Curious and custom: St. John's business specializes in shadowbox seashells, beach treasures and taxidermy rodents – PNI Atlantic News

Krista Elliot stocks her Curious Collections with material hand-foraged throughout Newfoundland
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — For most people, a walk on a beach or in the woods is just that — a walk. For Krista Elliott though, it’s also a chance to find the beauty in the mundane.
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Elliott is the owner and operator of Curious Collections, where she sells custom-curated natural collections and taxidermy all hand-foraged in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Her boxed collections contain a variety of items from across the province and part of the goal of making and selling them is to help people learn more about how diverse the province is.
“I’ve been very fortunate to live across the island, so I’ve had a chance to see many of the places that are here and all the things that they offer,” she told SaltWire. “I don’t think people have the opportunity to do that as much as I’ve been fortunate enough to do, so when I do the boxes, it’s a way for me to show people this is what we have and maybe encourage them to go outside and find some treasure too.”
Different parts of the island are extremely different when it comes to the environment, she said, and her collections reflect that.
“There are things you would find here that you would not find in Central, there are things you find on the Burin Peninsula you’d never find here. What I try to do is take little bits across the whole island and put them there, so maybe you’ll recognize some things but other things you might not know, and that’s nice to learn about the province that way as well.”

While her business may be relatively new, her interest in foraging and taxidermy is not. She grew up in a hunting family where she was taught to appreciate the beauty of nature, animals and the art of taxidermy, and is hopeful her art can help inspire others in the same way.
Elliott has been plying her wares at various markets in the St. John’s area in the past few months and said the taxidermied mice and rats she sells, some in costumes and dioramas, have drawn a lot of attention from adults and children alike, albeit with slightly different reactions. Kids find them cute, she said, while some adults say they give them “the shivers.”
She said when she started selling taxidermied animals, she chose mice and rats to focus on because they’re great subjects for creativity, are relatively accessible and can be pretty cute.
“A lot of people don’t get out and close with many animals, so it’s a way for them to touch them, see them and appreciate them,” she said. “It’s also a way to have a little bit of fun with it. You can do them whimsically and then people don’t see them as scary. I know that mice and rats have a negative connotation, but when you do them and you present them in the right way, they see them more in a positive light.”
Anyone interested in seeing Elliott’s creations in person can do so at the Krampus Christmas market at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market on Dec. 9 or visit her Etsy store online.

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