Christmas Cards ★

so it appears to have been over a week since i last did a blog post... i probably should have announced my mini hiatus but i forgot to so, sorry for that! i haven't posted for a couple of reasons...

1. i've not been very well over the past fortnight, i went to college for the first time yesterday in over a week so THAT is why i haven't posted anything

2. i've been finishing off some commissions, trying to get stuff done before Xmas

3. i've been working on new character designs for college

4. i forgot... ok well i didn't forget about the blog i just kept forgetting to get off my bum and write a blog post! but i'm here now so that's all that matters right?!

i'll stop rambling and try to get on with the post!

first up, you may have noticed the Festive new banner at the top of the blog

well, there's also a stack of Xmas Cards to match it! 

the cards are appropriately festive with their little poinsettia patterned plates full of Xmas biscuits

each one comes with a red envelope + has 'Merry Christmas' printed inside

now available in my Etsy Shop

+ if you fancy getting one to send to someone, now's the time since i'm still offering 15% off ALL orders in my shop when you use discount code FESTIVEFUN

but it's only valid until the 15th of December so don't leave it too late!!!

(international customers only really have until the 8th or 9th to get their orders in for delivery in time for Xmas)

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as well as the Xmas cards, some more stuff arrived today including some funky new candy coloured business cards!

i may have mentioned before... several times, that i am a bit of a business cards addict! but then again they ALWAYS come in handy and i'm always running out of them so it's ok for me to get more, that's how i always justify it to myself anyway!

* * *

so i've been working on some new commissions stuff lately as well as stuff for college! 

i had a new Vintage Home Show flyer to whip up for Keeley 

then Jared over at Design Juices asked me to have a go at a festive e-card design for the blog, this was the result...

it was great fun to draw! i especially liked doing the xmas lights!!! i also designed a Facebook banner + Twitter icon/background to match!

oh and remember the Irish pin-up girl tattoo?!

well this is how she's looking so far as Emma's actual tattoo! (+ loving the tattoo artists tweaks to the shamrock + the tiny triskelion/3 legs of Mann on the pinup's  thigh! the perfect mash up of Manx and Irish)

i'll keep you posted on it's progress!

also, if you're local and stuck for something to do this weekend, head to Groudle Glen Railway on Sunday for the first day of their fab annual Santa Trains! 

(i wish i could go but i'll be in Birmingham instead!) 

oh and you can book your discounted tickets online now via the railway's official website - GGR

* * *

that's it for today

over the next few days i'm hoping to make it over to Coventry, Birmingham and Manchester to visit family, drop xmas presents off + do some shopping! 

however, the weather here is so dire at the moment all of the boats keep getting cancelled! fingers crossed i don't get completely trapped here...

i'll also be posting some of the new character designs i'm working on so keep an eye out for those!

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

new website + other stuff ★

hey hey my lovelies! another few days of silence, i'm so sorry! but it's the last week of College and i've had stuff to do but i break up tomorrow until September so that means i'll have more time to post on here!!! (yay)

anyway, for those of you that keep up with all my stuff on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr, you might have noticed that i've posted a link to my website. . .

but the super duper part is that at long last the site re-deign is finished!!!

i'm now the proud owner of a swish (not to mention colourful) html site coded by my very super web designer friend Richard at RB designs here on the Isle of Man

it's chock full of stuff all drawn/edited by me + some easy to use galleries and links tabs, all in all it is a VAST improvement on my old 'flash' site (also known as the pink monstrosity) 

i am super duper pleased with is, i think Richard is a sorcerer... he must be to have done all this for me! + he even made me a teeny tiny cupcake favicon for the sites URL!!!

as you can see though, it's much easier to navigate + it's a lot cleaner and simpler, i am very muchly chuffed with it!

the last one was tricky to use because it was built with flash, so people on iPhones and iPads couldn't access it + it was sometimes timely to load for visitors, but this one is awesome as it's html so it runs much MUCH better

+ i think it's a lot more 'me'!!! because all of the elements were hand drawn and coloured by me it feels a lot better than the other one, feels like i've really put a bit of myself into it, and even if it comes across as a little childish and garish to some people, i don't care!

so long as it's easy to use and makes people smile, that's all that matters...

to see it for yourself in all of it's newly re-designed glory, head over and have a skeet 

www.jadeboylan.com

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in other news, today some new Moo stuff arrived in the post, all decked out in lovely orange

a new sticker book of logo and cupcake stickers + some new business cards since the 100 i left out by my exhibition vanished during the college exhibition! seriously, in just under 2 weeks visitors nabbed about 98 of my cards

all that was left this morning when i took down the exhibition were 2 lonely little cards! i'm glad people liked them so much though! apparently loads of primary school kids went round on a tour of the block and just ransacked the business cards on my display!!!

anyway i got the same old designs for this new pack + one new one featuring some yummy macaroons

pretty cute right! as per usual the ONLY way to get hold of one of these is to buy something from my shop or to come to the Isle of Man and find me...

however, these pretty cards and stickers weren't the only things to arrive today!!! 

now i may have mentioned before that i'm quite a big fan of the TV show 'Supernatural' (yeah... i have mentioned it) now through some of my lovely fangirl friends on tumblr i got sent this set of truly amazing little chibi figures based on some of the characters from the show 

(i'm a fangirl so it's my moral duty to name them for you!!!! clockwise from top left we have: Castiel, Dean, Sam, Gabriel, Crowley and Balthazar)

i can't even begin to explain how completely amazing and awesome these stickers are! i have no idea where i'll put them or what i'll do with them but i absolutely LOVE all of them ridiculous amounts!!! they were sent all the way from the USA so massive MASSIVE thanks to the lovely Dean for sending me them x

arrrrgh they are so CUTE!!! (sorry, i'll try to keep the fangirling to a minimum on here from now on... promise!) 

* * *

so that's it i think, i had a super busy day at college today taking down my exhibition, packing up my desk, finalising my picture book essay (now 27 pages long... oops!) and i spent the afternoon working on a new princess design!

tomorrow is the last day of college, i have a business meeting at lunch then i'm hoping to hoof it into town and treat myself to an end of term present, i'm thinking... a book (surprise surprise) but we shall see!

will post tomorrow ma petite chou fleurs

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

Just Enough ♥

So apologies for lack of posts, my Sunday post idea was ruined when I woke up to discover that it had been raining overnight meaning that the Glen had been transformed into a marvellously muddy mess!

and yesterday my blogging plan was once again thwarted when my brand new business cards failed to be delivered on time meaning that i had nothing to blog about!!! (monday's are always kind of boring for me though so no surprises there)

anyway on with todays post...

so this morning I actually woke up relatively early (ok so 8:43am is very early for me on one of my days off!!!) saw that the sun was shining, threw on a Spring style dress and tagged along with my mum to Onchan for a bit

I had an ulterior motive for going out though because on the way back home we managed to stop at the 'Just Enough' shop again in Laxey

and this time I had my camera with me...

after a quick natter with the owner + another jolly potter around the shop I whipped out my trusty little camera and got snapping

so let me show you around the store...

well here we have the amazing haberdashery section chock full of haberdashery loveliness

and the most beautiful selection of ribbons...

and fabrics...

and embroidered sashes and cords and sequined things

and more ribbons (+ other awesome crafty bits and bobs)

and through into the next room which is full of the most incredible fabric swatch books for soft furnishings, there's also this gorgeous chandelier hanging in the window

and this truly EPIC big 'J' cushion (which i need and want and neeeeeeed)

back through to the other side where there's another amazing chandelier hanging in the other window...

and these awesome glittery crystal studded skulls...

which are also telephones!!!!!! (may need one of these as well)

and on the display shelf at the bottom there's a whole bunch of Betty Boop's (oh hey Betty)

+ a pretty basket full of multicoloured fluffy chicks, just in time for Easter...

and this cushion covered in the most wonderful array of brooches

next to it is this Betty Boop chair + cushion (yes... i need these as well)

and when i knelt down on the floor to look at the crafty card making bits i spotted these frankly quite magical oversized pencil crayons (and before you ask... i want them ALL)

everywhere you look there's something cute to look at, even behind the counter there's this sweet little shelf full of handmade creations and sewing bits

in fact the counter itself is something to behold, just check out that awesome old fashioned antique till

and last but not least, the massive Betty Boop statuette standing guard next to the counter

what did i tell you...

it's actually ME in shop form!!!

i literally cannot resist the place it's just all so gorgeous!

in fact, here's what I bought during todays visit ...

some more ribbon, red this time

a cute little ice cream brooch + a mini rubber duck keyring (which may or may not be for my next giveaway... haven't decided yet)

a gorgeous pair of little embroidery scissors because i don't actually own a pair of embroidery scissors! despite all my embroidery times... no fancy scissors!

a big swathe of amaing cupcake printed fabric, i haven't a clue what i'll use it for but i had to get it... CUPCAKES!!!

and this selection of adorabubble buttons

and look, even the shopping bag came tied with this lovely 'just enough interiors' ribbon

it's all so, so divine!

massive thanks to the lovely Justine for letting me invade the shop and run around excitedly taking photos

thank you ◕‿◕

* * *

in other news...

the business cards FINALLY arrived today!!!

they are so swishy and snazzy I just love them!!!

yaaaaaay for the new business cards!

* * *

no other news really

the plan is for me to head into Doolish town centre tomorrow for some crafty/arty retail therapy + a quick fringe trim (so thrilling!)

however I feel somewhat under the weather today and i'm not sure if i'll feel better or worse tomorrow morning!

Here's hoping I feel better tomorrow...

that's all folks!

◕‿◕ ♥ xX

Sunshine and Stuff ★

so not that much to report today really, I still feel ill, finished reading my new book today, watched a movie or two...

i've also been writing my picture book related essay all day like a good little art student!

i'm still stuck at home although i have to say, the weather today has been divine!!

in fact it was so nice today it even lured me outside for a little walk around the garden, i mean just look at that cloudless blue sky...

it was still ruddy cold though! look, this pond had even iced over! 

apart from that it was genuinely nice to see some sunshine

and for once, there was virtually no wind! and trust me, normally it's almost always blowing a gale here on the Isle of Man!!!

there was barely even enough breeze to stir the Manx Flag!!!

anyway on with the actual point of today's post...

I have some new business cards!!!

these little lovelies arrived while I was away in Coventry so I was delighted to find them waiting for me when I got home on Saturday night

aren't they adorable! I still adore my old business cards (see below) but these are just so swishy and super

there's only a dozen of them seeing as they're more of an experiment really, i just wanted to see what they'd look like but the quality is gorgeous with a lovely silky finish! you can see how the old one and the new ones compare here as well

I picked my picture book pages for the designs so that whoever I pass them along to can have a teeny tiny little bit of pretty picture book fabulousness in their pocket

i'll be throwing one of these new business cards in with the giveaway bundle + a niiiiice quality A5 sized 'lollipop' print of the winners choice (from this selection... oh and the A5 print won't have the signature in the corner either)

that means that the winner of the giveaway will be the first person in the whole wide world to receive one of these limited little business cards!!!

obviously there are some 'proper' prizes up for grabs as well! 

there's been precisely 26 entries so far so it's not like you'd be up against an awful lot of people if you entered now... (added incentive!!!)

There are precisely 10 days left to enter so you know... get entering!!! - 

♥ Giveaway ♥

* * *

also on a slightly random note, i added a pair of angel wings to one of my pinup girls...

don't ask! i watched 'Dogma' last night for the first time in ages (it's one of my fave 90's films) so i wondered what one of my pinup's would look like as an angel

and yes i know... she looks weird!

end of random post!

* * *

that's it for today, i'm now going to head off and write a little more for my essay + maybe start reading a new book

who knows!

that's all folks...

◕‿◕ ♥ xX

ps - no-one told me which country i have to do a farewell to next so for now the multilingual farewells are on hold! any suggestions would be awesome x