My mom, Sidney, was a rabid needlepointer, every room in my house has something that she stitched. Her projects started small, from key fobs to eyeglass cases. Soon, she moved on to creating bigger gifts and was thrilled to hear of a new baby, wedding or any event that had a cute invitation so she could create a needlepoint replica or a needlepoint name with cute creatures intertwined. She planned out her approach; armed with gridded paper and pencil, spending time planning how she was going to recreate each word and flourish. I think of her every time I start a painting, I strive to channel that relentless creativity and ingenuity.
She always looked forward to creating a new project and it makes a friend's new baby or wedding a little bittersweet knowing my mom can’t create a keepsake.
When I was in elementary school, she worked with a gift shop who would display her work in a glass case in their store and then collect custom orders on her behalf. My mom’s gifts were unique and thoughtful and she poured her heart into each one. Her dedication to crafting and creating the perfect handmade gift is in the bedrock of this company.
As much as I wish that she was here to stitch a canvas herself, I hope you’ll channel her enthusiasm for needlepoint and creativity with these canvases.
xoxo,
Maizie
2 tubs of a soft herbed cheese (like Alouette or Boursin)
Small block of cheddar cheese (I like to buy the block and then shred very finely)
Bell pepper (the stem will serve as the pumpkin's stem)
Saran wrap
String / baker's twine
Directions
Scoop out the soft cheese onto a sheet of saran wrap. Shape into a ball and freeze for about an hour: you want the cheese to be firm enough to hold its shape but still soft enough to stick to the shredded cheese.
Finely shred your cheddar cheese and place on a plate.
Remove the your soft cheese from the saran wrap and roll in finely shredded cheese, pressing in the shredded cheese to the sides.
Wrap cheese ball in another sheet of saran wrap. Create the pumpkin indentions by tying pieces of twine around the pumpkin, tightening your strings at the top.
Either refrigerate overnight or if you need it sooner, freeze for an hour and move to the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before serving.
Pair with vegetables, crackers or sliced meats to complete the dish.
]]>Looking for a fun and cheery way to assign seats at your next summer soirée? I have created a simple print out that you can use as a place setting or to label foods on the buffet.
This dish is room decor that is made to work! They make for excellent teacher appreciation gifts, hostess gifts, and housewarming gifts!
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We are excited to share another segment highlighting some of our favorite women-owned, small businesses. Last time, we featured Dogwood - designer dog beds for your home.
Leigh Breunig Designs is a thoughtfully created and curated jewelry line from Dallas, Texas. Seeking inspiration from nature and relationships, Leigh builds wearable pieces within a budget friendly price point.
Maizie shares her favorite hand-held steamer to use for steaming silk scarves at home. You can find this steamer on my Amazon storefront!
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Follow along as I share several simple crafts to make from my Equestrian Topiary Reversible Wrapping Sheet! Today we will create gift tags, cake and cupcake toppers, and even place cards!
Supplies:
Some excellent gifting ideas that are truly personalized:
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Follow along to see two cute new looks for your wardrobe.
#springstyle #scarfstyling #grandmillennial #outfitstyling #southernstyle #preppy
]]>Grab your favorite clutch and my new Equestrian Topiary scarf to create a cute shoulder bag! Or level up your small wallet to feature colorful details!
One of my favorite pieces from my recent Equestrian Topiary collection is the Bonbon Dish.
I love the charming touch that a little dish can add to a side table or styled bookcase. The fact that all of my ceramics are safe for food and the dishwasher is just the sugar (or bonbon!) on top.
In today's tutorial, I want to share with you how I like to style my bonbon tray with the addition of a ribbon.
Happy Styling!
]]>I am excited to share another segment highlighting some of my favorite women-owned, small businesses. Last time, we featured Aleysa Bags - a bag for the hard working woman!
Dogwood creates dog beds that are designed to work with a home’s decor using traditional but versatile fabrics and materials. They offer a range of sizes and styles to comfortably accommodate any dog - so dogs love them just as much as their owners do! Dogwood also work with custom fabrics and colors so the sky is the limit in terms of making the bed truly your own.
Need a scarf ring? Here are a few of my go-tos:
Flower Scarf Ring (used in the video)
Happy Styling!
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When I created these, I thought that maybe others want a way to enhance the memories of their art piece too! If that's you -- feel free to download this freebie.
If you end up using the art collection labels, I'd love to hear about your art piece and what memories it holds for you! Feel free to tag me on social media: IG: @MaizieClarke FB: @maizieclarkeillustration
Happy collecting!
Maizie
]]>Spring is finally here in Kentucky (or at least I hope it is!)
I wanted to pass along a quick tip for sprucing up your front door. All you'll need is a wreath hanger, ribbon and a hot glue gun.
I can't wait to see how you use your printable tags, please feel free to tag me on social media: IG: @MaizieClarke FB: @maizieclarkeillustration
Episode 3: Pancetta & Fig Flatbread Recipe: (Serves 2)
To Assemble:
On a parchment or foil lined baking sheet lay your naan flatbread. Spread each with a generous amount of fig butter. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 just until nice and hot and slightly crisp on edges. Cut and serve! Enjoy!
#entertainingideas #entertainingathome #entertaining #entertaininginstyle #outdoorentertaining #tabledecor #holidayentertaining #homedecor #easyentertaining #entertainingbuzz #entertainingstyle #entertainingmyself #design #tablesetting #food #homedesign #alfresco #alfrescodesign #outdoors #entertainersdelight #appetizers #setthetable #tabletop #easyentertaining #hostess #partyplanning
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Episode 2: Chef Wes’s Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs 🥚
Ingredients:
Cut eggs in half. Put yolks into a food processor. Add remaining ingredients. Blend to desired smoothness.
Bacon jam:
Mix all ingredients together.
To assemble…pipe or spoon blended egg mixture into the egg halves. Top with desired amount of bacon jam.
Any leftover bacon jam goes great over a creamy cheese served with crackers for a quick and simple yet tasty snack!
If you're looking for tabletop or shelf decor, I have a fun DIY craft for you: Topiary Horses! I've recorded a short video walking you through it. All supplies can be found on Amazon or your local craft store.
]]>If you're looking for tabletop or shelf decor, I have a fun DIY craft for you: Topiary Horses!
I've recorded a short video walking you through it. All supplies can be found on Amazon or your local craft store.
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I am so excited to announce an entertaining partnership with Kentucky's own, Chef Wes!
🧑🍳 Every two weeks we will be bringing you a quick, seasonal recipe that will make informal entertaining a breeze. If I can master these recipes, you *know* they’re easy!
⏲ Wes shares all of his tips and tricks, as well as some shortcuts that will make this drink your go-to for easy entertaining.
🥃 🍊 Please enjoy Episode 1 featuring a Blood Orange Kentucky Mule recipe that I’m still thinking about!
Huge thanks to Jama Finney Brand Photographer for the behind the scenes photos and encouragement!
If you haven't subscribed to our newsletter, Maizie Mail, join now and never miss a tip!
It's also time to share our monthly segment highlighting some of our favorite women-owned, small businesses. In January, we featured Storied Goods - where sugar cubes make the ordinary, extraordinary!
Inspired by her deep Southern roots and the women in her family, owner, MK Hennigan, turned her passion for all things culinary into In the Curious Kitchen. MK simplifies entertaining and celebrates every memory with ready-to enjoy Southern Classic and heritage recipes.
In the Curious Kitchen is the place where comfort food takes innovative twists and turns. Where generations-old recipes are updated into creative small bites, family meals, and delectable desserts.
I asked MK what is her favorite entertaining tip, and she shared:
“When having a party I want to make sure that my guests feel welcome. Before the first guests arrive every last detail is taken care of for them so when they arrive I am totally focused on them. The wine is chilled, the candles are lit and I have a signature cocktail at the ready. I always have fresh flowers when I have guests over. I love to shop at Trader Joe's floral department and in my backyard to create my arrangements. Not only do I have flowers on the table but throughout the house."
When asked how she would package her products as hostess gifts, she suggested:
“A container of our small batch Pimento Cheese with Crackers or the Beer Cheese with pretzels make for a tasty treat for the hostess. After the party is over they can sit back and enjoy a snack."
MK was generous to provide the Maizie Clarke community with a discount code for 20% off the entire In the Curious Kitchen shop, including sale items (!) for the month of March.
Use the Code SHOPMAIZIE20 for 20% OFF for the month of March.
If you are on Instagram, please give In the Curious Kitchen a follow for deliciously creative ideas of how to get curious in your home kitchen!
Also, be on the lookout for their Mint Julep Cocktail kit coming soon, sign up for their newsletter to be the first to know when it’s available.
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Storied Goods makes naturally flavor-infused Sugar Cubes for cocktails, coffee, and tea. Packaged in artfully-designed, sustainable tins, their gourmet Sugar Cubes make the perfect gift for any occasion to celebrate a storied moment in time.
Storied Goods knows that celebrations are intentional acts of love. Their flavor-infused Sugar Cubes help you create moments of celebration for yourself, for others, changing the ordinary into the extraordinary. Add one of their Cubes to your beverage, and experience the magic!
I asked founder, Martha Bourlakas, what is her favorite entertaining tip, and she shared:
“Choose a theme! We love cocktail parties centered on TV shows/movies, like Ted Lasso or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Hot tea with Rose Petal Sugar Cubes, hot toddies with Orange-Cherry Sugar Cubes, and shortbread make a lovely, fun tribute to our favorite fictional soccer coach. Mrs. Maisel inspired us to create a fabulous Tits-Up party with 50’s and 60’s inspired cocktails, like the Old Fashioned, made with Orange-Cherry Sugar Cubes, and the classic Champagne Cocktail, made with Rose Petal Sugar Cubes.”
When asked how she would package her products as hostess gifts, she suggested:
“We love to give our Sugar Cubes, paired with a package of coffee, a tin of tea, a bottle of Champagne, or bourbon.”
Martha was generous to provide our community with a discount code for one of their most popular items:
If you are on Instagram, please give Storied Goods a follow and be sure to DM them with any stories or pics of how you have celebrated with their Sugar Cubes for a chance to win a Storied Goods Celebration Goodie Box!
The mission of Storied Goods is to bring sweetness to a bitter world, honor stories shared through food and drink, and turn moments into celebrations, no matter how small. Martha had shared that she “..believes in the power of women and celebration to affect monumental shifts in the world!”
When I think about her statement, I can’t help but smile thinking of the multitude of ways my community has lifted me up. It may have been a cup of coffee or even celebrating with a glass of champagne; but oftentimes sitting across from me, it was indeed another woman cheering me on.
Next time, it will include a cube (or two!) of Storied Goods.
Oftentimes for my clients, the memory we are celebrating is the home in which they grew up. The memories it holds, from the tiny details of architecture to the nostalgia of childhood, make it more than simply a house, but the significance of a home.
I want to share with you a recent holiday commission that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. I did receive permission from my client, Olivia, to share this story:
When Olivia reached out to commission a piece, she wrote: “This is my grandparents house; the house I grew up in and the only one my whole family has known. They just sold their home because they are older and can’t take care of it. I think this would just be such an amazing gift to be able to give to them.”
She wanted me to include all of the details from the photograph, including the chairs on the front porch, the house number sign, and the purple flowers in the planter; all of the pieces that made this house their home. I was so flattered and excited to begin this new commission and create all of the additional pieces.
Come early November, Olivia received the unfortunate news that her grandmother was very ill. The family came to realize this would be the last Christmas they were to be able to celebrate with her. She was able to share the meaningful gift she created for her grandmother - and we created a collection of mementos that Olivia and her family could keep for years to come to remember their grandmother as well as the family house. It is not lost on me that it is an honor to create an everyday heirloom that holds the significance of home.
Thank you to Olivia for allowing me to share her story.
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I am not a big baker, so I went down the road to my neighborhood drugstore and picked up some candy, and in the video below, dressed them up with my tags. I would love to see how you 'share the love' this February 14th!!
P.S. My favorite source for ribbons year round? Paper Mart.
]]>Wow! What a year!!
I haven't done a year in review until this year and I think I need to do this every year because it is SO fun to look back at some of the fun things that happened this year!
Learn with Maizie and the Make Art Work podcast
This summer I started growing the Learn with Maizie brand and with that came the launch of the Make Art Work podcast. I just wrapped the first season and am already working on episodes for Season 2, launching January 31, 2022.
Toile House Portrait Collection
This summer I added a new offering to my house portraits with the Toile House portrait collection: this collection features one color watercolor portraits of houses.
A beautiful rebrand and updated website experience
Thank you to Brackish Creative and R + R Creative for a rebrand (Brackish) and an updated website (R+R). It feels so much more like 'me' and the response has been amazing!
Draper James
This fall, I was able to participate in Draper James' photoshoot for their holiday line, a little bit out of my comfort zone, but what a FUN time! Here is one of my favorite pictures from the shoot!
Virtual Collider Artist in Residence
In the spring I was back at the library, serving as the Virtual Collider Artist in Residence. Because of COVID restrictions, I had to serve virtually, but, the good news? You can watch the videos from home: Drawing in 1-Point Perspective, Drawing Tools
Southern Lady
This spring I was featured in the April / May issue of Southern Lady Magazine (I'm still pinching myself!!). Here is a snippet of the article.
So have you done a 'Year in Review'? I would love to hear how your year shaped up!!
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Today we are excited to share all about Julie McAllister Cakes - both her incredible edible art and her great entertaining tips!
Julie McAllister is a Charleston-based cake artist who artistically transforms the centerpiece of any celebration—cake—into an astonishing life-like representation, elevating the traditional dessert into an awe-inspiring work of art.
I asked Julie what is her go-to hostess gift and she shared:
“A beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers—it's something everyone loves to receive, no matter what the occasion. And you also know they'll be put to immediate use, rather than stashed away. “
An entertainment tip she lives by?
“Don't forget to light candles 30 minutes before guests arrive—it gives time to create the perfect scene-setting scent for when they walk through the door, without being overpowered by it.”
From wowing a wedding party with a whimsical Insta-worthy groom’s cake to capturing the essence of a brand with a playful product presentation, Julie’s work has captured the attention of celebrities and national brands. Her clients include Reese Witherspoon, Garden & Gun and King Bean Coffee. Her work has also been featured in HGTV Magazine, Entertain & Celebrate and SKIRT, and she was also honored as one of the winners of the Create TV Cooking Challenge.
Julie has such a gift - her edible works of art will keep you asking is that actually made of cake!??!
Check out Julie’s incredible work for yourself!]]>Supplies
Printed template (linked here)
Scissors
Paint pens
Glue: either liquid or glue gun
Ribbon (optional)
Time
approximate 15 minutes per house
First, make sure you download this template, linked here. When you print, make sure you print on a heavier paper, like a cardstock. Another alternative is to send it to print at your local UPS or FedEx.
Once you have printed your template, cut out the house in one piece. Taking a scoring tool (or dull butter knife!) and ruler, score along the interior lines of the house.
On the opposite side of the template (the side without lines), add some gingerbread inspired decoration and architecture (think doors and windows).
If you’re interested in making an ornament, on the ridge of the roof, punch a hole so you can thread a ribbon through.
Once your paint decorations have dried, it’s time to assemble your house! Add glue to the two tabs, and assemble the base, then the roof.
Display on a table or on the Christmas tree. Please be sure to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest!
There is nothing easier (and with consistent taste) than simply pouring into a rocks glass and serving!
I spoke with Danielle Mann, founder of Rivergreen Cocktails. She shared that the idea for the brand happened unexpectedly.
“I was making gin cocktails at home last summer during quarantine. I noticed that I couldn’t find a proper canned gin cocktail at the store. There was nothing on the shelf with natural ingredients and an ABV befitting of a real cocktail. Seeing this as an opportunity, I decided to create Rivergreen cocktails...We are now in liquor stores, bars and restaurants in Louisville, Lexington, and Northern KY. ”
Danielle shared about her love for entertaining and her fave hostess gift:
“When I am entertaining it is all about music, food and drinks. I love to cook and have fun finding wine that pairs nicely with the meal. Add in some good music and that is a perfect evening for me.
My favorite hostess gift is a nice bottle of red wine and something yummy to snack on. I love a Stilton or Brie cheese with fig preserves and Marcona almonds. And now that I have started a canned cocktail company there is always a four pack of gin cocktails as well!”
Next event you host, grab a pack or two of Rivergreen Cocktails.
Happy Entertaining!
Maizie
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