tiaragoth

28/12/11 Whilst my parents were visiting for Christmas my father fell in the bathroom and fractured his pelvis (whether he had a seizure, collapsed or stumbled we don't know as he can't remember). He's been in hospital for the past week. Obviously everything is up in the air whilst the doctors decide the best way to proceed. As a result I'm not sure where I'll be for any swaps to be sent to. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MY ADDRESS BEFORE YOU MAIL ANY SWAPS TO ME. Unfortunately, I may also need to put swapping on hold for a while, but we'll see how it goes. Thanks : )

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, tiaras, veils, 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, unusual beads/ charms/ buttons/ ribbon, and vintage/ old/ 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, 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, button fairies and 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 OK too. I LOVE loaded chunky charm bracelets in my favourite themes and necklaces in either Victorian gothic, dark vintage, Frozen Charlotte, creepy doll parts or steampunk styles. Actual wrist size is 7.5 inches. Necklace lengths between 16 inches and 24 inches. Ring sizes between 8.5.and 10. I have pierced ears. 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

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

Neil Gaiman's Sandman character ''Death''

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

Elizabeth Bathory vampire queen

Mexican Day of the Dead ''La Catrina''

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

CHARM BRACELETS: Hand-crafted and unique loaded chunky charm bracelets in any of my favourite themes will be treasured.

''Frozen Charlotte'' necklace

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

Steampunk pocket watch

TREE ORNAMENTS: My tree is going to be decorated in BLACK, PURPLE and SILVER so please send ornaments in those colours if possible. I would love a cat, bat, Day of the Dead sugar skull, owl, Wednesday Addams doll or gothic fairy for my tree. Any creepy, gothic, rockabilly, Bride of Frankenstein, steampunk or sparkly Snow Queen ornaments would be much appreciated. 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

Frozen Charlottes

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

Vintage sparkly or glass hatpins in good usable condition

Lace in good clean condition

Vintage cameras

Zines (especially goth/gothic/alternative)

Black Maneki Neko lucky cats

I DO NOT LIKE:

dotee dolls

typically cute stuff

religious propaganda

religious items (except milagros, rosaries, shrines)

teddy bears

pumpkins

pirates

skull and crossbones

food with faces

clowns

pink

yellow

orange

blue

pastel colours

gold jewellery

Twilight themed items

leather

pictures with cute kids

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/ ITEMS (except milagros and rosaries), 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 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, Corpse Bride, Fight Club.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Twin Peaks, X Files, Supernatural, Dr Who, Torchwood, A Town Called Eureka, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, NCIS, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: SVU, House M.D., Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Fringe, Dexter, The Chicago Code, The Killing, Criminal Minds, The Beast, The Mentalist, True Blood, Shameless (UK version) and tv adaptations 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 mail art, zines, collage, sculpture, art dolls, mixed media, altered art, jewellery-making, and some textiles (especially stuffies).