We had the good fortune of connecting with Grace Clough and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Grace, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I come from a very unique background. My family is what is known as generational witches. Magic and rituals run deep into our heritage for several generations. I can even track our family line back to Salem in the late 1800’s. My grandmother raised me and was a huge influence on me when I was growing up and taught me how to incorporate magic into every day life. Which is something I have never forgotten and always tried to do. I’ve always had a passion for sewing, baking and bringing new life to forgotten and discarded antiques. However, sadly, this world does pressure you into more conventional professions, so in my early 20’s, I became a paralegal and was quite successful and continued my creative passions in my free time. After nearly a decade in law I felt it was time for a change and began my next career chapter working in the death care industry in one of the biggest mortuaries in the U.S.. During this time, my best friend had a little online business that was beginning to flourish and she had asked if I wanted to collaborate with her creatively. I saw this as an opportunity to have a creative outlet while I continued to pursue my career in death care with the end goal of becoming an embalmer. The Fates had other plans though, it seems. The collaboration on my best friend’s platform took off and from there I was able to turn my creativity from hobby to full time career. And thus I became the nightshade witch!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Witch by birth and antique/vintage enthusiast by choice, I use my creativity to conjure up the best of both worlds and breathe life into the dying art of lampshade making, with methods gleaned from the traditional Victorian lampshade creators of decades past. My lampshades- or as they have become more spiritedly known as “Nightshades”, are truly one of a kind. Famously resurrecting such rare designs as the Crescent Moon Nightshade, a design popular in the 1920’s, as well as my signature and most popular piece, known as The Crucifixion, each nightshade is meticulously designed and hand sewn. I draw inspiration from everything in my life such as my family history as witches to my love of the victorian era to the power of femininity which can be found in dark floral themes as well as my love of all things Halloween, of course! You can be sure each nightshade is sewn with a little bit of magic, after all I am your nightshade witch!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here’s my recommendation for a perfect day here in L.A. for a visiting witch or dark hearted soul: Start in Burbank and visit Halloweentown. This store is every Halloween lover’s dream come true, trust me! Next, lunch next door at at Lucifer’s pizza, then one final stop in Burbank at the Crooked Path, the perfect place for a witch to pick up all her ingredients for her spells and potions. After that, grab your broom and fly down to Hollywood and stop by Memento Mori. This perfect store houses all things macabre that your dark heart could ever desire (they also carry some of my Nightshades!), then cap your day off at the Biltmore Hotel. This is one of Hollywood’s most iconic and did I mention haunted watering holes. After all, who doesn’t want to have a cocktail at the bar where the infamous Black Dahlia was last seen alive?

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To my best friend who gave me the confidence to share my creativity initially with the world on her social media platform. And to my grandmother who taught me the simple secret to life is to add a little bit of magic into everything you do.

Website: www.covennightshades.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/covennightshades

Other: www.covennightshades.myshopify.com

Image Credits
Leah Sewell Ashley VonHelsing

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