Halloween Stained Glass Window

 

Bindlegrim is very excited to be back exploring the warm glow of autumn light... with a special Halloween Window created as a one-time insert included only as a freebie with each copy of the new vintage Halloween collectibles guide The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4. To start then, let's just begin this blog entry with various arty views of the windows, at times together with the book set as described via THR's etsy bookstore or recent blog entry "Vol 4 Halloween Retrospect."

Dual-side faux stained glass paper window (2 shown) for THR.

Not to scale: window shown (right) with book trio inset (left).

Faux stained glass windows assembled by hand are limited.

Detail of matte color tissue paper that creates a warm glow.

Following is a description for these windows --- importantly noting once again that they are not-for-sale on their own, but only included as a free insert with copies of the March 2025 vintage Halloween collectibles guidebook series The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4. (Etsy link here).

To begin, Bindlegrim designs are inspired by research pursued by THR that proves the originals to be vintage 1940's products created by Milton Bradley. Those originals hail from a time that included well-known art contributors (such as Louise D. Tessin) when the company is regularly involved in education (not only entertainment) and regularly publishing a magazine for educators called American Childhood. (Internet Archive link here). And while the new items are true to the general feel of vintage pieces, the modern Halloween Window cannot be mistaken as such, because Bindlegrim's version is deliberately different in size, imagery, color, and production method (and collages the four characters into one space). 

As for construction, the Bindlegrim versions are made of a thick 2-ply museum board frame which has been laser cut by the artist yet hand-assembled in the final steps. Still, the result is a doubled-sided decoration with colored tissue paper inside (very old school) which by result means either side is equally presentable as front or perhaps simultaneously from both sides at once. The tissue paper glows with a brilliant color while the framework remains strong and steady.

But again, this is part of a set (shown below) and Bindledgrim is not selling these - they are free with a copy of THR's newest edition of research from its archive library publications.

THR, V4 is shown here with book, crossword, and decoration.

A little bit about vintage Halloween collectibles guides are in order here, particularly the newest book that releases March 2025 by THR. If you are not familiar with THR publications - basically the archive library publishes research that utilizes many hundreds of primary sources from its collection - to better understand the history of ye olde holiday market. So far there have been four research digests and one art survey book (with more planned in future). The newest of these digests is The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4 with book cover shown below (see THR's website or THR's online book shop).   

Cover art for The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4 by THR publications.

While many preview images of the book are available THR's website or THR's online book shop (or even via Instagram @halloweenretrospecs) here are a few to make sure this blog entry is complete...  

Page preview of The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 4.

The Halloween Retrospect, V4 book, puzzle & decor.

THR, V4 featuring an homage window by Bindlegrim

Well, to close this blog entry, Bindlegrim might advise that while this vintage-style artist has had the pleasure of being involved with Volume 1 and Volume 4 digests... THR since it's first release in June 2023 has five books now full of data or images about vintage Halloween collectibles of the past. They are great references for seasoned or new collectors of the hobby.... and here is an up-to-date image of those that the bookstore currently offers:

The Halloween Retrospect Vol 1,2,3,4 & Halloween Artifacxts.

Hope you enjoy and if you do, perhaps Bindlegrim will continue to explore such Halloween lighting projects in future!?!?

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Bindlegrim's 5th Hallowe'en Anniversay Box Set

The 2016 Bindlegrim Summer Sale is still active into early Autumn with 25% off items on Bindlegoods, and a big thank-you to those cool ghouls following on facebook and/or twitter who participated in the two auctions that closed tonight (shown below).

Bats & Mice (left) with Spooksville Road (right) - auctions complete.

The final 2015 auction offers a pandora's box of past Bindlegrim work. It's a 5th Hallowe'en Anniversary (one-of-a-kind) Box Set with transparency logo, and filled with a selection of items from the past 5+ years (some pre-Bindlegrim) with at least one Artist Proof lantern never previously available.

Update Sept 5, 2016 (tentative content list at bottom of this post):

Tentative content list as of Sept 5, 2016:

Spook Box (2016) Content List Envelope (with card and Boo! transparency print)

The Pumpkin Dream, signed copy (orig. 2011) 

Untitled artist proof #2/3 box lantern, signed - (2011)

The Cornish Litany, carnivorous tree, signed postcard #14/25 (2011)

The Cornish Litany, chamber spooks, signed postcard #14/25 (2011)

The Cornish Litany, keyhole set of 12 postcards (2012)

Spooklights, Pendant Lamp Shade #1 (2014)

Spooklights, Candlestick Lamp Base, #1 (2014)

Spooklights, Candlestick Lamp Base, #2 (2014)

Spooklights Creature Votive (2014)

Beasties, candy basket version (2015)

Beasties, set  of 4 postcards (2015)

Dodeca lantern #10  Bats & Mice , signed limited edition (2015)

Dodeca lantern #11 Spooksville Road, signed limited edition (2015)

Additional Oddities:

Halloween Trunk Show 8, 9, & 10 postcards (2013-15)

Hallowe’en set of 9 greeting cards with 1 place holder, 1 place holder alternate (2004)

Beasties

Having a fun photoshoot (of aritst proofs) with sticky claws, the smell of sugar, as the tissue and crepe paper whispers in the  ever so slight chill of the September morning air. With photos now done for the store... later today will be the official arrival of the Bindlegrim's 2015 Beasties on the Bindlegoods Shoppe: http://bindlegoods.bindlegrim.com 

What makes a Beastie? These roly-polys use a orange tissue-paper honeycomb re-created to have the smaller spacing and layer count of vintage items circa 1920-1930. The characters have a slot within the basket that allows for Halloween treats or placement of a small battery operated tealight.  Authentically diecut characters are dual-side printed (in a limited-edition run) in rich color of blacks, oranges, and yellows on a thick 34pt matte stock. (with an almost waxy surface) They can be placed in upright positions (with minimal support), tilted (at their randomly natural angle), or as I discovered when a wind came thru the window - in spinning motion across the table.

As night falls, I do hope to get some better photos of their lighting potential. Here are couple of earlier photos using battery-operated tealights...

Odilon

With eyes inspired by a certain Redon painting, this limited production lantern is now available from the Bindlegood online store....

View more of Bindlegrim 2014 designs on flickr... 

Vanishing Creeps

Week two of the Bindlegrim sale - and already some items in the Creeps editions are sold out as I pack their bindles with care for cross-country travels literally coast to coast! Again, thank you to all who gathered for week one.

It actually appears that the Summer Lantern Sale might be something of a misnomer, as I seek to fill out some unexpected gaps in the coming weeks - but for you 12-sided lantern fiends (and I know there are a few) I do plan to list the last 12-sided Creeps lantern in the final fourth week.

As I pull together some oddities for week three, here's a quick review of what is currently up for grabs in the second week ending Sunday, July 26th.

1) Vintage-Style Christmas SPIRITS #5/5 Artist Signed Set KRINGLE, FROST, & KRAMPUS

This listing is for the last full set of vintage-style candy-container lanterns from Spirits, a 5/5 limited edition set of three characters designed, printed, and diecut in the artist's studio. While a couple of characters may show up solo, this is the last of the Krampus characters available.

This is the fifth in an edition of five packaged sets - each character is signed, and the package insert is numbered #5/5.

2) Vintage-Style Easter Greetings TO THE HUNT #4/10 Artist Signed Postcard & Folio

Since Bindlegrim reached outside of the Hallowe'en norm for the above Christmas listing... this Easter card was also included to bring in a little more cheer, albeit slightly twisted once again. This print postcard was limited to a run of only ten cards, each with a peek-a-boo folio. This card is signed and numberd #4/10.

3) Vintage-Style Halloween CREEPS A.P. 2/2 Open Silhouette Set Candy-Box Lanterns

This is the 2/2 set of artist proofs created before the final 5/5 run of "soot-faced" Creeps. I cannot fully recollect why this set was created before the final packaged sets, but I believe it must have had to do with the direction of the dies upon the 2-ply museum board (since the die cutting process actually gives a subtle front and back edge to the paper). In any case, unlike the 1/2 set sold off the previous year, the 2/2 set was never even bent into shape... as shown here standing at full attentive display in this old crate.

4) Vintage-Style HALLOWEEN & CORNISH LITANY variety set themed Postcards and Book

With Bindlegrim's 2013 lantern stock rapidly vanishing - I continued to grab up a few other items for the sale... and thought it fun to gather a collection of printed goodies. This lot contains the following:
1) On Stranger Winds - Tall Tales for Shorter Days: a signed copy of the book with the newer matte cover (which I love much better than previous editions for its soft touch). The book is a collection of stories and poems (and was a winner of the New Mexico Book Awards in 2013 in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category). Cover art by David Irvine (aka The Gnarled Branch).

2) Cornish Litany cards, 2011, has a limited number #/25 of signed cards. Both here are numbered #6/25. These postcards are artist reprints of the original art that was commissioned by Cornish Litany fanatic Debra Mesiter: A Litany... Cornish and Otherwise.

3) Cornish Litany cards, 2012. This set was originally release with a (sold-out) 12-sided Cornish Litany lantern that contained the same imagery.

4) One set of 4 Hallowe'en cards from the new Spooklights lanterns by Bindlegrim. Un-signed from a moderate run of 100 sets.  

Thank you once again to all for considering these items for your Halloween bindle. Stay tuned for week 3 starting this Sunday, the 26th.

Halloween Tea Time