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  • Here

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    On October 20, 2008 • By

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  • Another fabric design

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    On October 16, 2008 • By

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  • My Guitar

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    On October 14, 2008 • By

    This morning I was reading the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. I was thinking, what was so wrong with that guy who was scared and buried his master’s money in a hole, what was the big deal? I sat there and started to analyze it, and I realized why his master called him wicked and lazy and cast him away. It was because he let his life be paralyzed by fear. He had the same master as the other two slaves, and he was given the same substance as them (money). But he did not have the same understanding as they did. He did not know his master. He saw him as cruel, hard, unfair, unjust. And rather than take the chance on doing something that might displease the master, he did absolutely nothing. He was scared and lived his life in passivity for fear of failure. Unfortunately, I can really relate to this man. I’ve been timid in many areas, and rather than take a chance and doing something, so many times I’ve taken the easy way out and avoided the consequences of possible failure by doing nothing. Especially when it comes to my creative dreams. For years and years and years the desire has been growing stronger in me to create music. I’ve been playing rhythm guitar for church most of this time, and it’s not satisfying my desires. I want to create music of my own, that expresses what’s in my heart. It’s not enough to sing someone else’s lyrics, to play their chords. There’s something new within me. I found a keyboard synthesizer at a music store that I want. I’ve been drooling over it in my mind. I fantasize about it every day. It can do anything. It can sound like anything, record, sample, sequence, it’s the top of the line. I totally can’t afford it at all. And I’ve been thinking, I will start making my dream come true when I can afford this thing someday. Then, and only then, I will be able to truly express myself, write beautiful, powerful music. When I get this keyboard. It’s going to be great. Someday. This morning after reading that parable I realized I have been waiting on a pipe dream to do what God wants me to do. Why can’t I do what I’m supposed to do now? Why does it have to be way off? And I had a change of heart. I want to start now. With what I have in my house. It may not be much, but I have an instrument. I have my guitar. Maybe I should just (and this is a new idea for me) learn how to play it better….maybe um…practice? A little? Maybe I can learn to use this thing I already have, instead of thinking it’s not worth much. And I started to get excited about it for the first time. And I looked at it in its case and I thought, wow, I have an Instrument! Not just some thing I carry back and forth to church, but an Instrument! And when I took it out, it looked different to me, and it felt different, like something I had never seen before, and I started to play it, and it sounded different too. And I thought, wow, maybe I can play this thing unto God, and I realized that even one note played on one worn-out guitar string is more blessed than an amazing song written on something that I don’t have, because once I have it, I would want something else. And I don’t want to be discontent. I want to use what I have…….then I started thinking about an upright bass, and how intriguing they are, and wondering how I could get my hands on one of them, and maybe if I had one of those I would practice all the time…..Oh my.
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  • Paper Towel Holder

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    On October 13, 2008 • By

    I really like the design on this old paper towel holder in my kitchen and I’ve always wanted to do something with it, so for art time this week……

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  • Waiting

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    On October 12, 2008 • By


    A motive in the human heart is like deep water, and a person who has understanding draws it out. Proverbs 20:5

    I did this piece of artwork a while back when I was having a frustrating “Art Night”. I didn’t really think that much about it at the time. It wasn’t until I got a package in the mail a few days ago that I realized what I was feeling when I made it. God had directed a friend of mine to make this picture into a dress and send it to me, along with a message that pierced my heart.
    It was encouraging on many levels. One of the neatest things about it was that God showed me how he can use very unusual things to touch somebody’s life. I mean, a prophetic dress? Who has heard of that? Yet this is one of the most meaningful things anyone has ever given me.

    I’ve discredited a lot of creative ideas that I’ve had because I thought they seemed too weird. “No body else does things like that!” But I am slowly learning to be okay with the way God made me and to operate in the gifts He’s given me without always trying to figure it out…

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  • elephants!

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    On October 8, 2008 • By

    My husband thought that the horse fabric would look neat with elephants so I decided to try that out. I like it!

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  • Sewing foibles

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    On October 6, 2008 • By

    I think that the people who write the clothes sizes on patterns are smoking something. I made these trouser jeans for myself, strictly following the chart on the back, which always seems to be 3 or 4 sizes off what I actually wear in storebought clothes, but oh, well, I trusted they knew what they were talking about, they made the pattern. But alas, now I have a very cute pair of pants that does not fit… Even after adjusting and adjusting. Foo! Hopefully I can find a friend that they will fit.

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  • New Business Launched

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    On October 1, 2008 • By

    After many many days and weeks of labor, I have finished all of the preparations for my new medical website business at http://www.mdsitecraft.com/.
    A huge sigh of relief! It will be first introduced to doctors starting October 22 in San Diego at a conference hosted by Practical CME.
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  • Chesna’s Birthday Dress

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    On September 21, 2008 • By

    My brother is commissioning Rachel of Mamma Made Designs to make a very special dress for his daughter Chesna for her 6th birthday. I am designing the fabric that it will be made from. It has been a very fun process. I started from a drawing of a horse and rider that Chesna made….

    …I produced a vector line drawing of the form…

    …Added some color…and at this point I was quite amazed at the elegance of this form which was produced by a 5 year old!…
    …Next I went through a lot of experimenting with patterns using the horse…
    And I’m still doing some color experiments just for fun:

    This is the final fabric design.
    Now I’m getting ready to order it. It will be so exciting to see what Rachel produces from it!
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  • Maritza

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    On September 14, 2008 • By

    I wanted to make something special for my friend Maritza. She’s watched our kids for us numerous times and never accepts any compensation. So with some trouble I talked her into letting me make her a dress. She picked out a vintage Simplicity pattern and the material.

    I learned a lesson on this one. Next time I will make a mock bodice first. Even though I measured her and cut everything accordingly, the top was way off. Luckily, I got away with reconstructing only the back of the bodice so I didn’t have to remake the whole thing.

    Another lesson, pay attention when I’m cutting the bulk out of the seam! I was trimming the seam where the bodice meets the skirt, and didn’t realize that part of the bodice was folded up underneath it. I rolled right over it with my rotary cutter and made a huge sickening gash.

    So after a few ripped out seams and a few improvisations to cover the hole, here it is…

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