i hate to admit it...

but YES, i'm still working on those valentine gifts for our customers!
most of them won't get them till after valentines day, that's is okay... right?
better late than never?
it's valentines week... right?


this isn't exactly what i ended up with, but close.
i'll show you the finished product tomorrow.
i think they turned out pretty darn cute. labor intensive, but cute.

p.s. do you hate that i put my website on the bottom of the photos? should it be my name? i just found, through a friend, where someone pinned my stairs- then it ended up on facebook with over 100 shares and there was no reference of where they came from. any thoughts???

Comments

[Lelainia]

I've been watermarking with my name and then I've also taken to using a "C" (copyright) symbol watermark as well. There are too many people downloaded and pirating artists' work online. I work hard on the art I create and I don't feel bad about having my name on it so there's no confusion that it's MINE.

[Debbie J]

Watermarking your photos is definitely a necessity!

[Kimberly Roberts]

cute valentines gift!! i never even noticed you website watermark until you mentioned it. with pinterest such a hot item, marking your photos is a must!!! i need to start doing mine.

[Lori]

So pretty. And regarding your question? I have been thinking a LOT of this recently. Heard of it happening quite a bit on Pinterest (as wonderful as it is). Yes, I think a watermark is in my future as well. Sorry to hear this happened to you.

[Hilary]

I haven't ever watermarked mine. Some of mine have been pinned without credit as well. Are you using special software for this or just adding a layer to your photo with the graphic? I think it's a good idea to give the artist credit.

[Spindelmaker]

They are super-cute. Any day of the year!
And yes, you should definitely leave either your name or site on your pictures! It makes good sense for those searching for the incredibly creative mind behind your wonderful work! Might be good for business too! ;-)

[carolyn]

I like knowing the original source of photos & having your website on the photo is an easy way for people to find more of your work. I would also add the copywrite symbol and your name, maybe a little smaller underneath your website info so people will recognize your name as the artist.

[carolyn]

Oops! Should be copyright instead of copywrite! Sorry!

[susie c.]

LOVE the hearts! as for your p.s. - with pinterest such a rage right now, and people not pinning correctly, you need to have your site and/or name on your photos!

[sanztosi]

Molto bello davvero
Moni

[Shayna Butler]

I love Pinterest mainly because you can connect directly to the source of the photo. I hate it that someone transferred your image to FB without giving you credit and I think it makes perfect sense for you to put your website on your images (and people who want to find you will find you quicker than with just your name). Also, the way you have it added to your photos is not distracting at all, so I think it works well.

Lovely hearts by the way.

[Renee]

your're awesome! All great artists are last minute people!

About your stairs... I loved them and pinned them... and I saw that many people did the same! I don't think it's bad that you put your name on the bottom of these pics... it's business and most viewers want to know! I'm also pretty sure that every photo pinned retains the original link... I always find fabulous blogs that way!
I wouldn't worry about it... Happy Valentine's day!
Renee
xoxo
p.s... here's the caption I wrote on your stair pic:
Fabulous painted steps by Michelle Allen of allendesigns.typepad.com!!!

[iHanna]

So pretty! Happy Valentine's Day to you! I think the watermark text is totally okay, at least when it's not on top of what's in focus. I found a photo of one of your paintings on pinterest saying it was a Jesse Reno painting... Annoying!

I think you should put both your url and your name on your photos, at least art related stuff. I started adding a label to my art journal pages now too.

[April]

good idea about the name... need to start doing it too :-) also cute crafting as always!

[505whimsygirl]

Hi Michelle,

I put a watermark on some of my photos but not all. I should get better about doing that. I don't know how the pinterest thing works. I was just approved for an account and haven't even looked.......

I would think your blog would stay with the photo.....

Hugs,
Kay

[DoodleDiem]

a mark of some sort with your name og www. adr. is a very good idea. Have a wonderful valentines tomorrow.

[Maureen Cesari]

Love your valentines! And yes, yes, yes to watermark. You deserve all the credit for what you create, it is a part of you! Leave it on it doesn't change our appreciation of the photos at all! :)

[Sandra Sutherland]

Yes, CLAIM IT! Whoever doesn't understand, doesn't understand.

[tiffin]

i had the same thing happen with pinning and am now putting a watermark on my photos as well. i decided on the website because i think people will just type in what they see rather than googling my company name to find my website.

i'm a fan of pinterest, but i think it is going to turn into a major heartache unfortunately

[kate]

Hey Michelle! I'm a stubborn girl...so I finally caved & got a Pinterest acount a couple days ago - and I've be ADDICTED ever since! Can't believe it took me so long to figure out it's the coolest thing alive! :) Anyway, ya, I say you should put your name and your website on your photos. Although it is slightly annoying at times if you just don't feel like taking the extra step. And it's also slightly annoying that there are a lot of clueless people that don't think about giving artists credit for their work. I think a lot of people are just unaware/uneducated...so the more that the rest of us do to educate/make people aware, the better. Did you know that you can make your blog/website pinnable - so that when someone pinns from your site it automatically included the URL? You can actually do that with every blog post as well. Anyway - food for thought!