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Artistic Endeavors

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cross-stitching on linen

I have fallen in love with an old-school craft…cross-stitching. I know it has a reputation for being dated, but that has a lot more to do with the patterns and the cross-stitch kits available than it does the craft itself. So, this renewed interest in needlework came about when I noticed that my favorite antique textiles were those that were monogrammed. And then I noticed that most of those monograms were simple cross-stitching, using the natural “grid” pattern in linen to make the X’s. And then I had the thought that I usually have before tackling a DIY project… “I can do that!” So, I did… …and the results looked so authentic that it had me giddy with excitement to stitch some more. I have been looking around at various cross-stitch letters online to find the style that will look original on antique linen. I found a “P” that I liked and

June 17, 2016 70 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

styling tips | for photo

Welcome to the third and final part of this “styling tips” series – styling for a photo. If you missed the first two parts and want to catch up, the links are below… styling tips | for home styling tips | for retail In this part, we’ll talk about styling for photography. This is the one that I do most. I think even when I’m styling for retail or in my house, I’m thinking about how photogenic it will be! I think, when you are a photography enthusiast, professional or amateur, you start to see most things through the lens of a camera. You can find all of my camera gear, lenses, lighting, and accessories HERE. Photo styling is a pretty broad topic, but I’ll focus on the kind of styling I do, which is to show a product, a project “beauty shot”/vignette, or a room. photo styling | products

June 15, 2016 15 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

behind the scenes | online shop

Since the online shop has been a big focus in the studio for the past couple of weeks, I thought I would share a little bit of the “behind the scenes” for those who are curious about our process. Our process has been a bit all over the place, since we don’t do this regularly, but we’re getting into a groove and are becoming more efficient. In fact, Kriste and I spent the majority of the day cleaning, purging, and organizing in order to make better use of the space. There have also been a lot of things just hanging around the studio that we really didn’t need to keep. We ended up hauling 5+ contractor garbage bags full of stuff to the dumpster, packed Kriste’s little car with a load of fabric rolls, home accessories, and craft supplies to take to the thrift store, and we have a

June 8, 2016 35 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

back to work & other things…

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. My three day weekend was actually an eight day weekend, since I took a week off to recover from the Lucketts Spring Market (and months of work leading up to it!) I still did computer work…e-mail, blog posts, social media, etc., but I took a break from going into the studio. I really needed that time to step away and recharge. I had some appointments. I got a massage. I spent one entire day in my jammies. And I started to do a bit of gardening. When the weeds in your window boxes are dying, it’s time to do some gardening! I also put together some plans. I tend to be a bit unfocused after a big push towards a deadline, so I decided to put together a clear list of priorities and to-dos to keep me on track. Most of those plans were

June 1, 2016 26 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

lavender, Anthro inspiration & indigo

If you can’t tell by the title, this post is a total hodgepodge. That’s how the last few days have been, though. Christmas freelance photoshoots, finishing details for Lucketts, gardening…I’m a little all over the place. (Which isn’t totally unusual for me!) For the sake of starting somewhere, let’s start with lavender. On a whim, I bought some of these lavender topiaries last year just a few days before Lucketts. I was just getting into gardening and I loved the idea of bringing some “life” to the booth with plants. Those lavender topiaries flew out of the booth last year. It was crazy how fast they sold. So, I was on the hunt for some to carry again this year and I found them over the weekend! I spotted them from the car on the way home from the grocery store. “Jeff, stop the car! There are the lavender topiaries!” I

May 11, 2016 34 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

a calico, a black sheep & gwendolyn

On Thursday, Kriste, Katie and I all worked together to finish up the second 9 x 20′ mural backdrop for Lucketts. I painted a second coat on the lettering and Kriste added the grommets on the sides, top and bottom, which we’ll use to tie it to the tent poles. (Someone asked how we’re going hang it and that’s how!) And all three of us worked together to add the finishing touches. Well, we got a little over ambitious and added a farmhouse, cows, and sheep, so if you can call those “finishing touches”… Katie “sketched” out the placement of the farmhouse and I finished painting it. Kriste added the little calico cat at the back step. We just couldn’t resist. Kriste also painted the sheep and I painted the little tree to give them some shade. One of our readers suggested adding a black sheep and I loved

May 7, 2016 28 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

bed foundation, the other mural & a slipped wing chair

As I was putting together the low profile foundation we used on the full-sized antique iron bed, I had a fleeting thought that I should take pictures of the process. My thought that no one would really be interested in the foundation was totally wrong! Most of the comments I received on the bed were asking about the foundation, so I thought I would share a bit more about it. I have worked with enough antique beds to know that most modern mattresses and box springs totally overwhelm the small frame…to the point where you can’t even see the headboard anymore! So, I got a low profile foundation, instead of a box spring. I shopped around and decided to purchase The Classic Brand Low Profile 4″ Foundation from Amazon. The full size was just over $100. It’s under that skirt, but it’s not much to look at, anyway! It gives you an

May 5, 2016 35 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

shoe cart reproduction

In case you missed them over the weekend, I listed a few more antique hemp sheets in the online shop! So, remember this antique shoe cart I found and sold last fall? It was such a neat piece and so functional to use for retail display. It’s lightweight, the shelves are removable (and can be configured in a variety of ways), and it can easily nestle over a dresser, so it doesn’t take a up a lot of room in transit. Despite all of these things, I sold it. And…I sort of regretted it. Not because it was such a special piece, even though it was, but because of how functional it was. That regret tapered off when I realized it would be pretty easy to make something just like it. Jeff and I were planning to design and build a couple of them and then I received

April 12, 2016 15 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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