These are sociable fairies and they hide in the beach roses lining the ocean during the day. On a full moon, like we had the other night, they come out to watch the seals in the cove as they dart around and flank the translucent squid, attacking them for their meal. The Beach Rose Red fairies find that completely amusing and "in the grove of great rose-trees, with the moon shining on it as bright as day, and thousands of nightingales singing in the branches"* the Wee Folk dance the night away. Here is a closer look at them. They are made from birch bark collected on my property and dried beach roses collected by the sea in Maine. They smell wonderful. The back of the bodice is laced up with pale pink thread. *Excerpt from The Story of Fairyfoot by Francis Browne (Through The Fairy Halls of My Bookhouse, Chicago Publishers, The Bookhouse for Children, 1920)
You don't see them; but they live among the summer wildflowers keeping the Queen amused. This is another of the Queen's Handmaidens adorned in a birch bodice, a dried hydrangea skirt and a ruffle of Silverrod at the throat. In Tanglewood, the Musk Mallow is a sign that the Queen resides nearby. They pluck the fruits and one-seeded nutlets for her meals.
The Merrow from the root word muir is a sea fairy and she is partial to good looking fishermen, but they do not enjoy seeing her, for their presence means a coming gale. This is a rare, one-of-a-kind dress crafted from sea grass, kelp and tiny shells from a Florida beach. I only have materials to make possibly three or four more. Here she is posed on the rocks of Ducktrap Beach.
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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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