Sunshine and Sparkles Inspire a Brand New Spring Art Special

Ready for me to pour some sugar on you?  How about a Buy One Get One FREE special? 

I just love days like this.  Where I live…it’s 74 degrees, sunny and bright with a nice cool breeze.  Yes, this is definitely my kind of day.

So, I’m feeling good, despite the work overload.  The sunshine is spilling into the studio making everything that much more sparkly, too. Perhaps that explains why I thought it was time to take a break from my busy schedule.

Well, I’m not officially taking a break.  I don’t even really understand the word “break”.  But I am back here on the blog to share some Sugarluxe-y goodness again.

Since it’s my favorite time of year - I just had to come up with an idea today to spread a little of this beautiful sunshine.

In fact, I couldn’t be more pleased about the Sugarluxe website overhaul we did recently because it allows us to implement so many more fabulous offerings for our friends.

Over the past few years, we would put together about 4 VIP deals a year – one per quarter at the most.  It wasn’t that I didn’t have all kinds of things I wanted to do.  It was simply that the website was so painstakingly manual, we just didn’t have the time to make all the necessary changes required to do it more often.  Now, instead of two weeks to change everything in our programming and spread the word about our specials…we can put together something sweet in as little as one day. 

Well, honestly?  A dedicated day to any project right now is still demanding on what little time I seem to have, but if it means I get to come over to the blog and do something extra nice for the people I adore…then it is TOTALLY worth it.

 

———————————————————— HERE’S WHAT TO DO ———————————————————

Select any size Archival Art Paper Print from the Sugarluxe Website (only) and get a giclee paper print in the same size/format for free!  YAY!

If you own a Sugarluxe Gallery Wrapped Canvas and have thought about anchoring the artwork with some smaller framed pieces – NOW is the time to do it.  Or, if you haven’t started your Sugarluxe Collection yet, but you’ve been dying to get that first little piece – NOW you can get two for one.  Either way, it’s a nice little bonus.

1. Be sure to add a comment in the Customer Comments section at the bottom of the check out page – mention that you want the Spring Art Special.
2. Tell us which ADDITIONAL print you’ve selected and would like to add to your order. 
3. Complete your purchase and your TWO new prints will arrive together. 

It’s that easy!

Please note:  This special expired on 4.31.09

—————————————————  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  ——————————————

What is an Archival Giclee Paper Print?
Unlike posters on thin stock paper (oh, and by the way, I love posters so not knocking them – these are just not posters). Our prints are genuine Sugarluxe painting reproductions created on premium archival Museum Grade Fine Art Paper. This paper has been made since 1819 by the oldest paper mill in the country.

What is the Museum Fine Art Paper like?
This smooth 100% Cotton Rag Fine Art Paper feels thick, rich and gives a deep gorgeous color to the images.  Plus, it is naturally acid and lignin free. It is also buffered for added stability and treated with a special UV protective coating to ensure that the colors remain constant over time.  In addition, it is recommended that you mat and/or frame your Sugarluxe print in order to enhance its longevity.

Why don’t you mat and/or frame these prints at Sugarluxe?
Product line decisions are often based on the wonderful feedback and input we receive from customers around the world.  Because we do ship globally, and we have stockists in a number of countries who wanted to carry Sugarluxe Art in addition to our accessories, I was determined to find a way to maintain the integrity of a valued art print, but make it so that it is easy and affordable to ship. 

And – I also like to offer flexibility.  If we mat and frame the piece for you –  it might not work for your decor and that is limiting its potential to work well within your space.  Since we are not a frame shop, we leave that work to the professionals who make a living, matting and framing art.  That way, you get exactly what you want.

I want a bigger print, but 13 inch openings on pre-made mats are sometimes hard to find. What do you suggest?
First – that’s true.  And square mats are harder to locate, too.  But the mat does make the whole piece a bit more substantial. Plus, our prints with a mat and frame look fantastic.  We have twelve pieces installed like this in the studio right now.

What I do is go to the framing section of my local Michaels (not just because that’s my last name) or once you’re familiar with what you need, better prices can be found online at Blick Art Materials (love this place the most and it’s where I buy all my canvases, supplies, mats and they have great, inexpensive frames, too). 

Then, I just pick out a piece of “Mat Board”.  If you don’t know where to find it, the good people in the frame area will show you.  Ask to have an opening cut to fit the size (should be a bit smaller than the actual print size so that it is easier to line up if you’re framing it yourself – best to take in your print if this is the first time you’ve done this and they can make sure there is a good fit when they do the cuts) and really, that’s all there is to it.  If you just get a plain white cut mat with no fancy stacking…it’s about $5-7 (which is definitely less than the pre-cut mats!)

Why not just mount the print?
You could…but if you want me to leave you a personal note on the back, you’ll never see it again…mounting can prove to be a pain in the long run because it will be fully adhered to another surface.  In archival framing, the mats are not glued to the piece or backing, but are hinged to the backing with tape.  If you want to choose a proper mat board and don’t want to spend the money on cotton fiber museum board, choose Conservation or Archival Mat Board.  It is constructed of 100% pure high alpha cellulose (wood pulp) and treated to be inert for up to 300 years. This is the highest quality paper matboard available.

Why don’t you just sign the front of the print then?
I do.  If you choose that option when ordering, I will definitely hand-sign the piece on the front.  When you select a signed piece…I often write a private, personal note on the back for you, too.  If you want my personal note to you ON THE FRONT of your print, be sure to select the option for “White Border” when choosing your print so that it leaves me some room to write you a message.  Just be sure to make that special request in the comments section when checking out. The great news is that a white border piece saves you money over ordering a full-bleed, edge to edge print.  

Can I buy more than one print with this month’s special and still get the two for one?
Absolutely.  For every print you purchase, you get another one for FREE.  No limits on quantities…but this is for retail (not wholesale) purchases only and is not retroactive to previous purchases.

Well, I guess that’s it for now…

Spring is in the air.  So, I sure hope you have a fantastic week full of sunshine!

GRAND PRIZE Giveaway – Cheers My Darling Canvas Art

What better way to wrap up four wonderful weeks of free prizes than to give away to ONE lucky winner – a piece from my very own collection?!

In honor of our 4 year Anniversary Celebration at Sugarluxe, I am thrilled to offer (for the first time ever) a FREE giclee canvas.  For those of you who have joined me all month long for our giveaways – I hope you’ve enjoyed our brand new items, the chance at winning these goodies, and the anticipation of seeing what comes next. I’ve had so much fun and I sure hope you have, too.

Week #1 – Sugarluxe Art & Soul Mirror Compact Winners
Week #2 – Sugarluxe SMART Collection Cufflinks Winners
Week #3 – Sugarluxe Decor Vinyl Big Wall Graphics Winners

So, let’s talk a little bit about this week’s Grand Prize…

You already know that I work on so many different things at once and I have a multitude of projects underway at any given time. That’s why it made it kind of hard to figure out exactly what I was going to do for the Grand Prize.  When I started this 4 weeks ago, I knew I wanted to give away something BIG…I just didn’t know what!

More importantly, as the clock was ticking, I realized I also wanted to offer something that is unique and meaningful to me.  When it came right down to it – I couldn’t think of anything better than this.

And here she is folks:  Ruby Moon in Cheers My Darling

But why is this piece so special?  After all, you can find Ruby Moon on our website and also a derivative at Z Gallerie.  You can even get a mini print version on our archival paper prints.

HOWEVER – there is ONLY ONE like the photo you see below.  This is a canvas like no other. 

So, this week – for our BIG GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY – someone will win this one of a kind:

• 40″ x 40″ Gallery Wrapped Canvas Art by Sugarluxe
• Signed & Numbered – AP 1/1
• Embedded with 10 Genuine Swarovski Crystals
• With a Personal Note to Winner on the Back
• Also Includes a Certificate of Authenticity

And like all of our prizes, this too, includes FREE shipping. 

If you were with me last year during our benefit to help raise money for the Austin Children’s Shelter – you may have seen the Cheers My Darling art before.  It had the honor of being on public display for two months.  But this particular piece was NOT for SALE. 

Why am I finally giving this canvas away now?  Well, it’s simply because:

1. I want it in the home of someone who I’m sure will love it like I do.
2. It’s valuable to me because it’s long been part of the Sugarluxe Studio.
3. I want the winner to receive a gift that NO ONE else will ever have. 

Ruby Moon will be around for years to come…but this is a version that I had made just for my studio.  The “my darling” part is so exquisitely old school and I just can’t wait to share it with you.

Do you want to win?  Do you?  Do you want this REALLY BAD???

If so, make sure you are familiar with the Official Rules.  You must subscribe or have already subscribed via email. 

Plus, even if you’ve already commented elsewhere, remember – you need to leave a comment on this post telling me how much you love me would love to have this canvas…and STUMBLE IT, you can BLOG ABOUT IT, or POST the LINK ON FACEBOOK (and tag me so I know about it) to earn extra entries into the Grand Prize Drawing.

Retail Value?  Priceless.

——————————————————–  WINNER ANNOUNCED ——————————————————–

UPDATE March 2, 2009:

Little did I know that last Monday would set off what would end up being both the most fun, and the most gut-wrenching giveaway to date.  With each remarkable comment, my heart sank.  I was so excited for who might win, while I often felt like I would be letting down at least 50 other people.  As someone who doesn’t much like to disappoint…it’s been tougher than I thought it would be. 

Everyone brightened my days, many people made me laugh out loud.  But in the end…this past week’s contest really came down to who could spread the word about Sugarluxe the most.  Not in a spammy, click the site all day kind of way…but by being someone who brought in MORE unique visitors, turned on MORE people to Sugarluxe, and introduced my art to MORE people than anyone else - and that person is…

wait for it

wait for it

Stean P. – YOU are the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

You were relentless, involved, fun, relentless (did I already say that?) and you sent the MOST pageviews and MOST unique visitors to both Sugarluxe and the Sugarluxe Blog!  You did an amazing job and you certainly deserve this piece.  As much as I never thought in a million years that it would end up in the man cave we’ve all heard so much about – you definitely earned it.  You are a genuine FAN, a true FRIEND and a FANTASTIC commentator.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

P.S.  There are four other people who followed close behind Stean and deserve credit too.  Want to find out who they are?  Read more about the BONUS PRIZE in this week’s newest post.

Latex Paint? Why Sugarluxe Loves Sherwin Williams

People are always asking me to give up my secrets. There is hardly a week that goes by that I don’t receive a question in regards to the paints I use and prefer.  Most of the time, it’s a young, self-taught artist seeking tips.  But every once in awhile, it’s a customer who wants to find out the paint color used in one of my pieces so that they can repaint a room to match.

Most people might think that those inquiries would yield totally different responses.  But in my case, the answer is one and the same.

I love acrylic latex.

Now, if you come into my studio…you’ll see a variety of tubes, jars and bottles of Golden Heavy Body acrylic paints.  You’ll also see glazing liquids, soft gels, and special varnishes – all designed to work in conjunction with standard acrylic artist’s paint to create the exact effect desired.

I enjoy mixing paint, creating the color and getting just the right texture.  There is something quite therapeutic about the process.  That is…until you realize you didn’t mix enough, you ran out of your perfectly mixed batch and now you must try to get the exact same color and sheen again.

With latex, I can create a swatch, bring it to the store, have a digital read out and then get a perfect match in a quart or gallon size if needed.  And since I use a lot of the same colors to tie my collection together, I save money, too.

That’s why…I love acrylic latex.

Many artists who have seen my actual paintings close up want to touch them to feel the paint.  The color is thick, smooth and the edges are precise.  They wonder how I eliminate brush strokes.  They often comment on my technical execution.  They ask how I do it?

Guess what I say?

You’re RIGHT!  I love acrylic latex.

But not just any acrylic latex paint.  And certainly not the cheap stuff.  You know I’m a budget-minded entrepreneur, but when it comes to choosing paint, I seem to have expensive tastes.

After years of frustration, not getting the exact look I wanted to achieve…I discovered that working with latex paints provided me with more control, less waste and fabulous results.

In the beginning of my experimentation,  I went for the discount paint.  Just like I did when I repainted rooms in my house.  I wanted the most bang for my buck…and it seemed that the home builder supply stores could give me gallons of latex love for rock bottom prices.  What a bargain!

But paint, whether it’s for your home or a canvas, is not something to scrimp on. Ultimately, with cheap paints, you’ll create more work for yourself and spend more money in the long run. I wish I would have realized this back when I remodeled my home years ago.

Quality paint has more pigment.  More pigment means less layers needed to get good coverage, less layers mean less labor…less labor means a happier painter.

Here’s how it works:

Of the three main paint ingredients – pigments, solvents and binders -

1. Pigment provides hiding power and gives paint its color and shading.
2. Solvents carry the paint to the surface, then evaporate, leaving behind a film of paint.
3. Binders are bonding agents that hold the paint together.

The material left on a substrate (wall, canvas, etc) after the solvent evaporates and the coating cures is its ‘solids content’. When calculated as a percentage of the total gallon of paint, the solids are referred to as “Volume Solids.” A higher percentage of Volume Solids is usually an indication of a better quality paint, because more binder and pigment are left to protect the surface compared to a coating with a lower Volume Solids rating.

So, if you have more coating, more pigment, and more protection…it’s easy to see why you won’t have to buy as much paint and it is actually LESS expensive to get the good stuff from the start.

That’s why when I confirmed my assignment to complete a room for the Hotel Des Arts, the first thing I did was to make sure my favorite stores were close to the hotel.

First stop would be:  Blick Art Materials on Van Ness.  LOVE THIS STORE!  This is where I purchased all my brushes, pencils, and other supplies.  Good brushes are a must, too.

Then, I needed to find my favorite paint store.  I’ve tried them all…and this brand works the best for me.  Sugarluxe loves Sherwin Williams!

At first, I thought I was going to have trouble convincing the hotel manager to pay for these paints instead of typical artist’s paints.  But I didn’t even have to explain.  One of the many cool things about that project…they totally trust the artist to just do their thing.

The even better news is that Sherwin Williams now has a line of eco-friendly paints which make the whole acrylic latex painting process even better.  The line is called GreenSure.

All GreenSure products come in 100% post-consumer recycled packaging with labels printed in soy ink. And they are using sustainable raw materials like soy and sunflower oil in their paints.

Inhabitat reports that Steve Revnew, director of product development at Sherwin-Williams says, “At Sherwin-Williams, we believe that being environmentally responsible goes well beyond the product formulation. We have established our own sustainability initiative called “EcoVision.” EcoVision is a company-wide approach to look at all aspects of our business and see where we can become more environmentally responsible.”

For our customers who need to match a color used in one of our Sugarluxe Giclees, it’s super EASY:

1. Just take the giclee canvas to Sherwin Williams.
2. Isolate the color you want for your wall.
3. Pick your paint and a make a paint sheen selection.
4. Have them scan it for a digital color match.
5. Take home your new paint and see the difference great paint can make.

———————————————————————————————————————–

Interesting Fact:

Don’t you just love paint chips?  But did you know that the little paint chip cards are the biggest production expense to a paint manufacturer and the more customers abuse those freebies, the higher the costs of paint?  Speaking of eco-friendly…we need to reuse, recycle or not make waste of these lovely paint chips.

Here is one of my favorite ideas by fantastic graphic designer, Jessica Jones at How About Orange?

Okay…I know these are Behr paint chips, but I just love Jessica’s photo and bookmarks.  What great ideas can you share?

Form, Function and the Field of Dreams

The BRAND NEW Sugarluxe Website is live, lookin’ good and I sure hope you LOVE it like we do!  If you’re on our private VIP list, you already know about the improved site.

If you stumbled onto Sugarluxe for the first time this past month, you already know about it too…and because we outperformed all forecasts for new traffic and direct sales, even in slumpy economic times, I think every single minute of the 784 hours to complete the migration is going to be totally worth it!

Few people know that our original site was all hand-coded.  We didn’t have a shopping cart platform and the site didn’t pull from any pre-fab templates.  That means every single page (over 900) had to be changed one at a time if we wanted to add a product or category, or make any updates to the navigation.  It was such a nightmare.

Not to mention, the back-end was totally chaotic.  In retrospect, I don’t know how we handled our volume of sales with such little automation.

But the idea of developing a new site right before the holidays was a nothing short of insane!  A week into the project (back in October), it looked practically impossible to go live by December.  For some ridiculous reason, my life is full of self-imposed deadlines that make me nutty.  I think I might work on doing that a little less in the New Year.

Yet, when it comes right down to it…the foundation of this company was built upon the importance of signature imagery and usability.  Whether we are talking about product development or a website overhaul – it can’t just look fantastic, it has to be functional.

It was time for an update.

Despite the intense amount of work, I am so, so happy that we are now on such a sophisticated, user-friendly software system.  It’s heavenly!

Here are some of the things that I am just so excited about:

1. We’ve built a back-end customer database so anyone can create a personal Gift Registry.
2. We finally have a site-wide search mechanism with thousands of programmed terms.
3. Our shipping is fully integrated, so you can log onto your Sugarluxe Account for tracking.
4. We’ve designed a breadcrumb trail in all categories for much easier navigation.
5. We now have the functionality for every customer to provide their opinion with Product Reviews.
6. Sugarluxe Partners can now log in to see their special pricing without waiting until checkout.
7. We now offer Sugarluxe Gift Certificates in multiple denominations for convenient gift giving options.
8. We’ve posted new product lines including the SMART Collection Cufflinks and Collectible Paper Prints.
9. The entire Sugarluxe Website loads much more quickly…saving you time when shopping.
10. Specials are so much easier to update, so we will be offering many more deals to our VIPs!

Today, it’s pretty easy for someone who wants to launch an online store to start within a matter of days.  Technology has come a long way.  With portable shopping widgets, blog plugins, sites like Poketo, Etsy, Zazzle, and more…anyone can sell their stuff online.  But even with progress and all these portals, I still believe that if you want to create a real brand…you SHOULD build your own retail website (at least in addition to your pages on the crowdsourced sites).

My vision has always been to compete with some of the biggest shopping sites online.  Not in terms of sales (although that wouldn’t suck). I’m not aiming to be the size of Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try really hard to emulate the experience.

Like most of the undertakings at Sugarluxe, this was no easy task.  But I hope you find that as we continue to grow, we make every single improvement with you in mind.

I feel pretty good about all of the enhanced features, the project was certainly a good investment.  But the best part is – I’m actually now a firm believer that if you build it – they will come!

What is your favorite part?  Have you explored the new site?  Have you left a review?  It would be great to get your feedback…

Stand Out in a Crowd: Being Unique like Cool Designer Cufflinks

Don’t you love cool little cufflinks? I think they’re totally sexy and for something so small, they sure can make a big statement. Huge compliments to avid cufflink collectors.  I really like accessories that provide a little insight into an individual’s personality. 

Cufflinks do that. 

So, I’ve been trying my hand at making cufflinks for almost a year and a half. In fact, I have cufflink prototypes (hundreds of pairs) strewn about the studio and stashed in drawers.  Part of the fun for my friends to come into the studio is trying to get a sneak peek at the multiple experiments I have going on at any given time…

In today’s world of manufacturing and overseas sourcing, it’s rare that a company will manufacturer and sell their own products.  It’s cost prohibitive and for the most part, I don’t know if people even care anymore about where something is made.

But I do.

I find satisfaction in doing both manufacturing and distribution. I can have control over quality and I get the opportunity to connect directly to customers.  I think that’s the best of both worlds.  But maybe that’s just me.

I enjoy taking ideas and turning them into something tangible.  I like developing the prototypes, working with so many materials, and figuring out how to perfect a process.  Art to me is more than painting or illustrating…it’s about creating something out of nothing.

But guess what?

Read more

Hotel Des Arts in San Francisco is a MUST See

If I had started a blog prior to completing the Sugarluxe Room (504) for the Hotel Des Arts…I can only imagine what I might have written during the process.  It was exhilarating, grueling, exhausting, freezing. And toward the end of the project, it was sort of a blur. 

On the second to last day, I do remember calling Patty Williams, my lifesaver holding down the fort (studio) back home. I was teary-eyed, tired and sore. Patty is not only incredibly smart and sweet, she happens to have a Masters Degree in Social Work, which comes in handy when you’re feeling blue.  How lucky am I that this is the second time I’d hired Patty.  First in my former life at a corporation and then later into my own company.  Patty is amazing and I love her.

And even when I was 1,000 miles away, she was and is always there for me. It was one of the coldest winters in San Francisco. More importantly, I received a phone call from my folks in the middle of the project to tell me that my dear 20 year old cousin, Elliot Arnold, passed away in his sleep - no one knew why.  I was beyond devastated and during the last days of painting, I was in a daze from the unbelievable news. I could barely hold my paintbrush…my hand would shake and my fingers were numb. It was not an easy time to be filled with creative energy. But like everything I cherish in life, I realized that the things which require the most work, can end up being the most rewarding. 

The Hotel Des Arts is like that for me.

And the Sugarluxe Room is dedicated to Elliot.  So, obviously, it’s important to me on many levels.

To some, it might just seem like a good place to show off your art if given the great opportunity.  It is.  The hotel features the work of some of the most prominent, cutting-edge artists alive today.   

To others, it may seem that the art is disjointed and doesn’t look upscale enough to compete with the W Hotel down the street.  It can’t.  It won’t.  Thank God!

Which is why I love this place so much.

 

You can connect to the heart (emphasis on the art) and soul that is core to this boutique hotel.  It is alive with ideas, passion and purpose created BY people FOR people who appreciate the independent spirit that fills every inch of this place.  It is not ultra-fancy, but there is nothing else like it.  And that’s why every time I head back to San Francisco, this is EXACTLY where I want to stay.

The recent NEW ART ’08 SHOW presented by START SOMA afforded me an excellent opportunity (excuse) to go back (as I do several times a year) but this particular show fell on the date of my 5 year wedding anniversary…and because we hadn’t had a vacation since our honeymoon (thanks to our never ending work schedules)…my wonderful guy and I contemplated getting away to a place where we could get some much needed R&R.

As we considered all of our options, the zillions of places we could go, we still chose to visit all of our friends, artists and the cool people at the Hotel Des Arts.  I guess we could’ve gone to SFO and stayed somewhere else in town…maybe a romantic little B&B.  But we didn’t want to.  Why?  Read more

Girlfriend and Cleo Magazine | Editors Pick Favorite Pink Ribbon Gifts

It probably comes as no surprise - I love PINK.  Which is why I love spending time in my studio downtown.  It’s not covered in the color;  it’s just the right amount to make me feel good.  Let’s call it a daily dose of Pepto Bismol to soothe my creative soul. 

It’s so fun to watch people walk into the building where I lease my space and find their way through the maze of non-descript hallways.  Upon opening the door to the Sugarluxe Studio…even guys, mind you…seem as if they’ve been transported to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.  *Cue the lights and the chorus*

Well, substitute Interns for Oompa Loompas, sparkly gems instead of a chocolate river, and we don’t have lickable wallpaper (yet) but the studio is filled with tasty, sexy art – it’s definitely a decadent place packed with delicious artistic goodness.

But my appreciation for PINK has far more to do with the POWER of this color than it does with my own predeliction toward it.

For years, pink products have made their way into the marketplace every October in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  It’s amazing how many things are out there…pink, proud and hopefully, all doing their part to raise money for research and prevention.

From pink blenders and pink bread mixers, to pink curling irons and pink toolkits…for one month out of every year, we are bombarded with companies who manufacture Pink Ribbon Products.

This is something I’ve been doing at Sugarluxe since our inception.  And better yet, we don’t do it for one month.  We manufacture our Pink Ribbon Gift Items all year long. 

Preventing, educating and creating more awareness about breast cancer is part of my personal mission.  I might not be a big huge brand like Conair’s Personal Hair Care Products or Palmer’s with their ubiquitous Cocoa Butter Creme, but I am compelled to do whatever I can. Even if my contribution is small potatoes compared to these places…I’m in the fight to help battle this disease.

So, I’m pretty excited that Girlfriend Magazine (btw – they were the very first magazine to be printed on entirely recycled paper) and Cleo Magazine chose some of our Pink Ribbon items to feature as their favorite picks.  It let’s readers know that I, like so many other independent artists and designers, are also doing what we can to help fund and find a cure.  If we band together, we can make a difference.

If you want to create and sell Pink Ribbon products to help wage the war against Breast Cancer, let’s start with some Do’s & Don’ts to help you begin sharing knowledge and spreading hope…

DON’T

1. Don’t put a Pink Ribbon on your designs just to sell products.  Believe in the reason you’re doing this or just don’t do it.
2. Unless you are a big label or manufacturer and can sell tens of thousands of units, don’t source production.  You will likely not be able to move that much product and then you’ll be faced with discounting to offset costs, thereby diminishing any proceeds for the cause.
3. Don’t anticipate it will produce a revenue stream. Consider creating these items as part of your charity work.  Offering these goods should be a way for you to donate your time, effort and money to a cause you care about.
4. Don’t be vague about who you are contributing to. Penn sells Pink Tennis Balls and states that “15 cents of your purchase goes to a Breast Cancer Research Organization”.  That’s too unclear for customers.
5. Don’t make pink ribbon items if your products have chemicals or components proven to contribute to the disease.  Please just find a way to make safer products first.

DO:

1. Make sure to choose a specific organization for whom your contributions will benefit.  Susan G. Komen for the Cure is so large now that it’s hard to make a significant impact.  That’s why it’s good to consider other organizations too.  Like the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  They help pay for mammograms for women who cannot afford them and as the saying goes…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
2. Decide what portion of the proceeds are going to go directly to the organization and clearly state that amount to customers.
3. Do your research.  Many organizations have local affiliates or chapters.  Big organizations even have trademark licensing requirements.  So, it’s best to start out at a local level to find out what is required of you before you start producing your own line of pink ribbon products.
4. If you sell your line wholesale, require those resellers to also contribute to a Breast Cancer non-profit organization of their choice. Because the net proceeds are decreased on wholesale orders, it’s important that both parties pitch in to make up the difference.
5. Be creative.  Do something special.  It’s not about taking a pink item and dubbing it a Pink Ribbon Product…develop something that is truly and specifically for the cause.  

A special note of THANKS goes out to Sam Winter of Sassi Sam in Australia whose hard work and savvy PR made it possible for the selection of Sugarluxe in these magazines.  Thank you Sam…you are such an amazing friend and smart business partner!!

Sugarluxe in Home of Pop Star Celebrity Miley Cyrus | InStyle Magazine

You have 269 new messages:

Message 1: Karen Scott

“Is Fabulous in the dressing room of Miley Cyrus? It’s in her house. Have you seen InStyle Magazine? Why don’t you tell me this stuff? I had to find out from someone who came and asked me. I’m your best friend – I’m supposed to know these things. Call me back.  Nevermind, you won’t even get this message…”

Thank God Karen and I have been best friends for 10+ years and she forgives me for my failure to give her information first before it becomes public knowledge.

Not to mention, I rarely listen to voicemail messages (that’s just one of those things my friends, business colleagues, interns, other artists and my own family) have come to accept about me. I NO likey the phone.

But here’s the truth about magazine and celebrity stuff…

Sure, I usually know about magazine coverage, with big national publications like InStyle, they typically put an issue to bed many months before it hits the stands. But check this out — the ONE time I talked about Sugarluxe being in a certain magazine…it didn’t happen. The ONE freakin’ time.

So, my rule of thumb since that incident is this — mum’s the word.

What works about this approach is:

• I love to surprise others.
• There’s so much fun in your friends and fans discovering it for themselves and messaging you to let you know all about it.
• Little doers are better than big talkers.

Here’s my other guideline:

Celebrities do not make Sugarluxe, however, Sugarluxe does make art for celebrities.

What do I mean?

Let’s take Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Tom Cruise for starters. If you’ve completely associated your brand or business with a certain celebrity and they turn out to be a complete nutbag (which seems to be a matter of when and not if) what does that do to what you’ve created? Where do you go from there?

I’m not really into tying my name to somebody else who I can’t control.

Unless:

I really like them and they’ve been a good friend to me (John Corbett)

They are sexy, dirty hot (Tommy Lee)

I think they’re the sweetest mega-rich couple I’ve ever met (Gregg & Jeff Foxworthy)

Or, I meet Oprah. Which I haven’t. But I will. Soon.

So – yes, it’s super cool to see my work hanging in the spot Miley Cyrus calls “one of her favorite rooms in the house”. And, I have four nieces under the age of 11 – so I admit that I’ve watched my share of Hannah Montana episodes (and really liked them).

But to me, I get far more pumped about someone who writes me a special note saying that they love my work, or they send me a picture of a Sugarluxe piece that they bought, or they tell me that I’ve inspired them in some way.

It may not seem like much compared to all the fancy famous stuff, but that’s what means the most to me!

If you’d like to order an Artist’s Proof piece just like this original painting, you can find it here – Sugarluxe Fabulous Art.

Supply & Demand: The Economics of Appreciation

For almost three years, I have been trying to figure out the key to keeping my manufacturing in-house, while somehow meeting the demands of retail accounts (around the world now) who want everything FAST & AFFORDABLE. I don’t want to source overseas…but my supply & demand issues are overwhelming.

When I get bogged down trying to figure out what to do, I procrastinate. My mind starts drifting and I completely get off task.

Today is no different. My biggest urge to paint happens when I have to do something else entirely.

But it’s in that moment — I realize I am not the only one with a major supply and demand problem. We all have this issue in one way or another…

Like the endless supply of people demanding your time. Or, the constant demand to do more, but a lacking supply of appreciation when you do so.

If you really want to know a super easy secret for success — it’s very simple.

I’ve found that the words – I appreciate you – can make all the difference!

If someone takes the time to interview me for an article, blog on my work, or write something about Sugarluxe in their publication, I always try to write to them and tell them how much I appreciate it! I don’t expect this fabulous feedback, I don’t feel entitled to it and I don’t pay for it. I am just thankful when people discover what it is I am trying to do…and if they dig it, that’s the BEST!

These are some of my fun favorites! Check out these little lovelies:

The Makeup Divas

See Pretty Things

Wedding By Color

Indie Lust

iGO Women’s Accessories

and a NEW fav who named Sugarluxe as January’s ROCKSTAR of the MONTH:

The Notebook

Everyone likes knowing that their contributions matter…and I try to let people know how much they make a difference in my life. We often don’t think to do these really easy things because they weren’t ever done to or for us. Trust me, I know. I’ve worked a lot of thankless jobs.

But it has to start somewhere. It’s a global situation and we have a depleted supply of gratitude. Help me replenish it…

And by the way, when you do, please know this — “You are most definitely appreciated!”

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