know anything about (because I do not use them)
In last 6 months, I didn’t achieve even half of my goal… even half of half of half of… well almost neither 1% of my goal to be honest. But, I achieve my other goal: I can now show to myself that I can live from my own work over the Internet only.
Well, I’ve set few really high goals for myself. Not so easy to achieve, many of them.
Time is running faster and faster every day, and I’m not sure is it a) because I’m getting old, b) because I’m lazy these days, c) because I’m still stressed out since we sold our apartment and now we are suffering form the loss on stock market, d) because I’m really lazy.
I hope, tomorrow, I will set up at least two Photoshop brushes package on graphics-illustrations.com for sale. Package should contain: 25 Plants PS brushes, 5 natural wood textures, 5 background patterns, 5 aqua web „seals”, 5 photos - details form nature. This first package should be named: “Green - Nature lover package” and optionally it can be bought on CD. With a CD purchase I will send 2 PS smart objects, hand made bookmark and 3 post cards with my images… Sure, I have to create a CD cover and a CD sticker too!
Right now, I’m working on the other one, because it’s a bit silly to sell only one package…
I’m getting late on my client’s blog design, but that’s because I have no idea on how to design it! I did the application design for my friend-client (www.utilis.hr) and I’m now waiting for response…
Selling on microstocks are steaming up again, and AdBrite together with AdSense are collecting some $$$.
All in all not bad at all. But, as always, I’ve seen better days and I hope for more!
Despite the chronic lack of time managed to open two lenses on Squidoo (graphics-illustrations and Photoshop brushes list) and one “bsilvia Journal” on LiveJournal. So. what else is there? Next stop - myspace.
How about that?
Few days ago I found something really interesting: Internet archive named “Way Back Machine”. And, of course I searched for my company and web (yes I was the owner and webmaster and webeditor and all that at that time). And actually – I found it! Well, I had web page since 1996. but in archive I found the one from 1999.! Take a look what these looked like these days
Not bad for 1999., huh? It’s almost 10 years since.
If you scroll down a page you will find the link for the Commission Junction and many others…
I had a little competition on my graphics-illustrations blog, which didn’t finished quite as expected. Why is that, I don’t know. I’m offering people free design services for Entrecards and they aren’t so happy about it. I had only 11 contestants!
So, I’m now waiting for my Photoshop brushes to appear in the next issue of Advanced Photoshop Magazine, and then maybe I can get more visitors.
Also, my subscribers on graphics-illustrations blog went down from 263 to 136. And I have no idea why?!
Well, no more wailing anymore so, that’s it for today.
Guys! You would not BELIEVE what post did I run into just a few minutes ago.
There is this gay, called Darren, he likes photography offers nothing useful on his blog and he’s is pleading for donation for - no more, no less, but probably the most expensive camera in the world - Hasselblad H3D-22.
Here is what he claims:
“Owning a Hasselblad H3D-22 would not only open doors of opportunity for me, but change my life for the better!”
Geeee man!!! You need a 40 000€ camera to start as a photo professional???
I mean, I’m totally stunned by this guy. He really has some nerve.
To make one thing clear, I have nothing against donations. No, by all means, no. BUT, there has to be good reason for that. Asking for donation is perfectly OK in 3 cases:
But this guy, offering nothing, asking for donation to buy the most expensive camera in the world claiming that it’s necessary for him to become a photo professional???
C’mon!
One other reason why I needed to react to this post was ’cause some 6 months ago, I wanted buy Nikon D3 camera (that is kinda at almost ten times cheaper that that Hass that guy is asking for) and I was trying to figure out a way to collect some money for it. What I did? I created a T-Shirt and a mug and a whole loads of other merchandise on Caffee Press asking people to buy it and explaining that I’m collecting money for Nikon D3. I created a dedicated blog that apart from selling T-Shirts had a function to entertain people and guess how much it earned? Some 23 bucks! After all that effort 23 bucks! And now this guy … pfuuu! I just can’t digest that…
Guys, if you make a donation, give to someone who’s working hard to offer you free stuff that you use (like me yes, or all of the guys who work under GNU or other free licences), or someone who’s sick or starving or donate to you nephew.
The weather was ugly and my husband was ill so we stayed at home this weekend. I didn’t do anything important; draw a little bit and uploaded the drawings, did some new brushes, wrote few posts…
Since sales in January are regularly slow I decided to join new stock photo web sites: Image catalog, Stockvault and Picolib. I didn’t upload anything on the Alamy so maybe now’s the time to do that…
Since I registered with Archangel images, I didn’t send back signed agreement and I don’t know what to do about them. I have to create unique images for Alamy, and now I should prepare unique images for Archangel images too! I don’t have time for all that. Or, should I consider not to work with any of my clients at all? Not to mention the “gallery project” for which one I still didn’t do almost anything.
Again, I worked late at night until early morning. I find it easier to work during the night than by day when I have to do a lot of other things (wash the dishes, cook some food, answer the phones….).
Just as I was preparing some brushes for the newest upload and checking up on this “AdSense ET” thing when this message came out of the blue:
“Good Day!
lam Oliver Mamallo, a credit officer at Lloyds TSB Group Plc Uk.
I have a proposal to discuss with you concerning one of our Deceased customers who is a national of your country.
As soon as I hear from you and once we are in agreements.I would be needing your assistance in making some business investments in real estate, oil & gas and any other lucrative sphere of business in your country.
Owing to the urgency of this transaction,I will appreciate an immediate response from you to confirm the receipt of my mail. As soon as i get this response from you,I shall furnish you with details of the transaction and the urgency at which i need to get the funds transfered out of England to you.
Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated through my email address: olimam@excite.com
Regards,
Oliver Mamallo”
Boy, I was pissed in a sec.! After all these years of scam, this retard actually thought that someone might actually buy his shi**y story?
…?!…
The title says it all: that’s how I spent my last three weeks. I don’t want to bother you with my problems, and I will only say this: life is a way too complicated!
I’m not sure have I made a right decision when I moved all my posts to a new domain name (from graphics-illustrations.blogspot.com to graphics-illustrations.com), and since then I have even more work to do!
We will take a trip to Rovinj (finally!) on Saturday (tomorrow) and we’ll be back on Sunday afternoon. Expect a lot of great images, next week, on bsilvia.com or even on facebook (combined with ours “Croatia Homeland” project)!
I bought some great tools for wood carving and I’m now scared to work with them! Don’t ask me why… I feel like I’ll ruin everything! But, I will start next week, and of course: I have a plan. The plan. O.K., nothing special, but I’ll start next Monday with carving and I’ll definitely show you the results.
Next Monday Jasmina has an exhibition, and I’m happy for her. Maybe this year ULUPUH will consider her application. They didn’t accept her application for a last three years and I think this is not because she don’t deserve it but someone in the jury is jealous…
Hughs!
Wooohooo! My Italian teacher went skiing so I can rest for a 10 days Not that I don’t like learning Italian, but hey – I’m an old woman with a old brain cells! I need more resting time than young people. (ok I’m 36, so what?!)
Two days ago we bought Wii
I’m not surprised that Wii outsells PS3 for a three times in Japan!
I wish you cheerful Holidays and a lot’s of happiness, health, love and success through the next year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
bsilvia
