3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

graphic design

Now Designing NCAA College Football Shirts

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Licensed College Apparel

My graphic design adventure has now expanded from USMC licensed apparel and gifts to now designing and selling NCAA college football shirts through FanPrint.

NCAA College Football Apparel - Nebraska Cornhusker Football Fan ShirtNebraska Cornhusker Football Fan ShirtClemson Tiger Football Fan GearClemson Tiger Football Fan GearOkla State Football T-Shirt - I'll Alwas Be a CowboyOkla State Football T-Shirt – I’ll Alwas Be a CowboyLSU Football Gear - You Have Now Become Tiger BaitLSU Football Gear – You Have Now Become Tiger Bait

But it’s not just school football team gear.  I design and create a range of officially licensed apparel including alumni, parents, clubs and departments. The opportunities are limitless and the revenue for both marketing and designing is 50%, which is fantastic.

NCAA College Store

Within FanPrint you can set up stores, both public and private (ideal for direct sales). I have several stores including University of Nebraska store since I live in Nebraska this is a given. But I also sell Oklahoma State fan wear since that is my alma mater.

Texas Tech Mom Shirt for a Texas Tech Family weekendTexas Tech Mom Shirt for a Texas Tech Family weekendUniversity Kentucky Apparel- women, ladies and Moms of UK StudentsUniversity Kentucky Apparel- women, ladies and Moms of UK StudentsMichigan State Sweatshirt for men for a Michigan State University parents weekendMichigan State Sweatshirt for men for a Michigan State University parents weekendKState Hoodie for Dad from the Wildcats StoreKState Hoodie for Dad from the Wildcats Store

Below is just a sampling of my and schools and custom FanPrint stores:

College Club Fundraising Ideas

All designs are approved and licensed by the individual schools, so college dorms, animal science departments, and student organizations can create custom designs for individual events such as college parent weekends.

Since FanPrint is a print on demand (POD) company there is no inventory, no start up costs, and you can even create a design and marketing team of friends to work together and sell custom shirts and make money for your organization or club.

Even if you don’t know how to create custom designs you can still make 45% on selling any of the shirts on FanPrint.

Sign up to Sell NCAA College T-Shirts

You can sign up here to sell NCAA college t-shirts yourself or even sign up for your student organization.

University of Georgia Alumni  shirts from the Georgia Bulldogs StoreUniversity of Georgia Alumni  shirts from the Georgia Bulldogs StoreLSU Tiger Clothing for DadNCAA College Apparel – LSU Tiger Clothing for DadUniversity of Oregon Duck Store - Shirts for MomUniversity of Oregon Duck Store – Shirts for MomYoungstown State University Athletics Store - Penquin fan shirtsYoungstown State University Athletics Store – Penguin fan shirts

Custom university shirts are very popular with not only students, but parents, fans, and college alumni t-shirts which are in high demand all year with alumni associations, especially during NCAA college football season.

Order NCAA College Football Shirts NOW before the Season Starts

Order your favorite University apparel before the college football season starts. Better yet, sign up to sell your favorite shirts and make some money to travel to an away game.

 

 

 

Yearly Goals and Accomplishments

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I feel it’s important to set goals in life, no matter if they are personal or business goals. During the past year I finished a private online experiment to see if making money or a residual income on the internet is feasible. Was it successful? I would say yes. Did I get rich? No, but I by the end of the  year to pay for my monthly gas bill to drive to my regular full time job at Hamilton Color Lab.

It was successful enough that I have decided to take it to the next level and set a more ambitious goal for this year.

CafePress is my most successful income stream in the past year. Since both my sons are US Marines I started designing Marine Corps items in Photoshop I created to sell my Marine and military themed apparel and gifts. (click on the image below to go to my store)

CafePress Marine and Military Store

My YouTube account is still generating a change (ok a few dollars, two months of gas) not as much as 2012 but then again I don’t have any new Marine Corps videos. The demographics are males between the age of 18-27, you can imagine who is watching. I also  started writing for Squidoo, which is another blogging site. Squidoo shares the click through Adwords income with their successful writers and any Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Zazzle or CafePress purchases generates a commission. (You can sign up for Squidoo here)

Yearly Goals to Making money on the internet

My biggest social media accomplishment was growing my @3Quarters2Day Twitter account from about 1,800 followers in the spring to 20,000 in less than nine month. Yes, I have 20,000 30,000 people who follow me at @3Quarters2day and it’s been a lot of work to get it there.

Many hours spent on my Twitter phone app following people, responding to tweets and being real. It has paid off though, Twitter is responsible for over 60% of my referral on my internet platforms. (Pinterest is a close second.) 

I have learned a lot about Twitter, how to write tweets that get responses, how to use #hashtags successfully, and how to free up my time for responding to followers by using paid social media tools such as SocialOomph and JustUnfollow

In addition I have learned more about Photoshop, shortcuts, design, layout and multiple other tips and tricks that have helped with creating templates and military designs for CafePress.

This year I also started doing some free-lance graphic design and marketing for a few clients. One of which is for a  jazz musician, Steve Raybine and 2014 holds a lot of promise on a new venture of Music Motivational posters. We are currently looking for nationwide distributorship in the music industry. Currently the designs are for sale on Fine Art America where I also have a small presence selling my photography. (I didn’t do much with my own photography this past year, however that will soon change.)

Music Teacher posters

As with anything marketing and developing an audience and following takes time and although my income curve is definitely on an upward trend I spend many hours a week nurturing the various channels. In fifteen years I would like to retire, travel around the country (or world) in an RV and generate enough online income to live comfortable and enjoy life sitting on a beach chair with my laptop.

2014 Yearly Goals

(I refuse to call them resolutions)

  1. Increase @3QuartersImages Twitter followers to 5,000
  2. Increase @PetsNCritters Twitter followers 10,000
  3. Create a Military Pride store on Zazzle (mirror CafePress to a point)
  4. Write an average of one Squidoo lens (article) per week
  5. Increase backlinks from WordPress to Squidoo
  6. Increase Twitter feed on SocialOomph to reflect WordPress content
  7. Move to WordPress.org and add affiliate partners (DONE)
  8. Use the WordPress scheduler to post on a regular basis (at least twice a month)
  9. Increase monthly revenue stream an 50% by the end of the year

Are these goals achievable? I tried to make them S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, attainable, reachable, and trackable) and although I haven’t written out how they will be achieved I know where I’m heading.

Have you created goals for your personal or business life? It helps to become accountable by either writing them down or  telling them to someone. My co-worker was my accountability partner this past year and my pocket book, the empty one with dust bunnies, reminded me to stay on track.

Part of the WordPress journey will be providing updates on the goals, how the social media platforms function, and continued photography posts with more Photoshop tips and tricks. I may even learn how to video the steps and create a YouTube channel. Notice I didn’t put that on my goal. I’m staying realistic. Who knows what the year will bring!

Squidoo Monthly Payouts

CafePress income for the year
CafePress monthly revenue.

Above are monthly revuneu graphs of income streams from two of my internet platforms. As you can see, I’m not getting rich. The number of hours to maintain this growth I can’t even begin to count. For example just today (Saturday) I’ve been on the computer for ten hours photo editing, creating reoccuring tweets, creating new Squidoo backlinks, creating the graphic for this article, writing this blog and gathering the links.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask, I’ve received a lot of advice and it’s my turn to pay it back.

Related Articles

Remembering Veterans Day

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It is time to pay respect and honor to our county’s military veterans. Yesterday was the Marine Corps birthday and today is officially Veterans Day.

I have three sons who are veterans, although one is still an active duty Marine. They learned to always have your buddy’s back. Never leave someone behind and respect authority. You can question, but you still must carry out your duty and responsibility.

Honoring our veterans

My Dad served on a destroyer in WWII and was also a Korean wartime veteran. I never heard of his experiences. Never knew what he did, never knew what it meant until I found his military records. Back then the term was shell shocked.

WWII Naval Veteran who served on two destroyers

Now we know this as PTSD. Post-traumatic stress syndrome. I don’t know if he had nightmares, but I know he “checked out” in many ways. He got silent, would shut down during stressful times.

Since then I have gotten to know many veterans and seen some “hit the ground” when a metal folding chair falls to the floor at a school function. Serving in wartime affects you the rest of your life. It shapes you in more ways than you can count.

May we never forget to honor those veterans who have served in all branches of our military: The Army, Navy, Air Force, and the United States Marines.

Don’t just remember our veterans on the national holidays like Memorial Day or Veterans Day, but remember and thank them every day.  

Next time you hear of conflict in another country, every time you see an American flag, and every time you hear on the news that another soldier died, remember the veterans.

Remember they defend our freedom of speech, our way of life, and liberty of the United States of America.

Remember them every day, not just on Veterans Day

In addition to my three sons, currently in the Marine Corps, this day and weekend I also remember my “Daddy”.

I wish I had asked more questions, I wish I had listened when you started to tell me the stories, but alas I was a child and only thought of childish things.

I wish I had more time with you, and I wish you had lived to see your grandchildren grow up.  You would be proud of them. I miss you now more than ever. I finally learned your military history and wish you were here to tell me more.

Private Leo Tyrrell, 82nd Airborne
Private Leo Tyrrell, 82nd Airborne (1952?)

Happy Birthday US Marine Corps

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To all United Marines Marines, past, present and future, have a very Happy Birthday

We owe you a debt for our freedom that can never be repaid, so we remember you on this day and always. So to all the Marines from 1775 to the present day, we thank you for your service to our country.

Happy Birthday Marine Corps, the official birthday of the USMC is November 10, 1775

How Marines Celebrate Their Birthday

Every active duty Marine recognizes the USMC birthday in some way, most have a Marine Corps Ball they attend near the end of October or the beginning of November.

Every Marine Corps base is recognized on November 10th with special guests, cakes and it is a tradition for each Marine to greet each other on this day with a Happy Birthday. No gift is required, just the gift of respect. (according to Maximilian Uriarte at Terminal Lance)

Veterans will have a drink, in where else, a bar or tavern since Tun Tavern is the birthplace of the Corps. I know my oldest son will be raising a glass to toast his Marine brothers somewhere tonight.

Many in the Marine Corps League will gather in bars all over the country and relive the camaraderie that makes the United States Marine Corps unique.

Many of them display an American flag at home along with their USMC EGA.

Marine Corps Birthday Challenge Coins

Challenge coins are a tradition in the Marine Corps. Often senior officers have a certain number of coins to award during a Marine Ball and they will press it into the palm of the hand. I know one of my sons has received a coin in this manner

Challenge coins recognize boot camp companies, tours of duty, and even Marine Moms. Below are just a few Marine Corps challenge coins

Since I am a Marine Mother I have begun an annual tradition of writing an official letter to the Marine Corps. I don’t think anyone of any importance reads them, but it’s my way of summarizing the year and my current sentiment.

A letter from a Marine Mom to the USMC. This Mother of two Marines writes a letter to the Marine Corps as a way of gratitude for her Marine sons.
A Marine Mom writes letters to the United States Marine Corps on the eve of the Marine Corps Birthday to thank them for what they do and tell the story of her sons.
2015 Marine Mom Letter to the USMC Commandant on the 240th birthday of the Marine Corps
2016 Marine Mom letter on the USMC Birthd

To all Marines have a very Happy Birthday!!

 USMC Birthday Traditions & Celebrations

Learn more about the Marine Corps, Marine Corps traditions and history in these military books. History does repeat itself and the United States Marines will always serve at the ready to protect our country and our world.