Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 48 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

All Things Home

making a “vintage” chalkboard with milk paint

As I shared yesterday, the past couple of weeks in the studio have been devoted to getting things finished that have been hanging around for way too long. I’ve ignored some of them, because I knew they would be a pain-in-the-rear to work on, like the French chair with nailhead trim (yet to be revealed), and I ignored others because I just didn’t know what to do with them. I knew they had potential and I wasn’t quite ready to give up on them, so they languished in “the stash”. This oversized Eastlake mirror frame, minus the mirror, was one of those pieces, but it was a perfect piece to repurpose. Here’s how I went about making it into a vintage chalkboard with milk paint. Before we get into the tutorial on making a vintage-style chalkboard with milk paint, a bit of history… I picked it up at a yard

March 12, 2016 43 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

busy as bees…

It’s always exciting when the studio starts filling up with goodies. We have quite a bit finished for Lucketts already and I’m enjoying arranging it all for pretty photos and to give myself a sense of what I have and what I need to look for. If pieces are set up in “rooms” and vignettes, then I know if I need some chairs for a table or another dresser to round out an arrangement. Just as the theme helps me focus my buying efforts, making these arrangements helps me as well. And, I must admit, it’s just fun. Kriste and I are pretty much ready to move in. A few of you asked to see the inside of the old kitchen sink and here it is… See what I mean? It would hold a lot of dirty dishes!! Or, it would be a pretty amazing utility sink for a mudroom or laundry

March 8, 2016 19 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

Farmhouse White Cupboard

A few months ago, Jeff and I made a cupboard around a pair of reclaimed doors I bought at an antique market for $40. They hung in my dining room for a few years, but I always thought they would be perfect in a custom-built cabinet. The full tutorial will be available on HGTV.com at some point and I will link to it when it is. I must admit, this cabinet gave me the “building bug” and now I’m ready to do a lot more designing and building. You know…with all of my free time. Anyway, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to paint the doors initially, so I didn’t. I figured I would leave them alone and live with them unpainted for a while. After just a couple of weeks, I knew I wanted to paint them. The cupboard didn’t feel cohesive to me and I felt like the finish looked

November 23, 2015 42 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

busy day at the studio…

The studio was hustling and bustling today. My mom and Kriste came to help, since we had a huge to-do list. We worked together to get everything ready for the workshop tomorrow. We have four lovely ladies attending and I’m pretty excited that it’s a small workshop. I think they are more relaxed and you really have the chance to talk. I also get to pamper these ladies with a fun “buffet” of things to glitter… And pretty ribbons and twine to replace those flimsy, stretchy metallic hangers. And they each get a “Merry & Bright” banner and a full jar of glitter to take home. We included some inspiration on the table as well. While Kriste was working on that, my mom and I were working on the slipcover for my mom’s wing chair (as well as making a video tutorial as I was doing it.) I had too may things

November 21, 2015 18 Comments

All Things Home

decorating the studio & shop with me in Raleigh

I was home with a sick kid most of last week and, I have to admit, that once I get out of a routine, it’s hard to get back into it. I was ready to get back in the studio, but I was dragging my feet at the same time. On Tuesday, though, I had a full day to crank my music, create and take pictures, and my motivation started creeping back in. Sometimes I need to work on things that are totally not a priority in order to get myself going. On Tuesday, that meant rearranging furniture and getting fake snow in my hair and all over myself as I set up our studio tree. It’s the 6.5′ Flocked Alaskan Tree from Christmas Tree Market. So, here is the story with this tree. Christmas Tree Market asked if I would be interested in partnering with them last Christmas. I had just moved into

November 20, 2015 41 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

look book two cover shoot

It was almost two years since I had my last portraits done and, with as often as I change my hair, an update was overdue! I also needed some pictures for MMS Milk Paint’s Look Book Two, including the cover, that will be coming out in just a few weeks. I thought about just having Kriste and I do all of the pictures, but I think there’s a lot of value in bringing in other creative minds in a collaboration. Since Kriste knows a lot of people in the creative field, I asked if she knew any photographers. She immediately thought of her friend, Brianna Wilbur. She’s a very talented wedding and family photographer and happened to also be a MMS blog reader, so Kriste knew we would get along well. A few weeks ago, she came to the studio to snap some pictures. Many of you have already commented on my

November 14, 2015 24 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

photo shoot at the retreat

Let me go back to the Lucketts Spring Market a couple of years ago. Suzanne, the owner of The Old Lucketts Store and Design House, came and sat with me on a slow Sunday afternoon. We were chatting about all of the business opportunities we’re working on and the things we’re dreaming about. And she shared about a manor house she purchased and was renovating. She told me, “The woodwork in this house is so beautiful, it’ll make you cry. I just couldn’t pass it up.” It would be a vacation rental, a venue for small weddings and events and a place for creative retreats. And, it would be something that could be finished. Suzanne has described the antiques/home decor business as an “ice sculpture.” You find/finish pieces, put them together, they are sold, the room is picked over and emptied, and then you have to start over again. Again and

October 29, 2015 26 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

creative space

This week has been “one of those weeks.” Not a bad week. Just a very busy week and things kept getting shuffled around…a doctor’s appointment I forgot about, a kid home from school, cancelled and rescheduled meetings. Too much to do, not enough time, not enough sleep. I realized on Wednesday night that I hadn’t eaten a meal all day. I had just grazed on apples and cheese and crackers. And, by the time I realized it, I was too tired to do anything about it. I know so many of you can relate…busy families, demanding careers, full calendars. I find, that on the weeks that are really packed, I have trouble finding the time, the space, to be creative. Words don’t flow as easily when I’m writing. Ideas stall. Apathy creeps in. Everything is more of a struggle than it was last week, when I felt fresh and inspired

September 26, 2015 12 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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