Have a Happy Christmas and a Wonderful New Year

hello to all of my blog readers, facebook fans, twitterers and of course - wonderful customers. thankyou so much for this year, i have met some lovely people via sepia smiles and the blog and etsy community. i am really grateful for all of your support and i look forward to an even more amazing 2011. have a wonderful christmas and an excellent new year! see you soon :) xx

above photo is from one of my very favourite blogs - www.bloesom.blogs.com

kitchen ideas

we are in the process of sorting out our home. we have  lot to do and have finally begun work on the lounge but i am itching to get started on the kitchen. i found these images from around the web so that i can go back to them when i am ready to start on the kitchen.

i have decided that i am going to go for a freestanding kitchen rather than a fitted one. that way it will be a lot cheaper (and more interesting). i am thinking of collected lots of different style cupboards, free standing ones and ones that can be fitted above the worktop and then add some stainless steel consoles from ikea (only £69!) to create work tops. i  want to find a large buthers block too and a lovely big old sink - either ceramic or stainless steel. i also need to take up the floorboards (dodgy laminated ones) to reveal the original terracotta tiles. that will be fun. there is also a really dodgy 1970's accordian door (in lime green) that needs removing too, i should attach some photos, that way you will see how desperately bad it is! maybe next time!

i love the enamelware collection in picture one (second collage) that would look lovely on some shelving in my kitchen. now i just need to start collecting. i recently picked up a large vintage enamel bowl from  a carboot sale recently but i didnt purchase the whole set that was availiable - i wish i had now, it would have been an instant collection. never mind.

the third collage is a selection of light fittings that i adore from one of our favourite shops http://www.pedlars.com/ i do not have a clue which ones to choose for the kitchen, i really like them all! i  guess it may have to come down to price (as we will need two) - in which case it probably end up being the kitchen lamp. anyway, i can always buy one of the other ones for maybe the bathroom or utility...

shoppe wise, there are more maps being added soon, will keep you posted on those.

above photos -
collage 1.
photo1 - www.nskwood.com
photo2 - www.thevirginiahouse.blogger.com

collage 2.
photo 1 - by gunsgermssteel on www.flickr.com
photo 2 - www.countryliving.com

collage 3.
photo 1 - fishermans lamp
photo 2 - kitchen lamp
photo 3 - davey lamp all from www.pedlars.com

NEW - vintage paper packs

these have just been added to the shoppe. they are ideal for crafters and lovers of old books - and make great stocking stuffers too - you can buy them here

15% off gift voucher

we are busy making and sourcing new items for the shoppe including paperpacks and more scrapbooks, we will keep you posted.

handmade & vintage fair

i will be attending the next handmade & vintage fair. the last one was fab and we had a lovely day - please come and see me and my stall along with all the other amazing goods availiable at -

HANDMADE & VINTAGE FAIR
SATURDAY 6TH NOVEMBER

10 - 3pm
at
YORK HOUSE
LONDON ROAD
STONY STRATFORD

this time there will be 3 floors jam packed with amazing stalls, all you need for your Christmas shopping under one easy roof.

vintage clothing, accessories, jewellery and gorgeous contemporary craft. and, of course the old-fashioned tea room is back selling slabs of the finest Victoria sponge served on the prettiest of plates.

look forward to seeing you there!
 - *special gift for all who follow my blog too...

easy doll making

so, it was my neices 3rd birthday a few days ago and i wanted to get her something different and unique. i really had no idea as she has all the toys and books she could ever possibly need. i thought about making one of my dolls for her but my husband said it may well scare her (!) so i looked on the internet for ideas on how to make a nice child friendly doll and I came upon a video tutorial on Martha Stewart featuring Emily Martin from the beautiful Black Apple shoppe.

the tutorial was amazingly easy and the results - i think - are really very good. the dolls are super easy to make this way. so, thankyou Emily Martin for helping me make something super special for my nieces birthday.
go check out The Black Apple shoppe for lovely papergoods and prints, i especially love the paper dolls.

photos - top collage - my own
bottom collage The Black Apple

news

hello! we have been busy making new cards for the shoppe (above) along with more vintage prints, dolls and some lovely vintage style Christmas cards too.
there are lots of exciting new things coming soon at sepia smiles. we will be launching a Weddings page highlighting our vintage and handmade items that would be ideal for weddings - in particular papergoods and vintage objects that would compliment weddings with a vintage/handmade feel.


we will be giving tips on adding style to a wedding without blowing the bank balance, some useful how-to's, and some helpful links to places of inspiration around the web such as
elizabeth anne designs - a blog full of wedding inspiration and beautiful imagery.

we have recently added some beautiful confetti to the shoppe and cards that could be used for invitations please take a look and remember larger quantities are usually availiable upon request. lots more will be added soon. it may seem early but Valentines day is only a few months away.

1 + 3  vintage paper heart confetti
2 + 5 luxury  flower paper petal confetti
4 magnolia vintage diagram card

we will be adding more home decor to our collection and will be focusing on farm / industrial style and storage solutions. we will also be adding carefully sourced glassware, cutlery and fabrics too.

 we can't wait to reveal all our new items in the next news edition. in the meantime why not take a look at the lovely selection we already have in the shoppe.

until next time,

roseanna


wedding collage photos found via elizabeth anne designs
                                             photos by katie staeger of simply and forever
                                             for untamed heart photography

vintage items collage  1. www.housetohome.com
                              2. www.sushipotparts.com
                              3. www.bbc.co.uk
                              4. www.forkknifespoon.com
                              5. www.etsy.com