Woodland Fairy House

January 29th Workshop

2012-01-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

Ack- the holidays seem to have pulled me away from keeping up this blog. I have pics to post from a private workshop but that won't happen until most likely next week. busy busy. Meanwhile I want to announce the next workshop!

January 29th, Sunday, from 10-2 at my studio in Santa Rosa. I have three confirmed seats, so only 3-4 left depending on numbers. Let me know soon if you would like to attend. Cost is 70 dollars which includes all materials.

Summerfield Workshop Friday

2011-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Come one come all! Summerfield is hosting a fairy gnome house workshop this Friday at their School in Santa Rosa. This is a three hour evening workshop, Friday the 2nd from 5-8. I pre-make the bases to save you time. Please contact the school to sign up in advance, though a couple walk-ins are welcome. The workshop costs $75 a house, and makes a fabulous holiday activity or gift. Couples (child/parent or whatever) are welcome to work together. Children under 10 need a helper adult.

Summerfield Waldorf School:
655 Willowside Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
707-575-7194

Rose School Workshop November

2011-11-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

what a large and lovely workshop we had. We sold out of places within a half day of posting it. So be ready next time, all you east bay builders! So many fabulous houses! Check out the fairy clothes lines. Later Rose school even lit all the houses and had a fundraiser Fairy Walk at their school!

The Shrieking Shack and North Tahoe Lodge

2011-08-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Although I love to show people how to build their own woodland houses I miss building my own. Sometimes I collect materials that are very hard to pass on to my students, especially if they don't do with them what i would have done! With Winter Faire and the Sono-Ma Studio Soiree fast aproaching I decided to selfishly use all this fabulous snow bleached manzanita bone-like wood and ridiculously bright moss I found in North Tahoe recently to build a very sculptural house. Of course I'll have to sell it eventually- I just don't have room inside for such a large house, but it's the building process I love anyway.

My seven year old is a huge Harry Potter fan- already having read his way through book three he wanted me to make him the Shrieking Shack- a 'haunted' two story building in the book. It needed, acording to Ben, a four poster bed, boarded windows, a secret passage, and a staircase. We are still working on the secret passage. i did make sure his little Harry lego man fits, with wand, through the hole in the floor. Eventually we'll put it on an old side table and drill a hole so the figure can escape to and from the Whomping Willow. lol.

Two Summer Workshops

2011-08-21T13:21:00.001-07:00

I took a bit of a break in the heat of the summer. But now we are back up and running with two workshops in the last month up at lovely Mayacama Golf Course. One part of their camp program and one private Cousin workshop. Both were full of creativity! Next up a workshop in Berkeley the 2nd or 3rd at Rose school. Can't wait! then perhaps an in house winter one.

Mayacama Spring Workshop

2011-05-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

we were so lucky to have a beautiful day amidst all these melancholic rainy days to have our first workshop up at Mayacama Golf Course. Unlike my usual workshop- with introductopns and timely demo's, people just wander in when they are ready. I wouldn't think it would work and yet it does! Amazing creativity and houses were made by all nine house builders, ages 4-11. Three story ladders and four floor buildings, houses of windows, and even a basketball hoop! I am scheduled for another workshop at Mayacama Mid-August. Thanks to everyone who shared the day with me.

Fairy Pirate Ship?

2011-02-08T19:07:00.001-08:00

"arrr matey" isn't something one usually imagines coming out of a fairy's mouth...unless you are 4 and 6 year old boys. But when our friend Stephen, at the last workshop, offered to let me turn his curved piece of palm bark into a ship for the boys, Phineas couldn't resist. There is a bunk bed and dining area below decks, a turn-able captains wheel, and a pine cone crows nest.

Now the pirates and the fairy pirates battle it out in our driveway- where the ship is washed away in cement storms and margarita daisy bush whirlpools. Its a bit like Waldorf vs. the mainstream, since the one team seems to be small handmade gnome felt dolls, with wool faces. And the other team is made up of small plastic pirate figurines. Actually- I think its wonderful that my boys navigate the stormy educational seas with both, their imaginations easily mapping the middle ground.

the smallest pirate.

January 2011 Studio Workshop

2011-01-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

Like right before a party, the house is so clean- so too with my studio. All the neat baskets of acorns and bark and pine cones and earthy glazed bowls I made in college holding blue marbles or soft green lichens. And then, from these simple materials spring up, seemingly magically, wonderful woodland houses, full of imagination. And then, after everyone has left with their new treasure, I am left with quite the mess! But full of ideas and inspiration I often then create my own house. Today I built a pirate boat out of a wonderful large curl of palm frond that one of the dads brought. I will post in when its finally done.

In and Out- Root Retreat

2010-12-21T18:29:00.001-08:00

I made this one for the Winter Faire and sold it just after. Hello-Goodbye.

Summerfield Winter Workshop

2010-12-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

A winter evening workshop. Although I have had Summerfield parents come to build their Fairy Houses in my Studio Workshop, this was my first time leading a class up at the lovely facility in the fields and rolling hills of west Santa Rosa. I pre-made foundations to cut an hour off the time and so was a bit nervous- what with trying something new. But I made five two floor foundations and five couples showed up to build. Perfect! There was a grueling ten minutes when the electricity in half the school, including our classroom, gave out. But a few strings of Christmas lights were unplugged and switches flipped and all was well.

Another Great Workshop at Berkeley Rose School

2010-11-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

A New House for the New Blog

2010-10-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

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Peacock Pavilion
after a couple workshops I was just bursting with some ideas and this house is the result! I think its the tallest one yet at just over 3 feet tall.

from the top it looks a bit like a peacock...

the back view

Last Summers Workshop

2010-10-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ely's Birthday Workshop for One

2010-10-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ely's Fairy House
BYOF
bring your own fairy? Ely brought his and built the house to match.

A private workshop for Ely's birthday. I usually have a minimum of 4 houses being built but it pays to know the artist, eh? It was fun to be able to really focus in on one house. I built the furniture as part of his present.

Houses from Previous Workshops

2010-10-29T16:00:00.001-07:00