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Attic Cartomancy

Personal Bruhah

Published April 20, 2020

It’s Alive!! Err, I Mean She’s Alive!


Bethalynne Bajema I have returned… mostly. The post below details and sums up my last eight monthes so I’ll leave that there. It’s not something I like reliving. The thing that bothered me most of all was my loss of independence. When I was first completely bed bound and had to rely on others for everything, I hated it. I worked my ass off to get my limbs back and walk, move on my own, and try to be me again. And with my physical therapists encouraging me I did get back to normal. Then everything went to hell and I was right back to the ICU and to being bed bound. I did that three or four times. Now I’m home and finally taking on stairs again. The best thing was dropping 150lbs. I told you I’d gotten roomie there for awhile. Depression and comfort food are a bad combo. So that photo there is me as of now. Good to meet you. I’m feeling a lot better in my own skin.

This will be brief because it was a dialysis day and after getting home and getting back to work finally, I’m exhausted. I need a soft pillow, good bed, a back-rub and some serious sleep. I can’t believe all that is going on right now–a new virus and quarantine is not what I expected to come home to. I’m just thankful I’m not experiencing it still in the hospital. I hope each of you is taking care of yourself and those you love. And as I make to get in my jammies, check out my shoppe if you’ve been itching for one of my tarots. I’ve put up a few decks for sale to try and get myself back into the swing of things. More to come. Have a wonderful night and stay healthy and safe! <3

Published March 10, 2020

Updates


It’s been awhile for updates. We almost lost Beth during that time. She’s finally home and healing quite well. Sadly we’re all now in the warming kettle with this pandemic and state of government aren’t we? While that is very much on our minds, we have to set that aside for the moment. –Part of Beth’s occupational therapy once home, was taking little steps to get back to her normal daily routine. So we will be opening up the shoppe again and getting caught up on inquiries. (Medical bills demand that really.) And now that we’re all quarantined within out houses, I’d say we have a little more time to devote to it. We won’t subject everyone to the details of the last many months, but should you be interested you can read about it beyond the more button below. Thank you all again for supporting Attic Cartomancy during one of its very low times. We hope to get back to semi normal.

Published April 10, 2019

The Dreary Squirrel Says Hello Deary

A very dreary squirrel dearySo (I insert here a long, somewhat sad, dramatic pause) the wonderful TheTarotParlor pointed out a typo in my Lydia deck on the Happy Squirrel card. So first! A wee background on this card – which you probably already know, but since I explained it to my friend Kate this past con (her having literally no time left in her life for things like pop culture) I realize not everyone knows the squirrel card.

Long and short – the Happy Squirrel card is a brief moment in an episode of the Simpsons when Lisa goes to a fortune teller tent and gets a tarot card reading. She gets all the bad cards and then the happy squirrel, to her delight, until the fortune teller drops back in horror. It’s one of those cards you will now find in some decks. Some people like it, some don’t. I put this card in mine where it fits. Isidore and Lydia decks both have happy squirrel cards with my own twist. The Isidore Tarot has a happy squirrelthulhu cuz… I don’t know, tentacles! Lydia has a dreary squirrel card because it is a darker deck that still keeps a pinch of humor. The problem? It was pointed out to me that I did not type dreary and no matter how I looked at that card I never saw the typo. I put deary squirrel. Ugh! Double ugh!

I have printed and adopted out so many of these decks at this point. I have an entry in both companion books where dreary is in the meaning literature while the card sits there all lacking an R. My proof reader didn’t catch it! So what to do??!! Accept it I decided. It almost seems like a small joke the woman who is Lydia Wilhelmina might play. She grew up in an era where there were many older woman who might refer to her as deary, and some of them might have voiced it with mischief quietly hidden behind it. She might have done the very same thing herself. So this deck is owning its boo boo and quietly dragging it into the mythos that is the Lydia deck.

And hey… maybe that dreary squirrel comes running out all full of mischief and dark mirth before suddenly pulling a nice tea pot from behind its back and saying “Oh hello there deary! I am a squirrel… I’m here to be naughty. Tuck in!” 😉 Yeah… I’m going with that. TOTALLY!!

Published March 10, 2019

Strength I Do Not Have


When last I updated my blog with something other than new deck info, my dad was traveling to Ohio by way of a paid driver who drove her car here. Her belongings were tetris’d into a POD that was shipped to local storage. And finally my dad was going to be living in a hotel for at least two weeks while we tried to find her someplace to live. Cue the soap opera music.

I’ll be completely honest–I did not believe myself to be capable of doing all the things that needed to be done. I’ve barely had ten years of knowing (mostly) how to take care of myself as a responsible adult. A life as a career artist doesn’t always inspire rigid structure or discipline in anything other than being creative. How was I going to do all this stuff for my dad while he was not in a place to help? Thankfully I have a rather impressive husband who helped with some of the heavy lifting.

So now, mostly on the other side of things, my father is in a very nice senior living community. After I looked at so many apartments that just weren’t going to work, and doing this only after realizing we didn’t have the money to get her into assisted living, my husband stumbled upon an online ad for senior apartments just about to open up in our town. I called and while they didn’t have first floor apartments, they did have an elevator and emergency chords in all rooms. We went over and met Joletta, perhaps one of the sweetest people I have me to date. The rent included everything. Let me repeat that – EVERYTHING. Utilities, water and sewage, trash, even the freaking cable. No lengthy credit approval either. Just had to show we could pay that rent and she became a new tenant. When Joletta told “Just breath girl, it’s gonna be alright.” I nearly started bawling. Though not quite as badly as my dad started to bawl as she sat in her new apartment and very new life situation.

She moved in Feb 28th and is mostly settled now. I have been able to take a breath. A long, agonized, hoarse sounding one. There’s never a good time for a change of routines when you’re an anxious creature who relies on her routines to stay calm. But this was a rather bad time among bad times. Taking care of the IGG campaign, back orders, and juggling the variety of health issues that keep going away and coming back (presently very much back), it was just a suck time for this. But, here we are. It happened, it’s done, and for the first time in my life I can call my dad and then just drive over and see her. That boggles my mind still. So now, back to our previously scheduled programming. Above is two pages our of my grimoire for Strength.

Published December 15, 2018

Notes from the Coughing Zone


I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, though I might propel myself into space with my coughing. What I thought was a lingering flu turned out to be a rather aggressive lung and inner ear infection. By the time I found this out it had also spread through my lymph nodes and offered some fabulous swelling. So I’ve been on bed rest and a mountain of medication for the past few weeks. Just another lovely perk of having a weakened immune system. I still feel rather blah, but at least my bone rattling cough has gotten much better.

In happier news, my mini decks and tea tins arrived this week so I am officially fully stocked to cover my Lydia campaign perks and my cyber Monday sales. I will be able to begin shipping smaller perks hopefully as soon as next week. I hope to be back to my regular posting then too. Now I’m going to go start tucking minis into their boxes before my body tells me its time to take a break again. 🙂

Published November 23, 2018

Recommended Shopping


I spend way too much of my time on instagram, I cannot lie. During my idle time there I have found some wonderful shops that I think would appeal to those who follow me there and my blog here. So here are a few links for this biggest shopping weekend of the year and I will be adding to it as more shops tip toe across my screen.

Tarot n Tea is just what is sounds like – lots of tarot and some lovely tea to sip as you read. Babbo offers a variety of different gift boxes that come themed for the season and full of lots of lovely things. I’m also a deck contributor so you will see some of my cards in those boxes and in readings. 🙂 Get your box here.

The Bee and the Snake offers neat handmade things, especially drawstring tarot bags! Betsy has an etsy shop of goodness found here.

Spookys Geek Boutique is a fun place for a lil spooky and a lil sweet. They have their own holiday weekend sale going on at their site here.

The 8th House Tarot is in the process of making a tarot deck of the same name. The artwork is simple and straight to the point. Annabel has started a pantheon page to help aid the process of see her deck realized.

Published October 3, 2018

American Horror Story Tarot?


Being the huge American Horror Story fangirl that I am, as well as being the compulsive card designer, I’ve been making fan related cards while I watch the show. I like some seasons better than others, and I really LOVE this season so far. And the witches are back! And Stevie Nicks is coming back! Eeeehhh! Alright, a couple samples. 🙂 And this is just a fan-art thing. I’m not actually doing a tarot for the show, but man that would be great! Now, ten minutes and counting to showtime and what the witches are up to!

Attic Cartomancy - American Horror Story - Fan Tarot

Attic Cartomancy - American Horror Story - Fan Tarot

Published October 1, 2018

It’s October!!


Finally! I spent the last day of September with my friend Anastasia a.k.a. Acid Poptart, a wonderful writer and model. Between her costume and my mask we were able to bring Madam Lydia Wilhelmina to life. Below is a sample. There are a few more samples in my IGG updates. Speaking of which, 183% funded! I’m moving towards my first stretch goal so I can bump up everyone’s perks. Thank you so much to everyone who has backed it so far. 🙂 Speaking of which, I have review decks I need to package up and send off into the world. More to come!

Madam Lydia Wilhelmina

Published July 14, 2018

A Dreadful Night


It’s been so hot today! The air can’t keep up. Had to tuck the laptop away for a little bit. It has cooled down to get back to blog work. Feels like a marathon re-watching of Penny Dreadful kind of night. If for no other reason than to watch and learn that wicked elegant card spreading of Vanessa’s. 🖤🕷🕸🦇
Penny Dreadful from Showtime

Published April 20, 2018

Owl Lady is off being Owl Lady


Bethalynne Bubo

Posts have been a little slow as of late. During the day I’m working on fulfilling my sale orders and during the evening I’ve been tackling my costume for the first convention of the season. Most of that working has been on my first mask, pictured here now that it is finally finished. The mask will have a dual purpose as the gent and I will be vending at the Midsummer Masquerade soon as well. And really? I wanted a huge and fabulous, slightly dark, detailed costume that I could put on like a second skin and move through the convention menacingly while innocently handing out candy. Or something like that. It’s a steampunk convention with a super heroes and villains theme. I wanted to be Poison Ivy, but she’s kind of the go to for a lot of people. So I made up my own villain.

I absolutely adore owls.

I have three animals on my personal totem: The black rabbit, a carry over from my childhood when I was obsessed with the book Watership Down. The white fox, which comes from my love of kitsune in Japanese folklore. And finally the wise owl, companion to the goddess of wisdom Athena; most famously (for me) crafted as Bubo in Clash of the Titans to aid Perseus so Athena didn’t have to send her own beloved owl. It might have struggled with Greek mythology, but that was another place where my mind got interested in certain subjects as a kid. Plus, as an adult who attends steampunk functions, mechanical owls are a thing. I wanted it to look somewhat old, slightly mechanical, but regal with a lot of little parts. And the mask does have all three of my critters. Obviously the mask is meant to look like an owl, plus it has a jeweled owl between the eyes. At the top of the tiny bird scull is a small rabbit. On the back of the mask I drew my fox, which looks a lot like my white feline Ghost, who I’m positive is just a fox pretending to be a feline so I would take her in when I found her as a wee qwueeber in my backyard so long ago. I mean… everything doesn’t have to have a meaning or symbolize something… it’s just more fun that way!

Anyhoo, as I was saying, I’ve been a bit busy for web stuff at the moment. I will get back into the swing of things. In the meantime I have my costume progress and con things over at my personal blog. Or, better stated, I will soon. That site is fighting with posting at the moment so I’m giving it a time out. (With plenty of disapproving scolding finger.) For the record, mask making and art doll making have been on my list of things to try. Basically I wanted to see if I could create 3D designs of my brides artwork, seen here. That is my Black Cat and Poisoned Tea Society collection. I’m rather pleased with my first attempt. Now I should get back to work. Toodles noodles!

Published February 14, 2018

Happy Valentine’s Day!


Attic Cartomancy - Happy Valentines Day

Published January 1, 2018

Welcome 2018! Please be a better year!!

2018 Happy New Year

Published December 19, 2017

Goodbye for now…


Now that all my sales have concluded and shipped, I’m taking a little break for the holidays. Posts will resume in the new year. And I’ll have previews of the Isidore Tarot’s third edition, as well as a new alternative version of the deck just in time for the approaching spring. (Note to nature: Please be approaching. Please! I was told moving to southwest Ohio would mean I didn’t have to suffer through lakeshore Michigan temps. They fibbed!) So have a very wonderful holiday however you celebrate them and I’ll see you back here in the new year. 🙂

Published November 29, 2017

Tell My Tarot


Charmaine Frapp shared with me her wonderful site before I took my sudden detour from the aetherwebs. Her site Tell My Tarot has a lot of wonderful stuff to offer like haiku horoscopes, card of the day, tarot card meanings, and more, but the free reading page is really cool. There are five options to choose from to ask questions or learn more about the symbolism of the tarot. Please take a moment and pay her site a visit. 😉

Published November 27, 2017

State of the Attic!


Picture me standing up with hands on my hips, with a determined look on my face as I stare off into the distance. Maybe I have a cape blowing in the breeze behind me. Can you picture it? No? You just think I’m being weird? Ah well, I do like the dramatics. I just wanted to update those who have been writing my shoppe and my blog. All the business related stuff has been covered by Maggie (thank you Maggie!), but that does leave a lot of my personal correspondence and art inquiries tucked away in a folder to attack when I could. My online time has been very off and on at best.

I am getting caught up on conversations, requests, and things of that nature that Maggie didn’t feel she could properly cover. My left eye (the one I decided to get an up close look at the stairs with) has been blurry since the surgery where they put the plate over my broken orbit area. The surgeon warned me it would be a combination of the injury, the heavy numbing agents, and most likely tiny and hateful gremlins living behind my eyeball. So reading was a pain and I was warned to be weary of eye strain with the laptop screen.

I was given the thumbs up by my eye surgeon this past Wednesday. Yays! With some glasses and groovy eye drops my eye is fighting the good fight. Everything else is pretty much healed. The bethalynne beast lives to growl another day. The surgeon, who is also a plastic surgeon, mentioned he could help correct my heavy eyelids if I had problems with them to which I said “Not my bedroom eyes! What would I do in this world without my prized resting bitch face?!” And there were giggles, but I was totally serious.

Published September 22, 2017

This Here is a Sticky Notice (Or was at the time)


Good afternoon! Or morning, evening, pick your time of the day. I’m about to zoom zoom rooom to Boston for a week with my gent to take in the Inbound marketing convention (courtesy of his day job where I freelance now and again) and visit with my dad, who happens to be in that area. I spent my summers growing up in Boston. It’s a lovely place. I won’t have my laptop with me, but I will have tablet on had to catch my emails. In the meantime, don’t worry! Daily updates will continue as normal in my absence. I have scheduled posts to see Attic Cartomancy through until I return. Be a good cheer!


Published July 25, 2017

Updates


As a few of you may know I’ve been swimming through some icky health waters the last couple of months. After some tests and a trip to the surgeon we found out the main culprit of my irritations. Yesterday I had out-patient surgery to correct that irritation. The procedure went along smoothly and I came home snorgled out of my gourd (read that as: They gave me a lot of happy drugs so I wouldn’t feel or really remember what happened) and camped out in a recliner all night in la la land. Today I’m mostly more coherent, but the pain of the surgery is slowing me down a bit.

I’ll be on some heavy meds for the next week or so and keeping myself away from the aetherwebs so I have a little time to relax and heal. Then I’m hoping things will finally be back to normal again. I’ve been working at half capacity and very distracted for months now and I feel like that’s put me behind on so many things. I’m happy I can get back into my sites at full strength again!

Published May 16, 2017

TBT: In the words of Tim Gun a make it work moment


A make it work moment with the Motor City Steam deck

So… it’s two days before an approaching convention and the special deck of playing cards I made for the con has only just arrived by special rush from my printers. However, they arrived in plain white boxes. They were supposed to be in windowed boxes so the title card acted as the cover. There were only so many oh noes! that can be said and shaking my fist wasn’t going to solve the problem.

In the end my solution was to get prints at the local hour photo. I put two labels to a print and opted to cut out and apply myself. Printing labels might have been easier but the cost would have been greater and the label would have been flat. Corner rounding the cut prints was just my way of being way too much of a perfectionist that paid for it by the obnoxious task. I’ve opted to do my plain box labels this way from there on though. The special bulk rates I get for the prints is less expensive than printing or purchasing labels. I thought I would note it. Though keep in mind this type of packaging solution might only be appealing if you don’t mind a little work for the project.

Published May 7, 2017

Motor City Steam King of Hearts


Motor City Steam King of Hearts

This was a pleasant sight at the Steampunk Symposium! I wrote this article for Valentine’s Day about the couple who were my King and Queen of Hearts for the Motor City Steam Deck. Don lost his wife shortly after that convention but he keeps a memory of her on him in the card and I was just so choked up about that. 🙂

Published May 5, 2017

Introduction to the Ink & Blood Lenormand and Friday Night Ramblings


Attic Cartomancy - Ink and Blood Lenormand by Bethalynne Bajema

I have three deck projects going on right now and I have to decide which one I want to settle on. I’m working on one with a game publisher where I’m adding a minor arcana on an existing major arcana – I have a defined timeline with that. There’s wiggle room. Then I have a Lenormand and Oracle projects to do on my own time. My own time translates to what I do at the end of the night when I’m just doing stuff for me.

A few nights ago I had a conversation with Myke about creative output as an artist. For me, who has no defined income, I have to apply myself at all times to create new and make sales on the old. I have no regulated income. I take in as much as I put in and sometimes I feel like I spend all my time just putting in. Not even on one thing. I juggle because I have to. Sometimes that removes a little bit of my joy when creating something 2new that I’m into. I have long since accepted this as a part of being a working artist.

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ABOUT THE CARTOMANCER:Bethalynne is a Michigan native who spent much of her early life chasing the fae around her grandfather's nearly mythical fairy tale garden. When the fae weren't calling, the strange shadows in the closet were whispering. When it was finally suggested that she kindly bring herself down from the clouds (and out from those dark places) she turned her expansive imagination towards capturing her characters and their worlds through writing & drawing. The latter has led to her having a notable career as a professional artist and writer for the past twenty five years. She currently resides in southern Ohio with her husband and fellow artist Myke Amend. You can view her portfolio or visit The Attic Shoppe Trading Co. to see all of her unique things. :)


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