Grim Bindles (Past and Present)

Week three (of four) for the Bindlegrim sale - and this week really dug deep into the bindle for something old (cards from 2004), to something new (two one-off hybrid lanterns) all ending this coming Sunday August 3rd, 2014.

1) Vintage-Style HALLOWEEN 9 Card Series: ghosts, pumpkins, bats, haunted houses

Bindle' really scoured the crypt for this set created in 2004. The photo-collages feature original photography and digitally created elements. The background scenery followed a personal journey across the U.S. from the swamps and abandoned house of the Southeast, to the mysterious ghost towns and lonely deserts of the Southwest, to the spooky drizzle and moss-covered roofs of the Northwest. The ghost character was shot in studio, as were some of the props like German-esqe Jack O'Lanterns and bats, and later all was brought in the computer for an artistic integration. You can see more images in this earlier blog entry, or in this flickr set: Hallowe'en.

2) Vintage-Style Christmas WINTER LIGHTS 6 greeting cards, old electric decor

The imagery here of vintage Christmas lights dating from 1920's to the 1960's, and were photographed by the artist in the studio, with graphic design added later in graphic programs. Cards are approximately 4.25" wide by 5 1/2" tall. More images can be seen in this flickr set: Winter Lights.

3) Vintage-Style HALLOWEEN 8-Sided Lantern HORRID DECOR jol pumpkins orange/black

This listing is for vintage-style 8-sided lantern hybrid created to test Spooklights for Halloween 2014. The lantern panes are like those for the 12-sided lanterns (and therefore feature the pumpkin-and-leaf motif in the corners). The imagery was for the only non-limited run of lanterns from 2012 known as "The Horrid Decor" and this one features orange and black prints on vellum.

4) Vintage-Style HALLOWEEN 8-Sided Lantern HORRID DECOR jol pumpkins blue/black

This listing is for the 2nd of two vintage-style 8-sided lantern hybrids created to test Spooklights. The lantern feature the pumpkin-and-leaf motif in the corners. The imagery derived from the only non-limited run of lanterns from 2012 known as "The Horrid Decor" and this one features blue and black prints on textured paper.

Thank you again, and stick around for next week - the very end of the sale...

A Halloween Tree

As of today Bindlegrim has packaged and mailed the first dozen Bindlegoods  orders and ran out of posted stock. So I checked materials in the studio and made sure it was okay to stock another 12 of both the Spooklights lamp shade and the candle holder for further availability of these vintage-style decorations on the Halloween store. If you missed the announcement from the Bindlegrim facebook fan page - the Bindlegoods storefront is open for business.

One of the things I love about the maker process is the challenge of designing not only the puzzle-like components to a single Halloween lantern, but making all these various completed objects, (like the shade and base), fit together to create expanding display possibilities. And there were a couple in the Future Release section of the website that needed a little extra work...

This weekend the daunting task of re-designing the "octopus lantern" was finally approached, and happy to report the mock up is even more sturdy than the first. As well, the lamp post, expiring on the drawing board, had a newly hand-cut mock up created today. While it had been originally designed solely  as a lamp post, its similarly formed component structure also allows it to be used with the lamp shade. I envision a forested table display of Halloween trees...

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 Tea Time

The Christmas Mask-Over

Another quick post to follow up the previous 2 characters with good ol' St. Nick...  although I'm not sure this guy is any less "troubled" than Krampus and Jack Frost before him.

I suppose the less than cheerful expressions could be based on the fact that Santa here and the others were originally Halloween characters who got a "mask-over" for the upcoming December celebrations. It just may explain their not-so-sweet disposition. Can you figure out who's hiding behind the Christmas affectations?

Jack Frost and Krampus Designs

Bindlegrim has given up trying to teach the workshop elves anything but Jingle Bells in a minor key this year - as their work continues to be a bit on the dark side of Christmas? And here are a couple more sneak peeks at work in progress for what will be follow up object-designs to the vintage-style candy container lanterns that were released this past Halloween 2013:

Endings and Beginnings....

Time is up! And our contest has drawn to a close here at Bindlegrim's cottage casita, with lots of goodies since sent, and new ones ready to go out the door. Thank you to all for your great comments and devoted visits to this blog during the past six weeks, and hopefully there were some enjoyable tidbits, if not by me, by those who commented on the author-note series for Tall Tales Shorter Days. Given the great turnout, Bindlegrim has decided to give away two lanterns (including this week's book winner) - and this will be announced just a tad later (below the next image). Who will it be?

*** GIVEAWAY WINNERS ***

1) These week's book winner is: Keya

2) Lantern #1 winner is: Keya

3) Lantern #2 winner is: wickKED
(3-18 update: a 9-sided geek die awards the prize...!)

P.S. If you like what you've read during the past weeks - the author heartily appreciates your Like or Review on Amazon for the book: (in print on Amazon or Etsy) or by e-book via Kindle/iPad.

And please, if we have yet connected to get you your book from past entries, please contact bumble (at) bindlegrim (dot) com. You can check either the end of the blog entry or in closing comments for entries linked below. (Note - for a review of contest details see previous author-note entries).

The Herbivorous Witch - Author Notes

Jitter - Author Notes

The Pumpkin Dream - author notes

Watrous & Valmora - author notes

Ballad of Papi Huesos - author notes

Let Rains Bring Toads - author notes

*** THANK-YOU! ***

---

So ol' Bindle has had a great time on this book, and the contest, but he's a fidgety sort, and has been in the lab these past few weeks preparing for the coming Halloween holiday, unearthing some old designs for something stitched up and new to materialize around the corner...

Maybe you can help with a problem? The goal is to have at least 6 characters for a full set, but the skull just isn't working out, at least as of yet. Hmmmm. Maybe that's not the best character? What would you add to this set: 1) Pumpkin 2) Witch 3) Bogle 4) Cat 5) Devil and 6) ???

Red, Black, & White Christmas

I've been rediscovering my love for a certain vintage palette while perusing the vintage Christmas cards on flickr, loving any graphics and/or illustrations that are in the high contrast combination of red, black, and white. (Below is a vintage card that I had found recently at an antique store that re-sparked this interest).

I started checking out many more vintage images in this palette that others have found and posted on flickr. Here are just a handful that I have spotted over the last days that I really love and, beneath them are now four links to galleries created to house eighteen images in each.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

There were also a couple more that I couldn't get into a gallery that I thought were really wonderful - and I had to include at least one of those too:

Similarly inspired, while listing The Grim Happy Christmas, on etsy today (where you can now purchase a signed copy), I took a look around the etsy shops too, and decided to create a treasury of red, black, and white Christmas items both vintage and handmade. I hope you'll take a look there too, and have fun!