Mythical creatures, semi-precious stones and ravens-a-plenty! Alchemy’s Spring collection was showcased at the recent LondonEdge and Birmingham Spring Fair trade shows and will hit stores in the coming weeks. There are more than 30 new pieces with something for everyone from necklaces to hair accessories and even beard beads, all of which have been crafted from Fine English Pewter. Here are just a few of our favourites:

Valentina Stanescu never had any luck when it came to love. She always fell in love with the wrong men while the men that she wasn’t interested in always persisted in courting her.
The celebration of Valentine’s Day in Romania is not only dedicated to lovers but also to people who are named Valentin or Valentina. So, every Valentine’s Day Valentina also celebrated her name day.And every year she made a wish for her true love to finally show up and make her feel the way she had always dreamed of. But every year her wish remained a painful desire and every year Valentina ended up alone, crying of a broken heart or of unanswered love.

I’ve been fascinated by Ancient Egypt ever since I was a child. I used to nag my parents to take me to the British Museum and the Ashmolean where I could stare at mummified objects and ogle at tomb paintings; I even had a pencil case based on Tutankhamun’s famous death mask! So imagine my surprise when I recently discovered that I’d been walking past a museum that housed one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts without ever realising it was there! I decided it was about time I paid a visit to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.

There can be few people better qualified to document California’s Deathrock scene than Amelia G and her partner Forrest Black. Lifelong devotees of the dark side, Amelia and Forrest’s long association with the West Coast’s most ghoulishly glamorous subculture has recently borne fruitin the shape of an arresting, new full-colour photobook.

D’you look good in your Alchemy? How d’you fancy featuring as an Extraordinary Face in Alchemy’s promotional campaigns? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

When I was human I wanted…no, I dreamed of becoming something extraordinary. I dreamed of becoming strong, tough, feared, possess super powers and live an exciting life outside my little apartment.

We’re well and truly in the midst of winter now but don’t let the colder weather cramp your dark style. Here are my top five essential alternative beauty buys and what’s more, they’re all cruelty-free so no ravens, bats or spiders were harmed in their creation!

Christmas is a time of joy, love, generosity, forgiveness… bla bla bla.

No milkmaids, doves or partridges in fruit trees here. The tiresomely cheerful “12 Days of Christmas” makes way for our infinitely better value and more entertaining “13 Days of Gothmas”!

The holiday season is almost here but if you’ve left things a little tight this year, here are some tips for a very gothic festive period!