they are coming

Did I mention I've been busy? Well, I've finally had a few daylight hours at home (thanks to being able to bring my office job to my living room today) and have had a chance to catch up on some photographs and projects that needed to get done ASAP in order for me to be ready for Portobello West this weekend. Stay tuned! Over the next couple of days I'll be showing you some of the pieces that will be available, like this dude above who can be found in the Sadie shop this afternoon, both online and in person at Got Craft? and Portobello West. Hope to see you at one or both of these events, Vancouverites! Happy Thanksgiving to my American pals, too!

it's dark

Dear friends, I've been busy! And more than that, it's been dark here. I leave my house in the dark every morning for work and I leave my office every evening in the dark. It's not that I'm a workaholic (far from it) but it's getting dark so early now. So, in lieu of beautiful, daylit photos of my new apartment, I hope you'll accept this video for now. It's my favourite song from the new-ish St. Vincent album.

A few more things: I'll be at Portobello West all weekend long with new necklaces and earrings for you to peruse if you live in the Vancouver area. Portobello West is now located at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre at the former Athlete's Village. Which is to say, formerly the 2010 Olympics Athlete's Village, not the village for former athletes.

And finally, last night Jeff and I and Lola (on the upswing, thanks for asking!) were sleeping soundly when we were awoken by what could only be described as the sound of a dump truck plowing through our apartment walls. Turning the lights on in a panic, we realized that it was nothing that bad, but that our closet bar and shelves had all pulled out of the wall and crashed down along with everything we'd just unpacked. Adventure mess! Lola believes she was nearly killed, though that's far from the truth. I think the whole thing might have a small relation to an accident that did happen on our street last night. Someone drove through a fence and knocked over a traffic light. Perhaps that impact was just enough to jolt our closet bar free of its tenuous moorings and send it crashing to what was likely its inevitable fate, overloaded as it was.

Excuse the drama. I've been stressed. We are slowly making our way through the giant mess that is created when you move from one home to another. The move has been a good one for us. Pictures soon!

DIY Crystal Collection

Jeff and I were in Whistler not too long ago and we stopped in to check out a rock and gem shop. Although their selection of stones was pretty limited, they did have a wall of collector's kits that was kind of awesome. Inspired by these little boards with a variety of stones glued on them and interpreted in various ways (metaphysical stone collection, dinosaur fossil collection...) I've made my own mini crystal collections as swag for Got Craft? at the beginning of December. The first 45 people through the door on Sunday, December 4th at the Royal Canadian Legion on Commercial Drive will get swag bags, and each one of those will have one of the bedside crystal collections that I've put together. And yes, making 50 of these things did take a few episodes of Breaking Bad.

For those of you who aren't able to make it to Got Craft? I thought I'd share how I made these little boxes so you can make one of your own, with stones of your choice.

Supplies (and where to find them):


kraft paper box, I used 3" x 2 1/8" x 1" (available online here or at local beading supply shop)
clear-drying craft glue (I used Beacon 527 multi-use glue)
1/2" wooden cubes (optional - I used one for each stone)
Avery 5667 clear labels (or equivalent)
label template
various stones (look for mixed lots online, be sure to check dimensions, like this one)

The real key to this DIY is this list of materials. After that, it's all pretty self-explanatory.

1. Design your labels in Word or Indesign and print out one of each of your labels to see if you like the scale of the text and if they will all fit in the box you're using. I had to trim the labels in order to evenly space them inside the box. My text refers to some of the properties that some people believe these stones possess, you could also list things like the name of the stone, the type of crystal formation of the stone, or a full description of the physical properties of the stone.

2. Place all of your labels inside the box.

3. Glue in wooden cube plinths (if you're using them). It's a good idea to use this glue near an open window or in a room with good airflow. Let the glue set a little bit before adding the stones.

4. Place one drop of glue on the top of each cube and drop your stones into the glue, trying to position any flat side of the stone down for better contact.

5. Decorate the lid of your box however you'd like. I used a simple Sadie stamp and then tucked a mini card into each box.

That's it! You're finished! If you make one, please send me a picture!

collecting and buying vintage with marie from pillowsophi

While setting up posts for my Get Featured blog series I was so happy to come across Marie's beautiful shop, Pillowsophi. The vintage collectables she offers are beautifully photographed and I noticed right away how well curated her shop is. She knows what she's looking for and the result of her searching for specific types of items is evident in her shop. Everything feels like it fits and flipping through her listings you run into page after page of beautiful mid-century vintage items. For Marie's post she's offering some tips on starting your own vintage collection. Thank you so much for sharing, Marie. Enjoy, everyone, and be sure to visit Marie's beautiful little shop!

denby studio pitcher from pillowsophi

Blue Mountain Pottery fawn from pillowsophi

Marie from pillowsophi here; I’m thrilled to have been invited to write a guest post for Sadie Designs! Today I’d like to talk to you about one of my favourite subjects: vintage goods. Specifically, I’d like to talk about the art of collecting and – as the holiday shopping season is upon us – give you some tips for buying vintage items online.

If you’re a seasoned collector, I’m sure you don’t need any advice regarding what to collect or how to grow your collection. However, if you’re new to collecting, I suggest you ask yourself the following questions.

Deciding what to collect

1. Do you want a functional collection? Sometimes it’s fun to collect things that will become integrated into your daily routine. The most obvious example of a functional collection is dishware. Dishes may seem like an odd thing to collect, but the process can actually be quite rewarding if you come across a rare pattern you really love and will be proud to display in your home. Personally, I collect Denby’s “Studio” pattern. Even though it was manufactured from 1961 until 1974, pieces in this pattern are still relatively hard to come by. This pattern also has a nostalgic connection for me, as there is a “Studio” coffee set at the cottage where I went every summer as a child.

2. Would you prefer to have a large collection of objects that are relatively easy to find (although specific items within the collection may be more rare), or a small collection of extremely rare objects? If the former appeals to you, you may want to consider collecting milk glass, depression glass, teacups, salt and pepper shakers, pieces from a big pottery company, or any other item which will allow you to create a large, impressive, interesting and carefully curated collection. However, remember that large collections take up a lot of space! It’s also worthwhile to remember that large collections may require a lot more effort to sell if your tastes change. For my display-only collection, I went with the latter option. I collect pottery by Dybdahl of Denmark. Dybdahl was a small pottery studio – run by a husband-and-wife team – which started production in 1952. My collection currently consists of three pieces: a plate, a small bowl and a mug. Although my collection is small, I’m quite proud of it, since these items are hard to come by:

3. How much are you willing to spend on your collection? Do you want your collection to increase in value as the years pass? Some people don’t care about the monetary value of their collections, while others look at their collections as investments. Before you start spending money, you may want to think about which attitude you’d like to take. If you’re going to treat your collection as an investment, it is advisable to do a lot of research so that you will have a realistic idea of the present value of your items, as well as a reasonable estimate of their future value. One thing you should NOT do is rely on eBay for value estimates. Which brings me to the next section of this post...


Tips for buying vintage items online:

1. Make sure the seller knows what she’s selling. If the seller doesn’t quite seem to know what he’s talking about, be extra wary of high prices. I have seen many eBay sellers slap ludicrously high price tags on things they haven’t been able to identify. I think this is usually done for one of two reasons: either a) the seller is hoping the high price will create the illusion of value, or b) the seller is hoping somebody who knows what the item is will be shocked by the price and get in touch, thereby saving the seller a lot of research time. Obviously, it’s important not to buy overpriced items (unless you’re absolutely in love with the piece and don’t mind overpaying). However, it’s also very important not to judge an item’s worth based on a misleading online listing. The bottom line: if you see a photo of something you recognize, read the description before taking the list price as evidence of the item’s market value. Of course, none of this applies if the high price is the result of the bidding process in an auction; often the potential buyers will know more about the item than the seller.

2. When in doubt, assume the worst. If a seller says nothing about the condition of an item, this usually does NOT mean it’s in excellent shape! Good sellers will do their best to describe their items accurately; a short description which is lacking in detail is often a sign of carelessness on the seller’s part. After all, this isn’t like buying something in a bricks-and-mortar shop; you can’t hold the item in your hands and inspect it for flaws yourself. If the seller doesn’t provide a detailed description and clear photographs, proceed with caution. And remember, you can always ask questions before you buy! It’s better to be safe than sorry.

3. Check measurements. This is especially important when it comes to vintage clothing, but it’s generally a good idea to pay attention to measurements whenever you’re buying anything online. Remember, if a seller is doing her best to get detailed, close-up photographs, the item may look bigger in the pictures than it does in real life. Also, one person’s “mini” may be another person’s “child size”, which may be another person’s “individual”; one person’s “small mug” may be another person’s “demitasse”; one person’s “medium vase” may be another person’s “small vase”. Don’t rely on words; always check the measurements. I’d even recommend looking at a ruler, just to make absolutely sure you understand the real size of the item.

Thanks for reading my top tips for choosing a collection and buying vintage items online! I hope you’ve found something useful in this post. If you’re looking for further advice, please feel free to contact me via e-mail or through my Etsy shop! I’m always happy to help.

royal albert cup and saucer from pillowsophi

I hope you found Marie's wonderful post helpful. I think it comes back to my previous post about minimalism in some ways. Thinking about what you want your vintage collection to be about is helpful when you're deciding what to collect or how to grow your collection and keeps you from having a lot of clutter around, too. Happy collecting! Be sure to visit Marie's shop and send any vintage collectible questions her way! Thank you again, Marie, for sharing on the Sadie blog! Tomorrow I'm posting a little DIY that will walk you through the process of making the swag I contributed to Got Craft this year!

less is more

source

I had a long post about minimalism half written, but the irony was too much.

The more we pack away in boxes, the more I like certain parts of our apartment and the easier I'm finding it to get the simple things in life done (when climbing the box maze that we have built isn't part of the task, that is...). Doing the dishes is a lot easier when you only have two pots and two plates. We are really trying to prioritize and ditch some stuff during this move.

Simplify.

How do you get organized?

Would you ever consider taking the 100 Thing Challenge?