Latest News
Rachael Baseley
December 2021
Square Credit/Debit Card Payments Now Accepted
As of this month, I am now able to receive payment through Square. My little Square device which plugs into my cell phone scans magnetic stripe credit and debit cards. For a small fee, it has proven useful for receiving larger payments from my customers.
Print Sale
My prints featured on Etsy are currently on sale at 20% off (minimum order of $20).
Click HERE to be directed to my Etsy Sale shop.
Jams Available
I have recently been making jam again. I have supplies of my best-selling Raspberry & Vanilla Jam and my Triple Berry Jam (strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries). An 8 oz. jar costs $6.50 and delivery is free to anywhere within the Gallatin Valley, Montana. Contact me for shipping details to other parts of the United States. I have already delivered to several buyers who have been raving about my jams.
“Opened the triple berry, omg, that’s amazing, so so so good!!” Cassie G.
“The raspberry vanilla is incredible. Thank you so much for sharing a jar with me!” Bobbi B.
I can also make jam to order. Contact me for more information.
Art Commissions
My next commission was for a calico cat named Twix, who had been recently put to sleep. My potential customer wanted a portrait painted for her daughter-in-law to remember her by. After completing the portrait of Willow, I moved straight on to this painting. I finished it in less than a week, and it was delivered in preparation for packing and shipping to her daughter-in-law for Christmas.
“TWIX, THE CALICO CAT”
November 2021
Art Commissions
With Christmas just around the corner, orders started to pick up for both pet portraits and jams. I started a commission for a Greyhound dog called Willow and delivered it in early December. The lady who commissioned it was giving it as a gift to her daughter to remember her much-loved dog.
“WILLOW, THE GREYHOUND”
August 2021
Art Commissions
A referral from a previous customer resulted in a commission this summer for Lady, a Bichon Frise, who had recently passed away after a long, happy life here in Bozeman, Montana. This one was a challenge, as it involved painting a white dog on a white canvas. However, with the help of pen & ink, I was able to create the portrait without having to create a background in color. The customer was very happy with the result.
“LADY, THE BICHON FRISE”
“John was totally thrilled! I am so touched to have my little Lady back. I know she is pleased. Thank you.” Beth W.
“We are delighted. White dog on white certainly seems like a challenge but mastered beautifully.” Beth W.
April 2021
Proofreading
I obtained a job fact checking a book by Chris Prentiss titled That Was Zen, This is Tao. I look forward to seeing this informative work in bookstores. His books always make for interesting reading.
March 2021
Print Sale
Starting Tuesday, March 2nd 2021, I am offering 15% off all my prints featured on Etsy. This sale ends Wednesday, March 31st 2021. This is a great opportunity to refresh your wall space. The smaller prints are great for end tables and work desks, fitting nicely on and in snug spaces.
This sale runs for the month of March only, ending on Wednesday, March 31st 2021.
Click HERE to be directed to my Etsy Sale shop.
February 2021
Print Sale
Starting Sunday, February 14th 2021, I am offering 50% off all my prints featured on Etsy. This sale ends Sunday, February 28th 2021. This is a great opportunity to refresh your wall space.
This sale runs for two weeks only, starting on Valentine’s Day.
2020: Never to be forgotten
As for all of us, this year for Baseley Creations has been unlike any other. Like all of us I have adapted and, in doing so, have been able to keep my business afloat. For that, I have to thank the continuing support of my customers. Thank you for shopping local, and I hope to be able to provide you with more of my creations in 2021. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be seeing you again at the Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market in the summer. In the meantime, I wish you a heartfelt…
December 2020
Art Commissions
Early in December, I received a request to paint a portrait of a beloved cat for a Christmas gift. Once the reference photos were provided, I got to work. This commission was a real challenge for me; how was I going to paint the head and shoulders of a much-loved family member and make it readily identifiable? After all, most short-haired cats resemble each other, unlike the various breeds of dogs. The answer was in getting the facial expression right, and being accurate with her coloring. If the gift giver’s reaction was to be believed, I captured the essence of Josie successfully.
November 2020
Art Commissions
This was the month where business began to pick up for me. After completing the proofreading contracts, I switched gears as several art commissions came my way.
The first commission was for the portrait of a much-loved and recently departed dog. The owner wanted a pet portrait to mount on her wall. After she chose the perfectly-posed photograph from her albums, I got to work. The resulting Pen & Ink with Watercolor was delivered to her promptly and she was very happy with the result.
My next assignment will be to paint her new four-legged rescue dog. I am currently waiting for delivery of the perfect reference photograph. I look forward to this upcoming challenge.
October 2020
Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market Holiday Edition Facebook Group page
As the Holiday season approached, the invitation to participate in the Farmers’ Market Holiday Edition arrived. After much thought, I decided not to attend. The same factors applied as they did this summer, and the rates of Covid-19 infection in the Gallatin Valley were growing. In the end, the Market was canceled. Instead, they offered an online platform for selling our products in the form of a Facebook Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/gvfmvendorsgroup
As more proofreading contracts came in, I was thankful for the work. One involved working with an author that I have worked with on many other projects, Chris Prentiss. Chris is the author of several popular works on personal growth, including Zen and the Art of Happiness, The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure, Be Who You Want, Have What You Want, The Little Book of Secrets, The I Ching: The Book of Answers, and other books on Chinese philosophy and personal growth. He is the cofounder of the world-renowned Passages Addiction Cure Centers. His latest book is due for release in 2021 and I can’t wait for his latest work to be published. It promises to be well received.
July 2020
Proofreading
After a quiet start to the year, I received some proofreading contracts that kept me busy. One of them was a book that is part of a series providing resources for inspired living. Hopefully this will lead to future contracts on the rest of the series. I look forward to seeing these books in print.
March 2020
Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market
This month, I received the usual letter from Career Transitions, the organizers of the Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market, with the special arrangements needed in order for us all to proceed with a Farmers’ Market this summer. After giving it a lot of careful consideration and some considerable soul-searching, I decided that my stall was not going to be viable to run this summer. Instead, I used the time to increase my inventory of hats and gain more inspiration for my artwork with some limited travel around the state. Hopefully the summer of 2021 will find us all in a much better and safer environment to socialize and shop as we once did.
December 2019
MRCC Fundraiser
On December 24th 2019, I wrote a check to the Montana Raptor Conservation Center for $50, which was the amount raised over the summer months from sales of my Otis greeting cards and donations from many generous customers at the Farmers’ Market. As always, Jordan Spyke and his team at the MRCC were very grateful to receive it.
November 2019
Preparations for Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market Holiday Edition
I am looking forward to the Holiday Edition of the Farmers’ Market later this month. It falls on Saturday, November 30th and runs from 9 am until 3 pm at the Exhibit Buildings at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. I will be in Exhibit Building 4, which is the first building as you enter from the east entrance. I have made some more jams—Triple Berry and Raspberry & Vanilla jam—especially for this market. I also have plenty of Plum & Vanilla made out of the 33 lbs. of plums from my trees. I also will be baking several varieties of Holiday treats the morning of the market.
On Saturday, November 30th I awoke very early to an extremely snowy scene. My SUV was packed ready to go with the exception of the baked treats. I carefully loaded them into the vehicle, and arrived nice and early to the Fairgrounds. Parking as close as possible to the building entrance, I carefully unloaded and wheeled my inventory into the warm building. I set up in my allocated space, and was ready for business with time to spare.
My baked goods were very popular. I sold plenty of Gingerbread Cookies, Chocolate Toffee Cookies, and my ever-popular prize-winning Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies. My Shortbread sold out, and my Jams were a hit. People were stocking up on Holiday cards and baby hats too. It was a joy to catch up with friends and meet new ones.
There’s nothing like a Holiday Farmers’ Market to get you in the spirit of giving.
October 2019
Wild Birds Unlimited Orders More Cards
This month saw me printing more blank greeting cards to complete an order from Wild Birds Unlimited. They are once again selling my wild bird cards in their Bozeman store. Please stop by their store to purchase my cards, along with those of other local artists.
On Sunday, October 27, I visited the Bozeman Made Fair at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the MSU campus. Many of my fellow Farmers’ Market vendors were there that weekend. There were so many vendors and customers, it made for a very successful venue. Next year, I hope to get a space for this event.
September 2019
Clearance Sale at Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market
Saturday, September 14th was the last market of the season. Many of my products were on clearance. I made some Raspberry & Vanilla Jam and sold out even before the market opened! Many products were marked down with especially great deals to be had on my baby hats (half price at $3) and prints (as low as $10 for 11” x 14” prints, originally priced at $45). Not surprisingly, many customers took advantage of these great prices and I sold out of prints, and cleared more than half of my hat inventory. My fellow vendors and I took a photo to celebrate the end of the season.
As fall arrived, my plum trees were ready for harvesting. At the end of September, I harvested 33 lbs. of plums from my trees. I have not used any fertilizer on or near these trees at any time. I made Plum & Vanilla Jam in preparation for the Holiday Edition of the Farmers’ Market to be held at the Fairgrounds on Saturday, November 30th, 2019 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving).
June 2019
Preparations for Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market
This month I began jam making in earnest. I now have plenty of Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam and Raspberry Jam. I will be attending the Market on Saturday, June 29th, 2019. Let me know if you want any jams put by for you.
April 2019
Preparations for Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market
I finished my latest wild bird print this month. My Northern Pygmy-Owl is now available as a print. I have also printed some blank greeting cards and have made up packs of five assorted bird cards in preparation for the summer Farmers’ Market which starts again on Saturday, June 22nd, 2019.
I also started making jam for the Farmers’ Market. My Triple Berry Jam is canned, labeled, and ready to sell. The three berries I use are strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. This jam recipe won third prize at the Gallatin County Fair in 2015.
February 2019
Valentine’s Day MRCC Fundraiser
We raised $100 total for the Montana Raptor Conservation Center, which includes both card sales and donations. Thank you to everyone who supported the MRCC this Valentine’s Day. I still have some Valentine’s Day cards available for sale for $3 (plus $1 shipping and handling), just in case you are already buying your card for next year! Message me if you would like to receive one to give to your loved one (or two or three... you know, BFFs, four-legged friends, etc.). $1 from the sale of every “Otis Plus One” card will continue to benefit the birds at the Montana Raptor Conservation Center.
“OTIS PLUS ONE”
I have created a cute new card just in time for Valentine’s Day.
If you are interested in purchasing one, please
contact me.
They cost $3 if you buy directly from me, or $4 in local stores. $1 from the sale of each card goes to the Montana Raptor Conservation Center.
November 2018
Remembering Otis, the Ambassador Owl
It is with a heavy heart that I write that Otis passed away on November 30th, 2018 of natural causes. He was about aged three to three-and-a-half years of age. The average age of small owls like Otis can be up to seven years of age, and the longevity record for a Northern Saw-Whet Owl is 10 years in the wild. However, small owls generally have shorter lifespans than larger owls. Otis had a limb deformity to his right leg, meaning he would have been unable to hunt in the wild. He lived at the Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC) for three years after being rescued outside Helena, MT. He was provided with many hundreds of mice there, along with a comfortable place to call home. MRCC provides homes for many raptors, and are always looking for donations and volunteers to help them continue their invaluable service. To find out more, please visit their website at: www.montanaraptor.org.
September 2018
MRCC Fundraiser
“OTIS, THE AMBASSADOR BIRD”
In October 2017, I attended RaptorFest at Bridger Bowl ski area, where I met Otis, a Northern Saw-Whet Owl. Unable to be released successfully into the wild due to a limb deformity, Otis is cared for at the Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC), where he has a home for life, educating the community about raptor awareness. After taking several photos of Otis at the RaptorFest, I was inspired to paint him. I made the resulting pen & ink with watercolor into a greeting card and—with MRCC’s permission—sold these cards at the Farmers’ Market, with all profits from the sale of the cards going to the MRCC.
“Today I visited the Montana Raptor Conservation Center to hand over the money that all my lovely customers had helped raise over the summer at the Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market. We hit our goal of $200, and I was able to hand over a check for $205.14! A huge thanks to everyone who donated, and thank you to Jordan Spyke and his team at MRCC for all the help they provide to raptors here in the beautiful valley that we call home.”—Rachael Baseley
“OTIS, THE AMBASSADOR BIRD”
At the end of the 2018 Farmers’ Market season in September, I was able to hand over a check for $205.14 consisting of both money raised from the cards’ sales, and donations from customers. I am so grateful to our community, who is so supportive of non-profit organizations like the Raptor Center. I certainly couldn’t have done this fundraiser without them. All ensuing profits from the sale of this card will continue to benefit the birds at the Montana Raptor Conservation Center.