Fluorite Fiona glimmers with green, purple and blue light, the prettiest crystal fairy you can image. She is so excited that it is her turn today! She hopes her surprise will be really special.

Door twelve is covered in real pine needles. Fiona laughs. Behind the door is an inch high Christmas tree, complete with tiny baubles and a star on top.

She lays it on the ground and the other fairies gather. The tree begins to slowly twirl, baubles sparkling. Then the tiny Christmas decorations rise in the air, and fly swiftly to the fountain, landing in its shining waters. Suddenly the fountain is full of baubles all growing in size, until they are the right size for the real Gemstone Glade Christmas tree.

The fairies laugh happily, and fly to the fountain to help the enlarged decorations on to the real tree.

The star remains on the tiny tree. It too flies up – but towards Fluorite Fiona. She gasps as it touches her chest, and a magic chain emerges from either side and forms a necklace. Fiona fingers the fragile little star, golden and bright. This is the best Christmas present ever.

The little tree then spins again, and takes flight, high in to the air and over the trees in to the forest.

Somewhere far away, a boy called Calum wakes on a frosty winter morning. Looking out the window, he is surprised to see a tiny tree on the windowsill. He opens the window and touches it. A smile forms on the face of the bullied little boy, dreading school: for now he has a friend. The tree goes in his pocket, and he feels confident all day long. That night, he dreams of a glade with a fountain and a tall Christmas tree, and in his dreams he is at peace.

Citrine Cindy claps her hands. “Time to play!” she cries as she flies to door number eleven, sparkling with tiny crystals and golden spirals.

The door opens easily, to reveal a small jewelry box: just the right size for a little fairy.

Clutching it to her chest, she returns to the ground bearing her prize with a smile of joy. The other fairies gather.

It is a carved wooden box, with a picture of a fountain on its lid and stars on its sides. Cautiously, Cindy opens the box, her sparkling yellow body glowing with curiosity.

The inside of the lid hides a gold rimmed mirror, and a wind up ballerina takes pride of place beneath. Cindy laughs as she turns the metal screw. Beautiful music drifts through the glade as the tiny ballerina rotates, pink tutu glinting in the winter sun.

Necklaces, bracelets and rings confront the fairies, in all colours and sizes. With much laughter the girls try on the jewelry, and the whole glade shines silver and gold as they dance.

The jewelry party has begun, and will now last for hours.

The golden dove returns, and looks down from the trees approvingly.

Lepidolite Lucy flaps her tiny purple wings with eager anticipation. Her turn today!

Door number ten is white with golden snowflakes that shine in the soft winter light.

As she opens it, yesterday’s golden dove reappears in the glade, perching on top of the fountain. Lucy pauses, then pulls the door wide.

A sleek snow quartz crystal confronts her, polished to a fine shine, an inner light dancing within. Lucy gasps in delight.

It slowly moves towards the door, growing in shape. Then it is airborne, points of a star growing from all sides until it looks like a perfect snowflake. It rises to high above the glade, and spins there.

Smaller snowflakes begin to fall from it: all different colours, a colour for each of the crystal fairies.

Excited, the fairies jump up and down then fly to catch their own colour. They are beautiful star-shaped crystals, the perfect early Christmas present.

The snow quartz then falls to the fountain, where it spins above the flowing waters as they bubble with different colours.

Slowly it rises again, then disappears over the trees. The golden dove follows it.

A few minutes later, real snow starts to fall.

The fairies squeal with festive merriment.

Yesterday’s tiny fairies are flying around the advent calendar, laughing to themselves. Kyanite Kim is waiting for her fairy friends to gather so she can open door number nine. Slowly they all assemble.

“My turn now!” she cries with delight.

Door nine is gold with pictures of feathers. It is beautiful.

Kim strokes the door. Gold dust sticks to her fingers.

The tiny coloured fairies (born yesterday from an advent calendar vial of crystals) surround her as she opens the door, squealing with delight.

A golden dove ornament confronts her. It shines with an inner light. The tiny fairies fly inside the door and begin to stroke it. The dove closes an eye, reopens it and then begins to move.

It looks out the door, blinking in the winter sunlight. Slowly it flaps its wings then flies out the door, followed by the tiny fairies.

It flies around the glade, then lands on top of the fountain statue. The fountain waters turn golden.

The dove flies up in to the trees, and a golden feather falls down to the glade. It sparkles with Christmas cheer, then magically begins to multiply. A series of feathers stick together and after a few minutes have formed a tree shape, a small tree to rival the main Gemstone Glade Christmas tree, shining gold in the winter light.

A unicorn enters the glade. The dove flies back down and lands on its horn. The unicorn neighs softly. It has found a new friend. Dove magic is at work as a pair of golden wings sprout on the unicorn’s back. It flaps them cautiously. Then the dove and the unicorn fly away together, high over the trees and out of sight.

For once, the fairies are all speechless. Real magic has taken place today.

Howlite Hilda smiles with delight. It is her turn to open a door!

Door eight sparkles with tiny quartz crystals, aligned in the shape of a tree.

Laughing she opens it, closing her eyes in anticipation and then slowly opening them.

A tiny glass vial confronts her. Nervously she picks it up. Tiny crystals of all colours are inside.

She opens it and tips a couple of crystals out – blue and pink. They are warm. She rubs them in her hands.

Suddenly they begin to grow! Slowly they extend, form head and legs and then sprout wings and fly out of her hands. They are tiny crystal fairies! Happily, they fly around her head, enjoying a taste of real life.

Hilda shares out the remaining crystals, and the other fairies begin to rub them, joy in their faces at the birth of new life.

A couple of the new tiny fairies fall in to the fountain – and emerge with mermaid tails.

Hilda rubs her hands in glee. Her door has been the best yet!

Day seven already! Jasper Jim is jumping up and down with excitement. The seventh door on the advent calendar is golden and depicts a reindeer. What can be behind it?

He opens the door quickly, giggling. A red Christmas cracker falls out, with pictures of reindeer on it. It is twice the size of Jim.

“Who will help me?” he cries. A team of fairies gather, pulling each end. A crack echoes through the glade. Tiny red antler hats fall out, and tiny red noses too. It is time for some reindeer fun! Pretending to be deer, some of the fairies dance while the others fall about laughing.

Then they stop as the sound of hooves approaches. They stare hopefully at the forest. He arrives – it is Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer!

His nose shines a deep ruby red. Slowly he approaches the fountain, and drinks. His nose shines brighter. Then he leaves the glade as quickly as he came.

The waters of the fountain glow red, as the fairies begin to dance again, breathing in the reindeer magic all around.

It’s day six of the advent calendar. Danburite Dawn is so pleased to be chosen for today’s honour. She glows white in the winter sun, her shining crystal body the poetry of perfection.

She flies towards the little green door, covered in painted snowflakes. Anxious anticipation prickles her skin. Will her surprise exceed expectations?

The door creaks. She closes her eyes. Then opens them to behold a snow globe. Slowly she picks it up. A miniature snowy Gemstone Glade is pictured inside, complete with a unicorn drinking from the fountain. She shakes it and inside snow falls all around.

Dawn looks up. Clouds have gathered and it is now snowing in Gemstone Glade for real! The fairies cry with pleasure. They love the snow.

Dancing begins. It is time to party like a fairy in the snow.

It is already day five of the advent calendar! Morganite Meg smiles, flying towards the little red door that sparkles with clear quartz crystal points in the shape of a star. Meg glows pink, with the biggest, most generous heart. It is now beating with excitement.

The door creaks open to reveal a tiny red and white santa hat. It is just the right size for Morganite Meg.

Laughing, she dons the hat. “Give us a gift!” shout the fairies. “A board game of Gemstone Glade!” cries Jasper Jim.

“The Gemstone Glade boardgame!” laughs Meg. An object falls from the sky. The fairies gasp.

It is a boardgame! Gemstone Glade is written on the box in loud green and gold.

“I would like a quartz goblet!” sighs Sapphire Sue.

Another object falls from the sky, a beautiful shining goblet bedecked with jewels.

“This hat is a manifestation tool!” cries Meg. She takes it off and throws it high in to the air. “Go where you are needed magic hat!”

A Christmas angel catches it and flies away.

The fairies giggle, then open the Gemstone Glade boardgame. It is time to play!

Day four of the advent calendar, and it is Amethyst Anne’s turn. She nervously flies towards the small wooden door with its amethyst shaped star on front. Slowly she opens the door, smiling in anticipation.

A sparkling feather confronts her, white with multi-coloured crystal beads all over it. Gently she picks its up. Immediately it shrinks to the size of her little hand. Anne places it in her hair, and then flies around the glade laughing as her fairy wings sprout white feathers.

A neighing reaches her ears. It is a baby winged unicorn. Together they fly around the glade, a cloud of white fun. The feather falls out of Anne’s hair and lands in the fountain, and multiplies: the fountain is over-run with feathers. Giggling, the fairies fly around, collecting feathers. Then the feather party begins, and Gemstone Glade sighs to the sound of dancing and the silence of feathers.

It is day three of the Gemstone Glade advent calendar. Emerald Ella, a gentle green crystalline fairy, is jumping up and down with excitement.

Door three has a shining diamond, glinting secretively in the winter sun.

Slowly Ella opens the door. Tangerines fall out, four or five, all with icing on top carved in different shapes: a heart, a star, a baby, mistletoe and a cross.

Ella laughs with delight. Tangerines are popular fairy food.

The fairies gather and begin to feast.

The icing flies off the fruit, forming shapes mid-air, flying round the glade, then finally entering and disappearing in to the star at the top of the Christmas tree.

The fairies gaze after the shapes, then return to the feast. The smell of tangerines pervades the glade.