calling all fairy carpenters

Fanciful Fairy Furniture. Say that three times, fast!
Come over to the studio and make tiny little rustic chairs, tables, beds and other things to furnish your Fairy house (or a sweet display on a shelf). We'll show you how to put together twigs, moss and leaves to create truly fanciful little pieces that will tickle your imagination and make you smile every time you look at it!

By the way, this class is not just for kids…it's open to everyone ages 7 - 107. So come on over and make some Fairy magic!

(This class is now closed)

Did you miss the annual Fairy House Tour? No worries, come next week!

Today's Fairy House Walking Tour  through the Hollywood district was full of magical architecture, Fairy tales and Pixie Dust. We even discovered a few homes that weren't on the map!

Because so many people couldn't make the weekday tour, we've added another one next Saturday morning, August 22nd, from 10am-noon.

(And I've redrawn the map to include even more homes!)

This year's map lists more than 27 Fairy dwellings, in about a 10 block radius around Camp Cactus Studio.

 What better way to spend the last Saturday of summer vacation?

The tour is open to all ages, but you must be able to walk a fair distance (about a mile in all).

Children are free with an accompanying (paying) adult.

I hope you can join us for this very special and magical event.

If we're lucky, we may even see a Fairy or two!

Saturday, August 22nd   10 am - noon                   $25 
(discounts for multiple attendees)

All ages.  Please note: Children under 6 must be accompanied by a paying adult. 

Meet at Camp Cactus Studio, 4458 NE Brazee.

 The tour will begin at 10:15. See you there!

number of attendees

one attendee $25.00 USD two attendees $40.00 USD three attendees $50.00 USD

A few spaces are still available in the last class of the Summer Session:

Papier Mache Sculpture

A fun introduction to the art of papier mache, we'll use paint, paper and glue to create cool sculptures.
All materials provided. Please note: There was a typo on some of the printed class schedules. Correction: This class is two sessions, and times are 1-3 pm.
Two 2-hour sessions:
Friday, August 21st          1 - 3 pm          cost: $35
and
Monday, August 24th       1 - 3 pm
Ages 7- adult  • Class size is limited to 8 students  •  Preregistration required

Sorry, this class is now closed.

Build your own Fairy Dream House!

We'll be working some magic in the studio this afternoon. Come and join us…we have a few spaces available, still!

Fantastical Fairy Architecture

Along with our imagination, we'll use natural, recycled and found materials to design and build tiny dwellings for those magical beings who live all around us. Feel free to bring materials from your own garden, such as pinecones, acorns, pebbles and seed pods.

We'll provide ample building materials for everyone.

This 3-hour class is open to everyone ages 7-100!

Friday, August 15th     1 - 4 pm                       cost: $35

Ages 7- adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

This class is now closed

fairy house walking tour

It's almost time for the third annual Hollywood Fairy House Tour! Join us this Thursday, August 14th, from 1-3 in the afternoon. We'll meet at Camp Cactus Studio and take a guided tour around the neighborhood to see a number of magical structures built by the local Fairies…

These are maps from years past...I'm getting ready to draw this year's map right after I finish this post.

Here's a photo of a house on last year's tour.

I hope you can join us for this very special and magical event.

 If we're lucky, we may even see a Fairy or two!

Thursday, August 14th   1-3pm                    $25

All ages. Please note: Children under 6 are free, but must be accompanied by a paying adult.

This class is now closed

Click here for a map to Camp Cactus Studio.

Here's a little glimpse into what I've been up to in the studio...

the buckman art show and sell

I'm excited to again be one of 130 artists showing and selling our work at the 22nd Annual Buckman Art Show this year.  Buckman Arts Magnet Elementary is an arts-focused public school here in Portland
with a wonderful arts curriculum and fantastic and dedicated teachers and parents.
The show helps raise money to support the Buckman PTA, which in turn supports the arts program at the school.
I'll be showing and selling lots of new, one of a kind Fairy Fashions
(which will be available in the Fairy Atelier shop until the day before the sale)
Click here to buy up until then. In the meantime, here's a sneak preview:

Gladiola's Fairy Shoes

Skylark's Fairy Dress

Hawk's Fairy Boots

The show is only two days: Friday evening, April 13th ~ 5:00 - 9:00 pm

and Saturday, April 14th ~ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

it's a very short window to see lots of talented artists, 

including many past and current Camp Cactus Sale alumni:

Darris Dietz

Alex Wijnen

Hadley Hutton

Holly Hestand

Jeff Bohrer

Michelle Gallagher

Susan Hurst

Julie Jetton

Lori Presthus

here's how to get there:

View Larger Map

I'll be hanging out there both days...hope to see you!

shoe fairies!

The Fabulous Fairy Footwear class on Saturday was such fun, the designers came back Sunday morning to finish off their creations:

The designers went to town embellishing their footwear with wild colors, embroidery and silk flowers

When the shoes were finished, the girls wrote notes to the fairy who built a house on the path outside my studio...

Maybe the fairies will write back!

spring break fairy and drawing workshops!

There are still a few spaces available for our spring break classes this week...

New!    Let's Explore Drawing!

An Open Studio where kids can come and draw to their heart's content in a supportive, non-critical environment.
Artists are free to choose from a variety of materials such as charcoal, graphite, ink, crayon, pastels, markers and colored pencils; and various visual sources such as photographs and still life.
All materials provided.

Saturday, March 26th (Spring Break)       1-3 pm     $25 
Ages 6 - 14 • Class size is limited • Preregistration required

choose date(s)

February 26th $25.00 March 26th $25.00

Fantastical Fairy Architecture

Along with our imagination, we’ll use natural, recycled and found materials to design and build tiny dwellings for those magical beings who live all around us. Feel free to bring materials from your own garden, such as pinecones, acorns or seed pods.
We’ll provide ample building materials for everyone.
This 3-hour class is open to everyone ages 7-100.

Thursday, March 24th (spring break)       1 - 4 pm   $35
Ages 7 - 107 • Class size is limited • Preregistration required

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Fanciful Fairy Furniture

Come and use twigs and moss and leaves and flowers to build a tiny chair or a bed or table (or whatever else you might be inspired to create to furnish a fairy house or garden).
Set your imagination free and let it fly!
All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own materials for embellishments, like acorns and moss and leaves from your garden.

Friday, March 25th  1 - 3 pm   $25
Ages 7 - 107 • Class size is limited • Preregistration required

eat your heart out, Imelda Marcos

Here's the latest crop of Fairy shoes...

It just occurred to me today that if my feet were only this tiny, I could have as many shoes as I'd like!

These little shoes and more will be in my booth this weekend at the Wild Arts Festival 

stop by and check it out, it's a benefit for
 the Portland Audubon Society.

august classes!

It's been so busy around the studio lately, I'm afraid I've fallen behind getting out the news on classes. It's the beginning of August, and summer's half over already! As I type this, it's a cloudy and cool morning, and I'm hoping for the sun to peek out soon...on the plus side, the clouds keep us cooled off, but I'm sure wishing for some cheery sunshine!

Fantastical Fairy Architecture

Along with our imaginations, we'll use natural, recycled and found materials to design and build tiny dwellings for those magical beings who live all around us. Feel free to bring materials from your own woods or gardens, such as pine cones, acorns or seed pods to decorate your abode if you like, but we'll provide ample building materials for everyone.

(ages 7 - 100)

Register by Friday, August 6th

Saturday, August 7th • 1-4 pm

$35

* * * * * * * * * *

Magical Fairy Wands and Accessories

Make a sparkly magical wand or handy little pouch to hold your pixie dust (included) and help your fairy tales come alive! All materials provided.

(ages 6 - 100)

Register by Monday, August 9th

Wednesday, August 11th • 1-3 pm

$25

Hope to see you in the studio soon...let's make some sunshine!

to reserve your space,

email Jane and the fairies here: campcactusmail{at}yahoo{dot}com

or call: 503.347.2319

fairy architecture 101

Last week, I was joined in the studio by four very creative kids eager to build houses for the fairies who inhabit their gardens. They all had very definite ideas of what features their fairies would like in their homes, and figured out how to make them.

These girls collaborated on their houses.

This one had a swing, a ladder to the second floor, and monkey bars

(because fairies love to play!)

She built a beautiful beach house for her fairies, who obviously need a vacation spot.

Here's house number two, a modified teepee.

It has two stories, a ladder, a nest and a hammock

for lazy summer afternoons...

This one comes furnished with deep, fluffy moss carpets,

plates and platters, and a slide!

fairy furniture this saturday!

We'll be making fairy furniture in the studio again

on Saturday from 1-3. So far only girls have been interested, but I'd love to have some boys sign up some time.

Just think: we could make thrones for the Elf King!

Stools for Leprechauns! Ladders for Dwarves!

Fairies are not all about just flowers and pixie dust, you know.

They can be very fierce creatures.

Like this one:

(image borrowed from here)

and let's not forget him, perhaps the most famous fairy of them all:

(Sorry, Tinkerbell - The Tooth came first!)

And on that note, here's a schedule of summer classes:

(click on the image to enlarge)

sunshine & fairy slippers

It's a sunny spring morning here at Camp Cactus, in the usually rainy Pacific Northwest...

These tiny little fairy slippers are made of real spring tulip petals and cedar tips.

They'll be in my etsy shop this afternoon!

fairy furniture!

Yesterday marked the first of (hopefully) many classes at Camp Cactus. Two very lovely students and one very patient mom joined me in the studio to make fairy furniture.

First, some research on garden fairies...

Janice admiring her daughter's handiwork

Sometimes it takes more than two hands

You have to blow on the glue to cool it down

Kaleigh building a four-poster fairy bed

Claire making a canopy of crow feathers for her bed

The finished products

I think there are going to be some very happy fairies soon!

Next Saturday's class:

Design Your Own Prayer Flags

Click here for more information.

Come on over to Camp Cactus and make something!

fairy godmothers and other friends

A few days ago Gay from the lovely blog, I Dreamed I Saw included my Autumn Fairy Gown in her post Tiny Things, Big Party!

Go check out the other lovely things highlighted in her post, especially this artist's work: Nicole Dextras, from Granville Island in Vancouver, BC. It's stunning!

Oh, and the Autumn Fairy Gown print and others are available now in the Camp Cactus Etsy shop! Stay tuned... the actual gowns will be for sale soon, too.

fairy seasons

I've been working on some new gowns for those demanding fairies, because apparently there are lots of seasonal Fairy Events that require new ensembles...

like the Autumnal Masquerade Ball...

and the Winter Solstice Soiree.

I'll have limited edition prints of these gowns available in the etsy shop this weekend, and stay tuned for the Spring and Summer styles, coming next week!

yay!

One of my Fairy Closets is featured in an etsy Treasury today...stop by and check it out! It will be up until Saturday at this address:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=88190

This beautiful treasury was curated by Kristin at Love Art Works.

Thanks, Kristin!