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On a fresh rind of snow in Maine, a fairy chair appeared.....  Its sturdy legs and back are made from my favorite tree, red maple, whose branches are long and straight.  It stand five inches tall, made from all natural materials from the forest on our property. The chair's fragile back rest and rails are grapevine which I collected from various locations in Camden, Maine. (I look like a crazy person, picking withered grapevine tendrils from latticework on buildings but ehhhh...it's a hobby.)  Mossy bark of the chair's seat and the mossy details were collected from dead trees. Bits of dried hydrangea flower and Usnea provide the finishing touches.
For the person who loves trees and all that they provide, this is a beautiful gift for the Wee Folk, to leave outside under a red maple tree. (All of the materials are impervious to the weather.) Or as a collectible on your window shelf, to let a little bit of nature shine through on these long winter months.
Go online and you'll see many commercial renditions of a fairy door. They look like miniature human doors, maybe with a whimsical touch.  But, these teeny doors are not just physical points of ingress and egress; they are symbolic of the Wee Folk's eternal struggle with human nature. Fairies used to be our height and dominate areas of green pasture and meadow many centuries ago before humans, in their selfish conquest to possess certain lands, drove them underground.  The truth is, they are portals to the Otherworld. A place no human would ever want to go, for if you do breech protocol, they will keep you out of spite for eternity.  I know it is tempting to try to turn that corkscrew handle of grapevine and just send it creaking on its hinges to see what it is inside.....  But, look around. You think you're alone in the forest and the only one to discover a fairy door? They're waiting, watching...to see if you'll pass it unmolested or be tempted to open the door.
This door was made by Tonic of The Woods from tiny birch and grapevine, and real moss from our property. It is one-of-a-kind and can be found at Brambles in Belfast. If you want a custom door, contact us through Etsy. The new year is a constructive time for the Wee Folk. This is when they build and create.  Here: a tiny sled led by a team of white mice to take provisions to a neighboring rath of the The Snow Queen.  The runners of the sled curve up high to meet the crystalline snow. The birch seat is adorned with moss and lilac.
 It is a beautiful day after a stormy messy night and perfect conditions to skate across a glassy pond.
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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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