Gifts and Goodies ★

so today i worked on some new stuff at college + managed to decorate most of my desk board (photos tomorrow) 

and then after college i popped to Just Enough in Laxey (you can read more about this amazing shop here - Just Enough) to pick up some haberdashery bits

the very lovely and super duper Justine was there and as we got chatting i noticed that the absolutely gooooorgeous little Betty Boop figurines she stocks, were in the sale!!!!

i am a MASSIVE Betty Boop fan/collector, my room is full of Betty stuff (and i used to wear Betty Boop t-shirts/pyjamas/socks/handbags etc aaaalll the time when i was younger!) so i always have a look at the Betty stuff in Just Enough every time i visit

however... today i couldn't resist treating myself to a lovely little Diner Girl figurine!

isn't she divine! aaaaahhh i love it! not sure where i'll fit it in my room full of stuff but i'm sure i'll find a spot for her! you can see her here with one of her 'sisters' a lovely Betty Boop statuette (that my sister Nicola got me for my thirteenth birthday!!!)

while i was in the shop i also spotted this gorrrgeous polka dot apron (made by Justine herself) and knew i'd have to have it as well! 

it's just so pretty and ruffled and that darling ric-rac trimmed heart pocket... so cute!

we all know what a sucker i am for red and white polka dots!!! i couldn't resist... and i know, i know... i already have two lovely cooking aprons (including the gorgeous polka dot one my friend Charlotte got me for Xmas last year, see below ) but i just HAD to have this one as well!!!

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anyway, once i got home it turned out there was an even bigger treat waiting for me!!!

my darling, wonderful, amazing Godmother Kath had sent me a little surprise...

a brand new Gucci Indy handbag!!! (squueeeeeeeeeeeee)

it is soooo beautiful!!! i love love LOVE it!

golly gosh she spoils me so much... 

those of you that follow the blog may remember the other Gucci Indy handbag she gave me on my last day of Summer term at college (read more here - Freedom at Last)

well i spent the whole summer with that bag on my arm so it looks like i'll be spending the Autumn/Winter using this new one!!!

this now brings my 'super duper bag' count to four! 

two Chloé Paddington's and two Gucci Indy's

oh what a lucky duck i am!

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in other news, i've been sewing stuff lately but i'll tell you all about that tomorrow! promise...

oh and i also set up a BRAND NEW deviantART page so if you're on DA be sure to go ahead and add me, i'll add you back of course! there aren't that many illustrations on there yet what with it being NEW and all but add me anyway you creative types- Jade Boylan on deviantART

right then, back tomorrow! so until then, that's all folks... ◕‿◕ ★ xX

★ ♥ Sweet Ginger ♥ ★

i know i KNOW i said i'd post last night but i didn't get home until 7ish and i was very tired, had a bad headache and was hungry so i just decided not to blog . . .

but that doesn't matter because i'm blogging NOW!

so at long last (and in case you hadn't already guessed) my handmade stuff + arty bits are being stocked in a gorrrgeous new shop here on the Isle of Man

for the past few weeks i've been sewing my arrrse off trying to make a bunch of necklaces in time for the shops Grand Opening . . . which was yesterday afternoon

the shop is called 'Sweet Ginger Emporium' and i'm not gonna lie... it's one of the coolest most colourful and generally awesome shops i've ever been in! 

i mean look . . . they sell buttons from jars like you're getting a bag of sweets!!! what's not to love! (+ check out that awesome Rob Ryan bunting)

it's like a retro/vintage haberdashery shop with loads of funky modern twists + it stocks all manner of incredible haberdashery goodies including gorrrrgeous fabrics and materials, criminally cute buttons, amazing ribbons 

+ they sell super duper DIY crafters kits, like the 'Pepe et Sophie Lapin' one they gave me to test out . . .

as you can see above, there's Pepe (patiently awaiting Sophie to join him) next to some of the awesome felt making kits + tapestry kits

the shop also stocks the most adorable embroidery and sewing stuff, like the French brand 'Maison Sajou' which was founded in 1828 and has the most beautiful old fashioned packaging

not to mention that Sweet Ginger is one of only 2 shops in the UK to stock Emily Peacock tapestry kits 

the only other shop selling them being Liberty of London . . .

apart from that though it just has this really great vibe, they stock all this sumptuous fabric and ribbon from India + the most wonderful patterned fabrics

+ there are all these amazing handmade garments, bags and accessories dotted around the shop

it's a veritable treasure trove of eccentric accessories and cute little gifts + everything you could ever want/need to have a go at making your own stuff

i mean look at these pretty bags! 

and these cute head bands 

they also stock all these really cute handmade bits and pieces from Curious Key (aka Danielle Stowell) 

their maker shelves are one of the first things you see when you walk in the door . . .

oh and what's that along the top row. . . could it be?! MY STUFF

it sure is folks . . . it sure is!

i spent a good hour and a half yesterday morning just setting it all up and trying to make it a little candy coloured corner of fun

now there are certain items here that are 'by order only' (like the dolls, the lollipops and the fawns) so technically not everything is on sale but all of the necklaces are + the postcards and the greetings cards and who knows. . . maybe even soon the little canvases as well

and that's that really, i couldn't get pictures of everything yesterday morning because i had to leave in a hurry and i couldn't get pictures at the opening yesterday afternoon because it was just sooooo busy!

right, for those of you that live local, the shop is at 68a Parliament Street, Ramsey and if you like shops like 'Just Enough', 'the Tide' and 'Abode' then you'll love this. . . get yourselves there asap!

anyway, for more info on the shop go ahead and 'Like' the Facebook Page - Sweet Ginger Emporium

or feel free to follow the shop via Twitter - @SweetGingerShop

+ massive thanks to the lovely Ciara and Julie for asking me to be a part of it all in the first place xX

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in other news . . . 

it's the first time in weeks that i haven't absolutely HAD to spend every waking moment sewing stuff and i'm struggling to cope! well . . . not really

i'm attempting to finish my college essay today (in between episodes of 'Supernatural' + copious amounts of strawberry milk) and i'm still getting over the fact that my hands and fingers aren't sore for once!

hhhm perhaps i'm a little bit addicted to sewing though! i wonder what i could make next?!

also in other news, i woke up this morning to find a super duper awesome thing

the artist/illustrator/designer and all round general genius Mr Jon Burgerman (who some of you may know i am a huuuuge fan of) recently started a group on facebook in which you can submit a photo of yourself which, if he gets time, he will do a little drawing of it

well myself + two of my college friends, Kyren and Jeni are all big BIG fans of Jon's work so we all submitted photos of ourselves to be 'Burgered' and at last . . . he drew us!!!

here's Kyren's

here's Jeni's

and here's mine . . .

aren't they great! i think they are completely and utterly hilarious!!! yet still totally awesome! even if he did make my eyes brown . . . they're green Jon GREEN!!!

to get 'Burgered' yourself, request to join the group here - Burgered

and to check out some of Jon's awesome art, head over to his website - Burgerplex

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pretty sure that's all for today, ah well if i've forgotten anything i'll add it tomorrow or another day!

that's all folks . . . ◕‿◕ ★

ps - i'm in the mood for another little giveaway, head on over to the Facebook page now and check out the poll i made, who knows . . . i might just have to giveaway some cute goodies again soon!

Terrific Tuesday ★

so i vanished for a few days again didn't I . . .

I'm really sorry I've just been pretty busy with sewing stuff + i got a new logo commission the other day that I've been working on + yesterday my big sister and her boyfriend came round to show us their holiday snaps from their 9 week 'around the world adventure' (of which i am insanely jealous!)

but that's no excuse for me to abandon you all i know so . . . "I'm sorry"

moving on

today is a Tuesday hence today's blog title . . . just in case you were wondering!

maybe i should theme all the days of the week?!

we could have 'Marvellous Monday', 'Terrific Tuesday', 'Wonderful Wednesday', 'Tremendous Thursday', 'Fabulous Friday', 'Splendid Saturday' and 'Super Sunday'

ok maybe not! (maybe i should shut up and write this post huh!)

anyway I've been hiding in my room for a few days sewing and THIS is what I've been making

here we have a little toadstool charm, a sprinkles covered ice cream charm + a bright little Bauhaus coloured Owl charm (you can take the girl out of the library but she'll always be an Art History nerd I'm afraid!!!)

these are part of the little handmade felt charm series i seem to be working on aaaaaall the time!

 here they all are hanging on my mirror (just ignore the psychedelic mess of stuff on my walls in the reflection)

so what else?! well this afternoon i popped into Ramsey for a 'sort of but not quite' business meeting (it's for the hush hush thing that i can't tell you about yet) 

anyway the 'meeting' was great, i think i'm meeting the super duper girly behind it all again tomorrow for another meeting type thing in the Alpine where we will probably end up eating cakes and talking about buttons such is our shared love for all things haberdashery related . . .

speaking of haberdashery, look at the gorrrrgeous ribbons i got today in Ramsey

aren't they divine! i just loved the colours, couldn't resist

i also got a little pack of felt sheets since you know . . . you can never have too much felt!

this is to add to the ever growing stack of felt i have on my desk

ah . . . felt glorious felt!

oh while i was in Ramsey i bumped into my old friend Jeni from College as well, she's studying for a BA in design at University in Liverpool, check out her arty blog here - Jeni Grose

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in other news . . .

i just HAD to share this with you!

look at the view outside my bedroom window at the moment

so looking past my garland of handmade origami cranes, my Manx Fairy charm + my bamboo wind chime and can you see that gorgeous cherry blossom tree!!!

most of the cherry blossom i've seen out around the island is beginning to flutter to the ground now leaving swirls of pink confetti-like petals on the pavements and roads but our tree is just coming into its blossom

isn't it pretty! every morning i open my curtains and it makes me smile to see those pretty pink petals brightening up the garden

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right so nothing else to report on . . . i think!

tonight i need to draw stuff for this new commission + whip up a new polka dot pinup girl illustration for aforementioned super secret business type thing

so I'll bid you adieu my dears, until next time

that's all folks ◕‿◕ ★ xX