GUEST INTERVIEW WITH KIRKS FOLLY COLLECTOR BONNIE HOWARD

We are delighted to have with us this week BONNIE HOWARD, a longtime fan of Kirks Folly and one of our favorite customers. Welcome Bonnie, and thank you so very much for agreeing to this interview. We have a lot we’d like to cover so let’s get started!

  "A girl can never have enough glitter!"

We understand that you collect jewelry and have a large Kirks Folly Collection. When did you start collecting and how did your Kirks Folly collection begin?

I started collecting jewelry when I was 4 years old—I just love anything sparkly and beautiful!  I had started buying all different types of costume jewelry with my Mom at yard sales and antique stores and then fell in love with Kirks Folly because of the beauty and magic of your pieces. About 10 years ago I acquired my first piece—a Fairy pin, of course!  Then kept collecting—another fairy pin, mermaids, seaview moon, cloudwalker—I love it all!

We remember meeting you and your mother, Maureen, at one of our QVC live shows. We thought it was fantastic that you had come so far to attend the show and that you knew so much about our jewelry. What do you recall of that first meeting?

When we heard you were having a live show at QVC I just wanted to go so badly in hopes of meeting you. I love the designs and have them all over my room—for me, it would be a dream come true.  Since I am chronically ill, I didn’t know if I’d be able to make the trip.  Thankfully, my body cooperated with me and we made it all the way to QVC.

 That day was rather surreal, I couldn’t believe I was there actually meeting you in person. I was so happy to meet you and Jenniefer and George.  I was overwhelmed by your kindness and sincerity and what I remember most is that I could feel the goodness radiating from you. You truly are the love behind the magic of Kirks Folly. You all made me feel so welcome—it was one of the best days of my life!

Some of Bonnie's mermaid collection!

It was at your suggestion that we created our handsome merman Riptide. What inspired your idea that we make a merman?

The Canning Jewel

When I was little mermaids always fascinated little me.  Then one day I read a story about a “merman” who saw a beautiful woman walking by the sea and he came up out of the tide, kissed her and wanted her to go live with him in his palace under the sea forever.  That story made such an impression on me.

Another day I was at my Grandmother’s house looking at one of my vintage jewelry books, when I saw a pendant of a merman, called the “Canning Jewel.” This was a spectacular piece, believed to be from India. It was made in the 1800’s, set with one large baroque pearl that made up the merman’s chest, table-cut diamonds, enameled gold and Indian rubies.  I always wished that I could own the original, but luckily Hattie Carnegie, a famous jewelry designer of the 20^th century, made a replica of this piece and after many years of searching, I was able to acquire one.   During my search I noticed there were really no other merman pins available.  So I thought it would be great to see an updated version of a handsome merman and just knew you would do an incredible job.

Riptide!

You exceeded my expectations!!  Riptide is so perfect!  He is just what I imagined.  He’s masculine, strong but graceful—a difficult thing to capture in a figural piece.  I love the details from his webbed fingers to his six-pack abs, his aurora borealis green crystal encrusted tail and his enameled fins. I can picture him coming out of the sea, just like in the story that I read.

 It was so much fun experiencing the creative process with you and seeing Riptide developing from sketch to model and then production.  He is truly the Merman of the 21^st Century!

You are an extremely creative person with a wonderful imagination. Not only did you draw an amazing map detailing the Realm of Kirks Folly, but you also wrote a compelling, magical story about that realm and our family. You titled it “The Legend of Kirks Folly.” We absolutely adore both the map and the story. Can you tell us how you came to create them?

Partial of the Kirks Folly Fairy Realm Map created by Bonnie

Thank you for the kind words, Helen.  I truly believe that our imagination is a gift from God so I can’t take all the credit!  I’m so glad that you liked the map and story. I thought about the idea of the map as we were driving back home after meeting you.  I wanted to come up with a way to thank you and your family for making my day so special.  I had never created a map before and thought what a great way to capture the Realm of Kirks Folly—a magical, beautiful land with Follydust Mountains, a Pixie Pine Forest and a Glitter Stick Path and that if you wish hard enough— for all of us dreamers—the map can take you there.

 I felt the map needed to have a story to go with it to capture the journey that your entire family has taken to build Kirks Folly. And I thought it would be fun to tell the story of your lives in a “fairytale” style.  When I was well, it would have taken only a few weeks to do, but it took me almost 2 years to complete as I had to work on it a little at a time—sometimes I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish it. I am so glad God gave me the strength to complete it.  It is the last piece of art that I have been able to create.

Well, we love it! It sits in our conference room where we can view it every day. What other objects do you collect?

Besides Kirks Folly, I have collected a variety of other costume jewelry over the years. I’m partial to the watermelon and ravoli stones in the Delizza and Elster designs(also known as Juliana) and have a few Hattie Carnegie pieces.  I love designs by Kenneth Jay Lane, Richelieu, Florenza, and Sarah Coventry.  I also have a collection of jewelry books that I enjoy – one day you must do one for Kirks Folly!

Gizmo, Bonnie's smart little Chihuahua!

Bonnie, share with us something that brightens your day.

I have an adorable fur baby named Gizmo, he is a long-haired Chihuahua, but unlike most Chihuahuas, his ears flop down, to me this makes him extra special and he always looks like a puppy. He is so smart and loveable and he likes to burro down right beside me in the covers – he always brightens my day.

And what is your favorite saying?  

My favorite saying is, “One day closer to Jesus” - When you are chronically ill, each day closer is something to look forward to.  Life has thrown me a lot of challenges, but my faith gets me through.

Your story is so inspiring! Thank you again, Bonnie, for sharing your Kirks Folly story with our readers. It’s been a real pleasure to share you and your thoughts, because we think of you every time we see our special one-of-a-kind Fairy Land map. Readers this is one talented lady, click here to read The Legend of Kirks Folly and to see more images from Kirks Folly Fairy Realm map. 

Bonnie, we hope that you'll continue to SPARKLE THE WORLD for a very long time! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF OUR MARCH DRAWING:

ANNIE-AVOICEINTHEWIND

CLOUDWALKER, UNICORNS AND PEGASUS

Cloudwalker Dreamstone Pin/Pendant

Magnificent!

As we are well into the Year of the Horse, this week we pay homage to that noblest of fantasy creatures, our winged unicorn, Cloudwalker.

Part unicorn, part Pegasus, this wonderful creature captures the imagination and brings to mind our initial discovery of his genuine ancestor, the horse. 

Carousel Cloudwalker

Toy unicorn

Think back, as a child, which did you, discover first, the horse, the unicorn or the flying horse?

Some of you may recall a toy horse that started a childhood collection, perhaps a miniature pony statue or a stuffed unicorn with a furry body and a golden horn. Some of you may have taking riding lessons and grown a passion for the noble horse, before you discovered the unicorn and the flying horse.

Others may recall the Greek myth of Pegasus, Bellerophon’s flying horse upon which he rode and defeated the Chimera. 

Vintage KF Flyer

Still others may remember the tapestry depicting the story of virgin and the unicorn. 




Or the unicorn related fantasy  movie, Legend from whence Cloudwalker was inspired.

Legend unicorn

Or even the original 1981 film, Clash ofthe Titans, where Perseus and Pegasus flew majestically over the sea in a fierce battle with the Kraken. In Cloudwalker, we envision all of these magnificent creatures. 

Cloudwalker Dreamstone Cuff Bracelet

When designing our Cloudwalker pieces, we embrace the folklore, myths and many forms given this ethereal animal and try to instill each design with the wonder and love we all felt when we first gazed upon this noble creature. 

Let's all enjoy this wonderful, Year of the Horse.

 Click here for a truly Magical Moment:"SPARKLE THE WORLD!"

Press the arrow to view a short clip from Legend, the movie that inspired Cloudwalker!

And don't forget to comment for a chance to win in our March 2014 drawing. Click here to check out the prize!

ORIGINS OF THE IRISH SIDHE FAIRIES

Riders of the Sidhe

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day we share a much-condensed version of the mythical origins of the Irish fairy or the aes-sidhe.  Myths and stories like this often serve as  inspiration for our fairies, mermaids and other figural jewelry designs.

Long ago the Fairy Queen, Danu, came from the North in great ships and led her tribe (Tuatha Dè Danann) to Ireland. Upon arrival, Queen Danu ordered the ships burned and told her people that they were in Ireland to stay. Danu was also know as Mother Goddess and after arriving she and her people fought two major battles to lay claim to the land. In the first fierce battle they defeated the Fir Blogs, also known as the Big Belly Boys. In the second battle they brought down a tribe of giants called the Formorians.

Green man kinsman of Dagda

The fairy queen brought four talisman to Ireland. The first was the Stone of Fal or Stone of Destiny, which cried out when a true king of Ireland stepped on it.
Another treasure was the bloodthirsty weapon (sometimes a spear, a sword, or a sling-shot) of Lugh, a respected warrior of the Tuatha Dè. Then, there was the Magical Sword of Nuada, which always swung a fatal blow.
Finally, there was the Cauldron of Plenty, a bronze cauldron belonging to Dagda, warrior son of Danu. This cauldron would satisfy the hunger of anyone who ate from it.

For many years the Tuatha Dè Danann lived peacefully, practicing their art and magic on the Emerald Isle, but the Milesians (Gaels) eventually discovered the rich  and bountiful land. At first, the Tuatha Dè Danann tried to negotiate with the invaders, but the fierce, magical, fairy folk were either defeated or gave way, there are different versions of the story. 
Fairy Queen Danu and her tribe retreat to the Otherworld, (Tír na nÓg) the land of eternal youth, which is entered through the mounds that are so much a part of the Irish landscape and became known as the  'aes Sídhe', the mound folk. They are also called the fairy folk or the wee people. Leprechauns, merrow (Irish mermaid) and selkies are only a few of the Sidhe fairy who are written about in Irish folklore.
There are marvelous tales and works of art that record all of these events, each as intricate and complicated as the beautiful Irish knotwork. 

That's all for this week, we hope this story brings out the Irish fairy in you.

"SPARKLE THE WORLD"

THE TRINITY MAIDEN SEA FAIRY

Trinity Sea Maiden Cuff

Our design team meets weekly to check the progress of our ongoing design work and to discuss new designs. One of our favorite parts is reading customer thoughts and wishes that flood into our studio.

 While we are unable to bring every idea to reality, we would like to share with you raisin d'être of Trinity Maiden Sea Fairy, which began as a customer request.

We received an email from a lovely young wife and mother who had recently been diagnosed with Muscular Sclerosis. She explained she was having a very difficult time accepting MS as part of her life and dealing with her painful side effects. She became wheelchair bound when every step felt electrified and it became too difficult to walk.
She went on to say there was a popular tattoo that some people with MS identify as a symbol of hope and courage. It was a woman with a jellyfish body. Not wanting a tattoo she asked if we could make a piece of jewelry in the form of a sparkling jellyfish fairy.

Ink by Deviant Artist azureo

Not quite understanding why this needed to take the shape of a jellyfish, we began our research. We found some species of jellyfish can deliver what feels like an electrical charge or sting from their tentacles. We also discovered that a possible new hope for sufferers of MS had been found in a compound derivative of jellyfish protein.

After reading her inspirational story we knew we had the opportunity to bring light to her and many others battling this debilitating disease. The challenge became how to make a lyrical design that captured the strength and fortitude represented by this beautiful creature. 
After many months of model making the Jellyfish Sea Fairy was born. It was our young mother who named her Trinity. 

We would like to send our love and thanks to her for submitting this wonderful idea.  
                                          
                                                       SPARKLE THE WORLD!