It seems like the summer season has just begun - cookouts, swimming, hiking, theme parks, gardening, vacations and just relaxing. Summer is here perhaps in our reality but for designers most are already working on fall and winter themes.

One tip off was a recent trip to a craft store this past weekend found that they had Thanksgiving fabric and craft supplies out already! Now when do you think those products were designed? Probably a year and half before their intended use.

Some recent sales from my portfolio indicate that many buyers are working on fall (apple picking) and Halloween themes (gross eyeballs). It certainly is hard to get in the mood to create Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas images in the middle of summer but contributors have to think ahead by four to six months!