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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
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.
When I was traveling through Ireland, I went to a storytelling museum and became fascinated by the folktale of The Changeling. So, I set out to make a fairy terrarium that depicted an empty stroller at the top of a fairy rath, with stepping stones leading up to it. 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… Here’s a quick TikTok video showing how I made it. This is one of the elemental fairies I make, the witchy woo kind of fairy dress instead of the pretty flowery ones.  Here's her back story. I've been saving this one for a long time to be showcased in a special shadowbox.  My Tonic of the Woods other half constructed this handmade shadowbox deep enough to suspend The Faery Maiden from the top. We can even light the box up from inside with a miniature light.    One day, browsing through an antique store, I came upon this enchanting hard-bound book published in 1906. The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady had such beautiful hand-drawn paintings of botanicals with observations on her daily walks about Nature, that I had to create some kind of diorama around it. I didn't bind the book, but let it sit freely, so it can be read, and the pages re-positioned to reflect the different months of the diary. The rocking chair and coffee table are not my own, a Scandanavian design, so to complete the look, I made a similar bookshelf by hand to complement the brown edging of the furniture. This is a cozy book nook with pages for the "walls" and just a lovely, outdoorsy, folkloric vibe to it.
  Count Dracula had his Brides, and the Ferrishyn (fairy tribe of Tanglewood) have theirs. 
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 is Lady of The White Thorn. This tiny fairy is the protector of the white thorn, a special tree in County Clare that sat alone in a vast meadow of green. Workers refused to cut it down, for it was the site of a fairy dwelling.
This is Beach Rose White Fairy. Her skirt is perfumed by the rose petals gathered by the sea and the adornments are wildflowers; she is the sweetest smelling fairy, long after the flowers have gone by. She is a close ally to the Merrow, the sea fairies who communicate with their counterparts on land.  Make four dollhouse-sized jars for around $20.00 It took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure out how to make miniature canning jars after searches on Etsy for these little items were proving too expensive to buy. I'm making a root cellar with a dozen jars and here's how you can do it too. I've included the materials, cost breakdown and how-to instructions below.  OK, start by assembling your materials. You can get these at any big box or craft store, and I'll include where I got mine. To make these 1/4-inch jars, you'll need:
 Waverly mini bolt fabric, (Sewing Section) Walmart, $1.47, scissors, Elmer's clear glue, Dollar Store, $3.99
 I started off making green beans out of tiny pieces of green foam, then placed them in jar with a toothpick. Then, squeezing the Elmer's into the jar, I used the toothpick to swirl around. Finally, I used the tip of the toothpick to pick up the tiniest dot of green food dye and swirled it in.  The fabric top took some trial and error (and here above was my first attempt) but the easiest way to do it is cut 1/4 x 1/4 inch of the fabric into a square. Set aside.  Then, use a pair of pliers to pull the split rings just far apart enough and cut the extra wire off so that you have one open ring. I used a pencil to hold it while my pliers shaped it.  Then, simply place the fabric over the top of the jar. (I used a dot of glue to keep it secure) and use your pliers to open up the ring just enough to slide over the top, where it will sit snug. You can trim the fabric at this point to desired length. The foam pieces in varied colors can make carrots, string beans, green beans, tomatoes, etc.
I then tried making another jar, this time: stewed apples. So, first, I snipped off a tiny piece of the polymer clay, but found that it was too wide to stick into the jar. So, I had to cut it in half.  Following the same process as above, there are the apples in the middle. They all fit nice and snug on my cellar standing shelf and were very easy to make. Assuming you already have a pair of scissors, toothpicks and pliers in your craft supplies, the total amount for four jars was $20.58. The best part is you now have the supplies to make many more.
By now, you know that solitary fairies have no interest in cavorting with other members of their troop; nor do they want any human attention.  Here is a little scene set in Merryspring Nature Garden by a natural spring. Tea for one, at a tiny handcrafted mossy table with chair, a vase of flowers and an oversized cup of nectar.  This fairy furniture has been set inside a shadow box measuring 6 x6 inches.  Inside the shadow box, the fairy furniture is set in the woods on a mossy floor with tiny mushrooms spouting up.  This one of a kind fairy shadowbox will be available soon. Stay tuned for more like it!
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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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