JADE

★ Blog Birthday Giveaway ★

2012-02-12T19:03:00.001Z

hello there dear readers, big massive apologies for my total absence over the past couple of weeks, needless to say i have been swamped with college and commission work and just haven't been able to find the time to post any blogs!

anyway, more important things are afoot, this month marks the 3rd birthday/anniversary of my blog and that can mean only one thing...

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

last years Birthday Giveaway was a HUGE success and i had a great bundle of prizes to giveaway

well this year i have some even lovelier stuff!

feast your eyes on all the super duper goodies...

so what do we have?! well...

there's a cute little Poodle necklace from fab local shop Funny Love (this will be the 3rd Poodle necklace i'll be giving away, seems to have become a bit of a tradition for me to give them away on the blog!)

a very pretty owl patterned passport cover from Paperchase, a pack of funky jelly stickers from Accessorize and a sheet of nautical sailor themed stickers from local shop Sweet Ginger

a stack of 'Jade' merch including some postcards, lots of stickers and some badges

and last but not least, this truly scrumptious and rather adorable Cupcake luggage tag from Fluff

isn't that all gorrrrgeous! one lucky winner will get there hands on all of it!

however...

as if that wasn't groovy enough, since it's the Blogs 3rd Birthday, two runners up will win a set of fabulously glittery 'razzle dazzle' decoupage stickers + some postcards, stickers and a badge!

* * *

HOW TO ENTER

first of all, you have precisely 10 days to enter since the Blogs Birthday is the 22nd of February, all entries must be in by midnight (UK time) on the 22nd

simple as ever, ALL you have to do is follow the blog (if you aren't doing so already) then scroll down and leave a comment on this blog post (saying hello or sharing an opinion on any of the prizes, that sort of thing)

for extra entries you can also...

retweet this on Twitter - ★ @jadeboylan ★ Blog Birthday Giveaway ★ RT for the chance to win some lovely goodies! ★ - http://bit.ly/zfTfS5

you can also 'Like' one of the giveaway posts on the Facebook fan page (and maybe even share it if you feel so inclined) - Jade's Facebook Page

i'll be setting up a post for it on Tumblr as well so if you use tumblr and don't follow me on there already, be sure to give me a follow and look out for a post to reblog (last years winner won via Tumblr... just saying!) - Jade's Tumblr

if you're feeling particularly lovely you can also mention the giveaway on your own blog, if you do that be sure to link me to it so i can count it as an entry

* * *

so what are you waiting for, 10 days to enter and yes... i will be mentioning the giveaway every day leading up to the 22nd so you can't say i won't be reminding you :)

go on then, comment, retweet, like, reblog, share, go, go, GO!!!

* * *

i really am sorry for having abandoned the blog for a bit, i promise to try harder this week, i even have a Creative Café post for you all, so keep a look out for that.

until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Bicycles and a (mini) Giveaway ★

2012-01-27T18:40:00.001Z

hey folks, i've been at home all day (poorly) so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to work on my entry for the 'Ohh Deer' comp 'Stuck on Repeat'

i actually had this design in mind when i first drew my bicycles a week or two ago but today i finally got chance to finish it! i wanted to use the bicycles but make it sort of colourful as well

the comp closes in a few days but i couldn't wait until the 1st of Feb to submit it so i did it early. you can see it on the Ohh Deer site at the moment in the gallery along with looooooads of other entries.

+ you can see it here and give it a 'Like' if you want to! - Jade's design

i can't wait to see all the entries submitted on the 1st but there are some really awesome designs in there already

* * *

so last Friday i was having a smashing day! i was all settled in at my College desk + having a generally nice sort of time editing stuff while chatting to my Classmates Jennie and Jenna (we all sit together to try and confuse the teachers since all our names begin with 'J')

unfortunately i got a call in the afternoon giving me some bad news and i had to leave college to rush to the hospital to see a family member, this is why i ended up NOT running a blog post that night or any of the subsequent nights following.

so basically, last week my desk-mate Jennie turned 21 so i brought her Birthday present in on the Friday

i got her a sparkly pen + notebook + a pack of Plasticine because let's face it, you're NEVER too old to play with Plasticine! check out the adorable pink elephant Jennie made...

* * *

so in other news, over the past week or so my follower count on Twitter has been yo-yoing back and forth near to the 1000 mark and as a sort of thank you/incentive to my followers i've decided to do a little impromptu giveaway EXCLUSIVE to Twitter

here's what's up for grabs...

basically we have here a truly darling little hot air balloon charm + a cute necklace with a tiny gift charm + a sweet gingham bow & a gorgeous interwoven bracelet peppered with little charms (my favourite is the koi carp one!) all from 'Accessorize'

ALL of these goodies could be yours and ALL you have to do is 'follow' me on Twitter!

so if you're on Twitter already or you think it's about time you joined, head on over and give me a follow NOW - @jadeboylan

as soon as i reach 1000 followers i'll be drawing a lucky winner out of about 200 or so followers so you know... get following!

* * *

i think that's it for now, i've a few pieces to work on this weekend for college, commissions + various other things so i'm sure i'll be posting caps of some of them next week!

so until then, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Creative Café #26 ★

2012-01-24T17:57:00.000Z

hello there folks, firstly a big ol' sorry from me for not having posted in a while! all sorts of crazy things have been going on but i'm here now so lets get on with todays blog post shall we!

it's time for another Creative Café post and i should warn you, today's is a little different to what's usually on display for a CC post, however it is very VERY awesome and i'm sure you'll love it all regardless!

you know the drill (and if you don't, here it is - the Creative Café drill)

today it's all about the very fabulous Amy Williams

Amy is an artist and apprentice tattooist for 'Tenacious Tattoo' based in Sheffield in the UK + she uses a dip pen, India ink and watercolour to create her highly detailed original designs

i personally have a HUGE phobia of needles but tattoo art has always fascinated me and i find Amy's beautiful vintage and retro inspired designs particularly intriguing and refreshing

her work has this perfect mix of sweet delicacy mixed with darker often macabre undertones, lots of pretty flowers overlaying more sinister themes and messages, it's a wonderful mixture and a balance that i think she gets just right in her designs

as somebody who has only recently been asked to design a few tattoos for local clients, i find her work incredibly inspirational and just incredible to look at!

everything from the colours she uses to the way she drafts and shades her designs is enthralling

on paper or skin her designs are sublime, bursting with intricate details, enchanting characters all drafted with her signature flourishes of line and style

i think i've rambled on for long enough now so i'll leave you to look through some more of her work in your own sweet time, enjoy...

isn't it all just glorious!

right time for some links now

to see even more of Amy's work, you can 'Like' her Facebook page here - Amy Williams Tattoo

you can also see the progress of some of her tattoos via - Tenacious Tattoo

she also has an Etsy shop selling prints of her designs - Amybird

and of course if you'd like to commission Amy to design a tattoo for yourself then you can contact her via facebook - Amy Williams

all that's left now is for me to say a massive THANKS to Amy for saying yes about the feature!

i'm not sure if I'll ever be able to pluck up the courage to get a tattoo done but if i ever do, i'm pretty sure i want Amy to design/tattoo it! thanks again :) x

* * *

in other news, i've been busy with commission + college work lately and it's been a bit of a muddled weekend due to some family stuff but i shan't bore you all with that on here!

anyway, i have some fun new stuff to share with you this week + a v exciting Mini Giveaway that's coming up soon via Twitter!

so stay tuned for all of that

until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

some new designs ★

2012-01-17T18:09:00.000Z

so lately i've been a bit quiet again, i've been working on new stuff for college

(All images featured in this post belong to Jade Boylan© do not claim, use, distribute, reproduce or trace ANY of her work without her express written consent. All Rights Reserved.)

these new designs are a bit of a mixed bunch! including...

some candy coloured bicycles!

i sold my bike a few years ago and kind of miss it, a lot! i always found bikes particularly tricky to draw when i was younger so i thought i'd have a new go at one or two ones now!

and somehow i ended up producing some funky 'his n hers' bikes

as well as those, i've also been working on two candy character pieces, featuring the Cupcake Princess

and the Candy Floss Princess

i spotted an amazing Steampunk book in town the other day so after my somewhat failed Steampunk girls (see this post - News and Stuff ) i had a little go at a simple pocket watch instead

and then for some inexplicable reason, i drew a cuckoo clock and created this piece as well

unsurprisingly though, the clock was a lot of fun to draw!

also, most of these designs are now available on iPhone cases via my Society6 shop

* * *

in other news, my lovely little cousin Sienna came to stay over the weekend

as you can see, she got her face painted while we were out! it was painted by the lovely Torie at Imagination Station

anyway, once we got home we did lots of drawing and writing, Sienna also gave me a lovely biro tattoo...

other than that, we filled in colouring pages + a Hello Kitty sticker book, we even found some xmas crackers left over from Christmas!

and then there were the wigs... myself, my mum and Sienna spent a while trying them on and listening to music in the kitchen, here's the embarrassing proof!

obviously dyeing my hair blonde or pink permanently is the way forward! :D

* * *

that's it for now, i'm in college for the rest of the week but i have a very awesome Creative Café post to run so keep your eyes peeled for that!

also, in case you were wondering what had happened to the New Year giveaway, i'm saving it for the blogs 3rd birthday next month!

however, i'm only 20 followers away from reaching 1k on twitter! AND when i reach 1000, i'll be holding a special little 'EXCLUSIVE to Twitter' giveaway!!! you can 'follow' me here - @jadeboylan

so until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

the Satchel, the Lionheart & the Anchor ★

2012-01-13T18:36:00.000Z

so it's been a funny old week! those of you that follow me via Facebook or Twitter might have seen me raving on about my College assessment, well long story short the Art Dept printer broke down meaning i couldn't print ANYTHING off for assessment!

though it didn't actually matter in the end, my tutors were fine with me showing all my work on my macbook and the assessment went really well (i think...) they normally last about 20 mins for me but this one was almost an hour-and-a-half + i got lots of units ticked off which is a good thing!

anyway, in light of the assessment and the fact that leading up to it i pretty much didn't sleep more than 4 hours a night, i decided to take the rest of the day off on Wednesday, so my friend Jenny came to collect me from college and we had a fab afternoon mooching around Douglas

i believe in rewarding people when they've done well so i decided to treat myself to some yummy chocolates from Thorntons + i spotted this gorrrrrrgeous satchel bag in Curphey's in town

and well... i sort of HAD to have it! i mean look at it! it's so lovely + my macbook/kawaii case fits in it PERFECTLY along with the charger + my wacom tablet and a notebook

in short, the bag is perfect :)

another thing that fits into the bag is my fab copy of BRAND NEW 'Lionheart Magazine'

i've been hearing about the magazine on Twitter for the past few months so once the Magazine launched i knew i'd have to treat myself to a copy of it!

it's absolutely gorgeous inside and out, filled from cover to cover with beautiful illustrations, fab photos and interesting articles all sourced and pulled together by genius editor and creator Helen Martin

i had a lovely time flicking through it and although i haven't had chance to read all of the articles so far, i snapped some photos of it as i looked through...

get your own copy right here - Lionheart Magazine

* * *

in other news, this pretty little necklace arrived in the post for me the other day!

it's a necklace by Razorblade Mermaid that i won it in a little giveaway comp via Betty Bee Towers

a truly brilliant blog that i love to visit after a long day of college, it's full of fabulous crafty ideas, gorgeous rockabilly and Pin-up style stuff and all manner of other loveliness

isn't the necklace cute though! i'm very chuffed that i won it, it's very 'me' i think! pearly beads, a cute anchor, red and pink + that little birdy charm that matches my fave birdy dress to perfection!

* * *

right, tomorrow i'm looking after little miss Sienna so we will probably be baking some cupcakes at some point or drawing some felt tip masterpieces!

so until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Creative Café #25 ★

2012-01-09T18:06:00.000Z

so i know i promised to post the latest Creative Café feature over the weekend... but i got distracted and i was busy so i'm posting it today instead!

what better way to start off the week than with a lovely colourful new Creative Café post, it's also the first one of 2012 which makes it extra awesome i think!

i can't really be bothered reminding you all of the 'creative café drill'

however it's the first CC post of the year so i suppose i'd better do a quick recap!

basically, this post will contain lots of nice images for you to scroll through at your leisure so i recommend you get a nice drink and a snack to enjoy while you scroll! simple really...

also, on a side note, if you think you know of an artist/designer/photographer/maker/creative that deserves a feature on here, then email me via info@jadeboylan.com and i'll see if we can squeeze them onto the blog!

anyway, without any further ado or mindless rambling from me, todays post is all about the very funky and lovely Stephanie Concepcion

Stephanie is a very awesome aspiring illustrator/artist/character designer/vampire slayer living in New York City.

i only discovered her work last month, (a week before Christmas to be precise) when i spotted some of her pieces floating around tumblr!

i had a good look through her portfolio and just loved all of her work so it seemed only right that i feature her lovely artwork on here so that all of you could enjoy it too!

i really REALLY love the colours she uses in her work and the way she draws her characters, her backgrounds are particularly fabulous as well! she pours so much detail into her work to create these really beautiful, vibrant scenes

see what i mean! her characters and colour schemes are so fresh and fun, everything from the expressions on the characters faces to the little details on their clothes it just fab!

i really like the way she draws girls as well, they all have their own unique senses of style and individual personalities

right i think i've rambled for long enough, i'll leave you to scroll through some more of Stephanie's work in your own sweet time! enjoy...

super duper stuff for sure...

ok, lovely links time now!

to check out more of Stephanie's work, you can visit her website here - Stephanie Concepcion Illustrations

you can also follow her on Twitter - @Stephynee

and on Tumblr as well - Stephanie

+ she has a groovy blog right here - Stephanie Concepcion

all that's left now is for me to say a big ol' THANK YOU to Stephanie for saying yes and letting me run the feature, i hope you all enjoyed her work as much as i do! thanks again Stephanie :) x

* * *

in other news, i have my college assessment this week so if you don't hear from me over the next few days... that's why!

the good news is that the assessment SHOULD be on Wednesday afternoon so after that i will be able to post stuff again! yaaaay

so until then, that's all folks...

◕‿◕ ★ xX

super cute goodies ★

2012-01-06T18:28:00.001Z

so lovely readers, as i may have mentioned over recent weeks, i've not been feeling overly bright and cheerful lately!

it might have something to do with the endlessly gloomy weather we've been having, it might also have something to do with the cough i've had for the past four weeks, but whatever it is it's been getting me down in the dumps!

so the other night, quite late, i was browsing the super duper awesome Paperchase site and i decided a little New Year shopping splurge was in order so i treated myself to some funky stuff!

you all know what a HUUUGE Paperchase fan/addict i am! so it struck me that if anything was going to maybe cheer me up, Paperchase was probably the place to get it from!

now sadly there isn't a Paperchase store on the Isle of Man, so all of the stuff i ordered was sent over sharpish from Birmingham!

and it all arrived today...

there's something so fun about receiving a BIG parcel in the post! knowing that there's a big box of goodies that's been popped in the post just for you!

so what did i treat myself to?! well it was a mini heap of gorgeous goodies!

first up, there's this truly kawaii-tastic neoprene laptop sleeve for my trusty old macbook

and a too cute 'cloud' luggage tag for when i go on my travels!

also for my travels is this colourful passport cover since the cover i have at the minute has lasted me for a loooong time and has definitely seen better days!

there's also a v sweet mini notebook (with plain pages, of course... for my doodling needs!) + some jazzy stickers

+ a pack of cute, girly stickers which i intend to stick all over my college file holders + my logbook!

and then there's the tins... now i don't know about you, but i just love cute little boxes and tins to keep all my crafty/arty bits n' bobs in! it keeps everything organized while maintaining that air of adorableness!

i couldn't pick just ONE tin... so i went for four instead! aren't they great! so colourful, i can't wait to fill them with arty stuff!

and that's it! well, for now anyway!

i may have found a new addiction to cover the one i already have for buying business cards and stationary!

and do you know what... all of this stuff has cheered me up no end! what a great way to end a day at college + food shopping at Tesco! to come home and find all this waiting for me :)

* * *

in other news, i've been working away today on some new drawings for college + some groovy TOP SECRET stuff... but more about all that another time!

i'll be running the first Creative Café post of 2012 either tomorrow or Sunday

so until then, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

★ Happy Birthday Sienna ★

2012-01-04T18:55:00.000Z

so, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all! hope you all had a fun NYE and saw in the arrival of 2012 in style!

well here we are then, the very first blog post of the NEW YEAR and... it's a personal one!

because on Monday it was my darling little cousin Sienna's 6th Birthday! yaaaaaaaaay

this meant that on Monday i was invited along to the party at 'the Fun Factory' in Onchan to help supervise the little party guests and help dish out the party food and party bags etc

it was soooo much fun and the party went brilliantly! Sienna looked like the perfect little Party Princess in her sparkly dress and little silver shoes

and it was lovely to spend some time with my little cousins Sienna, Hanna and my god-daughter Bonnie (who is also Hanna's older sister)

they're all such cutie-pies!

we had a lot of fun playing 'musical colours' (like musical chairs only you use the colours of the walls or floor... don't ask, it seemed like a good idea at the time!)

a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sienna, i hope she had a super duper day :) xX

* * *

in other news, i know they've been a long time coming but i thought maybe it was time for a teeny tiny sneak peek at some of the new 'candy character' scenes...

they've all still got quite a long way to go, lots of details and textures to be added in etc but i thought i'd give a sneak peek of how the characters are looking at the moment! so expect more updates when i eventually get on with finishing these scenes off!

* * *

also, did i mention that there's currently 20% off everything in my Etsy Shop!!!

to celebrate the New Year, i'm offering 20% off all items in the shop, all you have to do is type in the discount code NEWYEAR2012 at the checkout

this offer won't be on for too long though, maybe a week or so more, so don't leave it too late!

* * *

that's about it for now i think, i was back in College today finding out about assessment timetables for next week + catching up with the other HNDers and BAers which was nice!

i have a funky Creative Café post to run this week, maybe at the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for that

so until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

So long 2011... ★

2011-12-31T18:05:00.000Z

well, it's been a funny old year hasn't it! Some ups, some downs and as my blog will tell you, lots of colour!

I figured that a little look back over the year was in order, i don't normally fuss too much with New Years stuff but this year i'll be home alone, cooped up watching TV all night so i thought, might be fun to have a look back at it all!

2011 has been kind of a busy year for me, i've been working as a freelance illustrator and designer for just about 3 years now but 2011 has been my busiest year ever commission wise!

i've also altered my work style a little bit this year. this time last year i could barely scan an image to edit digitally and now almost everything i do is digitally edited/coloured/finished whether it's based on a scanned drawing or is drawn directly into photoshop or illustrator.

i'm still in college, which is evident from a lot of my posts, shots of my messy college desk and board frequently pop up over the year, but running the blog as a student helps me tick off units for my course as well as being able to share some of the more mundane parts of my day with you all!

i've always been a fan of all things cute, girly and kawaii, but in 2011 my work went to whole new levels of sweetness (i think it has anyway!) and everywhere you look on my blog there are sweets, cupcakes, princesses and lots of pinks, blues and reds!

other than college, it's been a quiet year for me! from time to time i do like to post about my family and friends but although this has always been first and foremost a personal blog, i try to keep family posts to a minimum, however i hope the ones i have posted haven't been too tedious for you all!

it's been a fab year networking wise as well and i'm fortunate enough to have made many creative new friends via Twitter (mostly!) as well as lots of new clients and contacts. oh and thanks for the kind words, emails, tweets and comments from all of YOU over the year as well!

time for a list! i love lists and to try and cheer myself up i thought a sort of '2011 achievements' list might be a good idea!

so, this year I have...

gotten some of my pieces and merch stocked in a local shop here on the Isle of Man

been included in an exhibition at the Isle Gallery at Tynwald Mills, with my artwork hung up the rest of my HND class from college as well as alongside some of the islands best artists, sculptors and photographers.

completely re-designed my website (along with the help of a local web designer) and set up an Etsy shop to sell my handmade stuff + merch

designed a winning t-shirt design for 'All Tropical'

set up POD shops on RedBubble, Artflakes and Society 6 and sold lots of stickers, prints and t-shirts + nearly 60 iPhone cases! i don't who's been buying them but thanks all the same!

designed quite a few logos, flyer, poster, banner and advert designs for various clients both local and international

built up my paid commissions portfolio (and subsequently spent most of my commission fees on business cards, postcards, prints and merchandise... i may be addicted!)

learnt a lot more about 'professional practice' + how to gain new clients and network with artists, galleries, collectives and shops.

so what are my plans for 2012 I hear you cry?

Well next year I intend to...

finish my HND and get a move on with my last year of the BA at college so i can finally achieve my degree in Fine Art

produce more' fine art' so that i actually live up to my course guidelines!

finalise the characters and story for a little children's picture book or maybe even FINALLY finish the pages for 'Where's Charlie?'

get more merchandise items featuring my work produced to sell in my online shop, in local shops + at local craft fairs

learn to use my bamboo tablet and further develop my digital illustration skills and techniques using photoshop and illustrator

learn to drive!

and i think that's about it! if there's anything else... i've forgotten it so oh well!

thank you for visiting the blog, whether you stop by to read about my artwork, my boring life or even if you just check in to see the pictures i post, i'm glad that you visit at all so THANK YOU!!!

all i have to do now is wish all of YOU + all of my friends and family a very HAPPY NEW YEAR

may 2012 bring you everything you wish for!

so until next year, i guess that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Creative Café #24 ★

2011-12-30T18:03:00.000Z

so 2011 is on it's way out at last, and what better way to see out the New Year than with a funky Creative Café post!

when i started the 'Creative Café' features back in June i never thought i'd manage to keep doing them (what with the failed 'Super Sunday' posts...) but more than 20 Creative Café posts later and i still absolutely LOVE finding artists and creatives to feature here and share with you all!

so here's to another year of totally super duper Creative Café posts to come in 2012!

anyway, quickly dash off and get a snack and a drink, maybe in light of NYE you'd like to grab a glass of champagne and kick off the festivities early, if not... get a nice cup of tea/coffee instead!

don't forget the cake, biscuits + leftover Xmas chocolates!

ok then without any further ado todays post is all about the truly awesome and fantastical Iris Luckhaus

Iris is a really fabulous illustrator, designer and stylist from Germany

she creates really stunning and incredibly detailed images full of gorgeous colours and bold outlines (i think you'll be able to see why i love her work so much!) her work is often very girly and fun, with sultry pouting pin-up type girls dressed up with fabulous outfits and accessories!

i'm a fan of pretty much everything she does although i think some of my particular favourite designs of hers are from the 'Lily Lux' character sets

when she's not designing fab illustrations or putting together gorgeous outfits, Iris is a big fan of visual storytelling... and storytelling is one thing her drawings definitely do!

each one has it's own tale to tell and they are often so full of little details that you could sit and look at one for hours and just keep spotting things to add to the story!

I first discovered Iris' work about a month or so ago when her name popped up in my 'twitter suggestions' list, the moment i clicked on her website i knew i'd have to feature her!

her bold graphic style is stunning and the more i flicked through her work, the more i liked it

ok, so i may have rambled on for long enough! have a nice scroll through some more of Iris' lovely designs in your own sweet time! enjoy...

gorgeous stuff right?! of course it is... although it was tricky to narrow it down at all! i wanted to post EVERYTHING!

anyway, time for some links now...

to see even more of Iris' fabulously funky artwork, head over to her official website here - Iris Luckhaus

she also has a shop on her site selling books, prints and products featuring her designs + some really groovy magnetic dress-up dolls (i might have to treat myself to one of the doll sheets in the new year!) - Shop

you can also follow her on Twitter - @irisluckhaus

'Like' her work on Facebook - Iris Luckhaus Design

and follow her on Behance - Iris Luckhaus

she's also on Google+ so if you're on there, add her to a circle - Google+

you can also see more of her Lily Lux designs here - Lily Lux

all that's left for me to do now is say a very massive THANK YOU to Iris for saying yes about the feature! when i asked her she said yes straightaway and made my day by adding 'I think my girls would like the nice company they'd have there :)'. well i hope the post is ok Iris! Danke schön :) x

* * *

in other news, i've been working on some commissioned files for ads and banners so i STILL haven't finished working on my new candy characters! but i promise that when they're done, i'll post them on here for you all to see!

if i don't post tomorrow, i'd like to wish all of you the happiest of New Years! may 2012 bring you everything you wish for!

so until next time (and maybe even next year!) that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

★ Seasons Greetings ★

2011-12-27T18:50:00.000Z

so, another year, another Xmas been and gone! did you all have a nice day??? i hope you had fun with your family/friends/loved ones and that Santa brought you all some nice goodies :)

i spent the day cooped up at home with my parents at Chateau Boylan, although i've not been very well so i actually spent most of the day in bed feeling poorly!

never mind though, it was still a nice quiet Christmas

i usually post on Xmas eve or Xmas day but this year i decided to take a few days out of it all so i vanished offline for a bit which was great, think i'll do it again next year!

anyway, i thought since it's Xmas time and it seems tradition that bloggers post about gifts and what not, that i'd share a few of the lovely presents i received this year from my family and friends!

i think most exciting of all was the book my dad got me...

it's the new Christian Louboutin monograph, published to celebrate 20 years of his work within the world of shoe and accessory design

it is absolutely chock full of the most gorgeous photos, sketches and written excerpts from Monsieur Louboutin himself mapping his journey over the past 20 years.

and to think, he began professionally designing shoes the year i was born!

one of my favourite things about the book is the pop-out pages hidden under the cover!

speaking of books, i got a nice stack of them on Xmas day!

among them was this absolutely fabulous book by Vintage lovely, Angel Adoree! a truly fabulous gift from my best friend Courtney

the book is so divine! full of darling illustrations, photos, recipes and tips on how to host the perfect vintage tea party + how to do vintage hair/make-up to go with it!

it also has loads of gorgeous illustrations to accompany the recipes and DIY projects

as well as all the lovely books, i also got a very funky Marc Jacobs laptop cover

so that my macbook can be transported in style at all times!

and a gift that i expect a lot of Manx people woke up to on Xmas day, the very special 'Isle of Man' edition of the boardgame Monopoly

i've also been making lots of cute little fabric badges/buttons using the kit my mum got me

and i now have a cute place to store my earrings thanks to my big sister Simone who sent me this adorable little trinket box featuring artwork by the very awesome Myka Jelina

obviously i got lots of other lovely stuff as well but these were some of my fave things so i just wanted to share them with you all...

* * *

in other news, how are we liking the blog colours? sort of back to normal now only with a new banner for the top, it actually matches my new Facebook Timeline

yes i know i only changed it the other day but i fear this may be a regular occurrence, me changing the 'cover' photo every week or so!

not long now though until the New Year so i suppose i should get my head down and get on with some college work! saying that though i have a smashing Creative Café feature to run over the next few days so be sure to keep an eye out for that!

so until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Gingerbread Cottage ★

2011-12-22T19:25:00.000Z

so i may have mentioned it already but i'm not feeling particularly festive and christmassy this year! no advent calendar, no decorations, no festive spirit whatsoever!

well to try and drag myself out of this bout of doom and gloom i had a little go at decorating a Gingerbread House (well mine is more of a cottage but it's supposed to be a house i guess!) using a nifty little kit from Ikea

the 'PEPPARKAKA HUS' kit contained a flat pack set of gingerbread panels ready to be assembled into a little house!

it was actually LOADS of fun to build and decorate! even if my decorating skills aren't exactly the neatest...

i bought in a bunch of sweets + tubes of icing to use and i'm not going to lie, i had a lot of fun icing it all and sticking on the sweeties!

next year i might just have a go at baking one from scratch myself but for now... this will have to do!

* * *

in other news, the very uber cool Tim Easley (illustrator, graphic designer and sneaker aficionado) sent me one of his groovy little Rudolph Xmas cards

as well as a very awesome Zombie Moustache sticker

truly coolio stuff for sure! big thanks to Tim!!! to get your hands on your very own Rudolph Card head on over HERE (+ they're on SALE at the moment!) or for a 'too cool for school' Zombie Moustache sticker, head over HERE

* * *

in other OTHER news, last night i finally switched my Facebook over to the new Timeline, although this isn't the most exciting news in the world, i did have fun fitting together a little 'website matching' cover image for my profile page!

do you like it? or loathe it...

* * *

not much else to tell for now, i spent today zooming around Douglas and Onchan delivering Xmas presents to various cousins and family members! but hopefully i'll have some more stuff to share with you all tomorrow night or Xmas eve!

son until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Creative Café #23 ★

2011-12-20T18:33:00.001Z

hello folks! so today... my cough is still here, i've been tidying stuff up and been feeling a little bit glum i guess, so with that in mind, i thought what could be better than a crazy, funky, colourful Creative Café post to brighten up my day and to hopefully brighten yours up as well!!!

so stop reading this and run off to get some tea/coffee/juice and biscuits/sweets/cake!

or maybe some eggnog or mulled wine and a mince pie if you're feeling festive... which i'm not, so it's tea and party ring biscuits for me!

anyway, today it's all about the super duper fabulous illustrator, artist and animator Tristyn Pease (sometimes aka Twiggy McBones)

Tristyn is a very groovy American artist, she likes to draw and she absolutely adores comic books + just about anything animated!

in fact, here's one of her cute mini animations...

she's not just a talented animator though, she creates the most amazing digital illustrations full of gorgeous details

i first spotted her art floating about on tumblr and just loved her loose style and fun character fan art pieces

she's a fabulous character designer and really captures some truly brilliant expressions and emotions in their faces and gestures

her work is almost always fun and fresh, with colours and themes that both children and adults can easily relate to, be amused by, admire and appreciate

i think what i love most about her work though is the way she can incorporate so many different styles into her pieces! in fact i'll shut up about it now and let you look through some more of her stuff in your own sweet time! enjoy...

pretty sweet stuff right! of course it is!!! ok it's time for some links now...

to see even more of Tristyn's gorgeous artwork, sketches + storyboards, head on over to her portfolio website here - Tristyn Pease

and you can click here to see more of her animations - Animations

you can also see more of her stuff, including lots of fun commissions and personal pieces, on her blog here - Thing Blog

there's also heaps of work in her deviantART gallery - Twiggy McBones

and she's on tumblr as well so be sure to follow her on there if you're a tumblr type - Fiddlesticks

Tristyn also illustrated a lovely children's picture book called 'Noah's Little Lamb', you can find out more info + get yourself a copy of it here - Publish America

so now, all that's left for me to say is a whopping great big THANKS again to Tristyn for saying yes about the feature, it was a real pleasure to share some of her work with you all, i hope you enjoyed it! thanks again Tristyn :) x

* * *

in other news, i made something kind of cool the other day but i keep forgetting to post it on here! i PROMISE i'll post about it tomorrow or Thursday (promise promise promise) so you can all have a little look!

so until then, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

Santa Trains and Sienna ★

2011-12-18T18:23:00.000Z

so yesterday i got up bright an early (ish...) to head into town to pick up my darling little cousin Sienna for the day

she was all dressed up and ready to go in her candy coloured winter outfit + sweetie patterned welly boots!

we had a nice little mooch around the shops first though, she helped me pick out a few last minute xmas prezzies for some people so i treated her to a little Hello Kitty necklace for being such a sweetheart!

and she even got to meet Santa outside the local shopping centre!

but then it was time to take her on our annual day out to the fabulous Santa Trains at the local Groudle Glen Railway

we took her last year and had a brilliant day out despite the chilly weather! so we were all looking forward to heading to the glen again this year for another trip on the trains. here she is with my mum aka her 'Auntie Joy'

it was pretty cold when we got to the Lime Kiln Halt so we did some dancing about to the Xmas music to try and keep warm while we waited for the train...

but then at long last, we heard the all too familiar 'choo-choo' of the train as it came chugging around the corner to collect us

then it was on to the Lhen Coan Station to get some mulled wine, a mince pie, and then go and meet Father Christmas!

the Station looked very festive, all decorated for Christmas as the train kept heading back and forth to collect and drop off more visitors

we had a fabulously festive and fun day and i'm sure we'll be visiting the Groudle Glen Railway again next year to take Sienna to the Easter Bunny and Teddy Bears Picnic Trains

for more information about the Railway line be sure to check out the official GGR website here - Groudle Glen Railway

* * *

after the Trains, we popped out for some lunch where Sienna decided to open the little gift Santa gave her at the station

turns out it was a very VERY awesome little wooden marionette puppet

Sienna eventually decided to name him 'Lenny' and i'm not gonna lie, we had a LOT of fun making him walk and dance about on the table top!

unfortunately we had to drop little Miss Sienna off after that because today she got the boat over to the UK to visit her family for Christmas!

but we had a great day, it's always a fun day when Sienna is around :) x

* * *

in other news, i got a lovely little surprise in the post yesterday as well!

the very lovely Astrid from 'Schwarzie Design' had sent me a cute little bundle of mini print cards and a little note via 'snail mail' all the way from South Africa!

it really made my already lovely day that extra bit awesome so big thanks to her for that!

her artwork are very gorgeous, i'm sure i'll have to run a post about her and her sister's designs on here in the New Year, but until then i recommend you check out her website here - Schwarzie Design

* * *

and i think that's it for now! not many plans this week, i've finished buying and wrapping ALL of my Xmas presents to i'm a bit unsure of how to spend my time other than reading, watching old movies or editing drawings!

but i have something super duper sweet to share with you all tomorrow evening so be sure to look out for that!

and until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

★ Discounts and Freebies for YOU ★

2011-12-15T19:00:00.001Z

hello dearies, i've been quiet again i know, i was away in Coventry and Manchester visiting family.

so here are the reasons why i haven't posted anything...

1- i didn't always have internet access where i stayed

2- i forgot to take my camera away with me (doh!)

3- i've had a rotten cold the whole time i've been away and i still have it now!

4- i spent all day out so by the time i got in i just wanted to curl up and sleep

5- i got stranded in Lancaster AGAIN and spent all the time reading instead of doing anything else...

that about covers it!

anyway, i'm off college now until January so i'll do my very best to get the blog back on track in the lead up to Xmas 2011 and beyond!

speaking of Xmas, if, like me, you STILL have a few Christmas gifts left to buy for family/friends, then might i suggest you head over to my Etsy shop and have a little peek at the candy coloured goodies available to buy

AND AND AND today is your LAST CHANCE to get 15% off ALL orders in the shop!!!

all you have to do is use discount code FESTIVEFUN at the checkout

AND as if that weren't groovy enough, ALL orders placed before midnight tonight will also receive a FREE candy postcard, mini cupcake badge + sugar skull sticker

yes... really!

so come on dudes and dudettes, don't leave it too late and DON'T miss out on freebies + 15% off all the colourful bits and bobs in my shop...

+ everything ordered is sent out packaged in cute candy stripe bags, jiffy bags and card envelopes covered with stickers and pretty tape

so what are you waiting for?! head on over and treat yourself or someone else to something sweet NOW (or at least before Midnight tonight!!!)

you know you want to...

★ Jade's Etsy Shop ★

ps - don't forget to use the discount code FESTIVEFUN

pps - if you have an iPhone, know someone with an iPhone or are getting an iPhone for xmas, there's also 15% off all the iPhone cases in my RedBubble shop including my newest design 'Ahoy Sailor'

anyway, get 15% off iPhone cases when you use discount code CAPSULE15

also only valid until midnight tonight! - RedBubble

* * *

in other news, well there isn't really any news! i got stuck in the UK, i'm FINALLY home now, that's all you really need to know!

so until next time, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX