Spoonflower

The actual fabric! (rotated)

The design

Spoonflower inspired me to start designing fabrics that I could use to make Arm Pillozzz. Spoonflower is a neat site that allows you to upload images and tile them to create patterns. Then you can order them or just post them online so that other people can order them. You get 10% of any sales and you get a 10% discount on your own fabrics. Ordering a pattern on the basic cotton fabric is $17.50 per yard length (the rolls are 42" wide), so it's expensive compared to commercial fabrics. But you can make pretty much anything you want. It's like a zazzle/cafepress type site for fabric.  Most of my patterns are rigidly geometric, but I think I'm a pretty creative geometrist (Geometrician? Geometer? Whatever, I like geometry.) I think pattern design is math intensive considering that to effectively repeat a unit block, the boundaries of the block have to be consistent when repeated. Also, there are a lot of colors, and the way they interact and compliment each other is very interesting. Here's my first pattern!

The Arma Sutra - Cuddling Positions

Though I recently posted about the Arm Pillo, I just made this Arma Sutra collage and I really like the way it turned out. The Arm Pillo can be ordered through www.armpillo.com or http://www.amazon.com

Arm Pillo on IndieGoGo

Edit: The IndieGoGo campaign has ended, but the Arm Pillo is available through www.simpleinno.com and http://www.amazon.com

First and foremost, the link http://www.indiegogo.com/ArmPillo. Sorry, but I'm not trying to be subtle about wanting you to check it out. New things: Arma Sutra, Leopard Print, Blue Fleece, Pink Fleece. Kickstarter doesn't want infomercial type products, so that's why the Arm Pillo was rejected. Finally, some closure. So that means here we go, IndieGoGo. Here's a little sample of what's on the IndieGoGo page:

Yeah, you know you like it. Mrrrawr.

Caution: Lots Of Website Traffic

Caution: If Inception made your head hurt, this post may do the same.

Online marketing is pretty tough. There's essentially infinite competition if you want YouTube views on your video or for a picture you post to one of the many image hosting sites. Same goes for articles. Why would you read this if there was something more entertaining or informative, even if it's not exactly related?

So, through my research I've found the best way to get more traffic is to write about getting more traffic. It's so meta. Like real world Inception level meta. It seems pretty obvious to me that people who are writing about helping others get more traffic are really looking for more traffic for themselves, but they always try to veil that fact. I, however, like to keep it real, so, yes, I hope this article gets me more traffic. I also hope that this newly increased traffic helps promote my Arm Pillo which is kind of a silly product, but it's actually very useful. So that's it. To summarize:

1. Write about getting more traffic to get more traffic
2. Keep it real
3. Arm Pillo, Arm Pillo, Arm Pillo, Arm Pillo.

New Travel Pillow- The Arm Pillo

Edit -  The armpillo is no more. A competitor (the Nursie) has stuck with it over the last decade, while I have moved on to other projects. My current project is a micro-real estate marketplace, that is essentially a Zillow or Redfin-like website for electric vehicle chargers, vending machines, shipping container farms and other small pieces of hardware/machinery. 

So, I would consider myself a sleeping expert. I get a lot of practice, probably far more than I should. Therefore, I would like to introduce my foray in to the fray that is the travel pillow marketplace. No doubt you've seen the neck pillows that look like a toilet seat. Do you want a toilet seat around your neck? Do you want a toddler mistaking it for a potty in the airport? That's what I thought. Then there's the total pillow which bends and twists and lasts for about five minutes. Another neck pillow, shaped like a dog bone, a few seat belt pillows, yaddah, yaddah, nothing interesting.
Heretofore and forevermore, I humbly present to you the Arm Pillo. Developed and perfected over a time period of twenty-three years, it allows you to sleep anywhere. It also prevents your arm from falling asleep when you lie with your arm over your head (see picture 4). Sleep at a desk (napping has been shown to improve productivity), in a car, on a plane, cuddle with you significant other (your arm/arm pillow under their head), wear it to parties for when you inevitably pass out, etc, etc. Take a gander at its glory below or get one of your own at the amazon.com product page or from www.armpillo.com

Sleep at a table like this or...

like this.

Napping in the car

After a long day (prevents your arm from falling asleep)