AlteredKat's Lensography...who is AlteredKat?

I am a SAHM (stay at home mom) to 2 wee ones, the apples of my eyes! I have loved being able to stay at home and have always considered it a privilege for which I thank my husband! I view the past 9 years as a true blessing!

My online life in sales began in 2001, and of course with 1 baby and 1 on the way it was VERY part time and has always come 2nd to family life. It started as an "outlet" for myself, a hobby and has slowly expanded as time allowed.

Now, my focus is to maintain a life as a SAHM even though my children will both be in school full time this fall...I want to be there for them when they get home, see them on the bus, be available when they are home sick and during the school holiday breaks. My focus has also changed from my online sales being "just a hobby" to helping out DH more with the bills.

In December of 2001 my husband introduced me to eBay. After a couple of searches I quickly realized there was a demand for Hallmark Ornaments, especially just before and just after Christmas. It's was boxing day and after compiling a list of "desirable" ornaments that year, I headed off to the Hallmark stores in my area...cautiously stocking up on the few favorites I headed home and created my 1st online auctions!

It was great!...I loved the thrill of an auction and made a sweet little profit on each one...the only downside...Hallmark Ornaments came out once a year...so it was time to find something a bit more substantial.

Again through searches I discovered IKEA prints were in demand. Having an IKEA fairly close by, I took it for granted until I had a customer tell me the nearest IKEA for her was over 2 hours away...so I would purchase the popular IKEA prints and frames, then assemble them at home, carefully package them up and ship next business day. Finding a constant inexpensive source for boxes and bubble wrap was difficult and then as usual, the market for IKEA prints became saturated...so on to the next thing...

Having 2 wee ones at home and living a town where some of the population was quite affluent (no, not us) :o) it seemed certain "labels" kept popping up...and Robeez baby slippers was one of them.

At first there was no mention of needing a "brick and mortar" store...and by now I was ready to take my online business to the next level. This meant registering for a business number, a business name and creating wholesale connections. It was very exciting placing my 1st proper business order. I was scared...it was a lot of money for a single income family...but it paid off! I sold Robeez baby slippers on eBay for about 6 months. They were cute, popular, easy to ship and I could then afford to purchase them for my kids. Long story short, the brick and mortar stores caught on that purchasers could buy them on eBay slightly cheaper than they were selling them for in their stores and complaints were made to Robeez so Robeez came out with a new affiliate program for online sellers.

For a while I did dabble in the sales of Bobux, a similar baby slipper but they didn't have the same name recognition.

Having been an artist for as long as I can remember...drawing all my life, collaging the outside of my art portfolios and sketch books in high school, dabbling in every paint medium from watercolor to oils and every style from realism to pop art I wanted to marry my love of creating and my need to create with online sales...so I started selling my own original art on eBay. I sold custom nursery boutique style art to pop art. I noticed an art movement on eBay in the form of ACEOs (art cards editions and originals). I joined their eBay group and shortly after discovered another eBay group called "ZNE" (short for VariaZioNE) and a wonderful group of artists creating "altered art". For years I had created collage art on the covers of my sketchbooks because I thought they were drab but never thought of it as art and I didn't have a name for it until now!

I have met many online friends through the ZNE group.

Now I sell vintage images, digital collage sheets, embellishments and other altered art supplies. From eBay I expanded to my own Etsy supplies store and from Etsy to my own website, GreatMusings.com Due to eBay's recent changes in feedback and towards sellers I no longer sell on eBay.

It was after this transition that I started my blog to show my art, my images & supplies.

Anything I haven't covered?...leave me a note and I'll try to respond. Thanks! Kat :o)

p.s. everyone (from online customers to my postie) asks if the vintage image of the little girl I use as a logo is me...the answer is no. I wish I knew who she was. She's a vintage image I obtained who is now part of my Vintage Children CD collection.