gub and i have always had an appreciation for paint by numbers. we love the look and style of the paintings, especially the vintage ones in their original wooden frames. i have also always enjoyed working on paint by numbers. i find the process extremely fun and peaceful. i try to work on them when i have free time, although it’s been awhile since i finished one. i have a stack of half finished paintings waiting to be completed.

over the last couple of years i got into making what i call “partially painted” pieces. it’s basically painting only certain images on a paint by number so the lined background is still visible. when you fill up the entire canvas you lose the cool design element created by the lines and numbers.

be sure to check out this great history of paint by numbers!

– words & paintings by ryan

we took a lot of photos last december for our friend kristen’s blog, beauty everyday, that she runs for r. wood studio ceramics. she was doing a post on southern homes decorated for the holidays. i really liked how our photos turned out so i’m posting them here in our first big photo entry. i’m also learning how to grid a bunch of photos while i make this post.

be sure to check out the handmade soap and shoe shine kit photos. we decided to create handmade gifts for our families since i was losing my job at the end of the year. we went with shoe shine kits in stained wooden boxes for the gentlemen and handmade soap with ceramic dishes for the ladies. gub had just taken a class on soap making and had access to the ceramic studio at her work, so it all came together.

– ryan