NAN SANDERS POKERWINSKI
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HeartWood
A blog about cultivating
creativity, connection and contentment
wherever you are

Fairies and pixies and gnomes, oh my!

2/17/2016

15 Comments

 
As a child, my favorite books were the ones about wandering through the forest and discovering something magical—a key to a hidden treasure chest or a tiny doorway in a tree that led into otherworldly realms. My older brother fueled my fantasies with artifacts he claimed to have found in the woods that bordered our backyard: a pixie's acorn-cap beret, a stone with a hollowed-out depression that could've served as a fairy's washbasin, and once, a miniature bronze goblet that an elf had surely left behind.
PictureCamp Newaygo's Wetland Trail, where visitors just might find a fairy house

Alas, I never found a secret door or gnome house, no matter how I searched those same woods. So you'll understand why I'm excited to learn that I'll soon have a second chance at Camp Newaygo's "Enchanted Forest" event. On April 30 from 3 to 6 pm and May 1 from 2 to 5 pm, visitors to the camp can wander the surrounding forest, with the help of a trail map, to search for fairy and gnome homes.

PictureA high-flying fairy's-eye view of Camp Newaygo

Between now and then, Camp Newaygo—an independent not-for-profit camp located on 104 acres along a chain of lakes in the Manistee National Forest region of mid-western Michigan—is recruiting creative types to fashion one-of-a-kind fairy and gnome dwellings for the event (and for the little creatures that will no doubt inhabit them!).



PictureWhere will this house be hidden, and what kind of magical inhabitants will it attract?

Young visitors will also have a chance to make a fairy wand or gnome hat and to enjoy a tea party. Local greenhouses will be on hand, selling supplies for fairy- or full-sized gardens. The week after the event, the houses will be displayed and auctioned off, with proceeds going to support improvements to the camp's Foster Arts and Crafts Lodge, built in 1949. That's where generations of campers have explored painting, pottery, dark room photography, nature crafts, jewelry making, tie dye design, wood burning and other activities. But the lodge is no longer adequate for the camp's growing number of campers and programs. (In addition to being a girls' residential summer camp and a coed day camp, Camp Newaygo offers year-round community events: dinners, girlfriend getaways, winter sleigh rides and more.)


PictureFoster Arts and Crafts Lodge
"The proposed renovation will maintain the building's integrity and original structure, as well as winterize the facility to include a restroom, heat, insulation and high-efficiency windows," says Christa Smalligan, the camp's events specialist.

PictureWill another fairy house be hidden here?

I love the whole idea of this project, not only because it brings back memories of my childhood imaginings, but also because it showcases our creative community in a way that will benefit this very special place. What's more, the project builds bridges between established artists and young creative spirits.


PictureLang Lodge

This won't be the first time Camp Newaygo has called on Newaygo-area talent. In 2009, the camp started a program called Stone Soup Studio, in which local artists and creative minds designed and made mosaic lamp shades for the newly-renovated Lang Lodge.


"The Enchanted Forest event has allowed us to reach out and provide another opportunity for creativity," says Smalligan. "I'm excited to see the unique perspectives people take in making each fairy home and garden."


PictureValerie Deur and her future pixie palace
You can certainly expect a unique perspective from Valerie Deur, who plans to create a "pixie palace" in a mossy tree stump.

"I believe in little people, and I have a special fondness for pixies," says Deur, who once co-wrote a book about pixies with her daughter and even donned pixie outfits, complete with turned-up-toe slippers, for the photos that illustrate the book.

"I'm thinking of making this house a retirement condo for pixies," she says, "although of course all small creatures would be welcome--pixies don't discriminate."

Valerie and Christa have got me thinking up designs for fairy-sized structures I might make from the twigs, acorn caps, stones and feathers I collect on my walks through the woods, and I caught Ray rummaging through the recycling bin for inspiration the other day. How about you? Can you resist this creative challenge?
The camp would like to have 25 to 30 little houses to hide in the woods, so that's going to take a lot of busy hands and fertile minds between now and April 1, when creations need to be finished and delivered to Camp Newaygo.
 
Here are a few guidelines to follow:
  • Homes must fit a fairy, gnome, pixie or elf that is 1 inch to 6 inches tall
  • Structures may be made of wood, clay, stained glass, felting, twigs, driftwood, wire, or whatever you dream up
  • Houses may be in a container (basket, pot, box) or a stand-alone home (using a base or tray of some kind will make the house more easily transportable to and from the woods)
  • You may incorporate plants—real or artificial
  • Homes must be turned in to Camp Newaygo by April 1
  • Be creative and have fun!
If you plan to make a house or just want more information, please contact Valerie Deur at 231-652-3058 or [email protected] or Christa Smalligan at [email protected].
And mark your calendars for the walks on April 30 and May 1. If you can't make it, rest assured I'll share pictures and details of my enchanted adventure. 

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear about other examples of creativity in service of community, here in Michigan or wherever you live.

15 Comments
Katherine
2/17/2016 09:42:31 am

I look forward to seeing all the creative homes! They sound just the perfect size for my childhood imaginary friends who, by the way, lived in the pictorial curtains in our living room. I'm sure they would have loved a summer camp vacation in one of these woodland homes. I'm counting on you to post pictures!

Reply
Nan link
2/17/2016 12:37:04 pm

You can count on it!

Reply
Emily Everett
2/17/2016 09:57:37 am

Love it! It sounds absolutely magical.

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nan link
2/17/2016 12:37:36 pm

I agree!

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Caitlin Phillips
2/17/2016 11:06:27 am

It will be a fabulous spring event that showcases the magic and beauty of Camp Newaygo. If you've never been out to camp this is the perfect event to get out and explore.

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Nan link
2/17/2016 12:38:17 pm

I can hardly wait, Caitlin!

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J.Q. Rose link
2/17/2016 02:38:38 pm

What a delightful and wondrous project to support the renovation of the crafts lodge. My DH and I worked several summers at the camp--a beautiful, rustic place to enjoy the outdoors. Love the idea of the woods inhabited by fairies and gnomes. Maybe they were the source of the music and giggling in the middle of the nights filtering in through my RV windows? I always thought it was from those adventurous CN girls. Yes, Nan, please post photos of the event and especially of your pixies' dwelling..

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Nan link
2/18/2016 06:22:36 am

I thought this would interest you, Janet. Will you be back in Michigan in time for the event?

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George Waldman
2/18/2016 07:51:34 am

I love this for at least two reasons:
We are settling into a new home in the woods and on a shore and will be exploring it this spring with our grandchildren, looking for other small creatures who have their homes here.
This blog is such a positive and creative way to bring together the energies of those near you and those you have touched in your life and is such a healthy way to continue using your talents, abilities and understandings in a new life.
Inspirational to Mallory and me.

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Nan link
2/18/2016 07:59:46 am

Thank you so much, George! Of course you know that you and Mallory are an inspiration to me, too!

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Susan Stec link
2/18/2016 07:28:32 pm

Oh, this is a childhood dream come true. Makes me want to get involved! I did my fair share of fairy hunts in Trumble, Conn. Grandma encouraged it. ☺️

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Nan link
2/19/2016 12:59:37 pm

Do it, Susan! With your imagination and artistic ability, I know you'd come up with something fantastic.

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Sally Pobojewski
2/20/2016 06:49:41 am

I've never heard of Camp Newaygo until now. It sounds fantastic!
And it reminds me how much I miss Michigan. No forests like this in the Chicago metro area, I'm afraid. Love your blog, Nancy!

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Nan link
2/20/2016 07:09:57 am

It really is a beautiful place, Sally. Maybe you can time your next Michigan visit to coincide with one of their events -- that would be fun!

Glad you're enjoying the blog.

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Sue Schneider
3/20/2016 12:26:58 pm

My granddaughter, 9, and I have had a great time collecting items in the woods and making the fairy house. It's a fun project for us to collaborate. She really wanted to make a bed, so she sewed one and we created a flower garden and a hammock for fairies to take a break in comfort, complete with milkweed silk and seeds. Nan, this blog is such a joy to read. I'm enjoying learning more about you through your memoirs. Really enjoyed the slide show. Great work!

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    Nan Sanders Pokerwinski, a former journalist, writes memoir and personal essays, makes collages and likes to play outside. She lives in West Michigan with her husband, Ray.

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