Halloween Mail

New in the shop! I'm really excited to be offering these. Halloween faux postage stamp sticker packs!

I actually drew and designed these last year when I was frustrated with the serious lack of spooky themed postage (really USPS, what gives? The Poe stamps were amazing and are still among my faves...but why don't you come up with a new slightly-Halloweenish stamp design every year?) and used them on my outgoing Halloween mail (with real stamps too, of course). They were quite the hit. I tweaked them just a smidge this year with a thinner paper to replicate the look and feel of "real" stamps and used a pair of stamp edge perforating scissors for the finishing touch. So happy with the outcome!

Each pack contains 8 of these 1x1.25" stamp stickers (2 of each design). They're entirely handmade by me in the studio (drawn, designed, printed, cut, and stickerized with a Xyron machine). Right now I only have 3 packs available, as I'm testing the waters to see how these do before spending an all-out day in production mode.

I love mail and stamps and Halloween and mail art. When all combine together, it's like hot caramel sauce and ice cream: complete and utter happiness.

Endangered

Howdy, gang!After months of work, my pieces are all set for the Seattle show, aptly titled "Endangered"! I'm pretty excited. It's a 3-person show with fellow artists Kevin Margitich and Berry Holz and is entirely themed around endangered animals. How perfect is that?

The paintings I created for it resemble a sort of odd collection of rare and endangered (and in one case, already extinct) species--numbered and exhibited like coveted additions to a traveling side show curiosity museum. Most of the pieces are tiny (only 3.5x5") which I think also greatly emphasizes the fragility of the natural world.The show will run January 2nd-31st at Bluebottle Art Gallery in Seattle. And I just received word that the "Preview Show" is up and posted online for VIP gallery mailing list recipients and...you, of course! Click here to check it out for yourself. All pieces are marked for sale and are very affordable (most being around $100). If you are interested in a piece, you can purchase directly online or contact the gallery for more info. A good way to spend cash Santa happens to give you for the holidays...

Christmas is only days away, which is crazy to me. I feel like December whipped right past me before I could even realize it. I don't have any holiday plans so far, though my mom is coming over for snacking, conversing, and Glühwein drinking on Christmas Eve. Very low-key, which is how I prefer the holidays.

If I don't pop in before Friday, I just want to wish each of you a wonderful holiday too and a very happy Christmas!

Let Them Eat Truffles--A Giveaway

As promised, it's giveaway time! Just in time for the holidays too.

Up for one very lucky soul is a mini original painting banner that I created last year. I'm culling through some of my artworks and realised I still had this one. It simply must go on to live in a new home.Three miniature paintings of truffles, done in acrylic on miniature laminate tag samples, and strung onto candy-striped ribbon. All ready to tie onto nails or thumbtacks on your fine wall.It looks best hung under another piece, I think...

To be included in the drawing, all you need to do is a leave a comment between today and the 21st. One lucky winner will be randomly drawn from the pile on the 22nd (I'm keeping this giveaway open a bit longer to make sure everyone gets a fair chance). It will come to your mailbox prettily wrapped, ready for giving, card and all. I think this would make an excellent little holiday gift for a loved one!

Good luck! And thank you so much for all the support, loves!

What Lurks In The Shadows

I emerge from the deep caves of creative activity! Alive, doing well, seeking food and nourishment.

Halloween has crept into my thoughts and work lately. Ah, I so love Halloween. And never fear, my dearest friends! Though I'm neck-deep in gallery/show painting (that I can't wait to show all of you) I also have been prepping new curiosities for the Etsy shop and I'm head-over-heels for these small new things.

Last night I had to snap a few pictures amongst the glow of the candles to give you all a sneak peek at what will be soon unveiled...

There are some lovely, albeit bizarre little drawings set in wonderfully aged gilded frames (complete with vintage lace hangers)...
I do so love how this one turned out (though she's a bit hard to make out in the darkness)...
And also, a whole bucketful of little stuffed ornaments that are made from transfers taken straight from the crinkled pages of my sketchbook (lots of tentacles and a disembodied head or two). They're all hand-stitched with love using vintage linens and repurposed old upholstery fabrics. I'm madly in love with them.

It looks as though this next shop update will be slightly spooky, very black-and-white, and boiling over with Fallish thoughts. I have a couple more surprises up my sleeve, but I'm waiting until my work schedule gets posted before I set a date for the October Update. Within the next day or two, I'll have a date and time arranged for you all.

Oh! And I couldn't help but take a quick snap of my little bat girl sitting atop my gothic piano display area. She's made by the ever-talented Crystal (my second purchase from her--her pieces are absolutely amazing).

And for more Fall/Halloween/decay/couture inspiration, I recently stumbled across the amazing Gibbous Fashions and have been drooling ever since. What inspiration! I love all the antique/vintage fabrics and laces and lovely layers all stitched together helter-skelter to create whimsical, one-of-a-kind clothing. Truly breathtaking. I'd kill for one of these gorgeously layered skirts. They do women's and men's fashions (and boy howdy, some of those men's jackets are freakin' *incredible*). Definitely worth a looksy (all pictures below are from the Gibbous site).

Okay gang. I'm off to get another cup of coffee and get back to the creative cave. I'm so happy that October is nearly here!