Happy New Artsy Year!!

 

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Greetings from the New Year side of the holidays!  Thanks to all my wonderful customers who’ve filled a stocking or two with artsyletters wares in recent years. It’s an honor to be a part of gift-giving traditions.

I look forward to creating all kinds of new items this year, and more of the offerings which need restocking.  My studio is my happy place. :0)  I’ll resume more “open” hours in February here in Beaufort on Bay Street (this month I’m hibernating with multiple creative writing projects and traveling some, too).  In the meantime, my Etsy shop is open 24-7.

Wishing you and yours an inspiring and creative 2017!

FREE SHIPPING through Monday and SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY!

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Greetings, artsy shoppers!

Here’s a little help for your gift list:

1.) Etsy shopper, or would you like to be? To celebrate Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday, my shop is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders of $10 or more (domestic only) for the whole weekend. Simply enter Coupon Code SLEIGHRIDE when you check out.  I’ll get the reindeer ready; enjoy shopping!

2.) Local? Loving life in the Lowcountry? I’ve just officially joined the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce (Woo-hoo!) and look forward to celebrating SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY  with an open studio from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 811 Bay Street, Suite # 3 – above Modern Jewelers. Head up the stairs and to the right! Special activities downtown will help inspire your holiday hunting.

At this time of year, I’m sincerely thankful to my wonderful customers & friends for your patronage and encouragement.  You inspire me and keep me wishing I had even more hours in the studio to create, create, create!

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Happy Black Friday Weekend Shopping – Free shipping on US orders of $25 or more with code!

Greetings, Black Friday – Small Business Saturday – Cyber Monday art shoppers!   To thank you for your business, I’m offering a special Coupon Code this long weekend in my Etsy shop. (Click the pic above to visit.) Spend a minimum of $25, and I’ll ship your order anywhere in the US for free! Be sure to enter this code at check-out:  FREESHIP25

Many thanks for visiting. Jingle jingle!

Got Stocking Stuffers?

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I hear them in the distance… jingle bells!  Do you hear them, too?

The artsyletters elves (okay, I wish I had some elves!) are busy, busy adding new items in ye olde Etsy shop.  I’ve matting the fronts of some of the note cards to make great little ready-to-frame mini prints – just $4.75! And I’m always adding new vintage typewriter key jewelry and such.

Keep checking back as we steer the sleigh toward Black Friday and Cyber Monday and beyond.  And if you need some stocking stuffers before we all stuff ourselves on Thanksgiving… :0)

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If you’re in the Beaufort area, I’ll be hosting a Holiday Open House in my studio on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. – stop by before the boat parade!

Ahoy! Sea-themed artworks coming to shore…

 

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February winds have made for a blustery bay this week, but that hasn’t stopped visitors from coming to our fair little coastal town.  I’ve been busy conjuring up some “sea-themed” items to offer through artsyletters, especially at my kiosk over in Fordham Market. I wrote a wee bit about this in my author blog post for Poetry Friday last week.

In that post I showed the elements in progress, but above is one of the finished pieces.  These are miniatures, made from cradled wood boards into small shadow boxes.  I painted them black and covered them with acrylic gloss, then antiqued a self-leveling hanger and attached it to the back.

The featured text came directly from

    Crown Jewels
OR
Gems of Literature, Art,
and Music
BEING
Choice Selections from the Writings and Musical Productions of the Most Celebrated Authors, From the Earliest Times

compiled by Henry Davenport Northrop, D. D., and published in 1888.

It’s actually a refrain to a song, “The Tar for all Weathers,” by Charles Dibdin (1745-1814).  Lucky for me, the refrain appeared a few times, so I made three of these. (I was able to find the author’s name in three spots in the book as well.)  I’ve put two of these at Fordham and listed the third in my Etsy shop.

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Here are the words:


But sailors were born for all weathers,
Great guns let it blow high or low,
Our duty keeps us to our tethers,
And where the gale drives we must go.
….

(That line, “Great guns let it blow high or low” has been rattling around in my head since I read it!)

The text is placed atop an original mini-woodcut.  I hadn’t done any printmaking in the months since my neck/nerves injury in the fall, and it felt wonderful last week to carve a block or two and roll out the ink (love that smell) and print some images! The ship’s wheel hanging above the text is hand cast from blackened pewter, from a wonderful Etsy shop specializing in antiqued brass.

Here’s another 4″ by 4″ piece with text from a different poem, “At Sea” by John Townsend Trowerbridge:

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The text reads:

A heavenly trust my spirit calms,

                my soul is filled with light:

The Ocean sings his solemn psalms,

The wild winds chant: I cross my palms

                Happy as if to-night

Under the cottage roof again

I heard the soothing summer rain.

This little piece features tiny vintage watch parts – a watch hand and a wheel, as well as a lovely vintage brass decorative element.  It was described as a flying mermaid; I’m not sure, but it is some kind of fantastical winged human creature! Fortunately I was able to purchase a few of these, so they will appear in other work, too.

Finally, here is a 6″ by 6″ shadow box/mixed media piece.  Again, I made the background by creating a wave-themed woodcut, printing the black image over a block print of mottled blue and green inks.  It’s from the same book, CROWN JEWELS, and features a poem by Thomas Lovell Beddoes, “To Sea.”  (I’m including a close-up below so you can read the entire poem.)  More vintage watch parts on this one – an ornate golden watch hand from France and a tiny wheel which perfectly shows off the decorative illuminated initial “T.”  The seahorse is a vintage pin, found by an Etsy dealer in eastern Europe!

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Thanks for taking a look.  Wishing you smooth sailing the rest of the week and right out of winter into spring…!

All Packed…. Ready-to-go Gift Sets for Readers, Writers, Teachers, & Creative Types!

 

Holiday Shopping Season is in Full Swing!

Wish you had some elves to help?

While I don’t have elves to hire out, I do have five ready-to-go gift ideas if you have any readers, writers, teachers, or crafty folks on your list.  (Click any image to learn more about each product.)

Here are two gift packs ($15 each) that made their way onto some sleighs last year:

First, for the Book Nerds in your life:

BOOK NERD Gift Pack by artsyletters®

BOOK NERD Gift Pack by artsyletters®

And the poets:

POETS Gift Pack by artsyletters®

POETS Gift Pack by artsyletters®

And here are three new gift packs!

First, for Teachers:

TEACHERS RULE Gift Pack by artsyletters®

This “TEACHERS RULE” pack includes my apple and books notecards, a bookmark, large magnet, and – just for fun – a 6-inch ruler (made in the USA)!  These items come in a fun black gift bag with chalkboard-white designs.  I’m happy to personalize the bag with white chalkboard paint if desired. This gift set is $17.50

Next, for the Wordsmiths in your world:

WRITERS WRULE Gift Pack by artsyletters®

WRITERS WRULE Gift Pack by artsyletters®

This “WRITERS WRULE” pack includes my typewriter notecards, a bookmark, large magnet, and – again, just for fun – a 6-inch ruler. This gift set is $16.50.

Finally, for the artists, crafters, and creators in your sphere who have lots of ideas and inspirations to keep track of:

MAKER MAGNET GIFT PACK by artsyletters®

MAKER MAGNET GIFT PACK by artsyletters®

This (affordable!) “MAKER MAGNET GIFT PACK” features a large magnet which reads, in chalk-inspired lettering, “A maker before there was a movement” – as well as a circular chalkboard-inspired “Make – Made do” magnet and a flat laminate “I make, therefore I am” magnet. These are tucked into recycled kraft shreds and presented in a shimmery mini organza gift bag. (Just $10.75)        Shop Small button

Thanks for taking a look, and may all your holiday shopping be wrapped up without a lot of stress!  And may you find or make the perfect gifts for your special someones.