ohnuffnang

Valentine's Decor and a Plate Wall

2014-02-12T11:47:00.000-08:00

Before I get to the Valentine's Day decor, I have to post about the plate wall I designed. This is the first project I undertook this year and I think it was a pretty good way to start the New Year.

I have a dear family friend, Lori, who had been collecting plates for probably 25 years now. Most are from thrift stores, some from Mexico, and others are special family heirlooms. They are all fantastic! And, as you can see, they all coordinate beautifully.

I wanted to fill the space but with a completely asymmetrical design that crept over the door to the pantry. The result is a moving creature crawling up and over the wall and I DIG THAT!! Feel free to pin to pinterest as lost as you link it from here.

Now for Valentine's...

One of the fond memories I have of my late grandpa is going to Bob's Big Boy when we lived in Fresno, California. I would often get the fried chicken, occasionally mixing things up with a cheeseburger, fries, and ALWAYS a chocolate milkshake. Every time we went, it was tradition for my grandpa to allow the rest of the adults to finish their meals in peace while taking my siblings and I to see the life-size statue of the Big Boy in the front of the restaurant. We would climb on him, tell him we loved him, and give him pats on his brown head. We would also do this to the statue. ;-)

So when these guys started popping up in antique stores, I had to snatch one. And he kind of has that old fashioned Valentine boy feel to him, doesn't he? Now he sits on our kitchen table and stares at the kids and I while we eat cheeseburgers and chocolate milk.

And please ignore the scratch in my table...

And the bad lighting in this picture.....

I swear the one thing that keeps me from being more professional is the crappy lighting in my apartment! I'm convinced my stuff would look cuter with more natural light. Urg...someday.

Valentine Table. Less is more this year.

And how could I resist? Some of you know I am OBSESSED with all things Black Apple. This is a recent print I was blessed with by Emily called In the Spring, She Married a Bear. You can purchase it here.

Isn't it perfect for Valentine's?

Valentine's cards old and new. Some by the lovely Emily Martin, which are a free download on her blog.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Simple Vintage Christmas

2013-12-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

I was too busy with school projects, papers, and finals to pull out the many bins-full of Christmas goodies this year. So, I only decorated small spots and cubbies in the house. Plus, Grandma and Grandpa will have a big tree up for us this year so the kids are all good with that.

I always like to change things up a little each year using decor I already have but in a new way with a few extra finishing touches I pick up in local shops for inspiration and motivation.

The woodland theme with mushrooms and snow and branches was inspired by a display at Gatehouse this year. Those stripey mittens were my grandmother's when she was a teenager and bring a warm feeling to the snowy table. I dig the addition of my gnome Santas this year to my winter wonderland icy, blue and white theme I usually put out for January. The neighborhood kids that come over especially appreciate that my lamps are wearing hats.

Yeah, being the stiff and steady sentinels they are, once a year even lamps have to get their crazy on.

Merry Christmas!

Amy's Christmas

2013-12-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Since I wasn't doing my own Christmas tree this year, it was a nice treat to be able to do someone else's. Amy has great taste in color. She bought a ton of new embellishments such as jeweled ornaments, butterflies, dragonflies, flowers, giant ribbon and toile for her tree this year all in gold, brown, purple, green, and persimmon. It turned out lovely. It might be one of my favorite trees I've ever done.

Halloween 2013

2013-10-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

It absolutely kills me that my apartment doesn't have better natural lighting. The light over my kitchen table tints the most decorated part of the house (this sofa table) a gold-ish yellow. That's one certain thing about sharing a big building with other folks - only one side of your dwelling has windows. I apologize to your eyes now.

This year's Halloween theme was "heads". I always try to create a different look with the things I already have plus a few new treasures. It's not as gruesome as a head-inspired theme might suggest but decorating with a more apothecary/thriller theme scares the crap out of my kids. So we can call this "Happy Halloween Heads" and feel safe as we walk past this to go down the darkened hallway to the toilet.

Here we have a collection of faces, masks, busts, pumpkin heads and silly bobbley heads hanging from a tree. Some fall favorites, a parachuting faerie, and the Black Pumpkin herself in the center of the kitchen table. Happy Halloween!

Healing Waters

2013-10-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

Palm Springs 2011

I was reminded today that Palm Springs, CA has over 22 different spa resorts which tap into its natural mineral springs known for their healing properties. I also discovered that one possible origin of palm in the place name comes from early Spanish explorers who referred to the area as La Palma de la Mano de Dios or "The Palm of God's hand." And a third discovery I came across today is this blog post about the metaphysical properties of intention and how human thoughts, actions and emotions can physically change a water molecule for better or worse. (Really, you can't miss the post - please go check it out. Fascinating truth.)

Healing waters. I love little droplets of information that come together and make a memory of light and water and energy that much more meaningful. The discoveries above combined to take me back to this picture of my little family captured in Palm Springs a year after my divorce. It wouldn't be appropriate to go into the details of it here, but I can say that it was the best decision for my family. It was the only way we could get out of a situation that wasn't right or healthy, then heal, and move forward with our lives in a manner that was best for all.

This image is art rich with symbols for me and my life. I love to gaze at it and see the light in our faces, the joy, the hope. My heart smiles big to see my son with his arms thrown up to the sky in such a free and child-like way. He has had walked a harder path of healing than his sisters and he is now thriving like a champ. We all are.

Two years later, we are even more healed today than we were in this picture. Kaiya is loving colorguard and performing with the brightest smile on her face. Trooper is learning to play the trumpet and passing the sacrament in church. Arie just donated her long hair to Locks of Love, becoming more involved in school activities (like Superhero Day!) and saying "apparently" a lot.

The last three years have been a testament to me of the healing power of the Atonement of Christ. His light and energy harnessed and focused in a loving, good way has the power to heal all things in the universe and make them glorious and bright again.

-Britten

Painting Class

2013-07-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a very late post filled with finished works produced in my painting class this last winter semester. I learned to work with oils, stretch canvas, make my own wood panels, and various painting techniques. The above triplet is a portrait of author Franz Kafka done three ways.

Above and below are two grasaille paintings - studies of light and shadow.

This one I've named "Chairries" and it is a fusion of two different artists' styles, colors, composition and techniques.

Many classmates seemed to really like this bird collage. My teacher encouraged me to frame it, but first I need wall space to hang it....not much to go around in this little apartment.

This simple apple still life might be my favorite of all. Figuring out how to paint the shaft of light while working in the studio at midnight was a surreal experience. It felt God-like to create light in the darkness.

This last one was an exploration of layering techniques. It was interesting to me that in the process of layering and stripping paint on a panel, certain symbols for my life started to emerge unintended.

The apple represents choice

This honeycomb pattern, which actually happened by accident, represents my new home = The Beehive State.

The plethora of "4" is the new number of humans in my family covering up the old number of humans in my family. 4 is a very dear number to me.

Part of the panel has a dark glaze over it, contrasting the lighter portion. Life has definitely taught me the difference between light and darkness. Both have their purpose.

Learning all I did in this class has encouraged me to paint more when I eventually get the time. Right now I am in the middle of my ethnographic field work studying the Daughters of Utah Pioneers museums which is a 40+ hour a week job, with late nights and semi-attention deprived children.

One day, I will paint again. A girl can dream, right?

New Favorite Quote

2013-02-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

One of the first things we read in my Anthropology Contemporary Theory class last semester was the King Follett Sermon by Joseph Smith, Jr. It's an address he gives at a friend's funeral about the nature of God and it is profound. If you get the chance, you should take the time to read it.

For what better way to understand the nature of man, than to understand the nature of God?

And since I love books so much, I thought it was a good reminder to keep the Holy Ghost with me at all times. He is the best self-help, advice, therapy, and choose-your-own-adventure book in the universe for he speaks TRUTH. And to me, personal revelation is more beautiful and real than any book I have ever read. And you can be certain there will be a happily ever after.

~Britten

Figure Drawings

2013-01-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

End of semester 3 hour drawing - vine charcoal and conté

So I'd say that my drawing has improved. Last semester I took a Figure Drawing for Illustrators class and it proved to me what drawing for 6-8 hours a week, with professional guidance from my lovely teacher, Erin Meads, can do. There is a 10,000 hours rule - if you work on improving a talent for 10,000 hours you WILL get amazing results. Plain and simple. Line upon line. One hour at a time. It's not a philosophy or opinion to be debated. It's a law of the universe.

Now, I just need more time.

I thought I would post pictures of my progress from the beginning of the semester to the end to illustrate my improvement.

This drawing was done a few semesters before taking the class in a live gesture drawing session.

This was a sustained pose done on the first day of class. This is the first sustained pose from life I had done in over 15 years. I was a little rusty.

Gesture drawings beginning to mid-semester.

Sustained poses mid-semester

Gestures and sustained poses mid-semester to end of semester

End of the semester portraits and sustained poses

This one is my favorite of all.

Erin Meads is a wonderful teacher. Tremendously positive and encouraging, she gave such soft criticism while pointing out my strengths that only made me want to work harder. Because of her tutoring, I finally feel like a real artist.

To view some of Erin's work, you can visit her blog: Erin Meads

Happy New Year! Come Monday, I start painting for 6-8 hours a week.

Wish me luck!

September Display = Carnival + Back-to-School Theme

2012-10-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

For my September theme, I thought of all the carnivals and festivals coming to town as well as the children going back to school. A lot of my inspiration came from some of my favorite items purchased over the years from The Black Apple.

Behind this little aproned girl are both of Emily Martin's published books opened to their school scene pages: Oddfellow's Orphanage (left) and The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer (right).

The book underneath her is a limited edition Oddfellow's Compendium I was lucky to snag from her shop.

Another Black Apple doll clutching a small book and pencil, sitting atop some old-school library books.

The Black Apple Lost on the Midway print, complete with a popcorn bag and some stylish tickets.

This may be my most favorite monthly display yet!

Halloween 2011 and 2012

2012-10-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Front door

I went with a more vintage, fun theme this year instead of my normal witch's apothecary look.

These busts got their Halloween costumes on.

This is the famous sofa table that gets decorated every month.

The following are my Halloween 2011 displays...

February, March and April Displays

2012-10-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Valentines Display - lights on and lights off

This was put up for my daughter, Kaiya's, birthday

Centerpiece for the kitchen table

Birthday Cupcake!

March Displays

Easter Display

August - Ocean Display

2012-10-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

May - Faerie Display

2012-10-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

Faerie House under glass

Louisa May Alcott Flower Fairy book

3-D pop-up Faerie book

My bust children got a touch of floral added to their seats

Lately

2012-08-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have not been making dolls, but I have been making art. I have been working at a home decor chain in Utah called Rod Works for the past 2 years. What a rewarding job! My fellow employees and I unpack boxes of treasures, never knowing what they will be until opened. It's like Christmas! Then we merchandise these goodies, placing them with other like items where we then create displays that invite, excite and suggest, leaving customers with tons of fun, new ideas for their home. When your work is like play - does life even get any better?

I have worked in the home decorating industry for the last 12 years. I have been shopping and arranging home decor for most of my life. My mom had an eye for it and has been taking me to gift shop boutiques since as far back as I can remember. After watching the 1980s flick Mannequin, I knew one of my life-long ambitions would be to create store displays.

The above is one of my last displays. I created it with the help of my co-worker, Ashley, using the Rod Works' signature Frame Rod and Fake Hang.

I have to admit that I love the little iron owl I added in the middle of this vignette.

And how about hanging this metal wall art upside down? With the leaves hanging down instead of up, it almost reminds me of a tribal necklace.

My last day at Rod Works was last week. I'm staying on the payroll for emergencies but won't be working regularly since I will be starting school full time in the fall. I know I am going to miss this place so who knows? I might just find myself back there again after graduation in 2014.

For now it's on to late summer vacations, then read, study, do an art project, read, study, make more art, etc. Even though this will be crazy with 3 kids to run after, I am looking forward to it with much anticipation. =)

happy summer!

Twilight Inspired Dolls For Sale!

2011-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

The dolls are in the TwilightMOMS.com shop now. While I am a busy snowbunny in school, the TwilightMOMS have agreed to sell them from their online store so they will not be available in my etsy shop. Other non-Twilight items may be available in my shop from time to time, but all Twilight related merchandise can be found through TwilightMOMS.

Therefore, they will be in charge of shipping and payment, etc.

These dolls make a perfect Christmas present for that special Twilight fan in your life, or for yourself! So bounce like an elf on over to the shop and grab one, two or a few!

Also, they have the few Twilight Inspired Christmas cards that are remaining.

You can purchase them at this link: Twilight Christmas Cards. After these sets run out they will be gone for good so get them while you can!

*Note: Prices are higher than normal because they include shipping. There are very limited quantities of each doll available for shipment in time for Christmas. If these sell out, all other orders will be pre-orders and will not ship out until late January/early February!!!

Here are the links to each doll:

Purchase Little Unreliable Vampire (Edward in pea coat) here

Purchase Mrs. Unreliable Vampire (Bella in honeymoon dress) here

Purchase Mr. and Mrs. Unreliable Wedding Set here

Purchase Mini Unreliable Half-breed (Renesmee in pink and green dress or blue and white dress) here

*Make sure to indicate which color choice you want in the "comments" section of check out.

Purchase Wolfy Pup Boy (Jacob with wolf hat) here

Purchase Chill Pill (Jasper in uniform) here

Purchase Tiny Dancer (Alice with scarf accessory for you) here

As always, any questions you have about the dolls can be directed to my email: Britten@twilightmoms.com

Happy Holiday shopping, pumpkins!

Breaking Dawn Doll Line-up!

2011-11-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here is the new Bella doll. No longer a Chew Toy, she is now Mrs. Cullen. She is in her honeymoon attire and I have now dubbed her "Mrs. Unreliable". I might even do a new and improved Vampire Bella for Part 2 of the movie!

Ah, so in love!

This is the ultimate Wedding Set, the new Mr. and Mrs. Unreliable in their wedding get-up.

They even get elegant butt tags. Hee hee.

And last but not least, the crowning glory of Mr. and Mrs. Unreliable,

Mini Unreliable Half-breed (aka Renesmee).

There are two variations of this doll - one in a pink and green dress and another in a blue and white dress.

*Something special to note about this doll - since Renesmee is supposed to have her father's hair, this doll's hair has literally been cut from the scraps left over after hours of cutting out her father's hair (Little Unreliable Vampire). Furthermore, her dress and tights (both versions) have been cut from my daughter's out-grown baby clothes. I truly hope she will be cherished and enjoyed for she carries little pieces of my treasured memories.

With her favorite pal/pet, Jacob.

These two pictures with daddy have to be my most favorite. I die a little everytime I see them together. Can they get any cuter?

And here are some family pictures showing the different color combinations when they are all together.

The entire line-up for sale at the TwilightMOMS shop:

Happy Breaking Dawn!

My Dollies Have Been Yahooed!

2011-11-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, folks, The Black Pumpkin dolls were spotted in a Yahoo Movies video with my friend and fellow TwilightMOM, Charlotte! She has the raddest Twilight room you have ever seen, which includes my Edward in his blue pea coat and an older version of Alice in her Twilight-colored outfit. They sit atop one of her many bookshelves filled with Twilight memorabilia and are the bookends to her Twilight hotwheel collection.

Sweetness. You can view the video here.

And I'd like to give a shout-out to Charlotte who did us TwilightMOMs proud and showed the world what a REAL TwilightMOM is: beautiful, sophisticated, intelligent, crafty, friendly, and fun who is also a great wife and mom and happens to have Twilight as her hobby. If this is her trophy room, I'd say she's a true champion.

Way to represent, girl!!
p.s. pictures of the Renesmee doll coming early next week!

-B

New Doll in the Works

2011-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Soooooo... it's been a while. But I am back to blogging. This will now become my main blog. And I have a new doll to share.

I stopped blogging last December and put my shop on a very long vacation. I am currently in school and working part time and have 3 kids to keep up with so there was no time to work on dolls or anything else for the shop. I DID end up making those Harry Potter dolls for a friend for Christmas. They were a custom request that I fully intended to start selling in the shop but all my other responsibilities got in the way. Someday they might make it in there, but I will definitely post pictures of them here for all to see because I was so darn proud of myself.

I do, however, have a new doll I am working on. She is another Twilight doll, little Renesmee. Here are some pictures I have gathered from the internet for inspiration:

That one on the bottom right is of Emma, my friend Angela's daughter and an artist by the name of Lina has used her likeness in a painting she did of Renesmee. The big one (and two others) are of Mackenzie Foy, the actress playing Renesmee in Part 2 of Breaking Dawn, however, I had NO idea she was until after I chose all her images and went searching for her name to include in this post. I just liked her face that much so of course, I think this is a brilliant choice by Summit. The others I thought were just as inspiring.

by inner_butterfly on Deviant Art

And then there is this one, which I couldn't resist because it's just way too cute and anime.

The trick to getting this doll right is all in the eyes and hair. I need to find the right amount of curly and it's going to be tricky using felt and those eyes have to be able to reach into your soul.

I'll be sure to post pics when I am finished with her.

-B

Repost: Twilight Inspired Christmas Postcards + Doll Update

2010-12-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

These are a part of my Twilight inspired series I'm calling "Little Unreliables" which includes all of the Twilight inspired dolls I have made so far (and lots more to come there too!) I painted each image on a wooden plaque which I then had printed onto postcards with a cute, corresponding Christmasy/Twilightish phrase.

The left side of each of the following pictures is the front of the card and the right side of the picture is the back.

"Jacob with your nose so bright...

"won't you guide the dog sled tonight?"

Edward Cullen

"I saw my Twilight Mommy kissing Santa Claus."

"With Jasper...

... all is calm, all is right."

Edward

"Oh, come, let us adore him!"

Alice...

"She knows if you'll be bad or good,

so be good for goodness sake."

"Bella says,

"All I want for Christmas

is Edward's two front teeth."

*Each package contains 12 postcards and 12 envelopes.

*They are multi-packs so you will receive 2 of each of the six designs you see here.

*The postcards have a beautiful glossy finish for the print on the front and a matte finish on the back with the text.

*Each card will not contain the copyright watermark on it

Have a special set of Twilight-loving friends and family that would get a kick out of these cards? Then bounce like a snow bunny over to the shop and snatch up a batch or two before all of the Christmas elves grab them for themselves....

Doll Update: I am still working on the HP inspired dolls so they won't be in the shop in time for international customers to purchase them in time to arrive for the holidays but I am hoping to have them in the shop by Monday so that US folks can grab some in time for Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday shop schedule and exciting new dolls!

2010-12-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

Just a head's up that the shop will be closing December 15th and reopening Jan. 3rd 2011. In order to have your goodies before Christmas, you will need to purchase them by December 15th for US residents and December 10th for international folk.

And....

Guess who's coming to The Black Pumpkin?

That's right!! My own version of Harry Potter dollies. I sit down to design them tonight. I already have their names picked out. These are going to be both a challenge and tons of fun!

They will be clothed in a sort of Gryffindor-ish outfit and come complete with a wooden wand!

I'm hoping to have these posted to the shop around the 9th or 10th of this month. Cross your fingers and wave your magic wand for me. =)

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale Event!

2010-11-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

Attention Little Pumpkins!

The Black Pumpkin is having its 1st ever Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale Event!

Starting at 1pm Mountain Time (12pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern) on Black Friday all Twilight-inspired, Little Unreliables Series dolls are 35% off and all 8x10 art prints are $9 each. The sale goes through Cyber Monday and ends at 12am Mountain Time (11am Pacific 11-29-10, 2am Eastern) Tuesday, November 30th 2010.

*Please note, all dolls are pre-order only. Please allow 2 weeks production time + shipping time. Prints and all other items ship within 3-4 days.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Stay warm while shopping today!

Announcing my break this time

2010-08-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Haha! Yes, like I should have done about 5 months ago, right?

Many changes have occurred in my life the past 5 months. New directions. New goals. New paths to be taken are ahead. Currently, we are waiting on a few go-aheads, but come what may we will for sure be moving husband, children, FeyaVanya's Haunt (well, all the lovely things inside it anyway) and all the Black Pumpkin dollies and goodies to Utah! Most likely by the end of the month.

This is an exciting and terribly stressful/busy time for me so I am going to close the Etsy shop down for a couple months just until things get settled again and I can have time to cook up some Halloweenish goodies for the reopen October 1st!

See you on the other side!

Back From the Dead and Feeling Inspired

2010-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Where oh, where has the Black Pumpkin been?

Well, winter's bleakness got the best of her and so she was compelled to hibernate for a time and slip into a small coma.

Then the sun came back, kissed the sleeping pumpkin's face and awoke her from her slumber. She arises bathed in light and new wonder.

Illustration by John Bauer

After the onslaught of Christmas and the New Moon Experience in Utah before that, January hit and I suddenly needed to recuperate and take a Black Pumpkin break. I apologize if you have been returning to this blog to find nothing new in the last 2 months, but I have to say that I am glad I took the time to just veg, rejuvenate, and concentrate on the basics again, including my day job, because I now feel ready to plunge into the sea of art and dolls once more!

Plus, it's always nice to get inspired anew after months of not. The two illustrations included in this post are from animationarchive.org in a post about John Bauer and his art from the Swedish Bland Tomtar Och Troll (Among Trolls and Elves). His work inspired some of my favorites such as Brian Froud and Jim Henson and has now inspired me. Just look at the faces of those bumbly, grotesque but lovable trolls encircling the princess! How can you not simply adore them?

And the face of this little elf, below, would make any mother want to wrap him up and put him in her apron pocket, be her gypsy troll or SAHM.

Expect some fairytale-inspired work from me soon, as well as more Twilight goodies.

Illustration by John Bauer

Unlike trolls, however, I come to life in the sun and turn to stone for long periods without it. I must have the sunlight in my day-to-day life, despite what my friends say about me actually being a vampire - nocturnal lover of the night.

In my dreams, I wish I could have both the sun and the moon and do away with sleep entirely.

♥ Have a happy, light-filled weekend. ♥

Hot Goblin King, You Rock My World

2010-01-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Dear David Bowie,

Happy Birthday.
I love you.
You are the hottest goblin king everrrrr and anyone who can dance the magic dance with muppets, a baby in cute pajamas, and goblins, all at the same time, deserves the birthday to end all birthdays, in my book.

Plus, you are the only guy I know that still looks super awesome manly in tights and ruffles while dancing at a masquerade.

*wait*

I'm getting distracted by the perfect drama of this photo...

May you live long enough to film a Labyrinth sequel, should there ever be one that is worth making.

Love,

Your dearestly devoted fan,

The Black Pumpkin

Twitter Giveaway!

2010-01-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hello my little pumpkins! The holidays were good to me and it's almost time for the shop to reopen on the 4th, but 1st I made a little challenge for myself...

Currently I am at 201 followers on Twitter. Once I reach 300, I will choose a lucky, random follower and they will receive my new Jasper inspired doll, Chill Pill!

So if you are not already, follow me on Twitter:

Twitter.com/TheBlackPumpkin

Thank you and Happy 2010!