(Inside A Black Apple)

Holiday Cards of Yesteryear Return

The two card designs from last year (A Winter's Ride & the Holly and Ivan Paper Doll Cards) are available in very limited quantities alongside this year's Girl & Bear design.

Visit the shop to peruse these festive paper-goods!

A Trip to the Moon (in Color)

I only just found out about this from my friend who keeps me informed of all manner of neat things. What a marvel to read here about the restored color print of George Méliès's fantastical 1902 film. It seems astounding!

I also found a side-by-side restoration gallery here - it's quite the daunting task the Preservation Dept. at Technicolor took on, piecing ragged bits of film together.

The Wonderland-esque scene above is quite spectacular with all those russet mushroom caps.

I hope I get to see it soon! I read there are bits of it in the new Hugo film, or maybe they're recreations of the scenes (I'm not quite sure - we haven't see it yet!). At any rate, hopefully the restored print will tour around somewhere close or soon be available for the little screen.

December 1 : Last Day for Made-to-order Lockets!

Just a head's up here to let you know that December 1st will be the last day to place an order for made-to-order lockets and have 'em delivered to U.S. addresses in time for Christmas.

For international customers, unfortunately, it is not possible to guarantee Christmas delivery at this point.

We will have a very small selection of ready-to-ship lockets available after that date (but it will only be a handful of designs) so if you want to choose from the whole selection, hop over and place your holiday order!

Gingersnappy

I'm gearing up to smash some gingersnaps into smithereens (a crust for pumpkin cheesecake!) The one I make is similar to this Allrecipes one, but I've never split up the filling into two layers. Maybe this year?

My list of preparations is blessedly short today - brine the turkey, ready the house for guests, maybe a run to the store. There is a lot I am thankful for each day, but this sleepy feast of a holiday gives me a chance to be extra-mindful of all I am grateful for. While enjoying a slice of pumpkin cheesecake.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Publisher's Weekly Review of Oddfellow's

It was a Thanksgiving-week treat to see this nice review from P.W. today!

 

Oddfellow’s Orphanage 

Emily Winfield Martin. Random, $14.99 (144p) ISBN 978-0-375-86995-2

Martin’s poignant and gently humorous debut novel is set in an unusual orphanage. The story grew out of portraits of the characters Martin drew, which appear throughout, accompanied by pithy explanations of how each resident came to live at the orphanage. The headmaster is Oddfellow Bluebeard (“a distant relation of the more famous Bluebeard”), who is “as gentle and kind as the other Bluebeard was cruel.” The story centers on newcomer Delia, a silent albino girl whose fellow orphans include a kind girl with pet finches; a spunky tattooed girl; a ravenous hedgehog; and Ollie, an upbeat boy with an onion for a head. Their adventures (pictured in the book’s abundant spot art) balance fantasy and reality: they discover a lake monster, enjoy a sumptuous picnic, view a mermaid fossil, watch the orphanage’s resident bear family perform at a circus, and enjoy a traditional Christmas. The novel’s cheerful tenor is occasionally tempered by the orphans’ memories of their former families, yet the new, loving bonds they’ve formed shine through. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 7–10. Agent: Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Jan.)

 Can't wait 'til January 24th!

Frankie 2012 Calendar

The Frankie calendar for 2012 has my little bandit girl on the cover!
I feel so proud.

As always, the calendar features a bunch of wonderful illustrators I feel really happy to think of as peers (and in some case, call my friends.) It looks like the calendar is already sold out on the Frankie webshop, but if I get my mitts on any copies, I'll try and share 'em!

A Wintery Paper Miss (In Progress)

This is a snap of a partially-finished up little doll (with fur friend & lots of clothes!) I'm making especially for the Crafty Wonderland crew. She'll be included in the show booklets (which are handy & also always really fun to look through.) The show booklets will be available at the show and also in that week's Mercury!

I'm so excited for the show - it's the only holiday show we do each year, and it's always very festive and cozy and perfectly Portland. My mama was with us last year, and I don't think she ever wanted to leave the fair (this made me so happy, since she hadn't been to an indie-style craft fair before.) Here's the vendor list if you want to start getting jazzed about who you want to visit on December 10 & 11!

I've got plans for this doll post-Wonderland, so she'll be available for those of you outside of Portland, too.

I was on my Halloween buzz 'til about a week ago, but now I'm getting so excited for the holidays!

Antique Fair Treasures

  

Last week was the autumn antique fair - one of my favorite happenings of the year!
Here's my loot - I found some really neat stuff and (luckily!) didn't spend too many pennies for most of it.

Top row: Little bits - some litho ephemera I couldn't leave behind, sweet old buttons, and a German children's storybook pamphlet with the prettiest colors.
Second row: A beautiful copy of Tony Sarg's Surprise Book & a funny blow-mold PigDog bank I couldn't resist
Third row: Old Fulton Sign Writer printing kit full of stamps (A similar one (and in nicer shape!) is right here & a beautiful turn of the century little fancy-boy portrait I had been eyeing for the last 3 fairs!
Fourth row: The best gem of the day! A little old metal (working/restored) radio painted with flowers.

Poking around at all the beautiful things keeps me on a dust-buzz for weeks after the actual fair!

Even though lots of the offerings are too fancy or pricey to even dream about actually owning (this year, the heartbreaker was a painted diorama of a ship that cost the same as a brand-new car!) it's fun to be able to peer and paw at it all - even if it's just for an afternoon.

Holiday Cards for 2011 - Girl & Bear

Today I am so happy to introduce the official Black Apple Christmas cards for 2011, and let you know that they are now available in the shop!

Featuring a woodland friend and a rose-cheeked miss, plus tiny mittens, candy canes, pine cones, mistletoe & cocoa - what could be nicer?

So happy these are here, and happy to unveil the annual new Christmas card designs. This is my fifth (or maybe sixth?!) year doing this, and these might be my favorites yet.

There are some minty greens, pretty browns, and delicate pinks mixed in with the candy-cane reds & holly greens, a mix that pleases me very much.

Happy Monday to you!

New Prints & Kitten Pins

I'm excited to say that most of the new paintings (Lillian & Licorice, Costume Party, etc) are now available as prints in the shop, along with this new pin set!

I am crazy over these four little guys - they bring out the crazy cat lady in me:

I hope you fancy these dapper little kittens, too! I think these little brown floral pin-packets will make the sweetest stocking-presents, so I wanted to have have them in plenty of time for the holidays.

PS: What do you think of a set similar to this with pups on it?

October was lovely (and I'm sorry to see her go!) but November is off to a nice start so far!

Fall Collars

All through the year, I'm like a moth to the flame of a scallop or a good peter pan collar. Even so, the crisp, chilly weather brings lots of especially nice ones out of hiding.

Documented below, a few weeks worth of my favorite October collar evidence:

There are about a zillion extra-cute collars out there right now, like, oh, I dunno...this little star blouse, or this triple-layered Orla Kiely number, or this vintage lace & plaid darling, or...or...

Just one more reason fall is the best time of year!

Halloween Dispatch

Today we're going to carve up the pumpkins, spend the evening with some scary movies & hopefully get visits from some cute trick-or-treaters!

I hope they all look something like this:

source

A smattering of Halloween links:

• My Favorite Halloween Movies
• Little Black Apple Halloween Cards from a few years back
• Mad Monster Party
• Heidi's cutie witch DIY & formidable Halloween decor collection
• The Cool Ghoul Monster Coloring Book
• Excellent Halloween postcard archive
• Some nice old Halloween snaps

I hope you are having a spooktacular Halloween (har har har)!

Miette for Halloween

Remember back when I asked the cosmos for a Miette Sweater ?

Well, a lovely & talented lady named Jean made me one, and it's perfect. Down to the smallest funny little button-placket detail, it's Miette's woolen peppermint goodness through-and-through.

Since I have such a gem on my hands now, I thought it was only fitting that I should continue continue my proud tradition of dressing as a character absolutely nobody will recognize, and be little Miette for Halloween 2011.

As suspected, nobody knew who I was, but that's fine! Without the perfect jumper and Ron Perlman on my arm, who can blame 'em?

Hooray Halloween!

Bandit Dolls

Edition size: two each colorway
Made from: Cotton, wool felt
Featuring: vintage dotted fabric bowties, hand-painted faces & removable bandit masks

These little rascals will be part of tomorrow's update!
Just two ginger-hairs and two acorn-hairs available, along with all the new paintings.

See you then! 

Four Fancy Kittens

These four fur-faces are the final paintings that'll be part of the October update!

Inspired by all the excellent cats and kittens in bows that populate turn of the century trade cards, advertisements, and children's things, here are four of my own.

All four measure 6"x8"x1", and are painted in acrylic on wooden oval plaques.

I think these pals are also an expression of wishful thinking on my part, because Miette will never agree to wear a bow for more than a few minutes without glaring at me while shaking it off.

To dream the impossible dream!

One more thing to share for the October update - see you soon!

Portrait with Star Dress

Hello there!

With the exception of a group of small paintings I'll share soon, this little star-speckled lass is the final painting I'll be adding to the shop for this October update I've been working on. The pink, black and gold motif was inspired by one of my favorite Darger girls (a clipped-out print of her hangs in my dressing room, so I see her every day!)

Portrait with Star Dress     11"x14"     Acrylic on wood

Her dress is sanded down, and I really liked the quality it gave.

I had been doing so many drawings for Oddfellow's (all the illustrations are in graphite) working on this set of paintings has been so nice.

I still have just a few more things to share before I add it all to the shop - but the October update will take place in October, I promise!

Blooms & Branches Card Collection in the shop!

This lovely and anticipated card set is now in the shop!

The day these arrived from the printer, I opened up the boxes and (as predicted) started using them right away for my own correspondences.

They are so handy!

They turned out just right - plenty of room inside for a substantial note, and a pretty exterior with a simple little saying on it.

I hope you find them just as useful & charming.

Happy Thursday to you!

New Bandit Portrait Set

Continuing with my Octoberish paintings, I am happy to present...a new set of Bandit Portraits!

This rascal pair is something I was sure I wanted to include with this round of work:

Bandit Girl & Bandit Boy      8"x10" (each)     Acrylic on canvas

(Click to enlarge!)

These two...all the rare book heists they surely get up to.

All the new work will be available really soon! A few more things to share, and then I'll know exactly when I'll be able to post the originals (and any other doodads) in the shop.

I hope October is treating you well so far. I'm working up a storm, on these and other projects...so hard, in fact that I haven't even found my way to a pumpkin patch yet. I have been making potpies and apple betty, though, so it's a pretty good start on the chilly-weather activites!

Lillian & Licorice

Another little lass and another little black cat for October - a kitten, really!

I think there might be one more black cat that comes out of this group of paintings, but I'm not sure...

Lillian and Licorice    11"x14"x1"    Acrylic on wood

I'm really on a kick for these floppy little bow-ties.

I wanted to make two little licorice-haired friends with green eyes...I can't deny that I like it when people resemble their pets.

-Quite unrelated, but I recently needed some leather buttons to replace some unfortunate metal ones plaguing a tweed coat. I remembered all the lovely ribbons I've bought from M & J Trimmings, and checked on their button supply - sure enough, they had just the ticket and I got very lost in their lace and ribbon offerings before I purchased my little packet of buttons.
Just a tip, in case you don't know about 'em!

Happy Friday! I hope the Fall is making you as giddy as it's making me.

Portrait with Cat Ears

Here we have another of the new October-ish paintings - this little mini-series is so much fun for me, it keeps growing larger! I'm still trying to decide when the update will be, but I'll be sure to post it here when I know for sure.

This little girl seems like she's from the same ragamuffin gang as the Kitten Bandit & Arrowhead girls from last year.

Portrait with Cat Ears     11"x14"x1"    Acrylic on wood

She's got a simple but quietly wild feeling I really like. I think her prettily rumpled quality and the looser brushstrokes are helping that feeling along.

More soon!

The greeting card sets are back from the printers, and there are more paintings - one concerning a little black cat (a real one this time, not a pretender like this lass) - to share.

Bee's Knees & Cat's Pajamas Postcard Set

I just added this new postcard set to the shop!

They are printed with the two little old-timey saying designs from the recent prints, "The Bee's Knees" & "The Cat's Pajamas":

The sets come with five of each design, and matching envelopes. They're printed on my favorite paper stock & the perfect size for quick notes.

Something I love about this set is that after your lucky recipient reads your message, your friend can prop the card up as a little daily reminder/affirmation!

Happy Friday to you!

Costume Party Painting

Lately I've been working on a small group of paintings loosely involving October-ish, Halloweeny things. I love this season so much, and while I don't love the traditional orange & black color scheme, I do love masks and candy and black cats pretty fiercely.

This is the first finished one - I've been working on it for weeks and I'm so happy to be able to share it now:

Costume Party    14"x11"    Acrylic on wood
(click to view larger)

Josiah calls it "This is the last time I go to a party at David Lynch's house", which is perfect.

This probably gives a bit of a window into my notions about social occasions.

I do wish they'd all leap up and dance to the little red radio.
That's probably for another day/painting...

Thanks very much for all the kind words about the new cards, lockets, etc!
The greeting card set is almost ready to put in the shop, and I'm so pleased the Alice lockets are a hit.

More soon!

Alice Locket Mini-Collection

The moment I saw these Alice lockets in real life, I couldn't wait to photograph them and have them in the shop!

I've just added them (too excited to wait!), so they're available for order now.

 
I love all three so much, I can't even begin to pick a favorite. It's so nice when things turn out even better than you imagined them!

Hop like a white rabbit and take a peek!

The Fate of the Folk Art Museum

 

Untitled/Two Girls and a Dog Sitting in a Garden - Henry Darger
Collection American Folk Art Museum

I was heartbroken to read this NYT article recently about the American Folk Art Museum. It seems the institution is in real trouble, and might not be around for very much longer.

This is a crushing blow, because not only is this place important in a larger cultural sense, it's very special to me, personally. To say their Darger collection, Carousel exhibition, and early folk portraits altered the course of my life and work isn't hyperbole, it's the honest truth. It feels awful to think other artists and appreciators might not be able to visit this magical (if relatively humble) place.

I'm not sure what we can do about this, but I ardently wish I had deep enough pockets to swoop in and save it.

I don't want this box of idiosyncratic jewels to go away.

*** UPDATE: Wonderful News! (Thanks, Nicki!) ***

Two New Prints!

While I was in my lettering & designing groove making the new greeting card set, I got a bee in my bonnet to make more things along those lines.

Things like these two prints!

Commemorating two favorite old-timey sayings, these are meant as little reminders that you (or a lucky someone you choose to give it to) are pretty neat. Equally lovely for everyone from a good pal to a marvelous mom.

They are both available now in the shop!

&

The fall is really drifting in here in Portland...my very favorite time of year, and I'm all abuzz with projects and excitement!

See you soon!

PS: I just noticed that I've passed the 1,000 posts mark here on ye olde blog - geez, that's a lot! Thanks for being along with me for all this time. You're, well, the bee's knees!