"Playing Through The Veil"

Legend (or modern invention) has it that there exists an obscure musical genre known as "funerary violin", active in Europe in the 19th century, and eventually extinguished by the Church.

Funerary violinists would compose haunting music, and play not only at the burial, but would remain at the deceased's gravesite through the night, playing their souls into the afterlife...

Legend or not (you can read more about it here), I found the concept so beautiful, and so compelling, it had to become art. And what better day than October 31st - when the veil between worlds is thinnest - to complete such a piece? ;)

The etching shown above - this month's EHAG Emporium offering - is a scratchboard; a black, inked board, etched with literally tens of thousands of lines. Some artists use a pin or etching tool - I prefer the finer line of an exacto blade.

The piece measures 5" x 7", and is priced at $125, with shipping in the U.S. included. It is unframed, but would look amazing "floating" on a white ground, with a gothic, black frame. UPDATE ~ SOLD ~

Thanks for taking a peek, and please email me at carolee@kingofmice.com with questions or to purchase. ♥

Just Until Halloween....

I'm offering FREE shipping on all U.S. Etsy orders (up to a $40 value) from now through the 31st. If you make a paypal purchase, I'll refund the shipping in full. If you prefer check or money order, just deduct the shipping cost from the Etsy total.

Happy Halloween!
♥ Carolee

An Ode to Collectors - Thank You for Buying Handmade!

As the holidays approach, and the creative season gets busier and busier, it's important for artists to take a breath, and pause long enough to express our gratitude to those of you who enable us to Do What We Do.

So this post is for collectors.

Every time you make a purchase from an individual artist or crafter, you're buying something infused with love and care. You're choosing a one of a kind treasure made from the heart, something mindfully created, something personal and meaningful. You're helping an artist live their dream, and you're helping to support an individual rather than a large corporation.

You're celebrating creativity, and you're supporting an economic model that rewards imagination, initiative, hard work, and self reliance. And you're making a direct connection with an individual, the way purchases and transactions used to be made. You're enabling someone's vision to become a reality, and that's priceless.

So THANK YOU to all the collectors, and art supporters. And THANK YOU to all of you who are buying handmade this holiday season. As an artist, I appreciate it more than words can say. It warms my heart, and I am truly blessed to know each and every one of you.

Much love,
♥ Carolee

Living in Season, but Painting Ahead...

I find there's something very close to sacred when we live "in season", making a mindful effort to remain in sync with Mother Nature, tuning not only our minds, but our bodies to the wheel of the year...

Once upon a time (before the age of the thermostat and the supermarket) our food and our activities reflected the changing seasons. Gardening in the summer, harvesting and preserving in autumn, resting in winter, and planting again in spring.

Summers were spent cooking outdoors, sipping lemonade on the front porch, running through lawn sprinklers, or swimming at the beach, or a nearby lake or creek. Winters were spent sledding, building snowmen, cooking hearty meals, telling stories, reading good books and snuggling in front of the wood stove or fireplace.

I count myself fortunate to live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where the seasons are still very much a part of the culture, and try very hard to embrace each season for the blessings it has to offer. Today, for instance, will find me roasting batch of butternut squash (for soup later in the week) and planting yet another pot of mums in the front yard....

But it will also find me painting (gasp!) a Christmas piece, along with a couple of autumn commissions. ;)

Since people decorate their homes well before the actual arrival of the holiday or season, it means holiday artists must stay a step ahead. Winter pieces in autumn, spring pieces in winter, and so on. I suppose it would be easy to be thrown off-kilter by this, but I try to see it as a preview - a little inspiration and anticipation of what's to come.

To that end, I've just listed the first holiday box of the year on Etsy - Peppermint Polly, a little angel mouse...

A little early perhaps, but I'm hoping others will be anticipating the season right along with me, and she'll find a good home.

In the meantime, I'm off to work on the last of the Halloween commissions, as I wish you a happy and mindful autumn! May you enjoy all her blessings. :)

♥ Carolee

Road Dust and Wanderlust

Just popping in to share that there's finally an update on the road trip blog. :) If you'd like to follow our adventures, please do become a follower, and please do pass it on...

Back very soon with art to share!

♥ Carolee

Park your Broom and Sit for a Spell....

Oh, I just adore Halloween parties, don't you!?

Even Halloween parties for one, which is of course what is happening in the studio this beautiful October morning, as I join the annual Fanciful Twist Halloween Blog Party festivities....

Would you like to join me and make it tea for two?

I would have baked, but we Halloween artsy types are in such a tizzy with our work this time of year, there are times we need to improvise - thus the biscotti. ;)

Sooooooooo good though. Do try a bite...

Chocolate for breakfast. Wicked, hehe. ;)

I must share, the wonderful little teacup and saucer were a gift from a collector - so sweet of her! And the Halloween tea cozie was a find from a local shop. Love my tea cozies, and they really do keep the witch's brew nice and warm.

Not to eat and run, but as soon as this yummy little repast is finished, I'm off to make the party rounds in bloglandia...But before I do, I'll offer up this 8" x 10" print from my Etsy shop for a giveaway...

Some people say it makes them feel dizzy, but in a magical sort of way. ;)

If you'd like a chance to win a copy, just leave your name (and contact info if you don't have a blog where I can reach you!) and I'll throw it in the magic cauldron on All Hallows Eve, when I'll draw a name.

Wishing you a magical day, a Happy Halloween, and a Blessed Samhain!

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`• ~ Carolee

A Halloween Party in the Making....

Stay tuned for some wicked fun blog festivities - not forgotten, just running a couple of hours late due to unforeseen circumstances...But there's a giveaway waiting in the wings...

See you in just a few hours!

♥ Carolee

Winding Down, Anticipation, and the Wheel of the Year

One of the most meaningful things about being a "holiday" artist is the opportunity to focus deeply on each season as it approaches. In creating work for Halloween and Samhain, Christmas and Yule, Easter and Beltane, and so on, a connection is made to the natural cycle of the earth. There's harmony to be found in living and painting for each season, in letting Mother Nature take the lead, and celebrating each festival or holiday as it comes around.

For the last several months, Halloween has been the primary focus, and anticipation has been building. Now that it's almost here (just two weeks!) I'm anticipating a bit of a gear change. The days are already growing shorter, a reminder that soon the harvest season will be over, and winter will be upon us. A few Halloween pieces remain up for grabs as of this writing, and I do hope they find good homes before the season is out. To this end, I've added a little note to the higher priced piece allowing two payments (a little easier to manage in this economy).

The apothecary/spells and potions chest is available on Etsy, and there's also a trio of mending box pinkeeps on the PFATT Marketplace. This is the larger of the three...

Soon Yuletide work will be in full swing (but always with a magical twist). I'm very excited about a new Santa cutout, and am considering combining the best of both seasons by creating a "Harvest Santa". Stay tuned. ;)

Angels have been spinning around in my brain as well, but not the human variety. I'm thinking angel cats, angel mice, angel rabbits, and so on. I do believe our furry friends are angels in disguise, so I suppose it's a natural progression. :)

Commissions are winding down too, as I play catch-up over the next few weeks, and a new project focusing on the wheel of the year will begin in January. VERY excited about this one, and just know it will be a blessing to paint.

How about you? Are you anticipating the change of seasons, or doing anything special to mark the holidays or festivals? I just love hearing about other people's celebrations and observances.

That's about it for today. I have a very full week ahead, with a friend visiting, painting and errands to be done, and a few hospital tests for John (who facebook readers may remember was stuck at a Pittsburgh area hospital for a few days earlier this month).

But I'll be back soon to share the first few pieces of the new season! Until then, I wish you all the blessings of Autumn...

♥ Carolee

♥ Etsy Shop ♥

Hello again! I'm just flying in quickly to tell you I've added a few new items to the Etsy shop - the last two Halloween pieces from the blog sale, and the first two holiday canvases of 2011...

I know, I'm jumping the gun a bit, but I had so much fun with the Halloween mice, I couldn't resist these two in their Christmas finery. ;)

I'll be working madly on commissions this week and next, but hope to squeeze in a few new Etsy pieces as well. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying this *magical* season!

Back soon (and with a recipe!)
♥ Carolee

Embracing the Season

Have you ever felt so completely excited and inspired, and well, just overwhelmed by the indescribable beauty and magic of the season? Like your head is just spinning with inspiration, and you want to embrace every single bit of autumnal, Halloweeny goodness?

Maybe I'm still floating on a Ghoultide high...But I just want to soak it all up, and revel in the magic of the season, you know?

Pumpkins and mums have taken their place on the front walkway and porch, after a recent visit to this local farm market...

$2.99 for those gorgeous potted mums, and we also came away with gourds and pumpkins, and a jar of home-canned pickled veggies. At the house, scented candles burn, soup simmers, and there's an endless pot of tea at my elbow as the last few Halloween pieces of the season near completion. In the evenings, it's just chilly enough to wear a knitted wrap as a few chapters are devoured before bedtime. This is the one I'm reading now (witches, vampires and daemons at the Bodleian Library), and I'm hoping to finish it soon, so I can start this next one before Halloween.

Commissions and a few new Etsy pieces dominate the work schedule over the next couple of weeks, but there's plenty of time for play as well. Our daughter and niece are hosting a 30th anniversary party for John and I this weekend, and my friend Ann arrives from South Carolina next week. We'll be planning next year's road trip (yay!), along with seeing some of the local sights, doing a bit of shopping, lots of laughing, and joining friends Jen and Joanne for dinner. (Look for lots of Lancaster County autumn pics next week!)

Saturday, October 22 is a wicked cool Halloween blog party, hosted by the fabulous Vanessa Valencia, of A Fanciful Twist. Click here for details.

The last weekend of the month is Cabin Ladies weekend. Regular readers may remember this is a thrice annual, long weekend at one of Pennsylvania's beautiful state parks. Anywhere from 6-8 dear friends, good food, good wine, good conversation, board games, knitting, reading, walking, and generally enjoying the company of other interesting women. No TV, no computers and no husbands. Just what the Dr. ordered after the whirlwind of activity these last few months. :)

And of course, there's Halloween!! And oh my - I must buy more candy this year! We went through twelve bags last year, and ran out about twenty minutes early (our little Borough sets a 6-8:00 time limit on trick-or treating - I know, Bah Humbug, right?) I so love seeing all the kidlets in their costumes. Reminds me of when mine was little, and we'd plan the most elaborate costumes months ahead...such wonderful memories!

Eek, I think I'm rambling, hehe. ;)

It's getting late, and if I'm not careful, I'll turn into one of those much loved pumpkins. So it's goodnight for now, and I'll be back soon with more autumn tales, and more Halloween work to share.

In the meantime, I hope you're finding magic and joy in the season, and I wish you warm, October blessings this Hunter's Moon night...

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

Halloween Blog Sale

UPDATE - The two remaining pieces can be found in the Etsy shop.

Welcome, and Happy Halloween!

I'm offering six original, one of a kind pieces this evening, on a first come, first served basis. Details can be found below the photograph(s) of each piece, and purchases can be made by emailing me at carolee@kingofmice.com.

I will respond to emails and mark the items sold as quickly as possible. Shipping for each piece will vary depending on location, and will be sent either USPS priority mail, or UPS ground.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope my work brings a smile...

"Poe", a hinged birch wood box, painted in acrylics and measuring 5 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 3". Deep periwinkle interior with a small raven silhouette. $115. ~SOLD~


"Black Cat Magic", a hinged, birch wood box, painted in acrylics and measuring 5 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 3". Black interior with a small shooting star. $115. ~SOLD~



"Trick or Treat", a tall, oval bentwood box, painted in acrylics and measuring 6" x 8" x 6". $145 ~SOLD~


"Autumn Enchantment", a birch wood box with removable lid, painted in acrylics and measuring 10" x 5" x 5". Deep periwinkle interior with an autumn leaf. $225.


"Batty Box", an oval, bentwood box with sculpted handle, painted in acrylics and measuring 9" x 7" x 3". Black interior with shooting star. $195. ~SOLD~


"The Enchanted Apothecary", a spells and potions chest painted from a reproduction salt box, acrylics on birch wood, with paper interior, faux key, and two Swarovski crystals on the oval. The lid on top lifts, and the interior features the same paper as the drawers. Measures 12 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 16" tall including back. $295.


Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope you like my creations. :)

Artful Blessings,
~ Carolee

♥ Blog Sale ♥

Halloween lovers, please stop by on Sunday evening, October 9th, at 9PM eastern, when I plan to have a few goodies up for grabs on a first-come basis. A wicked cool Apothecary chest, several treat and trinket boxes, and possibly a canvas or two will be available for those who couldn't make it to last weekend's Ghoultide Gathering show. :)

See you then!
♥ Carolee

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the print giveaway is Gerry! Thanks to everyone for entering, and stay tuned for another giveaway very soon. ♥

~ Carolee

A Bewitching Good Time!!

It was as if someone waved a *magic* wand, and a blanket of Halloween enchantment descended on Mill Race Village. The atmosphere before the show was electric - you could actually feel it, warming the chilly, Michigan air, as throngs of Halloween lovers lined up to capture work from their favorite artists...

Orange "Ghoultide Gathering" totes in hand, they waited in the rain for hours, and when the doors finally opened, it was one big Halloween party!


Cider and hot cocoa abounded, and to the delight of children and children at heart, the artists offered treats at their tables, both artistic and edible! (My own table included a platter of Lancaster County pumpkin fudge - yum!)

Sooooooo many Halloween goodies in one place, I imagine it was difficult to choose! Here's a bit of the Halloween goodness which greeted collectors (snapped just before the doors opened)...

Laurie Hardin of Monkey Cats Studio brought these wonderful characters and more...


Pam Gracia of Soft in the Head shared her imaginative soft sculptured goodies...


Will Bezek's amazing cast of characters included this beauty, teehee...


The absolutely stunning work of Scott Smith (check out the witch with the little pumpkin guy in a cage!) Soooooo cool...

Vergie Lightfoot's amazing treasures...

The fabulous folk art of Johanna Parker...

Deb Schoch's fantastic (and very full!) display...

Aron Lowe's gorgeous needlefelting...

Paul Gordon's magical work (truly stunning)...

Nicol Sayre's enchanting dolls...

The spooky cool work of Katherine Webber...

Sheila Bentley's wicked and wonderful witches...

The Whimsical Whittler (sooooooo fun, and so beautifully carved)...

"Trick" and "Treat", Joyce Stahl's *Little Enchanted Ones*, happy to join the party...

Judi Vaillancourt's vibrant chalkware (love her canvases too!)...

Kristen Beason's wonderfully whimsical characters...

The gorgeous work of Lori Ann Corelis...

And my own display...


There were quite a few other artists too, but unfortunately some of my pics came out with far too much glare to show any detail (a photographer I'm not, haha)...But you can easily check them out (and all the artists shown above) on the Ghoultide Gathering website! :)

There was music too, from the talented Appleseed Collective...

LOVED them, and we were lucky enough to listen as they played in the church's choir loft during the show!

SUCH an amazing experience, and I'd be remiss without a note of profound thanks to Scott Smith and Stephanie Rawson for all they do throughout the year to make the Ghoultide Gathering the finest Halloween art show in the world, bar none. We heard comments throughout the day from collectors and artists alike, expressing their absolute delight with every single detail. I can't tell you how much of a pleasure it is to participate in an event like this - Five years into it, I'm still pinching myself, hehe!

Finally, it was SUCH a pleasure to meet so many of you in person (always my favorite part of the show!) Collectors, blog readers, facebook friends - thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming out and introducing yourselves, and supporting your favorite artists!

I'm off now to play catch up now, after a week away from home (a bit of a snag on the way home with John's health found us in the Pittsburgh area for a few days)...Details on all this later, and details on an upcoming blog sale too! We very nearly sold out at the show, but there are a few pieces left, and a few more coming, so stay tuned. ;)

Until then, Happy Halloween season!!
♥ Carolee