Shopping In The Dark : Macabre Etsy Shops You Need To See

Here is the second installment of my series Shopping In The Dark. I hope you enjoy my selection (click on the pictures to be taken straight to the product you want to check out further!) and please feel free to get in touch at katiemariemetcalfe@hotmail.co.uk or in the comment box below if you know of an Etsy shop that needs a mention.

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Swedish artist Elsa Olsson first came to my attention through her beautiful Instagram page Fevernest, then Stockholm Darkness alerted me to the fact that she was selling unique and gloriously dark cross stitched art and accessories on Etsy. I stopped what I was doing and immediately headed over to check her page out.

Educated at The School of the Association of Friends of Textile Art in Stockholm, Elsa crafts high-quality petit point embroidery and handwoven pieces. It was evident from the moment I landed at her page that Elsa found great inspiration in the mourning culture of the Victorian era, and this was clarified as I read though the fascinating few words she has written about herself and her art. All of her work is handcrafted at her home studio on Stockholm.

I was immediately bewitched by everything Elsa had on offer, though I kept on returning to her delicate Häxan broach, a piece inspired by the silent 1922 Swedish/Danish movie Häxan. I was also unable to stay away from the Pine pendant, and found myself imagining what I could wear it with. I’ll be investing in a few of her pieces before long. Below you’ll find my four favourite offerings.

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I have a weak spot for candles. Especially the hand poured, organic variety with evocative names. So it was only a matter of time before I landed upon Cottage Wicks. This New England based candle company is committed to crafting small batches of candles that are all-natural, chemical free and 100% organic.

Owners Jess and Abe put, it seems, as much time into the packaging of their candles and products as they do in making them. And this is always a big plus for me. It shows they really care about what they are crafting. The CottageWicks Instagram is a ‘must follow’ page if you want to see behind the scenes of this inspiring company.

I’m dying for a smell of their Book Of Shadows candle, which has a distinct scent of burnt pages, leather and incense. It’s not only candles that you will find at Cottage Wicks though. They also provide incense, body oils and body creams too, including a New Moon Night Cream made with blood orange peel, hibiscus, rose petals, apple, lemon, vanilla, blood orange essential oil and goats milk.

Below are four items from the Cottage Wick Etsy shop that I’ve put on my wishlist.

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Crystal jewellery and anything runic always turns my head, so when Canadian jewellery line Priestess appeared on my Etsy feed, my investigation began straight away…and I was not left disappointed.

I like to read the ‘About’ page when I’m checking out an Etsy store. So when I read that creator Chelsea Jamieson crafts her pieces for wild mystics, supernatural sisters & dark beauties, I knew I’d clicked on the right page.

Now, jewellery is one thing I see a lot of on Etsy, so to stop me in my tracks a shop needs to be offering pieces that are really special. Chelsea’s handcrafted pieces aren’t only special…they’re exquisitely crafted wearable works of dark art. What sister of the night would fail to be enamored by a Kyanite broomstick pndant attached to a deerskin lace?

Below you’ll find the four pieces that I’m currently unable to look away from.

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Sometimes Etsy feels like a portal into another world. You will know exactly what I mean when you pay a visit to Silmaril Clothing. Skådi Irønweaver is a woman with a true talent…a talent for crafting wearable scales.

This talented ‘scalemistress’ has spent years mastering her craft of weaving together yarn and metal, and is nowadays a leading purveyor of scale mail clothing and accessories. It should come as no surprise that her name is inspired by Tolkien, the great master of fantasy literature.

The range offered by Silmaril Clothing is remarkable, and features, among other things, a  spectacular black dragon scale shrug crafted from thousands of polycarbonate black scales and black wool.

It was difficult to select four favourite pieces, but I managed it eventually, so here you go.