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This is a new product we are testing out. This is what it will look like at your next social get together.  Now let's back up a step. We start with a 11 x 5 live edge slab of wood, which then gets four coats of a natural beeswax and mineral oil blend. Bits of real moss decorate the board and the edges are also covered with a moss strip. The cheese board comes with a handmade tiny fairy throne and a real urchin shell. (Cheese knife not included)  Now for the detail. Here's the fairy throne up close.  Here's the urchin shell (I used a spiny shell for the photos, but the board comes with the spineless shell as pictured above.) I turned it over on its side, carved the opening a wee bit and lined the shell with plastic wrap and placed dollops of hummus inside as a natural dish. Or you can use the urchin shell purely for decoration.  The board is small (perfect for two people) or replenish often!  In my mind this is what it looks like. (Fairytale View)  We're putting together some ideas like this to be juried, so stay tuned on our Instagram page where you can buy these boards.
I made a table for a Solitary Fairy; they are much different than their Social Trooping Fairies; they prefer to be left alone.  The table top and chair bench are made from birch and legs from twigs. Adorned by bits of moss and dried wildflowers.  You can get really creative with this little fairy set. Below, I set up a miniature woodland tabletop setting for a special dinner for friends.  The table and chair were a perfect addition to this enchanting little scene once the tea lights were lit.   This is for my $5 and under basket. Tiny handmade fairy portraits.  And a little fairy lamp. [SOLD]  And some antique bottles....  Oh look what else I discovered. Just like last year, the Wee Folk have been busy planting their rows and pots for a bountiful summer.  This sweet miniature fairy potting bench was made by hand. The top shelf was carved and faux painted; the sides are covered in birch and tiny dots of moss and fungi adorn the bench.      Like this one? See the one I made last year. I can custom make one of these for the gardener in your life.
A wee bench was spotted in the woods.  Upon closer look, it had been sitting there for quite some time, for moss and fungus had grown in lovely little clumps around it.   Stained by the weather, mold and overwintering, it had sort of a greenish hue to it.     This is a busy time for the Wee Folk; they are hunting, gathering and building in preparation for their retreat underground for the winter, down to the fairy forts. Here: a tiny sled led by a team of white mice to take provisions to a neighboring rath of the The Snow Queen.  Adorned with tiny ferns, moss, lichen and bittersweet. Handmade with a real birch veneer on the seat.  Only one available at Brambles in Belfast.
The tree peepers were vocal for the first time last night. That led me into the woods to search for any signs of The Wee Folk  I didn't have to walk far in the back of our woods. A miniature potting bench was in plain sight.  The bench itself was flaked with pine bark, a concealing form of craftsmanship.  Complete with tiny tools, clay pots, seeds and a wee watering can.  'Tis one of a kind and will soon be available at Brambles, a home decor shop in Belfast.
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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