Fairy Art Cards and Postcards

All manner of magical creatures...

Thanks so much for visiting!

Do you love fairies, tales of King Arthur, and all things that whisper of magic and imagination? Glimpse into the world of enchantment through the art of turn of the century and modern artists from around the world! Artists such as Arthur Rackham, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, John Bauer, Edmund Dulac, Margaret Tarrant, Molly Brett, Florence Anderson, Hilda Miller, Hans Arnold, Elsa Beskow, Mili Weber & more!

Fairies, sprites, pixies, trolls, angels, mermaids, knights, maidens, unicorns, and all manner of magical creatures await you in the castles, forests, oceans, and meadows of these fabulous illustrations!

You'll find enchanting illustations from children's fairy tales that take you back to your childhood. Teddy bears, forest, water & farm creatures and their happy adventures are sure to bring a smile!

I hope you enjoy the wonderful images of fairy, fantasy and whimsy I've come to love!

Dancing Time by Molly Brett

Collecting fairy art and bits of whimsy...

Antique & Vintage vs Modern Reproductions...What's best?

I've been asked if I'm a postcard collector. Well...yes & no....

I am a primarily a collector of fairy art. In particular, I love the art of turn of the century artists. It just so happens that postcards and cards are a great source of fairy art. I also enjoy collecting antique and vintage children's books of fairytales. Swedish fairytales are a favorite, filled with princesses, trolls and tomte, as are Victorian-era fairytales from the United Kingdom and Australia.

My own postcard / greeting card collection is a mixture of antique, vintage, modern out-of-print and current postcards and greetings cards, with a few modern prints thrown in for good measure. I also have tipped in illustrations from old books that were beyond saving.

Why not stick with just vintage and antique items? They're more valuable aren't they?

While it's certainly possible to build collections that are very valuable, you should take time to decide just what your passion is. What are your goals? Is it your main focus to create a valuable collection? Maybe you enjoy history or gathering bits of the past. If so, then collecting purely antique items may be the right thing to do.

While vintage items can be very expensive, there are some great reasons to collect antique and vintage art. There is a certain magic to collecting bits of the past. To the vintage postcard collector, for example, the "flaws" one might find in antique & vintage postcards are one of the things that make vintage postcards so appealing. Bumped corners, creases, discoloration and fading may speak of a little piece of art that was enjoyed and handled often. Vintage postcards give you a glimpse into the hearts and the lives of the past century.

The bottom line regarding reproductions is that they are often less expensive than antique items, the colors clear and bright, the art is pristine, as is the condition of the card, postcard, etc.. I may purchase several reproduction postcards for the price of one vintage postcard.

For me personally, it's all about the art. I collect the things I do for the pure joy I feel when looking through my collection. I look for items in which the art is intact and the colors clean & bright.

There is no right or wrong to collecting. It doesn't matter if the item that makes you smile is new or old, in mint condition or "well loved". What's important is that you collect the things that speak to you.

Enchanted Ways' Favorite Reference Books

Okay, so you love fairies, tales of King Arthur, and all things that whisper of magic and imagination. Perhaps you want to know more about the fabulous turn-of-the-century artists who illustrated children's books and postcards. Where on earth do you start? These books are on my bookshelf and are filled with lots of great information! Enjoy!

A Treasury of the Great Children's Book Illustrators

by Susan E. Meyer

I've used this book many times, as it does a good job of providing information about a number of great illustrators. You will also find helpful information regarding other very important, but perhaps not as well recognized, illustrators. Artists include: Edward Lear, John Tenniel, Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, Beatrix Potter, Ernest H. Shepard, Arthur Rackam, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, and W.W. Denslow.

There are many color and b/w illustrations throughout the book. 272 pages.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Postcards From the Nursery: The Illustrators of Children's Books and Postcards (Scrapbook)

by Dawn Cope

By far, this is my favorite and the most used book in my library! This huge book has an amazing amount of information. There are photos and biographies on approximately 81 illustrators; 19 important publishers; history of postcards, the rise of women artists in a man's world, advertising, and information covering popular children's themes.

Best of all, I couldn't even begin to count the number of color illustrations thoughout the book. Many illustrations have a blurb of information such as: artist, publisher, series, year, and the title of the art / postcard.

There are 288 pages of illustration and information.

Amazon Price: $45.83 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Golden Age of Children's Book Illustration

by Richard Dalby

Artists featured in this book include well known artists such as N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Arthur Rackham, Kay Neilsen, Edmund Dulac, Jessie Wilcox Smith, to name a few. You will also discover artists who may not be as well known, but are Masters as well. Artists such as John Tenniel, H.R. Millar, Kate Greenaway, and H.J. Ford. There are many pages of full color and black and white art, as well as page after page of smaller illustrations.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Arthur Rackham: A Life With Illustration

by James Hamilton

This is a great reference on the life of one of the most influential artists of all time. Arthur Rackham influenced artists such as John Bauer, John Howe, Alan Lee, Brian Froud, and countless others. If you are a lover of John Bauer's amazing art, I highly suggest this one!

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

A Golden Age: Visions of Fantasy : Australia's Fantasy Illustrators : Their Lives and Works (A Golden Age)

by Robert Holden

Please click on the link to see a picture of the book.

This excellent reference book is brimming with information and many, many color and b/w illustrations from some of Australia's greatest illustrators: D.H. Souter, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Edith Alsop, Christian Yandell; Harold Gaze; Minnie Rowe; May Gibbs; Ruby Winckler; Olive Crane; Barbara Macdonald; Margaret Clark; Norman, Lionel, Percy & Ruby Lindsay; Dorothy Wall; Pixie O'Harris; Peg Maltby; and Jean Elder.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Life Works of Ida R. Outhwaite

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite's enchanting fairies grace the pages of many an Australian book.

Here is a link to a very detailed review of Ida Outhwaite's works:
Ida R. Outhwaite Life Works

Also, this link will connect you to the auctions of a fellow eBay seller who offers a fabulous selection of rare and vintage Ida Outhwaite items. Enjoy!

Please scroll down to view a tiny sampling of Outhwaite's enchanting fairies.

Enchanting Artists

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888 - 1961)
Australia

Here's a small sampling of her fabulous art!

Autumn Fairy Fall Le...

Moon Fairies and Clo...

Witch on Her Brooms...

The First Snowdrop

Fairy Beauty Rocks B...

Fairy Flight on Drag...

Fairy on a Mauve Cro...

Fairies Dancing Fall...

Fairy Fire

Fairy Rides on Blue...

Fairies Dressing

Tending the Flowers

The Spring Fairy

Sitting on a Toadsto...

Serenading the Moon

CRDFairyBallerinasOu...

CRDButterflyChariotO...

CRDFairyBallOuthwait...

CRDFairyIslandsOuthw...

CRDFairyRingOuthwait...

CRDFairySwingOuthwai...

CRDHelloCentralOuthw...

CRDNautilusFairyOuth...

CRDSeaFairiesOuthwai...

Fairy Bridgitte, Koo...

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Ida Outhwaite Books on Amazon

The Little Book of Elves and Fairies

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Little Green Road to Fairyland.

by Annie R. and Outhwaite, Ida Rentoul Rentoul

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

A Nursery Rhyme Frieze

by Ida R. Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

A bunch of wild flowers: Verse and illustrations

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Blossom A Fairy Story

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Ida Outhwaite Books on Amazon

Bunny and Brownie. The Adventures of George and Wiggle

by Ida Rentoul OUTHWAITE

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Little World of Elves & Fairies

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The other side of Nowhere : Fairy stories of the Never Never

by Tarella (Quin), and Outhwaite, Ida Rentoul Daskein

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Nursery Rhymes

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Enchanted Forest

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Grenbry Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Ida Outhwaite Books on Amazon

The Little Green Road to Fairyland.

by Ida Rentoul and Annie R. Rentoul. Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Little World of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Blossom : A Fairy Story

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Elves & Fairies

by Annie R. Rentoul

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

THE LITTLE WORLD OF F ELVES AND FIARIES

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Ida Outhwaite Books on Amazon

Blossom - A Fairy Story

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Nursery rhymes. Illustrated by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite.

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Fairyland of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Elves and fairies: Verses

by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Fairy World of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

by Marcie Muir, Fine Art Publishing

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Ida Outhwaite Books on Amazon

The Lady of the Blue Beads

by Annie Rentoul

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Art of Elsa Beskow

Enchanting Tomte, Fairies, and Fairytales!

Elsa Maartman Beskow (1874-1953) was one of Sweden's most loved children's authors and illustrators. For over one hundred years Swedish children have grown up with her books. She drew her inspiration from nature, the changing seasons, childhood adventures, and a bit from her own life experiences.

Tomtebobarnen

Willow Baby

Star Boys

Snowdrop Fairies

Happy Frog Cafe

Blueberry Land

Olles Skidfard

GlasaKlinga

October Leaves

Bubbelimuck

Blomsterboda

Flower Family

August Festival

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Swedish Fairytales by Elsa Beskow

Enchanting Fairies, Tomte, Trolls & Princesses

Woody, Hazel and Little Pip

by Elsa Maartman Beskow

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 10/11/2008)

Usually ships in 24 hours

Children of the Forest (Mini Edition)

by Elsa Beskow

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/11/2008)

Usually ships in 24 hours

Peter in Blueberry Land (Mini Edition)

by Elsa Beskow

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/11/2008)

Usually ships in 24 hours

Flowers Festival

by Elsa Maartman Beskow

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $16.15 (as of 10/11/2008)

Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks

Around the Year

by Elsa Maartman Beskow

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 10/11/2008)

Usually ships in 24 hours

Journey to more Enchanted Ways - Favorite Links

Moon Fairy by Amelia Jane Murray

A Gallery of my personal collection at Squirl.info. It's a work in progress...there are hundred's more to add and a bit of tweaking to do on the items already listed. Enjoy!
http://squirl.info/people/Enchanted_Ways

Bud's Art Books
This is an amazing website! Here you will find an incredible selection of books representing the art and biographies of fairy/fantasy artists from the past through to the present. You will also find books related to every genre of art imaginable! Prepare to spend a few hours here!

From the website homepage:
Founded in 1970 by renowned illustration & comic art expert Bud Plant, our flagship Incredible Catalog has evolved from its roots, growing to include all forms of great visual art, and now bears the name Bud's Art Books. Here you will find the very best of the visual arts. A unique and diverse collection representing the past, present and future. And of course, Bud's trademark service from a great staff who share your passion for great art!
http://budsartbooks.com - Home Page

To go directly to Bud's fairy/fantasy page:
http://budsartbooks.com - Fantasy

Art Passions
An enchanting, non-commercial site filled with fairy art by the masters. From the home page: "Art Passions is primarily about artists and illustrators whose works I grew up with. I encourage you to explore this site and learn about the works of Arthur Rackham, Gustave Dore, William Morris, Aubrey Beardsley, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, Adrienne Segur, Sulamith Wulfing, Warwick Goble, the Preraphaelites and others. "
http://www.artpassions.net

Artsycraftsy
Source for fairy art prints.
http://www.artsycraftsy.com

Faerie Forlorn Lands
From the homepage:
"This site is dedicated to the lore of Faerie, not particularly to the whimsical, popularized sprites of the common imagination, but to the strange and mysterious legends which lie beneath that friendly facade." You'll find enchanting fairy fonts, poetry, art and free stuff.
http://www.ragnarokpress.com

The Scriptorium
Another great place to find an amazing selection of enchanting fonts!
http://www.fontcraft.com/

Notions & Potions
http://NotionsandPotions.com

Lucia's Garden
http://luciasgarden.com

FeminineLiving.com
http://FeminineLiving.com

Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
http://shadowscapes.com

David Delamare
http://daviddelamare.com

James Browne
http://jamesbrowne.net

Kinuko Y. Craft
http://kycraft.com

Design Toscano
http://designtoscano.com