Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Today, I’m happy to announce a Blog Tour for my new book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures: 120 Enchanting Dolls! It’s the first time I’ve hosted one and I’m excited! For the next 2 weeks, some of my favorite bloggers will post reviews and Give-aways for a chance to win copies of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures. By following the list at the bottom of this post, you can visit each blog, starting on their designated day, read what they have to say and enter a Give-away, if they offer one. It’s a good way to discover some new blogs worth paying attention to!

C&T Publishing has generously offered to supply books for the Give-away winners; hard copies for USA and e-books for international winners.

To follow the tour, click the corresponding link, starting on the dates listed. Some bloggers have made dolls from the book, which they’ll be sharing in their posts. I’ve already seen pictures of an adorable pair of impish boys and another blogger has told me that she’ll be including the results of a family doll-making session!

Keep checking the list, as it will be updated with new participants during the whole month of March!

The tour kicks off with Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread. Tips and Trick’s & Great Resources for Hand Embroidery. Mary Corbet is an author, reviewer and all round collector of information about hand embroidery. Her site has fantastic instructional videos for learning just about every stitch. Mary writes, “I believe the world needs beauty, and embroidery is one of the most beautiful visual arts. To teach others to embroider, to inspire them to try new things with needle and thread – to me, these are worthwhile goals. I love teaching, and Needle ‘n Thread is my opportunity to teach a wider audience something that I’m really passionate about – the art of hand embroidery.”

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl

new books in and out

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Hooray! Despite all of the stormy winter weather during their drive across the country, FedEx Ground delivered my order of Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures last Friday before noon, as scheduled. A wee folk welcoming committee was on hand!

I immediately opened the boxes and started processing orders because I wanted to mail a bunch off that day. Instead of being “hot off the press”, the books were “cold off the truck” as I opened to the title page and started signing them.

I had prepared as much as I could beforehand, so all I had to do was sign and slip the books into pre-addressed mailers. Since then, I’ve brought several loads to the post office. Orders made in early January were filled first and will progress toward more recent ones. The rest will go out this week, so don’t fret, yours is coming!

These are all orders from my Etsy Shop (here), which include some extra goodies; an autograph, a winter scene poster (folded flat), faux flowers to make 2 fairies and a wee folk note card.

If you want to support your local bookseller, have them get one for you. My neighborhood bookstore, Eight Cousins offers signed copies, too. They’re having a book launch party on Sunday, March 8, at 3:00 pm. And there’s always Amazon, where today, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures is rated No. 1 in “Toymaking! They have an e-book version, which is a sensible option for international customers.

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.)

Book Trailer

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Salley Mavor

book – Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures

I am pleased to announce the upcoming release of my newest how-to book.
Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures: 120 Enchanting Dolls by Salley Mavor, C&T Publishing ©2015, 160 pages, 8″ x 10″.

Books may be pre-ordered from my Etsy Shop here. Your order will be sent when the book is released in late February 2015. Books ordered from my Etsy Shop will include some extra goodies; autograph, a winter scene poster (folded flat) and faux flowers to make 2 fairies.

Rob and I had such fun filming the process of making a fairy doll for this book trailer:

This long-awaited all-doll version expands the wee world introduced in the original edition of Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects (C&T Publishing 2003), with pictures, directions and patterns for making more bendable figures with a variety of hairstyles, outfits, and armatures.

Favorite doll projects from the first book, including acorn-capped blossom fairies and other fanciful wee folk make a return appearance. As requested by fans, more challenging techniques, such as wig making are added, making this book suitable for all skill levels, from the beginner who is learning the blanket stitch to the experienced embroiderer who relishes fine stitching.

The book is bursting with inspirational photographs of little characters set up in miniature worlds, from woodland scenes to doll houses, to fairy gardens. A certain type of person enjoys creating and looking into tiny, enchanting worlds and this book is for them! These dolls appeal to the child within you, no matter your age.

Take a behind the scenes look at photo shoots for the book here.

Upcoming book signing events (poster included with book purchase):
Sunday, March 8th at 3:00pm — Book Release party at Eight Cousins Bookstore, Falmouth, MA
Sunday, March 15th at 2:00 pm — Book Signing and short presentation, Return of the Wee Folk at the Sandwich Public Library, Sandwich, MA

poster – Felt Wee Folk

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 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

Felt Wee Folk revision sent off!

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Salley Mavor

Yes, it’s finished and sent off to C&T Publishing in California, two weeks ahead of the deadline! Here I am, mailing the box in the Woods Hole Post Office. It’s full of necessary parts that make a book; patterns, CD of manuscript, thumb drive of digital photos, slides, 4 x 5 transparencies and a photo log.

The revised edition of Felt Wee Folk should be out in the world about a year from now, in the Spring of 2015. After months and months of designing and stitching new projects, writing directions, making how-to models, compiling lists of materials, drawing out patterns, constructing scenes and taking photographs, it feels strange to come into my studio without the pressure of working on the book. I had forgotten about the amount of fussy details that need to be taken care of, like labeling photos and inserting codes into the manuscript. I hope I didn’t forget anything!

Now, it’s time to catch up on business, speak to quilt groups and make Polly Doll a new outfit for our upcoming trip. I’ll reveal the location later, when Polly’s ready. I couldn’t find her anywhere and thought she’d gone AWOL, but then I remembered that she’s been locked up in a case at the Cape Cod Museum of Art for the past few months. I’ll be picking her and the “Posies” artwork up next Tuesday.

Wee Folk coming into the home stretch!

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Salley Mavor

Just a quick post to let you know that I’ve got almost everything for the new Felt Wee Folk compiled and ready to send off to C&T publishing by the March deadline. Rob and I keep thinking of more still life setups to photograph, so I predict we’ll be busy adding finishing touches up ’til the last minute. This scene in the light box shows an array of project materials, along with a helpful cast of characters doing laundry.

hunkered down in my studio

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Salley Mavor

Rob and I are spending every spare moment in my studio, taking photographs for the revised edition of Felt Wee Folk. We need hundreds of pictures for the new book and we’re making good progress! There’s barely enough room for all of light stands, wires and equipment. The light box creates an even, pleasing light, so once it was set up, we spent a few days taking overhead shots of the dolls and step-by-step samples. I just started writing the new chapters and directions, which I find requires a different kind of discipline than stitching. So, if I don’t post for a while, I may be absorbed into the world of words, telling instead of showing. We have another, larger light box that is good for the scenes. We’ve been taking pictures of the dolls all grouped together in a crowd, thinking that it would make a good book cover photo. Rob raised the tripod up really high to get the right angle. I wish you could see their little faces all looking up and waving, but that’ll have to wait until the book comes out in 2015.

Update: See the book here.

wedding cake prop

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Salley Mavor

UPDATE: Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures was published in 2015. The following post was written in 2013.

I’ve recently finished making a group of wedding couples for the new edition of Felt Wee Folk (2015 pub date). While I was working on them, I imagined that the dolls would be photographed on a cake, lined up on tiered layers. As a prop, the cake didn’t have to be real, but I wanted it to look realistic. My friend Terry McKee provided technical assistance and moral support as we spent 2 afternoons in my kitchen working the problem. Terry and I have teamed up on a number of projects, including a real wedding cake and a baby quilt.

We quickly found out that the sharp edges of the Styrofoam cake forms tear through the fondant, so we changed our approach. We padded the sharp edge with fondant and abandoned the by-the-book instructions that called for draping the cake over the top and sides with one piece of fondant. We decided that a top and collar would work better, since we would be able to cover any seams with frosting later.

Here’s Terry rolling out the fondant collar. It took most of the afternoon to cover both tiers and the base.

I lined up the dolls to see if they would all fit. After Terry went home, I spent the rest of the afternoon decorating the cake with pieces of fondant that I cut out with leaf and moon shaped cookie cutters.

On day 2 we resumed work on the cake. Terry put her piping skills to work as she applied frosting around the edges.

I piped out some squiggles on top and voila, a wedding cake! Terry was a big help and it’s always more fun to work together as we tackle these new and unfamiliar projects. The cake should last a bit, being just sugar and styrofoam. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep it after we photograph the scene.

Rob and I set up the cake in the light box, with a silk curtain behind and took photographs for the book. Autographed copies of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures with extra goodies are available in my Shop.

UPDATE: In the years since the book was published, I’m made several custom wedding cake toppers for friends and family, which are in the archives.

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