Sandy is a fellow Zazzler, as you all might be aware.

She has these 5 stores on Zazzle:
PostCards From Friday Harbor: An Island Toggery – photography and graphic designs by Sandy at http://www.zazzle.com/sandybuckley*
The Party Shoppe – the wedding and party destination at http://www.zazzle.com/thebirthdayshop*
The Flower Shoppe – add a touch of floral elegant beauty to all of your mailings at http://www.zazzle.com/theflowershop*
The Damask Shoppe – Damask designs for all occasions at http://www.zazzle.com/damaskdiva*
The Paper Mill – to bring back the grace in written communication at http://www.zazzle.com/thepapermill*

Sandy has her blog at http://fridayharborhappenings.blogspot.com/

Here’s how Sandy describes her journey in creativity:

First, I’ll state the obvious. Everyone is creative. There is not a person on Earth that is incapable of coming up with a new idea. The question for me, however, was how to embrace that concept in my life. So, in 2005 I decided to distract myself from reality, move 3000 miles across the country and immerse myself in a sleepy little island community off the coast of Washington State called Friday Harbor. Photography in an island paradise comes naturally so that is where I began dabbling in the arts. Within months I had collected many photos of seascapes, orca whales and wildlife and turned to the internet to see what options existed for sharing the beauty I had discovered. Just three years out of the beta mode, Zazzle seemed like a great place to see if the world would share my enthusiasm. I joined the community in 2006.

Interview

Vipul:
Sandy for this interview, including me, there are 6 people on the interview panel today. I’ll continue with the suspense and will reveal them as the interview progresses.

Sandy:
Love a good mystery.

Vipul:
Sandy, tell us about yourself. Are you a full-time Zazzler? Do you earn your livelihood through Zazzle or are you also pursuing another profession?

Sandy:
When I originally joined the Zazzle community in 2006, I was employed as a Risk manager for an insurance agency with Zazzle being simply a hobby. This past September, though, I officially became a full timer at Zazzle.

Vipul:
And Sandy, are you a professional photographer? Do you do commissioned photography work? Or do you only put up your work at Zazzle?

Sandy:
Funny you should ask that question. When I joined Zazzle I was simply attempting to showcase some of the beauty of the islands where I live here in Friday Harbor. Over the years and with Zazzle’s assistance, I have become a professional photographer and do get commissions for work that I create. I used to sell photos on pay per photo sites but I found time and energy spent on Zazzle was much more fulfilling and lucrative. I do have work on Fine Art America and Imagekind, though, just for fun. I work from home – no studio since I am not usually photographing people.

Vipul:
Wow! Great to know Zazzle has played that kind of a role! (ed. of helping you become a professional photographer)

Sandy:
It sure has. When I started on Zazzle, no one on the islands had ever heard of them. I believe there are about 25 people from the San Juan Islands now on Zazzle.

Vipul:
I guess this is one similarity a lot of us will have … of us coming across Zazzle and it then empowering each of our lives!

Sandy:
The Zazzle marketplace and the community have both been very empowering for me as an artist. I am awed by the talent I see in our artists and love the sense of camaraderie and friendship I feel here.

Vipul:
Yes, I’m sure this is a sentiment shared by many … the Zazzle marketplace and the community are truly amazing.

Sandy:
I’ve never seen anything like it. And I am honored to part of it.

Vipul:
Sandy I’d a great time browsing through your store http://www.zazzle.com/sandybuckley*. Apart from this you’ve 4 other Zazzle stores. Tell us about your journey at Zazzle.

You’ve an interesting quote on creating stores in one of your store profiles “I have opened galleries as outlets — looking for ways to market concepts as opposed to content, each gallery holding a spot near and dear to my heart.”

Sandy:
The gallery you’ve linked to here, Sandybuckley – was my first interlude into the “arts” so to speak. I moved here from Maryland in 2005 and had never seen such a beautiful place. Like I said, I wanted to share the beauty.

But then I became interested in actual design work and saw the potential and opportunities in broadening my horizons. Hence, TheBirthdayshoppe was “born.”

I opened each subsequent gallery based on what I saw as a need in the Zazzle marketplace – from DamaskDiva to WinterWonderland – there’s always a theme.

Keep in mind, this was years ago … not sure how I would assess that “need” in 2010.

Ultimately, I became hooked on designing, so now I spend about 1/3 of my time photographing and the rest of the time in Photoshop.

Vipul:
I find it very interesting that being a photographer you haven’t restricted yourself to just photography, but have also opened shops with products created through designing.

Sandy:
Back in 2006 I became involved with a group of artists on the island who invited me to join them each Sunday. It is a close knit group of artists (colored pencil, water colors, oils, etc) — and I really have to give them a great amount of credit for allowing me to embrace the larger concepts of art and not limiting myself only to photography.

Amazing where you can find your inspirations.

Vipul:
You’ve some great – beautiful – elegant designs. Are there any specific products you love designing for? Do you have a personal favorite like business cards or wedding invitations?

Sandy:
Thank you! Now that Zazzle has begun offering invitations, I’d have to say that I am focused on designing birthday party, bridal shower and wedding invites. There are so many great colors out there and I love trying to get into the “bride’s mind” to see what they will find perfect for their big day. And business cards are one of my mainstays — I’ll always enjoy trying to come up with designs that people will want to use as first impressions to clients. I am honored with each sale.

Vipul:
Oh, I came across an amazing business card designed by you while I was browsing through your stores.

‘Hi-tech Metallic Construction Business Card’ at http://www.zazzle.com/hi_tech_metallic_construction_auto_reconstruction_business_card-240817298954743301?rf=238422370704227362

Its awesome!

Sandy:
Thanks. We recently went through an extensive renovation of our home and had contractors here for five months. Lots of photo ops!

Vipul:
Sandy are there any resources for images and artwork that you use and recommend.

Sandy:
I have never purchased photography online – so I can’t really speak to that. That being said, lots of my designs are based on clipart purchased from either clipart.com or various digital arts and crafts companies which allow CU with the sale. For the price, clipart.com cannot be beat – and you get a good basic designs from which you can build upon using various design programs.

Designious.com is another company from whom I purchase design work too.

Vipul:
Sandy, is there a trend to the sales in the two product lines (i) wedding products (ii) party products? Do the sales pick up during any particular month or period?

Sandy:
That’s a tough question. There are certainly lulls throughout the year but I really do not see months where sales “pick up” more so than others. I am seeing a trend of many more requests for customization, especially in the wedding market. I have noticed, though, in my galleries, a distinct decrease in sales of “party related” stamps and cards – but I tend to chalk that up a bit to the current economy.

Vipul:
That’s interesting to know. I somehow had the impression that atleast with wedding products, there would be a higher demand around Valentines day … but no, its like the sales remain steady throughout for them.

Sandy:
That has not been the case in my stores, but it may very well be a trend over all of Zazzle. It’s a difficult question because with the wedding lines, brides are purchasing at different timeframes – well before the actual event. So some may be buying invites for a June wedding in December, others may be shopping in March. Hard to guess when the market goes high or low… for me that is.

Vipul:
Sure.

Vipul:
Sandy, I’ve gone through each of your 5 Zazzle stores. If among all the varied products you’ve designed, if you were to choose 3 of your favorites, which ones would they be?

Sandy:
Wow, another tough question. It’s funny that my “favorites” are not necessairly “favorites” with the buyers.

I really like the cleanness of the design on this card, which i actually use as my business card.

http://www.zazzle.com/architect_interior_designer_home_fashion_business_business_card-240781005607784903?gl=thebirthdayshop&rf=238118872107452670

Vipul:
Yes, its different. Unique!

Sandy:
As far as invitations go, I did a series of variations of this design, which I became obsessed with, liked the lines.

http://www.zazzle.com/bridal_shower_invitations_hot_pink_white_damask-161655242952216953?gl=DamaskDiva&rf=238118872107452670

Vipul:
Its beautiful!

Sandy:
Thank you!

Sandy:
And this was one of my most challenging designs which I love because it has my favorite photos of our endangered southern resident community of orca whales, who are all near and dear to my heart.

http://www.zazzle.com/orca_whale_photo_binder-127136306051154790?gl=sandybuckley&rf=238118872107452670

Vipul:
Wow!

Michelle Millar:
Your photo’s are incredible. Did you study photography, or are you one of those super lucky people, who were born with a good eye and a flair for producing stunning images?

Sandy:
Thank you very much Michelle! I literally took my very first photo when I moved to the islands in 2005. The pacific northwest certainly provides many resources for unrivaled beauty every turn..the pictures really do tend to take themselves. There are several professional mentors who have taken me under their wings, providing endless hours of critique and instruction as well. This summer, I did take my first photography class – I am sure there will be plenty more in my future – I adore learning!

Justin Hill:
If there’s a secret to taking photographs of Orca Whales and other wildlife what is it?

Sandy:
Patience. And a good lens helps too. In that order.

With wildlife photography it really is all about being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it happens in five minutes, others in 5 months and 3,000 photos later.

Justin Hill:
Apart from whales what other subject do you love to photograph?

Sandy:
I have recently developed a passion for finding and photographing textures and patterns that at first sight may be dismissed or overlooked. Rust, stones, old walls – that sort of thing. I really love the lines of old cars and steel mechanisms too – still learning how take something that you would miss at first sight and create a visual that “wows.”

Vipul:
Sandy, lets say a novice photographer like me, I visit a beautiful place and want to take photographs that I’d like to post on Zazzle as postcards or prints, is there anything I should look into, so that the photographs come out really well on the Zazzle products?

Sandy:
When the photos are printed the most important aspect of quality is resolution, just like you see in a JPG or PNG file. The most important lesson I have learned is to be sure to shoot at the highest resolution possible (RAW vs JPG) and then save your files at the minimum of 300dpi for printing on Zazzle.

Lora Severson:
Your photographs are amazing. Do you ever have a creative block? How do you get around it when you do?

Sandy:
Thank you, Lora, that certainly means a lot to me. It really seems as though I spend alot of time struggling with the creative block syndrome. In fact, I went from August until December without taking a single photo. What I usually have to do is simply wait it out, knowing that something will inspire me and being sure to keep my eyes open at every turn. This year it took a trip off island to get me out of the rut. As much as I love it here, sometimes I need a little diversity.

Dean T. Hamilton:
What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

Sandy:
An investment in the best camera you can afford and taking the time to learn its capabilities is number one. Coupled with your talent, you’ll make a great pair if you get to know each other. And try not to compare yourself to other photographers – it takes time to develop your own individual style … and that’s what photography is all about. If YOU like it, that is all that matters.

Dean T. Hamilton:
Apart from photography what is your preferred medium?

Sandy:
While I love watercolor and colored pencil work, my favorite “medium” is Photoshop CS4, if not simply for the amount of time I spend there. I love having a design in mind and seeing if I can translate that via software with more immediacy than painting.

Dean T. Hamilton:
What is the one product you would like Zazzle to provide that you think would improve your business?

Sandy:
Dean, that is a great question! Since the introduction of invitations at Zazzle, I really think they touched upon a potentially huge market out there. I would love it if the entire invitation program could be reviewed with competitors sites in mind. This could be a HUGE market for us as designers – and I would like to have the ability to have similar offerings that competing marketplaces have (different sizes, table cards, rsvp cards … the whole gamut). I do think Zazzle will eventually realize this and cultivate the offering – I bet they are working on it now… fingers crossed.

Kyle Treadwell:
At what royalty do you feel that your products are most successful at?

Sandy:
Kyle, in my experience the royalty “success” rate depends on the product being offered. What I tend to do is look at the cost to the consumer and say “Would I pay that much?” I also spend some time on the internet seeing what comparable products cost (i.e. invitations and cards). My royalties literally range from 10% (on expensive stuff like Keds) to 40%.

Kyle Treadwell:
Which is your best sell product?

Sandy:
Business cards are by far my best sellers in most of the stores, closely followed by stickers – especially wedding stickers.

Michelle Millar:
If you could give one nugget of advice to a new Zazzler what would it be?

Sandy:
Michelle, that’s a TOUGH question. There are so many little nuggets you accumulate over the years. If I had to stick with one … hmmm … try and think like the end consumer when you are creating and tagging your products. I have found tagging correctly and focusing on accurate product descriptions and titles make a world of difference in product search order, both in Zazzle and in the larger web based marketplace.

Lora Severson:
You have a full time job, many stores on Zazzle, make jewelry and are a photographer. How do you find the time to do all that you do?

Sandy:
I gave up sleeping a while ago … only kidding. I actually did give up the full time job in September to devote more time to the things that truly interest and positively motivate me. When you live on a little island there are fewer distractions too – so I find myself better able to allocate and make use of waking hours. Its always a challenge though.

Vipul:
This interview is now in its 180th minute. Thank you so much for your time and patience, Sandy! Appreciate it.

We’ll now move to our quickfire round, I’ll ask you 5 Q’s in quick succession, so here goes …

Vipul:
Which is your favorite photography moment?

Sandy:
I was sitting on the rocks at Lime Kiln watching the whales go by. I had brought the wrong lens – a flat 300, and the whales came into shore within ten feet of me. I put the camera down and enjoyed the pass – and loved every second of it even knowing there would not be one photo taken.

I think I realized what were priorities at that moment.

Vipul:
What is the most recent thing you’ve learned?

Sandy:
Although I have not posted any of these yet … I am learning how to integrate design and photography … and what a learning curve that is. For instance, I’ll photograph a wall, manipulate the textures in Lightroom and the come over to photoshop and “cut holes in the wall.” Then I sit back and imagine what I can see through the wall (given the texture, etc) – and add a photo as a view through the hole. Not sure if that makes sense, but I’m having a blast seeing if one of these will really “work.” If you see one posted, you know I figured out the learning cure.

Bottom line, how to integrate dual software programs to achieve effects.

Vipul:
Wow! Thats really interesting, will look forward to it!

Dean T. Hamilton:
If you could go anywhere and capture just one photo of that place where would you go and what would it be of?

Sandy:
Dean, to be honest, I am not sure I have an answer to that question. There are so many animals and landscapes and structures all over the world, that is really tough. I lean towards africa, though – but the “photo” will have to be a collage.

Vipul:
Which 3 promotion tools you’ve found most fruitful/effective?

Sandy:
Facebook, my blog and word of mouth by happy clients – referrals when they are good ones, cannot be beaten!

Vipul:
Which is your favorite photograph, Sandy?

Sandy:
http://www.zazzle.com/orca_whale_killer_whale_endangered_species_card-137091375987207742?gl=sandybuckley&rf=238894206883078609

Vipul:
Its a beautiful photograph!

Sandy:
Thank you very much. I was lucky enough to be on the lighthouse rocks again on this day. I had spent all summer and countless hours trying to capture the faces of the orcas. During this shoot, I thought I came away empty. Much to my delight, the two orcas surfacing together would become one of my favorites, and I could finally stop chasing the “face shots” that summer!

Vipul:
This was the last of the questions Sandy. We’ve been now on this interview now for close to 220 minutes! This has been one mammoth interview. Thank you so much for your time, and for sharing your journey & thoughts, Sandy!

Sandy:
Vipul, thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to be interviewed. I am so proud to be part of the Zazzle community and am truly in awe of the collective talents here. I am honored to have had this time with you.

Vipul:
Sandy your photographs and work are a delight to go through, and so was taking your interview today!

It has been a pleasure to interview you!

Vipul:
Thank you once again, from the whole panel! We wish you all the very best with your work and your Zazzling!

Sandy:
Thank you and thank you panel members for the thought provoking questions. I think I’ve learned things about myself too today! Thanks again and see you Zazzle!

Interview Panels

• Vipul Sharma http://www.zazzle.com/renascencepub*
• Lora Severson http://www.zazzle.com/loraseverson*
• Dean T Hamilton http://www.zazzle.com/ricaso_graphics*
• Michelle Millar http://www.zazzle.co.uk/michiemoo*
• Justin Hill http://www.zazzle.com/gingerbloke*
• Kyle Treadwell http://www.zazzle.com/ktreadwe*