tiaragoth

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. I LIVE IN A BASEMENT FLAT AND THE OUTER LOBBY WHERE POST IS LEFT GETS VERY WET WHEN IT RAINS.

I'm a goth who walks on the dark side wearing BIG boots. I love the rain, thunderstorms, cats, bats, music, photography, reading, horse-riding, going to the ballet, the smell, colours and feel of autumn, 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 & white polka dots, black & white stripes, damask and tattoo designs. I adore Victorian gothic. Corsets rule! My must-have accessories are hats, hatpins, tiaras, veils, masks, gloves, vintage brooches, black fans, lace parasols and black roses. 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 CRAFTING ITEMS include black lace, unusual beads/ charms/ buttons/ ribbon, and vintage/ old/ broken jewellery along with polka dots and sparkly stuff.

I LOVE HANDCRAFTED ITEMS that have a bit of sparkle and are gothic, macabre, steampunk or based on dark fairy tales; especially altered art shrines, dolls and jewellery. I adore things that are inspired by the Brothers Grimm ''Snow White'' and Hans Christian Andersen's ''Snow Queen'' aswell as my screen name ''tiaragoth'. 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 Nosferatu, Dracula and Bride of Frankenstein), 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 : )

MY WISH LIST

Amigurumi bat

Amigurumi cat

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

Steampunk pocket watch

Steampunk necklace

Handcrafted doll of Neil Gaiman's Sandman character Death

Handcrafted doll of gothic bride

Handcrafted doll of Snow White (original Brothers Grimm fairy tale not cute Disney)

Handcrafted doll of Snow Queen (think VERY sparkly)

Wednesday Addams altered art shrine

Day of the Dead altered art shrine

Vampire altered art shrine (especially Nosferatu or Dracula from old horror movies or Vampira)

Gothic captured jar fairy

Handmade charms (2'' or less)

Day of the Dead whimsy jar

Halloween whimsy jar

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

Vintage cameras that still work and are fungus free

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

Old sparkly or glass hatpins in good usable condition

Interesting old glass buttons especially Victorian

Vintage lace that is clean and in good condition

Zines (especially goth/gothic/alternative)

Harajuku/ Kawaii- Gothic Lolita Hello Kitty, Halloween Hello Kitty (especially witch or bat) and Chococat. Purple, black and white rather than pastels eg black hearts, purple bows, polka dots, white lace trim etc.

I DO NOT LIKE typically cute stuff, religious items (except milagros and rosaries), teddy bears, food with faces, clowns, pastel colours, gold jewellery, Twilight themed items, bone beads, pictures with cute kids, and dotee dolls. I ALSO 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), TOILETRIES, COSMETICS, CANDLES, FOOD, CANDY, CHOCOLATE, BEVERAGE OR GRUBBY ITEMS. THANKS.

My ratings are based purely on the swap requirements and 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'' because I grew up with them. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunger, Blade Runner, Naked Lunch, L.A. Confidential, Dangerous Liasons, 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, Twin Peaks, X Files, Supernatural, Dr Who, Torchwood, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, NCIS, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: SVU, House, The Riches, Dexter, Criminal Minds, The Beast, The Mentalist, Moonlight, True Blood, Shameless 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).