Newest works

Hello all you lovely folk,

I know I’ve been away for an age! So I thought it was high time that I let you know what was happening in the fairy realms here in Jersey.

I am really happy with lots of new products and have been busy attending craft fairs and creating exciting and lovely things!

Including lots of fairies using my handspun yarn for bodies and then needle felting heads and shawls, adding accessories and hair. Every one is unique and made from start to finish by me.

 

Spinning has led me to learning how to dye with botanical plant colour – this has been a revelation and I love this process. I now dye fabric and threads with which to stitch – they end up as little stitched pictures or baubles.

I love the effects that you can get and have discovered a love of French knots that is unrivalled! This little tree uses hand dyed threads and fabric.

 

Ecoprinting has also been part of my journey and this gives me a chance to look carefully at the natural world around me. I collect leaves that have fallen and use them to print onto silk, wool or cotton. Depending on the PH of your water, the composition of the leaves, the addition of mordants or modifiers, the growing season, when the leaves were collected and how long they were processed for results in a different outcome each time you print. Every time I unwrap a bundle it seems like Christmas and sometimes you can just tell it will be a ‘goody’!

 

These prints are from a wonderful dyeing demonstration that I gave at Samares Manor in the summer and include coreopsis and rose leaves of varying sizes. If you haven’t been it is a beautiful place to visit. This was the hottest day of the year and phew with the stoves going it was absolutely boiling!

I hope that has given you an idea of what I am up to! I will try to update the blog but if you’d like more information and more regular updates (!!) please check Instagram AwaywiththefairiesYarns or Facebook AwaywiththefairiesJersey.

Have a wonderful rest of the Year!

Emma x

New year, slightly new direction!

Hello lovely fairy folk,

I don’t know about any of you but I had a stinker of a year. Now for a New Year and new projects. Here’s a little round up of what I’ve been up to!

Lots of fairy fluff waiting to be spun.

Lots of freshly spun loveliness! Some of which got made into these:

A multitude of cowls, scarves and woolly goodness.

As for this year more wooliness will definitely follow – I think I’m a little addicted!!!

Wishing you all a magical New Year X X

Fibre, flowers and lots of practice!

happy Wednesday lovely fairy folk,

It’s been very busy here at the toadstool. I’ve been experimenting with little felt flowers. It started with daisies.

Then an anemone and a rose bud sprung up.

Followed by a little lavender brooch.

All this flower making was to prepare for a workshop I was delivering last Saturday afternoon … It was very exciting and it all went really well. So many different types of flowers! I love all the colours … Stunning.

 

So gorgeous. We had a fantastic afternoon.

So onto the practice. I haven’t had a lot of time and my little Ashford Kiwi 2 was looking at me reproachfully from the corner. So with half an hour to spare I sat down and worked hard on getting a more even yarn. This is the merino prior to spinning … So fluffy!

It was dyed when I got it. I ordered it from Wingham Wool … Quick delivery and a fabulous service. So I got to spinning it and now it looks like this.

It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland for some reason!! I now need to decide what to ply it with. I love the fact that no one will have yarn exactly like mine. Not sure what I’ll make with it … Watch this space!

Anyway, until next time I’ll be spinning and maybe even crocheting.

Emma x

 

 

 

 

Something I built myself!

hello gorgeous fairy people!

do you remember this …

Aha, it came in the most beautiful box (it was beautiful to me … Even if it was battered and beaten!)

When I opened it this is what was in it!

Oooh lots of gorgeousness!

Ahhh so many bits! And yes I was going to do it myself – with the use of a hammer and a screw driver.

Beginning to take shape – starting to look more like a spinning wheel.

And there she is in all her shiny newness. It makes me smile just looking at it! So then I got to do the fun bit … Actually spin!

Here is my first skein of merino plied with a brown Manx loagthan than I spun on the walking wheel.

I mixed the colours with my carders … Dark blue, mid blue, light blue and a little green. So it’s a little bit uneven and some bits have more twist than others but I’m ridiculously pleased with it!!

That’s all of the spinning that I’ve done – I’ve also done a little plying of plain brown loagthan but that’s not as colourful!

Progress on my blanket has been, well slower than I’d hoped! Distracted by a shiny new spinning wheel! It’s growing slowly and more colours are being added. The brights against the soft really pop … I think (hope) they’ll work!

Here’s a couple of the beautiful island I am lucky enough to call home.

Ahhhh, I love this photo … You can’t tell but I was hiking with 15 children!! We got back to our base just before the big black cloud reached us!

The next day I woke to this. The brightest of green grass and a smattering of sunshine amongst the grey.

Until next time lovely folk, I’ll be trying to complete my blanket ( without giving in to the lure of the spinning wheel!!)

Emma x

 

Excitement and finished projects.

Hello lovely people, I hope you are all well.

We have had a tiny bit of a cold snap here ( no snow, boo!) so I was pleased to have finished my Little Daisy Scarf. It started off as a random bunch of colours.

Then grew and grew and grew.

Until it was a warm, snuggly and very, very long!

Did I mention it was super snuggly?

Then I started on a mostly pink blanket … For one of two special little girls.

Pretty pink. The other blanket will have more purple in it.

There has also been a little chill out time with my girlie and her friends this week.

Cakes were made, then bought, then consumed(we pretended of course!) it’s so lovely to have time with her when she has taken her nose from out of her tablet. I do try to restrict screen time as  much as I can and take her out on her bike and to dancing but it’s still tough sometimes.

My very, very exciting news is that this arrived today …

I just couldn’t resist … I spin on a Walking Wheel but it’s so big and has to stay at the museum. My lovely mum gave me her spinning wheel but I’m convinced it doesn’t like me! So I took the plunge and bought a new treadle wheel. I can’t wait to get some yummy fibre to spin. As soon as I have built the wheel ( oh dear … Could take some time!!) and spun something on it I will show you all!!

Until next time, I’ll be building spinning wheels and crocheting blankets!

Emma x

 

 

Happy New Year!

Hello gorgeous fairy folk I hope you are well and not too soggy.

Hasn’t it rained ( I know that may be the understatement of the year so far!) Even in sunny little Jersey it has rained and rained … Oh and rained some more. For the first time this week I managed to collect Little Miss H without getting totally soaked.

Anyhow, what have I been up to you may ask. Well there has been crochet rug making

Here is a different angle for you

Look at my happy flowers pretending it’s not winter! Little Miss H has claimed the rug … Although I still have quite a few rounds to go.

Then there was quite a bit of this

Some of this

Scarf making … I have to say it is taking longer than anticipated to complete my 29 squares! I hope to have them complete before the really cold weather hits!

I think the reason my makes are taking so long is because I have been lured by the gorgeousness of felt flowers! Here is my next attempt in the making!

Daisies and a bright yellow chrysanthemum that makes me smile! Hope to show you the finished article soon!

Until next time, I’ll be trying to finish off projects!

Emma x

 

Happy Christmas everyone!

Hello gorgeous fairies, wishing you all a sparkly Christmas.

Things have been fabulously busy here. I’ve had a bonkers time with lots of lovely markets and met lots of lovely people. 2016 is set to be a wonderful year with lots of exciting things planned for Toadstool Tales and Away with the Fairies. Here are a few things that I worked on before Christmas.

My first Dahlia and rose wreath. It is hanging happily in my hallway and has made a colourful addition to my Christmas decorations.

My next creation was a paper clay and felt flower table arrangement with added sparkle.

Again this was a first for me. I mixed a variety of felt and paper clay flowers with holly leaves, pine cones, sparkly red berries and twisty hazel and this is how it turned out. I’m so pleased with it and I’m sure it won’t be my last arrangement. I love the fact that I can keep it and use it again next year. And as always sparkle and glitter was an essential addition!

My last addition was a paper clay garland in white twiggy prettiness! It sits in my conservatory twinkling away.

May I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and magical New Year.

Until next time I’ll be celebrating, contemplating and creating!

Emma x

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter!

Hello gorgeous fairy folk – how are you all? We’ve had a wonderfully mild September, October and most of November which has resulted in some wonderful colours in the glades. Here are a few of my favourites! A little dandelion poking it’s head out amongst the grass and fallen Autumn leaves.

The stunning red of a sycamore tree.

The changing of leaves from green to red before falling.

But now Winter has arrived … brrrrrr!! It’s chilly today and my thoughts have turned to hoods, robins and cups of hot chocolate (with the obligatory marshmallows!)

So here are a few makes to make you smile!

One foxie hood and a big blue bear hood. Oh how I love the foxie hoods – I think they’re my favourite (but don’t tell the bears!). Different designs in the pipeline so keep your eyes peeled!

Recently I’ve been making these little chaps. Cute huh? I’m loving the dangly legs!! If you visit my facebook page (click here to visit!) you may have a chance of winning one of these little fellows.

I’ve also been making garlands, toadstools and I’m working on a happy daisy scarf which should be ready soon. Really I should be thinking about Christmas (it’s 21st November … I’m allowed to say that word really I am!) but fairy things keep distracting me!

My last piccie of the day is to prove that there are still some flowers left in the glade if you look hard enough.

Ah, doesn’t that little bright flower make you smile?

Until next time, I’ll be trying to focus and not get distracted!!

Emma x

Market stall in a Bell tent!l

Hi gorgeous people,

Hope you are all well. I had a fabulous time at Spice Art and Music festival here in Jersey two weekends ago. The absence of a gazebo in my life meant that I took a gamble and used my bell tent as my market stall and it paid off. . look!!

Soooo pretty! I started off inside as it was pretty windy the first morning but then the sun came out and it was so lovely that I moved outside.

The late afternoon sun was beautiful. Can you spot the shrooms? I had wonderful neighbours and the whole weekend was a joy. Even when it rained!! So I’d like to say a huge thanks for all those folk that make it happen!

Here’s a little close up of a shawl that was a last minute make to leave you with!

Until next time lovely fairies I’ll be getting on with my orders!!

Emma x

Preparation, preparation, preparation

 

Hello strangers! Only me!!

So sorry it has taken me so very long to post – the only excuse I have is that I was making this lovely lot for Spice Treasures and Trade Art and Music Festival which takes place this weekend. This was my trial run set up on the dining room table on Sunday. I couldn’t quite believe that all my makes fit on this one table. 

 

Would you like a closer look at what I have been up to? Yes – oh ok then. First off there came the flowery brooches.

The blackboard sign was written and sits behind the hoods.

 

Then owlies were hung with little angel pegs – oh and a fairy joined the gang!

The rest of the owlies hung out in a little basket!

Here is a bigger picture of hoods and owlies!

The rest of the angels also sat in their basket next to the owls.

More paper clay decorations sat in another basket (pretty glittery stars, little butterflies and others).

Told you there were butterflies! You can’t see but they have a touch of glitter in them. (Can you see the spinning wheel hiding in the background?!)

I thought I’d leave you with the thing that started my paper clay journey – the angels. This one is my little angel that resides in the conservatory.

I hope you’ve liked the trip around my little stall – I am setting it up in the Bell Tent so it will definitely be a unique setting. I’ll try to post more photos after the event (still no camera charger so I am still using Mr Toadstool’s rather large camera!).

Until next time, I’ll be madly packing for the festival!!

Emma x