♥ ♪ ♫ That's Amore ♫ ♪ ♥

♫ "When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie, That's amore....
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine, That's amore"... ♫

Gotta love Dean Martin. ;)

So, Happy Hearts Day!

I can't help it, call me sappy, but I'm a nut for Valentine's Day. Not just because of the romantic implications, but I just love LOVE, don't you? I mean, LOVE in general, whether it's hubby or significant other, or your child, your best friend in the world, your whole circle of friends, your Mom and Dad, your cat, your dog...There's nothing like Amore. :)

I have lots and lots to share this Valentine's Day, beginning with a sort of joint labor of love called the Penny Tree....


You can go here to read all about it. The auction begins on Valentine's Day, and some lucky collector will win this gorgeous bronze feather tree with all the yummy ornaments shown below (mine is in there somewhere, a small tuxedo cat), with the proceeds benefiting the Alabama chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There are many truly amazing, nationally recognized artists who've contributed to this, it's a serious treasure!


This is also the last day to sign up for the One World One Heart blog giveaway. Here's a photo of my little trinket box up for grabs...


...and here's the post where you can leave a comment if you haven't already. I've had such fun visiting blogs for this event, and will probably be visiting them most of the year - I barely made it through fifty of the thousand plus participating blogs so far! Lots of visiting still to do.

It will be a quiet Valentine's Day here, just the two of us and five furkids. I'm making one John's favorites for dinner - shrimp scampi, and we'll have these yummy Very Vanilla cupcakes for dessert. Would you like the recipe? It's soooooo easy, not even a recipe at all, really. Just prepare a box of French Vanilla cake mix according to the package directions, including a teaspoon of vanilla extract as part of the liquid, then scrape the seedy contents of one vanilla bean into the batter. Mix and bake. Sooooooooo good with homemade vanilla and chocolate buttercream icing...

And easy-peasy. :)

Not to rush things, but having given Valentine's Day it's due, I want to share just one more thing before I run off - this one inspired by St Patty's Day, a lucky black cat piece, with a very old "charm" for invoking the good luck of a black cat, written around the top. It's up for grabs on eBay now.

That's about it for today, except to wish you a very Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you spend it in the company of your love, your friends, or yourself, I hope you pamper yourself a bit and do something fun. :)

I'll be back very soon with photos of two very special pieces in progress. Until then, I leave you with this song, which makes me melt every time I hear it...

♥ Carolee

♥ Etsy Goodness ♥

Just popping to share that I've finally (don't faint or anything) listed a few items in the Etsy shop. Eight pieces of Valentine whimsy - sooooooo much fun!

I just love this one, a little canvas painting with yummy buttons and a ric-rac hanger....

I'll be back again very soon with details about the new EHAG Emporium, and possibly a sneek peek, so stay tuned!
*UPDATE* - Four of the Etsy goodies have sold, with four remaining. :)

♥ Carolee

Coming Up for Air...

Has it really been over a week since I've poked my head in here??? Surely it can't be more than a day or two....

No excuse, I know, except to say I've been completely IMMERSED this week. In this....

and this...

and this...

It all began with a little orange and black base coating on a wooden sewing chest. Some cloudy swirls, a checkerboard....

More checks, more color, a bit of lettering.....

Then it was time to get carried away with detail. Some silhouettes. A few buttons and baubles, ribbons and sparkle, tiny paintings....and voila...

"Wicked Stitches"

I can't begin to tell you how much fun this piece was (and how tempted I am to keep it, hehe)...But there's that pesky matter of bills and such, so sell it I must. It will list on eBay this evening at 9PM, and will probably have some kind of reserve, given the time involved. ;)

Today will be spent working on commissions, and then there are some heart shaped boxes calling my name....

And all these red buttons and ribbons...

I think they'd make great trim for the boxes, yes? They'll probably end up on Etsy, but I'm not sure yet.

Oh! And speaking of hearts, if you're a collector, and haven't already, scroll back a few posts to the Valentine's Box giveaway and leave a comment. I'll be drawing a name on Feb 1st.

That's about it for now....I will truly try to pop in more often. And thank you, thank you, thank you all for your kind comments here and on facebook. I don't always have time to respond individually, but please know how much I appreciate your visits and kind words. They mean the world to me. :)

~♥~ Carolee ~♥~

Tales to Tell and Work to Share and Photos Near the End...

Warning, this could get long, hehe....

There's been sooooooo much going on in our little world here, I hardly know where to start. I suppose I'll just do as the King said to the White Rabbit: "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

For starters, I've been dividing time between painting and doctor and hospital visits...

If you read here regularly, you know my husband John has had two major heart surgeries in less than two years. Well, that kind of invasive procedure - twice no less - can apparently wreak havoc with the heart's rhythm, which is just what happened; his heart rate at rest was far higher than what most people experience with vigorous aerobic exercise - YIKES! So after trying several meds to no avail, they decided to shock his heart. Like you see on TV, with the paddles. Just like a clock, they re-set it.

Scary, but I'm happy to say it worked, and John is on his way back to work this week. The doctor's recommendation was early next month, but he does feel better, and after a letter from his employer (a large corporation) saying they would no longer hold his position, he decided to go back tout de suite. Aren't big corporations wonderful?! Don't even get me started....

I've also had my own issues with an old ankle injury - well, three old injuries actually - which have left tendons and ligaments destroyed, and the recommendation is either surgery (with about a 50% chance of making it worse) or wear a brace for the rest of my life. Big fun, yes? On hearing the news, I had a good cry for about five minutes, then snapped out of it (remembering how blessed I am to be mobile at all) and decided I needed to lose weight and find a really cool cane. Which I did. Find a cane, that is. One with butterflies. (The weight loss will take just a wee bit longer I'm afraid.)

Do you suppose they make Halloween canes? Someone should paint one, don't you think? ;)

On the painting front, things are just AMAZING, with (as usual) more ideas spinning around in my brain than I know what to do with. The question is never "What to paint?", but "What to paint FIRST?!"

This one is listed on the PFATT Marketplace now, up for grabs to the first person to email me. Painting it made me want to abandon all thoughts of a diet and bake a batch of cupcakes instead, hehe....*UPDATE* - SOLD

And this one is up for grabs on eBay this evening at 9PM (eastern). I credit my black cat Merlin with inspiring it - he always wants to "help" me knit, haha...

Speaking of knitting, I've made so many scarves and wraps lately - yummy purples and pinks, deep charcoals, soft ivory....

I can't show you more than a peek because they're post-holiday gifts and the recipients read my blog. I'll share complete photos on Ravelry later, after I've gifted them.So warm and cuddly, and just the thing to keep me busy when we have movie night around here. Which reminds me, have you seen Julie and Julia? Loved it. :)

Oh! And I have two VERY exciting things to share. First, there's a new Marketplace opening soon, where I'll be offering one very special piece on the 31st of the month.

You can imagine a fanfare now - trumpets and flags, confetti and lights - TA-DAAAA!:

The EHAG Emporium!

I've been a member of this incredible group of Halloween artists for several years now, but this is our first foray into the world of blog sales. Kind of exciting because it gives collectors a chance to snag a one of a kind original without having to go through the bidding process on eBay. So stay tuned, and check the blog for updates, sneak peeks, etc.

The NEXT exciting thing I have to share is the 2010 Ghoultide Gathering!!

The date is set - Saturday, October 2, in Northville, Michigan. I'll be there with bells on (um, OK I'll be there with a new brace on) and I'm already giddy thinking of all the Halloween art goodies, meeting the other artists again, and MOST of all, meeting collectors (always the best part of any show!) So if you're planning a weekend getaway this fall, and you're withing striking distance, please do think about attending. I was reading last year that this one is fast becoming the country's premiere Halloween art show, and trust me, if you go, you'll see why. Truly amazing work, and truly amazing, supportive, FUN people. As the time gets closer, I'll post info on details, reasonable accommodations, and so on, so mark your calendar!

That's about it for now...Are you still with me, or did you fall asleep ages ago, hehe? Sometimes there's a little news and sometimes there's LOTS of news, and this was one of those times.

I'm off to make our very late dinner now - an extra spicy curry with basmati rice - yummmmm. I'll be back very soon with a peek at yet another piece - "Wicked Stitches"....

In the meantime, have a *magical* and creative week!!

♥ Carolee

My 200th Blogspot Post and a Happy Valentine's Day Giveaway!

At first I thought I'd do a little Halloween giveaway to celebrate my 200th bloggiversary (I think that's what they call it?)....After all, I'm a Halloween artist, right? But then I noticed my next post would fall directly on Valentine's Day. Soooooooo, since I had some little heart shaped boxes...

And all this pink paint....


I thought I'd return a bit of the love to the people who collect my work. :)

I know, I know, by the time I do the drawing, Valentine's Day will have passed...But I think these little guys could be left out all year, don't you?


I think they're so sweet with sparkles on the outside and polka dotted goodness on the inside....

If you've purchased work from me in the last two months, you'll be automatically entered in the drawing. And if you've purchased work and leave a comment here, you'll be entered twice! If you haven't purchased recently, but have in the past, or have even placed an eBay bid on my work, you can enter too - just leave a comment. The rest of you can leave comments too, but this time around the giveaway is strictly for collectors. :)

In one week, on Saturday, Feb 21st, I'll draw three names. The first name drawn will have their choice of the three boxes, the second name drawn may select from the remaining two and the third name drawn will receive the remaining box.

I'll even throw in some of these candy conversation hearts...I read in the news the Necco company is thinking of updating some of the old messages...But I kinda like the old ones, hehe...

My own Valentine's Day will be spent - are you ready for this, it's just soooooooooo romantic......

DEALING WITH A ROOFER.

Yep. You may have read about the high winds Pennsylvania has been experiencing the last few days. Well, there's been a serious battle between said winds and our old metal roof, and I'm afraid the roof lost. Thank heaven for homeowner's insurance, and BOO HISS for deductibles, *sigh*.....

We had hoped to go see Coraline today, and still may if the roofing guy shows up early. Either way, John and I will have a nice, romantic dinner at home tonight, and at the very least we'll rent a movie and toast our almost 30 years together. ;)

So Happy Valentine's Day!!

However you're spending it, whether you're single or part of a duo, I hope it's filled with magic and bliss....Do something fun and spread the love....

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

"Je t'aime"

With less than a month until Valentine's Day, I couldn't resist painting this sweet little guy, holding his message of love....


Valentine's Day has become kind of a big deal around here, where weather and funds permitting, the gifts sometimes go over the top.

It all started many years ago, early in our marriage when John (who is British) railed against the "stupid American holiday invented by the greeting card companies"...(nevermind the actual origins of the day are in fact British, we won't go there)....But suffice to say he was not on board with the whole candy and flowers thing.

My response was to arrange a mid-day workplace delivery of enough pink and red helium balloons to completely fill his office. Said balloons were tied to a coffee mug lettered "What a Guy", which was filled with Hershey's kisses and accompanied by a Valentine saying simply "Happy stupid American holiday". ;)

I've received a gift to mark the day every year since, hehe.

My gifts to him over the years have varied - from the risque to the ridiculous; the after dinner at a nice restaurant presentation of a gift bag, filled with chocolate body paints and brushes, and a note declaring "dessert's on me".....to very elaborately decorated valentines (we're talking HUGE valentines here - lace, feathers, sequins, glitter, perfume, the works) delivered every day for a week to his office....

And his gifts to me have been quite thoughtful; a romantic dinner out, an anthology of classic love letters, etc...

But last year's gift will be hard to top; the literal repair of a broken heart. February 2008 found me in the hospital's cardiac waiting room, and John in an operating room, as a surgeon repaired his damaged mitral valve. A successful outcome that day (actually a couple of days after Valentine's Day) was the absolute best gift I ever have, or ever will receive.

No clue what this year's celebration will be, but I suppose it's time to give it some thought.

(And if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them, hehe!)

~ Carolee