Shivers of Delight

Noemi Smith's sculptures and dolls are delightful.  The mystical beings she creates with her meticulous attention to detail showcase beauty along with an otherworldly nature. Made with polymer clay, paint, fabric, and odds and ends, Smith brings each sculpture to life- right out of a fairytale. Her shop is called Angels by Noemi and you'll find original pieces as well as high-quality resin copies and doll making supplies. Ball-jointed Catrina Day of the Dead Doll Ball-jointed Ghost Catrina Jersey Devil Resin Sculpture Mandrake Resin Sculpture (Harry Potter Character) Wendigo Demon Resin Figure Moon Rider: Polar Bear with Faun I definitely want to go where that polar bear is going. If you've even thought of making your own doll, Smith offers online classes in doll making in her shop as well.

If you happen to be near Savannah, GA in the near future, you may want to check out Graveface Records & Curiosities . The shop leans toward horror and the supernatural, but carries new and used vinyl records, taxidermy, cocktail supplies, and odd little curiosities. Graveface is also a record label that carries bands like the Casket Girls, Dreamend, Night School and many more. The Graveface catalog has digital downloads of some really cool music. But there's more! Graveface has recently started putting out a zine called Corpse Reviver . Issue No. 1 came out last October and is still available. The zine is described as "a celebration of everything paranormal, strange and spooky with a curious and nostalgic 80's Halloween aesthetic." The first issue also comes with tunes from The Marshmallow Ghosts and Miss Pussycat. Fabulous! Here are some of the items available in the online shop . Graveface Reaper Enamel Pin Glow-in-the-Dark Planchette Hands ...

LaBrulee and LeChantilly are two of an odd kind. They describe their childhoods as one where they would take their select macabre friends on tours of mummies at local churches. Friends indeed. Their macabre sense of curiosity led them to start creating miniature relics under glass domes. Also known as Damn French Desserts, their Etsy shop is called Artificialia Room and you can find a variety of unusual pieces there. Skulls and Dried Flowers Food for Thought: Brain Under Glass Conquered Heart Terrarium Skulls with Moss We Should Hang Out Sometime Lady Vanitree Skull Notecards It's good to have a sense of humor in a dark world.

I checked in to Kickstarter a few days ago and saw that there are a bunch of spooky projects happening right now. I'm going to show you a few of my favorites today, but if you see something you like you'll have to act fast because some of them are ending shortly- like within hours. Built On Strange Ground by Sarah Benkin Benkin is offering a graphic novel of true, personal experiences of strange places, haunted sites, mysteries neighbors and true lore from a variety of talented and diverse artists.  Pledges start at $10 for a digital copy of the book. The project has already reached its goal and ends in 5 days. Sweet Dreams Cthulhu: A Lovecraftian Bedtime Board Book by Jason Ciaramella & Greg Murphy This children's book is a follow-up to C is for Cthulhu: The Lovecraft Alphabet Book . How did we miss that one?! Ciaramella explains "For me there is a certain satisfaction in taking HP's nightmarish creatures and turning them into something sweet th...

Hungarian artist Szilvia Boda is one of us. She writes "I believe that our mystical, darker side is very important, and we need to embrace it, and make it beautiful and exciting." Boda is a self-taught jewelry maker who began her career in graphic arts and interior design, but working with her hands seems to have been more suited to her.  Her jewelry is available at Boda Szilvia Jewelry & Art. Hand-painted Ghost Lover's Eye Necklace Hand-painted Lover's Eye Pendant Wire-wrapped Cobweb Necklace Copper Wire-wrapped Dragon Eye Ring Original Painting Witch Portrait Original Oil Painting Noctuidae Moth Goddess Original Acrylic Painting, Iris I can't decide whether I like Boda's jewelry or painting more. I'm glad she doesn't just focus on one of them.

I'm always looking for ways to bring a bit of a haunting atmosphere to our house.  I hadn't really considered a wall mural before, but technology has brought the price down and the options are so much more interesting now. I happened upon a few forest scenes that for some reason give me the chills. I think they are meant to be relaxing, but my mind shows me images of a werewolf jumping out from behind a tree. Horror movies have taught me that when something looks that peaceful you know trouble is just around the corner. Gloomy Forest Mural from KidsColoray (I would not let my child play in that forest) Forest Wall Mural from KidsColoray (Nope. Babies shouldn't be in this forest either) Winter Landscape Wall Mural from KidsColoray Fantasy Forest Wall Mural from DreamyWall Dark Forest Wallpaper from VGWallArt Mystic Forest Wall Mural from 4KdesignWal l Now, where did I put my large empty wall?

H. P. Lovecraft is known for his stories that contain also sorts of oddities. When I think of Lovecraft the Cthulhu immediately comes to mind along with the words "dark" and "murky." Orion Oddities captures Lovecraft's atmosphere and offers it to you in their own collection of oddities. Cthulhu Lovecraftian Poison Bottle Monster Cup with Fangs Lovecraftian 3D Painting Devil Imp Sculpture R'lyeh Coin Monster Beer Mug Father's Day is right around the corner. What dad wouldn't love a Monster Beer Mug?

Today, May 22nd is World Goth Day! Begun in 2009 in the UK, World Goth Day  has its own website to share events happening around the world. My first experience with the Goth culture took place in 1985 when I was enrolled in a study abroad program in London. Let me set the scene: I was a fairly sheltered student from a catholic woman's college ready to explore the world. I read in NME (I was a big fan of New Wave music then) that there was a newish club for Goths in London so I decided to drag a couple of my catholic-woman's-college friends to go check it out. Long story short we arrived way too early in the night and were dressed like a cross between the Madonna and that Madonna. Because of our early arrival and possibly because they didn't know what to do with us, we were allowed in the club and got a prime seat at a large table in a cave- yes, a cave. As we sat there gawking, the drinks started coming and our table became crowded with real Goths(!) and they were frien...