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.
I have a new collection of fairies color-coordinated with the pagan season of Yuletide: all white, red and green. Each is, by its handmade construction, one of a kind. White moss, red rose, green moss. Each one has a back story. The Yule Fairy is adorned with dried fern and bright red tiny berries with a plume of green feather. The birch bodice sparkles with a glaze of festive glitter. The Fairy Mistress is made of red rose petals and dried autumn leaf with a hint of Baby's Breath. The Queen's Muse is made from dried grass, birch bark and reindeer moss adorned with an applique of birch and dried Hydrangea. The bodice is stitched up the back with white thread. More are being made in various white, green and red colors and soon will be available at the quirky garden and home goods store, Brambles in Belfast. All concepts and photos © Kay Stephens
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 winter, the Wee Folk retreat underground. Those overturned trees you see in the woods with the roots exposed? Those are the doorways down to a vast labyrinth. They don't like to be there as it reminds them of how mankind drove them off their own land centuries ago. But, like all creatures, they endure and subsist on the food the Hunters and Gatherers collected all summer and fall. 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 one-of-a-kind miniature fairy dress is made from dried grass, birch bark and reindeer moss adorned with an applique of birch and dried Hydrangea. The bodice is stitched up the back with white thread. This dress measures 2 inches by 4 inches and comes with its own custom hanger. It can be purchased through our Etsy store.
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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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