OF

SPECIAL V O L U M E 2 0 1 0 , I S S U E 2 S P R I N G
INTEREST

 Grim City What is a city, but the people...

Welcomes 18
new members
since opening
Coriolanus III
February 1,
2010. litter made from recycled paper achieving a firm, moldable clay
Kitty Clay products and is 99.7% dust free. The “Kitty Clay” mixture was then
 As of this writ-
by Stolloween The dust free aspect is a positive used on several experimental
ing the forum because cellulose fiber insulation props including a shark and hu-
has 1172 posts in generates quite a bit of dust when man skull. My first impression is
Several people have asked me if
283 topics making into clay. Purina Yester- that the clay is very useable al-
there was an alternative to using
cellulose fiber insulation as the day’s News natural cat litter though it is a slight bit “grainy”
 The top forum
paper source when making home- comes in a 15lb bag and cost me compared to other paper clays I
board is Dark $6.99, it is available at major pet have used. This clay accepts
made paper clays. The answer
Artist Forum stores and many large grocery texture and smoothed out quite
has always been to make your
Galleries stores. nicely by using a paint brush
own paper pulp by boiling, shred-
ding and straining recycled news- coated with paper Mache paste.
 Most popular
paper. The product comes in the form of
topic (# of paper pellets and the following are
views) is Vanes- the steps I took to turn the pellets
Making your own paper pulp is a
sie in the Dark into a paper clay useable for your
fun and rewarding experience but
Artist Forum paper Mache projects.
it also time consuming and some-
Galleries
what messy which is why I now
use the cellulose insulation for all The pellets were soaked in water
of my clay needs. Another option for several minutes to soften.
is to buy commercially available The soft paper pellets where then
INSIDE THIS shredded with a hand blender.
products available at craft, hobby
ISSUE: and art supply stores. The water was then removed from
the pulp by placing the mixture
Tonight I had the chance to ex- onto a piece of cotton fabric (old t-
Featured Artist 2 Stolloween is a master at Paper
periment with another paper shirt) and wringing out the water.
The shredded paper pellets were Mache Halloween art and props.
source that could be used to
then mixed with paper Mache Thank you for allowing us to reprint
make paper clay; the source is cat
paste (flour + glue + drywall joint this article, Scott.
Building a 2 litter or more specifically Purina
Yesterday’s News; a natural cat compound) and blended until
Following http://stolloween.blogspot.com/

Reader’s Choice 3
Awards

DAG Awards 3
Grim City and Skeleton Crew Members Promoted
Challenges with 4
NEW DARK ARTIST Skeleton Crew members who We are honored to have you as
Cash Prizes
GUILD MEMBERS were nominated and chosen Exclusive Members of the Dark
Grim City Members who have because of service to the Guild Artist Guild.
Take Advantage 5 been accepted in the Guild as and participation in challenges CONGRADULATIONS!!!!
SKELETON CREW: and groups to become DARK
of us
ARTISTS:
DONNA
People are the 6 TILTEDASYLUM Cody Goodin
City TOMBFRIGHT
THEDEADSHALLRULE Lulu Kellogg
RAINEY J Essie
CONGRADULATIONS!!!!
Essie promoted to Dark Artist
PAGE 2

ARTIST OF THE MONTH: LuLu Kellogg

http://coastalsistersnews.blogspot.com/

http://www.coastalsisters.com/
Mixed Media
Dark Jewelry
Don’t miss her interview on DAGs blog!

Dark Graphic

Building a Loyal Customer Base

If I told you that good customer service is a way to attract and keep customers, would you say, "Yadda,
yadda, yadda... I have heard it all before” ? And, what if I told you good customer service begins before you
have any customers? Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Now, what if I also told you that some of your
best customers may NEVER buy anything from you!! You ask, "Dang, Marzel... what craft glue have you
been sniffing?"

Think back.... Do you remember people who wouldn't answer your mail and telephone calls, or their response
to you was spotty at best? Can you remember folks who would like to talk to you, but would try hard to cut
you off from speaking so they could continue to talk? I am sure you have a person or two in your life that
promises things and doesn't deliver on the commitment most of the time. Now think, are those people in your
life? Do you refer your friends and family to those people? Do you have respect for those folks, or do you
feel like running away when you see them coming?

If a blog follower has a question, compliments an artist on their blog, or even has something to ask of them,
you will find a lot of artists very non-responsive (the bigger the artist, the more non-responsive-- though that
is not always an indicator). However, offer to buy something from them, and then you have their attention...
kinda. Treating people like that will not foster and nurture the kind of customer base you yearn for, just as it
won’t in non-virtual reality (i.e., real life).

Your following has dollars it wants to spend and everyone is completing for that dollar. The customer wants
as much value as their dollar can buy, so the customer tends to be choosy on how they spend it. Good cus-
tomer service from an artist BEFORE they even buy anything from you will do a lot more to get them to see
you as a credible artist of integrity, that makes a good product/art, than the package you try to wrap your
image and art up with (i.e., branding).

I have followers and friends who are very supportive and very interested in what I do, but do not want to buy
my art. Many of them have referred people to my blog, posted about my articles and giveaways, participate
on my blog, put my button on their side bar, tell their friends about me, have great leads on resources and
give me realistic feedback about my blog and art that I use to improve. As a result, I would not be where I
am today without them. They have brought me more business than people who actually buy my art.

Follow these tips to build your loyal following: (Continued on page 5)

VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 2 PAGE 3

March Mini Month Challenge: Readers Choice Winner

Can you blogger friend this past month, Renee. This Art Dolls using Polymer
believe sculpture was inspired by her passing. See all Pat- Clay, Air dry clay, Apoxy
it…. Our tee’s art at
sculpt and Apoxy clay. Hal-
first read- http://www.odd-dolls.blogspot.com.
ers choice loween is her favorite holi-
resulted in Our Second Winner is the
day. See Darlene’s goblins
a tie. Our Whimsical Goblin. She is a
and other pieces at http://
first sculptor who creates in a
Bloody www.hauntedhag.blogspot.
dark and creepy style. She
Heart Mini-
com.
Monthly Challenge winner is create Ooak (one of a
Pattee. Pattee lost a good kind) Sculptures, Mixed Media Sculptures, and

New Review

The Witches Cauldron

Creepy Orphan Society
This new group provides a
space to open your own
Creepy Orphan Gallery. This is
an on going challenge that has
a yearly Best Orphan Award.
Come and join us.
Secret Society
While this group is open to everyone you
must apply to be a member. This group
revolves around the ideas that art can be
spiritual practice, history of spiritual art
and how to change your life through the
creation of art as a spiritual practice.
Steam Punk
Located in Dark Art / Genre,
Steam Punk was created to
investigate the darker side of
Steam Punk and incorporate
this genre into challenges.
What do you know about
Steam Punk? ! Come and post
it here!

DAG/Grim City AWARDS- Seeking Nominations

Do you know of a cool dark art
blog ? Do YOU have a dark art
blog? We are looking for nomina-
tions for our Dark Artists Guild
Blog Award. Categories are: Best
Graphics, Best Art and Best Writ-
ing for the year 2010. Our blog
award is given out only yearly and
there are only three winners each
year. Winners receive an award
they can post on their blog. The
winner also gets an announcement
and link on our blog , and a feature
in our newsletter. The blog owner
you nominate does NOT have to
be a member of Grim City to win!!
Here is how to enter: Send us an
email at dag@darkartistsguild.com
that provides us with the name, and
the link to the blog you nominate.
State why you think this blog de-
serves this award; be specific and
concrete. If there are certain posts
that exemplify your feelings, please
include the link and tell us what we
will be viewing. The only catch to
nominating someone who is not
you, is that the blog owner must
give their permission for the nomi-
nation. So, please ask them first
before submitting your email. All
Submissions are due by June 1,
2010. Blogs that have been nomi-
nated will be viewed from June 1
through August 1st. Winners will
be announced in the FALL issue of
our newsletter.
 PAGE 4
PAGE 4
Inside Story Headline
Are you Taking Advantage of Us?
We sureThis
hope so!
story can fit 150-200 A great way to add useful con- soft Publisher offers a simple
words. tent to your newsletter is to way to convert your newslet-
There are numerous places lished? Have youdevelopparticipated
and write to your
your ownblog or site or agallery
ter to Web publication. So,
where DAG members One benefit
can of using in ayour
show? Send articles,
us a brief on OUR Blog and website.
or include a calendar when you’re finished writing
promote their artnewsletter
with DAG. as a promotional
email with 3-5 pictures
of with eventsHowever,
upcoming or a spe- you must
your send an
newsletter, convert it to
First, you can puttool is that and
a picture you canthereuse
who,con-
what, where,
cial offerwhythat email arequest
promotes new toa us withsite
Web a and post it.
tent from
link in the Links section of other
the marketing
and how of it andproduct.
we will post picture of your blog button
materials,
forum at Grim City. This is such as press re-blog, or in our news-
it in our and your URL to take advan-
leases, includ-
accessible to everyone market studies,
letter.and You can also research tage articles
of this benefit.
reports.
ing visitors. Next, you can or find “filler” articles by ac-
By participating in challenges, DO YOU WANT MORE
create your ownWhilegalleryyour
in the
main goal of dis- becomescessing the World Wide Web.
everyone eligible to
You can write about BENEFITS?
a variety Of course you
Grim City Forumtributing
which isa also
newsletter might be in our
be published
accessible to everyone. You product
to sell your or service, of topics but try to keepThen
blog and do!! yourhelps us with this
newsletter as well as eligible
articles short. task by volunteering and par-
can put a link to the
yourkeyprofile
to a successful news- and other
for awards forms of ticipating in the forum. This
page from Grim letter
City directly
is making it useful to which
recognition Much
marketsof the youcontent
willyou
allowputthe
in administrators to
on your blog, or your
use Grim
readers. your
to our fan base within and newsletter can also be
fulfill future goals such as: our
City's Blog Button with a link outside DAG. In used for your
addition, nextWebown site.auction
Micro-site, our own
back to your page or gallery. month we will beginning our shop, our own magazine and
Inside Story Headline
As of this newsletter, Dark
Artists have a link on the last
Twitter marketing plan which other publishing goals as well
means when you get recog- as fully developing our use of
page of the newsletter. Skele- nized you will be tweeted marketing tools like Facebook
ton Crew members have their about to almost 1000 follow- and Twitter!
name listed with a link also on ers!!
This story can fit 100-150 If the newsletter is distributed employees or top customers
the back of the newsletter.
words. internally,
There are additional Privileges you might comment or vendors.
Have you won a art challenge upon new procedures or im-
The subject matterfor thatDark
ap- Artists: You can have
recently? Have you been pub- a blog button with provements
a link backto the business.
pears in newsletters is virtually
endless. You can include sto- Sales figures or earnings will
show how your business is
Email DAG:
ries that focus on current
technologies or innovations in growing.
your field.
dag@darkartistsguild.com Some newsletters include a
column that is updated every
You may also want to note
business or economic trends, issue, for instance, an advice
or make predictions for your column, a book review, a letter
customers or clients. from the president, or an edi-
torial. You can also profile new

Inside Story Headline

Three New Challenges with Cash Prizes

This story can fit 75-125
words.
Graphics Group is hosting Challenge 2010.
an bi-annual Dark Selecting
Digi- picturesAnyone.
or graphics
is an important part of adding
tal Collage Challenge
content
2010 . Open to all. to your newsletter.
Challenge- Technique:
Think about your article and
Film Noir. Theme:
ask yourself
Challenge - Theme: Dark if the picture sup-
Guardians of the
aspects of Chineseports
Mid-or enhances the message
world. Accepting Sub-
you’re trying to convey. Avoid
Autumn Festival. Accepting
missions May 25 through
selecting
Submissions from May 15 images June
that appear to
25, 2010.
through June 15th, 2010.
NEWSLETTER TITLE
Graphic Group will also host
CHALLENGE Details:
an bi-Annual Photography
be out of context. article. Be sure to place the
Microsoft Publisher includes caption of the image near the
Open to $2.00 per submission. 1st
image.
thousands of clipplace-
art images
$40.00, the DAG
from which you Award,
can choosethe art piece and art-
and import into your
ist newslet-
bio in the newsletter and
ter. There are also several
blog. 2nd Place-$ 10.00, DAG
toolsCats,
you can use to draw
Under- Award, Art and Bio in the
shapes and symbols.
newsletter, 3rd- DAG Award
Once you have chosen
and an art in our Newsletter.
the
image, place it close to the
Join DAG forum to sign up,
get the rules on May 3rd,
2010.
 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 5
VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 2 PAGE 5

Inside Story Headline

Building a Loyal Customer Base
Continued from page 2
This story can fit 150-200 words. include a calendar of upcoming
Caption vert it to a Web site and post it.
One benefit of using 1)
your Answer events
describing
newslet- emails or a special offer that pro-
from fans and peers- If you can take time to answer emails from
ter as a promotional tool fans motes
picture
is thatand peers, a new
or product.
especially from the people you do not know, they will never forget
you can reuse content from theother
gesture. While
You canyou
graphic. alsomay be a articles
research very popular
or artist with tons of emails and realisti-
marketing materials, such cally
as pressanswering
find everyone might
“filler” articles by be too time
accessing theconsuming, there is something you can
do. re-
releases, market studies, and Create 5World
pre-formatted
Wide Web. emails
You such as a general "thank you", "thank you for
can write
ports. your interest", and a“Ivariety
about am not of available, buttowill get back to you". With a few per-
topics but try
sonalizationskeep
to these
youremails, you can generate an adequate email in seconds.
articles short.
While your main goal of distributing
2) Accept Awards and Recognitions- I cannot tell you how many bloggers do not
a newsletter might be to sell your Much of the content you put in
accept awards that are given them. Not only is this an insult to someone who is try-
product or service, the key to a your newsletter can also be used
ing to recognize you, but the impression people are left with is that you are "too sexy “To catch the reader's attention,
successful newsletter is making it for your Web site. Microsoft Pub-
for this blog award!" Many of these bloggers come up with all kinds of excuses place an interesting sentence or

useful to your readers. about why they lisher offers

can't, buta just
simple
asway
many to bloggers
con- do not even make an excuse. There
quote from the story here.”

A great way to add useful is vert your newsletter to a Web

nothing that says you must comply with all the RULES and there is nothing to say
content
What are you publication. So, when
that you cannot
to your newsletter is to develop change them. So,you’re fin-only have time for a quick thank you post
if you
andoryou can only think of two bloggers tocon-
and write your own articles,
want in our
ished writing your newsletter, pass it on too, do it .
3) Answer questions about you and your art- If someone emails you about you or
Inside Story Headline your
forum? Do you art and you cannot answer them specifically; merely respond by thanking them
and telling them that you will be adding the answer to this question on a future post.
April Mini
have ideas, share On the other hand, you may wish to consider that someone who may be inquiring Challenge:
about you or your art may also be someone who is considering purchasing art from Dark Flowers
them with us. you, featuring you in an article, or asking for a commission. Ignoring these emails
may not be in your best interest. Remember, online you never know who you are
This story can fit 100-150really
words.talkingternally,
too. you might comment upon
EmailThe 4) appears
us subject matter that new procedures
Share inyour Technique- or improvements
Taking the extra time to publish special post that share
what You
newsletters is virtually endless. you make and how you make
to the business. Sales it isor
figures very appreciated by followers. Often, people
at:dag@darkarti in guilds or clubs
earningswill tell
will others
show how about
your post
busi- like these for inspiration and ideas.
can include stories that focus on
5) Giveaways-ness
current technologies or innovations
giveisback to those who so generously support you in word, deed or
growing.
stsguild.com spirit.
in your field. Some newsletters include a column
6) Invest in your Karma: Support Other Artists- It is common that many artists do
You may also want to note business that is updated every issue, for
not extend themselves beyond their own blog! If you want to build a loyal following
instance, an advice column, a book
2nd Quarter
or economic trends, or make pre-
return what has been given to you. If someone comments consistently, pay a visit to Challenge:
dictions for your customers or blog andreview,
their
a letter from the president,
leave a comment. If someone has posted about you on more than one The Seven
clients. or an editorial. You can also profile
occasion, mention them in a post as well. What you send out/give will return to Deadly Sins
new employees or top customers
you!!in-This not
If the newsletter is distributed just a philosophical/spiritual saying, it is good business sense as well.
or vendors.
7) Accept Invitations- Whenever possible, accept invitations even if you can only stay
a few minutes, or leave a comment. If you cannot accept, take the time to say
THANK YOU!!
Inside Story Headline 8) Post Often- I have been guilty of skewed reasoning. Somehow, I convinced myself
that I needed more than one blog. One blog for art, one for paganism and one for
ghost hunting and.... What I was doing it taking the whole of myself and compart-
mentalizing myself with different blogs. The error is that I cheated my followers out
of variety andyou
This story can fit 75-125 words. thecan
complete
choose and picture
importof into
myself. I over burdened myself and was not
able to post enough on all those blogs--
your newsletter. There are also I was even having trouble with two! It is
Selecting pictures or graphics is an
silly, the ideaseveral
that a tools
blog you
can can
onlyuse betoabout
draw one thing. If you are one of those rare
important part of adding content to
people who spend most of
shapes and symbols. their time on the computer making posts on multiple
your newsletter.
blogs and it works for you... great!! But, too many times it doesn't work and as a
Think about your article and Once you have chosen an image,
ask those blogs
result diminish in attention and following. Do yourself and your follow-
yourself if the picture supports or place it close to the article. Be sure
ers a favor and keep ONE, well organized, frequently updated blog. You will dimin-
enhances the message you’re ish your to place
tryingstress, keepthe andcaption
attractofmore
the image
followers as well as increase your interest
to convey. Avoid selectingyour
imagesreaders. near the image.
Caption describing picture or
that appear to be out of context.
graphic.
Microsoft Publisher includes thou-
sands of clip art images from which
 DAG MEMBERS
Dart Artist Guild Administration: DARK ARTISTS:

Editor, Administrator LuLu:

MarZel– The Shadow
The Play of Light and Shadow http://www.coastalsistersnews.blogspot.com

Cody:
http://www.codyland.blogspot.com

Administrator,, Moderator Essie:

Darlene Curtis– The Goblin
The Whimsical Goblin http://vanessies.blogspot.com/

Skeleton Crew Members:

Administrator, Moderator
Michelle Schafer-The Crow
Caroline, Christen, Deadspider, Gailhr, Mastapring,
The Studio At Crow Haven Farm
New Age Dolls, Oddfae, Rainey J, Pattee, Ravenfae,
Chad Savage

PEOPLE are the City:

Submissions Welcome
Citizens of Grim City are wel-
come and encouraged to submit
their writing, ideas and refer-
ences within the forum! Have
you written something on your
blog in the past that fits within a
subject in the forum?? Have you
used a new product or create
your own techniques? Please feel
free to post it in the appropriate
group, or even leave a brief syn-
opsis with a link to your blog
article. The forum has been de-
veloped to network artists, pro-
vided education and inspiration to
assist all citizens to grow as art-
ists and retailers of art. We can-
not do this with out you. Each of
you hold something special to
contribute and we look forward
to your submissions.
Available Soon!
Positions Available If you are a Dark Artist
Member, look for the 2010
Newsletter: Writers and Reporters Blog Badge to be available
soon. This certifies you as a
Moderators: Forum Groups
Member in good standing of
Marketing and PR Group Members
the Dark Artists Guild.
Editorial Staff: Writers and Reporters
Dark Sewing Forum Moderator, Soft Fans and Members, be
Sculptured Dark Dolls Forum Moderator
on the look out for new
Please email DAG for an explanation of
each position. Each position is flexible in Grim City blog Badges.
its requirements. Accepting a positions
earns you more exposure opportunities,
maintains your DAG Status or allows you
to move up in our ranks!!