Go Forth and be Beastlie...

Thank you all for your patience with this one-spook enterprise as the initial Beasties are assembled and shipped. These are new processes to the stiff ol' Bindle fingers, and I want to make sure these vintage-style honeycomb baskets are done correctly. I hope you'll let me know what you think upon their arrival at your doorstep... and maybe snap a photo or two of them in your autumn decor. See previous entry for some display ideas.

I really enjoyed packaging the first three inside their vellum envelopes tonight and boxing them up for their journey. Here's a photo of #1/50 just before the lid closed... and Bindlegrim slouched off to bed with a contented grumble.

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.

Bindlegrim's Bindlegoods

So these last couple of months, there has been much talk about the opening day of Bindlegoods. Wasn't that set for February..? Was it going to creep up during March..? Hey, hasn't April blustered by already without a sign..? Well those days have passed (hopefully with most of the southwestern dust-storm season) and looks like opening day is going to fall sometime during this first week of May! I know this to be true because two orders (from fans who snuck into the crypt) are going out the door this week. The web shoppe address, btw, which I forgot to mention, is bindlegoods.bindlegrim.com

Here's a couple of photos of some Spooklights contents (lamp base and lamp shade) ready for packaging... which will soon be a small non-limited run (vs. limited edition) from Bindlegoods. 

As well the Spooklights postcard set just arrived in the studio and is set to ship out free with the first orders (while supplies last). These are colorful Halloween illustrations on a 4x6 matte postcard.

I do believe the next post will be an announcement for the opening of the shop! Thank you for your patience with the ol bones of Bindlegrim! Keep up to date with latest Bindlegrim news via facebook, twitter, and check out some additional imagery via flickr.

By the way, if you've read this far, you just might be a true Bindlegrim fan --- so don't forget last summer started a Bindlegrim tradition for selling the previous year's designs... and there a few limited-edition Creeps (lanterns and candy containers) and Spirits who might be in need of a good haunted home. 

Halloween Kisses

While I would like to someday say the most popular image on the flickr account is original, it is actually this groovy little piece of vintage Halloween paper. This is the paper seal for the top of what was likely a plastic bag of candy, (and now has well over 500 views based solely on web traffic searches for terms like "original molasses Halloween kiss").

Based on the company info, (of Allan Candy Company in Aldershot), history would place this around 1943-1961. And here is some interesting information about the Canadian molasses kiss candy (which I had no idea until after I started to research the item): www.taddlecreekmag.com/molasses-the-ultimate-treat

I got this from a stack of ephemera at the Craven Farm holiday show, held in November in Snohomish, Washington (near Seattle) -- from the tables of incredible Halloween product designer Hobgoblin. (Check out this fun fall photoshoot with Hobgoblin , and this ghost created by Hobgoblin).  Personally, I was instantly charmed by the simple imagery, (that special character of the witch face), and the classic silhouette color scheme in orange and black.

In retrospect, this was a definite inspiration!