Honesty the fairy

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Salley Mavor

Honesty flower

Please meet HONESTY, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with long black tresses, acorn cap hat, embroidered wool felt tunic and petal skirt. I don’t sell one-of-a-kind dolls, but every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of 25 dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them outside of my studio, while traveling, so there’s no predicting when a set will be finished. This is my way of controlling the impulse to make them all the time. That isn’t such a bad thing, but then, I would be less inclined to make new, more involved pieces or get myself into the political fray! To see previous ltd. editions in the archives, click here. Information about purchasing HONESTY is at the end of this post.

Each doll has a signed and numbered name tag.

I put the finishing touches on the tunics in my studio, but most of the embroidery was done in airport waiting rooms, on board planes and in the car on long drives.

Mass production of heads.

Sometimes they look like a flock in uniform, preparing for a mass take off.

I make sure in advance that there are enough petals to make 25 petticoats.

Information about purchasing a fairy: In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog, Facebook and Instagram that 25 “HONESTY” fairies will be listed for $75.00 each, in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, September 2 at 10 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. The last edition sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis and can be shipped anywhere in the world.

Honesty-4WM

And don’t miss a chance to win the FAIRY FAMILY RAFFLE to benefit of Highfield Hall and Gardens. Tickets ($5.00) may be purchased online here. The winner will be picked on Sept. 4th and the Fairy family will fly to their new home!

FairyFamily2017WM

Fairy Family Raffle

Posted on June 25, 2017 by Salley Mavor

The Fairies have persevered through our winter of discontent and are resilient enough to come out of hiding this summer. A family of 5 will appear on Cape Cod during the Storybook Fairy Houses display at Highfield Hall and Gardens, June 25 – Sept. 4, 2017. And by the end of summer they will go to live with the lucky winner of the FAIRY FAMILY RAFFLE. I do not normally sell one-of-a-kind dolls, so this is a rare opportunity to have a unique set of your own. Tickets ($5.00) may be purchased online here. After the winner is picked on Sept. 4th, the Fairies will fly to their new home anywhere in the world!

The winged and festively dressed family, which includes Mother, Father, brother, sister and baby have been patiently awaiting today’s coming out announcement. Knowing that things would get busy in the studio, I made the doll family way ahead of this year’s Fairy House exhibit. Needless to say, it’s been a whirlwind of a time, so I’m sure glad that they were finished about a year ago. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit Highfield Hall and Gardens.

This year’s family is similar to the one I made 2 years ago for the last Fairy House Exhibit in 2015, which you can see here. Patterns and directions to make the dolls are in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures.

Fairy houses have become an eagerly anticipated tradition at Highfield Hall and this year’s exhibit should be just as unique and varied as the previous displays. I had the pleasure of organizing and curating the first two exhibits in 2013 and 2015, with the understanding that those responsibilities would be passed on once the idea had been sufficiently launched.

Since I couldn’t spare a month to make a new house for this year’s exhibit, Grate Hall will be back for a second viewing, this time inside the museum. See the process of making it here.

This year’s exhibit, Storybook Fairy Houses is curated by museum staff. 25 builders chose a favorite children’s book that inspired their creation. I picked The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

As a child, I devoured The Borrowers series, with its tales of little people living by their wits under the floor boards. I can still remember the book’s descriptions of making a bed out of a discarded match box and fashioning tables and chairs from wooden spools. The whole premise sparked my imagination then and still feeds into just about everything I make today, from my work in children’s book illustration to the creation of my wee folk world.

My fairy house, Grate Hall uses the same concept of reusing household items to make and furnish a small scale shelter. The cheese graters and whisk were saved when cleaning out a departed relative’s kitchen supplies and the single glove was found in a box of my grandmother’s lace memorabilia. Other parts include old door knob plates and a chandelier crystal. The overall structure is held together with wire that is covered with pieces of felt. Branches pruned from blueberry bushes cover the roof and the door is decorated with carved bone charms. Using found objects is like editing a poem — it’s always challenging to decide what to include and what to leave out. Many very cool items were rejected in the process and they will just have to wait for another opportunity to shine.

To keep up with new posts, please subscribe to this blog (top right column on the home page). Your contact info will not be sold or shared. If you’d like to see more frequent photos tracking the projects in my studio, please follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram

Nasty Fairy Force deployment

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Salley Mavor

The NASTY Fairy Force is eager to take flight and follow their important humanitarian mission. This special unit has been assigned to uplift the disheartened and guard against bullying and harassment in the homeland and overseas. NASTY may look cute, but can she sting! The swarm of 25 fairies will be deployed on Saturday, Nov. 19th at 10 AM EST, in my ETSY shop. First come, first served. Update: the dolls are all sold

Months of preparation have led up to their readiness, with an extra push at the end to help meet this week’s emergency call for action. May the Fairy Force be with you! The dolls are based on the designs in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures.

UPDATE: To see more resistance art, please visit this page about The Wee Folk Players.

To keep up with new posts, please subscribe to this blog. Your contact info will not be sold or shared. If you’d like to see more frequent photos tracking the projects in my studio, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and BlueSky.

Jade – Ltd. Edition Fairy

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Please meet JADE, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with long black braids, acorn cap hat, embroidered dark green wool felt tunic and petal skirt. Even though I’ve said that I don’t sell them, every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them outside of my studio, while traveling, so there’s no predicting when a set will be finished. To see previous ltd. editions in the archives, click here.

In August, a ltd. edition of AZALEA Fairies that I’d gradually been making over the year were sold my Etsy Shop. They’re usually not finished so close together, but this past summer, I made a set of 25 look-alike JADE Fairies while on vacation. Luckily, a patch of white toad stools appeared along the road in front of my house about the time they were finished. So naturally, that’s where they had a photo shoot. Please see information about when and how to order JADE Fairies at the end of this post.

Each doll has a signed and numbered name tag.

Jade’s wool felt tunic is hand embroidered.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog, Facebook and Instagram that 25 “JADE” fairies will be listed for $75.00 each, in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, Oct. 15th at 9 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. This sale will start an hour earlier than usual, so that customers in Australia don’t have to stay up into the wee hours, but it means that those of you on the US west coast will be setting your alarms earlier. The last edition sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis.

Azalea – Ltd. Edition fairy

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Please meet AZALEA, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with long crimped auburn hair, acorn cap hat, embroidered wool felt tunic and petal skirt. Even though I’ve said that I don’t sell them, every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them while traveling, so it’s an ongoing project that takes time. This year I made a set of 25 look-alike Azalea fairies while riding in cars and on vacation. I like to keep my hands busy, so this is a way of producing something, as well as keeping contented while sitting.

Some of the finish work that’s not as portable, I did while on vacation. I have to limit the time I spend working on these because otherwise I would spend every minute in fairy land, constructing dolls, night and day. That isn’t such a bad thing, but then, I would be less inclined to make new, more involved pieces.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog, Facebook and Instgram that 25 “Azalea” fairies will be for sale in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, August 13th at 10 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. Last year’s dolls sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis.

wee folk sprouting up all over

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Salley Mavor

I can’t remember a more glorious spring here on Cape Cod! The days are clear and warm, but not too hot, with zero humidity. And the yard is full of perfectly scaled vegetation and flowers for wee folk to ramble through, including bugle weed, forget-me-nots and buttercups. Here’s a selection of characters who escaped from my studio into the outdoors, some from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures.

How about a lattice topped pie in an acorn cap?

Poppies are ready to pop.

Little Red Riding Hood makes her way across the bugle weed forest…

And a fairy bride and groom dance through a field of buttercups!

Fiona – new ltd. edition fairy

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Even though I’ve said that I don’t sell them, every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them while traveling, so it’s an ongoing project that takes time. This year I made a set of 25 fairy dolls while waiting in airports, flying in planes and riding in trains. I like to keep my hands busy, so this is a way of producing something, as well as keeping contented while sitting.

Update 10/17/15 ~ The fairy dolls sold out very quickly. Thank you to all of you who were ready at 10 am, logged into my Etsy Shop. Will there be more opportunities to buy dolls in the future? Perhaps, but it depends on how much time I spend traveling.

Some of the finish work that’s not as portable, I do in my studio. I have to limit the time I spend working on these because otherwise I would spend all of my time in fairy land, constructing dolls, night and day. That isn’t such a bad thing, but then, I would never take on making new, more involved pieces.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog and Facebook that 25 “Fiona” fairies will be for sale in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, Oct. 17th at 10am, eastern US time. That gives more people a chance to read about it in advance, so they can plan on being ready to shop. Last year’s dolls sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis. Update 10/17/15 2:00pm ~ The Fiona fairies are all sold.

fairy houses 2015, cont.

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Salley Mavor

This year’s Fairy Houses of Highfield Hall exhibit is larger than the 2013 show and it will be on display longer, too. The houses are holding up quite well and we’re confidant that most structures will stay intact until the closing on August 31st.There have been some instances of eroding moss and hot glue not holding parts together well enough, which backs up my personal bias against glue guns! But, the fairies have made repairs and are doing their best to keep up the neighborhood.

Each fairy house has a number, so visitors can identify the 32 locations around the Highfield property. Maps, with a list of house names and their makers are available inside during open hours. I hope that more of you can come see the show during its last month. A printable pdf file of the map is here.

Highfield Hall Open Hours: Mondays – Fridays, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturdays & Sundays, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Grounds are accessible from dawn to dusk, except during private functions For this year’s collection, I painted 10 more markers to make a total of 32. Earlier this summer, I took pictures of some house builders setting up their creations.

Cynthia Rose – Eilonwy’s Stan

Cynthia Rose’s house is surrounded by a growing landscape.

Cynthia Rose – Eilonwy’s Stand

Kim Sheerin’s ceramic houses have stained glass windows, with lights flickering inside.

Kimberly Sheerin – Kimberland

Nicole St. Pierre felted her house and devised a paper canopy roof.

Nicole St. Pierre – Enchanted Baa Baa Hollow Cottage

She also planted miniature succulents around the base.

Nicole St. Pierre – Enchanted Baa Baa Hollow Cottage

The fairy family raffle for the benefit of Highfield Hall will continue until August 30th, so there’s still a chance to win! You can buy 3 tickets for $5.00 online here.

Up and fluttering

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Salley Mavor

When we got home from Sunday’s opening reception for the Fairy Houses of Highfield Hall exhibit, I told Rob, “It’s so good to have the show finally up and running.” He said, “You mean “up and fluttering.” Yes, this collection of fairy houses is causing quite a stir here at the top of Highfield Drive, with more than a thousand visitors already. The display will be set up all summer, until August 31st, 2015. I recommend visiting sooner than later, because of weather related deterioration of the houses.

The morning rain cleared by noon, creating a perfect afternoon for families and friends to stroll around the grounds, searching for the 32 fanciful dwellings. You could see groups of all ages following the tour map. And everyone was smiling! It turned out to be a social gathering, too, with neighbors and acquaintances running into each other. One woman said, “I’m so glad to live in Falmouth, where we have a wonderfully creative community that puts on events like this!” She made me feel part of something bigger than just a group of people who like to make little worlds out in the woods. In recent years, I think that the fairy house concept has entered the collective imagination, bringing a much-needed lightness and sense of wonder. I owe a big thank you to all of the house builders who contributed their time and creative genius to making this show such a success!

I hope you enjoy this set of photos of people interacting with some of the houses. More posts with close-ups of the houses themselves will be coming soon.

FairyHouse23

fairy houses 2015: making “Grate Hall”

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Salley Mavor

GrateHall-2 — Grate Hall Fairy House, 2015

UPDATE: I had the pleasure of launching and curating the first two outdoor fairy house exhibitions at Highfield Hall and Gardens in Falmouth, MA in 2013 and 2015. Further ahead, you can find out how I made Grate Hall, which was my contribution to the show. This post was written in 2015.

It’s been an exciting week in the fairy neighborhood! Every day, more wee domiciles are popping up around the grounds of Highfield Hall and Gardens in Falmouth, MA (Cape Cod). By the time the exhibition opens this Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 1:00pm, there will be 32 fairy houses installed and ready to view. Just like the previous show in 2013, this display is sure to bring in many visitors from near and far!

Last winter I invited 30 local artists and fairy aficionados to make houses for this summer’s outdoor display. Each builder started the process by walking around the property and picking their favorite spot. They spent the next few months planning and working on their creations. I haven’t been privy to any finished houses until this week, and from what I’ve seen, this year’s collection is spectacular! There’s a wide variety of interpretations of the “fairy house” concept, from cozy abodes to airy perches. Building materials are as eclectic as the pieces themselves: clay, wood, mushrooms, paper, moss, felt, plants, shells, bark, stones, glass, metal, etc. Don’t worry if you live too far to see the originals — in the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing photos on this blog, Facebook and Instagram.

The Fairy Houses of Highfield Hall and Gardens will be on display until August 31, 2015. Stop by the hall to pick up a map with house locations and artists’ names. Inside the hall you can also see my fairy family. Read a post about making the fairy family here.

Making my fairy house….
Come along, while I make my fairy house, “Great Hall”, which is pictured at the beginning of this post. It began with a bunch of old metal graters that I saved, while cleaning out deceased relatives’ kitchens. For years I’ve been eying them for a future project and thought they’d give a solid structure to a fairy house. I drilled holes and bolted 4 of them together to make walls and a roof.

Then, I used my felt covered wire technique to form a base and arched beams. This single glove was in a box of my grandmother’s things. She and her sisters did a lot of tatting in the early 1900’s, so perhaps one of them made it.

I incorporated the glove into the front wall, leaving room for a door opening and curled loops of felt covered wire.

I stitched wool tapestry yarn in a zigzag pattern to fill in some areas, while leaving other spots open for viewing inside the house.

I tried not to get too fussy, but the door required a bit more detailed work.

I worked on the house during the snowy winter — my favorite time to be engrossed in a project.

A whisk was another kitchen utensil that I added near the end.

I pruned some supple branches off my blueberry bushes and lashed them to the grates with wire, adding a more organic façade.

I wanted the interior to be magical, so I draped strings of glass beads and crystals from the ceiling. Tiny blue and white LED lights (run on batteries) added a glow as well.

In the daylight, it’s hard to see the lit interior, so I sprinkled small round Shisha mirrors on the ground inside to reflect the lights and make it sparkle.

To keep up with new posts, please subscribe to this blog Your contact info will not be sold or shared. If you’d like to see more frequent photos tracking the projects in my studio, please follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.