(Inside A Black Apple)

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!