Magical Blessings to all who have joined here these past seven months, we are so earnestly grateful that you choose to share your enchanted lives with us on EF. It is our sincere privilege to witness so much wonder and openness, to hear of your glad times as well as the everyday challenges or big events that would test any of us, and then to observe everyone so generously supporting, caring, trying to help, shed some light on or bringing joyful humour to each other.
This magical community feels just like a family and although it is now growing bigger, still retains its original ethos as it beautifully matures and develops to encompass each new day’s happenings. We learn from one another, and although in any given moment some of us are feeling down or struggling, there are others who are embracing a happy time and are peaceful – this is the wonderful balance EF has naturally found to bless us with and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
We are truly delighted by all the awesome talent and creativity on this FAEspace, that is also very much about those of us who just Live In the Magic - the unique combination of these elemental energies is a joy to see and we’re working now on some very special new projects to reflect this, organically born from the EF fellowship and our dear friends here…
This was the clear vision I had over a year ago for this EF magical social network - as though we were opening the doors of our own home for believers who wished to enter, a place where you could sit with a cuppa, gain some nourishment, make a new friend, chat with fellow visitors, share wisdom, enlightenment, your latest project, a funny story or a dilemma, stay a while or just pause between real life, wander out into the garden, watch the wildlife and take a quiet moment of refuge, snuggle up by the fire with the dog, or even pick up a drum, put on some music and dance wildly – all of this feels like it has happened here and tears are welling up as I truly cannot thank you all enough, my dream came true! Enchanted Folk companionship is my haven, has kept my faith in faerie and mortals many an hour, brought me reassurance that there are amazing, good people with tender loving hearts, is my solace and my happiness. I am so fortunate to have you all here in our dwelling where we will be open Ever After, and don’t mind whether you visit occasionally, every day or feel the need to log on all the time like I do - this is all perfect and brings me many smiles ☺ (You gladdened my heart with your lovely greetings on my happy birthday - reaching the 1000th member was my best ever gift, I stayed up through the night I was so excited.)
I am totally addicted to the whole EF experience, this is the first thing I open in the morning (even before I make a cup of tea!) where I work all day, and the last thing I look at as I warmly wish you all goodnight - you are always in my thoughts. Please know that I read each of your profiles, blogs and forums and, although it may take me a while, I do attempt to personally welcome every new member eventually. I then comment as much as I can and return messages as soon as possible, but please forgive me if I get delayed due to my also being a mum, trying to work and my commitments with gorgeous Faerie Magazine, I can never find that wand when I need it ;)
It is brilliant to think that, like us, many folk are furthering their friendships and my hope as you know, is that the Enchanted Folk Merry Meets and Gatherings now really begin to happen all over the world - getting out from behind these computers if we can! We are also planning a very special party for everyone to celebrate our first birthday in September (details to follow) and dearly hope that many of you, even if you are unable to join us here in the UK, will get together wherever you are to celebrate too.
Drew and I greatly look forward to fun times ahead here and if anyone has thoughts or ideas, we’re really open to your valued suggestions. It is an extreme honour that you put our EF banners on your web sites and link to us, we appreciate everyone (including our beloved Faerie Magazine) for so kindly spreading the word and encouraging other gentlefolk to join this enchanted community.
Thank you Always for your Belief and treasured friendships, keep Living In the Magic and please know that you are blessing all of us by gathering together here…
Be

PS We love our Magical Mischiefs – here’s a thought - if the Fairy Dust wasn’t cyber, the amounts that I’ve been covered with these past five months would probably mean I’d never get out from under what would now be a very sparkly mountain; I’ve been sent Somewhere Over the Rainbow so many times, I may run out of bluebirds and Toto’s getting airsick… lol, and You beautiful folk Are granting my Enchanted Wishes, as they come true Here - Thank you. x

The winter issue of our beloved Faerie Magazine, is graced on the cover with a gorgeous image by dear Dorothy Wallace (seen on the homepage of EF). It features a fascinating, in depth article about Arthur Rackham; the World of Spiderwick; Artists Paulina Cassidy (thank you precious Polly!) and lovely Renee Biertempfel; Wendy Froud’s Faery Godmother’s fashion and is elevated as always with Brian’s ‘Word of Froud’ and The Faerie Journals. Together with fantastic pieces on Grimm’s tale ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’, enchanting crafted Faerie Houses for the garden and some awesome ones in ice! - this is definitely the best edition yet and I am so proud to be associated in every way – though especially in this way…

   I can now wish you warmest welcomes to Uniting Kingdoms dear friends, wherever you are in this world. After two years in the planning, I am deeply honoured to be introducing the new part of Faerie Magazine – this section is being produced in England to reflect the myth, magic and folklore amongst the overseas communities, dedicated to the UK, Europe and beyond… together with a deep reverence for faerie and a sprinkling of the eccentric humour we Brits seem known for. Gathering all these delicious contributions has been pure joy with folk so enthusiastic and generous, it’s been breathtaking!
  For our debut, we are privileged to have regular contributions from many treasured and well respected artists including: the first in our ‘How To…’ inspirational master classes by the talented Linda Ravenscroft; Charlotte Bird beginning ‘The Travels of a Fairy Photographer’ with pictures of enchanting Glastonbury; Josephine Wall sharing with us a special new project she is involved with on the Isle of Wight; starting our story of how the heartfelt Fairy Box charity came into being with the Scottish founder Rosie Butler; Trudi Finch, our Featured Artist, telling her story, highlighted with her beautiful fairie paintings; Wendy Froud reviewing her and Brian’s recent London Exhibition; and for sheer fun, Amanda Sissons gifting us with the  adventures of ‘Enchanted Erlina’ (Old English for little elf) - Faerie in Training, especially commissioned to be our magical, mischievous mascot for Enchanted Folk - she’ll be on here soon! All this, by the illumination of, Canadian born, Paulina Cassidy’s mystical lamppost, constantly lighting our way…
    The spring UK edition is already bursting ready to bloom with regular contributions (yay) insightful interviews and articles from all over the globe, including Australia - so here’s to an exciting next issue, which will also celebrate Faerie Magazine’s 3rd Birthday!
           I am truly thankful to everyone who has made Uniting Kingdoms a delightful privilege to put together and in awesome appreciation of everyone’s encouragement and Belief, I send magical blessings to you all -
Be  
(UK Editor Faerie Magazine)


                        “No one can tell you how to how to draw a fairy!”
As this short intro and thank you to UK Artist Trudi Finch’s article wasn’t included in print, I thought I’d pop it in here as my appreciation to her - I hope you don’t mind…
     “Welcome to Trudi’s beautiful artwork. Having been a long time deep admirer of her exquisite painting, it was a real honour for me that she so kindly agreed to tell Uniting Kingdoms, in her own words, about her journey as an artist of many talents. As I write this from the glorious Gloucestershire countryside, not far from where Trudi grew up, I absolutely knew that her ‘White Fairy’ would grace this special space perfectly when Uniting Kingdoms was to finally debut with this winter’s issue. We are also blessed to have her ‘Star Fairy’ flying through our UK title page!
Thank you Trudi, for allowing us a glimpse into your wonderful world and for enchanting images that will linger in our hearts, your unique, elemental art is nourishment for our spirits. We all wish you and dear Joe, Happy Thoughts on the next step of your magical journey, now as grandparents, with many more memorable new fairy searches to come…”    Be

FROUDIAN MAGIC ENCHANTS LONDON

Once upon a time, there comes a night that wholeheartedly affirms why one does what one does every day. For the past five years it has been my mission to support and champion the astoundingly talented Fantasy and Visionary Artists around the globe, including those that we are lucky enough to have here in the UK. Therefore, to be guests at Wendy and Brian’s stunning ‘Sylvan Spirit’ Exhibition private view recently was a real delight. Being among, and observing, the wonder and rapture of the folk around me was a fascinating experience in itself, let alone getting to witness first hand the beauty and majesty of the original work of the godparents of contemporary Faerie Art. Drew and I were lucky enough to also visit this gallery (tucked behind our favourite Royal Academy) last winter and see Wendy’s first Showing, where I felt like a young girl in a beloved toy shop - I really wanted to take All her precious dolls home so that they could live and play in our cottage! As the air in the place imperceptibly stirred, the gossamer hair and delicate fabric of some of the faeries gently moved and it was breathtaking, they held me in total rapture. Wendy’s exquisite sculptures bring faerie right into our world and I’m very sure that once all the visitors have left, much mischief is had…
So this year was an extra special treat to see Wendy’s wonderful creations surrounded by Brian’s amazing work, our capital city never had it so good! The atmosphere was even more magical as it became clear with the evening’s progression that many of Brian’s muses were also in the room, as their family and friends had all come to celebrate with them and share the joyous occasion.
(I just have to mention here, that on both of these gallery visits I have had the distinct impression that it is not really us mortals who are there to catch a glimpse of the Froudian world but, as is often the way with Faerie, we are gathered together to be inspected by the characters and visual representations of these two inspired imaginations - exactly who is watching who…)
This cherished couple, who hold in their awesomely talented hands the stimulation for so many willing spirits, have had an arduous schedule this past year and yet always warmly greet every single person as though they were the only one there, with time, energy and a big smile! How does one say Thank You to such unique people, and how truly grateful we all are for everything they do, their talent, their willingness to share and encourage and all done with such generous grace. These two treasured people with such a great sense of fun, seem to live, breathe and sleep Faerie and we are blessed indeed to walk a little of this path with them.
In Brian’s brilliant and delicious new ‘World of Faerie’ book, he mentions, “Does it matter if you believe in faeries? Well, I can only answer that the world feels like a much better place when you do. It becomes a place imbued with a glorious sense of enchantment and connection.” Here, here!

In Faerie Magazine’s Winter Issue, especially for our new Uniting Kingdoms section, Wendy has very kindly written for us her own special column relating her and Brian’s experiences from the exhibition - these words are, as always, an enchanting journey in themselves… Thank you dear Wendy.

Magical Blessings, Be 

 Some important THANK YOU'S before the New Year gets too carried away! I will also eventually say Hello and Thank you personally to Everyone here on EF and I’m sorry that it’s taking me so long. I am extremely grateful for all your lovely comments and heartfelt thoughts, they really make each day magical and bring many joyful smiles. Please know that I also always read everyone’s blogs and have included a special appreciation to you all at the end of this piece.

      I thought I would blog my quarterly IDB letter here (usually written for Faerie Magazine) as the happy memories will help cheer me up on the day our boys go back to college - I always dread the end of school holidays and Miss them so very much especially as we were actually able to have a few consecutive days off together this Christmas, just the four of us with no work to do except tend the fire in the woodburner, cuddle the dog, pass the chocolates round and watch all three extended LOTR's DVD's - perfect! We were all aware that this was the first time our family had had a peaceful break like this all year and truly treasured every moment. For me, being a mum is the most privileged and best job in the world, even if my sons are now towering over me in height! I am so thankful for our beautiful boys, I love them so much, with their wonderful energy, humour and gentle, caring presence – it will be a sad time soon when they finally leave home on their adventures…

  “As Drew and I travelled over to stay with Faerie Magazine in the Fall, we were lucky enough this year to be able to witness mother nature showing off her most enchanting colours on both sides of the Atlantic and arrived amongst a riot of colour and more pumpkins than I’d ever seen before in my life! At home in England, autumn is often drizzly and cold with the threat of the long winter ahead ever present, so it was a real treat to escape to Baltimore for ten days where we were once again warmly enveloped by Kim and Mary and their wonderful family and friends. Some of this same gorgeous group - Yama, Matt, Sarah and Ceara once again worked valiantly to support FaerieCon in Philadelphia, which also became a great opportunity to meet up with our beloved Artists, make new friends and spend a little time with those we hold so dear. I think the extremely charming Charles Vess deserves a medal for driving there and back with us, as no one had warned the gorgeous chap how much I can natter! The Faerie Magazine booth was magical and welcomed everyone so beautifully, including our dearest Linda and Jo with their handsome hubbies John and Bob, whom we had invited over from the UK. The special folk from the Spoutwood Farm Fairie Festival and especially Lynne, Bibi, Posie, Missy and Sweet Pea thankfully brought their earthy elemental energy with them, making us all feel much more comfortable and we were both in tears when the Beloved Order of the Greenman, led by Rob and Shane, honoured Drew by surprising him with membership, before blessing all the vendors attending, as is their marching custom at the Mayday Festival! There are so many wondrous people to mention, including some of our Enchanted Folk - it meant so much to us when EF members came to the Faerie Magazine booth to find us - thank you to dear Sarah Costanzo, Giovanna, Ash Evans, Judy Mastrangelo, Sue Miller and the beautiful Dancing Hands. A Big Thank You to Everyone who joined in the fun with us and to Robert, Emilio, Kelly, Kimmy, Norm and the adorable Ari for organising this new event. It was such a busy weekend, that we only managed flying hugs with some of the special guests, Wendy, Brian, Kinuko, John and Caitlin. As we flew past Jasmine and Matty for a quick catch up, both of us instantly decided that we wanted to adopt that cute couple! Through the three days we rocked our faerie socks off, especially to The Gypsy Nomads - Scott and Samantha’s music still thrills our old cottage. Jess was stunning as always, beautiful Brigid, Jane SW and Linda B were delightful company once again and dear Dorothy Wallace, Suzanne Farmer, Renae Taylor and Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s elegant art was even more fantastic to see up close. If I’ve missed mentioning anyone, Please forgive me and to everyone who travelled so far, dressed up for the Balls, played so amazingly and worked so very, very hard – you are really appreciated and made happy memories for us all to treasure, for which we are enormously grateful.
  We spent the following week with Faerie Magazine, planning the year ahead - including the launch of Uniting Kingdoms - and managing to celebrate Drew’s birthday in memorable style with our very dear friends.
            Soon after arriving back in the Cotswolds, we turned hosts ourselves, holding another gathering in our home for the UK Artists over a weekend that felt more like a family retreat, and was even blessed by visitors who had flown over from the States. To the Falling of the Leaves, our special ceremony blessed and bound us together once again with much merriment, mischief and magic to see us through the wintertime…”

   As we begin a new year, this Enchanted Folk social network site continues to bring together the FaeSpace Community online and it is thrilling to see all the friendships being made as people celebrate, support and encourage other like-minded souls. Like our adored Faerie Magazine, Enchanted Folk is becoming a beacon for believers to belong to. Both are places where we can escape, reflect, connect and create - Drew and I feel deep gratitude for all these glorious gifts of comfort and inspiration and wish all you dear Enchanted Folk, your families and friends, a wonderful year ahead -

Keep Living in the Magic and Thank you Always for your Belief,
Be

This gentle man is much respected and admired as a fantasy artist, colleague and teacher. Larry Elmore’s wonderful art is extremely popular in the comic book, gaming and role-playing genres, has been published for many years and is also highly esteemed in the fantasy world. He has such a friendly warmth about him and great humour, it’s no wonder that his art classes are so beloved and enjoyed by some of the fantastic artists here on EF! Larry has that rare gift of being able to paint and draw in his own right so amazingly, but can also teach, nourish and inspire other artists too. You can see his awesome portfolio at www.larryelmore.com
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(photos here) As the sun drops lower in the sky and we are getting nearer to the winter solstice than the summer one, I mourn the loss of the sunlight for many reasons. We have three birdbaths outside our backdoor, and as the sun comes around to its daily resting place in the west, it pours in through our kitchen window during the afternoon and causes the most fascinating effect on the water in these bowls. If there is the slightest whisper of a breeze, then the reflected light will bounce off the ripples that are almost imperceptible to the eye, and this results in beautiful shimmering patterns that cast shadows on the kitchen ceiling. They are wonderful, all shades of white light, constantly mowing and mesmerising to look at. Sadly, as we get nearer to the wintertime, the sun struggles to get a peep into this window and I know I’ll have to wait until our part of the earth awakes again next year. It is such an odd phenomenon but one that is a delight to me and, of course, mix those dancing light patterns with the rainbows (refracted prisms from all the crystals hanging up) as well, and I think even the faeries would be impressed!