In the name of the Moon...

Hello dearhearts, here I am, back again. And guess what, today's post is going to be about a drawing that I did! That's right, I ACTUALLY drew something!

But not just anything, oh no... I drew something so candy coloured and eye achingly sweet that it deserved its very own blog post.

I drew...

SAILOR MOON!

But obviously I drew her as if she were one of my Candy Doll girls, so she's totally fierce, looking fresh to death in her kick-ass uniform and is utterly slathered in tattoos!

Sailor Moon is the ultimate Magical Girl so i'm pretty sure that it was only a matter of time until i felt compelled to draw her. I guess it was sooner rather than later though.
 

 I'm not going to pretend that I didn't have absolute HEAPS of fun working on this piece. I spent so long working on it in fact that I started to neglect other things, so had to give it a break for a day or two.

Initially I was just going to draw her without any tattoos or anything but then I thought... nah! That's not as much fun. To me anyway. So I suppose she's a kind of 'Girl Gang' version of Sailor Moon, hence the shredded gloves to show off the inked arms!

I sat down one day about a fortnight ago and thought 'hhm, I want to draw Sailor Moon'. So this was the result. It's hard to tell without zooming way in on the illustration but every single one of the tattoos is linked to 'Sailor Moon' in some way. You'd have to be a fan of the show and the characters to spot them all, but they're there.

For those of you not familiar with the magic that is Sailor Moon, it's a Japanese creation, originally a Manga first produced in 1992. However my first experience of the world of Sailor Moon came from the Animated series from the mid 90's.

Sailor Moon was probably the first anime I ever saw as a kid, in fact I first saw the cartoons in Spanish during my annual visits to Andorra. I didn't have a clue what the characters were saying (at that point I was years away from even starting Spanish language lessons) but I would sit enraptured, glued to the grainy TV watching the adventures of Usagi and co + their senshi counterparts unfold on the screen before me.

I remember later visiting a toy shop in Andorra and spotting a bunch of 'Sailor Moon' dolls. Back then I was obsessed with any dolls that had brown hair and green eyes (the closest to my own hair and eye colour) so it goes without saying that my favourite Sailor Soldier back then was Sailor Jupiter (in fact, I might have to draw her as well at some point).

She even had green in her uniform and back then, aged nine-and-a-half, green was my absolute favourite colour ever, so show me a doll with brown hair (and a fringe/bangs not too disimilar to my own) green eyes AND a green skirt and well... lets just say my parents had difficulty dragging me away from the shop that day.

I look at them now and wonder what I was thinking, but at the time I was desperate for one (or several). I'm sad to say that I never got the doll. Or in fact ANY 'Sailor Moon' doll. I feel that my late 90's childhood self definitely missed out on swathing her bedroom with Sailor Moon merch. But alas, until I build my time machine, that'll never change.

So instead, my twenty-three-year-old self got this.

Yes. I bought another toy to add to the collection crammed onto my desk. BUT HOW COULD I NOT?! Don't answer that. I don't need you to judge me, I can do that all by myself.

Ignore the blu-tack shoes, but look she also comes with swappable faces (not creepy) and hands and wands and stuff! She is actually brilliant.

Sailor Moon herself + a little Luna as well (Luna is the cat, in case you didn't know. And honestly if you didn't know, you should just go and educate yourself and watch Sailor Moon already. Go on then!)

I had to get her. I mean, I just had to, you know. Look at how badass she is! She'll beat you up if you mess with her!  

Fighting Evil by Moonlight, winning Love by Daylight, never running from a real fight! (that's the theme song by the way i've not just gone barmy, not completely anyway). 

For now she's perched on the desk (on top of my Washi tape collection) along with all the other funky stuff that seems to be gathering around me day by day, you might be able to spot her if you look carefully...

Back to the illustration for a moment though, in case you were wondering 'why now?' it was massively inspired by the Moon Crisis show, which is this totally brilliant tribute art show about to launch in Anaheim, CA (on Saturday). I've been keeping up to date with all of the new pieces via their instagram profile and if you want to see some truly BRILLIANT Sailor Moon inspired art then i definitely encourage you to go have a look (here).

Sadly I found out about it way too late to submit a piece but i'm excited to see the full collection once it's open to the public, not that i'll make it out to Anaheim myself of course, but i'm hoping lots of photos will be posted on their facebook page. + if they decide to do another show next year i'll definitely try my best to get a piece entered for consideration.

Also, my timing isn't a coincidence, very exciting things are afoot because on July 5th a BRAND NEW anime series of Sailor Moon is due to begin! (cue extreme fangirling), this is a HUGE deal, like a really massive deal. Okay i'll shut up and pop the trailer below.



and on that magical note, i'll say my goodbyes.

so until next time, cheerio folks!


ps - what's also exciting is that fact that EatSleepDraw one of my favourite Tumblr art blogs featured my Sailor Moon candy doll this morning on their site! So this really seemed like the perfect day to run this blog post!

pps - totally forgot to mention it above but you can also get prints and bags and phone cases and stuff with my Sailor Moon fan art on, check the stuff out here and here.

Elephants and Everything Else ★

greetings dear readers from a rather chilly and wintery Isle of Man.

yesterday i spent the afternoon with my friend Jenny and i remembered that i completely forgot to show you all what i made her for her 20th Birthday last week!

i couldn't think of anything to get Jenny but i know she really likes elephants so i had a go at stitching up a little plushie elephant for her

so i'd like you all to meet Ethel the Elephant! isn't she a cutie! it was so much fun to make her, it's been ages since i've made any plushies and i think this is one of the biggest things i've ever made (she's about 30x18cm)

Jenny seemed to like her anyway, which is what counts i guess!

* * *

so yesterday was my last day at college before half-term and in the afternoon Jenny came to collect me and we whizzed off to Tynwald for a little mooch around the shops and the gallery

as a sort of end of term treat i got this little cutie to add to my mini Momiji collection

she's from the 2010 'book lovers' collection by illustrator Luli Bunny, and i just couldn't resist!

she fits in perfectly with the momiji girls i have already

* * *

it seems that yesterday was a day of treats because when i got home i found a lovely little parcel waiting for me from the Isle of Man Soap Company

firstly... i couldn't get over how adorable the packaging was! so sooo cute! i'd ordered a cherry lipbalm and an apple martini soap and they arrived all wrapped up in pretty tissue paper inside a funky metallic green jiffy mailer

i haven't opened the soap yet but i can't stop using the cherry lipbalm! it's so moisturizing i just love it

the Isle of Man Soap Company is a fabulous local business run by the equally as fabulous Irene, she hand-makes the most glorious goodies using the finest ingredients and her own individual fragrance collections unique to the IOM Soap Co

some of the goodies available include: soaps, candles, soft soap body polish, bubble dust, bath salts, cold process soap, lipbalms, bath bon-bons 

and my personal favourites... the cupcake bathbombs!

they truly do look good enough to eat, but are a treat for your skin, not for your tastebuds!

for more info + to check out the full ranges on offer, you can check out the website and online shop right here - Isle of Man Soap Company

* * *

yesterday i also had to mail out a postcard ordered from my Etsy shop. i realised that i don't really explain my packaging very well and that unless you've ordered something from me in the past you don't really know what to expect

very simply, i post all postcards out in special 'do not bend' print mailers + every postcard comes in a protective cello sleeve along with a complimentary 'JADE' postcard and a Sugar Skull sticker, all bundled in a sweetie bag before being popped in the envelope and posted off to wherever

anyway, just thought i'd share that little snippet of info with you all. you can see all of my postcard designs available in my shop here - Jade's Etsy Shop

* * *

nothing more to report on for now, i've a week off from college full of research and drawing ahead of me 

you still have just over 4 days left to enter the 'Blog Birthday Giveaway'

in case you missed the last post, i'm giving away a stack of super duper cute goodies to celebrate my blogs 3rd Birthday/Anniversay...... Blogiversary this month!

to find out how YOU can enter to win some prizes head on over to the Giveaway post here - Blog Birthday Giveaway 2012

i'm picking 3 winners this year as well so you never know... you might just be one of them!!!

so get entering! and until next time, that's all folks...  

◕‿◕ ★ xX

Moustaches and Matryoshkas ★

so i've had a fun day at college today, local artist/menace Juan Moore came in to teach us HNDers all about Book Binding and what not and by the end of the class we'd all successfully made our own little hardback postcard books!

genius stuff, even if mine did turn out so wobbly and messed up (damn PVA...) that i can't possibly show you a picture! it was a joyous afternoon regardless

also... i've been wearing my new Moustache necklace all day!

since it's Movember, and because i just hate to be left out of anything, i stitched this little beauty together yesterday afternoon at college and have pretty much had it on ever since! 

+ today i also wore my awesome Bow Tire necklace (from Plastic Bat) so it was double hit of coolness for sure!

i attached it to a small ball-link chain so that i can wear it ALL THE TIME! it's hand free you see... i'm not holding it up here, i was attempting (and failing...) to fix my hair! here's the finished necklace being modeled by my little teapot (a teapot that i actually made in my first year of college... yes really!)

because Movember is the perfect time to sport a fancy moustache and i don't see why boys should get to have all the moustache fun!

* * *

also...

look at what arrived today in the post!!!

really awesome and groovy Matryoshka prints! yes indeedy. 

each print measures 6x8" and comes with a one inch border in white meaning the final size is 7x9". sadly, they DON'T come mounted and cello wrapped... 

only one is mounted/wrapped and that's because it's going to be an xmas gift for a family member of mine. if you ABSOLUTELY one want mounted/wrapped, email me and i'll see what i can do.

this is a limited run of just 10 gorgeous quality Giclée prints featuring my little Matryoshka design + each one is numbered, signed and stamped on the back, printed on premium grade 308gsm Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Paper . un-framed

and who knows... they might be worth something one day ;)

to get yours or to treat someone else to one (for xmas maybe...) head on over to my Etsy shop - Jade's Shop

all prints will be tissue wrapped and sent out in hardened cardboard envelopes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. 

* * *

another lovely thing arrived in the post today as well, a super duper postcard + 3 lovely stickers from the very fabulous Harriet Gray

i'm a huge fan of Harriet's work so i was delighted when i found out i'd won a little mini lucky dip giveaway on her blog. 

her work is just divine! to see more of it, be sure to visit her website here - Harriet Gray

* * *

in other news, believe it or not but this year at college i actually have a logbook! (gasp... shock horror!) here it is in all it's fabulous stickery glory...

to be honest i'm still not all that great at the actual content but it sure is colourful this year!

and i am trying... honestly!

that's just a sneak peek for now anyway, there's just under 30 pages filled in so far... a long way to go now though!

* * *

and that's it i think! tomorrow i'm heading in to town to collect my little cousin Sienna for a day of Xmas shopping... + i need to gather some more items to go into the Xmas giveaway bundle for the grand Christmas Giveaway Extravaganza... coming soon!

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

Coventry Times ★

phew! it's been a busy few days, trying to get everything sorted for going away + finishing off some commissions and stuff

i haven't slept properly since yesterday morning when i woke up... i always seem to stay awake 24hrs when i'm about to catch a boat anywhere... so i'm a little highly strung at the moment, to say the least

anyway, we (myself + my dear mama) finally made it to Coventry late this afternoon, it's been miserable weather lately but there was a colourful welcome waiting for us as we reached our destination

the picture really doesn't do it justice, it was such an incredible rainbow! a double one, and the arcs reached right back into 2 full rainbows, brilliant stuff!

i also have 2 new drawing things to share with you

i got bored in the small hours of this morning while a big thunder/lightning storm raged outside and so i drew some little Kokeshi dolls...

i also wanted to do something with my Matryoshka dolls but i'm not too sure of the result...

i think i prefer them by themselves!

other than that there's also the first in a series of 'possible' xmas card designs

i started the drawings for them all back in August just after i got back from my trip to Ireland, but despite listening to my 'Christmas Music' playlist on repeat all day, i just couldn't really get into the festive spirit so i abandoned them!

i'm attempting to take them up again now but i may end up leaving it, not sure yet!

* * *

oh oh AND when i arrived in Coventry i found an email waiting for me directing me to a nice little feature of my work from 'The Young Creatives'

Meet 20-year-old freelancerJADE BOYLAN.

When she’s not illsustrating/blogging/writing/designing, Jade can be found reading/baking/collecting/watching Formula 1. ‘I kind of suck at proper hobbies,’ she says although we could not disagree more.

Jade spends most of her money buying books. ‘When I’m not buying or reading books, I’ll probably be drawing, watching movies, or writing books of my own! Books, books, books!’

Oh, and one last thing: she just can’t STAND celery...

these are just the images from it, the actual interview bit was v fun to do, you can see the full feature + read it all here - TYC

* * *

right and i think that's it for now, tonight i plan to sit in my hotel room and sleep... lots! 

tomorrow i think i'm off to see my big sister + my nieces and nephew so that should be suuuuper!

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