Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 66

Sponsor Spotlights:

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker. These weekly sponsor spotlight posts allow me to do just that - play matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!
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"Life Book, a celebration and honouring of YOU", is a year-long mixed art class organised by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts. She is joined by 15 incredible art teachers who are all gearing up to share their mixed media techniques with YOU! Themed around self-development and healing, you'll be creating a minimum of 2 loose mixed media art journal pages per month (through a minimum of 2 lessons a month) which by the end of the year you will bind into a glorious journal (a Life Book!). This gorgeous book will have chronicled your journey, artistic growth and personal development for the year! Come join the 540+ students who have already joined Life Book on an EPIC year-long mixed media art journey NOW! The course begins on January 1st 2012! (All videos and PDFs can be downloaded and kept – plus there are going to be many extra activities in addition to the 32 lessons you're already getting). Read the WEEKLY year schedule by CLICKING HERE. Come join now! http://www.willowing.org/lifebook.html

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My name is Katherine Quinn and I am the New Zealand artist behind Sleep And Her Sisters. I sell my original works to 9 galleries around New Zealand and have three online shops where I also sell originals, prints and other goodies. I live with my two children, 18 year old Hannah, 6 year old Ben and our 11 year old cat... Holly. I work from my kitchen table at our home in the sunny Hawke's Bay where I love to create with paint, chalk pastels, graphite, paper and also dabble in making a little bit of jewellery. At the moment I am working on a project to create 7 sisters... characters that I hope will one day feature in a book. I also love to collect things. My favourite colour is a soft, pale, antique sort of blue.
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My name is Helena Chutjian mom of 3 amazing kids, 3 sweet rescue critters and wife to my wonderful husband who I have known since I was 10. I am usually covered in wood chips and paint working on my latest carvings, scouring the beach for driftwood to carve, digging in the dirt surrounded by plants and flowers, and just about always, with my daughter Hope by my side.
After moving up and down the east coast as a Marine Corps family, we now call Beaufort home, a historic little town by the sea and an endless source of beauty and inspiration.
In my folk art shop you'll find hand carved Santas, snowmen and gnomes, birds and ever changing art.To Kelly Rae's loyal readers, please take 20% off of your purchase at my shop by using the code kellyrae.
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Hello and Merry Christmas!  Lesley Myrick  here. I'm an artist, designer, and adventurer. I create collage art with words that make my heart happy (like inspiring quotes and scripture verses), and sell personalized collage art, collage art prints, and now gorgeous blank greeting cards (eek!) at my Etsy shop. Stop by my shop this month for a 15% discount with code FRIENDOFKELLYRAE. I also blog 5 days a week at lesleymyrick.com about art, photography, design, pretty things, and life as a freelance artist. Come by and say hello - I'd love to connect with you! xo
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Do you want to live a creative life but don't know where to start?Do you live a creative life but need help staying in-the-know?Do you teach creative living and want to promote yourself?
Seek Your Course makes all that possible.
Seek Your Course  is a database and online hub for connecting people with creative learning opportunities online and around the world.
* Through the Listings you can find ecourses, retreats and conferences with an art focus.* Through Instructor and Retreat/Conference Profiles you can meet the artists and learn more about the events.* Through the SYC Blog you can be inspired by interviews, book recommendations, guest posts and much more!* Listings on many topics including: painting, drawing, blogging, entrepreneurship, encaustics, life coaching, photography, personal growth, and writing.
Come check it out: website | twitter | facebook

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My Creative Classroom is celebrating! We've been bringing online classes to crafters all over the world for 5 years. In celebration, we are announcing that we will be allowing lifetime access to course content on our site! Most of our classes will be offered for lifetime access! Lifetime access begins with classes taken this past fall and will include classes going forward.
My Creative Classroom is an online arts and crafts learning center. Offering over 100 interactive and in-depth courses are instructor led. The classes are filled with wonderful projects and techniques to help you get the most out of your supplies. From the Cricut to Tom bow to mixed media to rubber stamping to scrapbooking we have something for everyone. Don't miss out on classes starting January 23rd, including:
Expression 101
Beginner Copics
Textured Backgrounds
Card Boot Camp
Photo Organizing
Exploring Mixed Media

While you wait for the spring semester to start, take a look at our FREE classroom Everyday Moodling. In this free class Jeri shares her journey to finding the 'time' to be more creative. Just sign up for the MCC Newsletter.
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Big thanks to my sponsors! It takes a lot of courage to create a business from dreams, and I'm honored to highlight their bravery + and their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

happy holidays

Hi friends,
Just wanted to say that I'm taking a bit of a holiday break to spend some downtime with my family. I'll be back in the next week or so with stories, pictures, and a revamp of this space, and some questions for you (I need your advice).

In the meantime, I'm chatty happy over on facebook where short status updates are becoming fun again (and also easy thanks to the iphone) as well as on instagram (Which, you know, is the best thing ever. It's like flickr meets twitter - like a tweet or facebook status update but in pictures. LOVE LOVE LOVE!).

And to all of you, whoever you are, wherever you may be, whatever you may be celebrating or grieving, i wish for you this: that you embrace the magic of the season. Let it open your heart and may you find all that you've been waiting for (peace, joy, forgiveness, love, excitement, hope, and on and on).

a toast, a celebration, a little bit of uncertainty

The shop is closed. It is closed. It is closed. (Can I get an amen?)

It's been a few very frenzied days (weeks?) around here involving late nites (like 2am late), lots of last minute hiccups, rushing, and a lot of hard work to get all the orders out and shipped. The shop, the dear dear shop, went out with a bang. It sold out of almost all the inventory and we shipped nearly 2700 products in the last month alone. 2700 products in one month, friends. 

Whew! My helpers and I are tired.

But I am so joyful to have it end with such enthusiasm and with so many goodies heading out for Christmas gifts. I can't thank you enough for your support of the shop all of these years. And I can't thank you enough for supporting my decision to take it in a new direction.

I wanted to clear up a few questions + concerns that have been coming my way: - The shop will actually reopen in Feb 2012, but we'll only have matted prints and greeting cards and the occasional batch of original paintings. Keeping it simple, friends, and I am crazy excited about that.
- The ebooks and ecourses aren't going anywhere and will remain for sale.
- The gift + home decor products aren't going anywhere either. My licensing partners and I are going strong with some awesome products in the works. Although I will no longer sell them in my online shop, you'll still find them in stores nationwide as well as online vendors. I'll have a sneak peek soon of many many new products that will debut at the Atlanta trade-show in January!
- This blog isn't going anywhere. One of the reasons I decided to scale back the shop was so that I could reclaim this space for more writing and stories, so be on the look out for a blog make-over soon!


The truth? I am nervous. I am excited. I am uncertain. I am a tiny bit stressed. I am curious of what it will birth. These are things I haven't felt in a long time (when it comes to my work) and I'm just going with it - trusting it will lead me to all things I want more of: time with my family, more art, more writing. We all have to take our own leaps. This is a big one for me, financially. But I just know in my bones the reward will be the greatest gift.

So with that, I'd like to say a bravo, a cheers, a farewell to the shop. And a huge thank you to you. More soon..
XO
Kelly Rae

Sponsor Spotlights: Sacred Cake, StencilGirl Products, Jennifer Rizzo, Susannah Conway, Illuminating Words, The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design + Louise Gale

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker. These weekly sponsor spotlight posts allow me to do just that - play matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!
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You want the jewelry you wear to be meaningful and expressive. Affordable, but not mass produced. You want your jewelry to be like you…timeless and memorable. One of a kind. How about something a bit different? Something with a history. Something with a story.
At Sacred Cake you will find affordable heirloom quality vintage assemblage jewelry combined with timeless appeal. Whether it is for your wedding, graduation, first date, a gift, or for your everyday victories; look to Sacred Cake for personal service that you can always rely on to exceed your expectations and make you feel as special and as singular as you are.
There is only one you. There is only one Sacred Cake. Every piece tells a story. What will your story be?
*Kelly Rae readers receive free shipping and a special gift. Visit my etsy shop and enter the code "ONEOFAKIND" to receive your free shipping and your gift. I'd love for you to visit my blog for more simple projects, stories and inspiration.
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They call me StencilGirl but I'm also known as Mary Beth Shaw, mixed media artist and author of Flavor for Mixed Media. Having hand-cut my own stencils for years, I first dipped my toe into the stencil biz in 2010. Today I am proud to partner with artists Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, Judy Wise, Pam Carriker, Michelle Ward, Kae Pea and June Pfaff Daley to provide uber-cool artist designed stencils - the best in the mixed media world!! Thirty + designs strong, we add more all the time! Our stencils are made of Mylar and Laser-cut; they work for all mixed media applications including painting, rubbing, tracing, encaustic, stitching guides and more. Take a look for yourself at StencilGirl Products where we are introducing our brand new 6x6 stencils. Mention "Kelly Rae" in the comment section of your order and you will receive a free 6x5 stencil of your choice! (offer good in Dec. 2011 only, one per customer please).

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My name is Jennifer Rizzo and I am a rediscovered artist. I've been drawing, painting and creating ever since I could remember. For a long time I had pushed my gifts aside and it's only been in the last few years that I've truly embraced them.
One of my passions is home décor and vintage items. I love to artfully create and find items that make a home beautiful and unique. In my shop I carry items such as tea towels, pillows, jewelry, vintage dishware and silver. Most of my items have a vintage flair. My Fall line is called The Vintage Tea Collection and I am so excited to be able to share it with you. You can view my collection at my Etsy store: Jennifer Rizzo or on my blog Jenniferrizzo.com

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The Unravelling e-course is an 8-week online class designed to help you heal the way you see your self and your world, using photography and journalling to access hidden thoughts and dreams and encourage personal realisations, all in the safe space of a like-minded community.

Photographer and writer Susannah Conway is your guide through this process, sharing her insights and wisdom gleaned from a four-year voyage through grief and healing. You don't need any previous photography experience to do this course - all you need is a camera (iPhones are perfect for unravelling!), a journal and pen and an open heart.

Registration for the winter Unravelling: Ways of Seeing My Self is now open (class starts January 2nd) — you can see what past participants have said about their Unravelling journeys over here (there are videos too :)

If you'd like to start the new year in the company of like-minded women from around the world, Unravelling is the place for you :)

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I am Helen Lewis, the artist and owner of Illuminating Words. I bring my love of letters and words -- both the visual aspect of their shape, and the beauty and impact of their meaning -- to my calligraphy, mixed-media collage, encaustic, and design work. I am fascinated with the curve of an E, the elegance of old script, the crisp look of type marching across a page. I love the stirring in my heart as I read a meaningful quotation or line from a poem.
In my pieces, I combine my own lettering and painting with various ephemera, including snippets from old books and dusty hymnals, treasured correspondence from earlier centuries, pieces of vintage sheet music or wallpaper, and character-filled faces from old photographs. Recently, I am particularly focused on the luminous qualities that the encaustic medium brings to the surface as these elements are layered and fused together.
Please stop by my shop or my blog to see samples of my artwork. Email me to inquire about commissioned pieces incorporating your favorite quotes or family photos.
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If you have ever dreamt of seeing your designs on stationery, fabric, homewares or other products, sharing your art through pattern, and monetising your designs this groundbreaking course is for you!

' The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design featuring Rachael Taylor ' is the definitive guide to becoming a surface pattern designer.

Module 2: Creating your professional identity begins on January 30 – secure your place now!
In this module you will learn everything you need to know to become an established professional surface pattern designer including how to start your own label, how to develop your signature look, how to understand and predict trends, how to put a collection together, how to protect your work, and how to create technical repeats in Adobe Illustrator.

In this course you will also learn how to isolate elements of mixed media artwork and turn it into patterns – and then mock that up onto products! This will be demonstrated using Kelly Rae's gorgeous artwork! Register now

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Do you know how beautiful you truly are? Are you ready to discover the star in you and live out your dreams in 2012 and beyond?
Join artist & life coach Louise Gale and a community of creative souls to explore and identify your true self, purpose and passion and start living the life you were born to live. Together we will explore – discover - create a hand-made journal full of creative dreams and find the courage in you to be the star you truly are
All designed to help you live your dream life.
The "Big Dreams. Small Wonders" e-course is full of inspiring posts – stories – worksheets - audio, creative exercises and fun planning techniques, empowering you to go from where you arenow, to where you want to be.
You will leave the 6 weeks with a journal full of creative exploration, a clear idea of who you truly are, where you want to go and a roadmap to help you get there.
Be the shining star you are
The2012 journey starts on Monday January 9 and space is limited, so sign up today to take the first step to follow your dreams
You can live the life you were born to live
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Big thanks to my sponsors! It takes a lot of courage to create a business from dreams, and I'm honored to highlight their bravery + and their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!http://www.etsy.com/shop/sacredcake

life, a beautiful thing to witness.

I want to tell you how it feels like breathing, this love. Like deep, life affirming, breaths.


I want to tell you how everyday is a new discovery of deeper joy - for both of us. Him with his sounds and sights, me with my expanding heart.


I want to tel you how I could easily spend an entire day just watching this bright light. And how I do just that, all of the time.
I want to tell you how tender I feel toward them. How I could not imagine it any other way. How much I love all of this and how toddler-hood is the bees knees and how bittersweet it feels that time is moving forward and one day this will pass. I'm making all efforts to slow this life down, to pause as much as possible, to pay attention, to document it all, but mostly to just simply be present and soak it up....life. is. a. beautiful. thing.

holiday + home = cozy

Last year was truly the first time I had ever really decorated for Christmas. And I'm still getting my holiday decor groove, for sure, but having baby True makes this season feel magical in ways it hasn't for a long time. And that makes me want to decorate.

Here are a few snapshots from around our home:
And below is what the living room looks like on any given day. A total mess, but a joyful mess. Toys, books, sunlight. Love....


More soon!
Shop closes on Friday (I have so much to tell you about this decision. It has been a major major clearing for me). Please scoop up what you can and be sure to use the discount code of KRR20% before it's all gone. PS: Did you spy this large photo frame in one of the above photos? It's an absolute favorite and we've got a few left in the shop (20% off)!

XO,
Kelly Rae

one week countdown...

Hey friends,
Operation "reclaim my blog" begins next week but please bear with me as I continue to give shop updates a couple of times this week as we near its closing date (this Friday!). It's been a tough couple of weeks around here (updates on life soon), but my team is working hard on getting your orders out and celebrating the closing of the shop! Life is full and good.

PS: You will be asked to enter the discount code after you enter your info at paypal (but before you complete your payment). After entering your info at paypal you will be redirected back to my shop to complete the check-out process where the discount will be applied.
Here's the update:

ONLY 2 WALL CANVASES LEFT:- open heart (a personal favorite) - less than 5 left
- life loving, graceful - only 3 left

ONLY 5 of the following IPHONE SKINS LEFT:- wish
- take flight

Less than 10 of these picture frames (ps: all frames are made of wood and are BEAUTIFUL!):- take flight
- hello courage
- loved (these bigger frames, including this one, are gorgeous, gorgeous)

Less than 10 of the following:-my book - 8 SIGNED copies left.
- winged promise decorative stoneware (substantial piece, larger than it appears in photos - LOVE)

Thanks, everyone!Back soon with Christmas decor photos and one super cute video.XO

Sponsor Spotlights: A Year Most Lovely, Soul*Full eCourse, Star Hitched Wagon + Jane Davenport, Emerge

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker. These weekly sponsor spotlight posts allow me to do just that - play matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!
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Trace the arc of one beautiful year:A Year Most Lovely, with Anna Kunnecke
This is a book to hold in your hands.
This is a book to scribble in.

I created this book to help you declare dominion over the coming year. This is where I swirled together my most potent alchemy tools with everything I've learned about beauty from writing sitatmytable.com.

It's a place to plan.
It's a place to record.
It's a place to plan rituals.
It's a place to declare priorities.
It's a place to celebrate and jubilate.

I made it with love, and I drenched it in beauty, and I secreted some powerfully useful tools in there underneath the petals: tools to help you trace a trajectory for yourself that is mighty and delicious.

This is a book where your scribbles turn into declarations, your declarations turn into goals, and your goals turn into your life, blooming all around you, all year long.

Click here to watch Anna's video and get your lovely.

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I believe you are valuable and your stories are importantPersonal Growth + Connection + Soul*Full Photos = Transformation You deserve abundance in all areas of your life! Why wait?! Join me!Soul*Full eCourse
Join award winning photographer Catherine Just in this Soul*Full eCourse designed just for women.

Interviews with: Miguel Ruiz, Douglas Beasley, Andrea Scher, Beth Nicholls, Sheri Rosenthal, Aline Smithson and Susannah Conway.

We will dive into photography to help you re-learn how to "see"
Writing exercises to move more toward gratitude
Learn new ways to trust that the universe supports you
Mix all that with some healthy recipes, pampering, rest and rejuvenation and you've got the ingredients for a more Soul*Filled Life! Join us!

What others are saying:
"I have so much more to say to you about your lovely e-course – it's been by far the absolute BEST I've ever taken…It's been exactly what I needed…every week – totally spot-on. Catherine, oh fearless leader, I hope you seriously consider a SoulFull 2!" – Rachael F.

Don't miss your chance. Starting January 16thSpaces are already filling up!
Register Now!
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Hello!! I'm Stacey Curry of Star Hitched Wagon™ artisan goods for the Girl with Roots and Wings! I'm passionate about creating - can't imagine life without it. My parents inspired passion of creativity at a young age. Mom enjoyed baking, crocheting and ceramics and was wonderful about including my sisters and I. Dad let us create in the garage with his tools and scraps of wood. There wasn't a right or wrong way - they just let us do what we were inspired to do. So I feel I have always been creatively awake. I'm blessed. Lucky to be born and raised in rural Montana - the beauty of the plains and mountains fueled my creativity - I began designing and selling jewelry to family and friends at sixteen. I continued to cultivate my creativity and developed my own line featuring one-of-a-kind jewelry and handmade bath and body products. In 2003 I introduced this line to the world and a star was born. Enjoy your visit to the shop and take 20% off your order. Code: kellyrae Expires 12/31/2011

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i HEART drawing 5 week online class. Registration open now.My first job out of school was as a fashion illustrator. I went on to study at Fashion schools in London and Paris, and became a textile and fashion designer in my own right. In that time I developed my own drawing system to easily get my fashion croquis in proportion, create interesting shapes and dynamic end results. And now I am sharing my magic, heart-based drawing system with you!
My Super Power is teaching you draw beautiful faces, but my secret weapon is showing you just how easy it is to render a fashionable female figure that you can use in all sorts of illustrative ways, from journaling, to following your own fashion design dreams!
You will be creating both complex and simplistic figures with ease and confidence by class end!This class would also be a wonderful confidence-boosting gift anyone considering a career or study in the fashion industry. $155 with a special offer on my site!
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Emerge in 2012 with Live it to the Full
How do we Emerge from life's transitions and become more fully ourselves? Is it possible to be cracked open and made whole at the same time? Some transitions are big and bold life events, while others happen in the quiet moments of daily life.

Join Live it to the Full in January 2012 for Emerge, a four-week, online course led by Liz Lamoreux, Jennifer (Jenna) McGuiggan, + Vivienne McMaster. Explore the ebb and flow of happiness, the unique power of telling your story, and the beautiful yet precarious process of learning to trust yourself. See what happens when you allow your true self to emerge through creativity.

Kick off 2012 exploring your own emergence through daily posts (Monday through Friday) and weekly activities in mindfulness practices, storytelling and photography. The course costs $49 and begins January 2nd. Learn more and register today »

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Big thanks to my sponsors! It takes a lot of courage to create a business from dreams, and I'm honored to highlight their bravery + and their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

big thanks, shop closing, and 20% off everything

I want to thank you guys so much for your support of my big news! Since announcing the news, I've felt incredibly lighter, and so inspired about what this will open up for me.  Yay for leaps and changes and trusting it will all work out! As much as I enjoyed the shop, I suppose everything runs its course. Perhaps I'll reopen it another time, in another season of my life, but for now I'm feeling really great about letting it go. Soooooo..............


In an effort to empty out as much inventory as possible before closing the shop next week, I've decided to have a SHOP CLOSING SALE!!!!!! Everything is 20% off and will remain on sale until the shop closes on Fri, Dec 16th. Please use the code KRR20%. 

PS: You will be asked to enter the discount code after you enter your info at paypal (but before you complete your payment). After entering your info at paypal you will be redirected back to my shop to complete the check-out process where the discount will be applied.
Quick inventory update: We've got less than five of the following canvases: - Unleash Your Joy  - You + Me  - Lovely Life  - Wish    - Time + Love  - Brave Girl  - Wish  - Gentle Kindness  - Anything is Possible 
Less than four of these magnet boards: - Love Wide  - Hope
Previously sold out (VERY popular), but we found 1-2 extra! - Iron Birdie clock - Believe Travel Mug - No regrets wall art - Heart by Heart canvas  - Create intention candle-Dream big laptop skin- These magnets, bookmarks, and everyday AND JUST CAME IN: Be Fearless boxed notecards- perfect for stocking stuffers or affordable gifts (just $10)!
Box set includes 13 cards and envelopes. 


Thanks everyone! Shop closes on Fri 12/16 and the 20% code will be valid all the way up until closing! CODE IS KRR20%

following my heart = big news

I've been considering a huge, huge decision. Through all of the going back and forth in my mind, I've been working hard on keeping the perspective that when we let one thing go, we make more room for something else to be born. I'd be lying if I didn't say there was fear with this decision, but I worry more about the fear that comes with not making the decision. I want to be brave with my life. I want to listen to it. I want to grow.

It is with this perspective and faith that I've made the big decision to scale back the scope of my online shop in a big, big way. The shop is the busiest it's ever been, and it's a major income stream for me, but it takes a lot of work to run it - even with employees helping. It also takes a lot of energy + time - something that I'd like to start putting toward other big ideas and projects. I am so grateful for all the abundance it's brought me all of these years, but I'm feeling called to let it go.


I'm planning to let the current products/inventory sell out (very close to this now). Once everything is sold, I'll continue to offer very limited items - just matted prints, greeting cards, and perhaps an occasional batch of original painting. No more wall canvases, home decor products, stationery/office products, or gift products. My plan is to keep it simple, simple, simple.

I will still (of course!) announce when new products come out with my licensing partners and share photos and all that fun stuff, but I will no longer sell the products online. Instead, I'll do my best to direct you to a shop in your local area (or an online vendor) that carries the products.


Since having baby True, I'm learning how precious time really is. It is money. It is energy. It is limited. More than ever, I want to pay attention to how I'm using my energy and my time and I want to be sure I'm opening up as much possible space in my heart and in my limited work hours so that I can nurture new growth, new ideas, new room for possibilities. I also want to be sure I'm enjoying it.  I always know when I need to make a change  - it's usually when something is no longer fun and feels more like a burden. That's what's happening here, and I'm paying close attention.

I'm excited about what will be born from making this big decision! I have a feeling it's going to be good. I already feel free, lighter.


I'm also looking forward to reclaiming this blog space for more stories, more photos, tutorials, and more without having to use it a promotional tool for the shop - this has especially been weighing heavy on my heart. I want to write + create and let some of the marketing/biz pieces go for a bit.

So, with that news, please head on over to the shop and get any remaining products before they are no longer available. The shop will close next week for a couple of months for a nice long winter break before returning in Feb with its new limited stock of prints + greeting cards.

Thanks everyone!
Big hugs,
Kelly Rae