The Story of the Windy Willow Shop

THE WINDY WILLOW SHOP

The Windy Willow shop was a long time in the making.  For many years now I have made small houses with natural materials, for wild life and for wee folk.  Many of these inspirations, as one would expect, are rooted in childhood experiences that delighted me and had lasting effect and influence.  A certain book, The Giant Golden book of Elves and Fairies, illustrated by Garth Williams ( my favorite illustrator) was a book that shaped a good part of my life.  Atleast I still often think of it and am charmed by it, am inspired by the artwork. A certain poem and picture, The Little People's Market,  captured my imagination deeply. 

The lower poem, Little People's Market with tree trunk shop and acorn cap hats
simply capture my imagination. I was  probably 6 or 7.  I made fairy and Elf hats out of flowers and seed pods.
I also made stick houses for them to live in.

So as the years went by and found myself making little houses as an adult, I always thought of the Little People's Market.  It was not until I opened my shop on etsy that I thought about making such a Little People's market.  However the wood that came to me had other plans and I never found one that resembled the picture. Finally I did find a very twisty one, and decided to make a Little People's shop, and put a regular roof on it. It would be be called Windy Willow Shop, and sell wee caps, dishes , pods, walking sticks, and the like. 

This is a place for Wee Folk of all kinds to Buy and Sell.   It is wind felled Aspen and blue Pine, hand milled from dead wood.  

This is the back of the shop, having two tables, four stools, a seed pod mail box and a small storage room.

May it stir the imagination of all who see it!

My final peice, I decided to add a gentle blue wash to the house  roof, which was a blue pine...to enhance the wood of the roof and bring out the color in the house. 

Woodland Gnome Home from Deep in the Woods

  This is a special house.  Only once in a while I find and feel I am "given" a tree that is so lovely!  This is a two room house, delightful in the front and playful in the back.  It is tall , has a fireplace and table and chairs.  I had fun taking photos with my Willodel cast of characters !  It is made, like all my work, from windfelled Aspen trees and hand milled cedar.

The Lady of the Sun

 I had started another Father Elf, but as I finished the basic needle felted form,  I had the strong notion that this was to be some one else....  I think other artisans know this feeling ..as often what our hands and hearts do becomes something different than what was in our head.  So this figure wanted to be The Lady of the Sun, shining brightly and blessing all as we approach winter.  This was an inspiring and fun project. She is just under 8" tall and on a a wire frame and can stand freely.

She is dressed with hand dyed silks, silk ribbon and Romney wool , dyed hair.  She is needle felted over a wire frame made of cloth covered florist wire.  The Blue bird on her staff is needle felted and he staff is a Trumpet vine seed pod stem.