Recently, UncommonGoods generously reached out to me to ask if I'd review some of their products. UncommonGoods is a company that sells the work of individual artists and craftspeople, so there were many stylish and unique items for me to choose from.
Something cool about UncommonGoods is that they give $1 of every purchase to a charity, and you choose the charity out of various options that are all worthy causes, from saving forests to literacy to human rights. More info here.
Tom (the person who reached out to me) was nice enough to look through their stock and recommend some Halloween themed products. I ended up choosing two items. One was a beautiful nightlight with a full moon glowing behind the silhouette of a tree.
The Midnight Moon Lithophane Nightlight:
This is feeling like the year of the full moon for me with all the photos of the moon I've been taking and the recent Super Blood Moon Eclipse. So this nightlight seemed like the perfect choice for me! I'm showing it here with two different walls so you can see how it casts light on different textures. It gives a big glow, more than I'm used to from a nightlight. It fills a small room with a soft warmth.
Something you can only really appreciate in person is the material this nightlight is made from. The artist used porcelain and a process inspired by the lithophanes of the 1800s. A card was included with this which explained the history of the lithophane process. Knowing the history made me appreciate this nightlight even more!
I'm very interested in things from the 1800s, so I was surprised at how little I knew about lithophanes. When you're done reading this, I suggest googling "antique lithophanes" to see some examples. I'd like to get my hands on one of those antiques!
This is what the nightlight looks like when it's not switched on. It's an easy assembly to attach the porcelain pane to the base. You can see in the photo below that there are two little plastic screws on the back that you tighten once you've fit the porcelain pane in. This takes a standard nightlight bulb.
Briefly, this is the process behind the nightlight: First the artist carves the image in wax while illuminating it from behind. Then they take a plaster mold of the carving and cast a fine porcelain in the mold. They then kiln fire it to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours, giving it a translucency. Pretty cool, hey? A lot of work went into this nightlight.
The second item I requested happened to be something I'd pinned a picture of on Pinterest some time back. So I was super happy to see it offered by Uncommon Goods! This Bat on a Branch is made from age-accelerated steel. The sturdy bat comes on a metal "branch" that can attach to a wall or tree with two screws.
Here's the bat's backside:
In his natural habitat :)
I haven't decided where to hang the bat for this season. I'm hoping to have him securely hanging in time for this year's Halloween party, because I think he'd be something fun and welcoming at the door.
Something else Halloweeny and moon related that I was tempted to choose was this scarf:
Hubble Telescope Moon Phase Scarf
The moon gradually makes its way from a sliver to full as you make your way up the scarf. UncommonGoods actually sells a lot of cool scarves, which you can see here if you like.
The moon theme will continue through October for me, because this year's Witch Party will have a full moon/spooky tree theme. A theme that as it happens will fit perfectly with my new nightlight! I'd actually been thinking about that party theme before this offer was made to me, so that's a fun coincidence.
I should mention that UncommonGoods is not for the most part a Halloween themed site. They have many lovely gifts for all occasions, especially if you're shopping for a lady. For example, you can find a gift for your girlfriends here and there are some very unique gifts for wives here. Where else could you find a ladies belt made from a recycled fire hose? Or a pair of library card socks? It's worth a look!
Something cool about UncommonGoods is that they give $1 of every purchase to a charity, and you choose the charity out of various options that are all worthy causes, from saving forests to literacy to human rights. More info here.
Tom (the person who reached out to me) was nice enough to look through their stock and recommend some Halloween themed products. I ended up choosing two items. One was a beautiful nightlight with a full moon glowing behind the silhouette of a tree.
The Midnight Moon Lithophane Nightlight:
This is feeling like the year of the full moon for me with all the photos of the moon I've been taking and the recent Super Blood Moon Eclipse. So this nightlight seemed like the perfect choice for me! I'm showing it here with two different walls so you can see how it casts light on different textures. It gives a big glow, more than I'm used to from a nightlight. It fills a small room with a soft warmth.
I'm very interested in things from the 1800s, so I was surprised at how little I knew about lithophanes. When you're done reading this, I suggest googling "antique lithophanes" to see some examples. I'd like to get my hands on one of those antiques!
Briefly, this is the process behind the nightlight: First the artist carves the image in wax while illuminating it from behind. Then they take a plaster mold of the carving and cast a fine porcelain in the mold. They then kiln fire it to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours, giving it a translucency. Pretty cool, hey? A lot of work went into this nightlight.
The second item I requested happened to be something I'd pinned a picture of on Pinterest some time back. So I was super happy to see it offered by Uncommon Goods! This Bat on a Branch is made from age-accelerated steel. The sturdy bat comes on a metal "branch" that can attach to a wall or tree with two screws.
Something else Halloweeny and moon related that I was tempted to choose was this scarf:
Hubble Telescope Moon Phase Scarf
The moon gradually makes its way from a sliver to full as you make your way up the scarf. UncommonGoods actually sells a lot of cool scarves, which you can see here if you like.
The moon theme will continue through October for me, because this year's Witch Party will have a full moon/spooky tree theme. A theme that as it happens will fit perfectly with my new nightlight! I'd actually been thinking about that party theme before this offer was made to me, so that's a fun coincidence.
I should mention that UncommonGoods is not for the most part a Halloween themed site. They have many lovely gifts for all occasions, especially if you're shopping for a lady. For example, you can find a gift for your girlfriends here and there are some very unique gifts for wives here. Where else could you find a ladies belt made from a recycled fire hose? Or a pair of library card socks? It's worth a look!
You chose wisely! Lithopanes have always amazed me. The bat is soooo cute. Looking forward to hearing all about the witch party.
ReplyDeleteOld Fashion Halloween ~ Thank you! So, you were familiar with lithophanes already! They are pretty cool. I was looking at some antique ones that were held in bronze and iron stands. I'd love to have one of those. You could set that up by a window or any kind of light source. Yes, that bat is a cutie! As I said above, I'd had my eye on him for some time. So it's neat to own one now.
ReplyDeleteThe Witch Party is on the 17th, so it's coming up! As usual, there should be lots of photos to share. I'm looking forward to working with this year's theme. We'll see what kind of moon/tree themed treats end up on the table!
Wow - that bat is awesome - just the kind of thing I love.
ReplyDeleteLady M ~ Yeah! I love the bat too. How have you been? Are you having fun preparing for Halloween? I saw that you put up a blog post recently. I should check that out!
DeleteI'll have to check that site out. Really like the bat, I could use one to put on the fence post at the end of my driveway.
ReplyDeleteDex ~ A fence post would be the perfect place for this bat. About how high is the fence? The bat is fairly large, so he'd need to be high. You don't want to bonk your head on a metal bat. :) I just checked the exact measurements - the bat is 10.5" high and the branch is 11" across.
DeleteIt's maybe 4' high but it's the end of the driveway, opposite the side that you'd walk up to get to our door. It'd be a fun greeter there.
DeleteDex ~ Yeah, I think it would make a fun greeter there. Well, if you do end up getting one of these bats I'd like to see some pics of where it's hanging!
DeleteJustine - Little things like this can create a lot of atmosphere, spooky lighting is always good. I love the hanging bat idea, I never thought of hanging something like that off a tree. Can't wait to see what you do at the Witches Party!
ReplyDeleteMatt ~ Very true! I think the bat could make a subtle spooky touch, especially depending on where he ends up. He's an unexpected decoration. He would look neat uplit, if I had an upward tilting light that could reach that high.
DeleteI can't wait to share my Witch Party pics with you guys! Hopefully everything will come together in the way it looks in my head. :)
I love that little lithophane night light you chose, Justine! I like full moons and spooky looking trees though. Sounds like a great theme for your witches party! :)
ReplyDeleteInsomniac's Attic ~ Thanks! You were probably pretty familiar with lithophanes already, since you're so into antiques! I wouldn't even be surprised if you had an old one. I think the moon/tree theme is going to be a fun one for the party. I was just getting some porch decorations printed out tonight.
DeleteI love both of those, especially the bat. Its so nice to see you can still buy good quality seasonal items.
ReplyDeleteAli
Ali ~ Thanks! Yes, they're both very good quality! I know what you mean, there's a definite range in quality with holiday decorations. Not that I don't love a lot of the cheap Halloween stuff too! :)
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