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The Baseball Back Then CollectionWhen I create a new collection, it is a process. It's one thing to create one piece of art and poof put it up for sale. It's another to try and create a mood, a setting or in better terms to imagine a space and build towards it. Having designed many, if not hundreds, of kids room since starting my studio, I can't help but envision the reveal. What will the client not just see but feel? So, I've been working on designing more ingredients to add to a space. While there may seem to be some matchy, matchy going on when you first glance, realize the most people will pick a couple items from a collection and then build from there. Maybe they like a particular fabric for pillows that may go with one piece of art.  The Baseball Back Then collection en masse. So the goal that I've set for myself is to give customers some options. Give them choices that they can incorporate into their existing space or create a whole new one. A piece from Aaron, a homemade craft, a piece from Home Goods, an antique thingy and that one gift from the mother-in-law (you have to display it...ha!). Put them together to create the vibe or feel that's desired for the space.  Old time handwriting font with a whoop de do. So, in this latest collection, I first decided on a general idea. I wanted something in my vintage vibe but refreshed with a little modernism or lean towards trend. The elements of the current trend-o-sphere I plucked for this collection are use of a limited color palette, boho vibe watercolor washes, stains, paints, heavier textures, handwritten type lettering, rustic finishes and to no surprise beads and tassels. They are concepts that could work within a modern farmhouse, that mid century minimal pad or a rustic converted warehouse condo.  Putting the studio fabric printer to use, pickling beads and making tassels. All in a days work here. While I'm excited for all the pieces, there is a concept I was stoked to bring to life. I wanted a piece of wall decor shaped like a baseball home plate. Well, that's not original you say. And of course you are right, it is not. But I wanted a piece that eluded to baseball without being so literal, emblazoned with red baseball stitches and painted white. I'd be one of a million with that old concept. I wanted something a little more wall decor less baseball. So has it, last year I bought the studio the equipment to do some fabric printing. Not screen printing, but actual infusion of ink into fabric. It's called sublimation. I can print out art and imagery and using heat I can transfer it by chemically fusing it with the fabric's fibers. Sounds cool? It is! The image doesn't sit on the fabric it literally becomes the fabric. It won't fade, it won't peel, it won't wash out. Even if you tore the fabric apart you would end up with fibers and thread with the image intact. By fusing the inspirational phrase - It's always good to be home to the "inspired by trend" heavy texture, open weave linen look fabric, I have the perfect print to staple over my stretcher bar home plate shape. It took a little trial and error to figure out how to wrap and staple the fabric around that shape. To update it, I added some ever popular washed wooden beads, tassel and a burlap twine hanger. I hope you like it. While some little league outfielder may look at it and shrug, a mom, dad or interior designer who wants an updated look on the tried and true baseball room hopefully will enjoy it.  Customizable wool felt pennants by EmbellishmentsStudio The studio introduced pennants a few years back to complement the wall art I create and they have been welcomed with open arms by our customers. So for this collection I gave a wink to the golden oldie days with a swoosh, a ribbon a non-text thingy ma-bob that acts as a tail off the end of a word. Such a classic Coke thing. Added to that is a handwritten style font that we use to personalize them.  Samples of my Back Then Baseball Collection of fabrics. Fabric is a huge part of room design. It often sets the tone for everything else. One builds a nursery or bedroom around the bedding, it's rarely the other way. So, to take the lead on the collection, I created 29 prints and variations for this collection. It explores the baseball theme with classic shapes and patterns but updates them with a limited color palette, modern use of "white space" and yet still has a vintage appeal. While I'm still on the hunt for someone to produce my bedding and home dec ideas directly for my site customers, I maintain a Spoonflower.com shop to vend my patterns and sell some of their finished goods with my designs. I'm a stickler for quality and the accuracy of the reproduction of my imagery. Spoonflower does a great job with the printing and offers a wide variety of fabrics. They offer finished goods like pillows, tablecloths, duvets and such with my designs on them. It's a win, win for now until I have my own produced. I can see so many combinations of the pieces that would make wonderful crib or boys room bedding.
 Top left is my really big original. Top right is a color sample on canvas for color checking. Bottom is a print of my cheater quilt from the collection on 100% cotton for a color check. Pushing myself out of the usual size ratio I work within on my paintings, I decided to go with a tall and skinny version of a baseball player. His popped collar, wooden bat and probably not very comfortable heavyweight fabric uniform are definitely vintage, but I made it more modern by keeping it painterly, in a limited color range and as minimalist as portraiture can be. I guess it's still portraiture sans face or is it torsotraiture ? Ha!  The Back Then Baseball Scoreboard is available in archival print posters and stretched canvas prints. What would my baseball collections be without a new scoreboard? I realized the other day that it's been almost 18 years since Pottery Barn Kids launched a line with my very first scoreboard. As far as I was told, it was the first painted depiction of a scoreboard anyone had offered in the retail catalog industry. Now, years later with Pinterest, Etsy, DIY'ers and knock off bloggers, they're a little more common <eye roll>. I spot the occasional too close for common sense copycat who forgets to change the scores. What are the odds that our games had the very same scores...<double eye roll>. Ha! Well, flattery being what it's not, all's good. I'll just keep painting more until I don't. In this version, I wanted the charms of what a scoreboard might look like back in the early mid 1900's. I envisioned it painted on some old fence in a dirt field where rag tag leagues played on the big nights and broom handle and homemade ball wielding children filled in the gaps.  I've procured some vintage zinc plated numbers as accents for the collection. $12.00 w/shipping As I write this and think about baseball nostalgia, I would love a trip to yesteryear with a little box of Cracker Jack to indulge in. It used to be sold in little cardboard boxes that you immediately tore open to find a prize. Prize first, eat second. That sweet popped corn and caramel smell fills my mind. I wonder if I should ever include tasty treats or confections in a collection? Heck, a Cracker Jack scented candle would suffice, I'm hungry...ha! In closing, I'd love to think that the market will continue to steer me. That I'll continue exploring new things, trying new techniques all for the sake of expressing my creativity. Please know that I couldn't do it without the fans of my work. Without you it would be a failed business venture obviously, but it's the comments, the sharing, the photos you provide that keep me inspired. Feel free to offer suggestions, critiques, comments and ideas. Please continue to share, post, Pin and tag with wild abandon, it truly does help my and other small businesses. Thanks for reading. - Aaron    
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We're happy to introduce the Bright Collection of felt pennants. We make them, here in the studio, using a combination of our print on felt technology and precision laser cutting techniques. The Bright series has three stock designs and one that you can customize.  The collection features- "HELLO SUNSHINE" which is made from raised cut felt letters on a cream felt background. The "GOLDEN" pennant is made using our print of fabric technology to feature a happy sunshine and cut felt letters. The "HELLO GORGEOUS" pennant is printed with a beachy skyline with palm trees and an overlay of printed felt that's precision cut. The "SUMMER" piece is available as show or you can visit our custom pennant page to create your own using the same curvy script font. Design your own CUSTOM PENNANT.  As part of my new wall art and decor collection entitled Blitz, I thought I'd include a do-it-yourself tutorial and shopping list for my pipe goal post.  Print yourself off a shopping list and head to the hardware store. While I show it in black pipe, you can also hunt down galvanized and copper plated, if you prefer a different look. Download below.
 Announcing the Blitz Collection! Color is king, in this new series for the football enthusiast. I wanted to create some pieces that wandered out of the traditional football color palette and introduced more color. Featuring varied colors of football balls and some colorful accessories, these pieces would be a great add to a more modern home and yet, with the rustic leanings, they would also be terrific in a farmhouse or more vintage styled space.
You know how you can end up going down the Google rabbit hole? Well, I was doing research for client and somehow ended up looking at old abandoned buildings. One struck me, it was a Eastern European stadium. It was an old Olympic training site. Since its closure graffiti artists have taken up residence to cover the concrete with their art. The loose illustrative style and the bold images in monochrome inspired me. Announcing the Rough Game Series a collection of sports imagery layered upon chalky white, rendered in black, white and shades of gray.    
Riffing off of the art collection, I've created a fabric series as well. It is available from my Spoonflower.com fabric shop. With their array of fabric choices, the patterns would be a great coordinate to the art as bedding and pillows.  I hope you enjoy the collection. Your interest in my art is appreciated and so are all the likes, shares, pins and comments! Rough Game Sports CollectionTHe Rough Game Sports collection
I'm happy to reveal my latest collection entitled "Cosmos". It's available now in my shop.
Are you hosting a birthday party, decorating your astronauts room or looking for some fun space themed activities? Be sure to follow me and visit my Space Themed Pinterest Board. 
    I'm excited to share new additions to my vintage sports wall art line. These three new scoreboards round out my selection to include more color schemes and types of sports.
The images are available as archival paper prints and stretched canvases. If you have a favorite sport that's not represented in my collection send me a message. I'm always happy to receive feedback and inspiration!
$30.00 - $179.00
$30.00 - $179.00
$30.00 - $179.00
 Kids and Teen room designer Aaron Christensen offers his top bedding picks for sports enthusiasts. I'm always on the hunt for new bedding styles and designs for my customers and I often get asked what bedding works with my sports wall art lines. So here are my picks for new and tried and true pieces from my favorite haunts. I rarely use themed bedding with sports graphics on it, for me it's usually too expected and often tacky. In contrast I applaud my friends over at Land of Nod have done a great job of offering up some very simple understated pieces, I've included below. The top picks include bedding from Restoration Hardware Teen, PBteen, Ralph Lauren via Nieman Marcus, Rejuvenation Hardware and Schoolhouse Electric. Having worked with several large retailers on the development and coordination
Ideas are easy to come by, harder to realize. I sold my clothing boutique client on the idea of a dimensional cactus themed summer window and store display. I've been drawn to tissue art as of recently, and liked the concept of watercolor like tones of tissue combined with the harder cacti form. Figuring out how to bring the concept to life became the mystery. It was my mission to find a simple way to create cacti plants that are lightweight and life like in shape.  The fruition of my watercolor like cacti summer display trim concept. After a stint of head scratching and store wandering, the idea came to me when I saw a display of foam fun noodles and little swimmer kick boards. I quickly grabbed a shopping cart and loaded up 20 noodles and 20 kick boards. In the checkout line I was asked by the cashier about my pool party. Still excited by the idea, I blurted out that I was going to turn them into cactus. Why I expected anything more than the half smirk and a random direction head nod from those around me, is beyond me. Huff! I guess my prickly pear making high was clearly a one man's journey.  If you can decoupage and cut shapes with scissors you can have a cactus garden! If you can climb over the fence and take your neighbors fun noodles and kick boards you can have a cactus garden for free, or the price of a misdemeanor. Relax, there is no need to pilfer. This time of year many big box and dollar stores have "polyethylene foam" swim noodles and boards for sale. Plastic suppliers like Tap often carry it in large rolls. It's used as a packing material and insulation, you will want 1/2 inch or thicker sheets.
Okay Lax lovers, here we go... I proudly present my lacrosse wall art series collage. Available as a one piece, nine image design or you can pick and choose any of the nine as individual prints in canvas and on archival paper. According to Thomas Vennum Jr., author of American Indian Lacrosse: Little Brother of War "Apart from its recreational function, lacrosse traditionally played a more serious role in Indian culture. Its origins are rooted in legend, and the game continues to be used for curative purposes and surrounded with ceremony. Game equipment and players are still ritually prepared by conjurers, and team selection and victory are often considered supernaturally controlled. In the past, lacrosse also served to vent aggression, and territorial disputes between tribes were sometimes settled with a game, although not always amicably." With it's rich history and evolution into one of the fastest growing sports here in the States, it's time to be wall proud and art up! I hope you enjoy them, I'd love to hear your feedback.
Need some inspiration for your lax loving walls? Here are three style mood boards to give you ideas and inspire. Feel free to pin, post and print!  Lacrosse wall art and decor ideas for a sophisticated boys or teen room. By popular demand, I've added a new series to my Speedway Racing Collection of wall art. The new pieces explore the thrill of speed with images of a race car, mx motorcycle, mechanic type ephemera, vintage signage and more. The works are available as individual images or combined into a nine image collage with either a cream or black grid border.  Racing Inspired Wall Art Decor "Throttle" by Aaron Christensen. Available in a nine image collage and as individual pieces in stretched canvas and poster print. Visit my shop's Transportation category to see this piece and many more race inspired pieces perfect for boy's rooms, teen spaces and of course the man cave.  Mx, Motorcycle, Race Car and Auto Ephemera Mood Board with ideas for Boy's, Teens and Men. Featuring wall art by Aaron Christensen.
 
Soccer Art - Line Up Collection
$30.00 - $169.00
Football Art - Line Up Collection
$30.00 - $169.00
Baseball Art - Line Up Collection
$30.00 - $169.00
Rugby Art - Line Up Collection
$30.00 - $169.00
Cricket Art - Line Up Collection
$30.00 - $169.00
Home Visitor Arrows Sports Wall Art Decor for Baseball Football Soccer Basketball
$20.00 - $249.00
Rough Game Scoreboard Sports Wall Art by Aaron Christensen
$30.00 - $179.00
Rough Game Allstar Sports Wall Art
$20.00 - $249.00
Sports Wall Art - Rough Game Sports Motivational Poster Prints by Aaron Christensen
$7.00 - $15.00
Home Visitor Sports Pillow
$32.00 - $39.00
My Home Visitor pillow cover is available made from 68% cotton, and 32% linen natural fiber (shown) or 100% Polyester Velveteen. It is from my Sandlot series which can be found here. Coordinating fabrics are available in my Spoonflower shop: The image is also available as a stretched canvas or paper print. Available in sizes 18 x 18 and 22 x 22". We use YKK zipper enclosures. The pillows backside is a coordinating neutral. Launder inside out, tumble dry on low. Iron inside out using your irons polyester setting. Price is for enclosure/case only. 
Sports Art - See the Win Prints and Canvas Wall Art Decor
$25.00 - $189.00
Lacrosse Art - Line Up Collection
$30.00 - $169.00
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Welcome to Aaron Christensen's Embellishments Studio Blog.
Welcome to my Embellishments Journal, it's a new feature. I will be posting about some of our projects, sharing pictures and interesting things. Chime in, ask questions and keep your arms and hands inside the ride until it comes to a complete stop. -Aaron
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