Still Goth for the Holidays

Tis the season to be jolly, but I still want blood, guts, and gore! I am a sucker for the holidays, but it's not always easy to find spooky X-mas decor and accessories. I love wrapping paper, the green, and red, the trees, and the lights!!!!! Oh my god, do I love lights! Ask anyone that has been in my home lately. Lights all over the place! I even have special blue ones for my spider web candelabra! I even like Santa hats... as long as there is a skull or zombie wearing it, but I like them none the less.

The shop being featured in my latest interview is called Still Goth. This shop has some amazing, festive pieces that are spooky enough to be enjoyed by those who like to treat everyday like it is Halloween. The shop owners name is Janice and she reminds me a lot of myself. I told her to take this interview by the balls and to let her freak flag fly, so consider yourself warned and meet Janice.

My name is Janice and I am married with one child, KayleighRose. I live in Philly, born and raised, truly a city girl. I am a E.R./Trauma RN. I love the hell out of blood, guts and gore, so this seems natural, though exhausting. We currently have a rescued cat, Iris Luna, and a spoiled rotten guinea pig, Bruce Wayne. My hobbies, wow, tough one, I think I came out of my Mother's vagina with a paintbrush....oh shit, sorry... I was abandoned at birth and adopted by my loving parents, both are unfortunately deceased. I am very close to my older sister, Donna. I am loud, crude and swear like a sailor.

1. What kind of items do you sell in your shop?

 I sell items that I truly love with my heart and soul. I make what I would purchase and wear, and I do wear lots of my own shit. Ohh, and my daughter Kayleigh is my biggest fan and critic. Vintage, heavy metals, obscure, deranged, bloody, zombified...

2. How long have you been crafting and how did you get started?

Been an artist, like I said, almost since birth... always drawing, painting and creating,. I could have went to Art College, should have, but fuck it that's the story of my life... I have been attempting to sell my creations for about a year now.

3. Why did you choose to create goth items as opposed to something more mainstream with cupcakes and less blood?

If you saw me you wouldn't need this question answered, but since you can't, I will explain. I am anything but the norm, mainstream, go with the flow type. I am heavily tattooed (no neck or face pieces), pierced, but tastefully so, no fucking belly button baubles here. I have always been in the goth "culture" as long as I can remember. I live and breath it, I wear and share it, I don't judge, lest I be judged! "So stop staring fucking rude ass people" oh sorry again. I could never give up my blood and gore, where would I be then?

4. I am loving your line of gothic Christmas items! What inspired you to give this holiday a dark twist?

Yeah I don't know, all the teams kinda asking to "show your holiday items" and talking with Etsy peeps I am close with were like "you should make something". So as this is my first "holiday" as a seller on Etsy I figured, what the hell! Didn't want to give up my aesthetic though and wanted to stay true to myself and my artistic choice. I think they came out killer, got a lot of fav's, not too many sales yet, though.

5. I was also checking out your tank top section. Are shirts something that fans will see more of in the future or were they something you were test driving?

I love making these. I made these before many other pieces I now have in my shop. I sold some, but I guess weather keeps the sales down now, but yeah. I will always have a selection of them. I hand grommet the back and I even make my own damn laces for the tie back, impressive huh?! I have made a few "custom" tanks so that's always out there too.

6.Your Etsy shop will be hitting it's first full year this January! Congrats!!! What advice you would give to someone looking to start selling on Etsy?

Yeah crazy, a year already. I got discouraged a lot in the beginning, thinking "oh shit, what if no one likes my stuff?" I got over that quick because I really don't care what other small minded people think of me or my art pieces. I realize my shop is geared to a pretty specific culture and I am cool with that and they love my stuff! I suppose I would say stay true to yourself and your art style, and don't give up. Stay open minded and be ACTIVE on Etsy, it's the bet way to promote yourself and your shop.

7.What is your most favorite item that is currently for sale in your shop and why?

Hard one, I am not bullshitting when I say I really love the hell out of my items and continuously wear similar pieces. I guess my Holiday wreaths are pretty Epic, I mean, custom, gothic, intriguing, fluffed and full and little surprises tucked away all throughout, and I think I am selling them pretty cheap considering what I have seen.

8.Since you are a part of the Under the Moon Team on Etsy, I was wondering what is it about this team that appealed to you the most that made you join?

Under the moon has a nice laid back feel, not real pushy and demanding, some teams suck like that.
I like the genre of the team, I like the vibe of the artists. There are so many SICK talented people, can make you feel a little inferior at times. Love the participation and the promoting of others on the team, I think that's so damn important, we really need to take care of ourselves and each other.

9.Is there anything new that you are working on that you would like to share with my readers?

I am dabbling in the mini fascinators. Love the top hat squared style and the possibilites are endless for these little guys. I have a few listed currently, but want to experiment with large weave tulle as a veil and whatnot.

10.Since you seem like you enjoy a good horror movie I am going to ask you what are three tips you would give to someone to survive a horror movie type situation where an insane killer is murdering everyone left and right?

Well I have this one covered, I have many more then 3, but I will give you 3, for now.

1. Do not be the busty, scantily clad slut, running around body parts popping out everywhere, you will always get fucking killed, know that you are a magnet to a psychopathic killer.

2. Do not try and "figure out" what the hell is happening or how the hell it is happening, too much thinking, not enough running asshole.

3. Do not joke about what is going on, do not try and "scare" people during the killing spree, thinking it is fucking hilarious, everyone hates you and wants you dead, including the killer, bye bye douchebag.

If you would like to see more of Janice's work you can check out Still Goth on Etsy,  Follow her on Twitter, or Like her on Facebook. Her Facebook page might be changing soon, but she will keep you posted!

Also! Still Goth is having a coupon good starting Black Friday thru Cyber Monday! Take advantage of this killer deal while you can! Use the coupon code below at checkout to save 20% off!!!!