The Mermaid
Poem
by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Who would be
A mermaid fair,
Singing alone,
Combing her hair
Under the sea,
In a golden curl
With a comb of pearl,
On a throne?......


What little girl doesn't dream of being a mermaid?

I admit to being one of those little girls, and when "Splash" came out in the early 80's, the mermaid that I wanted to be was Madison, the character that Daryl Hannah plays in the movie.



One of my favorite films, I still carry that fantasy with me all these years later. Not long after opening my fairy shop on Etsy ( http://www.faeryspellcreations.etsy.com ) I found this wonderful area of that site called Alchemy, where you can put in your request to have your dream items made for you, and the wonderfully talented artists of etsy can respond--what fun!

There were two things I had always wanted from the film "Splash" and had never been able to find--the mermaid necklace, and the gorgeously feminine pink floral sundress and wrap that Madison wears in the ice skating scene in Central Park.





I started with the necklace, and chose Catherine at CatherineMarissa to make it for me:

http://www.catherinemarissa.etsy.com

From her bio:


"I started Catherine Marissa after leaving a career in elementary education to raise my boys. My jewelry creations embrace my love of femininity, my nautical free spirit, and my attraction to color.

I create in a colorful workroom decorated with inspiration boards, childhood memories, a vintage cluster earring collection, and a fabulous painting by Aja of Sagittarius Gallery ( http://sagittariusgallery.etsy.com ) . I'm surrounded by my favorite materials and upbeat music (perfect for dancing through those frustrating moments).

I have taken metalsmithing courses at Kendall College of Art and Design and have dipped my toe in the waters of lampwork glass and blacksmithing.

Always feel free to contact me with questions, comments, requests, or just to chat.

~ Catherine"

Catherine did a beautiful job, even packaging my necklace in a tiffany-blue box with a white satin ribbon (which if you've seen the film, is a sweetly significant detail and made it all the more special :) I was thrilled!


For the dress, I found a wonderful and talented seamstress in Susan, at

http://www.srdodd.etsy.com


She was great to work with, her attention to detail and getting things 'just right' was amazing. To say I was happy with the dress she made for me would be an understatement--it was absolutely perfect and Susan is the sweetest lady.

She says:

"My name is Susan, and I love to sew, crochet, and knit as well as do needlepoint and needlework of any kind. My mother taught me to knit when I a little girl, and my hobby grew from there and into much more than I ever imagined. I really enjoy handmade items, and cherish the uniqueness and creativity in each one. Please let me know of any personal requests or needs you have, and I'll be happy to make you a very special item."

An artist in her craft, her creations are not only lovely but of the highest quality. Her work is very professional, with clean lines and an obvious love for all the little details that go into the creation of something truly special. (she even made me a matching handbag to go with my dress!)

(a little note here: yes, I do sew myself! But because I sew for a living (for other people, and for my dolls) I prefer having someone else be the seamstress when it comes to something for myself. It just seems to make it a little more 'special' :)

Here are some photos of me in my finery :)









Wishing all of you a beautiful autumn afternoon!
Jennifer
FaerySpell Creations
shop: http://www.faeryspellcreations.etsy.com
blog: http://www.myspace.com/faeryspellcreations