Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows, Smiles and Sadness

It's been a crazy week here....and has it really been a whole week since I've visited? Sometimes working at home (and largely in fantasyland) can completely throw you off...Not that I've ever had much of a sense of time or date. Don't wear a watch, don't really have any clocks in the house, except on the computer of course...Just not much of a schedule kind o gal, I guess.

So it's no surprise I completely forgot John's birthday until two days before, when a birthday card arrived in the mail (thanks, Mom!). Better get moving, right?

Yet once again time got away, two days became one, and I found myself here with no present (not unusual, we don't really do birthday gifts) no card, and no cake. I foraged in the pantry for a chocolate cake mix, unsweetened chocolate - anything chocolate really - and came up empty handed. But I did find a strawberry cake mix. And enough sugar and butter for icing. And strawberries in the fridge. And pink glitter sprinkles....I know, I know, not exactly a guy kinda cake, but it sure sounded good. ;)

Ten minutes later, pink cupcakes in the oven. In Mary Englebreit "Queen of Everything" cupcake wrappers, no less. Figured I may as well just go for broke, hehe.

The Fresh strawberries in the icing made it more of a glaze, but they're soooooooo good. Happy 53rd!

Cupcakes also made an appearance in the art this week, with these two little paintings. One sold right away, but one is still up for grabs, at least until this evening. I love the little red buttons as cherries on top of the cakes.

I'm also busy with commissions this week, and am VERY excited about a new illustration project waiting in the wings, which is a bit of a secret at the moment - actually for a while. But it has my head absolutely spinning with magical images and ideas, which tends to have a kind of snowball effect, one idea sparking another, sparking another and so on. I always marvel at people who say they run out of ideas. I mean, how does that happen? I've always found creativity to be exponential - it just multiplies indefinitely, on and on, ideas and images swirling around until you hope you can capture even a tiny fraction of what you dream....

Which brings me to another place of vivid imagination, the EHAG Emporium! This is only our second month, but we're all just so excited about this event, I can't even tell you. The update will happen on the 31st (next Wednesday) at 9PM eastern, with the absolute finest in Halloween art up for grabs on a first come basis. Can't wait!!

In the meantime, there are weekly giveaways on the blog - this week's being a wonderfully whimsical ornament from EHAG artist Linda Kennon, the Gourdqueen...

Be sure to drop by and enter.:)

Those are the ups....But unfortunately there have been a few downs this week as well.

It's with a very heavy, but still hopeful heart that I share a request for prayers and positive, healing energy. You may remember the Penny Tree Auction a few posts back....A beautiful feather tree adorned with ornaments created by the artists of the PFATT group, in honor of Penny McAllister, who has been fighting acute leukemia for the last several months. (Proceeds were donated to the Alabama chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society).

We all heard yesterday that Penny is fighting for her very life now, so I'm asking you to please send up a prayer if you're so inclined, for Penny's healing and recovery, and for strength for her family and friends.

UPDATE - Penny lost her very brave battle with cancer this past Friday. Please say a prayer for her family and friends at this most difficult time.

A dear friend of mine is spending time at her Father's bedside this week too, as this very good man spends the last days of his life with family and friends before joining his late wife. Again, if you're inclined to prayer, please send one up for my friend and her Father, for strength and comfort as he makes this last journey.

Overall, it's been quite a week - ups and downs, highs and lows, smiles and tears...and so it goes. As we celebrate John's birthday today, we'll remember how truly precious this life is, and how important is is to find magic in every single moment.

In closing, a little thought all the anger and animosity I've seen in the news and on the internet this week; life is too short. Rather than trying to tear something down, rather than anger and fear, let's focus on compassion and building something that truly works. We're all in this together, and caring for each other fiercely should be our first priority. :)

Until next time, wishing you much love, and many magical moments...
♥ Carolee

Of Fairies, Forums and Friendship...

As I watch the snow melt and see the very first harbingers of spring appear in the form of tiny buds on the lilac trees, it's been a week for reflecting here.

Sometimes it's easy for those of us who work at home, tucked away in our own little world as we are, to have a slightly different take on reality...

In my own little world, there's magic in a snowfall, I have meaningful (albeit one-sided) conversations with cats and dogs, tea parties for one, and the gardens I tend to dream about this time of year become Fairie Havens...

I love the idea of setting aside a bit of garden for the fairies, don't you?

Another slightly different take on reality (at least for me) comes in the form of friendships and bonds formed on the internet. I'm constantly amazed at the sheer vastness of the online arts community I've discovered since starting this little adventure back in 2001 - while at the same time marveling how small a world it really is, and how truly connected we are.

When I first went online, I discovered a few "communities" and immediately felt drawn to some. The first was a group of ladies whose common thread was a love for Victoria magazine. The best way to describe these women is gracious, with common interests such as reading, the arts, travel, teatime, and so on...After a time it became clear that some of us had more in common than others, and an offshoot group was formed, of which I'm still a member. And what began as an online relationship with complete strangers has blossomed into true, real life friendships. I love these women, these kindred spirits, and am thankful they're in my life.

Shortly after discovering the Victoria ladies (and in part inspired by some of their entrepreneurial stories) I began selling my work on eBay - and quickly gravitated to Halloween and fantasy art, where I discovered yet another group of kindred spirits; the artists of EHAG (The Eclectic Halloween Artists' Group). This particular group is juried, meaning one's work and reputation must be of a certain caliber to join, so I was honored to be approached. We've gone through changes and growing pains over the years to be sure, but I'm still proud to be a member (and more recently co-leader) of the first, and premiere, online Halloween art group. We chat, we have great fun, and we work in a mutually supportive way to bring collectors the best of Halloween magic and wonder. :)

(In fact, regular readers may remember we recently debuted an online marketplace, The EHAG Emporium, of which we are just soooooooo proud. And I'm happy to announce we're also offering four giveaways during the month of March, the first one posted now! You can click here for details.) :)

Another online community I discovered was the artists of PFATT (Primitive Folk Art Talk and Tea), and the PFATT Marketplace - separate entities, but with much common ground....

These women are all artists, and have formed a sisterhood of sorts, coming together not only to support each other's work, but in times of trouble as well. If you scroll back a couple of posts, you can read about the recent "Penny Tree Auction", which is a perfect example of this group's spirit.

There are other groups out there too, each with their own, unique feel, some juried, some not, some supportive, some less so, some drawn to whimsy and some to the darker side of things. As a friend of mine says, "There's a lid for every pot". ;) I just know I've found my cyber home among the groups to which I now belong, and cannot recommend my fellow members' work and ethics highly enough.

Oh, and lest anyone think I'm one of those people who "live" on the internet hehe, I should mention in closing the many longstanding friendships I'm blessed with, many dating back some 35 years. Whoever said "friends are the family we choose for ourselves" hit the nail on the head, and no matter how "real" the internet seems at times (especially to those of us working in a solitary environment) there's no substitute for tea and sympathy with an old friend.

The key is balance, I think...to appreciate each form of friendship for what it has to offer. To approach online relationships slowly and cautiously, while still appreciating the miracle that brings artistic souls together across miles and even continents.

We live in an amazing time, don't we?

♥ Carolee