a ladybug hallowe'en

several weeks ago, i got a lovely email from the talented angie allen, asking if i would be able to make a custom hallowe'en tote for her adorable daughter's ladybug girl costume. of course i agreed, i was totally honoured to create something special for this sweet 6-year-old.

i love how it turned out, in fact, it has given me an idea for a fresh line of fabric buckets in the new year. stay tuned!

angie wrote a great post about the costume on her blog, her photos {as always} are absolutely gorgeous. you should definitely head over and take a look. thanks, angie!

they're here!

for one month only, these spooky hallowe'en treat buckets will be in the shop! each one is available in a limited edition of five, so get them before they disappear...

lurking just around the corner

frank will be making an appearance in the shop in the first week of september, and he's bringing a few friends to join in the spooky fun. stay tuned!

hallowe'en

harry potter + his owl, hedwig :: costumes made by me

my little ones, right before heading out to trick or treat. they were so very excited, and i had just the best time watching them go up to each door, on their own, to hold out their little buckets. it made this mama's heart swell.

how about you, how was your hallowe'en?

making progress

my hallowe'en production line. or, what used to be my kitchen table.

eight buckets from start to finish monday + tuesday, and more to come tomorrow!

{please excuse the poor lighting and randomly composed photos. oh, and the wall colour, ugh.}

freaky friday

at least it will be, if i get these finished and listed on friday morning like i hope i will! after all, hallowe'en is just around the corner.

{edit :: freaky friday just isn't going to happen, life interfered a little ;) spooky saturday it is!}

boo!

coming soon...

[yes, i realize it's barely august. but these guys need to make their appearance asap in order to be all set for october. stay tuned for a couple new designs for your little spooks!]

hallowe'ens past...

every year for hallowe'en, two of our best friends host an awesome, spooky, super crazy fun hallowe'en bash. and every year, the costumes get better and better. secrecy abounds in the weeks leading up to the event, and trying to figure out everyone's costume is tons of fun, as hints are dropped here and there. our group of friends go pretty much all-out for the occasion, and seem to raise the bar every year. it's definitely my favourite annual gathering, one my friends and i look forward to with delight as the night approaches. here are just a few pics of some of my fav costumes from hallowe'ens past. {hope you all don't mind my sharing them, thanks friends!}

from top :: dog + beth, gargamel, animal + janice , bender + leela

in the past 8 years, we've had parties with indiana jones; zoolander + katinka + mugatu; dee snyder; kiss [the whole band]; courtney love; prince; slash + axel; michael jackson [red silk shirt phase]; sally; shaggy + velma; yukon cornelius + hermey the elf; popeye + olive oyl; borat, wario + waluigi; buster + lucille 2; princess mononoke; spock + captain kirk; doc + marty mcfly; sayid + john locke; edward scissorhands; lydia + beetlejuice; the paperbag princess; higgins + magnum pi; margot + richie tenenbaum, wednesday addams...the list goes on. the costumes are always very well executed, with attention to every detail and creativity to spare. can't wait to see this year's crop!

fog + trees

there's just something spooky about fog + trees. throw in the old dilapidated shack obscured by the dense mist, and you've got yourself an eerie photo perfect for the season. these photographs would make for some excellent atmosphere at your hallowe'en party.

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

misty woods :: random crumb

haunt - 8x10 photograph :: traveling chariot

foggy burrit 5x5 print :: james lineback

homestead - original fine art photograph :: jared ks

hallowe'en decor

ghostly things indeed. just four more days till all hallows eve, and i thought these little bits of wall art could be that necessary last-minute addition to your holiday decor.

all images via shops as listed below, top to bottom.

ghostly things handprinted letterpress poster :: roll and tumble press

quoth the raven... :: paper acorn

spooky halloween blocks :: the bees knees designs

spooky papercuts

i'm loving papercuts these days. there are so many examples of fantastic papercut artistry out there, but today i thought i'd share some that convey a bit of an eerie vibe for the season. not sure why i find the butterfly spooky, but it may have something to do with this movie. moth, butterfly...you know. someday i'll get around to trying my hand at this intricate + delicate artform, but for now, i will ogle others' talents, and maybe buy a few.

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom.

bird mask papercut print :: elsita

original papercut illustration :: mr yen

swallowtail butterfly, original papercutting :: vegaslammy

papercuts - crows on tree :: mr macau

a green hallowe'en

like many others, i'm trying to be a little greener in my everyday life. of course at holiday times, there are so many opportunities to be a consumer. hallowe'en is topped only by christmas as the most consumerist holiday, and that inevitably means alot of disposable and discarded items. poorly made costumes worn only once, cheap plastic toys + trinkets, crappy decorations. but there are many alternatives, of course. vintage, thrifted, upcycled garments, even household items repurposed + used for costumes. natural, reusable or recyclable decor. eco-friendly party invitations + wrapping.

smidgebox hallowe'en treat buckets, the 09 batch

i definitely had this in mind when i made my hallowe'en treat buckets for my shop. i imagined they could be used year after year for trick or treating, but also as year round storage for small costume parts or little toys. so, i was beyond excited when i was contacted to take part in a green hallowe'en contest over at inhabitots! they found my shop at papernstitch last month, and contacted me to join in the fun. to enter, you just submit pictures of your creative diy green hallowe'en costume, and you could win some fun prizes, including a personalized jack on black treat bucket! so if you're thinking green for your tot this hallowe'en, head on over and enter to win!

in case you're wondering, i'm not making any more of these little guys until next year's batch. they were a big hit, and i can't wait to see some pics of wee trick-or-treaters sporting their smidgebox buckets!

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

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!].

sneak peek

hoping to get these listed tomorrow. depends on the weather, hope it behaves for a photo shoot!

hallowe'en on the brain

i nkow, you may think it's a tad early, but hallowe'en is a big deal around here. each year, two of my best friends throw a huge party. everyone goes all out on their costumes + the decor is to die for [ahem, pun intended]. i'll share some pics of hallowe'en horrors passed, maybe a little closer to the date.

anyhow, i am pretty excited to be seeing some spooky halloween goodies on etsy already. i've been working on a little something for my shop [sneak peek to follow], but for now, how cute is this mummy pin? manny the mummy + some of his friends are available over at lizziboo's etsy shop.

go have a look for yourself!

image via lizziboo