Giveaway Winner!

Hello Lovelies!

Today's the big day! Last night, I threw all the names into my cauldron and stirred them around and then had my Lovely pick out a name at random way up high so no names could be read.

And the winner is:

JDavissquared

I will be in contact with you to get an address post hast and send this vampire winging your way!

Thank you to all who entered...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Island of Misfit Toys...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, today is the final day to enter the giveaway! Go here for details and to enter last minute. I will announce the winner tomorrow (Tuesday) and ship to the winner mid-week!

I have been busy as usual over here. First, I am doing some paintings for my gallery called The Island of Misfit Toys series, (somewhat inspired by the Rankin Bass film, but instead of you know, a pistol that can't shoot or a dolly that can't cry or whatever, I have a deposed bear king who's murdered by the Bee King who tries to make it look like a suicide.) Take a peek, they have not been "glittered" yet, a vital step with my pieces as you know. More to follow!

So, the art is sorta like this... only with murder and suicide.

I will also be listing more harlequin lockets this week, I have more chain and fun little jewels to make them all different and special.

I have found some more wonderful people to share with you all. Eugenio Recuenco is a photographer whose work is dark and dramatic and painterly and I truly love it all. I flipped through the portfolio and I couldn't wait to see the next image. Take a look:

Telegramme is a top-knotch design firm out of the UK. I found their site the other day and they have a ton of beautiful work, but their work specifically for the Queen of Hoxton, a bar/art gallery/movie house/totally awesome venue in London makes me want to go there immediately! Look at these monthly fliers, they're like mini works of art. If you live near London, go to Queen of Hoxton and tell me all about it!

I'm going to wrap up with a book recommendation. My local library had their annual book sale a couple of weeks back and as a library supporter and lover of books, I went. I picked up several books, and Burnt Offerings was one of them. Now, they made a movie out of this book and it has Karen Black in it, which means, it most likely sucks and I plan on renting it and telling you all about it. But, the book was really good. The characters and the descriptions were more than I expected from a 70's paperback. Go spend 50 cents and get a copy and let me know what you think.

Yeah, you won't find the "Face of Evil" doorknob at Home Depot...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Hidden Treasures...

Hello Lovelies!

Busy times here as usual in the Mill! First, a reminder, that I am hosting a 100th Post Giveaway that runs until August 9th. Only a week left to win an original matted vampire scratchboard piece. $40 value and perfect for the upcoming Halloween season!

I have listed some brand new very cunning jewelry at the shop. The Harlequin Mask Locket Series features little ladies inside little lockets. Each one is different, more to come!

I have also listed Zom-B-Vex Mini Print Sets. These little prints measure 2 1/2" x 5" and it gives you a chance to collect 'em all without paying so much. For deadly darkness at your doorstep, get a set of Zom-B-Vex minis!

Okay, enough business talk. I have found some wonderful artists I want to share with you! Nishant Choksi's work is reminiscent of the cartoons in Playboy in the 60's mixed with a modern sense of humor. I love all of these bright illustrations, just look at 'em!

Most of us who grew up or had kids in the 80's remember the game Mouse Trap. I owned it, and found that it was more fun to just set it up and run the ball through it, than it was to actually play the game. (In fact, I don't even remember how it was played.) Regardless, someone at Maker Faire last year (yes, I'm a bit late here with this), created a life-sized version of the game. Look at that picture, it's mind-blowing really. Wow. To be there to see it work must be amazing.

And lastly, while we're on a funny/quirky kick here, Nadine Boughton's collage series, aptly entitled True Adventures in Better Homes and The Pleasures of Modern Living are both blowing my mind and making me laugh hysterically. There is nothing better in my mind than seamlessly executed and truly creative collage work, and this is a shining example of both.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

100th Post Giveaway!

Hello Lovelies!

Well, this is my 100th blog post and to celebrate, I'm running a little giveaway. The details are as follows:

You can get this for free! ($40 value)

If you follow these easy steps:

1.) Visit The Stapelia Company's shop HERE, choose your favorite item and post a link to it in your comment below. (Hearting is optional.) :)

If you want to enter more than once, you can get additional chances to win by doing the following. (So I can verify that you've tweeted, blogged or Facebooked about this giveaway, please put the links in your comments!):

1.) Share on your Facebook or tweet about this giveaway. (2 additional chances)

2.) Blog about this giveaway (3 additional chances)

Giveaway ends AUGUST 9th, 2010! Winner will be announced August 10th.

Good luck!

Put on a mask...

Hello Lovelies!

So much to share as usual! First, this will be the last post before the post next Sunday (November 1st), announcing the winner of the giveaway! A ton of great suggestions so far... I'm glad you Poppets get it. For those just coming onboard, the giveaway that ends October 31st is for an entire set of my Alice in Wonderland photo illustrations ($65 value). All you have to do to enter, is give me a movie or book idea you think I'd like and leave your email or shop name so I can notify the winner. Less than a week left!

I went to a superhero themed costume party last night and how much fun was that?! We got all decked out. Here are some pics of us ready to go. (Mystique wasn't messing around, her costume was amazing.)

Oh, and one of the Sword Swallower pieces was featured in a great Treasury this week. So many other neat carnival-themed photos in there too. Love it.

It's no secret I am a big fan of the Morbid Anatomy blog. You wanna know why? Oh, because every post is sheer awesome and talks about things I've never heard of. Case and point, a recent post talked about Cabaret du Néant or Tavern of the Dead in Paris circa 1899. This tavern had a death theme down to the coffin tables and a meander through some catacombs guided by an undertaker. More details at Morbid, but how much does it make me wish I had lived in 1899, in Paris? Awesome.

And, let me wrap up with another favorite movie of mine based on a book by William March; The Bad Seed. The book is very good and pretty astute for its day (1956), and the movie is even better. Like so many movies about sociopathic children, it covers the various nefarious doings of one Rhoda Penmark. Wow. Really. Just watch it. Between the killings and the manipulation and the internal struggles of her mom and the acting, it's first rate gang. Truly. *Shudder* Enjoy.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Pulp Halloween...

Hello Lovelies!

As Halloween approaches, there is a whole lot of awesome going on at The Stapelia Company and just in general and I can't wait to pass it along! First, a reminder, that the 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway goes until Halloween (October 31st), and I will announce the winner November 1st. All you have to do, is comment on any blog post that mentions the giveaway with a book or movie you think I'd like and your Etsy shop name or email address so I can contact the winner. (If you're just coming over to play, the giveaway is an entire set of my Alice in Wonderland art illustrations.)

Ooo! I went to a pumpkin carving party last night and it was a blast needless to say. I was dared into making my own pumpkin design since I was "The only one in the room who could draw" so I went for the zombie... take a peek!

And, I just listed the third scratchboard piece in my Night Revelry Series, the Vampire Boy. He's fun, feisty and comes with a wonderful letter pressed matte from Yee Haw Industries! Perfect for that last minute Halloween gift.

I, like most people, really enjoy the pulp covers from the 3o's and 40's; they're colorful and bold and scandalous (just the way we like it here)... Well, imagine my delight when I came across a spread in Harper's Bazaar UK that features Claudia Schiffer as the young ingenue in various pulp fiction-inspired fashion shots. Here are just a few... needless to say. Wonderful.

And, another wonderful find for design enthusiasts in particular is the Grain Edit, a site dedicated to wonderful graphic design. My personal favorite was the interview with Hatch, a San Francisco based design team who makes wonderful things. I especially loved the paper ephemera and research and sketches they used to come up with the packaging for Jaqk Cellars, a wine label. Love it. Go take a peak!

Let's wrap up with a movie review because it's been awhile and it's October, the perfect month for Halloween movies. I want to recommend a personal favorite of mine; Elvira Mistress of the Dark. (Yes, that's both a movie title and a character name folks...) Why is this movie so great? Let's start off with the hilarious puns and sexual innuendos, then we can move on to the 80's era clothing and hairstyles (including banana clips, pumps with jeans, and of course, mullets), and finish up with the totally ridiculous plot and characters. Oh, and the ending is worth the price of admission... Love it. Own it. Recommend it. Now go find a copy!

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Fairs, Owls & Full Moons...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, fall has really set in up here in Maine and that means it's fair time! I went to the Fryeburg Fair yesterday up north. I go every year for the food, the rides, the photo opportunities and of course, the people watching. I wasn't disappointed on any front this year. I got some really good photos that I'll be adding to the shop soon. Here are some others I took because is there anything cuter than fuzzy draft horse hooves? I think not... (And yes, those rides were about to hit each other.) Crazy.

I picked up a really cute Halloween decoration the other day to add to my collection. I can't resist an owl and this guy had glitter too which makes him darn near perfect. Love it!

Oh! I have some exciting news to announce! I am doing my first ever GIVEAWAY on November 1st in celebration of Stapelia's one year anniversary. I will be giving a complete set of my Alice in Wonderland print series to a person chosen at random. All you need to do is comment on any post between now and then with a book or movie you think I would enjoy and your email/shop name so I can contact you if you win. That's it! I will announce the winner on November 1st.

I have found some really great artists lately that I need to share. First, Mikey Burton is a designer who also does letter press and a variety of other things. His work is pretty great (and you know I'm a sucker for good design and letter press.) Here are a couple of his event posters. Great stuff.

I'm sure you've all heard of the photographer Diane Arbus, she was one of the first photographers to take pictures of people on the fringe of society; carnival workers, everyday people, transvestites, the elderly. Her work is truly wonderful, it captures the intimacy of the people and their (in many cases) hard lives simultaneously. Also, there is a wonderful movie called Fur that's very loosely based on her life that you should check out. It's beautifully filmed and fascinating. Below are two of her pictures. Love these.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...