Goodbye Summer Giveaway

hello dearhearts! it's that time again, at long last, i'm finally running another little giveaway here on the blog! (pause for cheering and applause...)

now i know what you're all thinking, "Jade, shut up and tell us WHAT WE CAN WIN!!!"

well you don't need to shout! just give me a chance and i'll tell you!

here it is then, here's the bundle of lovely goodies i picked up during my recent trip to Ireland + a few extra bits n'bobs

pretty tasty right! you bet it is, i'll actually be v jealous of whoever wins this stack of cuteness! maybe i should keep it all for myself!!! (*evil laugh*). nah, i wouldn't do that...

allow me to break it down for you then, first up we have a trés adorable apple watch necklace on a peachy chain. yes, of course the watch really works, however it hasn't been started yet to make sure it's battery will last for the winner!

there's also a v sweet set of post earrings, perfect for the imminent Autumn + a cute summery anklet (just because it's the end of Summer doesn't mean you can't still wear a little bit of it around your ankle!) and a v pretty Hummingbird ring

there's a funky handmade 'ugly doll' type keyring charm, because you can never have too many quirky keyrings, FACT!

and a cute star bow headband + a pretty purple hair-bow clip

then there's the frankly AMAZING owl shaped strawberry lipbalm... yes, it really is owl shaped!!! really!

see!!!

 what else?! well there are some fun tutti cuti kawaii stickers + a set of fun emoticon page tabs (ideal for marking out early Christmas Gifts + for dropping major hints about gifts you would like to receive)

AND a cute Fluff luggage tag (perfect for jazzing up your suitcase) + a sweet Hello Kitty pencil (because lets face it, who doesn't like a bit of Hello Kitty!)

there's also some of my own merch stuff, two sugary sweet postcards + a cupcake pocket mirror and a cupcake badge

+ a Sugar Skull circle sticker to stick on your fridge or your laptop or your face or whatever...

and that's the prize bundle! some very luuuurvely goodies there, i'm sure you'll agree. apologies for the dire quality of the pictures but then you all know how much my camera sucks!!!

right so, enough of the rambling times, let's get to to important part, how YOU can try and get your hands on the prizes!

oh and as always, the giveaway is open to entries from anywhere in the world, seriously, don't fret about postage or anything, that's my concern not yours, if you want to try and win some stuff then go ahead and enter, doesn't matter where you live!

right then, there are lots of ways you can enter + the more entries you get = more chances of winning (yay!)

you just have to click the options on the giveaway form at the end of this post.

firstly, if you don't already follow this blog (and if you don't then why NOT?! explain yourself...) go ahead and click Follow, that's two entries already!

leave me a comment, that's one entry

then you can 'Like' my facebook page, that's another two entries

you can Follow me on twitter = two more entries

and tweet about the giveaway = another one

(if you already Like/Follow me etc, just fill in the form accordingly, but beware... if you DON'T really follow/like my pages, i can check and i will DEDUCT entries if you're fibbing!) 

the giveaway will run until midnight (UK time) on Friday 14th September and i'll email the winner over the weekend.

that's it, that's all you need to know, so what are you waiting for!!! GET THOSE ENTRIES IN!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


+ until next time, that's all folks... xX

cake, commissions, cases and coding ★

so as i mentioned in my post on Sunday, i've spent the past few days working busily on various commissions for clients across in the UK, there've been logo/banner designs for a cupcake business, CD and book cover designs for a meditative training centre as well as a few new flyer designs for various vintage festivals/shows around the country

busy busy busy

and STILL no proper start on any college work :O

for the first time in my life i think i'm going to have to stop accepting new commissions! something i thought i'd never ever do

sad times :(

anyway, in the midst of all my editing/business meetings over the phone/drawing today, i popped up the hill to check to postbox and was delighted to see that my little prize had arrived from my friend Laura at 'I Love Crafty'

she ran a little giveaway on her blog and i was one of the runners up so i won a super duper cute pair of battenberg bow earrings!

and they arrived in the cutest, teeniest little package ever!

and had a cute mini packet of love hearts all wrapped up with them!

so lovely! i love little surprise parcels like that! i mean i knew i'd won the earrings but i'd sort of forgotten about them being posted out, so busy i forgot i'd won a prize! geez louise!!!

anyway, I Love Crafty is the most AMAZING shop in Bristol over in the UK, sadly i've never been to it myself but i love seeing snaps and vids of it on Laura's blog/site/facebook page

it looks absolutely divine! and i really REALLY hope i get to visit it one day and meet Laura in person! oh lord i can just imagine, it will be the longest shop post ever... i'll just want to snap so many photos of such an incredible store!!!

luckily though, Laura also sells lots of lovely handmade crafty and kawaii type things online as well, so even if you can't make it to the actual shop, you can still treat yourself (or someone else!) to something super duper cute and sweet!

like i said hopefully one day i'll get to go myself so i'll do a MAHOOOSIVE feature about the shop then (i sooo will!) but in the meantime i recommend that you check out the awesome ILC website here - I Love Crafty

you can also 'Like' the shop via facebook - I Love Crafty

and follow Laura on twitter for updates and info about the shop + all her crafty/arty goings on - @ilovecrafty

so thanks again to the v lovely Laura for sending me the divine little earrings! :)

(cute pictures here via I Love Crafty ©)

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in other news, i found out this morning that red bubble have just started selling iPhone covers featuring members artwork/designs

i already sell iPhone covers and skins via Society6 (you can see them all here - Jade's iPhone covers)

but i've a few different designs available via red bubble now, here's the full range so far...

my red bubble shop is here - Jade's Red Bubble shop

 oh and fyi i don't set the prices, if i did... they'd be a lot lower! ;)

ps - and all of the designs there are also available as stickers + printed on t-shirts, hoodies and baby onesies.

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apart from all that i've not really much else to share, maybe because i haven't been out of the house (other than to check the postbox) since last Friday!

oh AND i also spent a good 2 hours last night getting a crash course in web coding

now before you snigger, i've been able to (v basically) code stuff for my blog and my tumblr for years but as far as i was concerned, my website existed via magic and witchcraft, maybe a bit of fairy dust...

however my Jedi Master (aka Richard my web designer pal) has now taught me everything i needed to know to update the site + add images etc

it was mind bogglingly insane and complicated but 100% worth the epic coding headache!

right, back to college for me tomorrow, i think the plan is to get some printing done (if myself or Jennie remember how to do it!) so who knows, i might have some cool stuff to post about tomorrow!

then again maybe not!

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

Creative Café #7 ★

hello dudes and dudettes! once again i've failed to post for a few days but i have a good reason, well. . . several actually!

but i'll tell you them later because now it's time for yet another Creative Café post!!!

i've been looking forward to this one for a while actually because i absolutely LOVE this artists work!

ok go go go get your tea or coffee or nice glass of ice cold water, grab a cookie or a cupcake and settle down for some super duper colourful artwork

today it's all about the truly fabulous Madi Barrett aka Madi Illustration

now if i remember correctly i first discovered Madi's work through Twitter sometime last year, as a fan of picture book illustration in general i immediately liked her work and the more i see of it now the more i love it!

Madi is a British artist and illustrator. she uses this amazing mixed media method to create her pieces combining basic collage with

cut up fabric and paper + hand drawn elements and typography

the result is this sweet, quirky, whimsical mix of texture, colour and detail that really makes her work intriguing not to mention instantly appealing to people, myself included

ok you know what happens now, this is the part where i shut up and let you enjoy her work by yourself without my incessant jabbering and rambling about how much i love it all (but i do!!!!!) 

to start off, check out Madi's adorable monsters. . .

they are scary cute! but talking of cute, wait until you see Madi's super duper sweet picture book 'I'm a little bit scared of. . .' (available to buy here - picture book) 

aaah it's so lovely! as is the gorgeous Fashion Illustration Madi does for Amelia's Magazine . . .

so sooooo pretty! Madi also sells cute stuff in her etsy shop including: prints, postcards, pocket mirrors, earrings, brooches, copies of her picture book and greetings cards

her typography work is also sublime, see for yourself . . .

so there you have it! obviously she has loooooooooads more stuff but i can only pack this post with so much!

right. . . links time!

to see her full portfolio + check out the rest of 'I'm a little bit scared of. . .' (before you buy yourself a copy!) head on over the Madi's lovely website - Madi Illustration

or if you fancy treating yourself to a little brooch, pocket mirror or greetings card, check out her etsy shop - madiillustration

you can also 'Like' her work on Facebook - Madi Illustration

and follow her on Twitter - @madiillustrates

check out her blog for more info about her work - Madi Illustration.

or her Flickr photostream for more awesome artwork pics - madiillustration

of course, big big biiiiig thanks go to the lovely Madi for letting me feature her work! she is totally 'fab' :)

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

* * *

not much else for today my dears!

i've spent the day walking and running about in the garden + dancing and boogieing to 'just dance' on the Wii

must be the nice weather! it's making me all bouncy and energetic, might as well make the most of it!

oh and by the way, the reason i haven't posted until now is because on Thursday afternoon my friend Jenny came to collect me from college and we had a lovely skeet round all the little shops in Ramsey (including Sweet Ginger of course!) before watching a bajillion episodes of Family Guy and Adventure Time on my laptop

then on Friday i went round to my friend Courtney's apartment for a girly tea party with a bunch of our friends, we all made cupcakes, cookies, homemade fudge and other yummy things to take and drank yummy rose lemonade from pretty china teacups, it was super duper fun + great to catch up with some of my old friends from high school

and on Saturday i had a business meeting at my house before spending the afternoon in town with my cousin Mandy + my little cousin Sienna

phew! busy few days for me! and tomorrow i have to be in college. . .

and so begins another week!

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