Cover Up preview & poster

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Cover Up (24 x 30), is the newest piece in an evolving collective portrait series. I’m in the process of writing more posts about the making of Cover Up, which will be published soon, but, I wanted to send out a preview first. It was an engrossing project that kept me busy all through the cold snowy days of winter. Cover Up depicts women wearing cultural, national, and religious forms of head coverings and tribal markings. The portraits reflect notions of female modesty, fashion, status and conformity from different times and places.

A series of posts with photos and commentary about making Cover Up:
Cover Up (part 1), Cover Up (part 2), Cover Up (part 3 and video), Cover Up (part 4), Cover Up (part 5).

UPDATE: In this series, which includes Face Time and Whiskers, I’ve focused on bringing to life different people from around the world, using themes of history, style and cultural identity. In each piece, head and shoulder busts peek out of “cameo” framed holes. Their faces are painted 20mm wooden beads, with wigs and adornments, similar to the doll heads in my how-to book Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures.

Because the many little portraits are hard to see, I decided that the finished piece (shown above) wouldn’t translate well into a reduced sized poster format. Instead, I chose to feature a selected group of women, with their photos juxtaposed in a grid. Each head is enlarged 200%, so that you can take in the details and essence of the person. The 12 x 17 poster (shown below) is available in my Etsy Shop here.

Several recent exhibitions of my artwork have included printed enlargements of the figures in Cover Up, such as this display in “What a Relief” at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, ME.

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Polly’s traveling again

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Polly is proud to show-off her new outfit, which she’ll be wearing during her next trip. She’s especially fond of her Glengarry bonnet! Polly will be visiting relatives in Scotland (my grandfather on the Mavor side was born in Glasgow) and hiking the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness. She’s sure to bring back lots of pictures and stories of her adventures!

My Etsy Shop is closed during our trip and will reopen June 16th.

Blueberry and Lavender notecards reprint!

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Lavender Fairy note card

I am happy to bring back two note cards that I first introduced 15 years ago. Please note that the watermark will not appear on the cards. At one time, the Wee Folk Studio collection of Blossom Fairy cards included a couple dozen different depictions of fairies captured in all kinds of natural settings. While I don’t want to reprint them in that kind of scale, I thought I’d reprise two of the most popular cards, which feature blue fairies. The photos were taken as slides 15 years ago, back in the days of film cameras.

I remember making the little basket for the Blueberry Fairy and setting her up in one of our blueberry bushes in the garden. And I found the lovely patch of lavender at a farm less than a mile from my house. The Lavender Fairy had to be balanced on the stem just right, while I snapped the picture. They were very good models who make a return appearance in my new book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures!

Blueberry and Lavender note cards are available in packs of 4 and can be purchased from my Etsy Shop. Wholesale inquiries form stores are welcome.

Blueberry Fairy note card

Felt Wee Folk arriving soon!

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Salley Mavor

I’m excited the report that my order of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures is being trucked across the country this week! The books were printed in China and transported by sea to a west coast port. After being delayed by the Longshore Union’s work slow-down, I am happy to say that the shipment was finally unloaded and delivered to C&T Publishing’s California warehouse. For a while, I wasn’t sure if we’d get the books in time for the series of book signings and talks I’m giving (see schedule at the end of this post), but it all worked out.

It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this book, so I’m relieved to know that my 15 cases will be here (hopefully) on Friday! All of the snow we’ve been having has made it easier to stay inside and get ready.

To those of you who’ve pre-ordered the book through my Etsy Shop, thank you for your patience. It won’t be long before your copy is sent off. I’ve been busy preparing for the book’s arrival like an expectant parent for a new baby. My studio is stacked with 100’s of addressed US Priority Mail envelopes filled with extra goodies for my Etsy customers. Each book comes with a poster (folded flat), a wee folk notecard, and faux flowers to make 2 fairies. These items will also be included with orders placed after the book is released. And, of course I’ll autograph each book! FYI, Etsy now accepts credit cards in addition to Paypal. The book is also available through booksellers, but it doesn’t come with these bonus items.

It was fun matching up color combinations of faux flowers for fairy petticoats.

I got out my long-neglected collection of stamps and decorated mailing envelopes and thank you cards. Selecting which stamps to use was like picking out clothes from your closet — there are many choices, but you always end up with a few favorite ones!

The mailers are ready for my international customers, too. I’ve already filled out the customs forms, so that they can be mailed out right away. Hold tight, before you know it, you’ll have your own copy to pour over. Then, you’ll run the risk of becoming hooked on making your own special wee folk dolls. Those of you who’ve delved into the first Felt Wee Folk: Enchanted Projects know what I’m talking about!

UPCOMING BOOK LAUNCH EVENTS on Salley Mavor’s schedule ~ A collection of original dolls from the book will come along for show and posters will be included with book purchases:

Wednesday, March 4th at 7:00 pm ~ Artist Talk and book signing at the Lexington Public (Cary Memorial) Library, Lexington, Massachusetts. (In conjunction with the Pocketful of Posies exhibit.)
Sunday, March 8th at 3:00 pm ~ Book Release party at Eight Cousins Bookstore, Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Thursday, March 12 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ~ Book Signing at Gallery 65 on William, New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Sunday, March 15th at 2:00 pm ~ Book Signing and presentation, Return of the Wee Folk at the Sandwich Public Library, Sandwich, Massachusetts
Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00 pm ~ Artist Talk and book signing at the Newton Free Library, Newton, Massachusetts. (In conjunction with the Pocketful of Posies exhibit.)

New Felt Wee Folk posters!

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Salley Mavor

poster – Felt Wee Folk

I’m excited to show you these two new 11″ x 17″ posters that I had printed in anticipation of the publication of my upcoming book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures: 120 Enchanting Projects. It was a family production; I constructed the scenes and made the dolls, my husband Rob Goldsborough took the photographs, and my sister Anne Mavor did the graphic design. All of these doll projects and more will be in the new book.

Both posters are for sale in my Etsy Shop for a very reasonable price. Sorry about the tacky “WeeFolkStudio.com” watermark across the center of the image — it doesn’t appear on the poster. To celebrate, I will be giving away the winter scene poster with the purchase of my book, Pocketful of Posies on Sunday, Dec. 7th during Author and Illustrator Day (1:00 ~ 4:00 pm), at the Concord Museum in Concord, MA

Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures will be released in last part of February, 2015. You can pre-order copies from my Etsy Shop here. Each book will include an autograph, faux flowers to make 2 fairies and a Felt Wee Folk winter scene poster.

poster – Felt Wee Folk

new Ltd. Edition Fairies

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Salley Mavor

Ltd. Edition Fairies; Holly & Birch and Lilly of the Valley

OK, I’ve learned to never say never again! 3 years ago (in this post), I announced that Pansy would be my last Ltd. Edition Fairy. Looking back, I needed to close that chapter of my career, so that I could move forward and grow as an artist. It was an important and necessary step to take, but I’ve found that the desire to keep my hands busy has won out, especially while away from home. The portable nature of wrapping bodies and stitching felt clothing for these wee folk dolls is perfect for traveling. So, for 2 years I’ve been slowly working on a group of dolls, with the goal of eventually selling them in editions of 25. In keeping with my original intention of banning mass production work from my studio, I only worked on them when traveling, in airport waiting rooms, planes, boats, and trains. This arrangement allows me to have a stitching “fix” while away from my studio and there is no pressure to complete the set of dolls by a certain time.

For those of you who are new to my work, these fairies are the same designs found in my 2003 how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects. The long awaited follow-up, Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures will be published in March, 2015.

Well, the dolls are finally ready to show themselves and have been added to my Etsy Shop! Two editions of 25, Lily of the Valley and Holly & Birch have been created in transit around the world, across oceans and continents, including America, South America, Antarctica and Europe. The dolls will only be sold through Etsy with a credit card or Paypal, on a first come, first served basis.

What happens when these sell out? Will there more in the future? Possibly, but realistically, it would be a few more years before they make an appearance. It all depends on how much idle travel time there is!

Working on fairy tunics on a train en route to Toulouse, France

Lily of the Valley has blonde braids, a green wool felt tunic and a white flounced petal skirt.

Lily of the Valley Ltd. Edition Fairies

During our barge trip in France, Rob took this photo of me engrossed in stitching felt fairy tunics, while waiting for a lock to fill along the Canal du Midi.

Lily of the Valley Ltd. Edition Fairy

Holly & Birch are a girl and boy pair with dark brown hair and black and red wool felt outfits.

Holly and Birch Ltd. Edition Fairies

Holly and Birch Ltd. Edition Fairies

New wee folk cards

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Salley Mavor

A Wee Gathering

In anticipation of my new how-to book coming out next March, I’m excited to be offering a series of new note cards. It was hard to narrow it down to six images from the many project and inspirational photographs in Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures. (Update: Pre-order autographed copies from my Etsy shop.)

Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures 2015

A year ago, my husband Rob and I were busy setting up scenes and taking photographs for the book, which I chronicled in these posts. I’m happy to finally share some of the scenes, which give a glimpse into the newest wee world! Cards can be ordered from my Etsy Shop. Of course, the Wee Folk Studio watermark will not appear on the printed cards. They come in sets of 4 of the same image, or a 6 card variety pack. The new cards include A Wee Gathering, Winter Play, A Buggy Picnic, Beach Babies, A Family Outing and Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Wholesale inquiries from retail shops are welcome. Please contact me for a price list.

A Wee Gathering and Winter Play bring to life a variety of doll projects from the book.

Winter Play

A Buggy Picnic is in the book’s photo gallery. The book includes directions for making the little girl doll in the doorway, but the houses and insects are added for fun and inspiration.

A Buggy Picnic

There are lots of wee folk babies in the book. I used my collection of shells to set up this Beach Babies scene.

Beach Babies

A Family Outing pictures a woodland family emerging from a tree trunk doorway.

A Family Outing

A schoolyard full of children fills the Mary Had a Little Lamb chapter.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Noah’s Ark Poster

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Salley Mavor

I am pleased to announce the addition of another 18″ x 24″ poster to my Etsy Shop. The poster is new, but the original NOAH’S ARK piece was made 28 years ago!

I remember working on it during a transitional period, when I created animals that were similar in size and style to my pins (see them here), which I sewed to dyed and appliqued cotton velveteen background fabric. The animal’s legs are formed with tube beads. I also remember finding the orange upholstery fabric that’s around the border while shopping at a large fabric store in Berkeley, CA. I can recall playing around and re-positioning the animals for a long time until they looked right. It was also during a time when I fell in love with hand embroidering little leaves on bushes and trees. You can see some details of the animals and landscape below.

The NOAH’S ARK Poster is available from my Etsy Shop here.

Fairy petticoats and wings for sale!

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Salley Mavor

I’ve been cleaning up my studio, going through boxes and bags left over from my kit making days. Even after I discontinued the kits, I would buy flowers out of habit, so I have a lot in my stash. Now, I’d like to clear space for the post-fairy phase of my artistic career. I know that some people who make fairy dolls from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk have trouble finding the right kind of petals for skirts and wings. So, I’ve decide to offer them for sale in my Etsy Shop. I’ve put a variety of colors and sizes in packages with enough petals to make skirts and wings for 6 fairies.

Also, for each purchase of Felt Wee Folk, I’m including a bonus bag with enough petals to dress 2 fairies. You still have to find acorn caps and the other parts yourself, but there are enough petals to get started. That is, until you get hooked on making them and have to go in search of more supplies!

artwork @ Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Salley Mavor

I recently heard from the curator at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, who acquired some of my artwork for their collection in the 90’s. It’s been more than 15 years and I haven’t been very good about keeping records of where my work has gone, especially from the pre-computer days. I remembered that that my work was at the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, so I was glad to clarify which pieces have been hanging there all these years.

There are 2 original illustrations from the 1st edition of Mary Had a Little Lamb. The book has been out of print for years and a few weeks ago, I found a carton of them in my attic! So, I’m selling them in my Etsy Shop (while supplies last). This is a rare opportunity, because it’s practically impossible to find a new, hard cover copy, let alone an autographed one!

The public can see these pieces on the first floor of the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. In addition to the 2 original illustrations, they’ve mounted the printed pages from the book along a wall, so people can see and read the whole story.

Another piece, Falling Leaves, is hanging in the 2nd floor elevator lobby. It makes me feel good to know that families spending time in the hospital may have been comforted by my artwork, even if for a moment.