Foraging:
I travel all over Canada to collect the treasures I use in my creations.
Bones/Taxidermy:
Most animal bones come from roadkill I collect and process myself. Some bones are also gifted/donated to me from other people, and the smallest percentage comes from me finding them in the forest or on the beach.
Pictured below: Coyote bones and naturally mummified paw I found in Prince Edward Island.
Clouded Sulphur Butterflies:
When these butterflies migrate, they fly low to the ground. This means they are prone to being hit by cars when they cross roads.
I have been able to source so many because the migration path is close to my home. There is a specific stretch of road, and for just a few days, at a certain time of year, it will have lots of dead butterflies along the shoulders.
These butterflies are the most common butterfly in Ontario, so while this is sad, the species is not at risk.
Bugs/Insects:
Almost all insects that I use have been foraged by me, or by someone I know. Occasionally I find old broken displays at thrift stores that I repurpose.
Turtle Shells:
As turtles grow, they shed flakes of their shell called scutes. Losing these pieces don't hurt the turtle at all, and actually reveal beautiful, new, fresh shell growth underneath. All my pieces of turtle shell were shed by my 33 year old pet turtle name Princess.
Blue Spalting:
This is wood that has naturally been stained by chorociboria mushrooms, also called Green Elf Cup Mushrooms. As the mushroom grows, it leaves behind a permanent blue/teal pigment.
Oddities & Accessories
Necklaces:
Pendants are crafted with a variety of materials such as, real dehydrated mushrooms, real animal teeth and real butterfly wings. These treasures are preserved under resin or within glass, before being hung on a stainless steel chain. While there may be multiple available, no two pieces are truly the same.
Glass Domes:
10pm Creations makes domes in a variety of sizes, displaying bones, bugs and mummified taxidermy. I use my passion for art and design to create one of a kind, whimsical worlds and curiosities.
My Story
10pm Creations originally started with sewing masks during the Covid-19 lock downs, with my Etsy store launching on a Blue Moon, Oct 31st 2020.
Having something to focus on during this time made me realize this was something I needed in my life. But I knew masks were not going to be the long term answer.
I experimented with different soft goods, making scrunchies and key lanyards, but it never felt right. I needed something more creative, I’m an artist.
The next thing I tried was designing and self publishing colouring books. That felt closer to what I wanted to do, but there was still a disconnect. Drawing line work just felt too flat.
I did my first art market in October 2023. I had stickers and original paintings and handmade wreaths. Quickly I realized that I loved telling people about the wreaths I wove myself and how I picked the mushrooms. I wanted to talk about the deer bones I found in Manitoulin Island that I painted and the sparkly green mica I collected in Bancroft. It was the foraging and adventures turned into art that I was passionate about.
At that time I had just recently moved out to the country, near the Bruce Trail and farmers fields. I was able to start collecting and processing roadkill for bones and soon for mummification parts. I found alternative and witchy markets where my art was well received.
10pm Creations is the coming together of my passions: Nature, Travel and Art.
