Debra and Eric have enjoyed operating their costume accessories business in Renaissance shops across the country together for over 25 years.
They feel that the joy of creating along with it challenges are what makes each day an adventure, loving what they do, and it shows!
Debra Hathaway started Dragon Wings in 1987 making jewelry inspired by Asian culture and involving fans, chopsticks, tapestry and tassels. Her unique designs were marketed through boutiques and upscale department stores across the nation (including Nordstrom and Macy’s).
While working with porcelain jewelry, Debra was enticed to sculpt her own line of dolls and eventually began building marionette puppets as well. Upon being juried-in to several Renaissance Festivals (one of the few Renaissance Festival artists juried in with two distinctly different product lines), Debra and her child, Jasper, took to the road. During their journeys they faced floods, tornadoes, wind, hail, fire ants, and more. Eventually they met and invited Eric Heath to become a part of their roving family business. Debra and Eric were wed on September 11, 1997.
Dragon Wings Costume Accessories and Feather Finery product line has grown to include a variety of styles of hats, feather barrettes, masks, parasols, fans, beaded hairsticks, bridal accessories, and more. Their natural feather Angel Wings became so popular that a separate website was created - you can see them at AngelWingMakers.com
For over 20 years Eric, Debra, and their minions demonstrated marionette stringing at a podium in front of the Dragon Wings booth at each Festival. At their peak, Dragon Wings Dolls and Marionettes produced over 35 different creatures in their online catalogue, including Fairies, Unicorns, Dragons, Centaurs, Puss in Boots, the Frog Prince, and even Flying Pigs!
Sadly, Eric and Debra had to significantly decrease production of marionettes in recent years, due to carpal tunnel (Eric) and the unprecedented success of their Angel Wing business.
These days you can see the full range of Costume Accessories and Feather Finery by visiting Dragon Wings shoppes at three seasonal Renaissance Festivals: Arizona, Scarborough Faire (Texas) and Maryland.
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