CONSIDERING PRODUCTION COSTS

Summer Solstice - (Summer Series) - © 2007 Sue O'Kieffe

I have been exploring the subject of production costs a little bit this week. My overall preference would be not to print my greeting cards myself. I have an Epson printer that actually prints beautiful work, but the cost of the ink is really prohibitive for production work. I did a bit of cursory googling yesterday searching for wholesale ink, and what I found was either knock off ink (which I won't use) or ink that doesn't work with my printer model.

I have a friend who has approached me with a business proposition. He is offering to loan me enough money to print 2 0f my cards using a professional printer. He would sell some of the cards where he lives in Kentucky and ship the rest back to me to sell where I am. I am still mulling this idea over. I would rather have three cards printed, so perhaps there would be a way for me to come up with the balance. He and I are still talking about this idea. I do feel pretty confident that I could set up five wholesale accounts locally who would purchase these cards. Would this be enough to get me started though? I'm not sure. And I want to make sure that using an out of the area printer is my best option. In some ways Id rather use local printers because of my "shop local" value I try to follow as much as possible.

Is there anyone out there who knows of a less expensive resource for Epson ink? I know it is possible to buy in quantity from suppliers and that would bring my costs down as well.

Today's mandala was created from a day lily that was on the downside of its life cycle. I was attracted to the transparency of the lily's petals, almost as if you could see into it to the cellular level.

MORE ON THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Key to the Cosmos Mandala - (Earth Mysteries series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2007

I have been thinking about the mandalas in my Earth Mysteries series the past few days. I am fascinated by the possibilities I think these mandalas present, but I have not as yet been satisfied with the way they have translated into print. Part of what makes them energetic on screen is diminished somewhat on paper. My desire is to showcase and accentuate the energy of the crystals which are the source images for these mandalas.

I have been looking at different printing processes which would allow me to transfer digital prints to glass. I have begun to visualize these mandalas as plaques on a stand with light shining through them. There are many ways that I solve problems, and visualizing what I want even though I don't exactly know how I am going to manage to bring it all through, is just one of many techniques that I use.

This is just the beginning of another creative journey that I want to manifest to reality.

Please share your thoughts with me. I would love to read about your processes too.