Making Tiny Beds is FUN!

I started fixing the three beds that came with the doll house...
This was the broken canopy bed for the Little Girl's Room. It was super dusty, a thin piece of fabric covered cardboard for a mattress-not comfortable at all.
This is the antique, brass bed...the blanket that came with it matches the wall paper in the house. It was way too small too. (No mattress either! So sad!)
This is the Little Boy's bed...pretty boring...but it was in excellent shape. I actually liked the red and white checked fabric on the mattress, but it was dirty.
This is my new Fox Family I got this morning. More on them to come, they need names! There were several different species of families. Pigs, Elephants, Squirrels, Dogs, Cats...I chose the Fox Family-I love their little faces and clothes.
Here's the Master Bed! I started by spray painting the whole bed frame in an ivory color-matte finish. The sheets are real vintage pillowcase fabric I bought on Etsy...
I also I made a chenille comforter and some pillow shams and filled the shams with cosmetic foam, you know that really dense, soft foam? I got some in a perfect pillow size at the dollar store...
I hand stitched the whole thing because I like the look of hand stitching, crooked...over sized...OH, and I don't sew. I don't have a machine and I would not know how to use it if I did. Mmmm...the thing about tiny beds is tey always look so welcoming. I could slip right in...
Here is the new canopy bed...Vintage fabric on the new, foam mattress (I actually took these really thin sponges from the dollar store and cut them to size)...dust ruffle...I love the way it turned out...
Here's another picture...
And here's that boring Boy's bed all fresh and new...
I love the thick mattress....and I love the small green check
I never thought making tiny things would be this fulfilling and entertaining.
*joy*
~Sadie Lou
xoxo

So It Begins...

Okay, some of you might remember a blogging phase a few years ago (or maybe it wasn't that long ago) where it seemed like everyone had a doll house! There was even an elite group created called Club Little House...remember this? Well even then, I wanted one.
Recently, I went to our local toy store to buy a Calico Critter Family for my niece and it started...staring at all those families...
I was thinking in my head, "Are you kidding me? I need an animal family! I need a house for my family to live..." When I was little girl I had a Slyvanian Bear Family...and it was like all that joy came back...
I put a call out for my friends and family to keep an eye out for a vintage doll house for me and within minutes, an old friend from high school said I could have her old doll house. EEK! I accepted and I picked it up today. It had been in her parent's attic for like 20 years...Here we go!

The front needs a paint job...I'm already thinking Yellow and White?
Here's the other side....
Updated wall paper! Yikes! But look at those blinds...
I love this room-this will get the first makeover...
A little loft bedroom...
The bathroom needs new flooring...
Here's the sweet nursery...I love the paper...
The "Little Girl's Room"...I love the curtains....
Red and white polka dotted curtains in the kitchen? EEEP! This house was destined for greatness...
And so it begins...
~Sadie Lou

Fresh Listings at Sadie Lou Who

Remember in a previous post I had stitched the frozen charlotte sticker in place and added the skirt and the flower but she needed more? Well I added buttons in an oval shape and I love it...

She's ready to frame and she's in the shop waiting for her new home...HERE
There Was A Little Woman...
She was trapped in a box...this shadowbox was soooo much fun to make. I bought this little pudding doll awhile back at an estate sale and she was inspiring me to trap her in a box. See her sad face?
She was destined to be sad. This is for sale too. Right HERE
I have the crafting bug soooo bad. I plan on getting off this computer in about 5 minutes and making more goodies. Stay tuned! As per usual, all of my items are double listed at Etsy for checkout and LolliShops for the views...
((hugs))
xoxo
~Sadie Lou

A Sweet Giveaway

I just entered a giveaway on Stephanie's blog...Click RIGHT HERE to go enter the giveaway for yourself-such a pretty pendent! The winner will be chose on Valentine's Day so you have time!

Sadie Lou + Fabric = New Fun!

So awhile back I shared with you some supplies I purchased on Etsy. Vintage embroidery thread in a mix of spring colors and a pack of reclaimed, vintage sheets and pillowcases. While waiting for my fabric to arrive, I got restless and made a trip to some of the local thrift stores and I found some yummy fabrics all on my own! I found this pink pillowcase that became the inspiration for this design I'm working on...

I think I'm going to add some more flowers and maybe some vintage buttons too...
I find pulling thread back and forth through the fabric very peaceful and relaxing. I like to have a cup tea, a fire in the woodstove and something entertaining to listen to; be it a Food Network program or just some calming music.
I've been making these little cottages out of my fabrics because I love making the different patterns come together and since I don't sew, I have to stitch.
Here's some of the sweet fabrics I found all by myself. I can't tell you the joy I feel when I score a little bundle of unloved, cast out fabric. It makes me sad to think of the lonely fabric sitting in some neglected pile-probably wishing it could be admired and desired but knowing that maybe it's just out dated and too old to be loved again. So I bring it home, pull the cruel price tag off of it, wash it with good smelling detergent and then dry it, press it and stack it with the others. Doesn't this pile look happy?
The print on the very bottom was a set of sheets. It will take years to use it all! The blue polka dots with the blue flowers was all rolled up and then taped with masking tape! Awful.
I love the lamb fabric with the hearts. I carried it around the store and almost put it back but I took a last glance and snatched it up again. I'll find a way to use it.
You can find some of these finished projects in my shop!
Sadie Lou Who

Spring Fever!

There is NOTHING that lifts my spirits more, when it's wet-dark & gloomy, than a hot cup of tea...a crackling fire...and some stitching! I have been stitching up some SUPER CUTE surprises for the shop!
I bought some of this from a cute shop on Etsy (click HERE)
I love this picture. I could stare at it all day....
...and I bought some vintage embroidery threads from Pink Grapefruit Style. Big fan of that shop.
Stay tuned and I'll show you what I've been up to...
*giggle*
FUN!!
I hope you're able to find little ways to put some sunshine back in...
xoxo~Sadie

Photographing Your Crafts: Light Box

I know that some of you are having the same problems I am having with photographing your crafts. Part of my problem is my camera. I need a new one. My biggest problem though, comes every year...it's the Winter Season! I have been bitten by the inspiration bug and I made all these crafts to sell but every time I sat down to take photos, the lighting was just awful. It's been grey, dark and ugly for the past week; zero sunlight. I did manage to take some photos that I actually used to list some thing in my shop but I was not happy with them. I did a quick Google Search on a "cheap, simple light box tutorial" and I found THIS ARTICLE
Here is the photo I followed...

I had all these supplies at home. I had a box, white tissue paper and tape-and that's all I needed for this simple project! I set it up in about 15 minutes and then I put a movie on for the kids and ran off to my bedroom. I'd like to show you the difference:
The photo on the left is the light box photo. The colors are even, richer...I didn't have to edit it to death like I did to the photo on the right. The photo on the right is washed out because I had to slide the exposure too far to make up for the shadows.
These pictures show a huge difference. Look closely at the vintage rhinestones...the lighting was such an important factor in capturing the sparkle. You can click on this image to see it up close.
I think these photos show what the right lighting can do for Silver German Glass Glitter. If you look close, every sparkle is highlighted on the photo on the left, while the right side photo is flat. The colors are different too and I think it's key to online selling to offer the most realistic photo of your craft to the buyer-like they are holding it and looking at it.
These photos are not immediately speaking a huge difference until I point out the doll's face. The photo on the right has a huge shadow across her face. You can see the start of the shadow because the fur stole is super dark and then it spreads to her face...the photo on the left shows and even color all over; no shadows.

I hope I was able to show you the importance of good lighting and that box took me 15 minutes to throw together. I am soooo much happier with my photos and I went and fixed all of my listings. Let me know if you have any questions! I say try it for yourself! You can also read this article from the LolliShops.com Blog about the Importance of Photos