Dark Side Of The Mirror

Greetings fiends on darklings on this temperate Thursday -
At least i think it's Thursday although it took myself and a taxi driver three goes yesterday to figure out it wasn't Monday or Tuesday...... anyway, enough of temporal discombobulation.......
Or actually should it be more?
... Because we are speeding rapidly towards Sunday and the excitement is mounting as we stage our first collaboration with Chaplin's Cellar Bar to co-incide with their Solstice inspired beer festival weekend.......many thanks to Karen Thorne who approached us with the acorn of an idea that rapidly grew......
We have a range of stalls downstairs including Make Geek, Dreadlock Emporium, Creation 13, Sparkles & Gems, Carry on Screaming, the art of Gabs G Stewart, Binocular Natura and a corner of Dark Side showcasing a selection of items we carry in store.
We are also very excited to have acts through the day and evening including and not limited to The Retro Dolls, The Screaming Banshees (the dark alter egos of Chris Payn and Jordan Watts ) Little Edd Orford doing the freaky things he does, Romeo Kennedy and a wee bit of a closing disco with the out of this world Stuart Faulkner....... some acts will be performing twice so all comers get a bite of the cherry!
There will also be two fire shows by the fabulous Pantheatrix - one to wind down (or up!) after the Fashion Show - the motto of which seems to be Flaps Away! - and again at 10.00pm because fire does work well when it's dark!
We are immensely grateful to all those who have volunteered and supported us throughout this rather gargantuan undertaking - special thanks to Morgaine Ball, Little Edd Orford and Anne Stanley who have helped keep me sane and massive love to everyone involved - you have given us your time, your ideas and your unwavering support, and that is, as they say, priceless.
We will be holding a raffle during the day to raise funds for Alzheimer's research in honour of our founding Mother Joyce, with prizes kindly donated by our stall holders so you can potentially win something unique and one of a kind while supporting a very worthwhile charity and local artisans too - win win. Thank you to Robin J Clements for volunteering to help with the raffle and also donating a prize from his Steampunk Shoppe hosted by Dark Side.
I think that's everything - all that remains to be said is spread the word and please do come and join us if you are at a loose end on Sunday - we intend to have fun and want you all to come out to play too :D
Please please like and share and comment if you have a minute.......
Now excuse me while I inhale the heady aroma of spray paint and turn my attention to my costume fully..... because oh yes, I'm in it too :D xxxxx
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So Vissenga Leathercraft, our homegrown artisans extraordinaire who we are delighted to see going from strength to strength have produced a range of rather wonderful leather key-rings and we are delighted to have two boards in the shop at the moment displaying humorous "swear-rings" and "Shakespearean Insults" which never fail to raise a chuckle.....
My particular favourites are "Lewd Minx" and "Taffeta Punk".... I can't think why ;) :D
They are priced at a very friendly 5.00... each and make perfect gifts. If you check out the Vissenga Leathercraft page on facebook they can also produce custom and personalised pieces to suit your nearest and dearest.......
Come and check them out when you are passing :) <3
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So while I am playing social media catch up, I absolutely must share the page of one of our dearest friends who makes the most lovely clothing and accessories, and is now opening a bricks and mortar unit at the Courtyard Craft Centre.
Aside from being an extremely talented seamstress, Hayley is an absolute delight in every way and has brightened my day many times when she has popped in to re-stock the spinner we have had in our shop. I shall just say Tequila Rose and leave it... there.......
We are so excited for her new venture, and wish her all the love and luck in the world. Please check out her page, give her a like and a share and when she is open, visit her rails of loveliness where you will find a wealth of gorgeous fabrics and styles to suit all ages and tastes.
HappyhayClothing we salute you <3 xxxx
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Greetings fiends and darklings.......
I'm sure you have been wondering what the devil we are up to and why we have been a wee bit quiet over the last few weeks - well, we have been diligently working towards this event which we have previously mentioned but is now an undeniable and fast approaching reality.
With the help of some fabulous friends and supporters, to whom I extend my deepest love and gratitude we are putting the finishing touches to costumes, planning the layout... of stalls, and gathering some great entertainers together for your delight and delectation. We are deeply grateful to all at the Cellar Bar for their enthusiasm and encouragement <3
I cannot deny this has been quite a challenge and that we are extremely privileged to have such a strong and dedicated team around us who have voluntarily given up their time to be a part of this. Without such wonderful people this event would never have happened and I hope that it is enjoyed by everyone both backstage and front of house ......
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the day - any monies raised will be donated to Alzheimer's research in honour of Joyce, my mother-in-law who is at the foundation of the Dark Side and who, if things had been different, would have enjoyed every bit of the event and its preparations.
Although the Dark Side in its current form is waning, like the cycle of the illusory moon, it will in the fullness of time be full again - we still encourage you to visit the shop as our stock is wide and varied and you never know what treasure you may find......
And I am still available for tarot readings and will happily book you in at a mutually convenient day and time.
Have a wonderful weekend and we hope to see you on Sunday 23rd June for Midsummer Mayhem of the highest order <3
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On Thursday evening we had a rather marvellous jaunt to the Cellar Bar at Chaplins to see Brothers Grimmer play with Ollie C. Vissenga on bass - and I have to say it was a brilliant gig - such a very talented bunch of guys all round and that dancing - my word...... I felt quite exhausted just watching!!!
Thank you all for a fabulous evening - sadly age and some semblance of wisdom meant we had to bail pretty soon after this but it is in our future to check out many more gigs as Chaplins is now our "local" and fast becoming our third home after the Anvil and Zephyr........ once our own event on June 23rd is done and dusted we shall be - how do you say - "networking" ;) a whole lot more........

Tomorrow we are off to the fabulous Wimborne Folk Festival where we very much look forward to dropping in on the awesome Dan C. Vissenga better known as the brilliant craftsman behind Vissenga Leathercraft who has been working his little socks off for the event. The stall looks great and we really hope that the weekend is going splendidly for him and his lovely partner Emma Fairthorne :) <3 With luck the rain has passed and tomorrow will be both pleasurable and profitable for all involved :)
Look out Wimborne - the Dark Side is coming for ya ;) xxx

Greetings fiends and darklings at the end of a productive if not busy Saturday......
So I have replenished the Bureau of Bling and our cabinet of delights with a vast selection of costume pieces recently acquired....... the photos are still an ongoing experiment that may verge on an art piece rather than being an accurate catalogue of our loveliness, however they should give you an idea of the range and scale of our current stock of adornment - prices range from 50p to 50.00 ...with most items priced between 3.00 and 10.00 depending on quality, composition and desirability......
We have you covered for festivals with a Boho and Tribal vibe, along with finer pieces to complement outfits for more formal summer events.....
T'was not an easy nor brief task and it was very late this afternoon before I could actually see the surface of my desk or my laptop due to the volume of sparkle - I still have a whole box of "needs attention / suitable for upcycling" as well......
So do come and have a rummage for a statement piece or two if you are going to a festival and don't want to risk wearing your very precious items during the shenanigans.....
And don't forget we also have shelves of shoes and rails of clothes from the deepest Goth through suitable for Steampunk and carrying right through the rainbow spectrum...... mostly pre-loved, vintage and upcycled as we do like to be a little environmentally friendly - we shall be open on Monday so please come and have a rummage.......
#boho #festival #bling #jewellery #silver #goth #gothic #alternative #tribal #beads #necklace #bracelet #bangle #darksideofthemirror #bournemouth
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Greetings fiends and darklings -
While spinning many many plates I do have to share this event at somewhat late notice for which I apologise profusely to Ollie C. Vissenga and the Brothers Grimmer - I urge you to join us for this musical extravaganza......... t'will be a good excuse to both let off steam and relax with excellent company in the wonderful Cellar Bar at Chaplins - see ya there <3 xxxx

Well they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but this old dog is trying lol x
I have finally started trying to get to grips with a piece of alien technology called a tablet....... and I have practised on a particularly lush 80s metallic lame teal green prom gown we have acquired...... I took the pictures on the tablet, used an app called Pixlr to edit ...... and then bottled it and sent the pictures to myself on messenger to finish up on the laptop because I believe in... taking baby steps lol!
Anyway, if this little gem takes your fancy, it is a small size - measurements are approx 16 inches laid flat across the bust from arm pit to arm pit, and the waist is approximately 14 inches laid flat. The bodice is plastic boned to retain shape, and the colour is a very vibrant teal green with a colour changing element to black depending on the light.
It comes with a long matching stole / scarf, and I am throwing in the necklace you can see in the photos as it goes very well indeed.
In very good vintage condition - there are about two snags I can see, but not noticeable unless scrutinising. I shall be listing it on ebay soon, but it is available in store and the price tag is 60.00.
I think this is very Mermaid / Water Sprite - might it make a fabulous base for a costume to wear at the upcoming Fairy Festival I wonder...... ;)
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Greetings fiends and darklings, on what appears to be a strangely auspicious Monday......
I think most of our friends and followers are aware that the last few months have been challenging for us on many fronts - personally, I have had to fight every day to crawl out from the safety of my coffin and have faced the world with an underlying feeling of something akin to dread. It was best described by the lovely Emma Radwanski as the continuous feeling that you have left the gas... on even though you don't have gas......
Conversations I had last week with good and rational friends have confirmed I have not been alone in this feeling, which came as a huge relief..... I really was starting to suspect it was all in my head, but it seems that the constant barrage of global uncertainty is taking its toll on many people.
This morning I woke up feeling strangely calm yet with an underlying tingle of excitement, for no obvious reason - although a good few hours of housework and nurturing the home environment yesterday certainly helped (for a start I can find everything lol!) and now it seems that we were unconsciously preparing for a fresh start, a new phase if you will.
Today I realised, scrolling down my newsfeed that the new moon occurred at around 3.00am this morning. I am an open minded sceptic who has experienced the paranormal and so I treat astrology lightly but respectfully - heck it's been around long enough for me to think there must be something to it ;) -, but I cannot deny that the brief research I have done this morning has resonated with me ....... If you are curious do a little googling - I found it very fascinating.
Someone commenting on one of the sites I visited suggested Duran Duran's New Moon on Monday as an appropriate theme for the day......
Now back in the day I was a huge fan of Duran Duran, and I remember this track, but can't say I'd seen the video before. So I hopped over to Youtube and watched it, and what really struck me was the visual theme of the video, which is obviously supporting the overthrow of and resistance to an unwanted regime..... an interesting co-incidence as the world rails against the resurgance of the far right and other forms of authoritarianism that we had all hoped was dead and buried following the lessons of history.
I shall just leave this here for you to enjoy in between a few nostalgic winces at 80s style - whatever this New Moon on Monday brings, I hope there is a large serving of hope and positivity and creativity with your names on it - if we communicate effectively, there is no limit to what can be achieved....... <3
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Greetings fiends and darklings.......
So contrary to lack of Facebook appearance we are still here undead and kicking as we work towards Midsummer Mayhem at Chaplins on Sunday 23rd June........ and we are thrilled to pieces to have the wondrous Retro Dolls on the bill <3
So much love to both the dolls (and I do have a thing about Sindy <3 ) for coming out to play......... I shall be updating with further delights over the next week as we come closer to nailing down the mayhem........
In the meantime I will leave you with a couple of quotes of the day that have been heard nonchalantly at the Dark Side over the last week.....
"You can draw smiley faces on my nipples"
"Let me sketch out your furry butt flap".
"Your face needs to calm down"
If that doesn't intrigue you I am at a loss to know what will ..... ;)
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Well well well...... what we do in the shadows when no-one's looking eh? So it looks like my beloved Sarge Metal Fatigue is going to be polishing his virtual vinyl for an old school session of all things bizarre and Gothic ..... I shall of course be there swaying and doing the Gothic two step while picking strange fruit...... we hope you will join us :) xxxx

Greetings fiends and darklings again :)
So this is the official events page for our Midsummer Mayhem Collaboration with Chaplins........ please do check it out and express your interest :)
We hope to see as many friends as possible of both establishments..... <3

Greetings fiends and darklings on this too bright and shiny World Goth Day......
It is a post-apocalyptic hive of activity here at the Dark Side as the lovely Morgaine and Luke are riveting and bottle cap chain-mailing in the oppressive heat of the ironically named office in preparation for our Midsummer Mayhem extravaganza in collaboration with Chaplins.
We have had a lovely visit from Sprites et Al who have refurbished their display - photos will follow in a separate post. ...And the delightful James Reginald Cogwell has been titivating his corner and entertaining us with anecdotes of a seasoned time traveller.
Things have settled to a dull roar and we have even had actual customers - a rare and precious breed that we try to nurture before they become fully extinct.....
Despite having thrown out my back moving a box of Sargemaggeddon yesterday when we finally, after 5 months post house move, had to tidy our lair, I am in good spirits and confident that the future is, if not bright, then smouldering sexily.
So raise an absinthe and wallow in all things dark and sardonic...... much love to you all....... <3
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Greetings fiends and darklings,
So we are back from a weekend spent in London catching up with old friends and making some new ones. We were very privileged to be involved in a suspension show at Torture Garden - more on that to follow - but a massive thank you to all those involved for the opportunity to be part of such an amazing night.
But on to home grown excitement - we are delighted to be supporting this event after the success of last years Zephfest.
... We will be sharing and promoting and coming out to play on the day and I urge you to mark your places now because I am very confident tickets will sell like the proverbial hot cakes.........
So excited to see Zephyr carving out a classic rock niche in a town that seems to have a dwindling population of rockers....... let's put this bar and its events properly on the Bournemouth map - it will be a blast........ :) <3
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Before I ready myself for Game of Thrones at O'Neill's, just wanted to share this because we have so much love for these guys - Pantheatrix - a fire performance troupe who are constantly upping their game at various events.
We know them personally and have worked alongside them at the Metropole Market and are very privileged that they are supporting our collaboration at Chaplin's in June.
We are so gutted that we weren't able to go to Teddy Rocks because this show was obvious...ly an absolute belter - we watched the new ladder prop take shape in our kitchen at home and can vouch for the skill, blood sweat and tears that went into it.
The costumes are just fabulous as well - absolute kudos for the effort and ingenuity on display xxxx
Spread the word and check out their page if you need red hot performers for your event or party......
Highly recommended <3 xxxx
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Greetings fiends and darklings -
We hope your Monday has been as productive as mine as I have been catching up with admin for the Dark Side / Chaplins collaboration, dealing with a couple of ebay sales (punches air!) plus other mundane issues not worth mentioning.
So we are bucking our current opening hours trend this week and will be opening tomorrow to welcome the lovely J D Gilbey to hang out and do his thing in store......
... Please do come and say hi and join in the fun :)
So that is tomorrow, Tuesday 14th May from 12.00 onwards..... t'will be most pleasant :)
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Greetings fiends and darklings -
We hope your Monday has been as productive as mine as I have been catching up with admin for the Dark Side / Chaplins collaboration, dealing with a couple of ebay sales (punches air!) plus other mundane issues not worth mentioning.
So we are bucking our current opening hours trend this week and will be opening tomorrow to welcome the lovely J D Gilbey to hang out and do his thing in store......
... Please do come and say hi and join in the fun :)
So that is tomorrow, Tuesday 14th May from 12.00 onwards..... t'will be most pleasant :)
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