autumn colour week :: orange

i am more than a little excited about today's collage. i love clutches, handbags, shoulder bags, purse, all shapes + sizes, and so i picked some today that fit into the autumn colour week. today's colour [obviously] is orange!

images via shops as listed below

{top row, left to right}

classic clutch, vintage modern fabric :: upstyle

rad rider messenger bag - orange :: marty may

pochette in orange :: morelle

autumn leaves portemone :: portemone

{middle row, left to right}

ballerina tangerina :: jiorji

vintage orange cubes clutch purse :: pouch

modern retro handbag orange brown golden yellow :: sweet pea totes

petit cressier clutch - xl in orange burlap :: sacs bio by ira grant

{bottom row, left to right}

brown flowers in pumpkin :: eight seasons

zippered pouch clutch cosmetic bag - charcoal :: venezie bags

small simple clutch - white and oranges :: mollusa

small grey wool felt/orange leather messenger bag :: kazzki

autumn colour week :: green garden

snapped this summer in my parents' garden

autumn colour week :: green

sharing some of my finds today for green tuesday, autumn colour week. first up, some fresh moss green accessories for your fall wardrobe.

clockwise from top left

leaf necklace :: neawear

the button scarf in verdant leaf :: fglass knits

silk necklace light olive green :: sleeks handmade silk

emerald - green lady amherst feather headband :: the headband shoppe

gather - square moss ring :: adorn jewelry

xl frame pouch - green tiles :: oktak

and a few of my favourite ceramics. i own some of these pieces, and the others are on my wishlist!

clockwise from top left

sweet pea in green :: kim westad

chartreuse urchin bowl :: element clay studio

green arches mug with lavender :: campana ceramics

vegetable bowl in avocado + olive :: heath ceramics

five nesting lotus bowls :: whitney smith

set of three, nested bowls :: gailan ngan

i'll be back a little later today with some photos i took this summer, they fit perfectly in the green theme for today.

jack on black in the etsy voter!

hey everyone! i'm excited to say that my jack on black hallowe'en bucket is in this week's round of the etsy voter series on the storque [etsy's blog]. the winner gets a photo in a storque post, and a spot in the member's choice gift guide. i'd love to have a good showing...if you're so inclined, i'd be super happy for the support! you can cast your vote here.

jack on black, hallowe'en bucket

autumn colour week :: yellow

jan over at poppytalk had a great idea to do an autumn colour week, for people to join in and blog or flickr their fall colour pictures + favourites. i thought it would be fun to play along! and so herewith, my yellow monday.

some fall fashion lovelies, sunshine daisies style

clockwise from left

yellow coat :: orla kiely, autumn/winter 09

verve earrings :: frost collections

rococco shawl :: tickled pink knits

starburst amity boot :: miz mooz

the flight belt buckle :: flightpath designs

i love love love designer chairs. here are a few of my faves, in yellow of course.

clockwise from top left

series 7 chair:: arne jacobsen

nina chair :: rene holten

panton chair :: verner panton

fiberglass shell rocker :: eames

victoria ghost chair :: philippe starck

lcw molded plywood chair :: eames

over at papernstitch...

each day of the papernstitch exhibition, brittni chooses a 'shop of the day' to feature, and today that's me, thanks brittni! if you haven't checked out this month's group of shops, you must go have a look, there are some gems. i featured a few of them earlier, click here to see. then head on over and get a head start on your holiday shopping.

here are some sunshine lovelies that caught my eye this morning.

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

hand printed - linen tea towel - yellow :: leanne graeff

honey dijon cowl neckwarmer :: phydeaux

graphic yellow eames eiffel chair :: nan lawson

kitchen inspiration

i've started gathering inspiration for a kitchen reno we're saving for next fall. i love the retro modern vibe in this cabinet detail. i'm also very intrigued that these countertops are made from recycled glass and plastic. lots to think about. good thing i have a year...

image via

baby gift sets

this past weekend, i went to a great baby shower for an old friend [i've known her for 20 years!]. it was alot of fun, many of my school friends were there, and it was great to catch up. for my gift, i made a little collection of goodies to welcome wee baby emerson to the world.

i've been thinking about adding a gift set to the shop for some time, so it was really fun to put it together and see how it takes shape. this set is made up of a fabric bucket, a single cloth block, and a onesie, all monogrammed with 'e'. i loved using these particular fabrics, i knew they'd fit in really well with the nursery scheme, modern + sweet, grey + pink + brown.

i am hoping to have the first set listed in the shop later this week. i'll start with the 'stone birds' set, and follow up with a boy version, and a gender neutral version as well. i'm thinking i'll offer monogrammed or not, for those who don't name their baby beforehand ;) what do you think?

etsy imagery :: fall equinox

well it had to be a fall themed etsy imagery today, didn't it? fall is for sure my favourite season, and i am delighted to report a stunning + warm start to it here in vancouver. we are usually blessed with an indian summer in these parts, and this year does not disappoint. welcome, autumn, to crisp blue skies + swishing leaves + warm fall colours. and of course through the season, i would suspect, a bit of rain will fall. but for now, i bring you some etsy lovelies that bring to mind the perfect autumn weather like we're having today.

all images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

bitty autumn yellow maple tree :: hi tree

honey perfume oil :: flourish bath + body

equinox flat :: hydra heart

echinacea sketch pillow slip :: inklore

fall fashion :: d a c e

i've long been a fan of local designer + beautiful clothes maker dace moore. since 2002, d a c e has been bringing us feminine, flirty, classic design season after season. d a c e clothing is designed and produced locally here in vancouver, ensuring a well-constructed, quality garment. i'm loving the nod to the victorian era in the fall collection, with details like pleats + bows + gathers set upon a modern palette of stone grey, cream, black and the season's fave purple. and the equestrian themed fall lookbook is simply gorgeous. you can head over and shop right here, and thank me later.

images via dace

colour wonderful

browsing around aimlessly on etsy today [one of my favourite pastimes, by the way], i was drawn to these amazing pops of colour in one of my preferred mediums, letterpress. have a look at these lovelies. they are inspiring me, seem to fit right in as we've enjoyed some bright + gorgeous late summer weather these past few days. enjoy!

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

july 09. letterpress limited edition. meredith prevot :: sycamore street press

letterpress dandelion folded card :: ma joie press

ready for spring letterpress coasters :: 12fifteen

letterpress birthday card - one spinning top :: sweetbeets

a little furniture shopping

we need some nightstands. it's kind of embarrassing, but right now we are using two small blue rubbermaid containers. why is it that our bedroom is always the last to get some attention? anyhow, i'm looking for a wall-mounted, simple cube-style shelf. this fits the bill perfectly. may have to have a couple shipped to my brother- and sister-in-law in bellevue.

image via cb2

etsy imagery :: cast in a golden light

the end of summer is drawing near, bringing the soft light that comes as the sun drops lower, closer to the horizon, casting its golden glow over the world.

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

the end of summer - original fine art photography :: aria images

custom gold leaf edge ring bearer bowl [tm] :: paloma's nest

tealight candles - pure wisconsin beeswax cappings :: beautiful soaps

gold bar earrings :: roundabout designs

i heart etsy

i just had to share my excitement from this past week. i have had a really good ride with etsy right from the beginning, and lots of amazing support from the wonderful blog community. this past week has stacked up to be a great one for smidgebox designs.

on tuesday, i was delighted to find that my tangerine dream hallowe'en bucket was included in this etsy finds post on the storque [etsy's fabulous blog, for those who don't know]. entitled something wicked this way comes, the post is chock full of awesome hallowe'en goodies, ripe for the picking for one of my favourite holidays, just weeks away! i am just thrilled to have been included, and the traffic to my site since then has skyrocketed, with lots of inquiries coming my way. then the next day, i found that bucket tucked away in the hallowe'en decor gift guide, yay again!

{edit - tangerine dream is all sold out now! thanks all!}

i am counting my lucky stars this week, thanks etsy for being awesome! i'll be back next week with some more fashion yummies, and a fun imagery post on monday [it's been a while!].

fall fashion :: nixxi

playing dress-up again today with another lovely local fashion house, nixxi. for fall, designer jada-lee watson has brought us clothes with a timeless feminine drape, pretty basics with a bit of sultry + mod vibe, and a touch of nautical thrown in for good measure.

images via nixxi

scroll down below for some more fall fashion goodies for earlier in the week...

eco letterpress + affordable invites

just a little interlude from our local fashion week here. had to share an awesome deal on wedding invites for all you brides-to-be out there! more fashion to come tomorrow :)

a couple weeks ago, i received a lovely email from the folks at ajalon invitations, introducing me to their letterpress wedding invitation special.

i am a huge fan of letterpress, and i know full well how expensive a set of invites can run for your wedding. there are alot of stock design offerings from ajalon, and at 398 dollars for one hundred invitations + rsvp cards, this is a much more affordable way of getting your letterpress wedding invites. the special runs till september 30, perfect timing for your winter or spring wedding. i know that not everyone is a designer, and for those people not looking for custom and not going diy with their design, this is an excellent option. one especially great feature of ajalon's invitations is that they're printed on 100% cotton paper [tree-free!] and use soy-based inks. always nice to be friendly to the earth, especially when you're sending out such a pile of invites, no?

images via ajalon invitations

fall fashion :: allison wonderland

allison wonderland is a well-established indie fashion label in vancouver, and i've always been a big fan. year after year, designer allison smith puts forth simple + striking feminine silhouettes set off by beautifully finished details. born and raised in bc, smith was trained at van city's kwantlen college in the highly praised fashion program. she started her line in 98, and has become a sweetheart of local indie fashionistas ever since. i love the hits of purple throughout this fall's line. my fave is the fresh take on the little black dress on the bottom row. done here in navy instead of typical black, i love the contrast piping, waistband + cuffs. add it to my list...

images via allison wonderland

fall fashion :: obakki

fall is by far my favourite season for fashion. i love the colours, textures, heavier fabrics. scarves + jeans + boots + coats. i wish i could get an entirely new wardrobe each and every fall, there are so many lovelies i just want to scoop up. since that's pretty much impossible, i decided that i'd do some virtual shopping here, highlighting some of the awesome local vancouver designers + shops, picking out some of my favourite looks for fall this season.

obakki was founded in 05 by treana peake, filling a niche for stylish, rustic elegance for both men and women. designed + manufactured here in vancouver, the assurance of quality, original clothing is first and foremost. this season, you'll find pieces that are at once structured and draped, highlighting feminine curves and the sensibility of the season. soft, textured fabrics in solids and plaids [huge this season, i'm sure you're noticing], colours drawn from neutrals in grey, brown, black, cream, with a few hits of teal + mustard + crimson. i am totally loving the looks for autumn at obakki. have a peek at the fall/winter look book. swoon.

images via obakki

ps - i totally need that grey coat. i am in love with the asymmetrical hem + self-scarf.

some things i've been up to

so i just wanted to share a few new sets of custom cloth blocks i've finished up in the past week. i hope you're not tired of seeing them here! i love making them, and showing the photos to you gives me a bit of closure as i send them off to their new homes.

first up we have the 'wgb' blocks, commissioned for a sweet baby boy here in greater vancouver. i was asked to use lots of different blues and greens, and to highlight the happy green apple fabric, as well as alexander henry's 2D zoo [a fave fabric, it seems, for many!]

and here we have sadie's blocks. these are about to be whisked of to nyc, and i hope sadie + her family love them as much as i do. they were commissioned by a friend of theirs, and were really fun to put together. love the bright + happy colour scheme that was chosen, and i think they turned out super fun.

last but not least, this set of blocks for baby cash. i was asked to use browns + greens and some other colours to complement those. i included a couple of my hoarded 'difficult to find' fabrics, heather ross' dogs on blue, and my favourite japanese trees, you can see them there on top of the green a block. you can still find bits of the other colourways of those trees, but i have yet to find any more of the blue + green trees. anyone? i'd love to get my hands on more. bit of a tangent there, but i love the bold colours of cash's blocks, and i do hope they are well-received.

thanks for bearing with me as i show you all some of what i've been up to. i am finishing up two more sets of blocks this weekend, then i am moving on to a few fabric buckets, and some custom totes! in between, i hope to find some time to start bulking up my inventory for holiday craft shows. phew! don't worry, i'll share pics when they're all done ;)

::

i also wanted to say a big thanks to some people who featured my products this week! my jack on black hallowe'en bucket was posted on coochicoos, a 'design blog for modern parents'. then, my pink baby girl cloth blocks were included in lori dean dyments' wordless wednesday post. and finally, craftnouveau posted my hallowe'en buckets in her flickr friday hallowe'en preview today. thank you, everyone, i am constantly delighted + amazed by this online community, and this week has been very good to me.

one more sweet treat, i woke up this morning to find that ghostly delight had been on the front page of etsy! yahoo!! that is my first front page appearance, i'm so excited. i'm just sad it happened at 4am our time, i didn't get to see it 'live'. thanks etsy, you rock!

papernstitch :: frills and fray

i was first introduced to frills and fray by tara over on scoutie girl. i was immediately struck by the eclectic beauty that encompasses designer maryse's unique jewelry. i love the colours [my faves: grey, aqua, pink!], the organic forms, everything. the photo styling is just delightful. using a delicate white teapot + mug for display is such a lovely way to photograph jewelry. frills and fray is eco-friendly, too. can you guess what material maryse uses for her line? preloved + recycled fabrics. awesome.

images via frills and fray

have a look at frills and fray on etsy and over at papernstitch. maryse also keeps a lovely french blog called rock papier ciseaux. perfect, a stylish place for me to brush up on my french.

monthly goal meetup :: september

summer has flown flown flown by. i can hardly believe that it's september 1!! let me start by saying that fall is my favourite season. the fashion, crisp fresh air, jeans, boots, back to school [which i always loved!], and did i mention the fashion? so, while we still technically have three more weeks of summer, i am looking forward to cozying up to fall and all it has to offer. i'm also trying to wrap my head around some business stuff, and move myself forward into the busy holiday season. nope, it's not too early to start prepping for that holiday. you know the one.

sunset in shediac new brunswick, august 2002

i am not really going to go over my goals for the summer. they were meant to be a little more relaxed than most, and i did manage to get some things done. i also seriously overestimated the amount of time i'd have to work on my biz. thank goodness for slow summers at etsy. things have really picked up the past two weeks, and my shop has been quite busy, mostly with custom orders. i've got a wee bit of a lineup happening! while i love that, the only problem is i've not had the chance to roll out a couple of the new products i've got spinning around in my head.

enough chatter! let's get to the goals.

1 :: register my business. i know. it's coming, promise.

2 :: get the current lineup of customs out the door by sept 10, so i can start making a few new products. i'd like to have two new products in the shop by sept 30, and hopefully at least two of each one.

3 :: have some wholesale policies + forms ready for the end of the month. i have had several wholesale inquiries, and i think i'd like to explore a couple of these venues. i need to work out my pricing, as well as my overall policies.

4 :: use more of my fabric stash rather than constantly buying more and more fabric. weird goal, i know, but i'm totally addicted to new fabric, and i have so many lovelies that haven't made it into the shop yet!

5 :: start on the inventory i'll need for my two craft fairs this winter. one is in mid-november + the other early december, so i really need to start accumulating stock!

6 :: personal goal, i need to make time for myself to exercise. sheesh, i feel like a bit of a lump lately. twice a week, please, one weekend + one weeknight.

i think that'll keep me busy. at least a couple of them are open-ended, so i'm not trying to kill myself here, and i am sure more than one will eke it's way into next months list. i'm just trying to get them out there and start 'em off!

if anybody is interested in sharing any wholesale tips, i'd be all too happy to listen! i will be re-reading jena's great wholesale posts over at modish biztips, and scouring the net for more pearls of wisdom. in fact, there was a great article by marichelle at heart handmade just today. in case anyone else is wondering :)

thanks for listening to my ramblings, and i'm looking forward to visiting some of the other goal-setters in the next few days!

papernstitch :: a alicia

i was immediately drawn to a alicia's felt accessories for obvious reasons.

i mean, look at them. gorgeous in their simplicity, using the felt's natural body to form delicate petals + bows. i love the beautiful colour combinations, some bold + some demure. each piece is hand-cut and hand-sewn, making them one-of-a-kind accessories that are sure to please. i think they'd be perfect for a wedding party, or a delightful everyday way to dress up a simple sweater, blazer, t-shirt, or purse. there are even corsages for your throw pillows! love that.


images via a alicia handmade accessories

be sure to visit a alicia handmade accessories on etsy and at papernstitch. a alicia also has a new wedding shoppe, check it out here.