My Inspiration Person
If you know me, you will know that one of my favorite creatives is Marian Parsons, owner of the website and blog, Miss Mustard Seed.com. I have actually followed her for about ten years now. She is probably one of the main reasons I started a blog many years ago.
Now Marian is much more talented than I, and she operates her website as a very professional business. On the other hand, my blog is mainly a hobby and a way to connect with similarly minded home and garden lovers.
You will find that I cite her frequently regarding my inspiration source.
Coincidentally, she seemed to progress to new ventures as I also jumped around in my creative endeavors. About eight years ago, I started with my first blog, called Redesigned Antiques. My husband John, an artisan carpenter and joiner, loved to take wood antiques, refinish them to their old-world glory, or take an old piece and make it into a new item.
Redesign Antiques
John’s favorite pieces were tables. Moreover, he loved to take old treadle sewing machine treadles and legs and insert a handcrafted tabletop. The old sewing machine drawers became cabinets. Because he made so many pieces, I ran out of room to store them. Out of necessity, I started a blog to sell some of his stuff. Meanwhile, I painted furniture with milk paints and other paints.
An antique White sewing machine frame converted to a wine rack and made from solid maple. I added the French transfer which basically states wine is life!! This is for sale on the website local shop.
WoodnWhimsey
Over the years, John continued his furniture-making and advanced into wood crafts, including boxes made from hardwood. Meanwhile, I moved onto sketching and mixed media art. Being near the beach in Ireland, pebble art became a new endeavor. Because of our move to new ideas, I changed the blog title to WoodnWhimsey.
Happily, I brought a bunch of pebbles and driftwood back to Ohio from Ireland and continue to make pictures for sale. Additionally, I am also into glass and sea glass forms.
As you can see below, John’s wooden boxes show the beauty of the wood grain. He cut and designed the shape of the box to enhance the beauty of the grain. Importantly, He used no stains but chose to hand finish and show off the grain.
PigmentnPaper
Sadly, John passed away in late 2019. I moved on to blogging about my travels to Europe, my home and gardens, and my retreat into art. I now have settled into my new hobby, PigmentnPaper.
We all grow and mature. Our interests change, and so as I moved on; coincidentally, Marian Parson also developed a more extensive experience. She continues to write about her home, but she extensively developed her skills as an artist. I have thoroughly enjoyed observing her talent as an artist blossom over the past couple of years.
Recently, I purchased one of her paintings, which proudly resides on my sitting room mantle.
Marian’s Inadvertent Assist
All that said, whew! The other day, I read her blog about another antique box she purchased. SEE HERE. and HERE
As I said, she has been significantly involved in art for a good few years now. Her oil paintings are loved by many, and she has expanded her creative business by selling her artwork.
She has purchased a few wooden boxes over the years. You can search her blogs if interested in reading about them.
As I read about her newest box, a brainstorm hit me. John made about a hundred boxes. Some from Antiques and others brand new. Here in Ohio, I have a bunch of his boxes for sale.
While I mainly thought about the words: memory box, jewelry box, and keepsake box, Marian gave me a whole new outlook on using these boxes! Below is a quote she put on the comment section of that blog post!
“Yes, I just love the boxes, too. You can find all sorts of beautiful boxes on Etsy or eBay. Search for tea chests, folding writing desks/writing boxes, artist paint boxes, and drafting supply boxes. You can find all sorts of beautiful pieces, most of them with locks and pretty handles.”
Marion Parsons https://missmustardseed.com/?s=art+box
I plan to use her search suggestions in my ads on Etsy and FB Marketplace. In comparison, John put padded felted liners in the boxes because he was thinking of jewelry. I am thinking of pens, pencils, art brushes, drafting tools, art supplies, letters, or card boxes.
The padded felt can be easily removed and someone can use it as an art box and not worry about paint stains or pencil marks inide the drawers or in the bottom of the box. The box will look great on an artist desk or on an office desk
Thank you, Marian!
