mary rose

HOLIDAY GLOW OPEN HOUSE at Mary Rose, Dec. 10th, 10:00-5:00

2011-12-03T13:18:00.001-08:00

Mary Rose is glowing for the holidays

with gifts made by hand.

Every time I think I've filled all the nooks, I find another cranny to put our latest finds.

Join us for our Holiday Open House, Saturday, Dec. 10, 10:00-5:00:

Serving Swedish almond cake and hot cider all day

Penoach wine-tasting in the afternoon

Jewelry by Wendy Rains, Ankeny lampwork glass artist

Hand blown glass ornaments by Art Ciccotti, Ames

Needle-felting demonstration by Colleen Eckhoff, Minburn

Spinning by Sally Farley, Perry

Origami demonstration by Chrissy Von Behren-Danger, Perry

Violin played by Janice Johnston, Rippey (She also makes warm, felted-wool mittens!

Glass bead necklaces

by lampwork glass artist, Wendy Rains, from Ankeny

I met Wendy at the Metro Arts Expo this year and was thrilled when she agreed to have some of her incredible glass necklaces and earrings in Mary Rose.

I am amazed at the intricacy of her designs--and she uses a torch!

These look like bubbles blown from soap,

but they are really hand blown glass ornaments

by Art Ciccotti, from the Ames area.

I visited him in his glass-blowing studio

and brought these amazing balls to the shop.

More hand blown glass ornaments

A hand blown glass lily

My daughter, Kate, who lives in Winona, Minnesota

created these zippered quote pouches.
It is the quotes she selects that make these a favorite for me.

Those of you who are fans of Kate's work

will be glad to know she has minki baby blankets,

bibs, bonnets, pillows, colored pencil rolls, and more in the shop again.

Kate's gift tags, which accompany her

Handmade in the Midst of Life creations,

say it best:

"I think you're awesome enough to buy handmade for. Go you!"

"Your awesomeness enhances my awesomeness.

A handmade gift for you."

Colleen Eckhoff, from Minburn, has needle-felted these Christmas critters

made from wool roving.

At the open house she will show us how it's done.

This is one of Chrissy Von Behren-Danger's origami crane trains.

She will show us how they're made at our open house.

A larger crane train

Swallowtail Jewellry

by Karen and Emma Vincent,

a mother-daughter pair from Nevada

(Yes, two "ll's" in jewelry because that is the British spelling!)

With their use of assymetry, filligree, and stone selection,

their designs have been very popular--

sure to make for a happy gift recipient.

Jeannine Sandler's circular tie-dyed scarves, which are posted in our earlier blog,

continue to be a sure choice for gift-giving.

She had to bring in her own gift stash to keep customers happy.

Hope to see you Dec. 10th!

PRAIRIE SPINNERS, Grand Opening

2011-03-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Come join us April 9th, 10-5:00, to celebrate the Grand Opening of Prairie Spinners, a fiber arts gallery in Mary Rose. We'll have spinning demonstrations, wine-tasting by Penoach Winery, cake ball samples by Bites of Cake (Esther and April from Dallas Center), cookie/cake samples by Auntie B Creations (Bethany Wicks from Perry).

I'm excited to have the Prairie Spinners in the shop. They have filled the front room in the lower level with their hand-spun/hand-dyed yarn; woven rugs, towels, scarves, pillows, shawls; handmade soaps; and much more. It has been a joy to get to know these creative artists who live in the area. I'm learning so much. I look at a crocheted hat and am amazed by the steps involved in its creation--raising the sheep, shearing them, carding the fleece, making roving, spinning the yarn, and then crocheting.

This is a perfect chance to meet the artists who will join us on April 9th for the open house and demonstrate spinning. Before we all become busy in our gardens, find that perfect yarn to create a handmade gift for a loved one.

We are also celebrating spring April 9th with the rest of the shop full to the brim with Easter baskets and handpainted eggs, new April Cornell linens, new Polish pottery, a new stationery line (Michel Designs), vintage finds, stained glass, Scandinavian gifts, and work by many local artists.

Step into Spring at Mary Rose

2010-03-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

If you were enthralled with the Christmas ornaments hand painted by Johnston's Corrine Severson, you have to see her Spring creations. You'll find an iron cart filled with hand painted wooden eggs in baskets, a trunk of original watercolor cards, and hand painted signs and flower pots. The delicate touch of her pen and paints to the wooden eggs is reminiscent of Beatrix Potter. She has revived the art of reverse glass painting, preparing the glass so the oil pints will adhere. She enhances these creations with original watercolors and embellishments.

Your will also find my hand painted porcelain eggs tucked around the shop, nestling in grass-filled compotes or crystal goblets.

Dutch Tulips by Mary Rose Nichols

2008-03-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

I get to enjoy this everyday. (Prints available at Mary Rose).

Jump(suit) for color!

2008-03-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to do the following project for a long time, and once I got started I couldn't stop. I have had to put my screen printing aspirations on hold for various reasons and was finally able to give some energy to some plain onesies I've had lying around. This represents a small sampling. Hopefully some will be in the shop soon.

They are all secured with heat n' bond, lite and then machine stitched around for durability. I made one for myself and it survived the wash (inside out). I do expect them to fray a bit, but I won't mind. Hopefully, you won't either.

How many do I have... oh, about twenty... How much... $8 for new onsies, $6 for Clear the Trace.

Diagonal Quilt

2008-02-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

I finished my first diagonal quilt and unfortunately it is not square. But it is a good attempt and I learned plenty along the way. It is not for sale, but I hope to perfect the diagonal quilt soon and have something to offer in the shop.

Even a lovely old fashioned binding couldn't completely save it. But it is still nice enough that I had to share. It reminds me of a cozy quilt that my family discovered at Christy Point. Rose buds are always a good choice for quilts.

Daisy Mae Felt Pins

2008-01-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

I needle felted these heart pins out of beautiful Iowa wool ($3). The other pins are made from wool felt and vintage buttons ($2-$3.50). All of the designs are my original creations. Enjoy!

Daisy Mae Colored Pencil Rolls

2008-01-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

I had a great time playing with fabric to create about a dozen colored pencil rolls ($16, $20 with pencils). Hope you enjoy!

Locally Made Christmas

2007-12-07T06:23:00.001-08:00

This Santa was designed and created by local Perry artists.

The bell was china painted by Mary, and the tree was made by Kate.

Scandinavian Corner

2007-12-07T06:13:00.001-08:00

There is now a Scandinavian Corner at Mary Rose!

Antiques

2007-12-06T13:45:00.001-08:00

Boy has this been fun! We have been on the move to find unique, affordable, stunning, beautiful, great antiques! And we think we have succeeded!
The current featured finder is Carolyn Guay. She was an art teacher at Perry for many years and now that she has retired, she keeps her artistic eye alive with spotting great antiques and vintage items from the masses. We think you will love the pieces. Thanks Carolyn for your help and for many fun antiquing adventures!

Picture: At Breakfast, by Lauritz Ring

Mary Nichols

2007-12-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

For now the major work of art at Mary Rose will be the building itself. The transformation is just as she pictured. As she settles into her new life as shopkeeper, Mary will have more time to spend in her multiple studios throughout the building. She will add more paintings, stained glass, china painting, sewing...

Pictured in the title bar are the types of work we will all be begging her to find time to make more of...

Daisy Mae

2007-12-06T13:43:00.001-08:00

Daisy Mae is Mary Rose's daughter company (it's Kate's!). Daisy Mae makes one-of-a-kind bags and other special accessories for your every day life. Each item is carefully handcrafted to be a unique representation of skill and love. In addition to her new items, the Clear the Trace line specializes in breathing new life into recycled clothes and textiles through screen-printing and reconstruction. Some things are just too beautiful to throw away, and even if they aren't, our forest, prairies, lakes, and hillsides are certainly too beautiful to clutter with abandoned items. That's why she started Daisy Mae's "Clear the Trace" collection. She is part of an exciting renewed "quilt mentality". Traditionally quilts have been pieced together out of scrap fabric or flour sacks. This quilt mentality can be used with countless resources. Like rearranging several broken strands of vintage beads into a one-of-a-kind necklace. Or screen printing tired shirts with fresh designs. Or saving high quality fabric samples from landfills to create bags of all shapes and sizes. Look for "Clear the Trace" tags for ecologically minded goods.

Of course, Daisy Mae also makes accessories out of new materials. Each thing is a unique and individual creation. I rest my insecure perfectionist soul knowing that my customers realize that everything is handmade, and that there is not another one exactly like it. Look for "Daisy Mae" tags for these items.

Polish Pottery- Ceramika Artystyczna

2007-12-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

All polish pottery is beautiful, but the best is created by the artists and craftsmen at Ceramika Artystyczna factory. The intricate designs and whiter more dense clay set Ceramika Artystyczna apart and allow it to combine function with beauty. Each piece is individually handcrafted in Boleslawiec Poland on the Bohr River, an area known for the highest quality stoneware for centuries.
We carry both Traditional and Signature (Unikat) Series. The traditional series depicts patterns that have been pleasing families and collectors for centuries. Using traditional techniques that are hundreds of years old, artists incorporate the spots of a peacock's feathers in classical arrangements. They use designs cut into sea sponges for hand stamping and brushes for more intricate patterns. Traditional pieces have a distinctive cream colored edge and are less expensive than the signature pieces, but still highly collectible.
In the signature (Unikat) series each piece is hand painted and signed by one of Ceramika Artystyczna's experienced artists. Only twenty-three artists have demonstrated the skill to create these unique designs. These artists have developed numerous intricate patterns and styles. Each piece is of highest quality and is truly a piece of art. We think you will love incorporating these pieces into your home and dinner table.
Mary and her family can vouch for the functionality of polish pottery. It is microwavable, dishwasher safe, great for baking, and looks beautiful on a table.
We have over one hundred pieces of Polish Pottery ranging in price. We know we will have the piece to start or add to your collection.
More information: http://www.ceramika-artystyczna.pl/

April Cornell

2007-12-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

April Cornell specializes in hand silk-screened prints for housewares including tablecloths and linen napkins. Mary and her family have been incorporating April Cornell linens into their homes for years. These linens are a simple way to add rich color to a table setting and an entire room. Try setting an April Cornell linen on your end table for a week and you'll be hooked!
We think that you will love the harvest colors available for fall, the cherry colors for spring, and April's Christmas designs.

Letter From Mary's Daughter

2006-11-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Mary Rose

At Mary Rose a sense of home and a sense of place is about more than hiring a designer or buying a set of furniture. It is not about more, more, more, or newer, newer, newer, newer. At Mary Rose filling a home is about honoring craftsmanship and honing one’s sense for what type of place best allows him or her to thrive, relax, be inspired, and enjoy life’s blessings.

To me this means a home filled to the brim with antiques, handcrafted goods, art, color, reminders of friends and family, and plenty of materials for projects. For others it is more about neutrals and a few favorite pieces. I have started my own daughter company for fun, called Daisy Mae, and in it I join others in the movement to repurpose, reuse, reconstruct, and recycle. I use discarded fabric, old clothes, and vintage trims.

These words, repurposed and reconstructed, are words that a new generation recognizes, but the movement has roots in antiques. It just feels good to sit in an old rocking chair, and rock in the pace that people have been rocking in that chair for decades. The once pace that the chair seems to know. I think it is more than just the beauty of handcrafted solid wood, I think it is in honoring the time and patience that first went into making the chair and then into preserving it. Throwing it out would be a slap in the face. Finding an antique chair and sifting it out of a particleboard mess is joy. Giving it its proper place in the living room is justice. It feels good to reuse. It feels good to make do. It feels good to use up.

Mary Rose also carries new products, almost all of which are handcrafted and most of which are of superb artistic quality. We believe these will be the next generation’s true treasures. We hope that we can be part of your journey to find beauty in your home and surroundings, whether it be inspiring you to dig grandma’s old platter out of the attic, or to buy one that reminds you of hers, or to lead you to fall in love with a new piece of pottery. We think that you will be inspired by mingling between our collections of old and new at Mary Rose, and when you are ready to create your own masterpiece we hope we can be there too with studio classes.

The 1215 Warford building which houses Mary Rose was built as a telephone operators building complete with hurricane shutters, concrete floors two feet thick, and beautiful windows. Before becoming Mary Rose it was a law office and a church. In those years it was modernized, as were most old buildings. Drop ceilings were introduced along with layer upon layer of paint.

It is fitting that the building housing my mom and her collection of antiques, art, and collectibles would be in a building that she restored since my mom’s primary love is for transformations and her primary gift is to see the beauty and goodness in all.

Part of taking on the project meant believing in our family, since Mom knew she couldn’t restore a building on her own. My dad and brothers, Chris and Ben, are all carpenters, and they worked tirelessly, first on the demolition and then on the restoration. My husband, Eric, and I, helped for weeks at a time, as well, and I was able to spend nearly two months at the shop during the summer of 2006 helping the building reclaim its original glory as well as navigating the logistics of an emerging business.

Since deciding to begin Mary Rose, Mom has been able to embrace all her artistic, decorating, renovating, and antiquing urges. With a house nearly bursting at the seams it was not a moment too soon. Instead of rotating between projects at the kitchen table and being burdened with daily clean up, Mom now has multiple studios with plenty of natural light and room to spread out.

Another of the trills of this project for my Mom has been the ability to call on the talents of old and new friends and family. Whether it be artistic or sewing talents or a knack for antiquing, Mom has been able to give friends a place to showcase their abilities. Mom hopes local artists use her shop as a showcase for their work, and is always eager to see antiques that someone would like to sell. We hope you are able to visit our store soon, and look forward to meeting you.

Grand Opening

2006-11-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Mary Rose opened November 4th 2006!