The Punkin Doodle Boo Blog

As I write this, it is the afternoon of New Year's Eve. 2007 is just about at a close! Can you believe it?! A lot went on this year!


As you can see :), I just started blogging! My website is up and running again, http://www.punkindoodleboofolkart.com/! I am doing well on e-bay, and I added some new clients. I just started selling on Etsy in December and I was a featured artist on HalloweenArtists.com in the month of November! To the left is the entry that was chosen :).

2007 was wonderful for me and I am truly excited about 2008! I have three new projects in the works that are all the result of new challenges I have taken on. I have recently joined two new Artists Groups through ebay, PWGL~Prim and Whimsy Girls AND MRSBO~Mrs. Blathersby's Orphange. The later is a group of artisans who have challenged themselves to think outside the proverbial doll makers box! I can't wait for you all to see some of the new things I have been "cookin'up"!

I also have continued my membership to HA31~Halloween Artists... This group is so dear to me! Day, our fearless leader, and respected artist in her own right, launched a new site on October 31st of 2007, http://www.halloweenartists.com/. I am very proud to belong to such talented group. Currently, I am contributing to http://www.halloweenartists.com/ both as a member artist and column writer. Please drop by this very exciting new site!

January Challenges for HA 31 (deadline 2nd week of January)~ "Winter Icons" I am currently working on two pieces for this challenge. A Snow Queen nodder (pictured) and a Jack Frost, jointed, shelf sitting nodder (pictured).

January Challenges for MRSBO (Deadline January 31st)~ "Official MRSBO Raggedy Challenge". I am working on a piece that I am very excited about. This piece draws on some work and sketching I did about 8 years ago (see below). I have started to think a little "retro" in my work by revisting my old portfolios and sketch pads.

Also, as some of you may know, HA31 did a very successful set of ebay auctions during the first week of December around Krampus! For those of you who don't know who Krampus is, he is the Anti Santa :) READ BELOW~copied from allaboutkrampus.com!

Everyone knows that Santa keeps lists of good and bad children. If you are good you get a visit from Santa and he leaves toys. But in turn -of-the-century Europe, if you were bad you got a visit from KRAMPUS! Originating in Germany and the Teutonic countries, KRAMPUS acted as Santa's servant. As time passed KRAMPUS developed a rather malicious disposition and became almost an Anti-Santa. While jolly St. Nick delivered gifts to the good, KRAMPUS gave coal and rocks to the naughty, beat the bad with switches, and if a child was especially naughty, he would shackle them in chains, stuff them in a bucket and throw them into the fiery pits of hell! Beginning in the 1880's KRAMPUS appeared on cards that were sent on the Eve Of St. Nick and was depicted as a black dwarf dressed in a fur vest, Moorish clothes and a devil mask or horns. As time passed his feet were replaced with claws or hooves (sometimes one of each) and his body itself became covered in fur and he wore little or no clothing. Sometimes a common "devil" type tail is also added. Eventually his tongue became obscenely long as did his horns. On some occasions cards were sent not with a picture of KRAMPUS but with a simple picture of his switch or chains and the phrase "Gruss Vom Krampus!" (Greetings From Krampus) or "Brav Sein!" (Be Good). By the time of the 1960's KRAMPUS became more associated with adults and sex (much like a St. Valentine's Day devil) and postcards of that time often portray him leering at, and sometimes carrying away, nubile young women.

Anyway, I had so much fun with this (see pic) I am doing a couple more pieces for St. Valentine's Day and I have a couple ideas for "cupid" in the sketching stage! Stay TUNED!

Well ya'll~ That's all for now! Wishing you and yours a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Thank you to those who have continually supported my work! Your support is very sincerely and deeply appreciated!

Hugs!

Katie