★ Discounts and Freebies for YOU ★

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

Headaches and Haberdashery ★

so as you know, i've not been feeling too well lately!

despite this, i (foolishly) decided to leave the house yesterday 

but it was for a noble cause . . .

i needed more ribbons and buttons from 'Just Enough'

it was worth it though! i might have been cold ridden and coughing/sneezing left right and centre but it was all in the pursuit of glorious crafty bits and bobs

what a truly marvellous array of multicoloured ribbony goodness!!!

* * *

so yesterday was an odd day really, odd because i woke up at 7:30am feeling less ill and by 2:30pm that afternoon i was pretty much ready to pass out under my desk at college

i don't know why but in some weird twist of fate i always seem to be ill whenever Juan has an exhibition on! 

being 'too ill to leave the house' has stopped me from going to his last 2 exhibitions so i was determined to make it to this 3rd one even if i had to crawl there on my hands and knees . . .

luckily i didn't have to crawl there (which was a plus really since i quite literally live in the middle of nowhere)

in a last ditch attempt at saving my sanity, i left college early and fell asleep for two hours, fortunately when i woke up i felt slightly more human so i made it to the 'gighibition' after all

the artwork was totally ruddy gorgeous and amazing (as always) and all of the local live acts (Planes over Paris, Anna Goldsmith, the Heights, Simon Campbell, Christy DeHaven and Cohiba) were also pretty darn fabulous which came as no surprise really, seeing as all of the artwork was based on original music created by all of the acts there performing and all of the paintings were brilliant so the music that inspired them was clearly brilliant as well!

it was a pretty awesome idea really and it made for some truly inspired paintings based on the song lyrics and melodies that accompany them. like Juan said, the whole point of it was so that . . . "the art will be on show during live performances of the songs by the musicians who wrote them"

 unfortunately i only stayed for just over an hour but there was a great atmosphere in the Villa Marina Arcade where the event was staged + it made a really beautiful and unusual venue

i'm so SO glad i actually made it to this one! i'm just kind of sad that i couldn't stay longer to hear all of the bands and  singers performing, i just felt too poorly

fingers crossed i'll be well for the next exhibition!

for local readers: don't worry if you couldn't make it to the 'gighibition' last night, all of the artwork will be on display in the far end of the Villa marina Arcade for the next 2 weeks 

Copyright of all the pictures used here belongs to Juan Moore

pictures: via BBC in pictures and Juan Illustration

visit Juan's blog for more info about his next 'Welcome to the Neighbourhood' exhibition - Juan Illustration

* * *

in other news . . .

before i began to feel too ill to move yesterday, i actually managed to finish off a little mini project i've been working on bit by bit for the past 2 weeks

the idea is for them to be two separate words pegged up but for the sake of testing out the pegs (and for having finally finished the letters) i photographed them like this, stuck to my art/architecture book case

each letter is made of cardboard which i've painted with several layers of gouache (for a sort of matted pink icing effect) and then decorated with lashings of sequins, ribbons and beads

i've a slight suspicion that these beads and sequins were the cause of my godawful head splitting headache yesterday afternoon hence my relief that the words are finally finished!!!

* * *

i've not been feeling too great today so i've pretty much spent the entire day curled up on the sofa re-reading 'The Bell Jar' and drinking strawberry milkshake

might make a few more ribbon flowers later but who knows! 

this cold seems to have drained all my creativity

the good news is that i break up for the Easter Holiday this Friday so i have about 3 weeks off college to draw and sew and be super duper arty

but for now, that's all folks . . .

◕‿◕ ★ xX

Feeling Festive ♥

so it's that time of year again, the time when shops suddenly fill with shiny new things, the time when fairy lights appear to be strung from everywhere and the weather turns freeeezing (depending on where you live, if you live here... it's bloody cold!) it's time to pull on your hats, gloves and scarves and wrap up warm...

winter is here and that means... CHRISTMAS!!!!!

it's no secret that Winter is my favourite season (not just because of Christmas... honest) i love the snow and the frost and the freezing cold wind (not so much the rain but living on the Isle of Man you learn to live with it) i love any excuse to wear my big winter coat and my winter boots

winter, winter, winter... i LOVE it!

and obviously it's late November now which means Christmas isn't too far off!

so because i'm off to Coventry and Birmingham tomorrow for a few days to see my family for, i had lots and LOTS of presents to wrap and loads of cards to write

and i mean LOTS! i have a massive family and it literally took me about 6 hours (with breaks, lots of them) to wrap all the gifts!

my wrapping skills aren't that great but i try my best! 

i make a hell of a lot of mess as well when i wrap stuff... as you can see!

but my macbook kept me company the whole time playing a constant stream of lovely Christmas songs for me to sing along VERRRY loudly to as i wrapped

i didn't have half as much stuff to wrap as my mum did though! i popped into the Dining Room (aka Present HQ) to ask for some ribbon and the entire room was filled with presents!

the table was full and the rest were all bagged up, ready to go to Coventry tomorrow...

i'm so excited to be going away though! i haven't left the island since early September for the wedding in Montenegro (read about that here - Montenegro Times) so it'll be nice to get away for a few days

i packed my case earlier this evening, thought i'd share this snap with you...

good to see i'm getting my priorities right?! 

only joking... yes the Zombieland DVD is for me to watch at the hotel but the Mika DVD's are for my sister to lend 

contrary to popular belief i don't take them everywhere with me... honest!

my big sister is a Mika fan as well and she's never seen him live so i thought she'd like to see these

i can't WAIT to go away!!!!!

i'm hoping to do a few posts while i'm away as well, my macbook is coming with me and i'm pretty sure the hotel we're going to has wi-fi available = good times!

plus... on Tuesday i'm spending the day in Birmingham City Centre with my mum and my Auntie and i CANNOT WAIT!!!!

several reasons why i'm so excited about the day trip and the places i plan to visit...

1: i LOVE Birmingham

2: the Bullring Shopping centre... complete with Selfridges

3: Harvey Nichols in 'the Mailbox' building

4: the Christmas Markets in Victoria Square

5: the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

6: Birmingham = awesomeness

that's about it i guess, oh AND 

i go on the 23rd and that just so happens to be the day that the latest H&M collection is launched!

that's right... the Lanvin collaboration (fangirl squeal) 

yay yay yay

i'll probably come back 'Lanvin-less' due to the hordes of people cramming into H&M but a girl can dream right?!

i'm already in love with most of the pieces in the collection but i have my eye on this dress in particular... 

although after spending £90 on my plane ticket home the chances of me getting this dress are now very slim indeed! 

saying that, i'd quite like one of these handbags as well... or both of them!

and maybe some of the shoes as well...

OH MY GOD it's going to be a nightmare!

i want it ALL but i can probably only afford one or two pieces tops!

i may have to BEG for some Lanvin-esque thing for Christmas but i doubt i'll even be able to get near the shop let alone get my hands on some stuff!

i've just looked it up on the H&M website (HERE) and apparently the Bullring branch of H&M will be open from 9:00am til 8:00pm so... maybe i can sneak back in in the evening and fight off some other Lanvin lovers to claim a piece!

sharpen your elbows girls...

to be honest though i'd rather come home penniless and laden with Lanvin loveliness that to get home empty handed!

why WHY Lanvin... why must you create such beautiful dresses!

Alber Elbaz you have a LOT to answer for do you hear me! i don't care if you're best friends with Mika, your designs are so pretty it's almost criminal!!!

end of rant

* * *

in other news...

look what arrived today all the way from Austin, Texas!!!

that's right folks... it's the ORIGINAL copy of my 'free crappy portrait'

the lovely and utterly super duper and fabulous Anne Genung who created the masterpiece 'Bluebird Cupcakes' based on a photo of me having a baking day 

(for more info check out the Baking Times post) 

anyway she got in touch with me after i posted all about the genius of the FCP site (read the 'my free crappy portrait' post and all shall be explained) and kindly offered to send me the original copy of the drawing!!!

how could i refuse!

i couldn't...

anyway it arrived today in a tube with a little note off Anne 

how awesome is that!

i can't believe she sent it to me! i am so soooo grateful i really am!

in light of that, here is an utterly shameless plug for Anne's gorgeous website

Anne Genung

seriously... check it out, her artwork is amazing! her paintings are so beautiful, really stunning work!

also Anne has a super blog full of arty fun times and she even did a post all about MY blog post about the FCP... how fabulous!

she said this about my post

"Isn't that just the loveliest response ever? I should draw more crappy portraits. And I do hope that she appreciates having the original."

well Anne i can tell you that i DO appreciate it

i LOVE it!

you can check out her blog here and scroll down to see the post about my FCP - Anjanung

so thank you Anne, you are officially AWESOME!!!

* * *

and that's it for today i think, sorry for the rantings and the ravings, can't be helped...

so tomorrow morning i get the boat to Liverpool then it's off to Coventry

i'll be posting tomorrow evening probably, i'm so SO excited about the hotel we're staying at so i will DEFINITELY want to share this one with you all!

see you then

that's all folks...

◕‿◕ ★ xX

'vielen dank und auf wiedersehen'

(that's thank you and goodbye in German, big thanks to all those German people out there checking out my blog, danke ♥)