back home & another antique watercolor box

back home & another antique watercolor box

by | Apr 5, 2021 | , , , , ,

Despite a trip to the ER after a day in the car (my youngest son has a stomach bug or severe car sickness and needed fluids), we had a wonderful trip out east to visit our family.  We made our first stop in North Carolina to visit Jeff's parents and his sister's family before we drive up to Pennsylvania to visit my parents.  We spent a ton of time in the car, but it was all worth it so we could see family.  We hadn't seen Jeff's parents since December 2019 and my parents since last summer. I...

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trusting what comes out of your hands

trusting what comes out of your hands

by | Mar 26, 2021 | , ,

For those who missed my announcement last fall, I wrote a book.  I'm going to be sharing even more specifics about it very soon, but it is a home decor book with my home being the lead character and my decorating ideas and tips being the bulk of the content.  When I was working on the book, it all came easily.  I feel like this book has been brewing inside of me for years and it just poured out.  I wrote 17,000 words over the top end of the range requested by the publisher and that was even...

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what I learned from knitting my first pair of socks

what I learned from knitting my first pair of socks

by | Mar 18, 2021 | ,

Just a quick note before I get into knitting socks today.  There are more details at the bottom of this post and answers to FAQs if you're planning to shop the art/art supplies sale this evening. I'll start off by declaring that I'm totally in love with knitting.  I like to crochet, but I really love knitting.  They are so similar, so I'm not sure why I prefer knitting over crochet, but I am really enjoying it and I'm excited about getting better.  I have dreams of making all sorts of fun...

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Original Art & Used Art Supplies Sale Preview

Original Art & Used Art Supplies Sale Preview

by | Mar 16, 2021 | , , , ,

I spent several hours yesterday on getting all of the original art and used art supplies listed for the sale on Thursday!  It is a big project that I was happy to check off my list.  But, I'm happy to share that I have a nice mix of paintings and supplies that will be included in this sale. A few things...  First of all, I have upgraded my server, so the site won't be crashing while you're trying to check out.  I know that was so frustrating for those who were trying to shop the sale last...

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Online Painting Classes

Online Painting Classes

by | Mar 11, 2021 | , , ,

If you haven't guessed, I almost always have an ambitious list of things I want to accomplish each year.  Some things end up getting kicked down the road simply because I only have so much time and I have to focus on things that are a higher priority.  My little pet projects are the ones that typically get neglected.  One of the pet projects I wanted to finally do this year was to offer online art classes.  This included making new ones, but also putting the free art classes I made last year...

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organizing the art studio | brushes, pastels & rearranging

organizing the art studio | brushes, pastels & rearranging

by | Mar 10, 2021 | , , , ,

One of my goals when organizing the art studio was to greatly simplify the amount of stuff that's sitting out in the open.  I waffle between wanting to see all of my supplies, so I don't forget them and because they are beautiful, and wanting to have completely clear surfaces.  The former usually wins out and the studio ends up feeling messy to me as a result.  Now, you have to understand that my mess-tolerance is pretty low, so a mess to me probably looks pretty normal to some people!  But, I...

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Organizing & Purging the Studio | Paints & Papers

Organizing & Purging the Studio | Paints & Papers

by | Mar 8, 2021 | , ,

Well, I've spent the better part of the last three days going through my studio with a fine-tooth comb.  I've organized the studio before and have cleaned out a few things, but nothing compares to the thoroughness of this most recent endeavor.  As I've been working in my studio over the past few months, I've realized that the quantity of supplies, instead of being inspiring, has been overwhelming.  It doesn't look out-of-control because everything is in neatly labeled drawers, but it's a lot...

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Fixing & Cleaning Paint Brushes

Fixing & Cleaning Paint Brushes

by | Mar 4, 2021 | , ,

As I shared last week, my Victorian-era watercolor box came with a bunch of brushes and other tools.  I finally took some time to give them a little TLC and I thought I would share my process for fixing and cleaning paint brushes.  This is helpful not only if you buy/acquire a lot of vintage or antique brushes, but if you just need to take care of some of your favorite brushes that get heavy use. The first thing I do when fixing and cleaning paint brushes is to pull on the tops to see if they...

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charcoal, a glass dip pen, and a Victorian watercolor box…

charcoal, a glass dip pen, and a Victorian watercolor box…

by | Feb 25, 2021 | , , , , , ,

It's time to share some more antique and vintage art supplies!  Obviously, I haven't bought any this month because of "no-spend February", but I bought an antique Victorian-era watercolor box with some Christmas money in January and I received a few little things last week as a gift. An antique dealer from PA who used to buy things for me to resell sent me a few art supplies she picked up as a part of an auction lot.  It was a total surprise and so sweet of her to think of me! She sent me a...

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knitting organization

knitting organization

by | Feb 24, 2021 | ,

Despite my early frustrations that involved a lot of unraveling, I am getting the hang of knitting and I am really enjoying it!  I find it's a nice way to be productive while I'm watching TV in the evenings with Jeff and the boys.  (We've been watching through old seasons of Survivor together.)  After making several hats, I moved on to socks and I'm almost done with my first pair.  Their slouchy and imperfect, but they are passable socks and I've learned so much while working on them.  I'm...

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Hello!

Marian Parsons - Miss Mustard Seed

I’m Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, a wife, mother, paint enthusiast, lover of all things home and an entrepreneur, author, artist, designer, freelance writer & photographer.  READ MORE to learn more about me, my blog and my business…

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