NEW YORK (AP) — The business empire founded by Martha Stewart hasn't seen the last of the homemaking queen, who owns 61 percent of the company's stock and plans to retain a creative role with the company despite her conviction in a stock scandal and her departure from the board.

Stewart stepped down Monday as chief creative officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and resigned from the company's board. But she was given the new title of founding editorial director, assuring her a role in developing new products and shaping company strategy.

The new position means Stewart, 62, will probably remain an influential part of the company, despite an impending prison sentence that could last more than a year.

Stewart also will have a role in choosing her successor on the board, the company said.

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Chief executive Sharon Patrick said the company and its shareholders will "benefit most if we are able to continue to take advantage of Martha's creative inspiration and capitalize on her prodigious skills and experience in the domestic arts."

In Stewart's new role, she will provide creative inspiration for new products; write two books, "Homekeeping" and "Baking"; and provide advice on the company's brand and strategy, the company said.

Stewart resigned as chairman and CEO last June after being indicted.

"I am heartsick about my personal legal situation — and deeply sorry for the pain and difficulties it has caused our employees," she said in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to collaborate on a wide range of creative ideas with the amazing, talented and hardworking people at this very special company."

The company's annual report, filed late Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, offered a downbeat outlook. Because of the trial's outcome, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia said it could suffer substantial financial losses.

The company said it's considering rebranding some of its products, selling assets and cutting staff.

Stewart had been expected to relinquish her board seat ever since the verdict, but reportedly had been pressing to keep some creative non-officer role. Had she not stepped down, the SEC probably would have forced her to do so, because she is a convicted felon.

The shuffle is the latest fallout from Stewart's March 5 conviction on charges she obstructed justice and lied to the government about why she sold stock in a pharmaceutical company just before it plummeted in 2001.

Marketing experts offered mixed reviews on Stewart's decision to leave the board without completely severing ties to the company.

"I think they are walking a tight rope between her as an asset and her as a liability," said Jamelah Leddy, an analyst at McAdams Wright Ragen who owns 1,000 shares of Martha Stewart Living. But Leddy added that with Stewart still the largest shareholder, she will remain extremely influential in the company.

Seth Siegel, co-founder of The Beanstalk Group, a trademark licensing agency, said that retaining Stewart in a creative role was a "generous fig leaf that the company gave her."

"It allows them to say they stepped away from Martha, but still allows them to keep all options open," he said.

Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a New York marketing research company, said the move will probably have mixed results.

"They should have announced that Martha was going away for a while to deal with her problems," he said. "By moving away, you regain trust."

Since Stewart's name was tied to the scandal, her company has seen its stock plummet 40 percent and suffered from declining sales, financial losses and defections among its advertisers.