Shop News

Win Folk Owl Felted Fairy Gauntlets

We’re feeling very lucky this month because we’ve been gifted this pair of beautiful fairy gauntlets made by the very talented Angela from Folk Owl, who hand-creates exquisite fairy and woodland accessories from felt.

They were used in our recent photoshoot (see our post about it here) with fairy photographer Danniella Jaine, where model Lisa Bennett, dressed as a summertime fairy, wore them as a part of her costume.

If you’d like to enter, simply like our Facebook post and tag a friend who you think would also like to win these pretty pastel accessories or you can sign up to our newsletter and enter from there.

The winner will be picked at random from all entries across our social media platforms on September 1st 2018.

Don’t forget to tell all of your fairy-loving friends!

Articles, Shop News

Dreamscapes and Follies

Have you ever been so enchanted by an image that it sucks you into an adventure in a different time and world to your own? Then you’ve probably seen the work of fairy photographer Danniella Jaine.

Her beautfully-shot an delicately-edited portraits are ethereal, magical, immersed in an innocent, wistful nostalgia and catch you in that dreamy period between waking and sleeping.

WILDWOOD: Animal activist Priya embodies her spirit animal.
WILDWOOD: Animal activist Priya embodies her spirit animal.

So it was a very special thing to be able to work with Danniella on a collaboration shoot recently in Gunnersbury Park in London, a place scattered with little Victorian follies, arches and beautiful huge green trees.

Models Priya and Lisa, dressed as a deer and a fairy, tried not to look to drowned and poor Danniella hid her head and camera under a bin bag shelter as the rain unexpectedly poured non-stop all day after a week of brilliant sunshine.

It was Lisa’s first shoot in the UK after moving here from sunny Australia. So, dressed as winged fairy and trying not to giggle, she frolicked in the bucketing rain with majestic deer Priya, who wore a beautiful golden-antlered headdress.

Our regular photographer Oliver Goodrich was there too, capturing their play-dance on his new gimbal and camera, learning his new kit and taking some fantastic moving images for our forthcoming video.

MAGICAL REALM: Blessed Branches crystal pendant
MAGICAL REALM: Blessed Branches crystal pendant

To complete our look, Altshop invited four other collaborators to join the fun. If you spot the exquisite jewellery that both our characters wear, you might recognise it as the work of Natasha from Blessed Branches. These amazing crystal talismans set the tone for magic, mystery and flowing energy and are truly beautiful pieces straight from the heart of this spirited creatress.

Loty from Headspace Headresses made the stunning headpieces which were impressively strong and sturdy and were the true crowning glory of the outfits.

The delicate, lacy faerie armwarmers for Lisa and woodland-in-autumn-inspired pixie bag for Priya were made by Angela from Folkowl. Angela is a master at felting and skilfully creates exquisite wearable pieces that look like something from the pages a fairytale painted in watercolour.

DELICATE ARTISTRY: Folkowl makes these beautiful cuffs.
DELICATE ARTISTRY: Folkowl makes these beautiful cuffs.

Lucie Younger’s fantastic make-up used biodegradable glitter in muted old golds and forest greens, shimmering pinks and translucent opals from Wish Upon A Sparkle, a great place to get creative with eco-freindly glitter.

FOLLIES AND FAIRIES: Gunnersbury Park in London
FOLLIES AND FAIRIES: Gunnersbury Park in London

We hope you love the photos, look out for the video next month and a competition where you could win the Folkowl accessories!

Look for the clothing we used in the shoot at www.altshop.co.uk

-Katie Lambert

WILD AT HEART: Priya gets into the role
WILD AT HEART: Priya gets into the role
THE BOHO FAE LOOK: Lisa poses for Altshop
THE BOHO FAE LOOK: Lisa poses for Altshop
Shop News

Shooting for Summer

On a balmy day by the London canal, cherry blossoms blowing in through the window at community art studio Stour Space in Hackney Wick, we met to shoot more styles for Altshop’s online festival clothing store.

I feel blessed to work with four beautiful, gifted and strong women, horse-drawn folk singer from Derby Robyn Wallis Johnson, self-proffessed Gelfling-a-like Charlie Bond, fashion student Emma Parry and illustrator and would-be tattoo artist Chelly Surrell.

Some of you may recognise Robyn from some of our photos when she had pink dreads. Since then, she’s crowd-funded an album of songs, been on the road with a horse-drawn solar-power stage show and settled firmly into van life. She has the singing voice of a angel jilted at the altar and a captivating presence – after our last photoshoot she sat on top of a nearby narrowboat with her guitar and lulled a flock of rowdy boaters into a starry-eyed stupor. Great to see you again, Robyn, happy travels.

I first met Actor Charlie at 3 Wishes Fairy Festival in Cornwall, where she was wearing the most stunning fairy ballgown complete with wings. When I found out she was local, I just had to ask her if she would come and model for Altshop and was delighted when she agreed. Amazing energy, great fun and what a talent! Good luck with the release of King Lear in September, Charlie.

Emma moved to Hackney Wick to be involved in it’s vibrant artists’ community and is studying fashion. She uses baggy, oversized cuts in her clothing and innovative ways to drape beautiful, pastel-colour fabric over the human form. I look forward to working and connecting with her more in the future – I love her style, her determination and her gentle ways and have already fallen in love with the clothing she makes by hand.

What a delight to work with Chelly again after so many months. I’m absolutely delighted and very excited to hear that she’ll be training as a tattoo artist and, after she qualifies in illustration very soon, will be taking up a place in a studio and learning the ropes. What an exciting time ahead for you – I cannot think of anything that would suit your drawing style better than INK!!! Keep a steady hand and a steady heart and you will soar. Next time I see you, I will be keeping an eye out for your very own first tattoo, the seashell that will mark the beginning of your journey. Such a mermaid!

Thank you, sisters, for making work such fun.

Keep your eye on the shop as the new styles are added to our shop over the coming few weeks.

Shop News

Natasha Wins Our Comp

WE are delighted to announce the winner of our selfie competition, which has been running since summer last year… it’s Natasha Heard from Australia.

She won a shop voucher for £150 to spend with us with this magical selfie.

We hadn’t heard of Natasha or her online shop Blessed Branches before she entered the competition, but we’re now completely in love with her work.

blessed2-small
THE SELFIE: Natasha’s magical vibes.

She and her husband Michael make amazing talismans, jewellery and art out of crystals, clay, wood and charms inspired by nature, spirit animals, runes and pagan sacred symbols. The results are simply stunning magical tools and keepsakes to weave magic and add wonder to your life.

The detailing in the pieces show that this is a labour of love for the couple, who live in by the coast in Old Bar, Australia with their two kids. They often frequent the community craft markets with their beautiful creations.

Natasha, who describes herself as “a natural witch”, invites a “passionate connection to Mother Earth flow into all her creations.”

She admits to being a huge fan of Altshop.co.uk and says that she “just LOVES everything Altshop.”

We were so happy when she sent us this photo of her wearing one of the outfits she spent the voucher on.

Natasha's new Altshop outfit
SHE COMES IN COLOURS: Natasha’s new Altshop outfit

If you’d like to see more of Natasha and Micheal’s amazing creations, her Instagram feed is a must-see and you can also check out her Etsy shop HERE.