Summer Travel

Both the Crankbunny shops will be closed from July 6 to August 30 for the summer.

No orders will be taken during that time because I will be out of town that entire time traveling, working on a film, listening to tons of heavy metal and fishing. It is absolutely impossible for me to sell, produce and ship anything while traveling.

All orders taken before the shop closed will be shipped by July 7th.

Come September there will be tons of new puppets, paper goodies, and pop up cards for sale!

March, April, May - Pushing Up Daisies donations!

Each month the Crankbunny shop has been making monthly donations to the FBRN (French Bulldog Rescue Network) and the BTRN (Boston Terrier Rescue Network) from the sales of the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card. Below at the monthly figures just to catch up!

May 2011
French Bulldog Rescue Network received $56.00
Boston Terrier Rescue Network received $77.00

April 2011
French Bulldog Rescue Network received $37.00
Boston Terrier Rescue Network received $47.00

March 2011
French Bulldog Rescue Network received $68.00
Boston Terrier Rescue Network received $55.00

100% of the cards profits go to the matching dog breed's rescue - none of that 50%, 25% partial stuff! That money goes to help doggies in need - mostly with their huge medical bills from neglect, abuse, and surrendering.

Purchase a Pushing Up Daisies pop up card! Click here!

Dame Miss Suzzette!

That's right! Behold a new paper puppet! A Victorian tattooed lady paper puppet doll to be exact.

Dame Miss Suzzette is a special lady of Victorian times long ago. With a fondness for the sea and the sands of travel, Suzy knows the best way to show off her tattoos is in her favorite nautical sailor bathing suit!


This paper doll is part of a larger series that includes other Victorian tattoo ladies (and men too!) that I will be making. Suzy is the first of many and pretty much inspired by the photograph below.


The wonderful lady above was a woman called Maud Stevens Wagner. She was one of the first 'tattooed ladies' of her day - basically making a living by being tattooed. These women of their day would show their tattoos off in traveling circuses and curiosity museums (aka dime museums) that were considered entertainment at the time.

Remember, we are talking pre-radio, pre-movies, pre-ladies being able to show their ankles in public. This was also a time were women didn't make their own wage either (let alone vote!). So considering the circumstances of the day, Maud Steven Wagner was one of many few progressive ladies out there! It's a bet most people see photographs of these victorian/early 1900s ladies and the assumption is they were prob just prostitutes! Far from that.


If you'd like to know more about the history of women's tattoos - there is a lovely book called 'The Tattooed Lady' by Amelia Klem Osterud. This book really digs into these women's lives, the roles they countered, and is also filled with some lovely archival photographs / prints too.


Another wonderful book on vintage early 1900s tattoos (mostly for dudes) is "Vintage Tattoos : The Book of Old-School Skin Art" by Carol Clerk.


Anyway, this paper puppet doll has many moving joints and adjustable parts! It can be propped up against other obviously less memorable things, or easily framed. The puppet is approximately 9 x15 inches in size. She is available for sale in both the Etsy Crankbunny shop & the regular Crankbunny store.

Look out also for more ladies! I'm just finishing up all their tattoo work (who would have guessed its so time consuming to tattoo paper dolls!)

Shop is back open! May Sale!

Good news is both the Crankbunny shops are now open! The shops are fully stocked with pop up cards AND paper puppets.




Its been awhile since paper puppets have been offered up for sale so its great they are available again.


DOUBLE good news is also that certain pop up cards are on sale in the Crankbunny shop. The cards that are on sale are labeled in the regular Crankbunny shop (the cards on sale are not available through the Etsy shop).

Especially cool is the Decoder card which is usually $11.70 USD is now priced $9.70 USD for the rest of the month of May!

Shops closed April 6 to April 30

The Etsy Crankbunny Shop will be closed from April 6 to April 30. All orders placed before April 6 will have gone out in the mail by April 30th - they will NOT ship out AFTER the 30th (a few people always ask/get confused!. No exceptions - I will be out of time and not have any of my papers, tools, etc with me.

The regular Crankbunny store will still be taking orders from April 6 to April 30th - but all orders submitted between that April 6 - April 30th period will ship out May 1st. No exceptions - I will be out of time and not have any of my papers, tools, etc with me.

Work is again taking me prisoner (ok, not really) and taking me away from my home for a job during that time in April. You can read all about my 'work' here.

Apologies!

Big apologies and clearing off of dust is in order for this dainty little Crankbunny blog.

Since last "blogged" - my shop closed abruptly (was called suddenly to work on a large animation project), Valentines Day passed, I moved, set up a brand new work space in a new location and eventually my shops did open softly for the month of March. Sadly my shop was unable to participate in Valentines Day - which made me sad. It's my favorite holiday for the shop (insert sad clown face...... now).



With the "March Soft Opening" - most of the Crankbunny pop up cards were available for sale in both the Crankbunny Etsy shop & the Crankbunny store. My paper puppets are still unavailable for sale because of time & my troubled relationships with the large printer that sits in a cabinet making friends with some large dust bunnies.



Also each month the Crankbunny shop has been making monthly donations to the FBRN (French Bulldog Rescue Network) and the BTRN (Boston Terrier Rescue Network). Below at the monthly figures just to catch up!

Jan 2011
FBRN $75.00
BTRN $77.00

Feb 2011
FBRN $50.00
BTRN $50.00

March should be up soon as we are not yet done with the month at the time of this post!

Coming Soon - Get Lucky Slot Machine Valentine Card!

Within a couple of days I'll be posting the new valentine card for 2011 in both the shops!

See, every year I get really excited about rolling out a valentine pop up card that tops last years valentine cards. This 2011 card has been in the works since summer of last year - and it kicks last years cards BUTT. YAH!

This working slot machine pop up card has a level that one pulls. If you hit jackpot with a winning combination, a personal custom message appears in the prize slot! Play to WIN baby!

Below are some pics of the card!





Sadly, this card will be made-to-order so it will not be able to rush.

December 2010 Pushing Up Daisies

Happy New Year everyone!

Time to tally up the proceeds made from the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card because its the end of another month.... well, actually this post is a little late! Here at Casa del Crankbunny, we are still catching up with the new year! (Mentally most of us are still in 2010 somehow..)



Remember that 100% of the sales of the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card go directly accordingly to the FBRN (French Bulldog Rescue Network) and the BTRN (Boston Terrier Rescue Network). Both these rescue groups are wonderful rescue groups helping abandoned, rescued doggies and surrendered ones by owners who can't afford even to feed them anymore. Through this huge network of volunteers and donors doggies live better, healthier lives and get their forever homes.

Boston Terrier Pop Up Card raised 62 dollars.
French Bulldog Pop Up Card raised 62 dollars.

October 2010 Pushing Up Daisies

Time to tally up the proceeds made from the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card because its the end of another month.



Remember that 100% of the sales of the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card go directly accordingly to the FBRN (French Bulldog Rescue Network) and the BTRN (Boston Terrier Rescue Network). Both these rescue groups are wonderful rescue groups helping abandoned, rescued doggies and surrendered ones by owners who can't afford even to feed them anymore. Through this huge network of voulenters and donors doggies live better, healthier lives and get their forever homes.

Boston Terrier Pop Up Card raised 72 dollars.
French Bulldog Pop Up Card raised 64 dollars.

Etsy Crankbunny Shop Closed August 14 - Regular Shop stays open!

The Etsy Crankbunny shop - at http://crankbunny.etsy.com - will be closed from August 13th to whenever (prob mid Sept or so)! The regular shop will stay open at http://shop.crankbunny.com - so get your cards and magical puppets there!. The regular shop has the new orchid pop up cards available, all the paper puppets and custom pop up cards.

Why? Because I'm gonna go back to working on my film that's been ping-ponging between back-burner and total creative frustration for the last two years. Time to get it done - or atleast half done or closer to finished. It's not easy and the process of animating real puppet shadows is not something you can do quickly. I'll also be working at my regular animation job too until mid October. Whoo(pie)!

Here are a few sneak peak stills from the movie "Soda" and the movie poster for it.

July 2010 Pushing Up Daisies

Its the end of another month -- happy summer! -- and time to tally up the proceeds made from the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card.

Remember that the sales of this card (100% baby!) go directly accordingly to the FBRN (French Bulldog Rescue Network) and the BTRN (Boston Terrier Rescue Network). Both these rescue groups are wonderful but are very strained lately with vet bills (especially for the doggies that come in with very severe neglect & terrible abuse). July brought in....

French Bulldog Pop Up Card raised 75 dollars.
Boston Terrier Pop Up Card raised 88 dollars.

If you'd like to purchase a Pushing Up Daisies pop up card, please visit the shop links below!
Crankbunny Shop - or - Etsy Crankbunny Shop

To celebrate a bit of summer fun - here are a bunch of fatties in a pool (with life vests!)

June 2010 Pushing Up Daisies

The Pushing Up Daisies Cards - featuring either a Boston Terrier or French Bulldog - did fairly better for the month of June (May was sad ::insert unhappy clown frowny face::). Thank you to everyone who bought a card!

Read more about the Pushing Up Daisies pop up cards!
http://crankbunnyshop.blogspot.com/2009/10/pushing-up-daisies-dog-pop-up-cards.html

French Bulldog Pop Up Card raised 55 dollars.
Boston Terrier Pop Up Card raised 91 dollars.

Also - The shop decided to donate a few extra monies ($40) from the general shop profits to a pup in need. Read below or click here to learn more about Buddy Sue!



Buddy Sue is a four month old puppy who has a pinched nerve in his back, which doesn't allow him to feel when he goes potty. He has to wear a diaper at this time, and be helped, manually, to potty. The good news is, Buddy can have surgery, but the surgery is going to cost at least $1500.00, but may be closer to $2000.00. Please help Buddy Sue lead a normal life. You can also donate directly to Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue at www.midwestbtrescue.org. Please note in the comments that your donation should go towards Buddy Sue's surgery.

If you'd like to purchase a Pushing Up Daisies pop up card, please visit the shop links below!
Crankbunny Shop - or - Etsy Crankbunny Shop

May 2010 Pushing Up Daisies

Sadly because both the Crankbunny Etsy shop and regular Crankbunny shop were closed most of May (May 2nd to May 18th) and the fact that the rescue cards have lost a bit of traction - the donations for May were quiet low.


Please do remember all the sales of the Pushing Up Daisies pop up card go directly to the following rescue groups for French Bulldogs (FBRN) and Boston Terriers (BTRN)! (100% - none of that 25%, 50% nonsense).

French Bulldog Pop Up Card raised 32 dollars.
(Last month was 85)

Boston Terrier Pop Up Card raised 53 dollars.
(Last month was 112)

If you'd like to purchase a Pushing Up Daisies pop up card, please visit the shop links below!
Crankbunny Shop - or - Etsy Crankbunny Shop

In fact, so low where the donations for the French Bulldog Rescue Network that I was so inclined to purchase a nifty Puppia soft harnesses harness for my own dog(that will be needed in the future).

Puppia Harnesses


Available for 22$ (postage paid) - That's actually a nice deal! Free shipping! They have all sorts of colors available too, apparently brown is a big deal. Pink is way better!

Both the FBRN & BTRN have their online shops that sell some great goodies - and it will help those doogies in need directly. Below are links to their shops to def check out.

From the FBRN Shop - click here!
From the BTRN Shop - click here!

Summer Loving

It's officially summer folks! That means sun, fun, and Fathers Day! (Which is June 20th!)

Father's day gifts can be a bit tricky - especially when it comes to greeting cards. Luckily there are a bunch of Crankbunny pop up cards that will surely keep dad's whimsy captured and entertained. Make sure to note the important shipping dates for Fathers day below! (you gotta scroll baby.)

The Secret Decoder Card with custom secret message!


Crack the secret code with a decoder ring pop up greeting card! Personalized it with your own message from the various message options available or come up with your own. This card is 5 by 5 inches square & has a matching square semi-transparent vellum envelope.
Purchase Now! - click here


The Golden Ticket scratch off card with custom winning message


Someone may be a truly lucky winner with this card! The Golden Ticket is a lucky scratch off card that reveals a secret customizable message. Personalized it with your own message or with the message options available. The message is hidden underneath the golden magical scratch off layer inside the card.
Get the card! - click here


Key to Ones Heart Pop Up Card


When you open this pop up 3D card - a large sacred heart rises up alight with a passionate fire. The heart has a removable paper key that slots perfectly into the card's keyhole. This standard greeting size (A7 5x7) popup card is handmade and has a vellum semi translucent envelope.
Take a better look! - click here


Brian Ewing Tell-Tale Heart scratch off card with custom message

As part of the Crankbunny artist series - this pop up Valentine scratch off card reveals a secret customizable message. It is a collaboration with poster artist Brian Ewing. Brian Ewing is a well known artist and illustrator. Personalized it with your own message or with the message options available. The message is hidden underneath the golden magical scratch off layer inside the card.
Buy the card! - click here


And... the new & fabulous everyman loves bacon Piggy Bank Gift card.


This new paper piggy bank is a perfect way to dress up that plain store gift card, cash or greeting card message. Slot in as many giftcards as you can (especially the included bacon note card) and let that special person break open the piggy bank for a neat gifty surprise!
Get more info - click here


**Special Offer for June!
Because summer is here (fingers crossed for no Hurricanes this season!) - its time to celebrate will a cool deal. Buy any 3 cards from the Crankbunny shop & get one free Piggy Bank card. This will happen automatically with purchase - no replacements!

Important Summer Shop Dates!
Summer around here gets a little different - especially with the holiday travel, additional work slams, and trying to set aside a little creative 'me' time. The following dates should be kept in mind when ordering this summer.

Suggested CUT OFF DATES - Get your Father's Day orders in time!
June 1st to June 5th - All orders ship from NYC, USA
June 5th to June 14th - All orders ship from Miami, Florida USA
If you live in the United States - all orders paid for by June 14th will go out in the mail June 14th and arrive in time. All orders are shipped USPS 1st Class Domestic with delivery confirmation. All customers get automatically sent an email with details on their shipping to the email account they checked out with - please use that email to track your package. Please check your spam folder or trash folder if you have not received that email.

If you live outside the United States - all orders paid for by June 5th will go out in the mail June 6th and SHOULD arrive in time. Customs can hold packages up to 2 or 3 weeks sometimes depending on the country. Please keep this in mind when ordering a gift that is time sensitive. There is no way currently to track international packages without playing up 45dollars+ in shipping fees.. and even then it is not a guarantee.

Fathers Day?! Gift Cards? Now with more BACON

Ok - it is a well known fact that most all dad's love bacon (or any sort of fatty pork by-product - mine loves chicharones // aka Pork Cracklings). This is based off a little well-known poll conducted by the Fathers Municipal Alliance of Greater North America and Boat Lovers USA. Which is why the new Piggy Bank Bacon Gift Card Holder would be a super father's day card addition to that store bought gift certificate you had planned to give.


More oink and bacon for your gift card buck!

This paper piggy bank is a perfect way to dress up that plain old store gift card, cash or check into a fun surprise.


Easily slip in the gifty booty (gift card / cash / check / treasury bond / coupon / etc) through the slot in the back.


The person receiving the card merely has to pull the front ribbon tab to break the piggy bank open!

** A blank bacon note card is included as a substitution if a gift card / or cash will not be used with the card.

Perfect for fathers day, bacon lovers, rainy days, graduations and foregoing those store-bought money holder cards that are BORRRINNNG.

Each Piggy Bank money holder card comes with an A7 standard greeting card sparkle gold envelope - perfect for mailing.

Available in the Crankbunny store - click here for more information!

Also now available in the Crankbunny Etsy shop - click here for more information!

Shops closed from May 2 to May 18ish!

Both the Etsy Crankbunny Shop and the regular Crankbunny store will be closed from May 3rd to May 18-20sh. Read more below the '18-20sh' part! (All orders placed before May 3rd have gone out in the mail by Monday May 3rd 2010 - they should all get there in time for Mom's day!)

The Etsy Crankbunny shop will be closed from May 3 to May 20th.
The regular Crankbunny store will be closed from May 3 to May 18th!

Both shops when back open will not carry the full line of pop-up cards and paper puppets (--- some of the cards and puppets materials will not be in stock till late June--- ). If there is a particular card / puppet you need - please so contact the shop to make arrangements beforehand.

BUT

Just in time for Father's Day and the reopening of the shops May 18-20sh -- the shop will carry a new card that is perfect for 98%* of all dads! (** Based on a 2008 Fathers Municipal Alliance Poll of Greater North America -- "All Dads Love Bacon" -3%/+2%)

Below is a sneak peek at the new card - NOW WITH MORE BACON!


Look out in the next week for a lovely post featuring the new card and all its bacon loving -gift giving possibilities.

New Crankbunny fish paper puppet!

Added to the shops is a new paper puppet based on the Crankbunny rabbit fish. The Crankbunny is actually a very magical surprising species of fish. This particular paper puppet holds a gift box that contains a magic shell. The gift box opens up and reveals this glowing shell.



This paper puppet measures 8 by 10 inches and is also detailed by hand with subtle iridescent glitters.... because glitter pens are da bomb yo.

Like all my paper puppets - they are giclee printed on thick archival cotton rag museum quality paper. This type of paper is thick enough to not bend over and will stand/lean on stuff easily. Each puppet is hand cut, titled and signed.

Both the Crankbunny shop and the Etsy Crankbunny store are selling this new fishy paper puppet.

Stores carrying Crankbunny pop up cards! Local!

Well - local depending on which part of the world you are in!

The shop has been taking wholesale orders periodically when possible (cause there's that whole other animation full-time job thing that's going on).

It's lovely to think that out there someone can walk into a store and get their shop on ... or at least check out the cards in person. They are fun to open, close, reopen, close again - you get the picture..

The following shops are now carrying Crankbunny pop-up cards, puppet kits, and my how-to paper puppet book called Paper Puppet Palooza! Perfect for Mothers Day!

USA - Chicago area
Lillstreet Art Center
www.lillstreet.com
4401 North Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 769-4226



Founded in 1975, Lillstreet Art Center is a large community of artists and students working side-by-side in a friendly environment which encourages and inspires artistic growth in the individual. Lillstreet Art Center supports the arts through an artist residency program, gallery, studio space, education, and an outreach program.


Australia - Melborne area
Metropolis Bookshop
www.metropolisbookshop.com.au/
Level 3 Curtin House
252 Swanston Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia


Metropolis carries a specialist range of books focusing on the areas of art, graphic design, architecture, photography, fashion and textiles, popular culture, film, music and the performing arts. While our store boasts one of Melbourne's best selections of books in these fields, we also have access to catalogues and databases which allow us to source books from a wide range of both local and overseas publishers.

**Own or work for a shop and think pop-up cards would be a nice addition to your inventory? Contact the shop with this link - http://crankbunny.bigcartel.com/wholesale - for more wholesale information on pop up cards, paper puppets, puppet kits and books!