Elizabeth Dearnley
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elizadearnley.bsky.social
Elizabeth Dearnley
@elizadearnley.bsky.social
Folklorist, writer, Lecturer in Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University. Editor of DEADLY DOLLS and FEARSOME FAIRIES (British Library). Fairy tales / horror / interactive stories / weird and eerie 🦇 Rep’d https://www.philippasitters.co.uk. She/her
Slowly unpacking my study and filling a drawer with pressed seaweed, like a Victorian lady botanist 🌿🪸
October 5, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Moving house in two days with all the essentials packed 🍄🌿🫙🪶
September 16, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Huge news! 🌿✨💍✨🌿 I’m overjoyed to be marrying my love Darrick, and also exceptionally excited about this ring, which is basically a forest in ring form 🌳💍💚 It is tourmaline, peridot and diamond!
August 31, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I popped into @mediamuseum.bsky.social on my way back from the festival yesterday, and was so happy to catch up with my favourite exhibit, the Pepper’s Ghost darkroom!

I found this absolutely magical as a child, and still do now - there are so many throughlines between this and my work today! 🎞️✨🕷️
July 7, 2025 at 12:25 PM
GOBLIN HAIR 🌿💚🌿 bringing me ever closer to my final fae form 🧚🏾
July 4, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Second avocado attempt was much more successful! This time the skins and stones were much fresher, and I also added three teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda to the dyebath to make it more alkaline.

🩷 darker pink skein with alum mordant
🌸 lighter pink skein no mordant
🤎 original avocado skeins
May 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
A VERY long shot, but I just found a ring in Bute Park, Cardiff, in case anyone has lost one! I left it where it was #butepark #cardiff
May 16, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Results of the first experiments, L-R:

🤎 avocado skins and stones, no mordant
🤎 avocado skins and stones, alum mordant
💛 red onion skins, alum mordant
🧡 yellow onion skins, alum mordant

The avocado didn’t quite go the pink I was hoping for, but I’m really pleased with the onion skins!
May 10, 2025 at 9:24 AM
First experiment with yarn dyeing: avocado skins and stones (which should create a dusty pink dye) 🥑🧶🌸
May 7, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Just going through my saved clothes/costume/sewing inspo Instagram folder, and I CLEARLY have a colour palette 🍂🌸🍃🍑💛 …pastel autumn?
April 28, 2025 at 5:19 PM
WILD GARLIC PESTO 💚🌱🌿🍋 Made with the frankly indecent amount growing in the woods by my parents’ house
April 5, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Elizabeth-coded characters
January 31, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Pomander making this afternoon 🍊🌿🎗️
December 14, 2024 at 6:08 PM
Glowing fibre optic mycelium at the Edinburgh Botanics 💚💙💜
December 13, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Absolutely amazing find in the Amnesty bookshop just now - a first edition of Carols for Choirs vol. 1 🎄🎼✨ I’ve been after an old copy of these for years now, so very pleased to spot this as I walked by the window!
December 8, 2024 at 3:30 PM
After dark in the library 🩷🌚
December 2, 2024 at 10:04 PM
Mulled apple juice for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony 🍊🫚✨ One of the priests came into the kitchen as I was making it and said, “You’re like a witch stirring her cauldron”, and I was like, yes, that is very much the vibe I’m going for here
December 1, 2024 at 6:39 PM
First Sunday in Advent at St Peter’s 💜🕯️🌿
December 1, 2024 at 1:49 PM
Saturday afternoon in Cambridge, the day before Advent Sunday - Christmas lights, glowing candles, and St Peter’s Church looking slightly eerie in the almost-twilight ❄️✨🎄🍬
November 30, 2024 at 5:40 PM
IMPORTANT SEQUINS UPDATE: I bought the dress (obviously), and it’s about to make its sparkly debut in Cambridge ✨
November 29, 2024 at 6:24 PM
Frosted maple leaf on Bruntsfield Links 🍁❄️
November 28, 2024 at 3:26 PM
Oh amazing!! I love that whole room so much, but I always go to see her in particular (plus the Lanvin dress!)
November 27, 2024 at 11:24 AM
This sapphire dream of a gown reminds me of its green velvet sister in the National Museum of Scotland, also from the 1880s - just LOOK at that colour, like wearable moss 💚
November 27, 2024 at 12:46 AM
First snow in Edinburgh! ❄️✨❄️✨
November 23, 2024 at 11:56 AM
I made a GLOWING LEAF MOBILE 🍂🍃✨
November 21, 2024 at 6:26 PM