Winter Madness...

I'm torn.

One one hand, I'm ever so grateful for this mild winter we've been having, as it's kept heating costs well, if not low, then certainly lower that they could have been. And trust me, this is a big deal. ;)

On the other hand, I'm longing for a good old fashioned snowing-in. The kind that blankets everything in white and forces us to slow down and spend a few days enjoying the comforts of hearth and home; simmering soup and homemade bread, wool shawls and down lap duvets, quiet evenings spent reading and knitting and playing board games...

It's been a strange winter so far, with just a couple of dustings which were gone in a day or two. Nothing like 2010, when we had those back to back blizzards...

We called it "snowmageddon", remember?

Not that we need anything quite so dramatic - but one good snowfall before spring would be nice, don't you think?

Maybe I need to break out the snow wand? I have this fabulous little folk artsy piece by an artist named Brigitte Holsten, of Paint the Moon Primitives (whom I've since lost track of, and so wish I could find her work again)...

The wand hangs on the dining room hearth, beneath the far too dusty teapots, and there's a little spell card attached which says:

"God and Goddess that I seek
I hope this doesn't sound too meek
I ask of you to make it snow
and make the cold winter winds blow
Now that I have asked this of you
I will help you to make it true."

How fun is that?! You're supposed to chant the verse, and wave the wand in all four directions.

John says he'd much rather we had a wand for springtime weather, but I suppose that's because he's the one who gets to drive in the snow, and I'm the one who gets to watch it while sipping hot cocoa. ;)

How about you? Is it winter in your neck of the woods? Or are you missing it as I am?

Before I run, I must share one more little bit of winter madness, this newest eBay auction. I swore I was finished with eBay, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, and this week it means selling the Mad Catter box...

My favorite part is the message inside, which pretty much sums things up around here, hehe. ♥

That's about it for today. I'm off to work on commissions now, and perhaps do a bit of sketching for the new Practical Magic piece. I'll be back very soon, and in the meantime, I hope you're enjoying your day whatever the weather...

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

When it * *Snows **....

....Make art!

As you know, we've had more than our fair share of the fluffy white stuff (trying not to tempt the weather Gods by saying the actual word too often) here in the northeast this winter. Here's a pic of our little house (well, actually half a house, hehe) after the most recent storm...


A good day (heck a good WEEK!) to stay inside and paint. :)

Which is just what I did, catching up on commission work, doing a bit of sketching, and working on the first of two or three pieces commemorating Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbit. Those of you on facebook may have already seen these pics, but I thought it would be fun to show the process here as well.

It begins with a wooden tea tray, which is basecoated in a basic landscapey kind of background and framed in black...

Next, a checkerboard border, and a pencil sketch...

A few shadows and details are added...

And still more detail - it's getting there...

And finally, the finished piece...

This piece sold on eBay, but the others will be up for grabs soon, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'm off to brew a pot of Good Earth Tea and make progress on a couple of commissions. And if all goes well, I just may venture out of the house this afternoon for the first time in almost a week, and make a quick run to the market...They're expecting another storm soon, and we're in need of the essentials. Nooooo, not break and milk...

Candles, tea and paintbrushes. ;)

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

Bracing Ourselves

Like just about everyone here in the mid Atlantic region, we're beginning to wonder just WHERE another snowfall can possibly go? That is, we know it can go where Mother Nature darn well pleases...but where on earth will we put the shovels full (or is it shovel fulls?) as we dig out? It boggles the mind...Yet, here it comes. Another "major snowstorm" expected to deposit another foot of the fluffy white stuff, beginning Tuesday night and throughout the day Wednesday.

We're as prepared as possible - plenty of comfort food, lots of tea and honey, hot cocoa, warm jammies, blankets and duvets, good books to read, knitting to be done, scrabble...and of course, painting. Lots and lots of painting. What more could anyone ask? :)

As I write this, there is still one item listed on eBay, but I want to share a bit of Etsy goodness too. I finally managed another update, listing four new trinket boxes, all up for grabs in the Etsy shop. Here's a peek at just a couple...

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I had hoped for a more extensive update, as the Etsy items tend to go rather quickly, but with commission work pending, and a storm on the way, well....let's just say I'm keeping very busy, hehe.

I hope everyone in the path of this latest storm is faring well... I'm sure I'll be back with photos very soon. In the meantime, I plan to make the most of it, by way of cooking and creating....

Wishing you all a magical week, and wishing those here in the mid Atlantic states warmth and safety as you weather the storm!

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

A Blessing or a Curse?

Sometimes Mother Nature can bestow both, although being an eternal optimist, I prefer to focus on the blessing side of things....

She graced us last night, and well into today with what they're now calling an "Epic Snowstorm". Now, given the fact that our local weather people tend to be nervous nellies, I usually take pronouncements like this with a grain of salt. But in this case, they were right on the money....

There's a Beetle under there somewhere. :)

This is the backyard pond at about 9AM - the snow continued to fall until about 2PM, so you can imagine!

I read this afternoon the Governor declared a state of emergency, and I can see why. It's a good weekend to STAY PUT.

And a good weekend for Aussie dogs to romp around the backyard. :)

And a VERY good weekend for painting.

After making some headway on a Halloween commission, I decided to paint a few tiny boxes for Valentine's and St Patrick's days. Here they are in progress. They'll have little cat faces on top when they're finished, and will make an appearance in the Etsy shop very soon.



I also painted a Celtic Cat treasure box yesterday, now on eBay....

Sooooooo....as much as Mother nature can throw a wrench into the works (I have many errands and many supplies to pick up this week, all put on hold for a few days) she also provides the opportunity to slow down, stay inside, and be incredibly productive - always a good thing, don't you think?

So I'm not cursing the snowstorm, but rather blessing it. It threw my schedule off by a few days, moved some things around, changed some completion dates, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow...or the flakes, as the case may be. ;)

That's about it for now. I'm off to have a very late supper, snuggle into a comfy chair and get a bit of knitting done.

I hope whatever weather Mother Nature has bestowed upon you, you find the blessing in it. :)

♥ Carolee

Of Quiet Snow and Possibility...

Have you ever experienced a snowfall that seems like pure magic?

There was just such a snowfall last night...

We'd heard the predictions, but errands (shipping to be precise) wouldn't wait, so off we went in the little Beetle. We made it to the post office, thankful it was still clear, and decided to stop by the market for provisions our way home. Mission accomplished, we wheeled the shopping cart out of the store just as the snow began. Not a heavy and wet snow, but fine and sparkling, making it seem as though the faeries had dusted the evening in glitter.

I'm VERY bad about remembering to take my camera when I go out, so can't show you photos, but trust me, it was truly beautiful. We made it home down country roads with no problem and safely home, settled in to watch this movie. (If you haven't seen it, you really must!)

This morning, we awakened very early to find everything blanketed in white. Although it's only a couple of inches, you can barely see the pond...

And this old birdhouse looks covered in fluffy cotton...

I think snow takes on a magical quality when it's pin-drop quiet, and for some reason is WAS this morning; where we usually hear the neighbors out shoveling veeeerrrrrry early, chickadees were the only sound. Alas, one of us had to go do the eight to five thing....but the OTHER one of us gets to make a pot of tea, light a few candles, and soak up all this beauty as she paints and contemplates the endless possibilty this artful life presents. Today, it's a tea chest with a magical moonlight tea party (I'll share more photos when it's finished!)

Tomorrow, who knows. I have this amazing stash of wood taking up half the living room at the moment, so you can see what I mean when I say endless possibility, hehe...


And as if all this isn't enough to inspire, a very dear cyber friend just contacted me this morning about a possible collaboration. More on this later, but I'm VERY excited. :)

Oh - and I almost forgot! The winner to the "Collector Love" giveaway (scroll back to the December posts) is Barbara, a truly wonderful collector from an island in the pacific northwest, which just happens to be one island away from where my Mother grew up - how cool is that? Congrats, Barbara - I'll send the black cat Valentine box on it's way very soon!

Finally, Thanks very much to everyone who visited the grand opening of the new EHAG Emporium! Many items have already sold, but my apothecary chest and few others are still up for grabs, so if you haven't already, please do take a peek. :)

That's about it for now...I'm off to savor that morning tea now, and turn some of this possibility into reality. Wishing you a day of the same!

Blessings,
♥ Carolee

A Winter Challenge

As many of you know, I'm a member of the online artists' group EHAG. Most of us are known for our Halloween work, but this month the group was challenged to create a "crossover" piece (something with both Halloween and winter holiday elements) using the theme "Wintry and Spooky Owls".....


"Moonlight Totem" is what I've called this handsome fellow. I was pleased with the way he turned out. Such magical creatures, owls....and a blessing to be visited by one! I've seen several barn owls, but have never seen one of these snowy beauties in person. I imagine they're quite impressive up close and personal.

This one will list on eBay tonight at 9PM eastern. :)

Look for more new work soon; a clock, a footstool, a table and a recipe box. I also hope to visit the ceramic studio next week, so barring any firing disasters, there should be a pie plate or two before the holidays.

Right now I'm off to forage for supper...It's been dark and blustery all day today, and I've been working madly while sipping copious quantities of Twinings Winter Spice tea (another new favorite!)...It's a good night for soup, or possibly apple cake if I'm feeling ambitious....

I wish you could join me. :)

Instead, I'll wish you a happy and creative rest of the weekend, and be back in a day or two with more goodies.....

~ Carolee