Faery Tambourines
Faery Tambourines are a unique manifestation of the connection between human and Fey. I have been making them for some years now and they have evolved over time - becoming an ever deepening love song to those who I have learned to call The Keepers of The Land. I make them in much the same way I make my drums, so either you can direct the making - specify what kind of hide, handle, bells, feathers, ribbons etc you would like, or you can ask me to work in partnership with the Fae and have them direct what your tambourine looks and sounds like.
At the moment I am making two sizes - 10" or 12", they are 1.5" deep and have either a wooden or antler handle at the back. The hide is attached to the wooden frame with either glue or staples depending on the design and the bells are hung on a metal line behind the handle, or with fabric around the edge of the outside (or both!) .
Prices: These vary depending on the complexity of the design, but most of those you can see below would cost £360.00. The exception to that is the one in the second row of pictures (the first three of the second row) which has a deer hide face, stones around the edge under the face, braiding around the back of the edge, two rows of bells, feathers, ribbons and a forked stick handle. The price for something like this one would be £400.
The more recent tambourines are at the bottom of the page.
Beautiful Goat hide face
Forked stick and large golden bells with feather and leather details.
12" Tambourine
Decorated with Ivy and ribbons
Stones under the hide make a beautifully shaped outline. If you'd like this the hide must be deer not goat.
Brass bells and forked stick on the back of this 10" tambourine.
Ribbons, feathers and felted leaf hangings decorate the back of this tambourine.
The ribbons can be as ott as you like (or very discrete) and any or many colours.
Three Faery Tambourines drying on the airer, they look like strange flying jellyfish.
The process of making is many stepped.
Witches Three with their Faery Tambourines
Goat hide with an antler handle - the energy of Pan is very present here
A closer look
The moon face of the tambourine - it's not be usual to paint these, but you can if you'd like to
Feathered Faery Tambourine
Hag stone Faery Tambourine back
Hag Stone Faery Tambourine. Beautifully marked face, it's Roe Deer
Forest Sprite Faery Tambourine
This one has a curvy piece of wood as a handle. Most have a forked stick
The Singing Faery Tambourine. This one was a truly magical adventure
Singing with Crows and Owls.
Trickster Tambourine, with golden petals around the edge.
Trickster Tambourine, allies hiding among the ribbons
This was for working with Nettle amongst other plants, I printed a band for the edge
The back of the Nettle Tambourine
Nettle, Mugwort, Plantain and Yarrow. These are all here in the Nettle Faery Tambourine.
Rowan berries, moor grass, heather, toad bone, buzzard feather, hag stone, small gooddess. Vintage ribbons. Knobly cherry handle and bells on the back. Birch bark around the edge.
Rowan berries again, with a woven spell thread. Crow feathers and foot. Bone, angler and moor grass. Vintage ribbons. Yew handle. Bells on the edge and inside.