A feather charm hanging from a beautiful turquoise stone. Charm and
stone together are a little over two inches. Hung from a 24 inch
antiqued chain with lobster clasp.

WAYS TO ENTER

Visit Bright-Eyed Bear's Studio and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is and why! Mandatory. 1 entry.

Like Bright-Eyed Bear's Studio on facebook.. 2 entries.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. 1 entry each.

Follow Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe on blogger, facebook, or twitter. 1 entry each.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post describing the way(s) you entered and the number of entries you have made.

FINE PRINT

The winner will be announced on January 11th. Winners will be announced on this blog, and those who have provided email or other contact means will be contacted. If the winner is not heard from within 48 hours a new one will be chosen.

The winning entry will be chosen via Random.org

Giveaways are only available in the US (so sorry to the rest of the world, but the sponsors have to pay out of pocket for shipping!)

If you are under 18, you must have a parent's permission to enter.

Ear cuffs are a super-cute option for people without peirced ears... or for those who like a hint of the unusual!

Meri Greenleaf of Elfling Creations is giving away this unique, Christmas-themed ear cuff! You just slide it onto your ear-- it's quite comfortable.

WAYS TO ENTER

Visit Elfling Creations's shop and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is! Mandatory. 1 entry.

Like Elfling Creations on facebook, follow Meri Greenleaf on twitter, or follow Elbit Blog. 2 entries each.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. 1 entry each.

Follow Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe on blogger, facebook, or twitter. 1 entry each.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post describing the way(s) you entered and the number of entries you have made.

FINE PRINT

The winner will be announced on January 11th. Winners will be announced on this blog, and those who have provided email or other contact means will be contacted. If the winner is not heard from within 48 hours a new one will be chosen.

The winning entry will be chosen via Random.org

Giveaways are only available in the US (so sorry to the rest of the world, but the sponsors have to pay out of pocket for shipping!)

If you are under 18, you must have a parent's permission to enter.

This is a really cute cell hand clutch, or mini purse.

I crocethed this bag in "I Love This Wool" yarn in the color "denim". It is a varigated yarn in hues of blue. The yarn is 93% wool and 7% polyamide.

After I crocheted the bag, I felted it.

The purse measures 3" wide by 4 1/4" tall.

The flap closes with a blue leaf shaped button.

This is a one of a kind bag.

WAYS TO ENTER

Visit Luv 'n Craft's shop and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is! Mandatory. 1 entry.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. 1 entry each.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post describing the way(s) you entered and the number of entries you have made.

FINE PRINT

The winner will be announced on January 11th. Winners will be announced on this blog, and those who have provided email or other contact means will be contacted. If the winner is not heard from within 48 hours a new one will be chosen.

The winning entry will be chosen via Random.org

Giveaways are only available in the US (so sorry to the rest of the world, but the sponsors have to pay out of pocket for shipping!)

If you are under 18, you must have a parent's permission to enter.

I recently did some typography design for the Ink and Fairydust magazine-- my all-time favorite Lord of the Rings quote.

 The typography will be featured as part of an article on the importance of fairytales. Enjoy your SNEAK PEEK at the January/February issue!

The article didn't include my favorite part of the quote (and I'm going to talk to the other staff about including it...)

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That's there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.

This quote has always meant a lot to me. You can see how much it inspired my Frodo and Sam drawing (which, in my opinion, I've yet to top... not because it's a brilliant drawing, but because it's brilliant subject matter. Thank you, Tolkien!) If you want to see the picture larger, click here.

And since I'm in the process of giving the world sneak-peeks, just look at this gorgeous cover artwork for the Jan/Feb issue! I'm very excited to announce that two incredibly talented young illustrators have joined the Ink and Fairydust crew. This painting was done by Mary Sullivan (check out her art blog!).

Today I would like to introduce you to Erika Heins, a talented artist with a love of Tolkien. She wrote this lovely guest post about what Tolkien's writings mean to her. Visit her Etsy shop for more artwork, and be sure to enter the notecard giveaway here at the Faerie Shoppe (ends Jan 10th).
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Hello there! My name is Erika Heins. I’m an English teacher and an artist with a special love for the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. My ventures into Tolkien illustration started with a poem I had written for my best friend, celebrating our friendship and comparing it to Frodo and Sam’s. It was an ambitious project, more than two feet wide with calligraphy, trees, several Tolkien characters, and a border of rope in elaborate knots. Since then, I’ve done many Tolkien pieces, almost all of them featuring words as well as images. Somehow I can’t seem to depict such rich literature without keeping some of the words in my picture. 

Companionship by Erika Heins, first LotR peice

I’ve been trying to figure out what, exactly, it is about Tolkien’s writings that captures my heart—because they do, more than any other work of fiction. Certainly, part of his stories’ appeal is his characters—lovable, flawed, and intensely realistic. And then there are his settings—rich enough to inspire generations of artists. Probably one of my favorite elements of his work is his themes. In one of my English classes, my students and I recently studied a list of universal themes, and together we were able to find examples of nearly every theme in The Lord of the Rings.

All of these things make his stories unforgettable and powerful. But I think that the single element that I find most inspiring is his sense of the “big picture.” From the first pages of The Silmarillion to the appendices of The Return of the King, Tolkien takes hundreds of characters in different locations and ages of the world, and weaves their individual struggles, failures, and triumphs into one grand story with one grand point—that good is ultimately better and stronger than evil, no matter how weak it may appear to be. We learn about his “big picture” most directly from Sam, in his musings toward the end of The Two Towers about what it means to be part of a story. He thinks back to the legends he’s heard from The Silmarillion and exclaims, “Why, we’re in the same tale still!” Tolkien does not make it too hard for us to imagine that we, too, are still in the story ourselves.

"We are Your Friends, Frodo." artwork by Erika Heins

  I’m a firm believer in the “big picture.” I think I always have been, but Tolkien’s work (and specifically, that one dialogue between Frodo and Sam) helped me discover that my favorite way to think about life is as a story. I was thrilled to recently discover a philosophical term for this concept—metanarrative. In down-to-earth terms, a metanarrative is simply a huge, overarching “story line” that we use to describe our beliefs about the world and our place in it.


It’s not that I think of my own life as a little self-contained story, with its own beginning, middle, climax, and end. Rather, like Sam pointed out about his role in Tolkien’s story, our individual lives play parts in the telling of a greater story—a story that began with Creation and will end with the Return of the King of Heaven and Earth. Many people feel that when things go inexplicably wrong, God cannot be in control or He cannot be good. But, as Sam pointed out, not everyone in a story comes to “a good end." Like hobbits, we like our peace and happiness; but, after all, there comes a time when the Teller of our metanarrative may require more of us. Instead of setting a goal of living in as much comfort as possible, perhaps our goal should be to play our part as nobly as possible, no matter what that part may be. Knowing that we are a part of a bigger story is often exactly what's needed to give us the courage to step out and face whatever waits around the bend--and to keep going when the adventure includes Barrow-wights, spiders, or just going without a second breakfast or two.

Tolkien Quotes Notecard Set

This set of four beautiful notecards and envelopes feature four quotations from various poems and songs found in J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. This set features four blank 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" notecards, one each of four designs. The images are scanned and laser-printed from the original pen and ink drawings, and have been printed on high-quality cardstock. The package arrives sealed in a plastic sleeve. The quotes and images are as follows:

"Deep roots are not reached by the frost"--an image of a snow-covered tree revealing its root system

"But all the while I sit and think of times there were before, I listen for returning feet and voices at the door."--an image of Bilbo (after his adventures, of course) seated in front of his fire on a cozy evening

"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began; now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow, if I can."--a hobbit hole, opened to reveal the road running down past the garden and the neighbors' homes, off toward a mysterious mountain in the distance

"Not all those who wander are lost"--an Elven maiden who has come upon a hidden waterfall in the forest

ENVELOPES MAY VARY SLIGHTLY FROM THOSE SHOWN.       

One of my favorites-- and it's not even the most impressive, she has some astounding watercolors-- is Sam's Song. Sam is my favoritest Hobbit. He is so steadfast and goodhearted. Click to see a larger image.

Erika wrote a guest post about what Tolkien's writings mean to her. Look for it on the blog this evening.

WAYS TO ENTER

Visit ErikaHeins's shop and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is, and why! Mandatory. 1 entry.

Tell me what your favorite Tolkien story is, how The Lord of the Rings has been an inspiration to you, etc. 1 entry.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. 1 entry each.

Follow Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe on blogger, facebook, or twitter. 1 entry.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post describing the way(s) you entered and the number of entries you have made.

FINE PRINT

The winner will be announced on January 11th. Winners will be announced on this blog, and those who have provided email or other contact means will be contacted. If the winner is not heard from within 48 hours a new one will be chosen.

The winning entry will be chosen via Random.org

Giveaways are only available in the US (so sorry to the rest of the world, but the sponsors have to pay out of pocket for shipping!)

If you are under 18, you must have a parent's permission to enter.

ELF PRINCESS
She dances merrily through a meadow of lavender and wild roses, her long dark hair smelling faintly of sandalwood as the wind brushes through her fair form. Fragrance was inspired by Tolkien's beautiful elf characters Luthien and Arwen.

This scent is a best-seller! Main notes of lavender, roses, and sandalwood - a soft pretty floral scent, fit for a princess!

You will receive a 4ml bottle (1 dram) wrapped and ribbon-ed with tissue paper.

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Sarawen perfume oils are:

~ Made with skin-caring rice bran oil, fragrance and essential oils.

~ Cruelty-free, 100% vegan, tested only on friends, not animals!

~ Hand-blended

Shake gently before applying!

Perfume oils have been used for centuries by both ladies and gentlemen, and are the ideal alternative to harsh, modern, preservative-laden formulas.

WAYS TO ENTER

Visit Sarawen's Etsy Shop or her own website and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is! Mandatory. 1 entry.

Like Sarawen on facebook, follow Sarawen on twitter, or follow Sarawen's blog. 2 entries each.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. 1 entry each.

Follow Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe on blogger, facebook, or twitter. 1 entry each.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post describing the way(s) you entered and the number of entries you have made.

FINE PRINT

The winner will be announced on January 11th. Winners will be announced on this blog, and those who have provided email or other contact means will be contacted. If the winner is not heard from within 48 hours a new one will be chosen.

The winning entry will be chosen via Random.org

Giveaways are only available in the US (so sorry to the rest of the world, but the sponsors have to pay out of pocket for shipping!)

If you are under 18, you must have a parent's permission to enter.

WAYS TO ENTER

Visit Beadsoul's shop and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is! Mandatory. 1 entry.

Like Beadsoul on facebook, follow Beadsoul on twitter, or follow Beadsoul's blog. 2 entries each.

Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc. 1 entry each.

Follow Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe on blogger, facebook, or twitter. 1 entry each.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post describing the way(s) you entered and the number of entries you have made.

FINE PRINT

The winner will be announced on January 11th. Winners will be announced on this blog, and those who have provided email or other contact means will be contacted. If the winner is not heard from within 48 hours a new one will be chosen.

The winning entry will be chosen via Random.org

Giveaways are only available in the US (so sorry to the rest of the world, but the sponsors have to pay out of pocket for shipping!)

If you are under 18, you must have a parent's permission to enter.