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Finding her creative side

Marshall woman makes handmade items to give to others or for a special gift to yourself

Whitney Deutz, with help from her husband and parents, creates a variety of artistic items. She buys unwanted silverware and turns forks and spoons into works of delight.

MARSHALL

They are handmade, carefully made and Leona Mae’d. Marshall resident Whitney Deutz has made many artistic creations out of items such as old silverware, blocks of wood and clothespins.

Her main artistic medium is forks and spoons. She finds old silverware at antique stores.

“It’s fun to hunt for things,” she said. “I love antiquing and thrifting to find the supplies.”

Deutz said she has always been artistic and enjoys doing crafts, which allows her some “me” time.

“It’s fun all the way around for me,” she said.

Her dad, Tom Sanderson, helps her with the utensils, which are pounded out flat with a hammer on an anvil. Her mother, Annie Sanderson, helps her sell the items at the Farmers Market. Her husband, Devan Deutz, also helps pound out the silverware and sands blocks of wood for her to paint on. He takes care of their two sons, Archer, 3, and Granger, 1, at home while she is selling her crafts. The name, Leona Mae’d, is a nod to her two great-grandmothers, Leona and Mae.

The flattened, polished and decorated forks and spoons are used as plant pokes. They have sayings such as “plant, pray, grow” and “peace” on them written with metal stamps. There are also key rings with “adventure awaits” painted on them, clothespin magnets, and necklace charms. The bookmarks have sayings such as “Once upon a time” on them.

The words are inspired by “stuff that I like,” Deutz said. Also “I looked online a little bit.”

Creations such as wine bottle charms make for a “nice hostess gift,” she said. Other gift items include succulents packed in mugs with a plant poke.

The items “makes a nice small gift or you could treat yourself,” she said.

“The silverware that is cut for keychains, necklace charms, bookmarks and wine bottle charms is cut with a saw and then we use a dremel to sand it smooth,” she said.

The color palettes are neutrals, which are timeless and can enhance any home’s decor, she said.

She also makes sugar scrub cubes with scents such as eucalyptus, vanilla and coconut.

“They are for exfoliating your hands, feet and legs,” she said. “I switch out the scents seasonally.”

She will have pumpkin spice latte for sale soon.

Her bath bombs are made from organic coconut oil, moisturizer and scent. She uses doTERRA essential oils.

“The bath bombs are used in a bath, gives the water color, fizzes until it dissolves, has scent and leaves your skin moisturized,” she said.

Deutz said she keeps her prices affordable.

“There’s nothing worse than wanting something and then have it be crazy high,” she said.

She sells her wares at the Farmers Market Saturday mornings in Marshall and is gratified that people have shown interest.

“It surprised me,” she said. “I’ve done really well.”

Deutz has only been selling her art items under her royal blue canopy since July. She has a Leona Mae’d Facebook page that’s only been up since July as well and is showing steady business and enthusiastic customers.

“It’s just through word of mouth and social media,” she said.

Leona Mae’d creations can be seen at her Facebook page where she has photos and descriptions of her latest wares and tells where she where she will be. Her table underneath the blue canopy can be found from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today at the Homeless Treasures flea market by Tracy.

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