One of the things I always try to do when I’m out in nature is clean up trash and clear debris. To my absolute surprise there wasn’t any trash down by the spring. But there was a lot of fallen branches and leaves choking the path of the water. We had a lot of snow fall in the canyon this year, so many of the trees just couldn’t handle all the extra winter weight. While pulling the Alder branches out of the spring, all of the pollen bursted into the air in large yellow clouds. It made me think of how artist back in the day used pollens as pigments for paint and fiber dye. I pictured the people who made their artist signature back in caves. They would put their hand on the wall and splatter the pigment over their hand and onto the wall. This left the stencil of their participation in the pictorial history painted 0n the cave walls. Of coarse I had to get funky and creative while I was energizing myself down at the spring… So I gathered the pollen and found the perfect rock to slap a high five. “I was here”

While Miss Fi and I frolicked by the sacred spring I set the White Winged Gourd Fairy out to fly and wake up the forest from its long winter nap.



Do you want this gourd fairy to fly into your life? Then you have to catch her at www.MissFiKingdom.etsy.com

It is a spring time ritual to go the bottom of Sheep Canyon. There is a very special spring quietly bubbling through the forest. I decided that my fairy friends would like to come with me.

Last year I wrote some romantic and silly (and might I suggest a little Tantric?) prose for Valentine’s Day. This year I’ve been busy turning them into cards, shadow boxes, photo holders and tins. And even though I’m posting these items on Etsy in hopes that they sell for Valentine’s Day I hope that you will find these tokens of affection appropriate for many other occasions, like weddings, anniversaries, or for just because.

My heart was my guide, creating images that would turn the poems into more than just words on a page. Put these unique gifts in your Etsy shopping cart and let love fill your heart. Let Love Rule!

To show how happy I am that we are starting 2009, Miss Fi’s Kingdom is now shipping Internationally. This is a big step for me because I know that it will be a challenge to get my products around the world. I’ve noticed that I have a lot of interest in my etsy shop coming from international sellers and buyers. I myself am drawn to a lot of international artist on etsy as well. So in order to get more customers I’m offering shipping EVERYWHERE.

Now, I know that this news won’t affect many of my blog readers (I don’t know how many people around the world are actually reading… If there are any of you out there, THANKS) so I’ve changed the price of shipping on all of my products. A discount on shipping is given when you buy more than one item from my etsy shop. So come and check out my new shipping costs at Miss Fi’s Kingdom.

Thanks and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR

It’s the final count down, for the Christmas morning present tear down. In our family’s case the carnage starts on Christmas Eve. Many of us have had to scale back on making grand gestures with expensive gifts due to the economy. This year also marks, a shift in eco-awareness about how we present our gifts. How can we save trees, money, and space in the landfill? Many of us are seeking out the best way to make memorable eco-friendly presentations for our heartfelt gifts. In this two-part blog, I will share some eco-fairy ways to celebrate the pleasure of unwrapping gifts. In part I will examine gift bags and wrapping paper. Part II will include some fun ways to recycle trash into clever eco-friendly containers and a hilarious way to give greenbacks and a green message.

Lets start with the classics wrapping paper and gift bags. We all know that gift bags are versatile and pretty. They’re really just fast and easy fixes for packaging gifts, that don’t require sharp objects crisp folded edges and tape. The good news is that just because they are made from paper doesn’t mean we should abandon their easy- to- fill construction. Gift bags should always be recycled, but not by the city recycling department. We should reuse them until their bottoms fall out. By reusing gift bags we are keeping them out of the landfill. Hurray! This closes the loop on the cycle of, buy, use, and then toss. Save the bags that don’t get trashed in the excitement of unwrapping. Bag swap with friends and family. For eco-fairies, “Old to you is new to me.”

Wrapping paper isn’t so easy to keep reusing but these ideas might have you folding and taping till your hearts content without feeling guilty about using paper by the rolls. I’m not going to tell you never buy wrapping paper but I will say this: choose wisely. It should make you react in Joy. Pick something that makes a real statement. Save the paper after the presents has been opened. Be an eco-fairy and reuse the paper for scrap booking, cards, and covering storage containers. Go greener and get a roll of plain brown recycled paper and make your own wrapping paper. If you have kids get them involved in painting, stamping, and glittering. The possibilities are endless and the paper becomes a little work of art. You can also start to look around your house or office for paper. Newspaper, magazines and your child’s school art are all great starts. In the end if the eco-friendly paper sounds like ripping paper as they tear into the package then, mission accomplished.

Now it is time to talk about unconventional present presentations; which happens to be my favorite part. I have three eco-fairy ideas ready for you to try out. First project, Take-out. That’s right, save those take-out containers. Many of them make great boxes. Think, Chinese To-Go boxes. If you quickly wash and wipe dry a to-go box that had steamed rice you could be half way done with a unique and truly recycled way to package a gift. My favorite container comes from the deli counter. Those clean, clear plastic containers make fresh and simple homes for fantastic gifts. Start by washing and removing the labels from the container. If the label won’t come off clean, use paper, fabric, or stickers to cover it up. Fill the container with shredded paper, raffia, or tissue paper and add your gift and a note. Close it and tie ribbons. Just don’t forget to recycle the container afterwards.

My second idea doubles as a second gift and a craft project. Save coffee cans or soup cans and remove their labels. At this point you can cover the tins in paper, photos, paint, or fabric. Or you can leave it as a craft project for the receiver of the gift. Fill the tin with your gift, wrapping it in tissue as needed. Then wrap up the tin in fabric
eco-friendly paper. Tie ribbons at the top and you are ready to go. Once the gift is opened they can use the tin to hold office supplies, candies, or bathroom goodies. Eco-fairies can never have to many storage containers.

My third idea is an eco- remake on a classic presentation/prank my grandma Gracie pulled on my brother, Ian. My grandma gave my brother a huge beautifully wrapped present. Inside of it was one roll of toilet paper. What? I know we were confused too. Did Granny fall of her rocker? After a little hint from Grandma Ian started to unroll the T.P. After a couple of rolls one-dollar bills started to fall out. Ian really scored that year and we all had a great laugh. Why not recreate this Christmas prank with an eco-fairy twist? Buy a package of eco-friendly recycle toilet paper. You’re only using one roll, so you can use the rest or give the whole pack with the money as kind of a boobie prize. Get your hands on the cash. Small bills work the best because they draw out the excitement of the reveal. Carefully unroll the toilet paper at least a quarter to half way. Then start rolling the money and the T.P back up, trying to keep it even and looking like it hadn’t been unrolled. Make sure that you give yourself enough at the end to do a couple rolls with out the money. Replace it in the pack and wrap. Or seek into the bathroom and replace the old roll with the money T.P. Or wrap just the money roll up with a lot of bells and whistles, like my grandma did. Then wait… and enjoy the reactions the look of confusion, disgust, and then pleasure on Ian’s face is forever “wrapped up” in my Christmas memories. More importantly than buying eco-friendly T.P, the key to making this an eco-fairy prank, is using the roll that had the money in it!

Well I hope I opened your eyes to some eco-friendly and funny ways to wrap up the joy this holiday. If you have other ideas or want to share your experience of trying one of these ideas out, Please post a comment or a photo

I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to create fairies and send and eco-friendly message (I am after all an eco-fairy!). What better way to physically represent fairies, then with natural elements? These tiny gourds are just the right size to create the plump little bodies of woodland pixies. Their pear shaped bodies, echo ancient images of goddesses throughout time. I molded polymer clay, into the shape of a wise grandmother’s face. The fairy’s skin glimmers as if they where caught dancing in the light of the moon and stars. Their details of wire and gilding are simple, but it is the message in their wings that should have you pondering about the magic of these fairies.

The wings of these fairies don’t come from nature, but from our world of consumption. They’re trash. Plastic tissue paper that I saved, rather than sending it to the landfill. It sends a quiet message about the three R’s on conservation (reduce, recycle, reuse). Think about it; the natural part of these fairies will someday return to dust but the plastic of their wings will flutter about this planet forever. I’m hoping that these gourd fairies make us think about our consumption of plastics. We have to be vigilant about recycling and coming up with cost effective alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics.

Want one these quiet reminders of the balance between nature and man’s trash? Go to my Etsy store, Miss Fi’s Kingdom

Still haven’t gone to Esty to become a member? I know, I know, one more thing to have to sign up and make a profile for, right? But I think Etsy is worth spending a couple minutes on the computer. So I’m going to state my case for Etsy and my shop, MissFiKingdom. Plus I will give you some helpful hints that I’ve been picking up on the way.

Etsy is a great place to see what handmade artists are doing around the world. Color trends, fashion trends, and retro flashbacks are updated daily on Etsy. You can network with talented artist and buyers. Etsy even offers online crafting classes, competitions, forums, workshops, and critiques.

I think one of the most unique things about Etsy is, Alchemy. As a buyer you can post what you want made and how much you want to pay for it. As a seller you can respond with a proposal to the buyer. Check it out and you will see it is a great place to find a truly handmade one-of-a-kind item.

Finally Etsy has great support! They are quick to resolve any questions and concerns buyers and sellers have. They have a great track record with me. I sent more than my fair share of questions when I was starting my Etsy Shop. Every time I got a quick response. I got answers that had links to even more information and online feedback from others at Esty. It isn’t just the Etsy support staff that is helpful! I’ve gained a lot of helpful free advice about the art of running a business through convos with other artists on Etsy.

So now that I have you all excited and ready to be a member of Etsy let me give you some pointers on your account setup. Here is the link to register with etsy, https://www.etsy.com/register.php . Choose your username wisely and read the advice Etsy gives on names. Use your imagination this isn’t a work email account. Don’t forget to use “MissFiKingdom” as your Etsy Referral. Most importantly take the time to set up your profile and download an avatar. Sign in to your account and go to “My Etsy”. This is your information hub. Select “Public Profile” to get started with a brief Bio. In your profile include things like; what handmade art you like, what are you shopping for (jewelry, eco-friendly art), what crafts do you like to do, who do you shop for (myself, grandchildren). Not everything in a profile is necessary if you aren’t selling, but putting some kind of information gives people an idea of whom you are and what you are interested in. It is very helpful to sellers like me, who want to know who is buying or looking at their shop. An avatar is the little picture that accompanies your username. It is your icon whenever you buy something, posting a comment in a blog, or “heart” someone. It can be a picture or a graphic of anything. Whatever it is, an avatar should reflect you (and not violate etsy’s policies). If you don’t upload an image then your initial will be your avatar.

Now that you have created an account on Etsy… Will you “heart” me? Go to my shop, http://www.MissFiKingdom.etsy.com and add me as one of you favorites and “heart this seller”. When you “heart” an artist you are giving them kudos and warm fuzzies. By “hearting” you are expanding the seller’s network of possible clients. Famous companies, investors, and most importantly Martha Stewart use Etsy as a treasure trove! By actively participating on Etsy, you can have a deciding role in the outcome of an up and coming artist. So I’m asking you to help me by “hearting” my shop and the items in it. When you “heart” me my network grows and more and more people will come to my shop. When you “heart” an item it gives me an idea of what potential buyers are really interested in. It is a good way to for me to chart the interests in my shop.

Want to get a little handmade treasure from Miss Fi? Be one of the first 20 people to post a comment under this blog posting, http://www.missfikingdom.com/blog/ . Include your new username for Etsy and what you found surfing Etsy and Miss Fi’s and/ or “heart” Miss Fi’s Kingdom and you will get a free bookmark. (bookmarks shown on the www.missfikingdom.com home page and will be randomly picked). No need to include your address… I will contact you to get that information. Don’t forget to come back here and comment under this blog!

Curtis brought home some; tea bags, stir sticks, and instant coffee after a business meeting. Of course I tucked the tea away but the “coffee stuff” sat on my kitchen counter for weeks because we aren’t big coffee drinkers and we when we do make coffee we use spoons to stir not disposable utensils. Right? Not using disposables is one of the ways to positively impact the environment and reduce your waste. I didn’t want to send them to the landfill, but they were going to end up in my cabinets collecting dust. I knew I wasn’t going to use them in the kitchen, so…

I put my recycling cap on and started think about how I could transform these silly wooden sticks into something more use full, more entertaining, and hopefully send a message about looking at the items we use and toss in a new way. I thought about all the items we use to make coffee and tea; stir sticks, tea bags, coffee filters, individual packets of sugar and creamer. Many of them we just use once and toss. I pulled out a coffee filter and stir sticks and started to let my imagination go. Coffee Fairy! I got my wire out and started to bend and twist the core anatomy of the fairy. I looped hip, neck, and shoulder joints to attach the limbs and head of the fairy. I made a spine, ribcage, and even a spiral heart to fill the space under the dress. Adding cotton balls gave Stacey a little more substance to her body. The sir sticks could make simple stick figure arms and legs. I cut the stir sticks in half and wired them to the fairy’s frame.

A filter would make the most beautiful, fluffy, and chic dress for an eco fairy. The hardest part was coming up with a head and wings for Stacey. I eventually found the right size and shape for her head and figured out the simple lines of the copper wings. Now Stacey the Coffee Fairy is ready to hang on your tree or by your desk. Just be careful not to leave a cup of Joe out, she might just drink it down to the last drop!

I named this one-of-a-kind fairy after my close friend and graphic designer, Stacey Pastor. She has been the reason I have a website and wonderful graphics for Miss Fi’s Kingdom. She has works hard for me. She took my pencil drawings of Miss Fi and my vision of her Kingdom and turned them into pixels and points on her Mac. Stacey LOVES coffee! So when we work she has to have to have a cup of coffee or a latté or two. She is one of the reasons I bought a coffee machine. So I thought naming this fairy ornament, Stacey, would be the perfect tribute to her and all her work for me.

Stacey the Coffee Fairy drank all her coffee and she wants some more! Go to www.MissFiKingdom.etsy.com to purchase this very special ornament. There is more to come from Stacey the Coffee Fairy but this is the 1st of her kind.