Fairy Garden

I said I'd do a weekly installment for a few weeks on gardening.  This week, I'm going to suggest a few things that might be perfect for a garden to attract the wee folk. 

Moss Mousse Mix from Fluffnflowers

Gardening moss?  Never heard of such a thing.  But when I read the listing... cool!  You can use it to fill in unsightly cracks in your driveway, between stepping stones on a walkway to your door, or make a pretty little rock garden with fairy houses in a bed by your front door that will require very little maintenance.  I LOVE this idea.

Beautiful Celosia Flamingo Feather Seeds from Smokymist Gardens

The seller's daughter says these look like fairy wands.  I must agree.  Wonder if they'd grow in my moss garden?   Best thing:  they're annual.  (I really hate things I have to buy every year).

Fancy French Faerie Door by TaraLinnea

Tough call, here... there are lots of really cool fairy doors on Etsy (try a search some time... they're fascinating to me).  In choosing I wanted:  1)  Something that can go outside, 2)  Something that didn't look like a dollhouse door, something sort of organic and fae, and 3)  Love to feature one of my fellow FAE team members.  This pretty door by TaraLinnea fills the bill perfectly (although I had a hard time choosing from the several in her shop!)

Tree Man Stoneware Pot by Jillhoutz

I went on a hunt for a green man.  You can't have a fairy garden without a green man.  I was actually surprised at the lack of green man plaques (what I initially intended to feature here) on Etsy.  But this... this is PERFECT.   Want to grow some mint in your fairy garden without it taking over the garden?  Put it in here.  He'll take good care of it.  I absolutely adore the earthy, natural look of this pot. 

There are lots of other treasures on Etsy in this theme.  Take a look for yourself!

Slainte!

DragonFire copyright Cari Buziak of Aon Celtic Art

You might not be wearing green, and you might not be having corned beef and Irish whiskey (or green beer) for dinner, but if you're at all artistic I'm willing to bet you've admired Celtic knotwork. I've bought a lot of books on illumination and knotwork, but so far none of them are as good as Cari Buziak's site, Aon Celtic Art.

If you've ever wanted to learn to do knotwork (I DO!!), there are fantastic free tutorials at Aon, and if you're serious about it you can do a distance-learning apprenticeship to learn how to do amazing stuff like she does. Or, if you think you just haven't got the patience and talent to do it yourself, you can order her clip art CD. If you'd like to incorporate some knotwork into your craft but don't want to spend the time to draw it yourself, she also has cross stitch and bead weaving patterns (the spiral bracelet is freeware!).

Or, just buy yourself something pretty for St. Patrick's Day. Check out her Celtic jewelry, t-shirts and posters (and more!)

By the way, the Gaelic toast "Slainte" is pronounced roughly "slancha" and means "good health." In closing I give you a few good Irish blessings:

May you get all your wishes but one,
So you always have something to strive for.

May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,
The insight to know where you are,
and the foresight to know when you've gone too far.

Celtic Magic: Etsy Finds Week of 7/7/08

This week I chose a love of mine as a feature theme for our Etsy Finds of the Week: Celtic items, especially knotwork. Knotwork is incredibly fun to look at and much more difficult to draw than it looks. On to our finds...

Celtic Knot Cross Pendant by Tara Greer at 3Rexes Jewelry

There was a whole lot of jewelry that had knotwork on it to be found on Etsy. I chose this one because it's beautiful, and because the seller designed, carved and cast it herself. That's impressive. Not only that, but the photography on this piece is outstanding. That makes me think I need to do some info on photography at some point.....

Stone Celtic King miniature carving by CarltonARTfactory

The Celts were amazing craftsman. When the vikings raided Ireland, they loved to plunder the monasteries for their silverwork and stonework. Stone being rather durable, many examples of Celtic stonework exist still. This fellow does a great job of conjuring up such master craftsmanship and looks like he could be an artifact out of an ancient site, but in fact he's been carved out of a river rock rather recently.

Celtic Knots Woodburned Book Box by Sixth and Elm

The choice of beautiful silvery wood on this box is fabulous. It looks like a book but when opened is a box. The knotwork, too, is great. Five stars :)

The White Horse by Emily Balivet

If, like me, you're a fan of the Renaissance, fantasy art, or mythology, you must visit this shop. The prints are reasonably priced. My walls are filling up with tapestries, swords, iron sconces and woodcut knights, and one of her prints would look right at home. They evoke Renaissance painters, and the colors are so vibrant. I had a hard time picking one to feature, but I thought this one fit my "Celtic" theme rather well.

Miniature Sword Pendant Necklace by Knights' Swords

This piece is the reason I chose the theme, although originally I was going to go with a Renaissance theme. Visit the shop; they have a couple of sword pendants, and some shields, all insanely cool. Most of the sword pendants I've seen have had a cast, "fantasy" look about them, not like you could pick it up and charge into battle if you were six inches tall. I'd love to make this the centerpiece of a chainmaille jewelry design for myself. Maybe someday :)