Looking for interesting items to set up the ultimate still life? Curating a diverse collection of items for your still life arrangements will unlock endless artistic possibilities. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 10 essential materials to help spark your imagination and guide your next artistic masterpiece!

Being able to create different still life combinations will not only make your work more visually interesting but will also allow you to tell stories through your art and add narrative depth to your compositions. 

It’s the dream of just about every artist—making a living off your creativity and selling your artwork. But how do you get started and set yourself up for success? It can be an intimidating endeavor, but we’re here to give you a few helpful tips that will prepare you for the next step in your artistic career.

Ask any creative person to tell you about their process, and they will probably have plenty to say. While some makers, crafters, and artists have a defined creative process, others may take a more fluid approach, allowing thoughts and ideas to flow before pinning one down to act on. Whatever your process looks like, it likely involves nuanced behaviors and practices, or even special rituals that get your creative juices flowing.

To help you refine or better understand your own creative process, we’ve broken it down into five basic phases. While these phases may be presented here in a neat and tidy order, we all know the creative process can be messy, chaotic, and cyclical, with phases almost never occurring in the same order twice. As an artist, you get to decide what your creative process looks like, but this list might help you get started.

At the corner of 6th and Lowry sits the friendly neighborhood coffee shop you’ve most likely driven or walked past a thousand times. Maybe you’re a regular, maybe you’ve told yourself you ought to check it out, either way, you’ll likely find Carma Coffee owner Liz Jaap waiting at the counter to take your order with a welcoming smile.

Since opening its doors in 2015, Carma Coffee has had a steady flow of happy coffee-loving customers. The sunny shop’s reviews speak for themselves, with patrons gushing over the cheerful atmosphere and staff, natural light, and of course, the coffee.

With the stress of the past year weighing on the shoulders of our communities, finding a bit of respite has become more critical than ever. For some, that respite takes the form of a sweet frozen treat, and Crepe & Spoon is here to provide, serving up scoops of vegan ice cream, creative crepes, and coffee drinks to boot.

Throughout the pandemic, Michael Beachy, owner of the quaint neighborhood ice cream parlor, has done his best to roll with the many punches dealt by Covid-19. “For a place like us, I don’t think we’ve seen nearly the impact that larger dine-in establishments have seen,” says Beachy.

It was a cool September night, and the sun had begun to set, triggering the lights to illuminate the familiar marquee of the Heights Theater. At this time, Covid-19 had held its grip on the world for about 7 months. We were getting used to the necessary changes in our collective lives, but needless to say, we missed the sense of community and normality of pre-Covid days, as well as the things we took for granted.

Like the Trylon, the Heights Theater has always been a haven for those of us longing for a temporary portal to the past. If any such thing could exist, it would be in the form of a theater.

The following pieces of marketing collateral were created for the 2020 International Housewares Association Trade Show in Chicago, Illinois. Our "Fresh Innovations" booklet highlighted our latest designs and new products, while the "Trading Cards" you'll see were created to highlight each product collection, such as the Drying Stone™, Clear Soft-Grip, and Modern collections, illustrating the benefit and personality of each unique group.

Madesmart® Soft Collection is reincarnated with ultra-sleek, modern design.

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (March 14, 2020) — The madesmart® Soft Collection, originally released in 2011, has been reimagined by the housewares design company to meet industry trends with a modern-yet-midcentury appearance. Smooth, organic curves nod to the classic styles of the 1950s, while the minimal, monochromatic design gives the Soft Collection a modern edge.

Madesmart® expands sinkware category with new Soft-Grip Sink Saddle and Soft-Grip Sink Station to streamline dishwashing routines.

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (March 14, 2020) — As the two largest US consumer population groups, Millennials and Generation Z, maintain small-scale lifestyles in apartments and small homes, so comes the need for tools to live as such. Madesmart® continues to develop functional products for the home that benefit small-space dwellers, including two new sinkware designs, the Soft-Grip Sink Saddle and Soft-Grip Sink Station.

Food storage & meal-prep system from madesmart® aims to promote healthy lifestyles and conserve space with collapsible function.

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (March 14, 2020) — Expanding on the popular Fridge & Pantry Collection, madesmart® will launch a new line of collapsible food storage containers designed to function with the brand’s fridge and pantry bins to create an organized meal-prep and food storage system.

Madesmart® launches new line of jet-black products saturated with modernity.

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (March 14, 2020) — At the forefront of housewares design, madesmart® continues to lend a guiding hand to industry trends of 2020 with the launch of a sleek new line of products in stylish, sophisticated Carbon. The bold shade of black inundates the brand’s existing designs for an unrelentingly chic aesthetic.

The legacy of the brand’s flagship product, the Original Junk Drawer Organizer®, continues with three new iterations to solve common household problems.

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (March 14, 2020) — The brand that established the Original Junk Drawer Organizer® in 1990 continues their lead with innovative solutions to conquer clutter in homes across the nation. Its latest iterations, the Junk Drawer Organizer® Stack + Slide, Junk Drawer Organizer® Tool Tray, and Junk Drawer Organizer® 2020, will be debuted at the Inspired Home Show in celebration of the brand’s 30th anniversary.

Housewares design brand celebrates 30th anniversary at 2020 Inspired Home Show with new product releases and reimagined booth.

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (March 14, 2020) — Established in 1990, organizational housewares design company madesmart® will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year at the Inspired Home Show with the debut of new products, including three new renditions of their flagship product, the Original Junk Drawer Organizer®, as well as a larger, newly reimagined booth design in an upgraded location.

Considering recent events, we've all had quite a bit of time on our hands to evaluate all the projects we've been meaning to get to lately. Maybe it's the closet, perhaps the bathroom undersink, but as we all stock up on reserves to feed ourselves and our families in the coming weeks while staying home, the question arises—where am I supposed to put all this food? 

Here are a few handy tips for organizing your suddenly burgeoning pantry.

Now more than ever, we're realizing not only the importance, but the necessity of hygiene and cleanliness in our homes and workplaces. Bacteria and viruses can spread at an exponential rate, as recent events have unfortunately taught us. Because of this, millions of people are beginning to find comfort in cleaning.

If this sounds familiar, allow us to introduce you to your new best friend, the Drying Stone™.

Black is back, alright, and we’re not fighting it. Dark, rich interiors are appearing in our feeds and favorite blogs, with deep-hued accent walls, pitch black appliances, as well as statement-making kitchen cabinetry and countertops. Paired with these black features, a touch of copper can often be found adding a glimmer of light. The pair are a moody match made in heaven.

Sometimes it seems like there just isn’t enough space for all of our stuff. It’s easy to feel like you have too many things and not enough room, especially if you live in a small space with limited storage. But did you know that it’s disorganization, not lack of space, that can account for up to 80% of household clutter?

Whether it’s in your drawers, cabinets, closets, or just out in the open, madesmart® is here to give you the tools you need to conquer clutter in your home. Here are some helpful tips for different types of items that are best for maximizing small spaces.

So the summer has ended and it’s time for your plants to come inside after a long, sunny season out on the warm patio. But for those of us in urban environments or smaller spaces, this can bring about the challenge of finding room in your home or apartment for all of your leafy friends.

To help you give your plants the best indoor home possible this winter, we’ve come up with a few helpful tips for organizing your potted pets.

Most of us have clutter in our homes. It’s the simple truth. As frequently as you may see picture-perfect images or videos of the organization process, realistically, it is often a chaotic and intimidating process that can be stressful for anyone.

It’s okay! Madesmart® is here to help with a few simple tips.

The scene is truly a dreamscape—you are surrounded by a sea so white it is nearly blinding, a sea of elegant partygoers, each one of them dressed in crisp white haute couture in a picturesque outdoor dinner space. Everyone is mingling, reveling in the French tradition of the Dîner en Blanc, or White Dinner.