O Frabjous Day!

Callooh! Callay!

Just when I'm beginning to come down from my Tim Burton/Alice in Wonderland buzz, the fanciful Miss Vanessa Valencia announces the third annual Mad Tea Party!

Soooo many ideas swirling around in my head for this wonderful blog event (parties and giveaways not the least of them, hehe!) Click here for more info, and stay tuned for details on some Mad Tea pieces ala King of Mice. ;)

Speaking of new pieces, today was just sooooooo productive (and FUN too!) I painted three new boxes: "Wicked", "Blessed Bee" and "Believe in Magic. "Blessed Bee" has real button accents on the flowers, and "Believe" has sparkly, glittery dragonflies. All three will list on eBay tomorrow evening with a "buy it now" option. :)


I have soooo much more to share, but I'm beyond tired tonight, and if I don't crash soon, I'm afraid I'll turn into a pumpkin, hehe. So I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully well rested, and ready to pick up right where I'm leaving off tonight...

Until then,
♥ Carolee

Some Things.....

Are soooooo worth the wait, teehee....

This piece took the better part of a week, but I'm just thrilled with the result: an original, one of a kind checkers game table/storage chest, with removable lid, measuring 15 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 17" tall. The other sides depict a skelly, witch, mummy and pumpkin and two scarecrow guys dancing. Oh - and it will appear in a fall magazine ad for the Ghoultide Gathering too! It's listed now on eBay. :) ~ SOLD ~

Back very soon with more goodies and lots of news!!

♥ Carolee

Painting Madly Here....

Just flying in for a moment to share a peek at the current work in progress - a very large checkers game/storage chest/table which I'm ticked pink (or maybe black and orange?) to say will appear in a national magazine ad for the Ghoultide Gathering this fall!!

It will also be available for purchase later this evening, so stay tuned (update - just a day late, hehe)...

Off to paint a whole big bunch of checkers now....

♥ Carolee

Back So Soon....

Seems like I was just popping in here yesterday, hehe...Not to bore you with constant posts, but I just had to share this one, which unless it sells directly (feel free to email me if you're interested) will list tomorrow night on eBay...

I'll tell you, Merlin is a constant source of inspiration for wizard cats! Sometimes we really do think he's magic - he has the most amazing ability to disappear without a trace. Not to worry though- he always turns up for dinner. ;)

The wooden platter shown here measures 13 1/2" in diameter x 1", and comes signed, with a certificate of authenticity. $260 plus shipping. ~SOLD~

OK, off I go to work on another project now (no rest for the wicked, hehe)....

♥ Carolee

Blessing the Bees

I'm the first to admit for most of my life, I've had a love-hate relationship with bees. OK, maybe hate is too strong a word. A love-fear relationship is more accurate.

They're truly magical creatures, beautiful and hard working, pollinating our fruits, flowers and vegetables and providing the planet with about 1/3 of our food. Pretty impressive for such a small insect...


But there's that sting thing. And that allergy thing. Having experienced both, I've developed shall we say, a healthy respect for bees. So why would I want to attract them to my garden? Because it's important we all do our part, and because there are times when a small risk (the odds of getting stung are actually pretty small - the bees are just looking for food and nectar, not human flesh) is nothing compared to the magic that happens when we give Mother Nature a little encouragement.

By now we've all read about colony collapse disorder - scary stuff - and I've been reading lately that our harsh winter didn't help matters either. So what to do?

Plant a bee garden! Make a bee house! Welcome and bless these magical creatures. Thank them for their hard work, their honey, and the food they provide. Learn to fear them less, and love them more. Give them a home. Make a difference.

With all this in mind, I have to share a peek at my latest honeybee homage, this large sign or door crown. I'm picturing it bringing a little enchantment to someone's bee friendly garden. :)

I'm off to have a cup of tea now (sweetened with wildflower honey of course) and begin another painting...I'll be back very soon with new work, and a hint at things to come with EHAG's "Black and White Fright" challenge.

Until then, I'll leave you with a book recommendation, one of my all time favorites, and a "must-read", Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees". Truly amazing - a quick read, but one that stays with you long after you've finished it.

Wishing you a *magical* and productive day!
♥ Carolee

No Rest for the Wicked ;)

It's been a crazy busy week here, and isn't likely to let up any time soon...But I'm not sure I'd have it any other way....Well, alright - maybe a day off once in a while, hehe. ;)

I've been painting like a madwoman, and have some new work to share. First, these two adorable little bowls, part of a set of four I picked up at an antique store last weekend. The other two are destined for the Ghoultide Gathering....


The orange bowl is sold, but the blue one with the tuxedo cat is listed on eBay.

Here's another piece, also listed on eBay - Isn't this just the coolest shaped box? I love the curved lines - so elegant. I wanted to do something special with this one, so sculpted a little accent/handle for the top. My daughter says all my moons look like me, hehe...I don't see it. OK, maybe just a little...

I had such fun with the Celtic knotwork border on this one. I think it gives it a wee bit of a mystical feel.

I've also been working on the first card for the upcoming oracle deck. SUCH fun! No details yet, but stay tuned...

Overall, it's been a wonderful, productive week, with just one disappointment. Some canvases I ordered arrived dented. Boo Hiss. So back they went, a replacement order placed, as I began rescheduling and juggling completion dates.

The week ended on a high note though - Saturday night dinner with good friends, which is always a treat. It seems ages since we've entertained here and I'm determined to remedy that this summer. It just doesn't get any better than good food, good wine, good music and good company, does it?

Speaking of good wine, I'm off to have a glass now...Actually, I'm off to have a glass of mediocre wine, if there is such a thing, hehe. I'll be back soon though, with more new work, further rambling, etc....In the meantime, I wish you a magical, creative week. :)

♥ Carolee

Halloween in April?

Of course! (Halloween all year 'round, hehe!)

Just had to share this one, black cats dancing at twilight on All Hallows Eve, as a tiny mouse looks out from one of the jack-o-lanterns...

You can't see the back in these photos, but there's a spiderweb there.



This is one of those children's chairs I picked up at the Amish toymaker's shop over the weekend, and is one of the last three he's made. (I snagged the other two as well).

I'm posting this one here on the blog for one day before listing it on eBay. The "buy it now" will be $295 either way, so if it's a "must-have", just shoot me an email before I list it. (First-come, as always) :) ~SOLD~

♥ Carolee