Wearable Art!

I'm not what you'd call a "jewelry person"....

That is, I don't go gaga over diamonds and pearls, don't even own any yellow gold, and have never had my ears pierced. Back in the day, my wedding ring, rather than the traditional diamond, was custom made of sapphires, because if I had to wear jewelry, I wanted something different....

But ART jewelry is another story - can't get enough of it. My jewelry box is home to everything from hand painted beads, to art glass, from a miniature kaleidoscope necklace to deliberately mismatched earrings. When it comes to jewelry, the brighter and funkier the better as far as I'm concerned.

I guess I just want something that proclaims "fun" rather than ridiculous expense. ;)

That said, I have yet to keep one of my own creations, but do hope to remedy that this year (I'd really like something fabulous to wear to the Ghoultide Gathering in October!) In the meantime, I'm sending this latest bit of wearable whimsy out into the world via eBay auction.


LOTS of work in this necklace, hehe, and I hope it brings a smile. :) The photo here shows it on orange, but I think it would look amazing on a black sweater.

Next up - a wicked elegant stationary box with all the accoutrements....

Stay tuned! ;)

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

Doo doo-doo do-do doooooooo.....

As I painted away, we apparently we had a brush with dangerous weather last night....

There I was, putting the finishing touches on hundreds of wooden beads (many necklaces in progress) and chatting on the phone with my niece, when the sky became as dark as night - we're talking DARK here, and all in about three minutes time. High winds, loud thunder and hail followed, and I ended the call to go shut down the computer. That accomplished, I returned to painting, barely noticing the scene outside, except to give a brief thought to the recent roof repair. The storm lasted only a short while, and the sun returned just as quickly as it had disappeared.

A short while later the phone rang, and it was my niece again, wondering if we were allright.....

Apparently the Phildalephia evening news reported a tornado had blown through our little town, tearing a few roofs off and doing serious damage to a nearby trailer park. All of this as I painted bats and cats and ghosts....

Gives a whole new meaning to the word "oblivious", doesn't it?

Look for one of the necklaces on eBay later this evening. ;)

~ Carolee

The Best Laid Schemes...

....o’ mice an’ men Gang aft a-gley.

or "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" ~Robert Burns, "To a Mouse"


I'm up to my ears in hand painted wooded beads for several necklace commissions - and with luck, one for ebay as well. :)

The plan was to have these finished the day before yesterday, but between dealing with the roofer, playing catch up from last week's computer mishap, a visit with our darling daughter (who just moved closer to home - yay!) and the explosion that is my workspace, I'm afraid time has gotten the better of me...

The good news is that progress is actually being made....

No, really, it is. :)

Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed, but in a good way? Like there are sooooooo many projects you hardly know where to turn, and each one holds such possibility you want to dig into it immediately?! Like there are so many ideas and so much inspiration you'll never be able to get to it all? That's kind of where I am....heck, that's where I always seem to be, hehe....

So I must get back to it....

But before I do, I have to share the most recent commission - a tea chest featuring my collector friend Barbara's fur children - soooooooo much fun to paint this one!!


And just a week or so after I sent it off, there came a knock at the door....

The postman, bearing a package from Barbara, with the most wonderful goodies imaginable from Chocolate Flower Farm on Whidbey Island, off the coast of Washington State. The incredible part is that this is the little island where my Mother grew up! How cool is that?!

And isn't my Mom pretty? This is a photo of her back then:

Okay, that really is it for now. Back to work I go, sipping a cup of this heavenly chocolate mint tea, burning a chocolate candle (thank you Barbara!) and listening to the Beatles....Does it get any better?!

Wishing everyone a magical and creative day!!

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

Belated Thanks

I don't often post blog awards, but having received this one several times over, I'm crying uncle, lol...And thank you to Iva, of Halloween Alechemy, to Julie Mitchell and to Zan Asha for the kind words about my random musings here. :)

The deal with this award is to list seven things that I love, or things that inspire. Difficult to narrow it down when there's a whole world of love and inspiration out there, but I'll pick a few of them:

1. Spirit; God, Goddess, the universe, the creator - whatever name you put to it, being in touch with that force, feeling close to it, expressing gratitude for it's blessings is like a well of inspiration rising up. Basically, being attuned to something greater than myself.

2. My family. I know, everyone says this, but really, if you're doing a "things I love" list and your family isn't very near the top, you're in serious trouble, right? ;)

3. Music. Celtic, folk, world music, classical, blues, jazz - pretty much anything except metal, rap or country. The music I'm listening to can not only inspire, but change the direction of a piece. Absolutely cannot create without music.

4. Animal friends and companions. They're so in tune with the natural world, and so in the moment...and if we listen, have so much to teach us humans about simple pleasures, pure joy and unconditional love. :)

5. Road trips. The kind without an itinerary. Where you just get in the car and GO. No schedule to follow, no timetable, and no plan but adventure and discovery - the best!

6. Informal gatherings, especially with creative types...Nothing more energizing or inspiring than getting together with other artists. Around here, the gatherings are usually potlucks, with plenty of wine, often a couple of guitars, and animated conversation...doesn't get much better than that.

7. Last, but certainly not least - Halloween (You never saw that one coming, did you?!) Bright colors, magic, dressing up, childhood memories, scary tales, parties, and just plain good times. It's the holiday for being a kid again - no obligatory visits, no shopping, no stress, just FUN. :)

So there you have it - seven things out of the gazillion or so that inspire....

I'm supposed to "tag" seven other now, but to be honest I'm not big on the tagging thing....so consider this an open tag, and post seven things if you're so inclined. ;)

Or post a comment here - what do YOU find inspiring?

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

New Halloween Goodies and a Clean Computer!

What a weekend...I've been on pins and needles for DAYS waiting to get back here to share all the new Halloween goodies....

Were you wondering where I'd gone?

The condensed version of what happened is that we awoke Saturday morning to a very sick computer; dire warnings recommending immediate service, lest a complete meltdown occur.....

Panic. Computer withdrawl. Not to mention recalculating the weekly budget. Yikes!

Apparently the poor little fan inside the computer tower is no match for three cats and two long haired dogs (go figure, hehe)...So off we went to see the good people at Landis Computer, where our computer stayed until they delivered it good as new just a few hours ago. :)

In the meantime, my friend Jen was kind enough to let me check email on her computer yesterday (thanks, Jen!)

And this morning? A clean computer, no damage to the hard drive, and a much relieved ME - YAY for happy endings. :)

Soooooooo, on to the new work....


This is one I wish I had painted for my own house - a wicked cool stand, perfect for showing off a jack-o-lantern, a candle, or a favorite Halloween collectible. It's listed on ebay now, but ends this evening. I can just picture it as a centerpiece or window display.


These three I decided to list in my Etsy shop (having neglected it for far too long, I think)....I really do try to keep things listed over there, but they seem to fly so fast! I've priced these with the economy in mind - no bidding, just direct purchase, so if that appeals to you, take a peek. :) *UPDATE* - SOLD

I've been busy, busy, busy with commissions too, and making serious progress, so stay tuned. I'll post some commission photos soon....

That's about it for now - so much still to do and so little time (I really do need some elves!) I'm on my way to brew a cup of Jasmine tea and catch up on blog posts now - just a quick break and then I'm off to work on those commissions, and next week's giveaway....

Back again soon. ;)

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

Signs of Spring

Tiny green buds on the lilac bushes....

Moss appearing on the bricks at the side of the pond.....

And I'm not sure what these little guys are called, but they're coming up all OVER the herb garden....

Spring is definitely on it's way! If you're into hearing some springtime tunes, scroll down on the right and click on the playlist. I'm dating myself with some of the selections, but they sooooooooo herald springtime. :)

Back soon with Halloween goodies galore!

~ Carolee

An Irish Blessing :)

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

~ from Ancient Gaelic runes