Fairy Angst

I am in the process of finishing up a cosplay photo shoot for The Never Ending Story. In the mean time here is a garden fairy costume I created using scraps of vintage fabrics. Every bit of the costume was handmade and it is fully lined. It will be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Here are the final images from the photo shoot of this fairy costume:

The Ice Queen

I created this Ice Queen character for no other reason than I just wanted to. Here are the images from this quick session.

Model & Make-Up: Candace Imgram
Concept/Costuming/Photography: Jennifer Griffin Studios

The crown and neck piece are available in my Etsy shop.

Woodland Queen Photo Shoot, June 2016

So, this costume and shoot was a long time coming for me. I had sculpted a wood nymph the year before and I had wanted to recreate her in real life. I did a post about her and how I made her last year. You can find it here. I finally got up the courage to sell her and she sold to a customer in New York. She now has a new home in a mythical garden in New York, NY. But soon after I made her I was inspired to make a costume based on her, mostly a head piece.

These are the images from that inspiration. Model, Charlotte Greaser and makeup artist, Candace Ingram can both be found on Facebook and Instagram.

This outfit and head dress will be for sale in on my website in late July. You will be able to find it here.

Starting Over In Georgia

If you haven't heard already, we have moved back to the Atlanta area. Since we have moved lots has been going on and things have been busy with personal things like doing some remodeling in our new home, birthdays, and getting ready for the next school year at new schools.

As for business and creativity, well, it has been crazy there as well. 

I have been photographing random things to practice my editing skills, since my studio isn't up and running yet. I have been working on trying to get it in order as soon as possible becasue busy season is coming soon.

 

I have been working with digital add-ons, overlays and textures for my photography. I think I still like to make the actual items for my photo shoots, but I know if I can't get it in real life I can add it later.  

Digital wings added

Now onto the good stuff. Here is this fantastic, vintage, bookcase? Shelving unit? Whatever it is, it is fabulous. I know it is at least as old as I am because it was in my closet when I was a child. My mom was an extreme couponer before it was a thing. We are talking the 1970's couponing here people. She had boxes FULL of proofs of purchase from all kinds of food items, to send in for coupons. Every cubby had a box and every box was full, and organized. I told her if she ever wanted to get rid of the bookcase, I would take it off her hands. Now I will use it in my studio. But before I use it I wanted to fix it up some.

 

The piece has several coats of brown paint on it, several layers of dirt and dust (from being in a garage for 25 years, after being in my closet for 10), and several screws and nails in it. I patched up the holes and cleaned up the dirt and dust. 

  

I really didn't want to paint the entire piece and I wanted to keep some of the original color so I decided to dry brush a medium to dark grey over the entire piece to blend the browns and hole fixes. I also added some bun feet to get it off the floor for easy cleaning of the floor. This is how it came out. I love it and it goes perfectly in my new studio. Which, by the way I will do a post on my studio reveal when it is finished. 

 

Beautiful, right? I put a coat of clear furniture wax to seal and protect the finish. I have several pieces I am repurposing. The next piece I am working on is this amazing piece. I found it at a local antique market while shopping with a friend. I had started pulling out all of the little drawers when I remembered I needed to take a "before" picture. There are drawers that fill the entire piece. I'll be posting soon on what I did with this piece and the fun things I found inside some of the drawers.

   

I am also happy to say that I have some space at Woodstock Antiques. Located in the metro-Atlanta area Woodstock Antiques and Consignment has some great finds that now include my Lily Mairi line of jewelry. I have other exciting news that will come later too! Follow my blog and like my Facebook pages Lily Mairi on Facebook and Jennifer Griffin Fine Art Photography on Facebook to keep up with all of the new adventures and projects happening.

 

Fall Fae

Growing up my mom made our Halloween costumes from scratch. Sometimes from a pattern, sometimes just off the top of her head. It is one of the many things my mother did that inspires me still today.
In keeping with the tradition of handmade costumes, I too make my kids' costumes for Halloween or what ever occasion requires a costume, even just a photo shoot.
In October of 2014 my two youngest daughters wanted to be fairies. I looked though my stash of fabrics and couldn't find enough of one fabric so I figured I would make some fabric.

I played my favorite Pandora station, pulled out my olive greens and egg plant purples and went to work piecing together a "shabby" woodland fairy costume.

 Pulling Scraps

I repurposed some olive green knit fabrics from a mermaid costume I made for my oldest daughter in 2013 as a base and accent pieces. After laying out the fabric pieces I pinned them in place and began sewing.

This is the result of "quilting the pieces together. I didn't want it too neat so the fabrics that did not have enough synthetic threads to heat seal I left raw. I heat sealed the others so it wouldn't to messy looking, kind of a bohemian gypsy look. 

 

 

I then trimmed out the pieces and made ruffles with the repurposed fabric and pieces I had in my stash. I made a halter type top that tied at the neck and buttoned up the back.

 

 

Here is the final result of putting the pieces together. I also made her wings and head piece. I will be listing her costume in my Etsy shop. Her wings and head piece have already sold.

We Are Moving!

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area then lucky you. I am not from Georgia but my husband is. I had lived there since 1991 until we moved to Peoria, Illinois last year. We have been here for 10 months and have decided to go home.

I will be focusing on getting my blog, website and Etsy shop up to date with the latest photo sessions and products for Lily Mairi. I will also be booking clients for fine art portrait sessions for the fall and traditional portraits starting in July.

In the mean time here are a few images for some new items for Lily Mairi

Woodland Head Pieces

Steampunk Jewelry

Fairytale & Whimsical Jewelry

I also have new costume pieces and accessories, new bridal pieces, new steampunk fascinators, and new woodland flower fascinators. Keep checking in for updates. You can also like my facebook pages:

Jennifer Griffin- Fine Art Photography
and
LilyMairi

or follow me on Twitter
Lily Mairi

Spring 2015 Lily Mairi Line & Some Sweet Images

Butterfly Headband

Individual Butterfly Clips, set of 4

Moss & Butterfly Hair Clip Set

Blue & Silver Royal Elven Head Piece

Bohemian & Tribal Pieces

Woodland Elf/Fairy Necklace