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Category Archives: eco friendly
Fairies on Etsy
TinkerWhims is featured in the Etsy blog!
https://blog.etsy.com/en/2015/the-fantastical-world-of-fairy-houses/
My fairy dreamhouse….
I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I adore combing antique stores for vintage items as a base for my fairy houses. In the spirit of handmade, I hate to purchase wood or framing from craft stores that buy in bulk overseas. It seems like the wrong way to start a project. One glorious Saturday I happened to stop by one of my favorite haunts, Carriage House Antiques, as they happened to be having a garden sale. Sitting in front of all these glorious flower pots, sections of fencing, and various baskets was a lonely, faded, unopened box housing a vintage Duracraft dollhouse. The box was pathetic and looked like it may have seen some water, so no one would touch it. It looked like this…
I saw an opportunity, and snatched it up right away. I told one of the owners I was going to go home and assemble it today, and I believe she sort of snickered. Rightly so, because there was a lot of sanding and trimming involved. But the wood was in perfect condition, and was of a higher quality than any of the other dollhouses I had worked with.
I started thinking about the ideal fairy mansion, rich with detail and warm in color. I painted the outside a lovely chocolate, and papered the ground floor in brown leather. This awesome kit came with an unexpected bay window, a flower box, front steps, and detailed windows. These are things I didn’t even notice on the box, and was delighted to find! I deconstructed a vintage basket to replace some of the trim with (to give it a more authentic, woodland feel.
Then I painted the bay windows, stairs, and flower boxes burgundy. I paved the front steps with tiny pieces of mother of pearl shell, to add a little sparkle.
The result is something I am extremely proud of! It was painstakingly time consuming, but hopefully will be well loved and become a family heirloom. I know that my daughter was eyeing it, but is a little to young to keep this fairy dream house. Whomever gets to choose the furnishings will be in for a treat:)
This home is for sale in my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/242610307/cottage
Every little girls dream…
My business started because of my daughter, but my first few customers were undeniably granny’s, purchasing for themselves. I have had a lot of eighty year olds tell me stories about childhood fairy villages, memories and feelings of childhood magic, and having troubles with their computer:) I assumed this was my target market, and it wasn’t until the first Christmas season that I discovered parents, aunts, and uncles buying for girl’s. Girl’s that love dollhouses, fairies, Coraline, and all things Tim Burton. Girl’s with rich imaginations, ripe for something other that the usual Toy R Us fare.. Here are two items pandering specifically to that audience…
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- Tooth Fairy Box!
This box was made for the light sleeper/true believer in mind! And because I’ve worried about how I will ever slip anything under my own poor sleeper’s pillow:) The box is first painted lavender, then brushed with purple glitter, and adorned with a fairy cameo and flowers. The shell within is secured to the lining, and is where a tiny tooth may be placed. https://www.etsy.com/listing/241618972/tooth
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- Pretty box with surprise fairy dwelling inside!
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- Traveling Fairy Home
This surprise fairy dwelling looks like a pretty, feminine box that any girl would love to own. But the real gift is the detailed fairy home within, with three levels on the left hand side, and four on the left. I imagine a girl of six or seven displaying this creation in her bedroom, and then folding it like a suitcase and taking it to Grandma’s for the weekend. https://www.etsy.com/listing/241689453/box
Hopefully I have my finger on the pulse of every little girl’s dream…
TinkerWhims 