Mary Fontones is the creator behind “Once Upon a Fairy” an amazing company that creates “Fancy Fairies” – a collection of handmade fairy houses & accessories. We recently interviewed her to talk about her business, how she got started and the exciting news of the new store she just opened in the Poconos. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview, I can’t imagine how incredibly busy you are with just having opened a store!
POCONO TALK: Your work is beautiful, can you explain a bit about the Fairy Houses & accessories that you create?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
All of my products are made of at least 90% recycled materials, with exception of music boxes and lighting that are added after completion, I actively seek out American based companies when it comes to my art supplies, such as paints, decorative papers, glitter and glue. I also have “fairy friends” that will drop off scrap supplies like paper, trims, and beads from past projects they are no longer working on. They also will leave on my door step bundles of twigs, acorns and pinecones. My own backyard is my main resource for all the special natural finds, although people all across the United States have shipped me a few acorns here and there. By far the Poconos has the best natural materials 😉
POCONO TALK: Why did you start making Fairy houses, and when did you decide you wanted to make it a business?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
After thinking long and hard it was a decision based on faith, I was working a retail job that demanded many hours ( weekends included) per week with little flexibility. I knew God was guiding me in a certain direction. So I took a leap of faith left my job, trusted and the rest is history… Because I had left my job, money was a bit tight so I knew I had to get really crafty and use what I had lying around the house. I made my very first simple looking fairy doll house for my little 5yr old niece as a Christmas present in 2010. She just loved all things fairies and it was a big hit, then I created two Halloween houses for my sisters as gifts, Halloween being their favorite Holiday, in Oct. of 2011. When my husband came home from work he took a look at them and asked when did I make them and what was I going to do with them lol. He then insisted on taking them to a few local craft/specialist stores. I was very shy about my products back then , as an artist pretty much my whole life I never had a lot of confidence in my work , sad to say , but true and I was my own worst critic. My husband saw something in my work that I couldn’t. I couldn’t imagine that I would be able to make money from art. Sometimes all you need is that one person to help you see what you never thought could ever be a possibility, a dream. The second store he visited with my two Halloween houses was The Village Crafters Gallery, and the shop owners Maryann and Jeff Warner responded very positively and I have been with them ever since .
POCONO TALK: Where do you get your inspiration for your creations from?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
Pretty much everything inspires me. I find beauty in so many things that most people wouldn’t even look twice at. I love all things in Nature, trees especially. I grew up in Brooklyn NY but was lucky enough to have a small vacation house in upstate NY. I spent every summer till the age of 16 running around barefoot thru streams and woods under canopies of beautiful green leaves, it was a magical experience. I would always look up at the tree tops swaying in the breeze and imagine all sorts of things from their shapes and how they twist and turn. I also absolutely love abandoned structures/buildings. Love the way paint chips off of old clap board siding, wallpaper that peels back from water stained walls, moss that grows between un-kempt places. I find it all so enchanting and special. Another huge inspiration for me is music, it can influence the creative process from colors I may choose to the shape of the structure or piece of fairy furniture.
POCONO TALK: Can you tell us a bit about the store you just opened? Where will is it located, and what can someone visiting expect to find?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
My new Studio/gallery is an active working studio as of May 7, 2016, which means if you visit, you will catch me working on a project. Mostly all of my current projects are custom orders for people so you have to visit often to catch me in the process and see the finished pieces. 😉 I ship out houses every week, all across the US and overseas. There will be some smaller houses (some wind up musical) and fancy fairy furniture for sale.
I plan on having workshops (currently working on a summer schedule) Other local artist will be a part of that as well, so much fun! I can hardly wait.
It will also be a sweet space to have fairy birthday parties, and fairy tea parties.
The Studio is located at 4 North 6th street, off of Main St. in Stroudsburg PA
Hours; Thursday and Friday by appointment only –
~Saturday from 10:30 am to 6:00pm, Open to the Public.
~Sunday hours vary, Open to the Public.
You can also check my facebook page for updates on days and hours that I will be open.
June 1st my workshop schedule will be available and will include days/dates for a fairy art making class, and also a needle felted workshop( by a local super talented artist, Dancing Vulture Designs).
POCONO TALK: You have even won awards! Can you tell us a bit about the award you won for Martha Stewart American Made?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
I was nominated by husband and selected as a wild card finalist by the public votes. Another super exciting time for me, it was fun to be a part of that.
POCONO TALK: You’re taking your items to display at a BLYTHECON 2016 in Hamburg Germany? How cool! Can you tell us a bit about what BLYTHECON is and what you’ll be doing there?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
Wow! Blythecon is such a new and exciting endeavor, and we are honored to be invited as a vendor, essentially I will be creating whimsical dwellings for these beautiful 12 inch dolls that have found their way back into the hearts of the public since their creation by an American Seattle woman in the 70’s. Blythecon conventions and Galleries have been in motion for a few years now in major parts of Europe and some parts of the US, at some point in time I would love to arrange a Blythecon convention in North Eastern PA. I recently received my very first Blythe doll and she warms my heart every time I look at her reminding me of my childhood, she will be proudly displayed at my studio. 😉
POCONO TALK: In addition to your store, people can purchase your items on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryfontones do you ever take custom orders?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
ALL THE TIME!!! I would say custom orders are 97% of my business and I Duplicate orders as well, changing them up slightly so no two will ever be the same…I don’t know of many artist creating fancy fairy doll houses that would even attempt that 😉 My shop is unique in that way.
POCONO TALK: Living in the Poconos I’m sure you can get a lot of natural materials right in your own backyard! What are some of your favorite materials to use?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
Twigs, twigs and more twigs 😉 acorns, pine cones and did I mention twigs?
POCONO TALK: Some of your pieces have such intricate details, it seems like it would take a lot of patience, dedication and very steady hands. What was your most detailed project you worked on, and what has been one of the most enjoyable pieces you’ve made?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
Omg…where do I begin. I LOVED them all. Each piece always holds s a special place in my heart, even when I am duplicating a piece. I truly love what I do so it makes it easy to fall in love with them.
But if I had to kind of narrow it down to the most detailed, one would have to be the time I fairy-sized someone’s actual home. The person sent me pictures, it was a very intricate little old farmhouse that I duplicated the shape visually while adding the magical fairy touches, it was quite special.
But I think my all-time fave would have to be the time I was commissioned to recreate the Delaware Children’s Theater with a fairy-carnival twist. If I remember correctly, I created 500 hand cut roof shingles (no two were alike, I never ever use any form of machinery) It was so enchanting when I was finished. The owners seemed thrilled as well!
POCONO TALK: In addition to Fairy houses you make accessories like rustic fairy beds and rustic acorn tea sets. How do you decide what to create next? Are they custom orders or do they just come to mind and you create them?
ONCE UPON A FAIRY:
Both, however I don’t seem to have a lot of down time to create pieces just because or just for fun (because I am constantly working on custom orders), sometimes, people reach out to me asking me for something with a unique color or want it to fit a special place they had in mind, so I guess at times it’s a combination of both. I love to work one on one with my fairy friends to create ooak( One of a Kind) pieces
Please see links below for News Clips & Internet Shops:
Website: http://www.onceuponafairy.com
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/maryfontones
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onceuponafairy
Pocono Record News
http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20140924/NEWS/409240314
http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20120204/LIVING/202040315
TV news feed: http://wnep.com/2013/11/28/fairy-doll-houses
Leave a Reply