sale
I have reconfigured my studio yet again, and have hung a bunch of new pieces to offer during tomorrow’s live sale.
If you see anything in this post that you like, or if any of the things from earlier this week call to you, let me know before 4 p.m. EDT tomorrow (July 19th), so I can pull it for you! Below are just SOME of the items that will be on offer tomorrow! Click on any to see pricing and further information.
Well, if you’ve been following along on Instagram or Facebook or the homepage of my website here, then you already have an idea. But just in case not, here are some pics of last weekend’s studio set up. I still have 5 heart cards (at $3 each, plus postage), both tambourines you see here ($36 each, plus shipping), the four heart collages on canvases in the top left picture ($20 each, plus shipping), the two bright paintings on the wall together (the yellow roses have sold), and the “If You were coming in the Fall” collage ($90, framed, plus shipping).
Over the past week, here are some of the items that have been offered for sale, with prices:
Original heart collages. Smaller ones are 5” square ($20 plus shipping), larger ones are 6” square ($25 each, plus shipping).
Flowerburst
24”x30” mixed media on canvas, $200 plus shipping. (Discounted from $325)
Below, you see my Chakra Heart garlands—each close to 7 feet long, with fourteen rainbow-colored hearts to correspond with the seven chakra colors, all made of hand-painted paper and strung on red & white baker’s twine. Usually $8 each plus postage, they are for sale for $5, plus $2 postage. Two of the hot air balloons that I posted this week remain, priced at $30 each plus shipping ($10). The four original collage hearts this week are different from the ones offered last week. The smaller, 5” squares are $20 plus shipping, the 6” squares are still $25 each, plus shipping. They can sit on a shelf, as seen here, but they are also wired to be hung. The remaining nine pieces are original watercolors, which are matted and ready to frame. (Apologies for any glare from the protective packaging.) The square ones are in 8” square mats, the rectangles are in 8”x10” mats. Your choice, $20 each, plus shipping of $5.
I would love love love to make some more space in my studio, which is why I hauled out all the holiday pieces for tomorrow’s live sale. Here’s a sneaky peak at what the studio looks like today:
“You Only Cross My Mind in Winter” 24” x 36” on canvas. Acrylic ink and paint with charcoal. $250 plus shipping. Cat not for sale.
I hope you will stop by tomorrow at 5 pm EDT for the sale. If you miss it, it will remain on Instagram for a bit, and also be posted to my Facebook page.
I had intentions and dreams. Places to go, things to create and sell.
I was going to see about selling art in more stores, and teaching a class at MADE in Woodbury.
And then came the pandemic and the shutdown, and it somehow shut down my ability to make art. I have legit made only one new thing since February, and it’s the wonky giraffe you see below. And in May, in shut down MADE, which meant that quite a lot of pieces of art came home.
Hello, I am a wonky giraffe.
I have, however, been able to write. No poetry (alas), but I have been putting out weekly content for my coaching site, as well as two bursts of daily content over several weeks. Both of those bursts turned into ebooks that are available for purchase and immediate download: “12 tips to help you sleep” and “Lower your anxiety”. They are chock full of strategies and practices that actually work to help you get better sleep, and to lower your anxiety.
As you can tell, I’m a fan of clear labelling. There’s even a book bundle if you want to get them both (at a discount).
I have also been busy doing podcast interviews and sending submissions to publications. Which reminds me that I have an article in the newest issue of Mantra Wellness Magazine, which should be hitting stands in another week or so. Needless to say, I am over the moon about having an article in a nationally distributed publication!
With so much art now packed into our house (seriously, so so much art), I have decided to try home studio sales next month. I will be posting a piece of original art per day every day in July on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. First to claim any piece will get it in the mail, along with my undying gratitude for both the purchase and the free space in my home. AND I will be doing one “studio sale” per week, live on Instagram stories, where I give a tour of my studio and show a number of pieces, each for sale.
If you’ve always wanted one of my paintings, you will not do better than these coming sales, as I am ready to release a lot of art into the world in an effort to make as many people happy as possible. Because you know that only good vibes and positivity are involved in ALL of my pieces. And I plan on offering discounted prices on it all, to make things easier.
There will be sailboat collages, hot air balloons, large paintings, art tambourines, and mixed media pieces, literary collages, sweet garlands, greeting cards . . . It’s going to be FUN! Below are just SOME of the pieces likely to come up for sale.
Feel free to get in touch with me NOW, ahead of July, and make me an offer I can’t refuse. I mean, there are some offers that simply might not work out, because I need to cover both shipping costs, materials and at least some of my time . . . but if there is a piece you just KNOW you love, HIT ME UP.
Morris and I recently returned from a more than two-week vacation, just in time for Thanksgiving week. Oh. And we both got sick just after our vacation started and three weeks later, we are still sick.
BUT!
It is Shop Small Saturday and I would be remiss in missing out on posting here that I have an offer for you. If you buy three greeting cards, I will send you a FREE “I Saw Three Ships” card. In fact, I’ll send you one for every three cards you purchase.Below you can see just some of the options available over on the greeting cards page
At least, that’s what I’m hoping. Because it sure as heck is too hot to be spending time outside. Currently 94, “feels like 102” without a cloud in the sky. And I know lots of folks have it even worse than that. So I’m staying inside, and was cleaning up the studio and realized that I never even listed six small watercolor pieces, each of which is matted in an 8” square mat and ready for you to frame.
So here are the six pieces I’m talking about, each of which is going into my shop in a couple minutes at $25 each, plus postage.
This price is discounted, in part because I am just looking to share the love with you. And, okay, maybe open up a bit of space in my studio. Happy shopping!
Actually, I’m trying lots of new things these days. And getting rid of some old ones, as well.
Case in point: MY HAIR.
Me, feeling sassy as I left the salon.
Back in my studio
And still feeling sassy. Of course, now that I washed it, it’s back to curly.
What’s new about my haircut isn’t just that I had it cut, and then blown dry straight. It’s that I went to a new salon (literally new - it just had its grand opening last Saturday): Mystic Ginger Collective. And I treated myself to one of their special “full moon haircuts” that comes with a scalp massage of oils and extracts mixed by the owner, Kellie, and even a surprise take-home gift that brings me joy! I set an intention for my haircut, which was to get rid of all that no longer serves me. (And I didn’t just mean the tips of my hair.) And so it is. 💫✨
I’ve also been playing a bit more with creating oil pastel paintings, and I’m starting to get the hang of it, you guys. All of these are done on cold-pressed watercolor paper that is 9”x12” in size. The first one you see (left) is done using Prima Water Soluble Oil Pastels, and the other three are done using Sennelier Oil Pastels (so buttery, so creamy . . . happy sigh). I’m going to be making these guys (and any others I make tomorrow) available to my newsletter subscribers on Sunday, February 24th, for $45 each (US postage included) on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you see something you’d like to have in your house, you should probably subscribe!
My last, latest new thing is actually the decluttering of old things. Between watching Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up on Netflix (I love her so much!) and some other energy work I’ve been doing, I am back to decluttering, big-time. And my sweet Morris is on it, too. Between us, we’ve filled two of those ginormous 55-gallon trash bags, plus two smaller kitchen-sized bags, with clothing that we have thanked and decided to let go.
I can feel the energy flowing a bit more freely in the house, and I know that we are creating space for new energy and more abundance to come into our home. I’m already looking at what else is due for some decluttering, and it’s enough to keep me fairly busy for the next two weeks. It helps that we’ve been activating the qi in the house with clapping and music and light and incense, all of which are feng shui energy clearing tactics. And wow, I feel lighter. Both because of the haircut and because there is so much less stuff in my closet. Next up is accessories, followed by makeup and other face products. Wish me luck!
But first, I’ma tell you why I’m giving you all a present, and it’s because I am so so grateful for all the love and support everyone has been giving my business. Yesterday was the open studio event I created, and you guys, it was totally appropriate that it was called “A Most Wonderful Time”. It was such a treat for me to have Erin from Clove & Cedar, Lisa from Natures Energy, and Rita from Jularee here yesterday, because they are super wonderful people. And also because supporting other small businesses, other makers, other women, other local businesses . . . that is super important to me. And while these wonderful women don’t fit in ANY box, they manage to tick off all those important boxes at the same time.
Rita from Jularee, Erin from Clove & Cedar, me, and Lisa from Natures Energy
These women are seriously great. And we had so much fun, too!
My dining and living rooms were transformed to small shops, my studio was full of light and art, we have a kitchen full of snacks, the mulled cider was a huge hit (with or without spiced rum added in), and on top of that, we were joined by quite a number of lovely souls who came out on a grey drizzly day to support small, local woman-owned businesses. A massive thanks to EVERYONE who helped to make yesterday such a success, with a special thanks to my sweetheart, Morris, who kept an eye on the coffee pots and was super helpful all day. (He took that photo of the four of us, above.)
I know there were a lot of local folks who wanted to come, but had other things on their schedules for yesterday, just as I heard from lots of folks who don’t live anywhere near here, who wished they could make it.
Starting today, and running until Thursday, December 5th, at midnight, all of my collages on my website are 50% off. In addition, nearly all my paintings are 50% off, so if you’ve been wanting one of them, now’s your chance to scoop them up at a serious discount! The only pieces on the Paintings page that are NOT on sale of the two remaining Jersey Shore pieces, which have always been value-priced at $48. Twenty-five percent of the price of each of the Jersey Shore pieces is donated to Clean Ocean Action, an organization dedicated to cleaning up the beaches in New Jersey—it’s my way of giving back to the shore, which inspired this series of seven original pieces.
I am just so thankful for all your love and support with my business, and this was the biggest present I could think of this year. No discount codes, coupons, or secret passwords needed . . . you get half off all my original collages and (most) paintings.
Oh, one more thing!
A bonus gift for the first 10 customers.
The first 10 people to purchase online (whether it’s one greeting card or something more) will get one of my Christmas-themed greeting cards for free! “I saw three ships come sailing in” was inspired by a line from a Christmas carol. The original collage (available on the Collage page) features three ships, each bearing its own seasonal decoration: a wee Christmas tree, colorful shields, and a holly leaf flag.
Again, I just had to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you: those who read this blog, those who came to shop yesterday, those who wanted to be here but couldn’t, those who have been cheering my small business on as it starts to get off the ground and tries to take flight. I appreciate you all so very much, and I’m so grateful!
©Kelly Ramsdell 2017 Original piece is in a private collection in Richmond, VA
October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths.
Anne reveled in the world of color about her.
“Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills? I’m going to decorate my room with them.”
Doesn’t that above excerpt from Chapter 16 of Anne of Green Gables make your heart sing, at least a little? That Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery sure knew how to write about the seasons.
The image at the top of the post is of a piece of art I created in 2017, which sold straightaway to a collector in Virginia, but I do have greeting cards featuring the image available in my online shop. And I did another original art piece featuring this quote, since I love it so much, the original of which is available online as well. Here’s what it looks like:
©2017 Kelly Ramsdell Original currently available at 20% off.
Of course, it’s only natural that autumn leaves drift by your window, right? So I also have a print featuring a rather wry statement by Elinor Dashwood, one of the two heroines (some would say THE heroine) of Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility. After listening to her younger sister, Marianne, rhapsodizing about how beautiful their now-distant home must be in the autumn, Elinor responds, “It is not every one who has your passion for dead leaves.”
©2017 Kelly Ramsdell Currently available at 20% off.
To celebrate the scarier part of the season, I created a piece entitled “Nevermore”, which features some Poe-like imagery, including a collaged raven perched upon a skull, rather than on the “bust of Pallas”. The original piece of artwork is in a private collection in Massachusetts, but greeting cards featuring the image are available in my online shop for the Poe lovers in your life (or just to send for Halloween).
©2017 Kelly Ramsdell Original sold. Greeting cards available.
And for this month, all four of these items (two original pieces of art, and as many of each of the greeting cards as I have) are discounted 20%. So these two greeting cards are offered at $4, rather than the usual $5. And each of the original artworks are 20% off as well.
Finally, I have two additional Halloween-related pieces available in my online shop. They are each $65 unframed, or matted and framed at $90. The first is listed as BOO!, and the second as Things That Go Bump in the Night. No further discounts will be taken on these two original art pieces for Halloween.
And things are still on sale, if you think your loved one would appreciate a literary collage, an abstract painting, or a beautiful piece of art on a tambourine. Take 15% off the listed price, or (if you are signed up for my newsletter) take 20% off.
Tambourines with collage and paint - $60 each.
This week has been a super exciting one here in southern New Jersey. And not just because the Eagles are playing in the Super Bowl and everybody is amped. Just yesterday, my 10x10 tent for art festivals arrived (along with bright blue sandbags to keep it from flying away), and today I got my first shipment of greeting cards, and I am THRILLED with how they turned out!
New literary collage: "If you were coming in the Fall". $125
I'm hoping to be accepted into several art festivals/craft shows this year, so I've started dreaming what the inside of my booth might look like - and making more items!
If you would like a piece of art for Valentine's Day, please get in touch and order it by February 8th at the latest so I can be certain it will get to you in time!
In just under a month, it will be Valentine's Day. Full disclosure: I have occasionally had extremely mixed feelings about Valentine's Day. The cons fall into the "it's a madeup/Hallmark holiday" and (in some times past) "it's here to remind me I don't have a person who means that much to me" categories. The pros fall into "LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE" and it should be celebrated, the "these days I feel pretty good about myself", and the "I am madly in love with my husband, Morris, what's not to love about a day celebrating love?" categories.
This year, those pro-Valentine's Day vibes are winning out for me. If you love somebody, or want to show some love to somebody (even or especially if that somebody is yourself!), then it might interest you to know that I'm running a sale in honor of the day, because we could all use a little love in our lives, and probably some new artwork as well! So if you are interested in the sparkly new things in this here post, or in any of the pieces on my website (I promise, I'm working on how to make the galleries more "shop-able"!), I'm gifting you with 15% as a way of sending a little love your way. (Newsletter subscribers get 20% off - and they've known about this sale for a week already!)
“And love is love is love is love is love is love is love”
Not feeling the (tambourine) music? That's okay—there's some quieter (in decibels) artwork available, including these brand-new literary collages. If you click on them, the embiggen and given you more details on size, materials, and pricing:
Collage, mixed media, hand stamping, and a wee original drawing on a 9"x12" canvas board, featuring a quote from Shakespeare's Sonnet 116.
Here's a linky-link to the gallery where you'll find my literary collages (including a sweet little rose with some Sense & Sensibility text collaged in and a number of quotes that might be just the thing you (or someone you love) will love. And here's another link to the other paintings I've got available, including a sweet little bird collaged from hand-marbled papers and some abstracts. If you think any of these pieces are just what the Cupid ordered for Valentine's Day (or any other occasion), just get in touch with me and claim your piece! I'll get it packed up and in the mail for you, and get your my PayPal info for payment!
Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is the Danish word for the idea of inside winter coziness - you know the sort of thing: warm socks, afghans, fires in the fireplaces, and snuggling. It's like hunkering down, but perhaps without the sort of isolated bunker-mentality that sometimes elicits. As you can see from the photo below, my cat Kismet has this down to an art form:
Autumn - overlooked my knitting -
Speaking of art forms (were we not?), I've been making slow progress on some larger pieces as well as on a few literary collages. Above is one that I completed not long ago - it features text from an Emily Dickinson poem, "Autumn--overlooked my knitting--". It's now available in the "Literary Collage" section on my website, if you're interested, at a cost of $150. (25% off from now until end of December.)
Ooh!
These are actual building plans.
For a brand-new art studio here at my house.
In this season of hygge, I am about to endure weeks of daily assault on my quiet and sanity. On the plus side, in the end, I'm going to have a wonderful new art studio to work in. In the meantime, I'm going to have to move a lot of . . . STUFF . . . in our current living room in order to safeguard it from the work area. And that means I'd really, truly like to sell some finished art. Not just to make money (though who doesn't like money), but because our relatively small house is going to be really hard to navigate if I have to move all this artwork into the hallway and other rooms.
Why not add to the feeling of hygge in your home by adding some new artwork, while I'm unable to enjoy much of the quite and cozy for a while?
Holiday Sale Starting! 10% off plus free domestic shipping until November 25th.
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