This unusually warm weather we're having in Maine in November is keeping the Wee Folk above ground longer than usual. Here's one spotted taking a rest. She's made of dried grasses for the bodice with a slightly green hue from the decay. Her skirt and wings are from beech leaves. Her sash is from dried yellow fern with an applique of bittersweet. The Forest Fairy will be for sale ($20) when our Etsy shop reopens for the virtual craft fair on November 21.
As we approach the Autumn Equinox, there has been a lot of activity in the woods. The Wee Folk have been gathering all season. Here's one spotted taking a rest. Her dress is yellow and pale green to blend in with the still green ferns with a yellow applique. I bought these flowers at the United Farmer's Market of Belfast at one of the farm stands. The grass sash and dress underskirt accents are called Explosion Grass, which I got from a florist in Blue Hill. Stitched up the back with pale green thread.
It was pouring like a mother outside yesterday, so I couldn't photograph these outside. This one is another version of my Yule Fairy made with reindeer moss an teeny berries. This one is the Forest Fairy, whose lichen skirt was found on one of my walks through Tanglewood. Her bodice is made from several dried grasses, which give it a nice gradient green color, a bit of usnea and hydrangea for the applique. This one is a variation of The Queen's Muse, the poet that alights above the rath during the day, to gather verse for the court for their evening's entertainment below. This one is made from both birch and two kinds of dried grasses with a tawny reindeer moss, a bit of dried fleece flower for the sash and hydrangea for the applique.
In the midst of Fernald's Neck, a mysterious mossy forest surrounded by a lake in Maine, there are fairy forts all around...you just need to know how to look for them. These forts are usually below overturned trees and deep crevices in rocks. Since I was "carried" by The Wee Folk, my eyes are sharper. I saw my first one on top of a bed of moss in the sunlight. Deeper into the forest I saw what she was protecting. There it was, a fort. I did not dare go near it, for they do not take human meddling kindly. And I did not wish to be dragged down into it. There was not one person in the forest that day. But ahead on the trail covered by pine needles, a fawn crashed through the trees. I could just see the tip of its white tail as it fled. Soon, I came to the height of the land, overlooking the lake, where sure enough, I encountered two more. Adorned in white birch and dried grass, lichen, moss and fungi, all of these green fairies blended in. They knew I could see them and yet...they let me pass. The deeper I ventured into the forest, the more it became clear. Fernald's Neck had a network of forts all along the trail. There was a moat that led to the Queen's court and many pairs of eyes watched to see what I could do. I passed on and kept my eyes on the path until finally I was back in the meadow once more, back to safety.
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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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