One couple at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts says there isn't much to smile about right now, but they're trying to change that.

"In this day and age when things are so hard, the economy is tough. People just want to surround themselves with something that makes them feel good," Patti Stern, of Moreland Hills, Ohio, said. "There's not one person that walks in our booth that doesn't smile."

Patti's husband, Bob Stern, described their quirky artwork made from antique fixtures as "very cute, whimsical pieces that make people smile."

"That's what we need nowadays," he said.

The couple created their company, The Perfect View, about 23 years ago and have worked full-time with it for about 18 of those years, Patti said.

Their works are all composed of antique furniture, fixtures and finishes. They make different works including figures, cabinets and key holders.

Patti said that her previous work experience as a decorator has helped her with her creations.

"I was a decorator for a long time, and I just came up with the idea with my husband at an antique show," Patti said.

As a team, the two work to complement each other. Bob assembles the frames and puts the finish on most of the pieces before Patti adds decoration, which many times include natural freeze-dried lacquered flowers.

"It's a union in all their works," said Joan Edelmann of Long Island, N.Y. Edelmann has been showing her own work at various events with the couple for about 15 years. "They're definitely a team and a partnership," Edelmann said.

Working together on each individual figure piece, most of their works resemble humans and have names such as "Rocket Man" and "Space Cowboy." Bob described one piece he recently finished named "Billy."

"Billy" is composed of an old lamp, with a face made from a clock and a bellybutton crafted from an old tub drain. The drain gives the effect of a belly button that is both "innie" and "outie," Bob said

Adapting to the shifting economic climate, the couple has introduced a new line of smaller, shelf-top figures that have a lower price range than their full-sized counterparts and are also anatomically correct, Bob said.

Their cabinet pieces use old, leaded and beveled windows that Patti said will strike a chord with people from the region.

"People that grew up anywhere on the East Coast remember all of the leaded windows or the hardware that we make keyholders with; they remember that from their home," Patti said. "It's almost like we're giving them a memory and they don't even know it."