Big Cartel theme

I feel like a little kid today!


Artwork courtesy of Ireland Brady, Happy Little Girl Hooray.


I have my Big Cartel website theme completed. Me so happy! At first I did some CSS coding to enlarge the tiny 10 px font that for some reason Big Cartel uses. After searching around I found this clean theme called "Sunday Drive" by Tonka Park.

So far the whole experience with Big cartel and Tonka Park has been great. Customer support answers emails within hours. With a bit of easy coding you can track where views are coming from with Google Analytics.

If you are using Big Cartel as your shopping cart check out my shop theme to see if you too want to upgrade your theme.! Gypsy Moon Designs

Big Cartel and ArtFire

Last week I signed up with the handcraft website ArtFire and listed 30 items for sales. I also joined Big Cartel with 25 items listed so far.

Well, after a week I can say that Big Cartel has had many more views than ArtFire.
That actually surprised me a bit. Big Cartel is a shopping cart and not a shopping mall like Etsy or Art Fire. I expected more views from ArtFire.



Chunky ammonite and turquoise necklace

I will watch both sites traffic for a few weeks. But, I think I will be focusing on Big Cartel.

I can't say enough good things about Big Cartel! They have excellent customer service. I have emailed them twice with a question. They respond back in a very timely manner and always have the answer you are looking for.

Gypsy Moon Designs is now on BigCartel

I'm expanding my online venues this month. After researching venues and playing with site-builders on sites such as Homestead.com and Big Commerce I found Big Cartel to be the easiest to launch.

So many sites claimed they were easy to set up. I think if I was a 12 year old in this day and age I could have done it! But, after days of playing with these so called easy site builders I still find BigCartel the easiest to work with.



BigCartel even gives you links on there site for easy CSS codes and uploading background images.

My first site design was going to have a earthy look to it. I liked it but it lacked a polished finished look. I used the banner and background you see above.



Last night I woke up and thought I really should keep the same branding as my Etsy shop. So, I redesigned it in minutes. Once you learn a little code it isn't to difficult.

I would love for you to come check out my new shop; even shoot me a email thru the "contact" form if you like!
Gypsy Moon Designs

Happy Spring!

Artist Kevin Gadomski and his Manitou totems

Last week on Etsy I found myself in a shop that amazed me with such unique talent. Having been raised in Michigan and being proud of my Potawatomi heritage I was thrilled to discover the Manitou carved sculptures by artist Kevin Gadomski.



The Algonquian people, Ojibwe/Chippewa,Ottawa,Potawatomi,Cree, believe that everything has its own spirit or manitou that is inseparable from the Great Spirit or Kitche Manitou.



"What is a sacred place, I wondered, except one that makes you feel humble and insignificant in the face of nature? And what is a manitou but the power of a place to move you to those thoughts?" — Greg Breining; The Power of Rock




Inspired by the Ojibway heritage of his children, Kevin began creating the Manitou pieces many years ago. His interest in all things esoteric has led him to explore shamanism, totemism, mysticism, Taoism, Zen, Sufism, Animism, nature, reality, dreaming, metaphysics, Kevinism as a life path which are all more or less reflected in his work.



You can explore more of Kevin's amazing work on his website freedom gallery

Kevin can also be found on FaceBook Kevin Gadomski

Off the beaten path...Artist Bill Ohrmann

Today the temperatures rose above freezing so we jumped in the car, popped in a Grateful Dead tape and drove to a small town called Drummond in western Montana. We headed to Bill Ohrmann's gallery just south of Drummond in the Flint Creek Valley.



Bill is 91 years old and still a working artist. When he retired from ranching at the age of 71 yrs. old he took up painting and sculpting.



Bill is a self taught artists and considers his work as Outsider art. When looking at his work you know how he feels about nature and mankind's affect on nature.



I enjoyed how he has quotes from Buddha, Kipling, Thoreau...above his paintings. Some of his work even has the quotes painted right on the canvas.



Bill said "What is in my heart when I paint a picture, is as simple as hoping we can save part of the natural world."



Bill is such an inspiration! It shows you are never to old to be creative.



If you are ever in western Montana make a point to find your way to Drummond and Bill Ohrmann's gallery.