Scrapbooking apron

This photo's not anything good quality - just a webcam shot. My camera got left at a friend's house on Sunday. We'll be reunited tonight. :)

Good photos without a studio

So, the truth is that I sew in the finished attic of my 2 bedroom apartment. I climb the stairs in the dark because the stairway is off our bedroom and most often I sew when Matt is asleep. We have two extra beds up in that room, plus my dresser, two sewing desks, an arm chair .... Ok, my point is that I don't have room for a photo studio set up.

Like it or not, a good photo sells an item. A bad photo does bupkis to sell an item.

What's a girl to do when she hasn't got a spare inch of space.

Enter my backyard. Green privacy fence with laundry line strapped to it. Add a few low-hanging tree branches, a handful of toys, and a bright orange water hose.

It's not a photo studio.

But that photo above was taken in my backyard, up against that ugly fence.

I hung two white bedsheets (over each other so it's not see-through) off the tree above the fence, using two clothespins. The resulting photos were okay, but you could see the lines in the bedsheet from folding, as well as the shadowing.

Using Photoshop Elements, I selected the lighten tool in brushes with blurred edge and cleaned up the wrinkles and shadows.

Boom. Easy as pie.

The "Fabulous Apron"

When I was growing up my mom had a go-to apron. It was brown calico on one side with a faux-quilted pattern on the opposite. It was trimmed in brick red bias tape and it was worn. Worn like --- Mom, I can see the quilting batting through that enormous hole at the waistline because you've leaned on the kitchen counter for 15 years in that thing kind of worn.

I was given one apron at my bridal shower and I probably wore it once. It was ok - heavy, red, something about a chicken on the pocket.

But a fabulous apron? Now that's something work wearing!

This one's already sold (one of a kind), but there's plenty more in the works.

Snow White or a Super Hero

If you live in a house of little girls who love princesses, it won't take long for them to start asking to dress like a princess. A few years ago I made my daughter a Snow White costume, complete with a cape, which she was thrilled over. More than a few times I've been accompanied by Snow White on trips to the grocery store. It's amazing the kind of attention princesses get in stores too, it's just short of paparazzi! ;)

Last year around Halloween, when Etsy's Alchemy was still up and running (wahhhh, I loved Alchemy!), I got the chance to make a little Canadian girl her own reversible Snow White cape!

What I love most about this cape is its versatility - it's not particularly girly-looking. So many costumes are strictly boy or girl because of the colors or the style they're made in. But this is an easy switch - Snow White or Super Hero! :)

Without a doubt ...

One of the hardest custom jobs I've ever done!

It took two tries, but the final result was stunning! It was modeled after the anime character Princess Azula.

If you're looking for a costume you can't find in your Halloween catalogue, shoot me an email at bouncing blossom at gmail dot com. I love creating something new!