"I've been looking so long pictures of you"

I love these old photographs are juxtaposed! Check out Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities newest team member "Diabolus" of Thanatos fame!

Swan Bones Theater

Revered member of Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities, Kelly Louise Judd...

"Swan Bones Theater is the title I gave to the fragile shadowland where I can play freely with different characters and scenarios, seeing what strangeness occurs between the two. I live in Kansas City, Missouri with my beau and two wonderful, shaggy muses: a dog, Wynsome, and a cat, Hildegarde. I have a small forest in my yard with a secret garden, and windows that look onto my overgrown cottage garden and potager garden; I will spend hours staring into these for inspiration. I love folklore, ghost stories, Victorian literature and art, psychology, Northern Renaissance art, animals, and nature, all of which have an evident influence on my work."

Precious Things...

I just wanted to show you some Precious Things from fellow team members of Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities! If you're still running around looking for the perfect holiday gift, check out these treasures! I love this porcelain 'Essence Vessel' from charmfoundry. I bought two to give as Christmas gifts...but I think I need to buy one for myself too!



Poodlebreath has beautiful little mementos as well. I love this porcelain wall sculpture...it's so otherworldly! It reminds me of the saying "hidden spirits, helping hands" in reference to the presence of our ancestors.



Poodlebreath also has sweet Forest Chic brooches and pendants! I'm especially in love with the Wolf...but Bear, Rabbit, and Deer are also available. (I think I just coined the term Forest Chic and I'm gonna drive you all crazy with it!)

Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities!

The Holiday season is in full effect...we even got a few inches of snow here in Chicago last night! Have you started buying presents yet? Are you shopping around for a unique gift for someone special this Holiday Season? Then visit Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities...over 50 purveyors of wonderful, whimsical, odd, and obscure delights, have gathered to create a virtual Wunderkammer!

Check out my recent acquisitions from COC Team members! I bought this sweet Miniature Cabinet of Curiosities from our newest team member Miniature Rhino!



I also purchased this amazing custom made Quail Foot Ring with a ruby from jewelry designer Laurie Brown! She has always has many gorgeous pieces available, but she will also consider custom orders! You can view her gallery of art objects, jewelry, and works in progress on
flickr. Her jewelry is available in her Etsy shop!

Swan Bones Theater

Visit the Swan Bones Theater to explore the hauntingly beautiful Art of Kelly Louise Judd. It's no wonder that she's one of my favorite artists, she sites many of the same sources of inspiration like: the Victorian era, fairy tales, abnormal psychology, and Renaissance Art. This is one of her paintings titled: "To Wed a Beetle"



While I was exploring the Swan Bones Gallery looking for an image for this blog post...I was trying to put my finger on the feelings that were stirring up inside of me. Finally it occured to me that they were the same feelings evoked by the Gothic fiction literature I read at a very early age. (I was in grade school when I first read Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell Tale Heart") Or when I saw/heard Rasputina for the first time. It's the same feeling I get when I stumble upon anything darkly divine and beautiful. Ya know what I mean?

Oh, yes... in additions to painting she also creates fine art dolls, illustrations, jewelry, greeting cards, and sweet little boudoir pillows. She has a few original paintings available through her website. Fine art prints of her dolls and illustrations, jewelry, and other goodies are available in her Etsy shop! Kelly is also a team member of Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities!

Official Home of the COC Street Team!

As you can see, I'm doing a little remodeling around here. Special thanks to the lovely and ever patient Leila Marvel for helping me put my banner together! I sent her over a dozen natural history images and nearly drove her crazy trying to manifest my vision! As always, Leila came through! Thanks Leila! xoxoxo



I found Leila on Myspace many moons ago where she has an amazing online gallery called the RED HEART CULT. I fell in love with her Graphic Design work and asked her if she could create a banner for my Etsy shop and Myspace page. She loved the idea...I sent her an image library to give her some food for thought...she took the ball and ran with it! We have been buddies ever since. She even opened her own Etsy shop, Red Heart 13, where she sells exquisite odornments, relics, and Memento Mori, and now does Graphic Design commissions too! My how she's grown! Naturally she's the first person I thought of when I decided to start my own Etsy Team! I will be hosting Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities right here, every Friday! I will feature a seller from our Team every week...so stay tuned!