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The winter solstice or Yule is a special time in Celtic folklore where the Yule log represents the return of the sun. It is the annual battle between the Oak King (light) and the Holly King (dark), where the Oak King wins at the winter solstice to allow for longer days to return.  Here are my red Yule Fairy, my Reindeer Fairy, and my Green Yule Fairy, all one-of-a-kind made from moss and birch bark, with adornments of flowers and brambles. Red symbolizes the vitality of the returning sun and the life force of holly berries, green represents evergreen life, renewal, and hope, and white symbolizes purity and new beginnings.  With that same color scheme in mind, I've made tiny fairy wreaths. A Celtic fairy wreath represents the eternal cycle of life and rebirth, the endurance of life through winter, and the hope for the sun's return after the winter solstice.  Here's one up close, made from feathers, seashells, ferns, and flowers.  And finally, here are some new products this year, pagan fairy wreaths, representing the circle of life.
The Wee Folk or Aos Sí, "the people of the mounds," are very active right around Samhain when they cross over to the human world. Their home is the Otherworld, which is often described as existing in underground realms, such as within burial mounds and sacred hills.  I just made these three from foraged wildflowers, birch bark, birch leaf, hydrangea, and something I can't even identify yet.  The Queen's Handmaiden These beauties now have a home at H&H Mercantile. If you didn't already know, The Wee Folk's Queen depends on these helpers, choosing them for their beauty, so they may assist in brushing her hair, carrying her silken spider web train of her gown, or sitting with her and playing music to while away the afternoons.  Made from birch bark and blue hydrangea growing on my property, this is a gorgeous, colorful reminder that fall produces the best hues in Maine. As most of my Queen's Handmaidens are a toasty, fawn color, this rare blue beauty is one of a kind. I won't make another until next summer. The Cranberry Fairy  This pretty one is made from paper birch and Highbush cranberry. She is an attractor of wildlife and pollinators, her dress serving as host plants to numerous butterflies and moths. Her role in the rath is to dance and sing when Spring comes alive.  In folklore, a Changeling is a when the Wee Folk steal a baby out of its crib or carriage and replace it with one of their old discarded fairies as a way to strengthen the fairy stock. In this glass terrarium, one imagines coming across a mossy forest, and finding a hidden staircase of stone that lead up to a fairy rath, where a baby has been left unattended in its carriage. When the hapless parent comes back to check, in its place is the wizened old face of a tiny fairy instead.  This terrarium tells the story of a stolen baby. This is not a sweet little scene; it’s actually quite sinister, once you know the back story. You wonder what happened to the baby…  To get to the top, you must cross over the fairy moss and up the tiny stone steps.  This terrarium uses craft moss so it doesn't need to be watered.  What happens when you get to the baby carriage? What will be inside, do you think? To learn more about The Changeling folklore visit: Irish Post. This is a one-of-a-kind fairy piece. $35.00
Here we go...a new one! In 1929, Virginia Woolf's essay "A Room of One's Own" imagined a literal and figurative space for women writers. As a writer myself, I made this miniature room out of a vintage cigar box that imagines that space.  I sealed and stained the tiny desk and chair. The writing desk has a potted plant, a dictionary, a blotter, an old-fashioned typewriter, a pipe, ashtray, and a teensy pack of matches. And like most writers who sometimes need a little inspiration, a nip of bourbon.   The writing desk fits perfectly inside the tiny cigar box. On the wall is a map of the world. The rug is a custom fit.  On the floor is a marked up handwritten first draft. It's time to get writing!  I only make these one at a time. Perfect for a book nook or an author in your life. $65.00
This 1938 copy of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations deserved its own book nook--a three-dimensional model that reproduces historical, natural, or everyday life scenes.   A closer look reveals the tiny desk and chair that I sealed and stained, a blotter, a dictionary, potted plant, a fresh note pad, a couple of books for inspiration, a glass of wine and an old-fashioned telephone to call your agent.  The book is simply opened to the first page and secured with twine. It can be turned to any page that will fit the custom platform perfectly.  This book nook can be placed on your bookshelf or given as a gift to a writer in your life. $65.00
Imagine bringing this out at your next party. It's a raw-edged board treated with mineral oil that can be used as a cheese and cracker plate on its own, or pair it with these three square ramekins and spoons for dips and spreads.  Want some ideas? Try Unicorn Dip. Or Fairy Butter. Or Fairy Dip. Whatever party you host or bring this tray to, people will notice how cute and rustic this moss-and-flower covered appetizer board is. Only $40 at H&H Mercantile and one of a kind.   Yule Fairies It's that time of year again when the Yule Fairies come out to play! Yule, or the winter solstice, is a pagan celebration of the rebirth of the sun, marking the longest night of the year. The Yule Fairies play on trees in the winter moonlight. Here is a lovely story about the Yule Fairies.  Each dress is handcrafted with birch bark, colored mosses, flowers, and ferns. I just brought three up to H&H Mercantile in Searsport for their annual Searsport Holiday "Shop Small" Sale on November 30 (where the whole town joins in). It's truly Shop Small with these tiny items. Only $20 each. The Fairy Sleigh  This hand-carved tiny sleigh is also at H&H Mercantile. It was made for the majestic Snow Queen and is one of a kind. $25.
In honor of National Fairy Day on June 24, I bring you a terrarium I handmade using moss I gathered from the woods, rocks, stone, dirt, and some tiny mushrooms. What's that tiny baby carriage doing at the top of the winding stone staircase? Let me tell you...  In folklore, a Changeling is a when the Wee Folk steal a baby out of its crib or carriage and replace it with one of their old discarded fairies as a way to strengthen the fairy stock. In this glass terrarium, one imagines coming across a mossy forest, and finding a hidden staircase of stone that lead up to a fairy rath, where a baby has been left unattended in its carriage. When the hapless parent comes back to check, in its place is the wizened old face of a tiny fairy instead.  This is a real terrarium made of glass and can be hung up by a rope cord. It needs to be spritzed with water periodically to keep the moss alive and fresh. It has now been delivered to H&H Mercantile in Searsport ($50) and is one of a kind. If you want to see a TikTok video of how I made it, view this post.
May 1 marks Beltane, the time when the fairies finally emerge from beneath the Hawthorn and the deep of the woods. They embody Nature's fertility and growth. I made two Fairy Portals so they could come through.  Photographed by a stream in Camden, Maine that runs down a mountain.     These are Portals that humans should never come through, only the Week Folk only! If you find yourself in a meadow one day and there appears a doorway in the woods that looks lovely and beckoning, turn and walk far away from it. For it will lead you to places you might never be able to leave.   I'll be making more of these and fairy wreaths that will be available at H & H Mercantile in Searsport this summer. Look for a special event around International Fairy Day, June 24.
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Tonic of the Woods
the inspiration behind the creations Photos, stories and concept ©Kay Stephens
Look up the story behind a fairy dress by clicking on the name below
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