ACEO Art on eBay

I have enjoyed drawing since I was a little kid. 


My grandma always said, "keep it up!" and always advised me to keep practicing so that I would get better. 


Recently, I see that there are artists selling their art in a neat little collectible way. They call it ACEO (Art Cards, Editions and Originals). It is art that has been put on little cards that are about the same size as a sports card. 


You can buy blank ones that have been designed for mixed media, drawing, oil painting, pastel and water-color.  I have purchased the mixed media, because I like to combine pencil, markers, pen and whatever else I can get my hands on. 


My favorite thing to draw are cartoon figures. I can draw a person, but I have always had trouble drawing the human anatomy. Drawing cartoons allows me to draw simple bodies without having all of the extra detail.

There are many people who are creating and trading their cards on eBay. Many of them are drawings, while others are oil and water-color paintings too. If you would like to see what eBay has, simply type ACEO into the search, and it will bring up many of the listings. 


I have started to place some of my own ACEO on eBay. You can check out my auction listings by clicking HERE.

Need a Sign? :) Check out Signs on the Cheap

We use signs for many things throughout our daily lives. Signs are used for selling items, promoting businesses or sharing our political party choice. Signs are great for advertising.


http://www.signsonthecheap.com/  offer affordable choices to help you create your own personal sign. Currently, they have a special package that allows you to order 100 signs for $99!



You can create your own sign by using their online website template or use one of their starter templates that will help inspire your design. They offer signs in categories such as business, contract, political, real estate and bandit signs.  Once you have finished your design, you can also order your stakes and frames for your sign too. It's an online one-stop sign shop for all of your needs. 


The Rural Freelance Writer here-will be using their services soon too :) Once I receive the finished sign, I will be posting a photo of their work. I can't wait to get started and post it out in my yard! :)


If you have a need for a sign that will work for your budget, check out http://www.signsonthecheap.com . They will be happy to assist you. 

Cheap Yard Signs

A Guide to Using Pinterest

Social networks are developing all over the web at a rapid rate. As technology has evolved, we have become social creatures of the Internet.

We crave social interaction...on the Internet. Many of us already spend hours on the popular social network website, Facebook. Sometimes, newer networks may take some time to rise above the more popular ones, so they go unnoticed for a while. Recently though, one network has working hard to join the high ranks of the Internet social revolution: Pinterest.

The Pinterest Network allows users to share and repin images with their friends and other followers. Members of Pinterest can create boards organized into different categories such as my life, for the home, design, art, and a number of others too. Within the categories, a member then "pins images" to a specific board. Pinterest is similar to "window shopping," -only it's on the Internet.

 

Participating on the social network, Pinterest is pretty simple... Point, click and then "pin" your image... Then type in a URL and description of your image. Not only is Pinterest simple to use, it is a useful tool for writers...Click here to continue reading....

Living on a Budget Doesn't Have to Mean Losing Out

In this day, as the economy continues to move up and down and it is more important than ever for families to stick to a budget. Nobody's job is ever completely "safe,' and the hours at work are never guaranteed. We must all learn to live within our own means.

Thankfully (and knock on wood),my husband and I still have our jobs. We appreciate each day that we can provide food for our family and a roof over our head. We don't ever take anything for granted and also live each day at a time. While we pay our rent, utilities, groceries and things that our daughter needs, there is looming debt that we do try to make payments on... Although there is debt-we do stick to a budget too. .. So how do we do it?

Groceries: Shop Sales/Shop Cheap

While there is a local grocery store in our small town, we do shop out of town at least twice a month. We try not to drive out of town more than two times in a month. If we have to go out of town, or we are with other family members, we try to make purchases as we can while we are there. This is an ideal way to save on fuel as well. 

Our groceries are purchased at discount grocery stores such as Aldi. While the bulk of our food is purchased at Aldi, we do buy our hygiene needs at Wal-Mart. The maximum that we usually spend on a grocery trip to Aldi is never more than $100. When my husband and I shop at Wal-Mart, we split up certain items, so that neither one of us is carrying the load of the over-all price. If we really need a certain item (such as milk, bread, eggs, etc), we buy it on sale at our local grocery store. We hardly ever pay full price for an item at a local grocery store.

Entertainment


Click here to continue reading about how my family and I stick to a budget...

Hamburgers: One of The Best Sandwiches to Arrive in America

The hamburger has been a popular food of America for years. It is a favorite sandwich served at fast food restaurants and can be dressed up with a variety of condiments. Hamburgers are also popular at family cookouts, being served fresh off the grill on a tasty bun. Some like to add their own seasonings and sauces to liven up the meat, making it their own recipe. For some Americans, the hamburger is perhaps even-a way of life... 

History of the Hamburger

People have been eating ground meat for thousands of years. At the start of the 15th century, minced beef was actually considered a delicacy in Europe. Then in the 1600's, in the German port of Hamburg, Russian steak tartare was shipped to Germany. The people named it, “tartare steak.”....

Click here to continue reading about "The Hamburger." 

Strawberry Jam in Arthur, Illinois June 1st and 2nd 2012

It began in the 1950's as merchant sidewalk sales... The “strawberry festival” idea evolved when a strawberry social was taking place south of the Otto Center in Arthur, Illinois. There was plenty of sweet juicy strawberry pies and other delicious food that attracted visitors to the quaint little town. 


Now, that little social has been born into what Arthur has created as “The Strawberry Jam.” Those who love that juicy tart, yet sometimes sweet fruit can enjoy a festival that is all about strawberries. Arthur will be celebrating the Strawberry Jam Festival once again this late spring on June 1 and 2nd, 2012. 

Vendors who line the sidewalk try to include at least some type of strawberry theme to their stand. Food stands will add at least one strawberry item to their menus.


Click here to continue reading more about the Arthur, Illinois Strawberry Jam Festival...

CoPro Assists Consumers from Becoming Victims of Fraud

Americans get scammed in some way every year. According to Daily Finance.com, American consumers lost $1.7 billion because of financial scams such as fraudulent debt collectors, fake lotteries, identity theft and counterfeit checks. 


And if you think that information is scary, consider this: These kinds of scams are happening in your hometown.

According to an interview with Sullivan, Ill., Police Chief John Love, there are many records of scams that have happened in our area. Sadly, most of those who become victims are seniors. Most seniors have grandchildren, so they become easy targets. Love explains one scam that happens often. "One common scam is when a person receives a phone call stating that their grandchild has been in an accident or is in jail. The caller informs the senior that they must transfer the money to help them pay bond or to help pay for the accident. The scammer also advises the person to make sure that they do not tell anybody else. When that grandparent receives this call, they are scared and worried for their grandchild, so they easily give up their banking account information." 


Click here to continue reading...