 Imbolc (pronounced EE-Molc) is a Celtic holiday on February 1 commemorating the midway point of winter changing to spring. The Celtic Goddess Brighid transforms from the Crone of winter to the Maiden of spring. After being shut in all winter, this is a celebration of light and of lengthening days.  I made this dress specifically for Imbolc with dried, green ornamental grass as the bodice, green lichen with magenta hints, sage "wings" and magenta flowers. The winter of withered plant and tree material is combined with the green of spring.  To photograph the dress, I hiked into Tanglewood and placed it on a frozen stream as the sunlight from the afternoon hit it at a low angle.  The back of the bodice is stitched up by mossy green thread. This miniature fairy dress measures 1" by 4 " and comes with its own wee custom hanger and can be found on our Etsy page.
 In winter, the Wee Folk retreat underground. Those overturned trees you see in the woods with the roots exposed? Those are the doorways down to a vast labyrinth. They don't like to be there as it reminds them of how mankind drove them off their own land centuries ago. But, like all creatures, they endure and subsist on the food the Hunters and Gatherers collected all summer and fall.  This is the Reindeer Muse, the Queen's own poet. Every day, she alights to a sunny spot to collect the sun and her thoughts for a new verse she'll take back to the Queen and court for the evening.  This one-of-a-kind miniature fairy dress is made from dried grass, birch bark and reindeer moss adorned with an applique of birch and dried Hydrangea. The bodice is stitched up the back with white thread.  This dress measures 2 inches by 4 inches and comes with its own custom hanger. It can be purchased through our Etsy store.
"Room of One's Own shadowbox concept and photos © Kay Stephens  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 made the furniture myself, a rustic ladder back chair and a simple writing desk, as well as a tiny cork board and a "picture window" made from a vintage postcard of a harbor in Maine. When you have a room like this, you need a beautiful view.  On the desk is a little blotter with inkwell and pad of paper, a New International Dictionary, a marked up manuscript, and a glass of wine.
 I can also do custom work (for only $5 extra) where your favorite miniature book is included on the desk and a custom Post It Note is added on the tiny cork board.  The cigar box can even close so you can take it with you. This is an ideal, one-of-a-kind gift for the writer in your life or yourself. Only one left on Etsy. Buy
The Huntress (Poplar Leaf, red berries skirt or fuzzy weed skirt) The Huntress sits watchful in the bare trees. She has been hard at work collecting milk and honey for the Changeling. A tiny fire has been built to warm the offerings. Later, when the moon comes out, so will her sharp arrows and a feast will be had tonight.
The Sentinel (Decayed oak leaf with wings) Sentinels are, like the Amazons, a tribe of warrior females who protect the raths or "forts," the ancient fortifications in fields encircled by ditches. The Sentinels are always watching for human interference. They are most keen to keep Man away from the sacred fairy dens, so beware.
The Fernald's Neck Fairy
Found in fairy rates on the paths of Fernald's Neck in Maine, this fairy lives on the height of the land, overlooking the lake. Adorned in dried grass and lichen, and Old Man's Beard with a fungi appliqué. |
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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