Enchanted Creators: Her Own Little Fairy Tale Album by Ellette

Fairy Tales have inspired artists, writers, and musicians for centuries. Ellette, a Swiss and British songwriter born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, uses folklore traditions as a catalyst to create musical stories. Her new album, Her Own Little Fairy Tale, features songs that evoke well-known fairy tale characters and plots to capture the emotions of contemporary life experiences.  

Ellette (whose name means “little elf” in old Anglo-Saxon) was kind enough to share her thoughts on fairy tales and music with the readers of Enchanted Conversation. Enjoy! 

Tell us a little bit about your background as a musician and lover of fairy tales. 

 

I’ve always been a music lover down to my core, and music has always had a connection to family for me. I created two projects of unreleased songs with my father when I was younger, and I have been writing melodies and lyrics since I was 10 years old! I love telling a story through ambiguous language and metaphors so people can find their own narratives in my lyrics.  

 

I have also always been a lover of fairy tales and Disney. Ever since I was a little girl, I was obsessed with dressing up as princesses! In my teenage years, I started looking into fairy tale stories by The Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen. I found the dark elements interesting, and I wondered why the tales had evolved into happy stories. 

 

In 2020, I thought of combining music and fairy tales. I used the contrasting elements (dark and happy tales) to build my own fairy tale world, by writing songs inspired by these stories while adding a realistic twist to them. It was kind of like a light bulb moment. Why not combine the two things I love the most in this world? 

 

Your album released two early tracks titled Charming and Don’t Trust Strangers. What fairy tales inspired the songs, and what message does each song send?  

 

Charming was inspired by the character of Prince Charming, no surprises there. When writing this song, I thought of tales such as Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. In these stories, the princess meets a prince and falls deeply in love, either after they’ve just met or after ‘true love’s kiss’. So, for this song, I wanted the message to be simple and express that it is sometimes all right to feel attracted to someone whether you know them or not. 

 

Don’t Trust Strangers was inspired by the story of Little Red Riding Hood. This song tackles the darker side to falling for a stranger. “Happily Ever After” doesn’t always happen in the real world, and I wanted to capture this by using the moral of not trusting strangers from Little Red Riding Hood. This song is a warning to not fall for just anyone, as looks can sometimes be deceiving. The main message of the song is not being able to recognize the person you fell in love with because they seem like a stranger. This song follows Charming on the album because together they create a small narrative. 

 

What else can listeners expect to find on your album?   

 

Her Own Little Fairy Tale will have 9 songs in total, including a short interlude. Each song is inspired by a fairy tale like Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel, and one song is inspired by a nursery rhyme. The songs dive into real world issues like relationship problems and anxiety. For example, the last song on the album is inspired by the Evil Queen’s mirror in Snow White. Her famous sentence, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” inspired me to write about insecurities, jealousy, and doubt, things we all feel at some point in our lives. Her Own Little Fairy Tale was written as a look into my own life but can also be for everyone else to enjoy and relate to in their own way.  

 

Since moving to London to pursue your music career, have you encountered any fairy tales from the British tradition? Do you have any favorite fairy tales, and how do they help you connect to your audience?  

  

My favorite British tales would be Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Jack and the Beanstalk. But worldwide, my favorite fairy tales are Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. I also really like Hansel and Gretel, The Princess and the Pea, and The Ugly Duckling - I really can’t choose! 

 

I believe every story and every piece of art inspires us because of how it makes us feel. Each story emits a certain emotion, and my method of writing often includes reflecting on my own emotions or experiences. Fairy Tales have always interested audiences from every age, culture, and gender. The idea of something fantastical and unknown allows us to be imaginative. Fairy Tale worlds are idealized and are an escape from reality. 

Readers can escape from reality by immersing themselves in the fairy tale sounds of Ellette’s music which has been influenced by musicians like Melanie Martinez and Ariana Grande, features cello music provided by Maddie Ashman, and is produced and arranged by Jagun and FADENT.  

Her Own Little Fairy Tale is available on all streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. Listen to "Don't Trust Strangers" HERE

Ellette can be found on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok) as @ellettemusic. Let us know what you think and share some of your favorite fairy tale music in the comments!

Kelly Jarvis teaches classes in literature, writing, and fairy tale at Central Connecticut State University, The University of Connecticut, and Tunxis Community College. She lives, happily ever after, with her husband and three sons in a house filled with fairy tale books. She is also Enchanted Conversation’s special project’s writer.

All photos courtesy of Ellette

Enchanted Creators: Marissa Kinsler & Fairy Tale Teas, By Kelly Jarvis

There is nothing quite so soothing as a cup of tea. Marissa Kinsler, the creator, founder, and lead Fairy Godmother of Fairy Tale Teas, has combined the traditional comforts of tea with the magic and beauty of fairy tales. With teas such as Once Upon a Time (a hazelnut and French vanilla crème black tea inspired by Cinderella), Happily Ever After (a strawberry and Sakura Blossom white tea meant to evoke the bouquet of a fairy tale wedding), and Enchanted Slumber (Sleeping Beauty’s own herbal blend with notes of lemon and raspberry rose jam), customers can transport themselves to storybook realms with every sip.  

Marissa’s website is a feast for the senses and her blog posts are filled with recipes, teatime etiquette, playlists for steeping tea, and fanciful articles like Snow White’s Fall Activities and Sleeping Beauty’s Evening Routine. If you need a little extra magic in your life, you can purchase some gold pixie dust to stir into your cup, turning your everyday teatime routine into a ritual of enchantment. 

I had the chance to chat with Marissa about her inspirations and future business plans. Enjoy! 

1. Tell us about your background. What inspired you to create a business selling Fairy Tale Teas? 

I have always been fairytale obsessed! While Fairy Tale Teas is in no way inspired by Disney, I would say that it is where my affinity for fairytales began. When I was little, I begged my parents to have pretend tea parties with me - I would dress in a princess costume and set a very tiny table with my kid-sized tea set. Sometimes my mom would even make delicious finger sandwiches and pour apple juice or sweet tea into my tiny teacups, and I felt like a princess. 

Fast forward a few decades and I was going to college for marketing. I had realized that I had a real knack for branding and making things beautiful. I wanted to hone that skill along with my business mind. Ever since I was little, I knew that princesses were going to play a huge role in my future, so I decided to start there. One day I thought, “What activity is more evocative of princesses than having tea?” and thus Fairy Tale Teas was born. 

2. In addition to your Once Upon a Time, Happily Ever After, and Enchanted Slumber blends, your site offers Lady of the Moon Tea. Tell us a little bit about the flavor and how it relates to the fairy tale that inspired it. 

Lady of the Moon, our most recent blend, is a jasmine green tea that tastes like ginger poached pear and lychee preserves. It is inspired by a Chinese fairytale recorded during the Tang Dynasty and entitled The Legend of Chang’e. We wanted the tea to celebrate this story along with its country of origin.  

Green tea was the first type of tea discovered in China, so we figured that this was a great place to start. The fairy tale tells the story of how Chang’e came to be goddess of the moon and mentions that the moon has a pear orchard on it which is tended by the Jade Rabbit – a character most known for mixing something called “the elixir of life”.  With this information in mind, I researched ancient Chinese health elixirs, and I came across a recipe from the Tang Dynasty that inspired the rest of the flavors that went into this blend.  

3. I read that your favorite fairy tale is The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Why do you enjoy this tale, and what flavors might a tea inspired by it include? Do you have plans for any future Fairy Tale Tea flavors?  

The Twelve Dancing Princesses is my absolute favorite tale because of the imagery! As someone who is constantly pouring over fairytales looking for flavor inspiration, I am always delighted to find a story that is full of food descriptions. The princesses travel in the dead of night through an enchanted forest and enter a ballroom where they dance all night, only stopping for a sumptuous feast of candied flowers, wafers, and cracknels. A tea inspired by it would certainly have to include these flowers and it would have to be highly caffeinated (to fuel you for multiple nights of dancing).  

We have three more tea blends set to be released this year! The next one is inspired by an Irish fairytale called Yellow Lilly and it is a wonderful Irish breakfast tea that tastes like a spiced Beltane cake! The next 5 years of fairy tales teas are planned out, but I cannot say too much. The only other thing that I can tell you is that we have dubbed 2023 “The Year of the Mermaid”. I cannot wait! 

4. In addition to being the founder of Fairy Tale Teas, you are also the Lead Fairy Godmother of your company. How does this title influence your work? Does thinking of yourself as a fairy godmother help you to bring magic to your customers’ lives?   

It helps me in my creative process to have lore to fall back on. With everything we create I am reminded to look at the finished product and ask myself, “Is this something that a fairy godmother would create?”  or “Does this look like something from a fairytale? An enchanted forest?”  I think that ensuring all our products are as magical as they possibly can be is what makes Fairy Tale Teas a special experience for all our customers (we call them our friends and fae). 

Friends and fae who visit Fairy Tale Teas will be treated to aesthetic images of swirling tea, thrifted teacups, and pressed, dried, or fresh flowers that seem gathered from enchanted forests, all crafted by Marissa and her team of Fairy Godmothers. Let the site sweep you away into a world of magic and let us know if you find your perfect cup of tea.  

Kelly Jarvis teaches classes in literature, writing, and fairy tale at Central Connecticut State University, The University of Connecticut, and Tunxis Community College. She lives, happily ever after, with her husband and three sons in a house filled with fairy tale books. She is also Enchanted Conversation’s special project’s writer.

All photos courtesy of Marissa Kinsler & Fairy Tale Teas

Enchanted Creators: Lauren Mills, By Molly Ellson

The fourth interviewee for our Enchanted Creators series is a true powerhouse of creative ability. She paints, she illustrates, she writes, she sculpts and she’s won awards for all four. 

You may recognise Lauren Mills’ beautifully illustrated versions of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and ‘At the Back of the North Wind’. Or maybe ‘The Rag Coat’ and ‘Fairy Wings’ - original tales that she wrote and illustrated herself (the latter co-illustrated with husband, Denis Nolan).

One thing you should know above all else is that Lauren’s work sparkles with magic, and a lifelong adoration of fairy tales resonates through every piece she creates. Browsing through her extensive gallery is like taking an idyllic wander through The Secret Garden - every glance reveals fantasy, delicacy and wonder. You too can immerse yourself, right here.

Our favourite of course has to be the poem: ‘The Hedge Witch and the Fairies’, which Lauren penned and illustrated especially for Enchanted Conversation - but you’ll hear more about that, later.

It was an absolute honour to interview Lauren; she’s kind, thoughtful and beholds a unique talent. Please don’t hesitate to read on, you won’t be disappointed...

First of all, Lauren, thank you so much for agreeing to chat with Enchanted Conversation; we are so excited to learn more about you and your incredible work! I’m going to jump straight in with the big question: which fairytale is your favourite and why?

Ha! That’s a tough one! As far as images I love Snow White… her black hair, rose cheeks and snow white face and mostly because of all the little dwarves. I love painting crinkly, old character faces and I loved playing with trolls as a child - my mother used to make Tomtens. Little old people (elves, gnomes) are adorable to me. That is one reason I chose to retell “Tatterhood and the Hobgoblins”. I also love that story - the mysterious birth, the love between two very different sisters and the spunkiness of Tatterhood. And like Tatterhood, I had goats and ate with a wooden spoon when I was a student in California. That picture book (story) I did also seems to have meant the most to many young girls who felt different and have told me it helped them get through their childhood. I also love Beauty and the Beast because I think it’s so romantic.

You mentioned in a previous interview (https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/illustrator-saturday-lauren-mills/) that, as a young teen, you were greatly inspired by Nancy Ekholm Burkert’s ‘Snow White’. What was it about Burket’s illustrations that affected you so? Do you have an affinity for Snow White?

I absolutely love the delicate technique Burkert used - I especially love the cover - She painted with colored inks, applied in tiny lines. Her Snow White cover also looks like my late sister who owned the book when I first saw it and it also looks like my daughter. It’s still my favorite book cover and I have the poster hanging in my studio.

You’ve written and illustrated countless tales and painted and sculpted beautiful works of art, but do you have a favourite project that you’ve worked on? If so, why is it your favourite?

Oh, I couldn’t choose… and that’s my problem. It’s usually my recent work. I’ve recently sculpted a little girl from Sandy Hook who wanted to grow up to have an animal sanctuary and used to tell butterflies, “Tell all your friends that I am kind.” I also wrote a picture book about her, which I just submitted to a publisher and am crossing my fingers. I’m crossing my fingers that we can sell 10 editions of the small sculpture to fund the life size sculpture that will be installed at the animal sanctuary named after the little girl: “The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary”. I’m also enjoying painting in oil using gold or silver leaf in a 19th century PreRaphaelite style. I’d like to be as good as my heroes but the idea of doing a painting just to hang in a gallery and hope someone will buy it isn’t as enticing as doing paintings that tell a story and go together in a book that reaches many people - so that is why I’m excited about venues like Enchanted Conversation. There hasn’t been a market in years for fairy tales in the children’s picture book world, but maybe there will be for people like us!

Your sculptures range from life-like portraits, such as ‘Appalachian Woman’ to more whimsical figures, like ‘Legacy’. How do you capture that sense of magic in the latter?

That’s interesting that you picked up on that. “Legacy” was originally a young fairy girl dancing with a little boy and it was illustrating Yeats’ poem, “The Stolen Child”. I submitted it for consideration for the Winona Lake Park in Indiana that needed sculptures for various themes. They wanted to use that sculpture for the “Legacy” theme and asked if I’d change the girl to a grandma. So, I sculpted another that way. Even in my sculpture I’m illustrating fairy stories. 

When you’re not writing/painting/sculpting/illustrating, how do you relax or unwind?

I read fairy tales… from Enchanted Conversation and books about witches. And I spend a lot of time with my three Italian Greyhounds - two are puppies. My partner, Dennis Nolan, and I like to take walks in the woods; we are surrounded by hundreds of wooded acres and see a lot of wildlife. And I garden and make herbal concoctions. I especially like to make fairy mists and ointments with Sandalwood essential oil.

You wrote and illustrated the stunning poem, ‘The Hedge Witch and the Fairies’, for Enchanted Conversation, which we and our readership absolutely loved! What was your inspiration for writing the poem?

I had originally written it in first person from a child’s point of view, but when I changed it to a hedge witch, and [wrote in] third person, it really became a much better story. I liked the idea that she helped so many people (and probably animals) with little thanks but then thought there was no one who would come help her when she was ill, but the fairies had been watching and came to miraculously cure her… or I imagined that mothers and children came and helped her and she dreamt it was the fairies. I think someday I will be alone and people will gossip about that crazy witch in the woods who feeds all the chipmunks and the chickadees that eat out of her hand and the bear sometimes secretly watches from the woods and comes and steals the seeds.

As a self-proclaimed hedge witch, can you tell us a little more about the practice and how it is incorporated into your day-to-day life?

I grow roses, chamomile, echinacea, and lots of other herbs and make teas, tinctures, oils, creams, etc… But as I mentioned, I’m most attracted to the scented mists and body care. I also love to paint flowers. I would like to do a Grimoire - some sort of illustrated, calligraphed Faerie Botanica Notebook. Lots of plans and dreams and not enough time in the day. However, living like hermits now here at “Faun Hollow” in the woods - during a pandemic with my favorite places to go closed - does tend to slow down time a bit and helps me feel more creative. I like that no one will come inside the house which means I can leave messes and projects and herbs and puppy stuff about and not brush my hair if I’m too busy.

You’ve been on quite a journey to get where you are today, do you have any advice for budding creatives hoping to make it - especially in this digital age?

Yes - I would give the same advice I give to my daughter, students, and to myself: create every day because you can and because you love it.  Making a living from your creativity has nothing to do with being a successful artist (writer or whatever). It doesn’t matter how you make money to pay your bills… just make sure you don’t stop being creative and someday your love for it will attract others to your work. I like the quote by John Burton, “It is the love of the process that pulls one through the discipline necessary to master that craft.” I also would advise people in this digital age to make sure you are giving your senses nutrition by walking in the woods and through gardens, reading good books, looking at paintings… No matter how down I might be I’m always lifted when I walk in the woods and still get that magical child-like feeling there which inspires me and stirs my creative juices. 

Check out more about Lauren:

Laurenmillsart.com

@laurenmillsart 

Molly Ellson is EC’s assistant editor. She also does a lot of social media promotion and writes some of our posts, like this one. EC needs your help to keep chugging along, so if you enjoy this post and others like it, please consider becoming a Patreon patron.

All images are by Lauren Mills

Enchanted Creators: Regan Ralston of Water of Whimsy, by Molly Ellson

Welcome to the third installment of our Enchanted Creators series! 

Presenting Regan Ralston, the amazingly talented watercolor artist, who’s transformed her art into beautiful products to sell on her Etsy site, Water of Whimsy. 

 

Dreamy, mystical and, of course, whimsical, Regan’s stunning watercolors will swirl you away into a fairy tale fantasy, filled with witchcraft, goddesses and nature. Her product range includes prints and stickers, as well as skillfully crafted jewelry. Looking for the perfect gift? Maybe a little something to revamp your room? There really is something for everyone in her Etsy store. 

Water of Whimsy feels like a hot mug of cocoa on a freezing Winter’s day: comforting and soul-warming, with just a dash of magic. And I’ve been lucky enough to have a truly enchanted conversation with Regan to reveal how she concocted a successful business from a recipe of love, skill and determination.

 

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it, Reader, and don’t forget to share the love at Water of Whimsy’s Instagram page: @waterofwhimsy!

 

Your art is stunning! When did you begin painting and what originally inspired you to start?

 

Thank you very much, for the compliment and for taking the time to interview me for Enchanted Conversation; I was so tickled when you reached out about featuring me as a creator! I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. My first sketch book is still in a memory box. It was a small journal with illustrated kittens on the cover, full of scribbles and lavender stickers. I believe that I was about four years old when I used that sketchbook, and I have filled thousands of pages since.

When thinking about painting, I consider my Nana my first true teacher. She was a member of the watercolor society in our hometown, and I was fascinated by her talent and the medium. My Nana, Nancy Platt, taught me to paint with patience and ingenuity. Her full-time profession was as an elementary school teacher, and it was not uncommon growing up for a previous student of hers to marvel at my luck in being her granddaughter. Not only did my Nana teach me to paint, and encouraged the hobby, but her home represented the magically liminal realm of “Grandma’s House.” When we visited her home, the world always seemed full of whimsy; there was a pansy-filled garden, miniature china tea sets, fickle cats, a slightly off-key piano with a liftable lid, and endless activities imagined for summer day fun or rainy afternoon romps. 

 

Most of the art that I create today harkens back in one way or another to the memories and inspiration that began at Nana’s house. If you are wondering by the way, she’s doing very well and is “over the moon” about my life as an artist. She’s always requesting more photos of my work, and of course more photos of my two puppies Honey and Zuzu. 

Is there any particular reason that you chose watercolors?

As I mentioned, my Nana taught me watercolor at a young age because that was the medium that she was most familiar with. When I went to university, I took many art classes and worked in graphite, ink, and acrylic. However, I ultimately returned to watercolors because they’re what feel most natural to me and my artistic interests. 

 

I love the way watercolor breathes and moves. I find that there’s something very homespun about watercolor illustrations, which feel as if they’ve only finished air drying over some old-fashioned furnace. When I paint, I work fast and at a small scale, and watercolor can put up with my somewhat impatient flights of fancy. 

 

Tell us about yourself, what’s the story behind Regan Ralston and Water of Whimsy?

Well, I always dreamt of being an artist, but that didn’t seem feasible for most of my life. At university, I began selling my watercolor illustrations as a hobby. I liked to think of myself as “the village artist.” Friends and family began to reach out with requests, and this provided a good outlet for my creative energy. 

My artwork continued this way, as a freelance hobby, while I pursued a career in marketing and then education. When the pandemic hit, I found myself without a job for the summer. While unemployed and in quarantine, I created the Instagram account @waterofwhimsy. At first, I hoped that the account would allow me to share more of my artwork and connect with a few customers. I never imagined the miracle that would come from my somewhat spur of the moment decision.

 

Through some twist of fate, my artwork has struck a vein with many whimsical souls! As of this January, I’ve committed myself fully to Water of Whimsy and my art. This is the beginning of a gift that I never dared ask for, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

There’s a fantastic variety of products on your site, do you have a favorite—either to create, or as a final piece? Why is it your favorite?

 

I find it hard to pin myself down creatively, so most of the pieces I create come from a moment of spontaneity: “I’d love to have this illustration as a candle!” The products that I most enjoy creating are those of the paper variety, as they seem naturally attuned to the form of my work. Prints, cards, bookmarks, and stationary are all satisfying to make. However, my favorite products to make right now are stickers. It’s so satisfying to see an illustration go from canvas to sticker. I love the idea of someone sending letters, or filling their journal, with my artwork. 

Can you describe for us the journey from paper to product - what's your process?

 

Most of my artwork is created as a kind of digital collage, featuring my watercolor illustrations. To begin, I sketch out my piece in graphite and then fill with watercolor. After painting, I outline the piece in ink. Transferring from canvas to a digital platform can be tricky, so I’m actively working to streamline this transition. Normally, I photograph the illustration and then edit the photo in Photoshop to remove the background and adjust as necessary. With the watercolor illustration digitized, I’m able to maneuver the piece around and add texts, accents, or borders as I please. 

 

I’m too in love with the traditional tools of watercolor to surrender them completely to a digital brush, so the somewhat complex process is worth it for my aesthetic interest. 

 

Where do you draw inspiration from for new pieces? Do you have a particular place where you like to paint?

I draw inspiration from books that I’m reading, movies that I’m watching, and from personal memory or experience. For the past few years I’ve begun following the pagan Wheel of the Year, so a lot of my work has been inspired by a reverence for the seasons and their festivals.

Witchcraft features frequently on your site, can you give us more of an insight into the art?

 

Modern Witchcraft may refer to a diverse range of practices, beliefs, and philosophies. I have noticed that there are certain shared festivals, deities, and everyday insights that seem ubiquitous among the modern pagan and witch community. In these shared realms, I try to create art that celebrates the beauty of the craft. 

 

I’m assuming that you’re a fan of the fantastical—be it mythology, folklore or fairy tale. Tell us your favorite tale/character/author and why?

 

I’ve always been enamored with Arthurian legend, and I still consume every modern retelling or variant tale related to the mythos. Right now, I’m bingeing “Cursed” on Netflix. In part, I love the legend for its place in the cannon of history. Even more compelling to me are the artworks that were created in homage to the legendary court. In particular, I think of Alfred Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shalott” and the John William Waterhouse portrait of the same name.

In the realm of Arthurian legend, I feel most drawn to the character of Morgan le Fay. Even as a child, upon hearing her name I felt a shiver of power run up my spine. There’s something so enticing about this enchantress figure, and she’s certainly in my mind when creating whimsical pieces highlighting magic of the everyday.  

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

 

Just to thank you again for taking the time to interview me, and for allowing me to share my thoughts with you and the Enchanted Conversation community.

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Molly Ellson is EC’s assistant editor. She also does a lot of social media promotion and writes some of our posts, like this one. EC needs your help to keep chugging along, so if you enjoy this post and others like it, please consider contributing through PayPal at ecsub2016@gmail.com or becoming a Patreon patron. We have a Summer Solstice Social for our financial supporters coming soon.

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All images were created or supplied by Regan Ralston. Again, her shop is Water of Whimsy.