An idea, a business, a log cabin mailbox

The recession and lack of available meaningful work hit us, just like it did so many other Americans.

It was in 2012 that my husband, Carl, told me what we could do.  He showed me photos of furniture he had crafted for a log cabin he built on his own in upstate New York.  It was in his earlier life, before me. There were photos of a rustic clock, a pie safe, a coffee table, a magazine rack.  "We can make these and sell them!" he said excitedly.

I wasn't sure what my part was going to be in all of this.  I could barely hammer a nail.  "What do I do?"

He didn't really know either.  But he made rustic clocks and plaques and we sold some out of our garage and to friends.

And then, we discovered Etsy.

Thanks to Etsy, and the other places where we sell our carved wooden items, we are making a living.  Like any new business, it has not been easy.  We struggle.  That's an understatement.  But we also work together to create customer service and products people can use in their homes or give as gifts.  We have loads of heart warming stories to share about our experiences.

Our recent accomplishment and surprise comes at Reader's Digest.  One of our log cabin mailboxes is featured at a Made in USA section of their online store with a link to our Etsy shop. This adorable log cabin looks like it's made of  Lincoln Logs, but actually, it's not. Each log is crafted. The shingles are real roof shingles.  Carl cuts the wood, sands it, and builds each cabin around a standard US-regulated mailbox. After the cabin is built, my part is staining the whole thing, and painting the windows and doors. It's a messy job, but I have lots of T-shirts that handle the mess well.

We have sold over 25 of our mailboxes since December 2013.  We even offer one with a green metal roof. Log cabin owners love our mailboxes. Recently, a customer asked if we could place his house number on the chimney and as you can see, we have. Now we offer house numbers carved and painted on our log cabins.

"More beautiful than in the photos!" one of our customers exclaimed when he received his mailbox.

And I, as the photographer, would have to agree.

See our other products at our Etsy shop, Carved By Heart.

Trip with Bird Houses

Friday, June 13 might seem like a day for bad luck, but ours was good that day. After dropping two of my kids off to see their dad, Carl and I continued on down I-85 into South Carolina. We pulled our Jeep into the Comfort Inn. We were on a mission. A mission with forty bird houses.

Debby Stephenson, a.k.a. Flash, greeted me and introduced me to many of her Courageous Kidz, staff, and volunteers. The group of nearly 100 were waiting to load the buses for fun, a.k.a. Carowinds! Our job had nothing to do with riding roller coasters, our job was forty bird houses.

Debby ordered these bird houses from our business, Carved By Heart, after seeing a photo of a carved bird house that I had posted at my home away from home, a.k.a. Facebook.

When it comes to her non-profit cancer organization, Courageous Kidz, Debby is always full of ideas. The group goes bowling, on picnics, to festivals, and yes, annual trips to Carowinds. Debby's 70 years old, and yet you'd never believe it. She has the energy and joy of a child. The love in her eyes for "her kids" is heart-warming. And when one of them is near death, Debby sends out fervent requests for prayers.

My son Daniel never got to meet Debby or have her give him a nickname; my path found Debby years after he died from cancer treatments. But I have benefited from knowing her and being called one of her cancer kid "moms". Debby's love and generosity makes any bad-luck day, a good one.

The last of the group boarding the buses for Carowinds.

The boxed bird houses loaded on the bus.

Debby plans to have kids decorate these unfinished bird houses at a Halloween event later this year. We look forward to seeing those pictures.

Earlier that week---carving the wood and preparing to craft the bird houses.

From Rough to Polished: Carved By Heart Offers House Number Signs

One of the fun things about wood is that it can be crafted into so many useful and beautiful things. Take this box of wood we have. It can be used to make lots of projects, allowing us to repurpose old wood into something new.

From pine, crabapple, and even douglas fir, we have made many cherished items for the home. Pictured is a lamp carved from a dying crabapple tree.

Our house signs are popular items that get us many requests. We have signs for under the mailbox and those that can be attached onto the side of a house or hung from a lamp post.

Each sign is carved, sanded, painted, sanded again, and finished. We leave nothing untouched. Even the back sides of our signs are finished.

Some want an under-the-mailbox sign, carved on both sides. We assist with mounting instructions with each order.

We take custom orders and love to personalize.

Visit our Carved By Heart shop on Etsy to see more of what we offer and let us make a customized item for you.