Shivers of Delight

I love taking baths. It's a known fact about me that I don't like being hit in the face with water. Why would anyone want to shower? In our house we have a cast iron clawfoot tub that has probably been there since the early 1900s. I absolutely love soaking in it, but eventually we're going to have to renovate our bathroom and I have in mind that I would love a black clawfoot tub. It has such a gothic feel to it, don't you think? Signature Hardware has some beautiful black tubs in their collection. From modern to antique styles, I love them all. I hope these set you to dreaming about a gothic bathroom in your future. Goodwin Cast Iron Clawfoot Tub with Imperial Feet Arabella Cast Iron Double-Slipper Tub with Lion Paw Feet Thaine Antique Black Copper Double-Slipper Pedestal Tub Sawyer Hammered Copper Double-Slipper Tub with Nickel Interior Raye Antique Black Hammered Copper Double-Slipper Pedestal Tub McQuire Hammered Copper Slipper Clawfoot Tub...

Dolores Duenez retired from teaching and "now gets to play with clay." Her doll head planters are just creepy enough to find their way to this blog.  I suppose to some people the disembodied doll heads may be very disconcerting, but to me they're adorable. I can't help it. I want one or two or three. Duenez's shop is ClayFlower22 and you can find her on Instagram @clayflower22 . Sylvia and Selma Conjoined Twins Planter OOOdie Ghost Orion Star Baby Juana the Iguana Business Card Holder Little White Wall Person Skeletos Day of the Dead Cat Planter I'm getting my credit card out while I type this post. I'm so glad I saw these before you did.

I love jewelry with skulls. I can't help it. It's not that I think they're "tough", either. I just think tiny skulls are cute. I hope Kate Hockstein agrees with me. Hockstein is the jewelry designer behind Arcana Obscura Designs , and I would hate to think that I've insulted her when I call her skull jewelry adorable. You'll find no pink bows in her offerings, just tiny little skulls. Feline Taphophile Ring Imperatrix Mortem Ring Memento Mori Necklace Winged Skull Necklace Headstone Earrings Inverted Torch Necklace There are many beautiful pieces in this shop that would be perfect to add to you funeral wardrobe. You know you should always have those pieces on hand.

I carry around a tiny metal coffin in my change purse. It reminds me that life is fleeting whenever I'm looking for a quarter. I kind of like it, though I sometimes get strange looks at the register. Tom Maringer of Shire Post Mint makes similar objects. He specializes in fantasy and gaming coins. I like them and may add more to my change purse. You never know when you'll have to make a quick decision, and tossing a coin might be useful. Memento Mori/Memento Vivere Coin Be Good/Stay Evil Coin Life or Death Coin I Win/You Lose Coin Dread Pirate Roberts Coin Two Volantis Coins You'll also find coins from Game of Thrones and the Hobbit among other fantasy novels. If you're looking for an unusual Father's Day gift, these might suit you. I'm pretty sure dad doesn't haven't one of these.

I could be described as a cat lover. We had twelve cats living with us at one point. We're at five now, just so you know. Quite frankly, I don't know how you can be a devotee of all things spooky and not like cats. Cats can be so mysterious and you never really know what they're thinking. They creep up behind you, stare at things you can't see, and cause things to move around the house unseen. They're like tiny poltergeists. Jenny Boomert (The Netherlands) shares my love of cats and understands that they have a creepy side. She calls it "creepy cute." Her shop carries cat prints, t-shirts, and greeting cards. But these are not just any cats; these are cats who are friends with the dark side of life. The shop is called Puss in Books. Death's Best Friend Card Night Sky Above the City T-shirt Zombie Love Print Birthday & Death Dates Calendar A Small Cat's Big Heart Print Bat Cat Greeting Card As I write this blog ther...

I have considered collecting vintage Halloween postcards, but really, where am I going to put them? I'm sure it will happen eventually, but for now I'm interested in the wood engravings that Patti Cooper is making based on vintage Halloween art. Cooper uses a wood burner to make her images and then she hand paints them. Her work will take you back to a time when Halloween was still about pumpkins, witches, and ghosts. You'll see no tv characters or superheroes in her work. (Soon I'm going to have to write about my disappointment with modern Halloween.) Cooper's shop is called KelpieFire . Fighting Cats Halloween Box Witch and Cat Clock Hissing Cat Tambourine   Pumpkin Thief Cat Plaque Black Cat Coasters Happy Bats Clock Oh, the days when Halloween included tambourines to scare away the evil spirits. Can we go back there?

Doing cross stitch can be meditative and trancelike. If you have time to sit for a spell, you can manifest something beautiful, or frightening. The choice is yours. The Stitcherhood is a shop run by needle artist Maria. The cross stitch patterns she sells in her shop will delight any witch, and with a snap of your finger (or click of your mouse) the patterns instantly appear in your in-box (also know as your digital cabinet of curiosities.) Salem Remembered Anniversary Cross Stitch Pattern Black Cats Black Hats Beware Skeletons Halloween Pumpkins Primitive Witches My Cauldron Runneth Over Don't these make you want to cackle with glee?

Meagan Meli (Brooklyn, NY) is an illustrator who describes her work as death positive. Her images focus on cemetery symbolism, the occult, and historic medical illustrations. The death positive movement asks us to face our own death with openness and curiosity, and, I think, a little humor. We should never take ourselves too seriously. Meli's work is dark and at the same time playful. You'll find her illustrations, lapel pins, shirts, and patches at MeaganMeli . Embracing Death T-Shirt Jeweled Saint Screen Print Sisters Print Skeleton Dance Print A Feline's Stelae Lapel Pin Gravestone Sketchbook I really feel like I want to post everything in the shop. Instead I'm sending you over there to check out all the things I couldn't show you. Go! Memento Mori.

When I read Carrie Dunn's profile on Etsy and saw that her favorite materials were "macabre, Day of the Dead, sugar skulls" I knew we had a match. Just so you know, most people say things like feathers, sequins, and bones. She made me smile, and I think the bags she makes are going to make you smile. These are perfect for anyone who loves Halloween. The shop is CanaryCreated . Heart of Darkness Extra Large Tote Nightmare Before Christmas Shoulder Purse Sugar Skull Purse with Wallet Raven Cross Body Purse Ghastly Moments Slingback Tote Trick or Treat Party Cross Body Bag These are adhorrible! (my new word for adorable spooky things...add it with whimspookal to your dictionary)