Creating a little magic in the studio!

I've always loved fairies.

I love the idea of them existing,

watching over nature and living

in their magical woodland homes!

So for my latest project I decided to alter a wooden

house purchased at the craft store into a whimsical fairy house ~

Here's what I purchased at Hobby Lobby!

Not too special but a perfect piece for me to embellish.

I began by base painting it with normal acrylic paints in the little bottles.

After painting I wanted to age it a bit

and created a mossy wash and also a brown wash

to give it an older look, especially around the windows

and in the crevices.

I found a great cigar box to use as a platform and painted it as well.

Next I began adding all different kinds of natural elements.

I've been gathering these goodies for years!!

Some items are store bought like some of the moss and little wood cuts

but a lot is gathered from our yard right here at home.

Three different roof styles made it so much more charming and interesting!

A thatched roof was created from unwound jute, glued in overlapping layers.

One roof is created from pieces of pine cones and mosses.

And lastly, the other roof was made from river birch bark and

other bark pieces with lichen.

The more that was added, the more I loved it!!!

It's funny when you begin working on something like this.

You sometimes have to reel yourself in and decide

when it's time to stop.

So here is my finished piece!!!

I'm so pleased with how this fairy house turned out!!!

This sweetie has been now added to my Etsy store ~

Wouldn't it be a perfect gift for a nature lover?

~ PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT ~

Thank you so much for always stopping by to see what I'm up to!

hugs and love,

Dawn

A whimsical fairy house ~

A few weeks ago I was commissioned by a dear friend of mine

to transform a simple night light into a woodland fairy house!

Creating these is so much fun because you can gather elements

from your yard and even buy some neat things at craft stores.

The house started off solid white with some type of sheer fabric

glued into the openings to soften the small light that inserts into the back.

I removed it all.

The sheer material was backed with acetate I imagine for safety's sake

with their being a bulb inside.

Next I spray painted a dark brown to have a more woodsy background.

Then I found an amazing image online of the inside of a fairy house

someone had made, sized it appropriately and printed it out onto vellum.

I also had acetate sheets and cut them to size for each opening as well.

After I glued all the sheets on each window it was time for embellishing!

What I started with:

After it had been spray painted and images glued inside ~

You can see my stash of supplies I had to pull from!

The first thing I worked on was the moss around the base of the roof.

Next I made a "stone" fireplace using little pebbles and moss as well.

I had this incredible thick paper with straw and fibers that I used to cover the sides.

This added such a great contrast to the dark brown!

I cut sticks to wedge onto each corner and then

continued to add feathers, moss and small woodcuts around the base.

The finished fairy house ~

I so hope my customer is pleased and

I think I may need to make more of these!!!

Thank you always for stopping by to see what I'm up to!!!

Hugs and love,

Dawn

You are SO not going to believe this...

OK, here's the story.

I picked a gorgeous magnolia bloom from the tree in our front yard yesterday ~

It was glorious!!! And smelled like lemons too!

I placed it in my kitchen so I could enjoy it....

Well, this morning it had already started to turn.

From a beautiful ivory-white to a cream and bruised brown.

Little things were falling from it so I thought I'd just go ahead

and pluck the beautiful petals off and ditch the rest.

Why did I save those petals?

I don't know!

I just love the leathery feel of them I guess.

I laid them on my desk in the studio.....

So I started working on a new baby shoe pincushion....yes I made one!

And I kept glancing at those brownish petals.

Finally, I pulled out a pattern

that I'd made for a sweet fairy shoe way-back-when

and decide to cut it straight out of the magnolia petals!!!

I had to wait just a bit for the petals to dry out for them to take to the glue but

here's what happened:

A teeny fairy shoe!!!!

I still can't even believe it myself ~

I just love it and if it doesn't sell, that's OK...

I have placed it inside of a wonderful old jar so

it will have that "specimen" look to it!!!

I put it in my Etsy if you love it :)

And I finally did finish my baby shoe pincushion ~

I've really missed making these....

and sell the tutorial if you'd rather make one yourself,

but if not, it's HERE too!

And lastly,

I thought I'd make another pincushion

and place it inside one of those old Ball mason jar lids!

I've used wonderful crushed walnut shells inside the cushion

to keep your pins and needles sharp too ~

Again, I've added it to the Etsy shop....

So....I guess I've been a busy girl!!

I love accomplishing stuff. Making stuff. Sharing stuff.

But most of all, I love that you take the time to drop by.....

to see what I'm up to!

Have a beautiful summer weekend precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Some days just make you smile ~

Little gestures by friends can make an ordinary day turn into a great day!
Joy, a sweet friend from The Plum Tree, contacted me to let me know she left me some old papers at the store.
Of course, if it's paper and it's old, I'm there!!!!

So, I stopped by The Plum Tree today, which by the way is looking OH-so-incredible with their fall and Halloween displays!
Anyway, this is the precious bundle Joy left me ~

Now tell me this, which of you would be
THRILLED to see this waiting for you as a gift???
Old, tattered, stained pages of books and sheet music.....
it just warms my heart!!!
Thank you so much Joy, I love every bit of it ~

And sweet Cindy gave me the newest (not at the newstands even) issue of Romantic Homes ~ Thank you dear Cindy, it's a great issue and I was so excited to see Alice's shop Painted White featured on an "internet finds" page! Congratulations Alice, I'm so happy for you!!

When I returned home, I had a wonderful package
from Mandy waiting on me too!!
I won a recent giveaway on her blog Wish on a Whisker.....
and ohmygoodness, she sent me the most precious things ever!!!!

Packaged so sweetly ~ each with it's own descriptive tag....

Just look at these treasures!!! The little framed print is so wonderful to me....
and she's hugging a broken doll ~
Oh Mandy, thank you so much sweet friend!

Isn't this little stitchery the cutest thing ever??

My very own fairy!!! She's so beautiful Mandy ~

Yummy chocolate (Noah and I shared this wonderful chocolate bar :)

And look at this little book, "Always Kiss with your Whiskers" (Well, I should have no problem doing that :) I'll have to read this with Thelma and Chester ~

A bar of great smelling soap....
it's already in a little bird dish by my sink Mandy!

The little fairy has taken a place of honor under a pretty cloche ~

Today was a love gift day.....thank you so much my sweet friends,
I will treasure each and every thing!!

I'll share some photos soon of the little guest room I'm working on ~
we're still trying to get all of Noah's things out :) he had a lot stashed in there!
I guess like mother, like son ~



I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday dear friends,
hugs and love,
Dawn

I just have to share ~

Sweet Madai of Forget Me Nots from Wren Cottage recently purchased my Fairy in a Jar Tutorial and just take a look at her creation!!! Don't you just love her under the cloche??!! She's absolutely beautiful Madai !! xxoo, Dawn