Amazon Design Theft of Zazzlers Art 3

This is my second follow up to my original post of May 15, 2016 about Amazon Design Theft of Zazzlers Art. The first follow up was June 1st and only encompassed copyright infringement complaints filed on the .com domain of Amazon. You see, I didn't realize that I had to complete separate copyright infringement complaints for each country that Amazon has a marketplace!! Holy smokes - I am told that may be 14 different domains with stolen images.

The Chinese sellers on Amazon have stolen my copyright art from my Zazzle Shops of JaguarJulieFlowers and JaguarJulieDesigns -- I'm not sure that they have stolen from my other Zazzle Shop of Attitude Shirts. It surely seems the image theft is out of control!

This story is focusing on the second wave of Amazon's bootleg sellers and is marked with the hashtags of #amazon #zazzle #stopimagetheft #stopcopyrightinfringement #chinesesellers

Here are artsy word clouds of the Amazon Sellers in the second wave with reported copyright infringements in their stores on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.it which represent 255 stolen products removed from 74 different sellers stores.

Word Cloud of 35 Amazon Sellers Reported for Image Theft from Amazon.com
Representing 106 stolen products removed

The roll call of Amazon Sellers from Amazon.com [U.S.A.] with the count of number of product copyright infringements removed in this latest wave: Beautiful-Girl (1), Belyouc (1), BuyIng (1), Cireurus (1), CloptonTEL (1), Constance Stores (10), Decorller (2), duminjun (4), Durian Crazy (5), Fannie Wilkinson (10), FRANCISCO RAMOS (6), G-Color Shop (1), ge ge (1), happy apple (2), Heart Of The World (24), Helen Bracewell (3), High quality shopping (1), Liang Zhiheng (1), liseny (1), MELONDAY (1), MNbrassfield shop (1), Mr. Sunflower (1), naide song (1), pillow case5 (2), pillow case-7 (2), pillow store (2), SBSaleStore (2), Schmidt Stores (5), shannea butler (2), Tony numb (3), uBobbyshop (1), X-Fond (1), xiao san store (2), YBbeautiful (1), zhuolan (3)

Word Cloud of 23 Amazon Sellers Reported for Image Theft from Amazon.ca
Representing 79 stolen products removed

The roll call of Amazon Sellers from Amazon.ca [Canada] with the count of number of product copyright infringements removed in this latest wave: Blue-Classic (2), Celesteyl (1), Comi (2), Coolbox (4), D.i.Y (31), DecorModern (1), Diweina (2), Durian Crazy (5), Easy Fashion (1), Easy life (1), Fly Eagle (1), kengcong (5), KristiDye (1), Master (3), Maychoco (1), Mydesigner (2), Poster the worldCA (5), SKUPCT (2), Smilty (3), Tshirts-Online (1), Welcome home (3), YOuHOme (1), Zgpader (1)

Word Cloud of 8 Amazon Sellers Reported for Image Theft from Amazon.uk
Representing 29 stolen products removed

The roll call of Amazon Sellers from Amazon.uk [United Kingdom] with the count of number of product copyright infringements removed in this latest wave: Depadder (13), Goopader (1), HDSAFGHSFSAC (1), klolMl (2), Reikolen (1), Set Up Fov (2), Togethering (8), XWJDFVH (1)

Word Cloud of 8 Amazon Sellers Reported for Image Theft from Amazon.de and Amazon.it
Representing 41 stolen products removed

The roll call for Amazon.de [Germany] includes: Depadder (6), Goopader (1), Pillower (5), Togethering (7), XWJDFVH (1) and the roll call for Amazon.it [Italy] includes: Depadder (1), Pillower (19), Togethering (1). You might notice that there are the Amazon sellers with the same names across the U.K., Germany and Italy -- and probably Spain too.

When I was using the online copyright infringement form of Amazon for the respective countries, I encountered push back from Spain! It took some back and forth to have them honor my copyrights for about two dozen products. I haven't included the list of sellers from that country, but hope to include them with the next update.

The first wave of massive copyright infringement complaints filed with Amazon.com included these 158 sellers representing 658 stolen product removals:

4693 8035 5671 4639 (1), ALEJO PEREZ (27), ANTONIO MOJICA (4), anweiwei (14), Asonc (1), B Lyster shop (1), Baby Sweat Dream (2), bai sheng (7), beautiful home (2), Beautiful-Girl (2), bestonling (1), Betterforyou (10), Chantelletion (3), chenhui223 (1), Cireurus (14), Constance Stores (2), Custom Made Shop (4), Custom Print Shops (3), daS store (1), Dashentai (1), DavidOnlineStore (1), DecorModern (4), diys center (1), diys-vips (1), Douubt (1), DreamStage (3), Dream-VX (2), duminjun (2), Durian Crazy (8), Dushawn Stores (4), East Sunrise Store (6), EDHW (10), EDWIN MAY (2), EJEJ (2), Encoin (12), Endoune (2), fangzuming (4), Fashion casual Clubhouse (14), Fashion Simple Shop (3), fashionshopshop (1), Fashionstores (2), Feer- time (1), feifang (2), FIGUEROA IVELISSE (9), FRANCISCO RAMOS (12), GARY GODWIN (1), GASWOMAN (4), G-Color Shop (2), GLORIA HOFFMAN (5), good of the shop (2), gulancai casyou (5), happy apple (2), Heart Of The World (26), heiheishop (3), HENOWN (6), HFC Case (2), High quality shopping (2), HKYY (6), holoshop (5), hong chen (2), Hope home (8), HSLDT (30), hua kai (4), hui xu store (30), Humpherys-SH (1), ILRussellBoy (5), Internation (2), JAMIE SMITH (1), JeremyArtStore (5), jerrod randle (6), JHEU (3), jiajiahuishop (3), JIMMY WEBB (1), JJJ-earth (5), JMacleanStore (1), JuliesDeal (4), Keep us happy shopping (2), Kenneth case (1), Kieffer shop (2), Ksudng (3), LENVVO (7), Levionlinesale (2), Liang Zhiheng (3), liseny [Pillowcase] (5), Little-Dreams (2), Lox (1), luckyshop123 (4), LYDIA RIVERA (2), M and T (1), MALAIPO (1), mancool (1), Melissa Caffey (4), MELONDAY (1), Mixixibilly (1), MMSBY (11), MNbrassfield shop (2), MorningUp (1), MOVIEGAME (3), NANCY CABALLERO (4), NORMA RIVERA (2), OHADHA (3), Pillow case store (3), pillow case5 (1), Pillowin (1), Poppy-Baby (2), Poppy-Love (4), pposhop (2), Qimei Commodity Co.,Ltd (1), Rainy man (5), Raymond Stores (1), RAYVEI (1), Reed Lolly (1), Riydne (1), ROSE EMILCAR STORE (1), ruizhongshop (7), RYHJRT (4), SAasdfaZSD (1), SAUL SHAPIRO (3), Schmidt Stores (7), Shane Croft (1), shannea butler (3), Showcas1e (1), silili (1), skllaq (2), Slater Stores (4), SnapRoof (3), SOFIA VELEZ (2), Some Done (2), song shi (7), Super Sellers AAA (3), Teding (2), Times os (1), Trendsetter Show (4), Tshirts-Online (2), ttatta (1), us-90 (2), VENUS BURGOS (3), Vogue Online Shop (7), Vogue Shop (1), WENDY MORALES (2), WildFree (22), williams5665 (3), Women boutique (19), Women's fashion store (2), wuqilong (5), X-Christy (1), X-Fond (3), xilanxin (13), XKSCHU (2), yangziyi (2), YAOYAO (13), YBbeautiful (2), yeaystore (1), YOuHOme (1), Youkuj (1), yqy2016 (1), ZFSaleStore (1), zhanglifeng (2)

The TOTAL, not including Spain, of 232 Amazon sellers across the various domains with 913 stolen product removals.

I "bookmarked" in a list on Amazon.com, some of my stolen products from my Zazzle shops of JaguarJulieFlo​wers and JaguarJulieDes​igns. The majority of the stolen designs were appearing on throw pillow cases.

Mouse pads are another popular bootleg item on Amazon using my copyrighted images and designs.

Other bootleg items on Amazon with my copyrighted images and designs include t-shirts, wrist watches, pet tags, and trucker hats.

 

 

#stopimagetheft on #amazon of #zazzle artists and designers

Amazon Design Theft of Zazzlers Art 2

This is a follow up to my post of May 15, 2016 about Amazon Design Theft of Zazzlers Art. Since the middle of May, I have submitted over 275 copyright infringement complaints on Amazon. You can't imagine just how much time that takes to research the products on Amazon by primarily Chinese sellers who have stolen the designs from Zazzle. Then, to take time to find the original listing of mine on Zazzle and then complete the infringement complaint form, populating it with all the corresponding product IDs from Amazon.

I have found so many products on Amazon with my copyright art stolen from my Zazzle Shops of JaguarJulieFlowers and JaguarJulieDesigns that it seems the image theft is out of control!

This story is marked with the hashtags of #amazon #zazzle #stopimagetheft #stopcopyrightinfringement #chinesesellers

Word Cloud of 158 Amazon Sellers Reported for Image Theft

This morning I prepared a word cloud with the names of all the 158 Amazon sellers who were reported for image theft of my designs from Zazzle. I compiled all the notices received back from Amazon in response to my hundreds of infringement complaints filed.

Listed below is an alphabetical listing of all 158 Amazon sellers who have used my stolen designs from Zazzle. At the end of their seller names, in parentheses, is the count for how many stolen designs were removed in this time period from their stores.

4693 8035 5671 4639 (1), ALEJO PEREZ (27), ANTONIO MOJICA (4), anweiwei (14), Asonc (1), B Lyster shop (1), Baby Sweat Dream (2), bai sheng (7), beautiful home (2), Beautiful-Girl (2), bestonling (1), Betterforyou (10), Chantelletion (3), chenhui223 (1), Cireurus (14), Constance Stores (2), Custom Made Shop (4), Custom Print Shops (3), daS store (1), Dashentai (1), DavidOnlineStore (1), DecorModern (4), diys center (1), diys-vips (1), Douubt (1), DreamStage (3), Dream-VX (2), duminjun (2), Durian Crazy (8), Dushawn Stores (4), East Sunrise Store (6), EDHW (10), EDWIN MAY (2), EJEJ (2), Encoin (12), Endoune (2), fangzuming (4), Fashion casual Clubhouse (14), Fashion Simple Shop (3), fashionshopshop (1), Fashionstores (2), Feer- time (1), feifang (2), FIGUEROA IVELISSE (9), FRANCISCO RAMOS (12), GARY GODWIN (1), GASWOMAN (4), G-Color Shop (2), GLORIA HOFFMAN (5), good of the shop (2), gulancai casyou (5), happy apple (2), Heart Of The World (26), heiheishop (3), HENOWN (6), HFC Case (2), High quality shopping (2), HKYY (6), holoshop (5), hong chen (2), Hope home (8), HSLDT (30), hua kai (4), hui xu store (30), Humpherys-SH (1), ILRussellBoy (5), Internation (2), JAMIE SMITH (1), JeremyArtStore (5), jerrod randle (6), JHEU (3), jiajiahuishop (3), JIMMY WEBB (1), JJJ-earth (5), JMacleanStore (1), JuliesDeal (4), Keep us happy shopping (2), Kenneth case (1), Kieffer shop (2), Ksudng (3), LENVVO (7), Levionlinesale (2), Liang Zhiheng (3), liseny [Pillowcase] (5), Little-Dreams (2), Lox (1), luckyshop123 (4), LYDIA RIVERA (2), M and T (1), MALAIPO (1), mancool (1), Melissa Caffey (4), MELONDAY (1), Mixixibilly (1), MMSBY (11), MNbrassfield shop (2), MorningUp (1), MOVIEGAME (3), NANCY CABALLERO (4), NORMA RIVERA (2), OHADHA (3), Pillow case store (3), pillow case5 (1), Pillowin (1), Poppy-Baby (2), Poppy-Love (4), pposhop (2), Qimei Commodity Co.,Ltd (1), Rainy man (5), Raymond Stores (1), RAYVEI (1), Reed Lolly (1), Riydne (1), ROSE EMILCAR STORE (1), ruizhongshop (7), RYHJRT (4), SAasdfaZSD (1), SAUL SHAPIRO (3), Schmidt Stores (7), Shane Croft (1), shannea butler (3), Showcas1e (1), silili (1), skllaq (2), Slater Stores (4), SnapRoof (3), SOFIA VELEZ (2), Some Done (2), song shi (7), Super Sellers AAA (3), Teding (2), Times os (1), Trendsetter Show (4), Tshirts-Online (2), ttatta (1), us-90 (2), VENUS BURGOS (3), Vogue Online Shop (7), Vogue Shop (1), WENDY MORALES (2), WildFree (22), williams5665 (3), Women boutique (19), Women's fashion store (2), wuqilong (5), X-Christy (1), X-Fond (3), xilanxin (13), XKSCHU (2), yangziyi (2), YAOYAO (13), YBbeautiful (2), yeaystore (1), YOuHOme (1), Youkuj (1), yqy2016 (1), ZFSaleStore (1), zhanglifeng (2)

Amazon Sellers with the most Stolen Zazzle Designs

The Amazon Sellers with the most stolen Zazzle Designs of mine in their stores: HSLDT 30, hui xu store 30, ALEJO PEREZ 27, Heart Of The World 26, WildFree 22, Women boutique 19, anweiwei 14, Cireurus 14, Fashion casual Clubhouse 14, xilanxin 13, YAOYAO 13, Encoin 12, FRANCISCO RAMOS 12, MMSBY 11, Betterforyou 10, EDHW 10

My analysis of all the notices I received back from Amazon in May, 2016, showed 658 instances of my copyrighted designs appearing in one of these sellers' stores. Although quite a few of the sellers only had one or two designs stolen from my Zazzle shops, that doesn't mean they won't have more that will suddenly appear on Amazon.

Amazon Sellers changing titles on my Stolen Zazzle Designs - Sunflowers

It is a time-consuming exercise for me to daily search on Amazon to see what "new" is appearing. Just today, I was finding several of my sunflower designs appearing again although they were supposedly removed by Amazon. A fellow designer in the same boat as me has labeled the process "whack a mole." You take out a design here and it pops up there! The bootleg sellers are getting more clever in that they are changing the titles to throw off the bloodhounds! I found several of my 2014 sunflower designs labeled as 2016.

Favorite products of the Amazon Sellers with my Stolen Zazzle Designs - Gerbera Daisies

The two screen captures above are from my Amazon Wish List of Stolen Products from JaguarJulieDesigns and JaguarJulieFlowers. Another Zazzler suggested we impacted designers add the products as we find them to such a list so that we can follow the progress of Amazon's removal. And, so that others can easily see what is being stolen from our Zazzle shops by this despicable Amazon sellers to use in their many Amazon stores.

Artsy Gerbera Daisy Watercolor Throw Pillow with Zazzle Watermark

How do all of us Zazzle designers protect our copyright images from the unscrupulous Chinese thieves? It is not clearly understood if the Zazzle watermark will stop those unscrupulous image thieves. It was only recently that I enabled such a watermark on my Zazzle designs. You see, I thought they already had a watermark in the large image view! There are RSS feeds of Zazzle products which may not have this protection.

P.S. Some of the Chinese sellers are sending apology emails to us Zazzle designers asking us to withdraw our copyright infringement complaints from Amazon as they did not know what they did. Really?

Amazon Design Theft of Zazzlers Art

On May 11, 2016 I received an email from a fellow Zazzler alerting me to the fact that one of my designs from my Zazzle shop was appearing on a product in a Amazon store of a Chinese seller. OMG! Once I started viewing more products on the Amazon website, I discovered hundreds, if not thousands, of products with my copyright art stolen from my Zazzle Shops of JaguarJulieFlowers and JaguarJulieDesigns! This story is marked with the hashtags of #amazon #zazzle #stopimagetheft #stopcopyrightinfringement #chinesesellers

JaguarJulieFlowers and JaguarJulieDesigns - Zazzle Shops
Copyright Art of JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Some of the stolen art from Zazzle appearing on Amazon's marketplace

I initially filed one infringement complaint on May 11th and then wondered, "what about my sunflowers and gerbera daisies?" This floral art is my main passion in that I raised sunflowers from seeds for 4 consecutive years. Day after day, I toiled in my gardens to nurture the seedlings and then plants. Then, photograph the thousands of blossoms; edit the photos; upload the photos and design products on Zazzle.

And, what is my reward? Chinese content thieves plow through our product portfolios on Zazzle to unceremoniously take our copyright art for use in stores on Amazon! Why hasn't Zazzle protected our images with watermarks?

I have now spent three consecutive days filing my infringement complaints with Amazon and also writing one star reviews on the products with my copyrighted art. It is a thankless job. Why is Amazon enabling all these content thieves? Greed??

Infringement Complaints Filed with Amazon

I find that spending hours searching products on the Amazon marketplace, matching then up with our copyright images being offered on Zazzle, and then populating the information into a copyright infringement form on Amazon, is the most thankless way to spend my time. It is a buzzkill in that it zaps all creative juices and makes me kind of testy. Is all this reporting going to do anything to nip this thievery in the bud?

Roll Call of Amazon Sellers - Content Thieves
Of the various infringement complaints I filed on Amazon, a good majority of the products with my copyrighted art were being offered by multiple Amazon sellers. And, many of those sellers were just launched! I compiled an initial list of Amazon sellers who are offering products with stolen copyrighted art of mine that I uncovered in the past couple of days. There are many, many more who launch probably daily. When you review the Amazon sellers information, most of them state China, while a few are now showing locations in the U.S.A.

A list of those Amazon sellers with stolen copyright images from Zazzle: 0RMD0y, 1Croninoutlet, BCUASBCOBNIAnic, BsdeRd, Cireurus, classic pillowcase, CONINIENEN, Cool Martha, creative pillowcase, Cuban energy, deardeer, Douubt, DreamStage, Dream-VX, E3jOiY, Endoune, Fashion pillow DIY, Fashion Tee, fashionluckypillowcase, gk3Ugvg, happy pillowcase, haweh1, HDUOV8R, HEATO, heiheipillowcase, Honey Pillowcase, JamieSaleStore, JeremyArtStore, jiajiahuishop, PILLOWLIEPUAACOCO, Plankey, Poppy-Love, qhT7fI8, Qos, Rainy man325, reyrhr3, UjjoUc0, vvI0D2, XBSHEBC, Xilinx, YAOYAO, Ywo25ue, ZFSaleStore

Amazon Seller: DreamStage selling my copyrighted art "Bright Sunflowers"

It seems there is a big market for using other people's copyrighted art on pillowcases! Amazon Seller DreamStage has this information on a pillowcase product B013DYT6PO showcasing my Bright Sunflowers copyrighted art from my Zazzle shop. They suggest you send them YOUR pictures/photos with images not small than 1000 pixel.

DreamStage posting of my copyrighted art
My Zazzle original art of Pretty Yellow Orange Sunflower of 2014

One of the products with my copyright art stolen from Zazzle actually sold several with a variety of reviews. You see 13 reviews given for this product -- 11 are from verified purchases!

Pretty Yellow Orange Sunflower Of 2014 Throw Pillow Case 18x18 by Apexshell
My Zazzle original art of Pretty Yellow Orange Sunflower of 2014

Some of the more positive reviews of this product by Amazon customers with a verified purchase.

 

 

 

My initial reporting of copyright infringement complaints focused on my Zazzle throw pillows art being used to sell pillow cases / pillowcases in the Amazon stores. Searching on Amazon this morning revealed over a million products; specifically 1,103,879 results for Pillow Cover Pillowcase! Oh my, can you imagine how many of those are stolen copyright art? I started with pillowcases and will be looking at other products!

Amazon products: 1,103,879 results for "Pillow Cover Pillowcase"

This morning, I added my voice to the discussion on the Zazzle Forum about Zazzlers and Amazon design theft.

Over the past couple of days, I have also penned dozens of one star reviews of those products being offered on Amazon using my copyrighted art without my permission. In the three screen captures below, you see a thumbnail of the Amazon product with my copyrighted art. Each caption shares my original Zazzle art. I did not provide a link to the bootleg products on Amazon though!

My original Zazzle art of Two Amazing Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossoms

My original Zazzle art of Boldly Sunny Sunflowers

On the Amazon marketplace, some of the products, featuring my copyright art by a Chinese seller, actually have multiple sales. Some of the customers' reviews state that they are pleased with the item while a few are not so pleased by the quality. Hey, show me the money! These sellers have reaped the rewards from my hard work. I am retired, living on below the national average social security payments. These illegal sales have stolen money out of my pocket.

Will this ever end? I don't think it will unless Zazzle and Amazon actually get aggressive and do something now to stop this thievery. 

Sign the Change.org Petition to Jeff Bezos -- There is a online Petition that you can sign. "Petitioning Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com. Tell Amazon to stop its third-party sellers from stealing intellectual property and selling it in the Amazon Marketplace. --Cindy Bendel Centreville, VA"

Bunch of Sunflowers Zazzle Designer Fabric

To know me is to know that I love sunflowers! Especially the bold and inspiring sunflower blossom as showcased on the Bunch of Yellow Sunflowers Fabric available from Zazzle. I designed my very first fabric product with a collage design of yellow sunflower blossoms with the original blossom found in my sunflower garden in Jacksonville, Florida. I opted to go with combed cotton to put the focus on the flower. Take a look at the piece of fabric as I have displayed it as a floral hanging from my Stanley yellow dresser.

Bunch of Sunflowers Combed Cotton Fabric by JaguarJulieFlowers

Are you thinking flower power like me? I've been experimenting with that fabric panel throughout my house and haven't yet committed to one placement. I see so many possibilities for it! So, at the moment, that flower fabric panel is hanging on the front of my bedroom dresser as a focal point in my bedroom. And, you get to be in on my thinking and designing process! What would YOU design with that flower fabric panel?

Bunch of Sunflowers Combed Cotton Fabric by JaguarJulieFlowers

Stepping back a bit, to take in more of the artsy and sunny bedroom, you have a view of my white overstuffed chair. And, you can see the bathroom window through the door opening. The chair and the window are my first two design subjects. I'm looking for a white window shade to fit the bathroom window and want to stitch the fabric over the shade to make a sunflower window shade. I'm also going to try making a simple window curtain to hang as a panel over the bathroom window. I think the collage of sunflowers will look fabulous letting the light shine through the fabric panel.

Bunch of Sunflowers Combed Cotton Fabric by JaguarJulieFlowers

I personally love the idea of using the bold bunch of sunflower fabric as a cushion cover for the backdrop of my white overstuffed chair. What do you think? I'm also thinking that the sunflowers would look great covering the seat cushion. I love to be able to get a good view of the large sunflower blossoms. It's like adding a bit of art to the white chair.

Bunch of Sunflowers Combed Cotton Fabric by JaguarJulieFlowers
Browse more Sunflower Fabrics

Take a look at the beautiful presentation from Zazzle. If I lived in a loft apartment, I honestly think I might try presenting my sunflower fabric like a floral art panel. When I hung my panel in my bedroom, I flipped it from the Zazzle product presentation above. I've also added two additional designs to the bunch of sunflowers. You can select from Bunch of Sunflowers on Black or Bunch of Sunflowers on Teal.

If you are a seamstress, you will love the selection of fabrics available at Zazzle. I have designed all my fabric offerings using the combed cotton. However, you might opt to try one of the other fabrics available. Explore the various fabric types available from Zazzle.

The various fabrics include combed cotton, pima cotton, cotton twill, polyester poplin, polyester weave, ivory linen and natural linen. The fabric widths vary from 54 inches wide up to 60 inches wide. Plus the upgrade price is a bit more for the fabrics other than combed cotton.

It is time to welcome Spring! Why not pick the flowers -- the sunflowers -- and bring them inside? I live in Florida, so I am pretty much blessed to not have snow. We get a lot of sunshine. Maybe you don't live in Florida and would like a little sunshine inside? I have just the JaguarJulieFlowers zazzle fabric for you! Go ahead and browse my designer selections ... see if YOU can pick just one!

Designer Feedback

Here is your opportunity to be part of the design process! I personally LOVE to hear from my many readers; however, sometimes people are shy about leaving comments or don't know what to say. I would love to hear from my readers ... what would you design with this bold flower panel of a bunch of yellow sunflowers?

We've shared our designer thinking ... what do YOU think? Would you opt for a hanging floral art panel, bedroom dresser panel, overstuffed chair back cushion or seat cushion, window shade covering, window panel curtain, or perhaps wrapped canvas.

Some other options? Perhaps floral, three-panel room divider? That might be pretty cool. Or, I was thinking of making an outside panel that would be held by two of my five-foot wooden garden stakes. You know, sunflower art for my next sunflower garden! Let us know! Ah, hope you felt the sunshine today!!

My Ten Year Anniversary Blogging

I am celebrating my ten-year anniversary today, December 22, 2014, as a blogger! On December 22, 2004, I wrote my first blog post with a welcoming message of intent. Today, this is my 475th blog post on this blog. Just over ten years ago, prior to penning my first blog post, I attended a webinar about blogging for business. I learned about the wisdom of blogging. Throughout these past ten years, I have embraced the notion that "Wisdom begins in wonder." That's a famous Socrates quote, you know? I have wondered about a lot of things, some big, some small.

Owl Art Wise Gifts
"Wisdom begins in wonder." ~ Socrates

That wise old owl taught me to actually "give a hoot!" I had always embraced the fact that you should have relevant content ... or you will have no readers. I stated an interesting FAQ, all those ten years ago, "Market or promote your blog by trading links ... use a lot of outbound links." I would say that statement pretty much still rings true today, but I would say that you should be judicious with the number of outbound links and even more with the quality of inbound links.

Which is the stone that holds that bridge? It is a delicate balance to achieve a well-written and relevant blog post. You need to balance your relevant content with a judicious number of links to not be overly commercial or promotional.

I am a Google Blogger!

In addition to this first blog, I ventured out to write on three other Google blogs that I have created over the past ten years. "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." Albert Einstein said it and I have been working at acquiring IT!

#1 - Topicability - To be topicable :: that which is relevant, of current interest, contemporary, spot-on! Originally created on April 8, 2008, my goal was to concentrate on the relevancy of Squidoo lenses.

I have authored 108 posts over the past 6.5+ years. This blog has garnered nearly 30,000 pageviews. Now that the content site of Squidoo is a thing of the past, I plan on using that blog to focus on the topicability of other sites and issues which seem to confound us daily.

#2 - For Sale By Owner - Jacksonville FL - Fall in love with this beautiful home for sale by owner in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally created on December 31, 2013, my goal was to create a go-to site for more information on my house for sale.

I authored 8 posts which showcase the various features of the house for sale. I've wanted to write a couple more posts to showcase the landscaping and various gardens that I have created. This blog will be celebrating its one year anniversary next week! In those twelve months time, it has garnered over 3,700 pageviews. The house has been under contract nearly three times; however, it still is available!

#3 - Blondes that DIY - All about us blondes that DIY do-it-yourself with humor, advice, tips and fun stuff charting the hashtag of #blondesthatdiy - Originally created on May 9, 2014, my goal was to focus on do-it-yourself "projects" that blondes tackle ... not only me!

I have authored 159 posts along with 3 pages. In the 7.5 months of that blog's life, it has garnered nearly 6,000 pageviews. In addition to focusing on DIY projects, I transitioned many of my Squidoo lenses that I opted not to feature on HubPages. I still have over 645 lenses, that I had removed prior to the Squidoo sale, which might be featured some day on this blog or my JaguarJulie blog!

A Passion; A Joy!

For a long time, Squidoo was THE passion for me. Then, things began to change; not on my end, but on the end of Squidoo. The sense of community was obliterated. People, who called themselves authors and writers, were copying my lenses and other lensmasters' lenses. Then, some were involved in cheating and some were using black hat tactics. I didn't recognize the place! In the Winter of 2012, I began to remove hundreds of my lenses, saving them for future publication elsewhere.

Along came Zazzle. This is such a wondrous site, you know? It gives each and every one of us the opportunity to design to our heart's content those truly unique and authentic designs. Be careful of the copycats though!!!

I have been promoting my three Zazzle shops throughout three of my blogs. On September 16, 2009, I blogged about my first Zazzle shop, Zazzle Shirts With a Bit of An Attitude -- Say What? Expressing your attitude on a t-shirt can sometimes help to diffuse the angst and keep one politically-correct!

Over the past couple of years, as I have blogged about my various flower gardens, I have sprinkled glimpses of that flower art on designer creations in my Zazzle shop, Jaguar Julie Flowers. Those flower art designs have been such an artful expression of my passion and joy!

The hundreds of sunflower blossoms that grew in my flower garden were such an inspiration. I have shared that inspiration in my various Zazzle flower designs from the realistic to the abstract. Two other types of flowers, gerbera daisies and mexican petunias, have populated my flower art designs.

In the Fall of 2014, Zazzle was seeking bloggers to become "Zazzle bloggers." I raised my hand and then put it to work with two dedicated blog posts. On November 1, 2014, I wrote, Artsy Christmas Tree Holiday Decor to showcase my artful creations from my Zazzle shop, Jaguar Julie Designs. On December 1, 2014, I wrote, Cyber Monday Crafty Deals at Zazzle to highlight the fabulous deals at Zazzle.

Life's Challenges

I am so thankful to have had my Google Blogs that have been there to help deal with life's challenges over the past ten years. I wished that there had been a singular community forum that would have been there over those ten years. I have been active on a variety of forums, but a few of those are now defunct. It helps to diffuse life's challenges when you can interact with your peers and peeps! Ah, PP.

In ten years, from 2004 to 2014, I have enjoyed several years of marriage and then got divorced. I've moved more than a few times and bought a house that I am now trying to sell.

I've retired from corporate America and am enjoying the challenges of living on a social security income. Yikes!! That's why I have to sell my home. I have tackled the ObamaCare Marketplace and still find myself waiting on the outcome from my eligibility submission to see where I can source my health care!

A Bit of Wisdom

The longer you live and the more obstacles you face and overcome, you attain a level of wisdom. As I sit here editing my blog, it makes me think of some famous wisdom quotes that inspire me and others. The Serenity Prayer has resonated with me for years. It truly nails it in that we are here on this earth learning from our mistakes. Thankfully, we may experience some blessings along the noble journey and learn some lessons from our mistakes. God loves us ... each and everyone!

1. "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." ~ Albert Einstein
2. "Wisdom begins in wonder." ~ Socrates
3. "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment." ~ Lao Tzu
4. "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ~ Socrates
5. "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." ~ George Bernard Shaw
6. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Are You a Blogger?

Take a moment to let me know that you are a blogger, if you are! How long have you been blogging? How many blogs do you manage?

Thank YOU Google for being there along this long and winding road.

I actually give a hoot ... "It is better to give than to receive." You know? That's the principle behind "the art of giving." Do YOU give a hoot?

Cyber Monday Crafty Deals at Zazzle

Can you believe that it is Cyber Monday already? Cyber Monday has gained the reputation of being the biggest online shopping day after the Thanksgiving holiday. It is the day that signals we are heading into the Christmas holiday.

Cyber Monday Sale at Zazzle
Code ZAZCYBER2014

Why not get crafty this year? Think of your go-to destination a little differently this year. Think Zazzle!

If you haven't tried Zazzle, you are missing out. Zazzle is the place where you can get customized, unique gifts. The variety of gift ideas that you can personalize will surely amaze you.

Cyber Monday Sale at Zazzle

The special code for today's discounts is ZAZCYBER2014.

65% Off : Posters, Wrapped Canvas, Calendars, Stickers, Business Cards

50% Off : Cards, Ornaments, Wrapping Paper, Ribbon, Table Clothes

40% Off : Mugs, Pillows, Stockings, Plates, Cookies

30% Off : Shirts, Bags, Wallets, Luggage Tags, Toys and Games, Cases, Watches

20% Off : All Orders

Cyber Monday Gift Ideas

Get colorful with matching pillows and plates with Artsy Christmas Tree Decor. Check out the blog post on the Artsy Christmas Tree Decor for decorating ideas.

Artsy Christmas Tree Pillows!

Why not start with a 2-sided pillow? At 40% off, you can't go wrong with this purchase. In fact, may I suggest that you order two of the 2-sided pillows?

My favorite #zazzlemade product is definitely the 16 inch by 16 inch Artsy Christmas Tree pillow! This gorgeous pillow sports  a green tree on a red background on one side with a red tree on a green background on the flip side.

You won't believe the brilliant colors and quality of the fabric. The pillow fabric is a 100% Polyester Simplex Knit Fabric that is machine-washable and made in the USA. These pillows are the perfect gifts for the host or hostess who might be throwing a holiday party!

Think customization! Personalize that pillow with a date, a special word, or perhaps a person's name or monogram.

Artsy Christmas Tree Plates!

Get 40% off on plates! Think of a coordinating and complementary #zazzlemade product with the beautiful 10 inch Artsy Christmas Tree melamine plate. The quality of the brilliant and bold colors is quite impressive. These melamine plates are non-toxic, dishwasher-safe and virtually break-resistant.

This particular design of the brilliant green tree on a vibrant and bold red background with a pretty golden-yellow star really pops.

Why not consider a second plate at 40% off? You may want the reverse design of a red Christmas tree on a brilliant green background. Personalize your plates to create that unique gift for that special occasion.

Think #zazzlemade personalized PILLOWS and PLATES!

Cyber Monday Shopping Destination : JaguarJulie Designs

A Happy Holidays, Artsy Christmas Trees, Artsy Polka Dots

Check out the gifts in Jaguar Julie Designs Zazzle store. I've selected a few special shopping destinations for you. Be sure to use the special code for Zazzle Cyber Monday's discounts - ZAZCYBER2014.

• 65% Off : Wrapped Canvas, Business Cards
• 50% Off : Cards, Ornaments, Wrapping Paper
• 40% Off : Pillows, Plates

Be an original today! Get crafty and personal. Check out the Cyber Monday deals at Zazzle. If you haven't tried Zazzle, prepare to be amazed!

Zazzle Shirts With a Bit of An Attitude -- Say What?

So, you've heard the news right? That JaguarJulie finally decided to make that commitment and opened her Zazzle store for her Jaguar Julie Designs! Yessirree Bob! JaguarJulie has over 16 years of online ecommerce experience behind her belt. She's not calling herself an expert or pro seller although she does have the credentials to prove it.

My line of Shirts With a Bit of an Attitude is a complement to my Squidoo lenses. These shirts are a bit of a social commentary on the too much information that is in our lives today, thanks to the internet.

Want to get a peak at some attitude? Some attitude shirts? You'll want to drop by the attitude article, Shirts with a Bit of an Attitude where everyone is welcome. Young and Old! Rich and Poor! Ornery and Persnickety -- hey you get the picture! No one will be turned away. Take a moment to express yourself and say Hi -- keeping in mind that if you have a non-friendly attitude about it all, you er your message can be deleted! Isn't life grand?

But I know this be true -- that working on these shirts with a bit of an attitude has been very therapeutic for me. It's a form of release and a social commentary on the state of affairs today. Old-timers unite! What's old is new again, and all that jazz.