It's finally December

In this year that has lasted close to a decade somehow, it is finally December: the last month of the year. The light in the Northern Hemisphere may be dwindling, but on those days when the sun is out, there is a clarity to the light that I find wonderful.

Today as I write this, it’s cold and clear outside, and it absolutely feels like winter in my corner of New Jersey. I am thankful for the fire pit that Morris and I bought, since we can still spend some time outside on temperate winter days. You can see a pic of our fire-it and some of that beautiful sunlight below.

Now that the election is done, I realize how much space it was taking up in my head. Even with my renewed worries about COVID, I am finally able to pick up paintbrushes for the first time in more than six months, and have started a new piece. It feels good to be working on new art again. You can see the start of the new piece to the left, above.

Speaking of art: I will be doing a live studio sale this Saturday, December 5th starting at 2 p.m. I will be live on Instagram. Here’s a link to my page. If you follow me there, you can find me live at 2 this Saturday with a clean studio, all clean and set up with art for you. (Which means I better start cleaning and setting up.)

If you would like to order any art or greeting cards (some are above) as gifts, please get those orders in by December 11th, so I can get them in the mail in time for Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. I’m offering you a special discount, since the holidays are here!

Just enter code FALALA at checkout for 15% off all orders over $20 from now until 12/11/20.

New art this week

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.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

I hope to see you there!!

Wow. This spring was really something, huh?

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!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

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.

For those of you who have always had an eye on a particular piece

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.

Now through Cyber Monday

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

It's a good day to sell some art

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.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

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!

Trying something new

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!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

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!

You guys! I just have to share the love!

I don’t want to bury the lede here, so I will come out and tell you straight away that I am giving you all a holiday present this week, and it’s kind of a big deal. (Some people might even call this “a sale”.) So if that’s what you are looking for, feel free to scroll on down to that straight away to get the details.

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.

So I have a gift for you all. I’m giving you 50% off all my collages and almost all of my paintings.

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!

Just in time for hygge season, it's a 25% off sale!

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:

View fullsize

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.

In light of the foregoing, I am offering a HUGE incentive to collectors: TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT (25%) OFF of any piece here on my website. And I'll give you free shipping to addresses in the US as well. 

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?