Flying Monkeys before Fairies

There is something painfully wonderful about starting your day before the rest of the world wakes up. I, for one, get a bunch more work done and have somehow an amazing amount of energy to run around like a wacked headless chicken in my office all day (but those spanish genes summon up a small siesta around noon or so...). Was that chicken metaphor too grotesque? Alright, my Russell Brand knob gets turn back down to the usual 2.4!

I'm not particularly fond or hateful of fairies. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but more likely its a case of "haven't gotten around to it -- I'm still noseying around with vovelles". BUT - in the bookstore a month back or so, I ran into this amazing popup book about Fairies and was blown away! (Apparently the publisher has a few out! Woo!)



How to Find Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker

It's so detailed and intensely illustrated that I had to STOP working on my top secret flying monkey puppet to take a few pictures! They went to town with this series. Love the hidden little areas and use of paper depth.





Looking forward to sitting down with this book and getting all the juicy popup bits in also.

Feel free to also view the amazon.com pictures for the book - which show some of the other pages. I listed the other books in this Cicely Mary Barker series too which all seem to have the "Look Inside" feature to wet your appetite.

How to Find Flower Fairies
Flower Fairies Magical Moonlight Feast
Return to Fairyopolis (Flower Fairies)
Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal
Flower Fairies Paper Dolls - Paper dolls!

Screw the eggs! Now this is easter!

Everytime I look at figurines (ehm not toys!) by the amazing Patience Brewster - I go nuts. She has this beautiful line of oraments, objects, etc that just tap into the stupid 8 yearold head-stuck-in-the-clouds side of me. But honestly, my head is still somewhat stuck up there... especially when my brain needs a retreat from the emails/orders/dishes/animation paper part of life.

Welcome to the magical world of Patience Brewster. Patience Brewster is a gifted and prolific artist, illustrator and calligrapher. Since 2000, she has collaberated with Department 56 to produce the wildly successful Krinkles collection: translating her meticulous pictures and drawings into elaborate dimensional forms. New! Krinkles™ 2008!- a collection brimming with wit and imagination and filled with quirky and endearing characters that are guaranteed to charm and delight.


What's also awesome is some of these are actually affordable for something so hand-painted and special... in the way where you can probably get just one but the hardest part is WHICH *&#^$ ONE?! Oh Boy.

Patience is also really good about talking about her career, work, process, the whole kit-n-kaboodle about illustrating for children's books and then expanding eventually with her own line. One smart inspiring human! Below you can watch her talk briefly about her life and her handmade objects.



You can google Patience Brewster Krinkles to see more pics and where to buy.

Also she sells stuff from her own site since her and her husband now run the show themselves. http://www.patiencebrewster.com/storefront

Pop Up Cookbook?!

The only reason I know how to make pancakes correctly is because of Kenny Shopsin and his book "Eat Me". Until then I was shy and sort of fumbly about it, but I didn't get the book because I wanted to learn how to make freekin pancakes.



See I love NYC alot but honesty I pretty much live here cause of the food and Shopsins is sort of a dietary(triplecorinary)staple here. It's a family restaurant that's changed locations a few times and run by Kenny Shopsin n famila (the 1st and 2nd was featured in the documentary 'I Like Killing Flies' - check your Netflix people!). It's got rules, set ways that are irrationally flexible, amazing food, most people hate it or love it and you can leave if you don't like it... ahhh "the city".

Anyway - Kenny Shopsin put out a cookbook/instructional about his thoughts on food, certain main ingredients, life, and some of menu items in his restaurant. Just a few cause the menu has about 400 items (or something ridiculous like that) and he changes them alot. One of his daughters designed the book (she's an amazing graphic designer) - and KUDOS to her for doing a pop-up book cover and not something boring and plain.

So it's not entirely a pop-up book about recipes with foods and spoons spilling out all over and out the pages (ala Reinhart & Sabuda...seriously though...not a bad idea -Hear that pitch out boyz!) - but the cover is and that counts!



**If you are wondering what that other book is - that's Shadow Puppets & Shadow Play by David Currell which I highly recommend also. See! There's something puppet related too! Be sure to check out the "Look Inside" feature on amazon to get a little noisy inside the book.

The Crankbunny Shop (or store)

I will now also be selling novelty paper goods through my official super snazzy Crankbunny Online store. That's right... this new years 2009 resolution was to get a little organized and frantic with all the neat 3D pop up greeting cards and paper puppets being sold.

So here is the official introduction! Tada - The store! The shop!


Website - http://shop.crankbunny.com
Things to know:
-Unlike my Etsy shop, this store will be open all year. I frequently shut down my Etsy shop at random times of the year unexpectedly and mainly because of my fulltime job as an animator. This official shop won't get shut down ever.
-Popup Cards and Paper Puppets don't sell out on this site too.
-Prices are cheaper because this shop is easier to maintain and use for both of us.
-I can sell less "handmade" things like my new book on making paper puppets.

who makes me laugh...

Eugene Mirman makes me laugh - and his new damn amazing book is out "The Will to Whatevs: A Guide to Modern Life".


If you'd like to know more about the book - visit these sites for some enterTERIANment. Ok, don't know why that spelling mistake was so emphasized... I just rolled with it in a wrong way. It's late people.
Harpers book stuff.... and Eugene's site....

I am a fan and whenever he puts together shows in nyc, they are hysterical and fun and thankfully missing that whole "laugh factory" 80s comedy club element that tends to freek me out.

**His book release party was a hoot at the bellhouse in brooklyn. This picture right here... sums it up. (Yes that is Kristen Schaal doing her one woman show as a dirty mattress on the street)



That is certifiably fun material right there.

Paper Puppet Palooza!

New Paper Puppet book! It is out!



Paper Puppet Palooza is a storybook how-to on making paper puppets and incorporating paper puppet techniques into your own existing work. It is a book for artists, craft ladies, hobbiests, teachers, animators, parents, youngsters, puppeteers, rainy day victims and those who are just into curious creative exploration. The main character in the book - Paul “Peppo” Palooza - guides the reader through each of the step-by-step illustrated projects with a cast of other imaginative paper puppet characters.

For more info or to buy the book visit the book's website - http://www.paperpuppetpalooza.com

Also! To welcome the release of Paper Puppet Palooza by Crankbunny / Norma V Toraya - a limited edition signed dustcover print has been created for the book. This full color large poster print is 11 inch (h) by 26 inch (w), signed, limited to 250.





Click here to purchase this version of the book or/and limited edition print in the Crankbunny store.

"a trilogy in five parts"

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a top top TOP ultimate book favorite. It sums up everything or atleast 80% of what/how/where/why things are the way they are or can be. It makes no sense, and thats ok. See how reassuring that feels.

Anybamhoozal - they put out a nice version of the book.



"Thickly padded leather binding, silk ribbon sewn in as a placeholder, nice leather smell like a car interior. The pages are very thin, like the paper used to make bibles."

So sexy. recommend