About

I'm Bethany Ward, the owner and artist behind Alice + Iris. I'm also a Spiritual Director and Intuitive. This is the creative branch of my work: a space where I get to work with my hands, honor the seasons, and give form to the strange and beautiful images that live in my imagination.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother built a grand Tudor dollhouse, complete with tiny framed portraits of her grandchildren, working lights, and plush carpets. Around that same time, I first saw the Cottingley fairy photographs, those delicate, dreamlike images of two girls who claimed to see fairies in their garden. The dollhouse and those photographs felt like they belonged to the same world—a world where the imagination makes its own rules. These were my first experiences of beauty that invite you to linger, forming my deep appreciation for quiet magic and the wonder found in small things.

Inspired by that sense of wonder, Alice + Iris is a place where soul-led living meets the kind of beauty you notice when you slow down and look closely. Each piece, each collection, and each story reflects a love for the hidden beauty that surrounds us.

Alice + Iris finds its home in a historic 900-square-foot cottage beside my house. Built over a century ago, this cozy structure once housed migrant workers from the dairy farm that supplied much of the region. Today, the cottage has transformed into my creative studio and a peaceful sanctuary for those who join me in exploration and reflection. It is a place where I center my daily life, welcome clients, craft each collection, and connect with the natural rhythm of the seasons.

Every few months, I gather and create a small collection of things that feel right for the season. It might be a bundle of herbs, a favorite tea blend, or something stitched or gathered by hand. Each item carries the feeling of the cottage: simple, personal, and made to be lived within.

A Place for Discovery and Connection

Built on the belief that wonder lives in the everyday, Alice + Iris is for those who seek beauty and meaning in simple, thoughtful moments. Tucked inside the cottage, you'll also find the Cupboard, a small shop with handmade items, meaningful gifts, and soulful nourishment. It's open during gatherings or by request, and while it's small, it's full of delightful treasures.

In the Studio blog, I share stories from the cottage, glimpses of life surrounded by nature, reflections to inspire your own creativity and exploration, and tutorials that walk you through the kinds of things I love to make by hand. Here, you’ll find creative reflections, ideas to spark your imagination, and notes on the magical moments that inspire each collection. You’ll also find updates on Creating Wellworth, the name I’ve given to the slow renovation of our old house next door. Wellworth is both a home and a long-term creative project:a lived-in, evolving space shaped by beauty, thrift, and soul-led design.

An Invitation to Wonder

I created Alice + Iris as a place for those who, like me, love to explore, create, and find magic in the simple and unexpected. I hope this space brings you joy, sparks your imagination, and reminds you of the beauty that lives in every corner of life.

Welcome to Alice + Iris. Let yourself wander. Let something ordinary surprise you. Let this be a place where your imagination, like the Cottingley fairies, steps just barely into view, half real, half wished-for, and wholly alive.