More fairy stories

The fairies are gathering around & creating mischief for me again. Actually they're not gathering around here physically, they're out there in the world setting little events off in my life so I know the magic isn't gone yet.

The latest evidence this week:

I was sending out emails about my calendars to people who had expressed interest at the shows I was in last summer, letting them know I could deliver their orders this week. I had a few replies back, some nice orders (thanks Jennifer, Caroline, Connie) & in the midst of these emails there was one from an address I didn't know, wasn't on my list, saying "I like your calendars, and do you have one of mine?"

Well, that got my attention...when I replied back it was a photographer who had ordered his calendars on-line and when his box of 50 came, there were 2 of mine in there!!!

Now if that's not fairies getting into either the mail system or the computer system I don't know how else you could explain it. He emailed me from VIRGINIA!! I'm in Vancouver!! I've never been to Virginia. My shipment came from ONTARIO!! And, although the fairies were good enough to send him 2 of my calendars I don't have one of his. So, we've commenced a very interesting conversation about what's happening in both our worlds. There must be some reason the fairies have put us in touch...can you think what it might be??

Maybe it's my fairy that headed down to Australia to do some work with my cousin Heather & got sucked into a computer system down there. Last I heard Fay (isn't that a great fairy name?) was trying to get helped out of the system so possibly she ended up being spit out with my calendars. She'll be a nasty one to come across for a while, if that's the case--look out for her!

I asked Garrett (that's the Virginia photographer) how many fairies were there on the September page of the calendar (in case there's an extra one squished on the page a la "Lady Cottingdon's Book of Pressed Fairies"), & I must ask him if there are any fairy footprints on the calendar itself. Last summer there were fairy footprints over a lot of my magic books but there haven't been any fresh tracks (& I've got to get Wes the hunter looking for them) lately that I've seen!

That's the latest fairy news for now! Stay tuned for tales of more magic events (like my open house November 8 before I head south. Someone has sent me some fairy dust in her reply so it's already starting out well. She had to do that because the fairies stopped her from opening the invitation until she sent some fairy dust my way!)

Getting ready to head south...

Ok you lot out there! I thought I'd put a couple of photos up, one of my 2010 calendar that is hot off the press, the other is a small (4"X6") silk painting of koi that was my "sample" piece at the class I took a few weeks ago. The larger piece, the mermaid, is coming once I get a good photo of it. I will have to get it mounted first, so you can see it better, flat and square against the mount.

And look out, I'm getting ready for lift-off! 3 weeks tomorrow, as it happens. First, a trip to San Francisco & surroundings to meet a wonderful recently-found cousin of my dad's from Bournemouth, who's coming over to visit his brother (obviously also a cousin of my dad's!) & celebrate his retirement. I'll stay around the Bay area for almost a week with them, then have booked a flight on to LA & then down to Brisbane. After a week there with friends & family I'll head on down to Melbourne to catch up with my Aussie cousins there, retrieve my car, & think about what road to hit & when. Sydney will be coming up soon, late December if not before.

Lovely to have the basic arrangements booked & now all there is to do is finish off some things I've started here, get other things (like the garden) in shape for the winter, sell my 2010 calendars and order a reprint if demand requires, and get our annual party (The "Last Chance to Party" Party--with me before I go, that is!) & an open house organized for the weekend of November 7 & 8, just before I head off.

Meanwhile I've completed my arrangement with my brilliant coach Tymothea, as of today. A little sad, and also very grateful for all that she added to my life and awareness over the past 4 months. It's been an inspiring period of growth and I look forward to more as I plan for what I intend to accomplish and learn during my Down Under tour. As she suggests, the priorities are to play, paint, explore and look after my inner creative child. Maybe I'll find some fairies along the way! And some mermaids to swim with...wouldn't that be fantastic?

That's all for today, there's lots going on as always and while I'm enjoying the beautiful fall colours here, I'm very aware of cooler temperatures, signalling the arrival of winter, and looking forward to getting back to the southern sunshine for the...winter? summer down there? What to call it, depends on where you're reading this!

Ciao for now!

e

Sorting things out

Well, I have some responses from my last post....thanks! And I'll let you know off the top that I THINK I may have sorted out how to allow comments directly onto the blog. Of course, I reserve editorial/posting discretion but why don't you try to put a comment onto here & we'll see if it works? Learning all the way...

This weekend I'm having a bit of a retreat, into the mountains, away from the "big smoke" as some people call Vancouver. I also caught the first snowfall of the season--we got about an inch on Thursday night just after we arrived & it's been about -10 degrees (Celsius) at night so VERY COLD for those who want to head to warmer climes when it gets below +10 degrees!! The hubby is up even higher in the mountains (crazy fool!) after mountain sheep, camping out. After a lovely 3 hour hike yesterday at about -2 I'm delighted not to be up & out with him! Even though it's bright, sunny & dry it's still cold enough to put my appetite into high gear to try to keep myself warm.

Last night I watched (again) Slum Dog Millionaire with my hosts, in their cozy downstairs "screening room". It was a long way from sitting in the Outdoor Cinema on Sydney Harbour where I first saw the movie in January with my wonderful Aussie friend Di who knows all the best ways to enjoy her gorgeous city (& country, too, I might add). There was no Harbour Bridge or Opera House in the background, and although we had a delicious dinner beforehand here there was no bubbly such as went with the ambiance & warm evening air of Sydney. The movie was as good as the first time around (although I must admit I still couldn't understand about half the dialogue--thank God for subtitles!) & again I was left grateful for the life I live, & thankful that "It is written" for me somehow.

It is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, and the harvest is mostly in (here in Cranbrook if you haven't got it in it's almost too late--the ground is frozen solid!) and it's a wonderful moment to take time to appreciate & recognize how wealthy we are, in the richness around us, within us, the
beauty we have around us, the priviledge of living life in a first world country, and the comforts of home and hearth as winter draws near. Just take a moment to look around and be aware of what's there. If you're reading this on the computer you're almost certainly one of the wealthiest people on earth!

"Sorting things out" definitely includes being aware of what's there, what the priorities are, and I'm focusing on being purposeful for the next month, rather than "doing doing doing" all the time. Taking time to remind myself of purpose, look for purpose and be calm. All that doing will happen naturally (if I know myself!!!) and without much effort on my part. Steering the creativity, writing, painting, sales action, travel plans is where my creative self comes alive. Being focused on the purpose will make it flow easily.

So, when my 1st printing of 2010 calendars arrives next week (once I'm home I'll put a photo on as a preview for you!) I'll be ready to generate some sales. I'm test marketing my calendars with "Magical Watercolour Landscapes and More" on the cover, along with my new email address mymagic@shaw.ca . And I've gone into partnership with a friend to bring my favourite teacher Faith Love Robertson to do a watercolour workshop near us next Saturday so that's another magical event to look forward to. Paintings I do with her influence always turn out magically well!

Any more magic comments? Tell me what you think, of magic, of the blog, of life! And I'll keep you posted!

e

Success!! (Well, with posting more photos at least!)

Aha, I think I've got it! Guess once you upload one photo that's it for your blog so I've put 5 up there--not that there's much rhyme or reason to them other than they are things I've been working on & that are available for ordering, if you like! (OK, the slate shower stall is NOT available however some people have asked to see what it looks like after so many complaints about my "Gulag" for September).

Now if I could just work out how to put captions onto the photos & a comment in the right place I'd almost look like I knew what I was doing! The books (these & others) are $5-$12.50, the Magic Bags (I have both black & white magic bags) are $5, and my 2010 desk-top calendars (very similar to this one, going to the printer's tomorrow with my images) will be selling for $12 instead of the $12.50 I was expecting after the first print quote. And, if you buy 10 you'll get one free which effectively makes the price $11 each.

Now, on to words! Yesterday & today I've been in a bit of a funk, not sure why, feeling a bit off, un-inspired, tired, & cranky about, well, just about everything. Which is really not appealing to me or to others! So I was keeping my distance & keeping my mouth shut, unless spoken to, at which time I mostly said nasty things. Today I'd had enough of myself & so, luckily, I had nothing to do except sort myself out, which I did by going to the pool & swimming my solitary lengths instead of doing the usual class, then hitting the library & getting some inspirational books out--on fairies, unicorns, and other magical images to read about & paint or sketch this weekend when we go away to the mountains. Somehow that all worked to revive my spirits & I got a lot of other odds & ends accomplished after that.

One of the items was booking my flights to & from Aussie for November to March 15--& I'm almost there. I just have to get down to San Fran about Nov 11 or 12 for a weekend with a long-lost British cousin who's visiting his brother in Monterey--will be fantastic to visit them before I head to LA/Brisbane for a week/Melbourne on November 17. It's getting cooler here in Canada & I can feel the sunshine of Australia calling me louder every day!

I do feel so blessed to be leading the life I do. It's pretty fantastic and I don't ever want to take it for granted. However, something in me just seems to want to create more--art, wealth, happiness, fun, love, peace...& that's where my mission comes in, I guess. Playing with fairies and magic is great fun! Today I started writing a story about a fairy so we'll see where that goes. I don't know if I'm up to doing the illustrations (as yet) however you never know what will come off the end of my brush--look at that mermaid I did in silk! And there seem to be lots of fairy tale books in the library so there's a market for them apparently!

Tell me, what do you think about magic & fairies? Are you interested?? Enquiring minds want to know!

More photos please! Will be coming when I figure out how!

Well, something's NOT happening right now--like my "add Image" button is not working. Stay tuned in case I solve the problem before Thursday!

Some of my work

Hi again

I'm getting myself sorted out for the next 6 weeks, until I head off for Australia via California, and got some of my photos organized. Primarily I'm working on my 2010 calendar which I'll be sending to print next week, however on my camera there are also a few photos of my September "art" project as well as some sample "Magic Books" so I thought I'd give you a peek!

And, techno spaz here, I can't seem to figure out how to get more than one photo onto the blog at a time (any tips from you savvy bloggers out there??) so I guess I'll be doing more posts to get the images up!

Next weekend (starting on Thursday for me actually) is Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada & my hubby & I are headed east to the Rockies for the weekend. He'll be hunting with a friend, for sheep, & I'll be trying to stay warm in Cranbrook. Also plan to fit some painting in as I've been putting my energies to other chores (see photo above!) for longer than I like!

OK, I'll close this post & start another so I can get more photos up!