As my husband and his father cut through an exterior wall to
extend a closet, they tossed little chunks of gnarled wood into a heap in the
grass. As soon as I saw those worn
scraps, I had a vision for them. They
were distinctive. They had history. They were going to be treasure! I gathered them up and stowed them away until
the creative juices could flow. And flow
they did. After a little hunting I discovered that what I had was some original
Dutch Lap siding –the full 7.5” hardwood planks. Even with years of paint and
dust, they had a sweet charm. I made a
set of word signs.
I had so many ideas, I ran out of raw
material. I had exactly enough to
complete five 3 piece sets. I was eager to continue production. They were
bold, beautiful, and totally unique. They
carried the power of God’s Word with such simple elegance. I wanted to make MORE!!! I’m not going to say the thought didn’t cross
my mind. In fact, I might have even asked my husband very nicely…but, in the end,
ripping the rest of the siding off the house just didn’t seem to make
sense. So, we set them aside and kept
busy with other projects. But, I
couldn’t seem to walk away from the idea.
New verses kept presenting themselves as perfect candidates for my
“salvaged siding signs”. But, I had no
more siding to salvage. What to do? What
to do?
I realized that this would be a reoccurring issue as we used
up the materials we had on hand. Some
pieces were very old and very unique. I
felt very limited by the ability to make only one item when I had so many
variations dreamed up. Overall, I wanted
our products to be genuine. I wanted our
shop to have heart. And I struggled with the idea of new materials mixed with
the old. Should we just use up
everything we have and go hunting for more? Should we find local lumber and
build our own “vintage-looking” items? Or
stick only to “reclaimed wood” and “salvaged hardware”? Choosing a direction we felt comfortable with
was a journey. We walked the fence for a
while, asking the Lord to bring clarity and peace. And we know He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him. So, it wasn’t long before we had our answer. He made it clear that although the
inspiration may come from reclaimed material, we are not tied to that. He lovingly showed us that those salvaged
items were there to inspire us, but not necessarily sustain us. And they certainly weren’t there to bind us. We
were free to find a new source. I love that about God. He paid a great price
for our freedom and spends a great deal of time reminding us to walk in that
liberty. I am learning to recognize
bondage in any form as contrary to God’s will in my life. When I settle on that
truth, it makes decisions so much easier.
So, asking around our tiny town, we found a supplier that
could order some Dutch Lap Siding in…and we’re back to work!
This wood did not come from the side of an
old farm house with rich historical value, but it is still treasure to me. It taught me a precious lesson: Liberty itself is a treasure.
Now that I am free to create to my hearts content, the possibilities abound. Single Word signs, color combos, Nursery décor, gallery sets, and more!!
And this time, we have enough materials to allow for custom orders – so, you can dream up your own variations!
Now that I am free to create to my hearts content, the possibilities abound. Single Word signs, color combos, Nursery décor, gallery sets, and more!!
And this time, we have enough materials to allow for custom orders – so, you can dream up your own variations!
Visit our shop and design your own!