Pinterest day today, the #pinitforwardUK campaign is well under way!

Posted on May 18, 2013 by smudgetikka

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks on the web at the moment. No doubt all you tech savvy blog readers will have heard of it but just for those who haven’t it is a tool for collecting and organising photos of the things you love.

You can pin from the web just about any visual pictures you find, I use it to collect my children’s fashion photos and I have started to organise by season, I am just about to start a new board for spring/summer 2014 as the trade shows begin. I also use it to check out womens fashion and photography online. Follow my boards at Pinterest here.

I have a friend who redecorated her house using only Pinterest boards as inspiration and I know many designers who use it to make mood boards for work. Pins link back to the original source so you can also use it to track down clothes, toys or interior products that you love the look of. The result is a constant stream of inspirational pictures like these below, you can find beautiful or just weird and wonderful.

Pinterest Smudgetikka’s kids and children’s fashion trends board.

I also want to introduce a fellow blogger and her board to you, Katie from Modern Mummy who will be introducing her Pinterest board tomorrow. One of her boards is below,

Modern Mummy’s Pinterest board, Things I need to make

To join up for Pinterest either click the badge on the side of this post or register here. I promise it will fascinate you, the only problem I ever have is feeling guilty for the amount of time I spend on there!

All posts copyright Smudgetikka – permission must be asked for reproduction 2009 – 2013

Beautiful kids portraits from Sierra Leone by Ian Winstanley

Posted on May 17, 2013 by smudgetikka

Part of a project by photographer Ian Winstanley for World Vision to highlight the terrible problems of child marriage in Sierra Leone where girls as young as 12 are forced into marriage.

The photos are also a reflection of the hard 10 year civil war the country has endured and where at least for now the future looks a little brighter.

Ian Winstanley child portraits from Sierra Leone 2013

Ian Winstanley’s child portraits from Sierra Leone – 2013

Ian Winstanley’s child portraits from Sierra Leone for World Vision

Ian Winstanley’s child portraits from Sierra Leone – 2013

All posts copyright Smudgetikka – permission must be asked for reproduction 2009 – 2013

Poppy England new storybook dresses for fall/winter 2013, kids fun in a chocolate factory

Posted on May 10, 2013 by smudgetikka

Poppy England have been much copied of late with their retro conversational border print dresses for girls and women popping up in various guises at most of the High St retailers.

In answer to this the new fall 2013 collection sees a change of styling with allover prints replacing the simple borders but the main design elements remain, each season has a little storybook to go with each dress and this time the tale is all about Poppy and Fred’s chocolate shop.

The shoot is quite whacky and wild set in its own chocolate world!

Poppy fall/winter 2013, girls and womenswear dresses with a chocolate shop theme.

Poppy fall 2013 one of the new allover prints from this British storytale specialist.

Poppy England for fall 2013, each dress comes with its own story booklet

Poppy England for fall 2013 a beautiful monochromatic print for the winter kidswear season

Poppy fall 2013 girls lollipop dress with co-ordinating t-shirt and tights all from Poppy England

Poppy England, great colour mixes from this girls and womenswear British fashion designer for fall 2013

Poppy fall 2013 close up on the new border and allover prints for kidswear from this British designer

All posts copyright Smudgetikka – permission must be asked for reproduction 2009 – 2013

Boden shows off Mini Boden and Johnnie B at their fall / winter 2013 press preview

Posted on May 10, 2013 by smudgetikka

I am so impressed with the effort that Boden go to for their bi-annual press shows, this one for fall 2013 featured a display of sock monkeys, sewn from Boden socks by the staff in dozens of variations.

The display was backed up with giant wall posters which had a massive impact at entire wall sizes and the kids clothing ranges had plenty of new prints and styles to keep those who have been critical about the company’s reliance on key staples happy.

For girls there is a retro feel with lots of pretty print dresses and skirts in unique textiles and also some Tromph L’oeil dresses which seem to be shaping up into a trend for this coming winter.

For boys there is a new emphasis on variations of shirting, a simple blue blazer jacket and a fun Scottie intarsia sweater.

Mini Boden sock range in a sock monkey display sewn by staff members at the fall 2013 preview.

Retro print dress styles against giant wall posters at Mini Boden fall 2013 preview day.

The baby closet and giant poster featuring the Scottie dog intarsia sweater at Mini Boden for fall 2013

Fantastic zebra print sneakers for girls at Mini Boden preview for winter 2013

Great colour combination for this boys scarf and hat set at Mini Boden winter 2013 preview.

Sweet baby bib selection at Mini Boden for fall 2013

Lovely vintage look village print from the retro range at Mini Boden kids for winter 2013

Tromph l’oeil military dress at Mini Boden for girlswear winter 2013

Classic 50′s retro rose print for a cute girls dress at Mini Boden fall / winter 2013

Vibrant applique skirt for fall 2013 from Mini Boden preview day

Hand knitted creatures from Louise Walker on display at Boden winter 2013 press day

The schoolroom set up at Mini Boden UK press day for fall 2013

The girls party section for holiday 2013 at Mini Boden, spotted taffeta, frilled silky dresses, layered georgette and glitter shoes.

At Johnnie B, brilliant leopard bootees and sharp wool checks for teen spirit lovers fall 2013

A vintage cushion is the inspiration for a guardsman print in the Johnnie B girls teen collection at Boden

The guardsman print as a dress at Johnnie B for Boden winter 2013

Monochrome dressing for winter 2013 featuring the teen winners of the Johnnie B find a model competition at Boden UK

All posts copyright Smudgetikka – permission must be asked for reproduction 2009 – 2013

Achim Lippoth’s sweet film on future women scientists for L’OREAL and UNESCO and the ‘For Women in Science campaign

Posted on May 8, 2013 by smudgetikka

A great little film short by German kids photographer Achim Lippoth to publicise the ‘For Women in Science’ program run by L’OREALand UNESCO. A loving look at the women scientists of tomorrow.