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For spring, I've started a new literary miniature dress series: the Paper Pixies, based on a middle grade fairy book. Unlike my natural, forest "Wee Folk" dresses, these are virtually unbreakable. Great for kids and for adults who love fairy tales!         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 lovely "Wee Folk" handmade fairy is made from a birch bodice and white reindeer moss.  I use a "miniaturized" setting on my camera to get that blurry, ethereal look, which works so well for the wildflowers in the background.   This is one of my most popular "Wee Folk" handmade fairy dresses. The Queen's Handmaiden comes up from the rath to sun herself on a bed of purple, pink, and white wildflowers. It's nearing the time of Solstice, when they sing for the Goddess of Cold Darkness.  Her bodice is made from birch and her dress from hydrangea, adorned with a bit of moss for a sash.     "May is a magical month in more ways than one! The beginning of May marked one of the cross quarters of the year, when the world grew thin in certain places, as the old folks used to say, and the Sidhe and other spirits could travel over and back between our world and theirs."- Emerald Isle Fairy Tales  Soon, the Fairy Folk will be traveling between worlds, and this one is particularly keen to see the sun.  This "Wee Folk" dress is a hybrid of my literary and natural fairy dresses, made from birch and moss and finished with silk petals and shells. This is a less-fragile dress than my others and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. Find one on my Etsy page.    For spring, I've started a new literary miniature dress series: the Paper Pixies, based on a middle grade fairy book that was salvaged from the trash. Unlike my natural forest fairies, which tend to be fragile, these are made from the book pages and from artificial flowers and wings. Virtually unbreakable! Each comes with its own bejeweled hanger. Great for kids and for adults who love fairytales! All photos © Kay Stephens  I make them in three styles: Pink, White, and Purple/Pink. 
If you want it custom made for you, simply message me on Etsy.
"The hare was a sacred and mystical animal to the Celts; a symbol of abundance, prosperity and good fortune. They were believed to have connections to the Otherworld. "- Mallon Ireland  The legends refer to the witch that can turn into a hare when spotted by a human.  This one is made from birch, cattail gone to seed, dried fern, and a bit of hydrangea.  This fairy dress now lives at Good Natured in Liberty, but one can be custom made and shipped through my Etsy page.  It's that time of year again when the "Wee Folk" rath is eager to come up from underground, where they've spent a long winter. The Queen is looking forward to go outside and see the sun. Her lady in waiting is by her side.  Each one I make of a certain series is completely unique. It may have the same materials, but each is crafted with a slight variation. This one is made from birch and hydrangea.    Each dress comes with a bejeweled hanger. I've only made one of each for the spring season. You can find them at Good Natured in Liberty.  In Celtic mythology the Warrior Goddess Morrighan takes the form of a crow, and will frequently be seen watching battle. We have a murder of crows on our property and one got smoked by a hawk (we think) last week, poor thing, leaving a circle of feathers in the snow.  Given their observably high levels of intelligence and complex social structures, I wanted to honor this crow somehow.  So Justin gathered some feathers and I thought about the best way to represent this crow. In Native American mythology, the crow or raven is the trickster, or the character who effects transformation of one thing into another.  The bodice is made from birch and the skirt from lichen and downy feathers. The wings are two tail feathers.    I placed The Covid Queen outside nearby the area where the crow died so that the other crows hovering in the branches above could see her. Some day I'll write a Wee Folk story about her.
Today on the Spring Solstice, a pretty member of the Wee Folk made an appearance on the snow. With a dress made of white hydrangea dotted with petals of red rose, she is a cross between the sisters, Snow White and Rose-Red. Her bodice is made from birch with a hydrangea-and-moss corsage. The rose petals are like drops of blood.     The Good Natured Shop, a boutique in Liberty, will be opening for the spring starting March 31. This fairy dress as well as some others, including some beautiful pieces from my literary collection, will be available.
O blessed Bird! the earth we pace Again appears to be An unsubstantial, faery place; That is fit home for Thee! -Wordsworth  As the days grow longer, the Spring Fairies are coming out from the cold Underground to sun their faces.  This one was made of birch and potpourri.  A sprig of dried flowers for the corsage.   Stitched up the back with pale green thread.
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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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