Wow.....I can't believe I haven't posted in a year! I knew that I was a bad blogger but oh my gosh lol! A lot has happened since the last time I posted. After disappointments and a very long wait my Spooky Hollow Children's book is finally being published! My book will be released in the fall of 2014. That sounds like such a long time from now but I could have chosen the spring. I wanted the book to be released before Halloween so it will be worth the wait and fall was the right choice! I'm really glad that they even gave me a choice. When it is released you can either purchase one from me signed or buy one at Barnes and Nobles or Amazon.com. So this is the OFFICIAL announcement that my book will be published next year. I will make a post THE DAY you can purchase one lol. It is an illustrated children's chapter book for ages 7-11 or older! There will be tons of illustrations along with the story. This is taking up most of my time so I am not getting out as many monster dolls as I would like to but next year I plan on building an army and hitting every show I have ever been invited to do! I have never accepted to do shows in other states before but with the book coming I am hitting all of them lol. My dream is to to comicon and there is a tiny tiny chance that might be possible. When I have all the shows lined up I will send out a letter and post showing you where I will be and when. I am so excited about next year I could burst. I hope it gets here quickly but this gives me plenty of time to prepare!
For a long time I didn't know where I fit in the folk art or Halloween art world. I am horrible at groups and dropped out of any that I belonged to. I never accepted any show invites because I was just to nervous and scared to do them out of state and I really don't know why. I felt my characters were to cartoony to really fit in with the Halloween art scene. I wanted to get in magazines to feel like I fit in which was so stupid. I didn't need to prove myself. My Grimmy dolls do that one their own. I have always been a loner and because of me dropping out of groups or not accepting invitations I ticked off a woman. I had a person who belonged to one of the groups I left call me one day. She asked me who my publisher was and I told her. The next thing I knew she said she had to go and she was calling me back. She never did making it pretty obvious that all she wanted to know was who my publisher was. This same person had called me in the past and with each phone call I got the low down on just about every Halloween artist there is and she had nothing nice to say about any of them. She was a horrible gossip pure and simple. Not all people are like that and that was the only person in that group who behaved like that. The rest were very nice people but her behavior made me run in the other direction.
She was a friend on facebook and I finally reached the point that even looking at her profile picture made my blood pressure rise and she is the only person I have ever blocked on facebook. It felt so good after I did! It was like a weight was lifted. I highly recommend blocking people who make your blood pressure go up. It's worth it! It's your life and you can choose who is in it or who is not in it.
I'm just different I guess and at first that bothered me. Now I embrace it. I don't feel the need to fit in. I'm content with my little world I have created. I like being my own person and not a follower. I am just terrible when it comes to online groups. I never show up and post and then I feel guilty so I just don't join them anymore. The only thing I will do differently will be to hit all the shows I was invited to next year. One is huge so I can't wait to do is called Scarefest. They get like over 70,000 visitors and how cool will it be to have my own booth with people in creepy costumes surrounding me! lol. How fun is that going to be? My son is going with me! That is one thing I like about being different. My cartoon guys totally fit in there. Comicon would be so great and like I said I have a tiny chance of going. So what I am saying is I am so content being my own person, a geek and following my heart. I am thrilled to be on the cartoon side of Halloween and super thrilled that my art fell into a category for children! That was a fluke. I had no idea that children's magazines and people buying art for their children would ever happen. So getting the book published for children just warms my heart. My high school and college cartoons have paid off lol! I might be weird but I'm happy weird and I finally know where I fit in. I fit in with children, comics, and good old fashioned Halloween costume and prop shows! I have been invited to some Halloween art shows led by the greatest people and I am accepting these invitations next year. I'm just a happy monster maker and how cool is it that I can now put author, illustrator to my job description to show my son. I think the thing that makes me the happiest about that is when I am gone my kids can say that their mom did a crazy weird Halloween book that got published lol. It may not be that big of a deal but my son is so proud. That is what matters. What you feel in your heart and your family.
Other than all that lol. I've been making monsters and I started to make one reborn baby per month. I will post a picture of 2 if you don't know what a reborn is. It's just a doll made to look as real as possible and I am very proud of my work. Here are 2 of my dolls that sold.
If you follow me on facebook I am sure you know that our house is officially haunted. I'm talking crazy haunted and coming from a woman who has her art, books and designs named Spooky Hollow there are times I am sure I am not taken seriously. lol. I do have a blog about our home but I keep it separate from my work. If you would like the link you can email me though. I just won't post it here.
One thing to watch out for this week and next are the 5th annual Golden Grimmy awards. The problem about the awards are you have to follow me on facebook to get a possible entry. What I do is send a photo of a Golden Grimmy to random people on facebook. 10-15 per day for a few days. I do NOT go by who I know or like. I only send one to random people that have posted on my wall on a regular basis or new fans. No favorites ever. I've upset some friends in the past because they didn't get one lol. Everyone who does get a photo of the golden Grimmy award will be entered into a contest where they can win a real Golden Grimmy and a Spooky Hollow art gift basket but you have to follow me on facebook or fan my Spooky Hollow page to enter or to get the random Golden Grimmy photos. You can fan me on facebook here.
Spooky Hollow Folk Art
That way you have a chance to get a golden Grimmy photo award on your wall.
This is a photo you could possibly get on your wall!
So fan my page or post on one of my walls to enter to try get one of these..if you do get one then you are entered to win the real thing and the gift basket!
Here are just a few pictures of some new Grimmy art dolls. They are sold but I always do commission Grimmy dudes so just email me if you want one!
folkartist@spookyhollow.net
If you like one of the guys above I would love to make one for you! Again just email me at folkartist@spookyhollow.net
Or you can email me for a custom reborn doll.
Ok. I promise to blog again soon lol! I plan on blogging here the same days I blog at my haunted house blog!
Please follow this blog by clicking the follow button to the right of this page!
Have a boo-ti-ful day!
Carmen
and
Grimmy!
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