About Me.

The creator and maker themselves among their halloween hoard!

Hello, my fellow spooky connoisseurs! 🎃

My name is Marianella Contreras, but I am known in the wide spidery web as Mari Mortem-- I am The Kitschy Ghoul; I live and breathe all things vintage Hallowe'en!

My family are refugees from El Salvador who reside in Canada, where I was born and immigrated from to the US. I had just a piece of luggage and a heavy dose of optimism in the face of severe adversity when I moved-- I was/am a HS dropout with zero clue what life had in store for me.
I lived in many places and states with my beloved spouse and my kitty Khan-- always the nomads looking for our place on this rock. For now, I make my home in sunny Lakewood Colorado, where I am living my best I ever have, and savoring it.

Though I have always aspired for it, I have never received any formal training or tutelage; I am almost entirely self taught, and have been creating and drawing for as long as I can remember. I have been selling my makes and art for many years, with varied levels of success. It was only when, in 2016, I started an Etsy shop (under the now former business name "Strange Coven") with the same hopes and trepidation as many artisans before me, that I was able to really begin fulfilling the dream of sustaining myself through my craft.

For all the times I have stumbled my way through this endeavor, I am eternally grateful for the love and support in the wonderful spooky community I have found!

With kindest salutations,
~Mari Mortem.

Pronouns: She/They

Zodiac: Cancer

Favorite candy: Chocolate covered gummies (Meiji Gummy Choco)

Favorite movie/show: Anything Studio Ghibli / Over The Garden Wall / What We Do In The Shadows (both)