…also red, but no grey that I’m aware of.

John pointed me to this list of Halloween-themed cocktails on Dabbled, which makes a nice segue into Cobwebs’ Big List o’ Booze(tm) that I’ve been meaning to post.

I got married on Halloween, and one of the many bits of research I did involved finding thematic beer brands. That list is posted over at Halloweddings. I also served a couple of brands of hard cider and (it almost goes without saying) Vampire Wine.

If you’re looking for spirits for a Halloween party (or just to drink any time; what’s the point in being goth if you can’t be spooky at unexpected moments?), that list should give you a leg up. A few thematic beers that have popped up since I compiled the list include:

• Witches’ Brew Golden Ale – Wicked Wines Online
• Black Ghost – Brasserie Fantome
• Nosferatu – Great Lakes Brewing Co.
• WychCraft – Wychwood
• Evil Dead Red – Alesmith
• Li’l Devil – Alesmith
• Mortality Stout – ReaperAle
• Deathly Pale Ale – ReaperAle
• Ritual Dark – ReaperAle
• Ichabod – New Holland
• Halloween Ale – Gritty McDuff’s

Hard alcohol choices (besides absinthe, duh) would include Blavod, REDRUM, and Black Death Vodka.

If you sometimes drink…wine, look around for some of these (note that some are more widely available than others):
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Shorpy is a photoblog devoted to high-resolution images from a century (or more) ago. The posts include a bit of commentary about the photos, and you can buy art prints of the images.

“Sidney Lust girls.” Circa 1919, two of Washington, D.C., movie theater owner Sidney Lust’s chorus girls, seen earlier out of costume. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress.

This would be an excellent reference resource for period costumes and hairstyles, in addition to providing all kinds of offbeat images for use in collages and other artwork.

Link (via BoingBoing)

The delightful Spookshows site has posted a selection of vintage poison labels, including a zip file of high-resolution images. They suggest attaching them to drinks at a Halloween party, but these would also be perfect as part of a collage or other artwork.

It’d be particularly cool to silkscreen a few of these onto fabric and sew up a really unique skirt or clutch. They’d also be nice, enlarged and framed, as artwork (hang a couple next to the bathroom medicine cabinet).

Link (via BoingBoing)

Framed posters are an inexpensive and easy way to add interest to a room. You can select designs to match your decorating style, and swap them out when you feel like a change.

There are plenty of Halloween- and Goth-themed posters available from sites like AllPosters, Posters.com, and BareWalls. (The latter two have a smaller selection, and the designs seem a little more skewed toward “dorm room” than “interior decor.”)

You can also make your own posters using graphic editing software and have them printed professionally. Choose artwork you like, or do something like Mike Matas’ Life Poster. As long as you’re getting a print, consider doing multiple copies for unique gifts or party favors.

Framing is essential if you don’t want your interior to look like a teenager’s bedroom. It can be expensive if you have it done professionally, but it isn’t hard to do yourself. Most large craft and office supply stores sell frames and mats inexpensively, and many can give you tips on proper technique. You can also check out this eHow article on how to frame a poster.

Display proudly. For ideas on how to set the posters to best advantage, you can check out these articles on making the most of posters and paintings here, here, and here.

The University of Iowa’s John Martin Rare Book Room has just added Hans Holbien’s The dances of death through the various stages of human life: wherein the capriciousness of that tyrant is exhibited… to their online collection.

The Dance of Death, often referred to as “Danse Macabre” is a gruesome medieval and renaissance symbol of the all-encompassing and universal power of death. Originally a 14th century morality poem, written shortly after the plague of the 1340’s that wiped out a high proportion of the European populace, images of the allegory made their way into print shortly thereafter. The most famous of these was a series of wood cuts by the German artist and printmaker, Hans Holbein, the younger (1497-1543).

The university’s version is an 1803 republication of copperplates based on Holbein’s work, made by Scottish artist and engraver David Deuchar.

These are nice, high-quality scans which would be great for use in art projects. A decoupaged TV tray, end table, or folding screen would be lovely decorated with little dancing skeletons.

Link (via Morbid Anatomy)

A friend recently sent me this link, which has some gorgeous photos of cemeteries but is down about two-thirds of the time. I decided to look around for other photography pages, and oh, there’s a lot of lovely stuff out there.

In addition to the drinking-from-the-firehose results you get from searching for graveyard or cemetery on Flickr, there are many sites that specialize in this kind of photography. For instance:

Graveyard and Dark Photography – These are mostly black-and-white photos from the UK and Romania, along with some dark and unsettling portrait shots. The photographer sells prints, if you’d like some unique framed artwork.

Northstar Gallery – They describe their work as “sensuous, fine art,” and there are some lovely photographs. Mostly color, heavy on the statuary rather than tombstones.

The Cyber-Cemetery – Lots of artsy black-and-white images.

Taphophilia – In addition to photos, this site includes other funeral- and death-related curiosities.

Gardens of Light, Dark, and Stone – Some very pretty, evocative photos. There’s even a downloadable screensaver featuring some of the photographer’s favorites.

There are also at least two webrings devoted to cemetery photography, here and here.

It’d be fun to cover a wall with a collection of framed graveyard photos. There should be plenty of inspiration here to get you started.

I turned up this site in a Google search for something entirely unrelated. It’s a Web Zine that appears to have lasted a grand total of one issue (either that or they’re going five or six years between publications), but it’s got some articles about maintaining a perfect Goth pallor that are worth a look. There are suggestions for sunscreen, skin lightening techniques, and makeup recommendations.

It’s hard to look like a frail consumptive with a tan, so if you want to have any hope of being mistaken for someone named Lenore you may want to check out these tips.

Link

Here’s a fun site that definitely needs a mention: A “mortuary novelty shop” (motto: You’ll Love What We Dig Up for You) with a wide range of funeral-related items. From coffin cookie cutters to hearse earrings to this adorable toe-pincher wall clock, they’ve got something for everyone. Um, assuming that everyone has tastes like ours, I guess.

I’ve purchased several gifts from them and have always been pleased with their prices and service. Check ’em out!

Link

Here’s a handy little resource for the morbidly inclined: Etsy’s Dark Side is a MySpace page devoted to finding and promoting Etsy stores that feature “dark” crafts. There’s all kinds of fun stuff to explore, from handbags with fangs to unusual jewelry to really creepy dolls.

There’s some wonderful inspiration to be gleaned from these sites as well. Go check them out!

(via Crypt Stitch)

(This is post #666; if that isn’t portentous, I don’t know what is.)

Skull-a-Day mentioned this fabric in passing, and I find myself immensely taken with it. The Echino collection is 44″ cotton in “home decor weight,” which could be anything from stiff calico to upholstery. I love the elegance of the images: The bats shown here remind me of old Japanese paintings, and the spiderwebs and insects on other fabrics are lovely rather than menacing.

This looks like an excellent way to bridge the gap between mainstream and goth; if you’d like a little darkness around the house but your partner (or your landlord, or your parents) isn’t so sure, decorating with fabric like this might be a workable compromise.

Bonus Link: Walter and Veronica did this nursery based on a swatch of fabric from the collection. I love the subtle little skulls.