The "M Studio"

Here's my new place to sew pillows, woodburn, mosaic, paint, and just CREATE! I love my "M Studio" (my daughter Maggie named it). Robert, my loving husband, finished out an area in the basement for me (banker by day, handyman on the weekends). My teenage son, David, so eloquently coined a tag line for the studio: "Where ugly things are welcome". Not how I feel AT ALL!... but he's very left brained and just doesn't fully grasp the creative side of life (but I'm still working on him!).

Here's a peek inside my Heaven Born cabinet where I have oodles of flannel, ribbon and all the components used to make the pillows. I saved the cardboard bolt holders from the fabric store so I could easily and neatly store all the many yards of fabric (the bolts are 2 deep on the shelf... that's a lot of flannel!).

Here's a fun wall that pays homage to the "M". A bit self-serving, I know, but I do have a fondness for the special letter and I look forward to someday passing my collection along to Maggie. She is incredibly creative and I fully expect her to carry on the family artist tradition. And it just so happens that the M's are perfect for her too (serendipity at work!).

Speaking of family artists, this photo shows my favorite thing that I own. It is a pair of wooden shoes that my beloved Dad made for me when I was a little girl. He bought them from Holland, Michigan and woodburned and painted the little dutch girl amongst brightly colored tulips and a windmill. I remember clomping around the house in them enjoying the loud racket they made. These shoes not only remind me of my childhood and part of my Dutch heritage, but more importantly, they remind me of my loving Dad who went to heaven August 13, 2004. He was incredibly artistic and spent his whole life creating beautiful things and living a life focused on faith and family. I miss him more than I can say.

Here's some sweet paper birds perched overhead. They're just a touch of whimsy and fun. And that is what the "M Studio" is all about; a place to let your creative wings expand and let your ideas take flight. I'm thankful for this special place that I can call all my own and yet share with all. Thanks for taking a look!.....

First Blog

Well, here we go... my first blog. My hope is to make this a place where many stories will be shared and in doing so hurting moms will be helped on their journey of healing. I receive emails every day from hurting moms who have lost their precious babies. And that is what Heaven Born is all about - comforting those moms and honoring their babies.

These photos are from the first annual "Sew-A-Thon" held at St. Louis Community College, Forest Park by a wonderful group of art students called "Creatives dot Comm". They help non-profits with whatever promotion or graphics they need. It is a wonderful way for art students to get real, hands-on experience and for non-profits to get the help they need at a price they can afford (Free!). So a big THANK YOU to all the wonderful people who made this event such a success!

Here are the talented art girls from Creatives dot Comm: Beth, Amy, Stormy, and Jillian


My speedy stuffers! These women were fast getting the pillows stuffed and ready to sew up.



The night was a great success! We had faculty, students, LOTS of Girl Scouts, sorority girls, and Heaven Born Craft Community regulars all getting together for a fun night of pillow making. And, it was a very productive night with just under 100 pillows made that night. What a help that was as I received a new order for 75 pillows for Barnes Hospital that had to be delivered by the end of the year. Perfect timing!



















How awesome is this cake??? It is from McArthur's Bakery and they did a great job recreating the logo in such a tasty way!