The Black Pumpkin

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!

2011-11-12T22:37:00.001-08:00

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!

The Perfect Witchy Shoes

2009-12-31T00:23:00.000-08:00

It's really too bad that I'm not a size 4.5 wide or else these would SOOOOOOO be mine!

Who the heck IS a 4.5 these days anyway? That is my age, anyway...

New Dolls!

2009-12-17T02:30:00.000-08:00

Finally here and in the shop!

Meet the new version of Tiny Dancer, complete with an accessory for you!

This Tiny Dancer is inspired by Alice from the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer. Her body is made from blue corduroy and hair and pants from felt. Her face is hand painted by me. Her outfit was inspired by an outfit worn by Ashley Green from the movie, The Twilight Series: New Moon.

Alice loves to dress you up so Tiny Dancer sports a removable silk scarf that you can wear too - tie it in your hair or wear it around your neck in all sorts of ways. (See post below this for pictures of me sporting the scarf)

We all know how helpful Alice can be and so is this doll! There is a small string tied to her wrist that fastens to a button on her opposite hand so that her hands can be clasped together and this allows her to hold small objects for you or to hold onto Chill Pill's arm.

Now meet Chill Pill!

Chill Pill is inspired by Jasper from the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer. He's "Chill" because anyone he meets is calmed by his very presence yet he's also a "Pill" because of his appetite control issues. He sports an outfit made of gray felt reminiscent of a Confederate soldier uniform.

He even has crazed out hair and eyes that seem to hypnotize me. He is just oh, so cute!

I snagged these buttons a few years ago. I've always loved the unicorn and lion crest but had no idea what project to use them for. This doll seemed like a good fit - he needed buttons that looked "official".

Just an FYI: My shop will be closed starting Monday, December 21st - January 4th, although I may open up a little early depending on how fast I can get my house organized.

Yes, Christmas break is the official *Project Organization* for my office which I now dub

"The Enchanted Witchery".

Yet not so enchanted right now. =/

Happy Holidays!!

New pendants and a slight delay

2009-12-16T00:41:00.000-08:00

I should know by now that these shop updates usually take me about 6 hours, depending on how many photos I need to edit. So, if you were following along today, you probably got bored waiting for new things to post in the shop. So sorry...

Here are pictures of the new Lost Moon pendants and earrings...

I was able to get everything new up except the dolls. I was sewing as I was posting and when I got to the face of the Alice doll I drew the nose too high. She ended up looking quite snobby and we can't have that. Alice needs to have a friendly expression, in the very least. So now I have to wait until the disappearing ink dries to finish painting her face.

I will be posting her and the new Jasper doll "Chill Pill" tomorrow after I can take some decent pictures.

However, I have to give you a little preview of the Alice doll. Actually, it's not a preview of the doll, it's of an accessory that she comes with.

After all, wouldn't Alice be the first to help you accessorize?

I had fun tonight with her scarf....

It's a scarf that both the doll or you can wear in all sorts of fashionable ways:

See you tomorrow and here's hoping her face will behave.

Little Unreliables Christmas Plaques!

2009-12-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Most of you have seen my Twilight inspired Christmas Postcards. They are prints made from the original paintings I did on these wood plaques. I am selling these original paintings in my shop update tomorrow, however the cards will still be available now through December, as well as holiday seasons to come and I will also be selling prints, print sets or other various items featuring these Christmas characters in the future too. So they won't be gone forever, but how nice to own an original! The plaques themselves are so cute, they would make great Christmas decorations.

Little Unreliable Angel Vampire

5x7 acrylic on wood

*The back of all the plaques will have their corresponding Christmasy greeting as seen on the back of the postcards. The greetings will be handwritten by me complete with my signature.

Back of this plaque: "Oh, come, let us adore him!"

Wolfy Pup Boy

5x7 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "Jacob with your nose so bright, won't you guide the dog sled tonight?"

Little Unreliable Santa Vampire

6.5x9 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "I saw my Twilight Mommy kissing Santa Claus."

I love the little swirls on his hat I was able to create with the paint.

Chew Toy

5x7 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "All I want for Christmas is Edward's two front teeth."

Tiny Elf Dancer

6.5x9 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "She knows if you'll be bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!"

Chilly Chill Pill (Jasper inspired)

5x7 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "All is calm, all is right."

I left his hair the color of the wood. I love how this turned out!

Just wait until you see the Chill Pill (Jasper) doll! He will be part of the update tomorrow too.

Stay tuned - more posts about new items to come possibly later tonight or early tomorrow before the update!

Christmas Shop Update!

2009-12-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to blogging about the items I took with me to the Utah New Moon Experience. I got most of the left over items up in the shop right after returning home from Thanksgiving in San Diego and most of them are still available to purchase!

There is a New Moon version of everyone's favorite Little Unreliable Vampire. He is sporting the black suit Edward wears for most of the movie when he is parted from his beloved Bella. This suit even has little, shiny, royal blue buttons to match Edward's collared shirt. He needs someone to love him while he is away from Bella - won't you give him a home?

I have a few left. You can find the listing here.

Next up is the ever HILARIOUS Space Heater Special!! I thought I would make it more affordable to put together some doll sets so you don't have to purchase each doll individually. This set comes with Chew Toy, Wolfy Pup Boy and a sleeping bag and when bought all together like this it is less expensive than buying individually. This got many laughs at the convention!

There is one left in the shop and you can read all the details about it in the listing here.

The other doll set is the Fire and Ice Deluxe Set that is basically the Space Heater Special + a Little Unreliable Vampire (New Moon version or Twilight version). I can't WAIT to see this chapter come to life in Eclipse!!

This set recently sold out, but I will have another available in the Christmas Shop Update next week!

And of course, to go along with the Little Unreliables Christmas Card Set, I whipped up some Twilight ornaments! I ♥ the vintage look of tinsel so I had to use it. The ornament comes complete with an AB sparkly rhinestone hanging from the bottom and a wire hook for hanging on the tree. These are really inexpensive and would make a great ornament exchange or package topper for your favorite Twilight-loving friend!

There are 3 left in the shop right now, but possibly more next week for the update. You can find the listing here.

The best part about them is the catchy phrase derived from The Night Before Christmas - Twilight style, on the back...

I also updated the original t-shirt versions of Pup Boy with their own hats for when they phase on the fly. I just can't get over how cute they look sporting their hats with the funny chapter heading on their shirts! Especially this one... The Wizard of Oz!! LOL!

You can find the listings for these Pup Boy dolls here, here and here. All of them now come with a hat.

Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for the Twilight fan? I have two sets of photo packs that are just the ticket!

These packs would also be great gifts for any scrap bookers in your life who love Twilight. This first pack has 18 true digital 4x5 photos of Forks, La Push and Rialto Beach in Washington's Olympic Peninsula, including some of the Hoh Rainforest and First Beach.

The photos I took turned out gorgeous and I thought it would be nice to share them with others who have either had the privilege of going there and want some mementos, or for maybe some of you folks overseas who might not be able to make the trip at this time. This would be a great way to get a taste of the magical, enchanted landscape there.

This listing can be found in my shop here.

The 2nd photo pack of 11 is of some of the sets for Twilight in Portland, Oregon. Portland, or *Portlandia* as I've heard some call it, is a beautiful place on it's own. However, when coupled with Twilight it's even prettier!

I had the privilege of exploring many of the places in which they filmed scenes from the movie. This pack contains pictures of the greenhouse (the Forks High field trip), Multnomah Falls (seen in some pictures from the movie making-of as well as in the background of the baseball field during the baseball scene), the baseball field itself, and the mossy rocks near the Columbia River where Edward tells Bella more about his family.

My favorite pictures have to be from the baseball field. There was a hauntingly beautiful, mossy, branchy tree there that had a grave-like bed of tiny, yellow flowers at it's base. I wonder who, if anyone, might be buried there?

You can find the listing for the Portland photo pack here.

Last but not least, I wanted to share with you a little something I'm just tickled blue about! They will be in the shop next week for the Christmas update!!

Little Unreliable Vampire button pins! This is the same image from my original painting of my favorite vampire sporting his angel wings and halo. His card in the Twilight Christmas Card Pack is the "Oh, come, let us adore him!" card.

This button measures 1.5" and would be a perfect accessory to your holiday attire!

He's Christmasy but not too Christmasy so you can wear him year-round. It's like having a little angel on your shoulder at all times! (Don't you like how I coupled him with my Forks hoodie? He would be even cuter on a more elegant, girly shirt but I'm sorta bumming it today. Hahah.)

Little Unreliable Vampire likes wearing buttons of himself. He KNOWS he is so freakin' cute and full of awesome.

These will be available to buy individually or in sets of 5 - perfect for gift giving and TwilightMOM get togethers!

Be on the lookout for more posts about items that will be available in the Christmas update next week, including original paintings and new dolls!

You don't want to miss it!

Twilight Inspired Christmas Postcards!

2009-11-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?

Well, sewing and painting my little arms off, that's where! I was anxiously getting tons of dolls, pendants, prints and pumpkins ready for my trip to the Utah New Moon Experience where I was a vendor in the TwilightMOMS store. I had a wish list of things I wanted to make and take with me, which seemed to change on a weekly basis the closer the convention got. However, I was very pleased with the resulting array of merchandise I was able to finish in the short time I had. (p.s. I'm finding as I go along this artistic adventure that I don't like to stick to a schedule so any dates and goals for certain items I have previously posted, although I still plan on putting those items in the shop at some point, are heretofore thrown out, just so you know. ...the dates, I mean.)

I do have some goods left over from my vending there and those will go up on my blog and in the shop next week after Thanksgiving and just in time for Christmas, but first, I wanted to show you my Twilight Inspired Christmas Postcards that are now in the shop! I know most of you like to start your Christmas correspondence early so here's your chance!

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

My clever husband helped me on that last phrase for Bella. Hee hee! Couldn't you just die of laughter? I know I did! I was giggling the entire time I was painting these little characters.

The Best Halloween Dress EVER!

2009-10-31T00:07:00.000-07:00

So I must post this because it is some sort of dream find.

It's vintage. 1940's.

It's witchy.

It's orange and black.

Will you LOOK at that collar?

It is from Allen Company Inc. on Etsy.

And if I was a size xs/s I would totally be blowing my money on this RIGHT NOW.

See? Sometimes it pays to be as plump as a pumpkin.

Wolfy Pup Boy!

2009-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

"Woof, woof!"

This is what I think Pup Boy would dress up in for Halloween. Because if you're pretending to be a wolf, no one will know that you really are one, right?

He is "half-naked" in jean shorts and wolf hat - both are fully removeable. I've painted pecs and a six pack on him and his arms are really buff! Pup Boy definitely beefed up for his Wolf costume! LOL!

He is made of mostly muslin and his hair is wool felt. Cut-off shorts are denim with a little frayed edge. The hat is faux fur tied with a satin ribbon. The Black Pumpkin tag is sewn onto his back.

Both Wolfy Pup Boy and Little Unreliable Dracula are in the shop now!

Little Unreliable Dracula!

2009-10-28T21:16:00.001-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to our Little Unreliable Vampire dressed in his Halloween best as Dracula!!

He vants to sahck your blahd! Muwahahaha!

(standing)

(sitting)

He sports a tiny fang (fake, of course) and a drop of blood, like he just partook of a nice, juicy neck. ♥

His little cape is removeable. I just had to give it a little bit of a batmanish twist.

(without cape)

One of my friends, (yay, Karyn!) suggested that even though I state the size of the dolls in their listings, she, being a visual person, would like to see them next to a commonly known object for size comparison. So obviously, everyone knows the size of the Twilight books, hence the following pictures....

Pup Boy

Little Unreliable Vampire

Tiny Dancer

(although her name would indicate she is smaller than the others, this Alice inspired doll is a little bit bigger than the other dolls in the collection so far. She would look great sitting next to your Twilight book collection by herself. I've also had some customers purchase her when their hubby's would complain about a Jacoby or Edwardy doll sitting around. *wink* Smaller Tiny Dancers are in the works and should be available in the next week or so.)

Wolf Pup Boy is getting finished up tonight and both he and Little Unreliable Dracula will be up in the shop by tomorrow morning. There will be 2 available of each for now, the rest are coming with me to the TwilightMOMS New Moon Experience in about 3 weeks.

Woof Woof!

2009-10-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give you a little preview of what I'm working on. Pup Boy in his Halloween costume! I'm reworking the body and clothing for the original Pup Boy to be more New Moon-ish.

He and Little Unreliable Dracula will be in the shop either late Monday or early Tuesday. Stay tuned for more updates and pictures!

♥ TGIF! ♥

Pendants!

2009-10-21T08:27:00.001-07:00

I just finished a whole begaggle of pendants! Some for Halloween, some for Faeries and some for Twilight fans. Take a look and read the discriptions of each. =D

**All pendants come complete with a 16" diamond cut ball chain that sparkles in the sunlight!!

Witchy Craft Thinking Cap

"She discovered she could stir up a greater concentration of craftiness when accompanied by her black hat." -The Black Pumpkin

You don't need to wear this hand-sculpted, hand-painted witch hat on your head to feel especially crafty - you can wear it close to your heart. ♥ This hat is finished off with a multi-colored crystal, glass cube and topped with glossy glaze to give it a scintillatingly, polished glimmer.

Something especially magical happened in the baking process and it sprouted warts on it's underside, which, to me, just add to it's charm and are quite appropriate. -_*

Witch's Dice

Which way is up? Only the craftiest witch knows how to use this peculiar kind of dice.

white

Hand-sculpted out of clay with great care, baked and then painted to resemble round dice, this pendant would add charm to any witchy black ensemble. It is topped with a glossy glaze for a magical, entrancing shine.

black

Faerie Footrest

If faeries can fly, do their feet ever get tired?

Sure they do! Why else would there be tiny, kitchy mushrooms such as this? This pendant has been hand-sculpted with great care, baked and then hand-painted in the likeness of very gnomey-colored mushroom. Lastly, it was finished with a glossy glaze to glimmer like a faerie wing.

Check out the sparkle of the ball chain!

Lost Elf Shoe

Somewhere out there's an elf with one bare foot.

This elf shoe has been hand-sculpted with great care, baked and then hand-painted to resemble a tiny elvin shoe that perhaps got left behind by one of Santa's elves in her haste to hide from you. It has been finised off with a small Swarovski crystal to give it a little twinkle and topped with a glossy glaze for a polished shine that only a persnickety Santa elf would sport.

Forbidden Fruit

"There was just something about him being the one to make the choice..."

- Stephenie Meyer, Eclipse, chapter 14, pg 324

This pendant was hand-sculpted out of clay with great care, baked and then painted to look similar to the apple on the cover of "Twilight" with it's subtle patches of yellow. It was then topped with a glossy glaze to give it lots of shine!

The Fruit of the Tree

...the tree of knowledge, that is.

Perfect for any teachers or Twilight fans in your life, this pendant was hand-sculpted out of clay with great care, baked and then painted in the likeness of a Red Delicious apple. It was topped with a glossy glaze to give it an extra juicy shine!

For the next series of pendants, it was pictures like this that inspired me. A lone wolf baying at a lost moon...

the little points of light and the deep, dark craters...

The array of colors when tinted a certain way...

The way an orange moon almost looks like a sun...

Lost Moon

"I was like a lost moon — my planet destroyed in some cataclysmic, disaster-movie scenario of desolation — that continued, nevertheless, to circle in a tight little orbit around the empty space left behind, ignoring the laws of gravity."

-Stephenie Meyer, New Moon, Chapter 9, p.201

Firey orange

This pendant has been hand-sculpted from clay, baked and then hand-painted to resemble a full moon, tinted by the earth's atmosphere.

It is finished off with a small, AB Swarovski crystal which, as you can see from the picture, reflects light onto the bottom of the moon adding to it's luminosity.

It is also topped with a glossy glaze that relects light in such a way it almost seems the moon is glowing from within, surrounded by the darkness of space.

Sepia

Lavendar

All of them are now in the shop!

Now to go work on more dolls. =)

Have a wicked Wednesday!

FeyaVanya's Haunt: A Halloween Celebration

2009-10-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Where does the Black Pumpkin reside?

Nestled near the misty Sierra Nevadas...

where magic-eyed owls wait in caves...

and the sun sets a fiery orange...

There resides a small cottage called Feya's Haunt

that bears a certain, mysterious charm

where wondrous things await at the turn of the nob...

Inside, we are surrounded by a spooky glow

3 tall candles lit ... what does this symbolize?

Where Jacks ride on ravens

and witches ride on moons

you spot a tiny pumpkin carriage with a spooky glow...

It pulls into the light

and stops outside a tiny haunted house.

Who could it be waiting for?

This house also speaks of dark things...

with poison apples and bat shadows on the wall

where haunted faces stare

and wonder at their visitors

and tiny black cauldrons hang from tangled branches.

Where spider witches grace the mantel

and ancient angel witches

watch over cooky pumpkins.

There, in this cottage, lives a dark-winged witch

(who happens to adore all things Twilight - the books, the time of day, what have you)

and her little daughter witch-in-training.

This is also a place...

where dolls come alive

and an elvish princess

can't wait to kiss her king

or an Elvish Queen

kisses little hobbits on the head.

This is a place where Jedi Masters fight

and Dark Lords of the Sith reign

or have Force visions of long lost love.

So naturally,

in this place,

there also lives a little Storm Trooper.

You look up and spot something

floating from the sky light...

it spins slowly downward

on a large, ghostly leaf

Why, it's a faerie!

She's come to show you her friends...

for this is also a place where faeries abound!

They swing from nooks

and tell stories in books

or sit atop an ancient tale

or read their own.

In the place, where

faeries peer at you from inside glass

or behind it

where faerie treasures are collected

there also lives a little faerie child.

These children love their boo shakes

and candy corn galore!

After the Black Pumpkin

is placed front and center

and the milk glass lit

giving off an eerie glow...

After the crystal ball is consulted

and the potions

from the broom closet

mixed,

the witch and her children

carve glowing jack-o-lanterns.

Finally, after the little Storm Trooper tuckers out,

the little witch-in-training starts to fade with sleep

and the little faerie floats away on dreamland clouds,

this witch puts her feet up

and plots her her next witchy-craft endeavor

... to bring you

more mystical and whimsical goodies

with just a sprinkle of darkness.

Thank you for going with me into Feya's Haunt! It was super fun for me to create this little adventure for you.

This post was part of a Halloween Celebration hosted by A Fanciful Twist. For more Halloween Blog Celebrations going on today, please click on her link above. The pictures and story she takes you on are AMAZING! You will love it, I just know. There is also a wonderfully long list of bloggers on her site who are participating on their own blogs, in her left-hand sidebar or in the comment section of her Celebration post.

If you don't have time today, the list will be up for another week and forever in the comment section of her post.

Here's hoping all of you have a MAGICAL Halloween!!!!

Twilight Monster Mash

2009-10-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the Halloween versions of my dolls are going to love this. It's basically what I had planned for some of their costumes so watch on!

You'll laugh.

You'll cry.

You'll want an Edward Dracula and Jacob Werewolf doll asap.

Please watch on youtube here.

Pumpkin Prints

2009-10-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

The Black Pumpkin is definitely not camera shy. Last Halloween I took her out in the sun for a little photo session, which she just loved. ♥

So I thought maybe you would like a picture or two to hang up at Halloween! I think she would look fetching in a fancy black frame in a group of photos hung together gallery style of costumed children, candelabras and perhaps a few old ghostly photos of your ancestors. I'm actually working on a darkly themed gallery wall in my house and even though it won't be finished for a few more months, I plan to keep it up all year long and will show you all once it's done.

Here are the two photos that will be available in the shop:

"Nestled in Green"

I love the way this photo brings out her reds and purples. She's not just black, she's more of a plumy-eggplant and the way the sun enhances this is just beautiful!

This photo is now available in the shop as an 8x10 in either Metallic or Glossy finish. Printed on Kodak Supra Endura Professional Photographic Paper.

I will also have 5x7s of this next week in either Metallic or Matte finish.

"Misfit"

For this photo I wanted to make her look as black as a plump little beetle amongst her orange sisters. She's so black she's almost blue and I'm in love!

"Misfit" in sepia

I couldn't decide which one I liked better because the sepia gives the photo a more fall-ish feel and brings out her purpley-reds so the choice is yours!

The "Misfit" photos will be available next week in either Metallic or Matte finish in both 8.5X11 and 5x7.

Be sure to check the shop next week. =)

I'm off to go paint some moons!

I'm still here!

2009-10-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

A quick update before I get down and dirty with the witchy craft this weekend....

Some of you may have noticed I'm currently a bit behind in my shop schedule I posted in the last post. The hubby had surgery last week and we thought it was going to be one of those routine things, in-out, wham-bam, done, but boy, were we wrong! After much pain (more than the usual) and an infection, he's finally functioning better and can help with the kiddies a bit while I craft away!

I'm sorry to say that the holiday and Twilight pillows are on hold for a little bit. I decided to change the font of the lettering so I've got to figure that out, but after I do they will be soooo cute!! They may not be here in time for Halloween but they will certainly be here for the holidays. YAY!

I'm going to work on all the pumpkin-y stuff this weekend and the items should be in the shop by early next week.

I'm also going to start the Halloween versions of my dolls so I want to leave myself and my readers with a little inspiration from the Michael.

TGIF!

Upcoming shop goodness!

2009-09-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those who stopped in the shop to have a look. There's not a whole lot of items in there now but there will be!

I thought I would show you the little postcards of The Teller Queen sketch. They come signed by me with any purchase of $30 or more (obviously without the copyright watermark across them).

Here's a list of new items I plan to blog about and have in the shop in the next 2 months!

This week - Pixie Pillow Talk with holiday and Twilight themed pillow packs (more details on this later in the week).

10/5 through 10/9 - Pumpkin week! Pumpkin photos and hand sculpted-hand painted pendants of pumpkins and other spooky things.

10/12 through 10/23 - Halloween versions of Edward, Alice, Jacob and Jasper dolls!

10/26 through 10/30 - Victoria doll and doll accessories (this one is going to be hilarious!)

11/2 through 11/6 - Carlisle, Bella and Rosalie paintings

11/9 through 11/13 - Emmett and Esme paintings

11/16 through 11/29 - Shop closed for Utah New Moon Experience (which I will be selling my merchandise at) and Thanksgiving.

11/30 through 12/4 - Ornaments and quilled cards just in time for Christmas!

12/14 - Do your Christmas shopping! If you order by the 18th, your merchandise will make it to you by Christmas Eve.

I'm very excited about this! Hope to see you in the shop!

Grand Opening of The Black Pumpkin Today + Unveiling of Chew Toy!

2009-09-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

Our Little Unreliable Vampire hears something in the bushes with his super vampire hearing...

Oh! Who could that good-looking plushie be?

It's Chew Toy!! Little Vamps' only love. ♥

And she's gone and gotten massacred by some random mythological creature... again.

It's okay, Chew Toy.... you can always count on your handsome vampire doll to make everything all better. ♥

So the grand opening has officially started in the shop!

I've listed 5 "Little Unreliable Vampires", 3 "Chew Toys", 2 "Tiny Dancers" and 2 "Pup Boys".

There are 2 Edward dolls with big, chunky thrifted blue-grey bottons, 1 with big, chunky, thrifted silver buttons and 2 with small blue stock buttons (these dolls cost a little less because these smaller buttons aren't as unique).

For examples, see below...

Presenting the Bella Swan inspired doll = Chew Toy!

Here is her official description:

Inspired by Bella Swan from the Twilight Saga, this little lady is called Chew Toy! As the heroine/sometimes damsel in distress, she can get pretty chewed up and torn apart by vampires, werewolves and other monsters out to get her.

She features a strawberry shaped body (for Bella's strawberry shampoo), iconic green shirt like in the movie, a removable scarf for staying warm in chilly Forks, skinny jeans with a little fray at the bottom, and arms and legs that button on and off so that you can be all the king's horses and all the king's men and put Bella back together again!

All the Chew Toy (Bella) and Tiny Dancer (Alice) dolls are similar in material color and face. Button colors for Chew Toy may vary but will, of course, coordinate with her outfit. =)

I'm also in the process of listing my Twilight inspired prints so they will be available too!

Yay for shop openings!!!!!

*throws confetti and serves everyone hot apple cider and pumpkin-cream cheese cupcakes*

Frayed Skinny Jeans + Time for Grand Opening

2009-09-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Limbs everywhere!

Getting ready to button these onto their owners...

I just love how this part wasn't planned but worked out perfectly anyway. The denim fabric I bought for the Bella legs came frayed at the top and bottom edges of the bolt so I was able to give her a cute, worn-in look to her "skinny" jeans.

Here is the original concept drawing I did at the beginning of the summer. As you can see, a few things have changed since then, but I'm sure you will love the finished product!

And be sure to be there or be square -

the grand opening of my shop will be tomorrow at

4:30pm PST/7:30pm EST.

I will post pictures and details of the finished dolls tomorrow, here on my blog.

See you then!!

Strawberry Backside

2009-09-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give you a preview of the Bella inspired doll, Chew Toy. This is her backside sans appendages.

I wanted her body shape to be reminiscent of a strawberry since we all know Bella prefers strawberry scented shampoo. =)

I will have an update here tomorrow with the exact time of the grand opening for the shop. I'm thinking it will be around 4-ish.

Can't wait for Friday! Hope to see you all there!

Mark Your Calendars!

2009-09-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Black Pumpkin fans!! How I've missed you so!

I've been away from The Black Pumpkin for awhile. First there was TwiCon, then there was about 6 weeks of my day job's 2nd busy season, but now I'm free to work on Black Pumpkin stuff until spring of next year. YAY!

TwiCon was a success!! I sold out of my Little Unreliable Vampire Dolls, introduced my hand-sculpted pendants (which I will blog about in the near future) and collected a huge mailing list of anxious fans waiting to see what other Twilight treasures I have in store and wanting to get their hands on more dolls! Don't worry - more on my official store opening, including more dolls and such, later in this post.

For now, here's a few pictures. You can view my official TwiCon Recap with tons more pictures on my personal blog, FeyaVanya's Thoughts.

I must add that some of these pictures were taken by the queen TwilightMOMs News blogger herself, Amy and some (most of which have her mark on them) were taken by photographer extraordinaire Heather of Heather Gardner Photography and Fire and Ice who also happened to be one of my roommates and my booth partner at the con.

The above picture of the booth was featured on Reelz Channel's review of the convention

Our fabulous booth

Dolls all posed and looking cute

All the Little Unreliable Vampires sold out quickly!

Wall o' banners

Our booth team: Heather, Me, Brock and Curt from Positive Music and Downloads

Our booth volunteers: Lauralee and Amy D.

I was inspired by So You Think You Can Dance's famous Ramalama Bang Bang dance (it is my favorite EVER!) for my hair and make-up and wore my Steampunk Gothic black dress from the last vampire ball I went to - gotta get good use out of it, right?

The Volturi Ball was fabulous! Best night of dancing and costuming I've had in a long time.

Good News!!!

Next up, I have some good news that some of you have been waiting for for a LONG time. My official shop opening will be this Friday, September 25th!! I don't know the exact time yet but will be sure to give you a fair enough warning. It will probably be in the late afternoon PST. I will update later this week about it.

I will have some Little Unreliable Vampires (Edwards), 2 Pup Boys (Jacobs with the chapter heading tee), 2 Tiny Dancers (Alice with the apple body) and a new doll inspired by Bella called "Chew Toy".

I'm still trying to work out the logistics of her arms and legs, but basically they will be removable because, as the heroine/sometimes damsel in distress, she can get pretty chewed up so you can be all the king's horses and all the king's men and put her back together again! Ha ha! Check back later this week as I will post a picture of her concept drawing. It's hilarious.

Getting ready to dive into some Little Unreliable Vampires again. These chunky, vintage buttons I found for their pea coats are deliciously cute. =)

Looking forward to Friday!!

Twilight Inspired Dolls!!

2009-07-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

First up is our Edward inspired doll. He is called Little Unreliable Vampire, has a huge bouffant and blue/gray pea coat and everything other than his hands, feet and face is made from wool felt. My favorite parts have to be his up-turned collar and huge buttons. His hand-painted face looks very suspicious.... like he's trying to read your mind.

There are three different versions, depending on your hair or coat color preference. There will be 7 Edwards and up to 10 pre-orders available at TwiCon and more in my shop up for grabs around the end of September.

The Alice inspired doll is named Tiny Dancer and she is also modeled a little after the Teller Queen painting. She has a star button, felt body and hair. I love the combination of polka dots and stripes!

There will be 4 dolls and up to 10 pre-orders available at my TwiCon booth.

And last but not least is our Jacob inspired doll. We shall call him Pup Boy (sorta like "Pep Boy". Get it?). Just like our Little Unreliable Vampire, he is mostly wool felt, with the exception of his "skin" parts.

There will be 4 dolls plus up to 10 pre-orders available at TwiCon. Each doll has a different Jacob chapter title from Breaking Dawn on the t-shirt. Georgia and I were crying we were laughing so hard when we imagined the different phrases going on his shirts. LOL!

My button obsession compels me to add at least one button to each doll so he is "holding" a sea shell button. =)

And a Black Pumpkin tag on the bum.

Bella inspired dolls are in the works but I wasn't able to make them in time for TwiCon. They will be available in my shop in September. I'm so excited for them as they will have an extra bonus feature, but I don't want to give too much away right now so stay tuned!

See you at TwiCon!

Evil Little Red

2009-07-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Do not be deceived by the angelic glow that surrounds her for though she is child-like, she is older than most civilizations and can bring unbreakable immortals to their knees with her wicked ways. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Not Little Red. Wolves are a mere appetizer.

Inspired by Jane from the Twilight saga, Little Red Riding Hood and ghosts of long lost children, Evil Little Red loves lurking in dark tunnels and blocking the way out to the hope-filled light.

Prints of this painting and all previously posted will be available at my booth, The Black Pumpkin, at TwiCon 2009.

Phasing

2009-07-23T04:47:00.001-07:00

8x10 acrylic on canvas

After all, aren't all men constantly on the verge of turning into a hairy beast?

Inspired by Jacob Black from the Twilight series, Wolverine from X-Men and shap-shifters in general, this painting depicts the question, what would a werewolf look like in mid-phase? The light and shadow represent the duplicity of his life, as his eye reflects the new moon. I can almost hear his howling now...

Fallen Angel

2009-07-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Our ultimate hero with a tragic flaw. Our angel, both heavenly and destroying. He is everything to everyone, yet nothing to himself. His eyes speak of that "ancient sadness" and his face could launch a thousand ships. He's as old as the stars, yet no life could be long enough, for no matter how much good he does, to him it will never be adequate to fully redeem his soul. But that's the best part, isn't it? Indeed, true beauty is in his paradoxical glory.

This painting was inspired by Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga, Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars saga, and birds - who sore so high, so close to the sun, they burn.

Just a Taste?

2009-07-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

8x10 acrylic on canvas

"Just a taste?" he asks with smoldering, dark orbs that draw you closer. Even though you know exactly what fate awaits you in his embrace, how can you possibly resist? Calming, lush colors surround him, like cool grass and a smooth stream on a hot summer's day, yet it is not water he thirsts for as he licks his dry lips.

This painting was inspired by not only the dangerously tempted Jasper from the Twilight series, but also the stereotypical James Dean, bad boy vampire who hungrily pursues the damsel in distress and renders her powerless by his hypnotic eyes.

Yes, I think most of us have met one or two...

The Teller Queen

2009-07-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

8 1/2" x 11 on acrylic paper

Inspired by Alice from the Twilight book series, fortune tellers, evil queens and pixies, The Teller Queen has a permanent wink of one eye and a constant twinkle in the other for she knows what is in store for you, and whether good or bad, it's going to throw you for a loop. Her smirk alone holds infinite dark secrets yet it's a happy one, for no matter what fate befalls you, she will still be queen of everything as she skips her way through the rest her immortal life.

For my first portrait painting ever, I am very pleased with the outcome. I was a little scared to jump right in without a paint class or two in my past, but I guess, like most everything in life, the best way to learn is by doing.

This print will be for sale at TwiCon and in my shop thereafter. My shop will be part of a TwilightMOMS boutique where THE Lisa (creator of TwilightMOMS) will be selling New Moon-ish TwilightMOMS shirts, Georgia (aka *gypsy wings*) will be selling her gorgeous butterfly wing pendants along with Twilight inspired jewelry and artful photographs, and I will be selling my new shop items along with the newly designed New Moon rhinestone t-shirts from Amy of Girly Girls' Closet. We will be sharing a booth with The Mitch Hansen Band so look for our banners!

Hope to see you there!

Many more items to come...

Oh! p.s..... I will also have postcards of the original black and white pencil sketch of The Teller Queen at TwiCon. They are a limited number of 100, are signed and numbered and will come free with a Black Pumpkin purchase of $30 or more. ♥

What is The Black Pumpkin?

2009-07-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have a black pumpkin. She's a decorative pumpkin mind you, but her personality is very real to me. I found her at a home decor store and when I saw her wonky shape I just had to have her! And black is my favorite color so she seemed destined to be mine. ♥ I'm pretty sure if she had grown from the ground she would be classified as a Fairytale pumpkin - the kind Cinderella would have ridden in.

Depending on the light she's in, she can be a dark black or an eggplant color with deep reds and purples. She's just so rich and bold.

And she's the crowning glory to my Halloween decor, of course. She loves the spotlight - to be front and center. She looks pretty wicked surrounded by potions, crystal balls and candelabras, I must say.

I kept repeating the phrase, "My black pumpkin" when I first got her and was placing her all over the house. The phrase stuck with me and when I dreamed of opening my own shop with all of the fantasy and faeries and darkness I love, I thought this would be the PERFECT name for it.

When dreaming of my shop, I could see my shop sign displayed proudly above the doors just like my new logo above. I'm so pleased with how it turned out! I can't wait to show you the business cards and other supplies I just ordered when they arrive!!

This is my first ever Black Pumpkin painting!! Not bad for the first try, eh? It will be used in all my logo goodness for a while. =)

So I hope you will join me on my journey and check back often as there are many more Black Pumpkin updates coming soon! I hope you have as much fun as I will!

Have a delightfully dark weekend. ***