This holiday season I'm going to ask you to use your imagination. You know that every December Brian and I go in to the Nifty Shed and set up a group of Froud creatures to photograph - mostly Sneezle and his friends - to wish everyone a happy holiday. Well, this year we just couldn't get any of the creatures to pose for us. Their schedules never coincided with ours and they demanded too many honey sandwiches and nectar (which they always drink far too much of) so it just didn't happen.

What I'd like you to do is imagine that this picture of Mr. Underwood and his friends has lots of seasonal, festive things happening in it that you'll be able to see if you look hard enough. Imagine that Mr. Underwood's branched horns are festooned with Mistletoe and at the very tips of them are red glass balls hanging in a cheery manner. The two little creatures in his hat (uninvited guests) are having a party and are holding tiny glasses filled with something festive and all of the creatures surrounding Mr. Underwood are dancing in a snow filled forest. Can you see that? I'm sure you can. Now imagine that it says Happy Holidays from Brian, Wendy and Toby Froud just above the top of his hat. There - the perfect Holiday card. I promise that next year we'll be sure to get it together in time so you won't have to imagine anything, but thank you for the effort this year.

It's been an incredibly busy few months. The exhibition in London was such fun and very successful for us as well. Thank you to everyone who came by to see us. There was hardly any time at all in the gallery when we weren't signing books or talking to people about the work on display. It's always gratifying to see how many people are excited about being able to meet us in England. There also seems to be a great deal of interest in having a festival (FaerieWorlds / FaerieCon) over here. I'm sure we'll be thinking about that.

It was also a sad time for us because the day before we left for London, our very beloved dog Barney died after being our faithful companion for almost fifteen years. The house isn't the same without him and we still keep thinking we hear him in the next room. Buster the cat is being very loving and I'm sure he's trying to make up for our loss. Being Buster, he can only be loving and attentive for a few minutes before he just can't stop himself biting me or grabbing my feet with his claws. He doesn't do this to Brian or Toby. I think he must like me best - and I have the scratches to prove it.

We did have a truly fun photo shoot in the Nifty Shed this week. Candace Savage of Gypsy Moon, sent a box full of the clothes she has made for the "Faery Godmother" line of clothing that we are developing together. The spring and summer colors are so beautiful, it felt like opening a box of wildflowers. My faery godmother friends and I got together and modelled them for Brian to photograph. We should have the photos ready to show in a few days. Check both of our sites for updates.

We've had nothing but rain and gale force winds for the past week. I think it's blown all of the faeries away. I know that Buster saw one this evening but I think it must have been a lone faery who was flying around in a rather dazed way. I came into the kitchen and found Buster dancing madly on his hind legs all across the kitchen floor. He was leaping at something that zigzagged all over the room (I couldn't see anything - all I could see was Buster zigging and zagging after it). But I think the others have been blown away or are hiding until the weather changes. Maybe they'll come out again when we put the Christmas tree up. I do hope so. Of course I suppose that means that if they are around the tree, Buster will feel obliged to climb it and catch them. I'll keep you posted.

We wish you all the very best of holidays and hope that the New Year brings joy.

Wendy Froud
December 2007

Previous Greeting-->