*Enchantment* to Share!

(This will probably get long, but I have much to tell, hehe!)

Last week, my friend Jen (the photographer here) and I visited Ravenbrook, the enchanting realm of our friend, artist and collector Hugh Luck. Having seen Ravenbrook in photos, and knowing Hugh's exquisite taste in antiques, we were something like children in a candy store. It was like stepping into a folk tale...

The exterior of Ravenbrook, decorated for Halloween, a gargoyle standing watch over the front door...

Even the garage is enchanting....

The handsome Mr. Luck, seated in his study. Notice the collection of antique globes...

A few of those globes displayed with a Scott Smith original Hugh acquired at last year's Ghoultide Gathering (love this piece!)

In the living room, an English tavern sign with carved raven. Just magical!

In the same room, an antique table once owned by Carolyn Wyeth - and I do believe another Scott Smith piece. :)

A view from the opposite end of the room, with an antique wrought iron gate in the doorway...

In the tavern room, a surprise; the fellow sitting on the corner is an original figure from Disneyland's "Pirates of the Carribean" ride!

In the "Halloween Room", whimsy abounds...

And one of Hugh's original paintings hangs on the wall behind the display case. I wish I could show it larger here, it's just infused with Halloween spirit. If you look closely, you'll see Hugh's black cat Spooky painted in...

And here's the real Spooky in the kitchen, one of my teapots to the left, and another of Hugh's paintings behind. Again, I wish I could show the painting in it's entirety; it's a mouse-eye view from inside a jack-o-lantern!

Truly one of the most stunning homes I've ever seen!

Bidding a reluctant goodbye to Ravenbrook (but not to Hugh) we all set out for a drive up the Delaware river to the first annual Spookytime Jingles Soiree, an art show where a few EHAG friends were exhibiting. We met these friends and a few others, old and new, and had great fun seeing all the Halloween goodies offered.

As many of you know, I don't do photos, but here are some of my friends, who DO, hehe...From left to right, here's Amelia Schaefer, a.k.a. "Sweet B", Chris Klingler of Designs by CK, Jennifer MacNeill Traylor of Gypsy Mare Studios, and Lori Rudolph of Retro Rudolphs...

And a shot of Sweet B's display, with Lori's right behind it...

We also met fellow EHAG artists Kim Hardt and Jorge de Rojas, as well as several other STJ artists, who were all just so sweet.

After a good bit of time oohing and ahhing at the show, a few of us ran up to Lambertville for lunch, to this wonderful place Hugh recommended (if you're in the area, you must go!)

It was an altogether delightful weekend - good friends, good art, good food - what more could anyone want? (OK, maybe the good wine my friends enjoyed at lunch, but I was driving, so had to behave myself, hehe)...

Back to reality, I settled in the next day to tackle some overdue commission work (those of you with orders, I'm making headway slowly but surely, I promise!), and begin a few sketches for Christmas and Yuletide pieces, and hopefully a few cards. Stay tuned...

Next up are two very cool Halloween parties (one an over-the-top Willy Wonka themed gathering, complete, I'm told by the hosts, with "lickable wallpaper" (martinis needed for this one, methinks!), followed by Cabin Ladies Weekend over Halloween. More on this in another post!

Are you cross-eyed yet? Either way, I suppose I should give both of us a break and head back to the studio, where those commissions are calling my name. ;)

Stay tuned for new goodies on eBay and Etsy very soon, and in the meantime, I wish you a magical and enchanting Halloween season!!

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

My Head is STILL Spinning!!

What a weekend!!

The journey to the fourth annual Ghoultide Gathering was not without challenges, but in the end proved to be yet another amazing experience...

We awoke Thursday morning to discover the tropical storm which drenched most of the northeast had done further damage to our already shaky roof, resulting in a steady drip drip drip on the bedroom carpet....A quick trip to the attic, a few pieces of cardboard, and many towels later we were on our way despite the continuing storm. This was taken somewhere in central Pennsylvania (and yes, that's a sparkly tarantula on the dashboard of the Beetle, hehe)....


We arrived at the hotel around 2AM, were awakened by housekeeping at 8, and at 9 received a call sharing the news that a very dear friend had passed away the night before. More on this in another post. Danny was an amazing person, and deserves his own tribute. Needless to say I was shaken, but was also reminded by friends that Danny had spoken about my work just the day before, and in his typical theatrical fashion would have reminded me that the show must go on....

Before I post photos of the event, I must add that none of this would have come together without the extra mile put in by the amazing Scott Smith and Stephanie Rawson. I've been doing shows for more years than I care to remember, and the Ghoultide Gathering is head and shoulders above the rest - truly a magical experience! Scott and Stephanie, if you're reading this, you quite simply rock. ;)

For those who were unable to attend, Here's a little peek at some of the displays (and temptation for next year, hehe). It's far from complete, as I'm not comfortable taking photos without the artist's permission, and several of the artists had left by the time I shot these. I'll begin with three photos of Scott Smith's incredible work. I think my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw these, hehe..




This was the first time I got to see Vergie Lightfoot's amazing creations up close and personal, and all I can say is WOW! A shot of a portion of her table...


And a close-up of my own personal favorite, her dancing cat...


Wood carver Ed Pribyl (Exquisite work, and I especially LOVED his Poe!)


Deb Schoch of Hop Hop Jingle Boo's extraordinary work:


Pat Murphy's wonderfully whimsical bears...


My friend Pam Gracia, of Soft in the Head fame. How *FuN* are these??!..

Laurie Harden of Monkey Cats Studios (these pieces were practically flying out the door!)


Paul Gordon's work - just stunning (Check out the pumpkin gal on the piano!)

Nicol Sayre's elegant primitive dolls...


I need two photos to show you Sheila Bentley's work - she makes the rest of us look like slackers, lol...


It was such a delight to see Johanna Parker's work in person - her pieces always bring a smile...

Vaughn and Stephanie Rawson of the Whimsical Whittler - just gorgeous...

The uber-talented Will Bezek's creations (LOVE the vampire brothers!)...

The super gifted Allen Cunningham, who I had the honor of displaying along side. The detail in his work is just phenomenal....

And the extraordinary creations of Kristen Beason - not much was left at the end of the day, and it's easy to see why! LOVE her work....

And finally, my own display, or part of it. There's a large painting too, but I'll share that later. ;)

I'll post photos from some of the other artists as I find them and/or get the artist's permission. I just don't like to post someone else's work without their say-so, and always appreciate it when I'm asked as well.

There were other highlights from the show, but I was having too good a time to take photos, hehe....Some of the artists and collectors got together at Macaroni Grill for dinner Friday night, and WHAT a good time!!! I only wish the evening could have lasted longer, and that I'd had a chance to speak with everyone in more depth. And as if the necklace last week wasn't enough (I wore it to the show!), two of my collectors gifted me with MORE presents! Two charming paper cuts, one beautifully framed, and a whimsical, hand built ceramic tea pot from Washington State...You both know who you are, and I'm completely overwhelmed!!

A few of us also let our hair down Saturday night with Mexican food and margaritas - FUN, and we hope to do it again next year, teehee!

Finally, Scott and Stephanie presented all the artists with complimentary magazines and a bucket of goodies which included a Scott Smith postcard and a casket cookie made my Kim Short Herzog, who was also a participant. Due to the rain, I missed getting outside to see her yummy creations in person....What can I say, except when it rains I get a little like Madeline Kahn in Young Frankenstein ("the hair, the hair!") Hehe....

Soooooo, yes. That's about it. Except to say if you love art, and you love Halloween, start planning your trip for next year!!! You'll be glad you did and so will I. The best part of any show is meeting other Halloween enthusiasts in person. See you there!!

♥ Carolee