Xmas Wish List 2015 ★

hello darlings, yes it's almost that time of year again, it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. So here's a post featuring some of the delectable treats that i'd love to find under the Christmas tree this year.

As per usual, there's a mix of reasonable (aka affordable) gifts along with some more unattainable (aka super expensive) ones because it's Christmas and I'm allowed to dream! I've also included some of my favourite arty online sellers because Christmas is the perfect time to support small businesses.

You might see something and think 'ooh that's perfect for...' but let me tell you, ALL of the things on the list are perfect for me, I'm just saying!

So Santa Baby if you're reading this, please take note! Because this year I've been an awful good girl...

1. a retro style enamel pin from Hand Over Your Fairy Cakes

I love love LOVE the work of Hand Over Your Fairy Cakes, aka Sally. She always uses lots of fun and bright colours in her work (and we all know how I feel about anything bright and colourful!) and her designs are so cute, I love everything she creates.

I've been lusting after one of her kitschy cute enamel pins for a while now and if you think you'd like one too, you can find them HERE along with all sorts of other cute bits n' bobs!

EDIT: ok so after I started writing this post I actually kind of TREATED myself to the roller skate pin anyway... so I should probably take this one off the list but I'm NOT going to because Sally's work is just so nice. My blog, my rules. On with the list.

2. a Boy Tears cup from Sugar Luxe Shop

if you're a regular reader then you'll know by now that i'm ALL ABOUT the whole Girl Gang and Girl Power thing (you only have to look at my artwork to be able to see it) so this year I would LOVE to add one of these brilliant cups or mugs to my life. I mean, what else am I supposed to drink all the fresh boy tears out of?!

cups and mugs + LOADS of other Girl Gang goodies available HERE

3. A pair of 'my little biker' boots in black from Minna Parikka 

you only need to look at these boots to be able to see why I might want them so badly! Despite using every shade of the rainbow in my work, I rarely dress in any other colour than black or dark blue/red so these boots are PERFECT for me as they combine my love of candy coloured embroidery AND comfortable, functional boots. + you know they'd match my Girl Gang vest perfectly.

They're a little on the pricey side, but you can find them HERE

4. A cute zipper pouch from Danny Brito

I'm a big fan of Danny Brito's work (his instagram feed is always very colourful) and I just love these little handmade zipper pouches! I'd really like one for my handbag, or you know, several... for every handbag.

Anyway, there are loads of different designs to choose from + his shop is filled with other brilliant stuff, available HERE

5. a set of Literary Paper Dolls from Waterstones

yeah, yeah I know... I'm a big geek! But so what. Last year I had a few Poe inspired items on the wish list so it seems only fair that I add something similar this year. This set has 16 different authors including Edgar Allan Poe, Jane Austen and William Shakespeare.  I keep seeing these in my local Waterstones and I REALLY want them!

Why? well because I LOVE paper dolls and I LOVE books so obviously I'm going to want these. Available HERE

6. A Bernie Dexter Paris Dress 

I really really really REALLY like this dress. I saw it in the Summer in Cork, Ireland and I really REGRET not getting it when I had the chance, or at least trying it on. It goes against my every instinct to wrap myself up in black from head to toe but It's just so pretty and I wannnnnnnt it!

you can find it HERE along with dozens of other dreamy dresses.

7. A Chameleon necklace from Hello Dodo

This is another one of those things I've been longing to get. I really like Hello Dodo's bright and vibrant designs but I always end up coming back to the 'George the Chameleon' necklace because LOOK AT IT!   

 He would totally match every outfit as well. The ideal accessory, available HERE

8. an Ampersand Colouring Book from Tim Easley

 I'm not really a huge fan of all these 'adult colouring books' floating around at the moment. As someone who basically 'colours in' for a living, they just don't really appeal to me. But if there's two things I love it's typography and a nice bold outline.

Luckily the two are combined to perfection in Tim Easley's magical Ampersand Colouring Book, featuring 32 brilliant original illustrations to colour in! I've been a fan of Tim's work for years and I have several of his stickers and cards dotted about on my 'walls of stuff' but I think he's really done a cracking job on this new colouring book, and I for one would LOVE to colour it in!

if you like colouring stuff in as well, the book is available to order HERE

9. a cute retro style brooch from Luxulite

if you've ever seen any of my outfit post then you'll know that I have a penchant for 50's style flared skirts and vintage tailoring. Well I've been lusting after a Luxulite brooch of my very own for a looooong time now and I recently found out that Katy, the mastermind behind Luxulite, is originally a Manxie as well which has made my love for her pretty brooches grow even more ardent!

red is my favourite colour so one of her classic 'cherry' brooches would make the perfect addition to any outfit! available right HERE

and last but my no means least...

10. a Ghostbusters Firehouse from Lego 

were you honestly expecting anything less? I already have the car so it makes sense that I should have the Firehouse HQ as well. Sure it's going to retail at about £300 but COME ON...
I neeeeeed it, I really, really do!

If I were still a kid (and lets face it, I pretty much am) this would be at the TOP of my wish list to Santa!I don't need to tell you how much I LOVE Ghostbusters! And I definitely LOVE Lego, so I really do genuinely NEED to own this. It takes 4634 pieces of Lego to build one of these, and that is a challenge I'll gladly rise to. As soon as possible really...

so if anyone *cough, mum, cough* wants to be super sweet and generous and buy this for me, it's available for Pre-Order HERE

so there you have it, another year, another list of random stuff I 'probably' won't wake up to on Christmas morning (but who knows?!)

what's at the top of your Xmas Wish List this year???

personally I'm hoping for some new books, pyjamas, maybe some chocolates! You know... if I don't end up with anything off this list ^_^

so until next time, thanks for stopping by, see you again soon (hopefully).

I ain't afraid of no Ghosts!

Hello dearhearts, can it be, am I really back again so soon with another blog? 

Oh you betcha!

I'll get right to the point. Regular readers might recall me having mentioned one or two (or perhaps several) times in the past how I happen to be quite a fan of a certain film called Ghostbusters...

Actually, I'm a flipping MASSIVE Ghostbusters fan! I've seen the movie so many times I can practically quote the ruddy thing (yes i love GB2 as well, but GB1 is my fave), add to that my heap of Ghostbusters t-shirts + uniquely customised Converse (see those here) and various other bustin' related merch, well yeah, I guess you could call me a bit of a fangirl (well that's an understatement).

Anyway, those of you with a love of all things geeky might be aware that this year is the 30^th anniversary since Ghostbusters was first released at cinemas, and that part of the celebrations this year include the release of a very special limited edition Lego playset

now I know what you're thinking, 'Jade you weren't even born when Ghostbusters came out, why should you care about some daft Lego?' and i'm going to stop you there because although it's true that in 1984 I was a good seven years away from even existing, that is entirely beside the point.

Growing up in the early nineties most of the music, films and TV shows I watched were all from the 80's, so it's no surprise that my favourite movie is from that decade (my second favourite film is the Blues Brothers, which came out in 1980). 

And if you're now thinking 'yes but Jade you are twenty-three years old, you are a grown-up, why would you waste your money on a toy?!' and i'll stop you there again because I will literally never grow up.

And furthermore... I got the Lego. So there.

It arrived yesterday morning from Denmark and although all I wanted to do was tear the box open and crack on with the build, I had to spend the day packing up books and things (i'm moving home soonish, hopefully) and then in the evening I had a cinema trip (to see Maleficent, which was brilliant!) so alas, I haven't had chance to carefully assemble (aka play with) the Lego kit until today.

First of all, the box is actually brilliant! I'm keeping it. Forever. Inside the box everything was bagged up alongside the instruction book, which is also brilliant! There's a whole bunch of quotes from the movie scattered throughout the assembly guide, it was great to glance down to see which parts were next only to spot a funny quote sitting in the corner. I would have taken some photos of it but I was too busy BUILDING!

In the general flurry of excitement that was opening the bags of bricks I didn't really find the time to keep snapping progress shots, but here's one of the carnage before the build. Literally the FIRST thing I did as soon as I opened the box was build the characters. Before I even thought of assembling the car, I built the guys, so that they could watch Ecto-1 appear next! 

And appear it did. In truly magnificent style! What a beauty...

When I found out that the set was being brought out in time for the anniversary I was determined to get myself one regardless, but I was so so SO pleased to see just how much attention to detail the kit has. The car is brilliant inside and out (it even has space for the proton packs in the boot/trunk) and it was SO MUCH FUN to build!

The guys though right? Lets talk about them! BRILLIANT attention to detail on the fellas, they each have their initials on the front of their uniforms and their names on the back (hidden beneath the proton packs) the uniforms on the front are all ever so slightly different as well, with little quirks for each figure in keeping with their movie counterpart.

 
They also all have two expressions, happy and scared, so I suppose a pre Ghostbustin' face and one for when they're trying to wrangle a ghostie down in to the darn ghost trap!

I'm not gonna lie, this is probably one of THE best things i've ever bought in my life! In a way i'm kind of glad i'm an adult (I couldn't even type that with a straight face) because I wouldn't have been able to afford something as awesome as this when I was a kid, and i'm pretty sure no-one, not even Santa, would have got me this as a present.

Once the kit was assembled and finished, it was kind of a sad moment because I didn't have anything else to build. But I DID have a lot of fun  posing and playing with everything.
I might have put three of the guys inside the car and trundled it all over my desk for a while, while singing along (loudly) to the Ghostbusters theme tune. But nobody witnessed it so it might not have actually happened.
(spoiler: it did).

After that I also might have plucked my little Lego Loki off the shelf and introduced him to the Ghostbusters. He didn't seem to pleased about new Lego folk invading the neighbourhood (of my desk) but they've managed to beat a God before so I think they'll be okay.

All I could think when I took this shot was 'Ray, when someone asks you if you're a God, you say Yes!'

Anyway as if you couldn't already tell I'm really happy with the set and it's brilliant and I LOVE it and i'll be quiet now. 

For the time being Ecto-1 + the busters have taken up residence on my desk, along with all the other fun junk I keep piled up on it (for inspiration).

And on that sickeningly colourful and rather merry note i'll draw this post to a close. I have a few others lined up in my mind shed (some people have mind palaces, at the moment I can just about manage a barely cobbled together wooden hut) so look out for those over the next week or so.

And as always, until next time, that's all folks...

ps - Watch this. You're welcome!

Random Stuff + Giveaway Entries

hello chums, just a little post featuring a few random bits and bobs from the past few weeks!

i started back at College today, this year is my final year at college, hopefully by June next year i'll have passed my BA degree in Fine Art!

anyway, most recently of all, i've been working on a 100% frivolous and fun project, an Adventure Time/Ghostbusters Fan Art piece. i'm a huge HUGE fan of the brilliant CN animation Adventure Time and of course, i adore all things Ghostbusters, so it seemed like a good idea to combine the two!

this was the fandom colliding result...

if you don't really understand who's who or what's going on, i strongly recommend you rush forthwith without delay and watch some Adventure Time and Ghostbusters!

anyway, this design is currently up for votes on OtherTees + it's also available on prints, tees, cards and iPhone cases etc via my Society6 Shop

so what else? well, while i was away in Cork, i accidentally got chatting to one of my current literary idols on Twitter. over the summer, i've devoured some amazing books by Ben Aaronovitch and after a random tweet to him, he asked if i'd be willing to have a go at a fanart or two of some of his characters, for his website!

after i'd calmed down and stopped squealing like a fangirl, i managed to have a go at a 'Molly' fanart

scary stuff! this won't make much sense either so here's a brief description of 'Molly' from Ben's brilliant book 'Rivers Of London' (available to buy here)

"I looked over and saw a woman gliding towards us across the polished marble. She was slender and dressed like an Edwardian maid, complete with a starched white bib apron over a full black skirt and white cotton blouse. Her face didn’t fit her outfit, being too long and sharp-boned with black, almond-shaped eyes. Despite her mob cap she wore her hair loose, a black curtain that fell to her waist. She instantly gave me the creeps, and not just because I’ve seen too many Japanese horror films.
‘This is Molly,’ said Nightingale. ‘She does for us.’
‘Does what?’
‘Whatever needs doing,’ said Nightingale.
Molly lowered her eyes and did an awkward little dip that might have been a curtsey or a bow. When Toby growled again Molly snarled back, showing disturbingly sharp teeth."

makes more sense now i hope! even if i did use a bit of artistic licence and make a few adjustments!

moving on, while i was away in Limerick, i also did a little illo for Amelia's Magazine blog based on the very gorgeous 'Kiss Me' dress by Coco Fennell

you can read the full blog post + see the other lovely illustrations HERE

so what else?! well, while i was in Dublin i managed to get my hands on this gorrrrgeous Totoro plush! i'm a massive Studio Ghibli fan and My Neighbour Totoro is one of my fave animated movies so i couldn't resist this little guy!

and continuing with the fangirl geekery, check out the awesome stickers that arrived for me from Florida the other day! Mini Avengers!!! illustrated by the very brilliant Dean Grayson

and since i am such a huge geeky fangirl and i have such a fondness for avengers stuff, in particular for a certain villain named Loki, check out what else arrived today!!!

a super amazing 'Loki Charms' tee by tee designer extraordinaire Bamboota

and a fabulously wonderful diddy Lego Loki!!!

yaaay for all the Loki times!

ok i'll stop now...

oh but before i go, i want to remind you all about The Goodbye Summer Giveaway currently going on!

you've only got 4 more days left to enter to try and be in with a chance of winning the bundle of cute prizes from Ireland (see full post HERE HERE HERE) 

it's really super easy to enter, all you need to do is supply your email (so i can contact you if you win, otherwise i won't bother you, promise!) and fill in some options on the Giveaway Form below. it's THAT easy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Little Lego Christmas Tree ★

so... dudes and dudettes, the time has come at last for me to reveal just what it is that i've been working on for the past few weeks...

are you ready?!

Tah- dah...

that's right folks... i've spent the past 3 weeks designing and building a Lego Christmas Tree!

you see, THIS is why i couldn't tell you what i was building and what colour the Lego was!

so shall i explain it all..

i shall indeed!

about 3 weeks ago i got a message on Twitter asking if i'd be willing to help on a project for Isle of Man Advertising (you can find out all about them HERE - IOM Advertising)

so i gave them my email address then a message came through asking if i knew anyone that would be interested in helping to build a Lego Christmas Tree...

so i volunteered!

i worked with Carroll and Martin to come up with a design and a build plan so big thanks to them for all their help throughout the project (and for putting up with my tantrums)

so after a few meetings at their offices they got the lovely Katie to cart a big box of Lego (1900 bricks) up to me at college and i got to work...

so thank you to Katie as well for delivering it to me

so after a good few hours playing and messing around with the Lego, this was the first EVER design i came up with

the problem was, they all liked my design but they didn't think i'd be able to build it with the bricks supplied!

i got really upset but at the end of the day it was up to them so i had a go at building the one from the designs they'd sent with the Lego

it was impossible to build!!!! 

those are the plans in the background behind the mini model tree, it was just crazy! i could not build it!

and i used to have to do things like this all the time during the IB at my last school!

it made no difference, i couldn't build it

so...

i was allowed to have another go at MY design

so after many emails and photos going back and forth we finally settled on THIS design

so last Friday, before i went away to Coventry, Carroll from IOM Advertising came up to college to collect me + the lego and i re-built it all at their offices in Douglas

then obviously i went to Coventry and Birmingham for a few days (SUPER DUPER trip by the way!)

and on Thursday morning i got up at 3:30am (yikes) to travel to Birmingham airport for my flight back to the IoM.

i landed at 9:25am, Carroll arrived at 9:30am with the Lego and that was that

she helped me unpack it all and we tried to work out how the plinths would work but then she had to go back to the offices

it was her birthday as well! so Carroll, Happy Birthday again for Thursday xX

then it was down to me to get it all built in time (no pressure!!!)

it was SUCH a long day! i literally spent the whole day sat on the floor by my plinths (big thanks to Bill at College for supplying them) building up the tree and moving bits about

this is how it looked early on in the day... a lot like a Pagoda with 7 tiers

eventually (at around 5:30pm) it was FINALLY finished! and we ended up with one big 5 tier tree and two mini ones

also, big thanks to the little boy and his mother that stopped to help me build the 'fence' around the bottom of the tree at about 4pm x

and big thanks to Rosemary Walters from Save the Children who kept popping by to make sure i was still awake and to see if i needed anything, thank you x

and that's it, my little tree is finished at last!

it's been a hectic few weeks i can tell you, 

i've had to keep it all on the hush hush for the past few weeks but the grand opening of the Festival was last night so... now i'm allowed to tell you all!

i took my friend Charlotte (check out her blog here - Loretta Jane's Vintage Boutique) along last night to look at all the trees

every year at Ronaldsway Airport at the Isle of Man, they hold this 'Festival of Trees' to help raise money for 'Save the Children'

local schools and businesses take part and enter trees into the festival and members of the public can vote for their favourite trees and post donations to the charity

it's a great event and always draws a lot of people to the airport to see all the trees.

there are 23 trees in all this year and i have to say, there are some really fun trees dotted about the place.

like the 'Manx Farmers Union' one, entirely made of Manx produce, totally genius

and the Manx Museum's 'i-museum' tree, covered in CD's, vintage film slides, photos and cameras

you can see the King William's College (my old school) entry as well in the background. the one with the little green and silver trees.

the KWC Chapel Choir were also at the Festival opening singing lots of lovely Carols. i couldn't get a photo but they all looked fab in their Choir robes + it was lovely to hear the Choir again after so long

the Lieutenant Governor's wife, Lady Haddacks was there as well to help open the festival.

it was a really festive atmosphere with lots of mince pies, Manx fudge and wine on hand to make people feel merry.

there were some unusual 'trees' there as well, like the Manx Landscapes 'Pottering around' entry

and the Victoria House Nursery entry, it was so beautiful though, and such a clever idea

it was a great evening and all the trees looked great

i'm proud to have been involved in the Festival this year and to have worked on the Lego Tree for 'Alliance and Leicester' (our tag line for the Lego Tree was 'Building for the Future' how AWESOME is that! love it)

it was a lot of work but it was nice to do something different for a change and i'm glad i got the opportunity to do so. 

so all that's left for me to do is ask all you fellow Manxies out there to pop down to the airport and get donating (and to VOTE for my Tree if you'd be so kind...) 

and if you're flying in or out of the IoM anytime soon, don't forget to go and have a skeet at all the trees

thanks x

* * *

in other news...

well there isn't really any other news actually!

i'm so tired from all the Lego times i haven't really been up to much else!

i've a few new Pin-up Girl illustrations to finish so hopefully they'll be ready for my next post

until then

that's all folks...

◕‿◕ ★ xX

Grazie molto e arrivederci

(that's thank you and goodbye in Italian, L'italia è un paese meraviglioso, grazie, mia amico x)

drama drama drama ★

so once again it's been a few days since my last blog post!

apologies, i've been soooooo busy... again! 

i've been busy with this crate of Lego all week, busy busy busy building stuff

i still can't tell you what it is i'm building but hopefully this time next week i will be able to!

we'll have to wait and see...

anyway, today has been a verrrry stressful day in the sense that i faced a massive dilemma and ended up crying my eyes out like a small child because i did not know what to do!!!

however... through the tears i came up with a possible solution albeit an far-fetched one and suffice to say, it is all now SORTED! ◕‿◕ 

so what was the solution exactly...

well basically it involved me shelling out £90 on a plane ticket for myself to get back to the Island next Thursday morning.

i was due to get the boat back Thursday night but i really REALLY need to be at the airport Thursday daytime... so weirdly this actually works out quite well!

so yes i am still working on this Lego project and surprisingly despite the 1900 lego bricks that are currently covering my bedroom floor... i still luuuuurve Lego

so in light of all the Lego fun, Mike kindly made THIS little slice if genius for me...

how awesome!!!

very... 

THAT is how awesome this is!

* * *

anyway, in other news...

it's my college assessment the week after i get back from my trip so i was allowed a big (aka MAHOOOSIVE) print of one of my latest digital Pinup Girl Illustrations 

now the photo is crappy quality (thank you mobile phone camera) but you get the general idea

it's an A1 print so she didn't turn out quite as well as i'd have hoped (the file was massive but the colours went a bit weird) i'll take another photo when the exhibition is up

* * *

there you go, short but sweet today! if you're after a longer post then i suggest you check out the previous one all about the fabulous shoe designer... Christian Louboutin

seeing as i'm off to Coventry on Sunday and Birmingham next Tuesday i'll hopefully have some stuff to blog about during my trip

ok, i'm off to make something to eat now and maybe watch the rest of 'the Blues Brothers' since i watch that film more than is necessarily normal!

that's all folks...

◕‿◕ ♥ xX

Merci beaucoup et au revoir

(thank you and goodbye in French on behalf of all you lovely French people out there)