Nelley Kelley is my childhood name and I always thought it would make a great name for my business - that is if I had one!   When my family and I moved back to the States from London years ago I enrolled in art classes at the Decordova Museum School in Lincoln.  I thought it would be a great place to get creative again and meet some new friends and it turned out to be just that and then some.   I discovered the art of paste paper and enjoyed it so thoroughly that I thought it could be even more.  What is paste paper you ask?  Well, paste paper art dates back to the 16th Century when the hand painted papers were used as endpapers in books and as covers for manuscripts. The paste papers that I make are created with a specially prepared paste that is colored with paint and then brushed on to wet paper. While the paper is still wet I use brushes, rollers, scrapers and even found objects to carve designs and patterns into my painted paper.  The paste papers that I create are beautiful on their own and can still be used to cover manuscripts, journals and boxes but I have found that using my papers to create beautiful and whimsical collage art  was the something more that I was looking for.  .

Our Beginnings

I began to create one of a kind gifts for my family and friends by reproducing my original paste paper collage artwork onto glass, fabric and vintage objects.  I was looking to give gifts that were more meaningful to me and certainly unique.  I went about creating what I called my "little luxuries" - specialty objet d'art that would make the gift recipient feel special.  The response from my friends and family was so enthusiastic that I thought perhaps other people might feel the same way about giving and receiving. This is how Nelley Kelley came about.  It's about connecting the artist to the buyer and having you know that each piece has been carefully thought out, hand packed and wrapped by me.  These gifts are not mass produced but have a lovely handcrafted quality to them that you won't find just anywhere.  It's the personal touch and the shared excitement of giving something thoughtful that is the little luxury that I hope you find when you open a Nelley Kelley gift.

The Future

I am working on new paste paper and new art as well as new product lines. We are celebrating our first year as Nelley Kelley and are adding new goods to our store. I have a love for vintage goods and am looking forward to introducing you to some of my "finds" which I will post for sale in our new "vintage" section of the website. You will still find my vintage tins adorned with Nelley Kelley artwork but will also find some vintage items that have been re-imagined in a Nelley Kelley way. The store will keep evolving so I hope you keep coming back to check in on us from time to time. Keep up to date with new products, ideas and fun tutorials by checking out my blog or Facebook page. Hope to see you throughout the year.