Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 22 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

take the easiest first step | encouragement

You know that hypothetical exercise you go through every once in a while – What would I rescue from the house if there were a fire, flood, or other natural disasters? Well, yesterday afternoon, we got to put that hypothetical exercise to the test as we were preparing for high winds and likely tornados in our area. We’re all safe and sound this morning and spent the night snug in our basement, but there were a few tense moments when the sirens sounded and alerts were echoing on four phones. And images of those three sisters in Kentucky, seeking shelter in their bathtub shortly before they were taken by a tornado, made me acknowledge that a good outcome isn’t certain. My heart has been heavy for that community and those families all week, but it was even heavier as all four of us, the two kitties, and Sebastian sat in

December 16, 2021 47 Comments

design

miss mustard seed wrapping paper

Launching Miss Mustard Seed wrapping paper all started with some lino block cutting during the Thanksgiving break. I created a pattern I really loved and others loved, too, so I decided it was time to stop putting “make patterns for paper and fabric” on my to-do list and actually do it. Not just doodle and fiddle, but make it digital, upload it, and sell it. This wrapping paper journey actually started over six years ago when I met with the then-owner of a quilting fabric company about creating a line. I had never done patterns before, but I felt like it was in me. I could see it in my head and I just needed to learn how to get that into a format I could communicate with others. I developed two lines and the whole experience ended up being a dud. I mean, I learned a ton and worked

December 9, 2021 46 Comments

crafts

lino printed wrapping paper project | christmas crafts

Over the Thanksgiving break, I worked on cutting out a lino block for printing wrapping paper and cards. The project turned out even better than I expected and, as I shared peeks of the process on Instagram, many people asked if I would share a tutorial. So, this post is it! Here is a lino printed wrapping paper project for beginners. We’ll walk through the materials you’ll need, the process of carving a “lino” (linoleum) block, and printing. | The pattern that I carved over Thanksgiving took me several hours, so we’ll use a simpler pattern for this lino printed wrapping paper project. Before we get to the details, I will share the process of how I made this one for those who are interested. The process is very similar, but I used some different materials. Instead of using an easy-cut “lino” block made of a rubbery material, I used

December 1, 2021 17 Comments

a slice of life

a few favorite affordable fountain pens

As I’ve been sharing some of my fountain pens on Instagram and here on the blog, I’ve received some messages asking for recommendations for affordable fountain pens for fountain-pen-beginners or for those who don’t want to spend a lot on a pen. When I bought my first “real” fountain pen a few years ago with my birthday money, several people warned me that I had just opened a door into a whole new (addictive) world. Several fountain pens later and I see they are right. I’ve said before that I’m not into designer shoes and purses, but give me a pair of Crocs and nice writing/art supplies and I’m set. When I was in a fountain pen shop in Paris a couple of years ago, buying a 1920s fountain pen as a souvenir, an older gentleman was buying a young woman a €900 fountain pen. Wendy, who was translating for

November 28, 2021 24 Comments

crafts

finger knitting tutorial | christmas crafts

Last December, I hopped onto Instagram Stories and made a quick finger knitting tutorial for those who were asking how I made the little wreath present toppers. The quick tutorial went over so well that I decided I should make a proper video tutorial for my YouTube channel and to share here on my blog. What’s wonderful about this project is that it’s super easy and a very quick project. You can make one of the little wreaths to use as ornaments or handmade present-toppers in just a couple of minutes. If you want to knit a garland to mix in with greens or swag on a Christmas tree, that would be an easy TV-watching project. It’s also kid-friendly. Here is the easy finger knitting video tutorial… Finger knitting is easier shown than explained, so I would suggest watching the video and you’ll pick it up quickly. Did anyone else

November 20, 2021 6 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

making color wheels with homemade watercolor paints

Before I dive headlong into holiday content, I wanted to share the last installment of my series on making handmade watercolors. To me, experimenting with the paints and exploring the color palette is one of my favorite parts of playing with paints. Whenever I feel stuck, I just start making color wheels and charts and that gets my hands and creative brain moving. You can find the first three parts (including videos, a printed recipe, and supplies list) here… mineral artist’s pigments from Choosing Keeping handmade watercolor binder recipe & video making handmade watercolors I have a huge assortment of pigments to choose from, but I decided to start with five colors that would give me a small palette to experiment on and play with. This was my first time mixing homemade watercolors, so I knew there would be a learning curve. As I shared in the previous post, the

November 17, 2021 7 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

creating like a bowerbird

Last year, I was introduced to the bowerbird through Sibella Court’s book . It’s a gorgeous book about creating beautiful interiors with collected items. As someone who loves collecting, hunting, pecking, and curating, that book was right up my alley. But, I recently did more research on the bowerbird and realized I have more in common with this bird than I knew. The bowerbird goes beyond collection and creating, but collects and creates very specifically. The satin bowerbird collects and decorates only with things that are a specific shade of blue. He’ll even go so far as to pick things out of his surrounding area that are colors he doesn’t like (reds and pinks specifically.) If you’ve read my blog for a while, my de-redding things will have a familiar ring. In my personal creative time (creative work that isn’t specifically for creating profit but is just to play for

November 15, 2021 31 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

making handmade watercolors

You can find the first part of this series about making handmade watercolors HERE. That post shares about the pigments I purchased. In the second post, I shared the handmade watercolor binder recipe I’m testing out. You can find that post (along with a printable recipe and video HERE.) I received so many comments and messages from people who were eager to see the binder actually mixed with the pigment to make handmade watercolors and that is going to happen in this post and video! Let me lead off by saying this is my first time making handmade watercolors. I’m very experienced when it comes to working with paints and pigments, but actually mixing the paints is new to me. I am so excited to finally be doing it though. It was actually on my to-do list for 2021, because it’s something I’ve been curious about and interested in trying

November 11, 2021 6 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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