tiaragoth

UPDATE: 09/02/13- Just logged on to pick up the addresses for swaps I owe and to go through any pms. All swaps will be going out this week but I will pm each recipient when the swaps have been airmailed. I won't be joining any new swaps for a while though as I'm still not coping very well with the loss of my girl Banshee and have difficulty concentrating on things.

Sorry I haven't been online for a while. I have had great difficulty coming to terms with the death of Banshee. My Dad collapsed on 02/01/13 and we couldn't get any response for 5 minutes so Mum and I thought we were going to lose him aswell. It was horrible. Thankfully the ambulance rushed him to hospital and he's OK now.

My beautiful Banshee died in the early hours (3.30am) of Monday 3rd December, 2012. It was very sudden and unexpected. She'd been curled up asleep in her favourite spot on a box of books in the bedroom. She woke up, wailed very loudly and within half a minute was gone. Her vet said it must have been a massive heart attack or possibly a stroke but she would have lost consciousness within a few seconds so would not have been in pain. Thankfully, I was with her at the end. As I put her on my lap she took her last breath. Banshee was an amazing cat with such a wonderful personality. She was gorgeous, very intelligent, loving, funny, thoughtful and knew exactly what you were saying. She brought me so much joy for thirteen and a half years. Just seeing her furry face always made me smile. I miss my girl terribly and I'm lost without her.

IMPORTANT...PLEASE MAKE SURE WHATEVER YOU SEND ME IS WELL WRAPPED AND SEALED SECURELY IN BUBBLE WRAP OR PLASTIC BAGS BEFORE IT GOES IN THE OUTER PACKET. THE PORCH WHERE POST IS LEFT CAN GET WET WHEN IT RAINS.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: PLEASE REMEMBER TO LABEL SWAPS AS A ''GIFT'' WITH A LOW $ AMOUNT SUCH AS $5-$10 EVEN IF IT IS A LARGE SWAP. IF THE PACKAGE IS LABELLED AS A GIFT WITH A HIGH $ VALUE IT WILL BE HELD AT CUSTOMS AND I WILL BE CHARGED TAX AND EXTRA POSTAGE COSTS.

I'm a goth who walks on the dark side wearing BIG boots. I love the rain, thunderstorms, cats, bats, music, photography, creepy dolls, jewellery-making, reading, horse-riding, going to the ballet, the smell, colours and feel of autumn, black lace, vintage buttons, tiny ''Frozen Charlottes'', Halloween, snow, icicles and the stars in the night sky. My favourite colours are black, purple, and VERY deep red. I like dark, rich colours and silver not gold. I have a thing for black fabric with white polka dots, pin dots and pinstripe. I adore Victorian gothic. Corsets rule! My must-have accessories are hats, hat-pins, masks, gloves, vintage brooches, black fans, lace parasols and black roses. I enjoy the pin-up/rockabilly style and like 50's style black and white polka dot dresses with red rose, cherry and Sailor Jerry tattoo accessories. I wear silver jewellery that usually has a wonderfully dark patina from age but I'm addicted to sparkly things (snow, icicles, crystals, rhinestones, glitter, unusual and kitsch snow globes). For some reason they just make me smile. My passion is photography, and along with my beloved FM2 I enjoy trying out different types of old/vintage film cameras and have amassed quite a few (anything from Box Brownies to rangefinders to lomos to medium formats). I collect Neil Gaiman's ''Sandman'' comics and related memorabilia... yes, my favourite character is ''Death''. She's a cool goth girl. Need I say more? Other collections include Victoriana, especially sterling jewellery, charms, serpents, and sepia photographs of ladies wearing hats, bustles or corsets. I also have a thing for Wednesday Addams, Catwoman, Bettie Page and 20's silent movie icons such as Louise Brooks. I have been a bookworm since childhood. If I mysteriously disappeared for a few hours I was more than likely at the local library. I enjoy reading dark and sinister tales. My favourite authors are Angela Carter and Neil Gaiman, along with the poetry of W.B. Yeats. I like comics that make you think. For example, ''The Invisibles'', ''From Hell'', and Gaiman's ''Sandman''. Most of my non-fiction books are about mythology, folklore and art history. The Pre-Raphaelites are my all time favourite art movement. I am also inspired by Joel-Peter Witkin's photographs and Dave McKean's artwork. Sexism, racism and homophobia really infuriates me and last, but definitely not least, I am a vegetarian and I cannot abide cruelty to animals in any form.

Favourite animals include cats, bats, ravens, crows, spiders, serpents, insects.

FAVOURITE CRAFTING ITEMS include black lace, skulls (anatomical, creepy, Mexican sugar skulls) unusual beads/charms/buttons/ribbon, and vintage/broken jewellery along with polka dots and sparkly stuff.

I LOVE HAND-CRAFTED ITEMS that have a bit of sparkle and are gothic, macabre, Victorian gothic, steampunk or based on dark fairy tales; especially jewellery, dolls, and altered art shrines. I adore things that are inspired by the Brothers Grimm ''Snow White'' and Hans Christian Andersen's ''The Snow Queen'' aswell as ''Bride of Frankenstein''. Other favourite themes include Gaiman's ''Sandman'' (Death, Delirium or Dream in particular), Halloween (especially black cats & bats), Dia de los Muertos, Frida Kahlo, Skulls, Skeletons, Bones, Momento Mori, Anatomical imagery, Unusual items or keepsakes in little bottles, vials, or jars, Wednesday Addams, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, vampires, old horror movie imagery (especially Bride of Frankenstein, Count Orlok, and Dracula), vintage erotica and kitsch pin-ups. I also love unusual captured jar fairies, quirky handmade ''stuffies'' and amigurumi of goth girls, black bats and cats. Yeah, it's definitely goth, goth and more goth : )

JEWELLERY INFO: I love hand-crafted jewellery based on my profile. Hand-made is always preferable to store bought as I like to see what others create. Etsy.com has so many cool things. I prefer silver jewellery, especially antiqued silver but gunmetal is good too. I LOVE loaded chunky charm bracelets in my favourite themes and unique and elaborate necklaces in either Victorian gothic, dark vintage or steampunk styles. Momento Mori, ''Frozen Charlotte'', creepy doll parts and pocket watch cases or little jars, bottles or vials containing unusual items or keepsakes are particularly desired. Actual wrist size is 6.5 inches. For charm bracelets 7.5 inches to allow them to dangle and jangle.Necklace lengths between 18 inches to 24 inches. Ring sizes between 8.5.and 10. Please DO NOT send gold jewellery as I do not wear it. I also DO NOT wear jewellery made out of felt, wool, or leather.

MY WISH LIST I love handmade jewellery and collect art dolls (including handcrafted dolls and Altered Barbies etc). I also like altered art shrines and shadow boxes so these are my favourite things to receive in swaps.

A HAND-CRAFTED ART DOLL/ALTERED BARBIE OF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS WOULD BE ADORED:

Neil Gaiman's Sandman character ''Death''

Bat winged vampire doll

Elizabeth Bathory vampire queen

Halloween creepy skull witch

Conjoined Twins

''Death the Bride'' Gothic Victorian bride with veil

Mexican Day of the Dead ''La Catrina''

Dia de los Muertos style skellie Black Cat

Mythology- especially Bastet or Medusa

Tim Burton's ''Corpse Bride'' character

Brothers Grimm ''Snow White'' preferably in glass coffin (original Brothers Grimm fairy tale not cute Disney version)

Victorian Mourning Doll

Tim Burton's ''Edward Scissorhands'' character

Wednesday Addams

Hans Christian Andersen ''The Snow Queen'' (think VERY sparkly like Bridget Fonda in the film adaptation)

Bride Of Frankenstein

NECKLACES & CHARM BRACELETS: Hand-crafted and unique necklaces and loaded chunky charm bracelets in any of my favourite themes will be treasured. Necklaces lengths=18-24 inches. Charm bracelets=7.5 inches in length.

Creepy Dark Victoriana skull necklace

Edgar Allan Poe inspired loaded chunky charm bracelet

Sinister Halloween loaded chunky charm bracelet

Gothic Reliquary necklace

''Frozen Charlotte'' necklace

Momento Mori necklace

Steampunk goggles (see etsy for ideas if you don't know what I mean)

Steampunk pocket watch

Shrines

TREE ORNAMENTS: My tree is going to be decorated in BLACK, PURPLE, RED and SILVER so please send ornaments in those colours if possible. I would especially LOVE a Dia de los Muertos style skeleton cat, a creepy gothic bride or Wednesday Addams doll ornament for my tree. I do LOVE a bit of SPARKLE. NO RELIGIOUS THEMES PLEASE.

Vampire altered art shrine (A Creepy Count Orlok one would be cool)

Gothic captured jar fairy

Cat amigurumi/ stuffie

Bat amigurumi/ stuffie

Handmade charms (2'' or less) for bracelets

Small objects (under 2 inches) relating to anything in my profile to display in my print trays e.g. ''Frozen Charlottes'', tiny glass bottles, Kinder toys, happy meal figures, gumball prizes, dolls, vintage curios, sparkly things, handmade or altered art pieces etc

Unusual beads (skulls, glass, sparkly are faves)

Vintage glass or pearlescent rosaries (broken is fine)

Cabochons

Vintage/antique sparkly jewellery (doesn't matter if it's broken)

Vintage rhinestone brooches (especially insects, serpents)

Interesting glass buttons especially Victorian

Old clock/watch parts (hands, cogs, gears etc) for making steampunk jewellery

Milagros

Old silver religious medals of saints

Frozen Charlottes

Poison bottles

Wooden cigar boxes to alter (can't seem to find them in UK)

Vintage sparkly or glass hatpins

Lace trim

Vintage cameras

Zines (especially goth/gothic/alternative)

Black Maneki Neko lucky cats

I DO NOT LIKE:

candy

dotee dolls

typically cute stuff

religious propaganda

teddy bears

pumpkins

pirates

food with faces

clowns

pink

yellow

blue

pastel colours

gold jewellery

magnets

Twilight themed items

leather

pictures with cute kids

I do not have any use for ATCs, postcards or bookmarks so please do not send them.

I HAVE A SEVERE PHOBIA OF DEAD THINGS. I DO NOT LIKE any items associated with funeral homes or mortuaries, e.g toe tags or post mortem photos of the recently deceased in coffins. I have a VERY real phobia of these things due to a traumatic experience in the past.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY RELIGIOUS PROPAGANDA, PAPER/ ORIGAMI, TOILETRIES, COSMETICS, CANDLES, FOOD, CANDY, CHOCOLATE, BEVERAGE OR GRUBBY ITEMS. THANKS.

My ratings are based purely on the inspiring art I receive. There is no need to send any ''extras'' as part of a swap with me, just enjoy the creative process. It's the thought and effort that goes into your work that makes it special.

I am passionate about music; listening to it on vinyl or cd, seeing bands live and dancing to it at home or in clubs. I LOVE goth and some industrial and alternative. My favourite bands are Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Nick Cave, New Model Army, NIN, Cure, The Cramps, Christian Death, PJ Harvey, Ladytron and The Doors. There are quite a few more as I've been into goth for 20 years. I also enjoy some classical and opera.

Most of the John Hughes teen movies from the 80s such as ''Pretty in Pink'' and ''The Breakfast Club'' because I grew up with them. The Lost Boys, The Crow (with Brandon Lee), The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunger, Blade Runner, Naked Lunch, L.A. Confidential, Dangerous Liaisons, Amadeus, Manhunter, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway, Niagara, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Girl Interrupted, Labyrinth, Dirty Dancing, Young Sherlock Holmes, Beetlejuice, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride, Fight Club. Lots of old movies, especially vampire movies.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Farscape, Twin Peaks, Supernatural, Carnivale, Grimm, Once Upon A Time, Whitechapel, Murdoch Mysteries, Sherlock, American Horror Story, The Walking Dead, Dexter, True Blood and tv adaptions of Agatha Christie murder mysteries, Sherlock Holmes and costume dramas.

My passion is B/W film photography as I love spending time experimenting in my darkroom and trying out different types of vintage cameras. However, I am slowly getting into digital photography as I like the immediacy of it and I do enjoy using Photoshop. Other crafts include jewellery-making, art dolls, mail art, zines, collage, sculpture, mixed media, altered art, and some textiles (especially stuffies).

Banshee (11.05.99 - 03.12.12) My No1 girl. The most amazing cat you could ever hope to meet. Loyal, loving, wise and my best friend. This beautiful soul got me through some tough times. I miss her each day and always will.

I adopted Sorrel and Rose through World Animal Friends http://www.worldanimalfriends.co.uk a few months after Banshee died. Both are rescues from Romania. Sorrel is from Musette Shelter in Galati and Rose is from Animals Need Us (ANU) in Brasov. They are good friends and are like a comedy double act when they play together.

Sorrel: My ''little bit'', because although fully grown I couldn't believe just how tiny she was when she first arrived. Small, funny and sweet, with a big personality.

Rose: My Transylvanian Diva kitty, who is the biggest softie cat ever. Loves fuss, flops at every angle possible to make sure you don't miss a spot and has the loudest purr imaginable.