Elves houses and mushrooms just seem to go together life peas and carrots. I favor the "amanita muscaria" for its bright red appearance and pretty spots. Since each of my installations features at least of few mushrooms, I but my family and I have painted thousands of spots by this point.
Just in time for the winter snows, we got our newest Huldufolk House complete! This will mean that the Center City Elves will have a snug house for the winter. We were happy to have the "big reveal" as part of Center City's annual Lighting Festival. We were even more happy at how many children showed up with letters for the elves!
I was so happy to finish my recent installation at the Women's Environmental Institute. I went up to check on the elf house yesterday and it is still standing, despite recent storms! But then I had to rush home to start my next building project. Good thing that I had my trusty pug helpers on hand to assist me (get in the way).
We could not have had better weather, music and food! What an amazing eveing and crowd. Enjoy the pictures of the unveiling below!
I have two new elf houses in the making for locations in Chisago County. Installation dates are in August and September. I'll share more when I can!
Time for my annual Halloween warning about things that may look like elf houses, but are not elf houses:
Halloween is a confusing time of year. One helpful warning about some small houses that may look like elf houses, but definitely are not! If the elf house you are approaching suddenly stands up on giant chicken legs, be advised this is NOT and elf house. Most likely you've stumbled across Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga does NOT grant wishes and is known to eat people. Avoid her at all costs.
I've written before about my Icelandic chickens. They keep me company in the yard when I'm working on elf houses. I consider them my "brain trust," since chickens aren't the least bit shy about saying they don't like the way a project is going. They can be little cluckers actually.
Lately my chickens have been molting and this gave me a unique opportunity to make some art with their feathers. There is a method in raku pottery firing where you can add horse hair and feathers to the red hot clay for some interesting patterns and results. You just have to be careful not to burn your fingers. In the pot below you can see my Icelandic chicken's feather on the lower part of the piece.
Some folks have asked me how the elves fare in the snow. Don't worry folks, they are from Iceland! In fact they like it a bit cold. I captured this picture of my local elf house when the snow let up. This sure has been some wild storm we're having!
The elves have had a terrific time at Purgatory Creek Park in Eden Prairie. They have loved your visits and letters. But the time has come to move. Today we packed up the house and said goodbye to the creek.
It wasn't long, however, before we started setting up the elf house in its new location. Can you find the elf house in its new location? We're still in a park. Still in Eden Prairie. Hint, if you want to visit, you might consider bringing your sled!
I recently found out the house in Rochester's Slatterly Park was vandalized. I went down to fix things up and it was heartbreaking - someone had tried to pull the house off its base and wood had been stripped off. The chimney, doors and windows had all been smashed. I put in about 6 hours to fix up the house before the winter darkness fell. Hopefully I can finish renovations soon and get the trolls moved out and the elves moved back in. Man, I'm so sad. This was one of my favorite houses. Here's a picture of the house from happier times:
The elves love to receive letters! Here are is a nice one they shared with me recently:
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
We finally got out friend safely on his way. A few flights and a goat cart ride or two and he'll be home from his misadventures. Elves make excellent road trip companions. I'll miss him for sure. I told him if he ever wanted to visit Minnesota, I already had an elf house waiting in my yard. He seemed to be interested but you know the old Swedish saying - "there is no cow on the ice." If he shows up again, we'll certainly be ready for him!
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
One of the best parts about travel is that it gets your creative juices flowing! My visit to George O'Keefe's Ghost Land Ranch with our elf friend had us both admiring the adobe structures. I'd never been inside this style of building before. They are so solidly built, but have an elegant profile.
I'm wondering if there might be an adobe elf house in my future! You never know. This picture below is the cabin where Georgia O'Keefe stayed before she purchased her own home nearby.
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
The elves love to receive letters! Here are is a nice one they shared with me recently:
