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

Magical Momiji ♥

so the other day i got an email telling me i'd won a blog giveaway...

now after i stopped feeling a tad guilty that i canceled my own blog giveaway (because NONE OF YOU ENTERED IT!!!!) i got a little bit excited to see what it was i'd won! 

(i knew what i'd won but for the sake of the blog... i'm not going to spoil the surprise! now let me get on with the post... thank you!)

anyway the parcel from Rhi-Mixx arrived today...

firstly... how freakin' ADORABLE is that wrapping paper?!?!

i've never received a parcel in the mail with paper as awesome as that, usually it's just boring brown or white packaging not totally super duper like this...

anyway after i'd stopped squealing about how cute the paper was i settled down and opened it (like a normal person)

the box was sealed with this really sweet pink tape covered in tiny little birds (this is by far the most adorable parcel i've ever been sent!)

so i opened up the box...

yay prizes!!!

ok so here's what i won...

soooo many cute things!!!!!

i got a roll of that cute pink birdy tape, dozens of momiji stickers, another roll of tape (with cupcakes on!!!), a packet of momiji printed tissues (which i will probably never use since they are far too cute to destroy with a sneeze), an adorable little momiji printed mini bag and loads more harajuku style stickers!!!

and last but not least a super cute hot pink touchy-feely (flocked) momiji tulip doll

cuteness overload!

i mean just look at the rest of the stickers i got as well...

i'll be honest though, i was more chuffed with the new momiji doll

Rhiannon aka Rhi-Mixx, who ran the giveaway, collects momiji's herself and i sort of do too, i have several kokeshi dolls (which are similar... but NOT the same) but i also already have 3 momiji's that i've received as gifts over the years so i'm glad to have another one to add to my little collection

here they all are together, welcoming the new addition...

one of the points of momiji dolls is that they are message dolls. each doll carries a message in her base that can be filled in by whoever gives or receives the doll

out of curiosity i checked the message in the base of the new doll and was delighted to find that Rhi-Mixx had already filled it in...

if you can't quite make it out it says 'to Jade, Congratulations from Rhi-Mixx'

they are just too cute! i love the story of how they began and what they're all about but i shan't bore you with it on here, you can find it out for yourself if you want to... it's all on their site.

to get hold of your very own momiji doll + find out more about them, you can visit this official momiji site which is chock full of momiji cuteness - momiji dolls

so big BIG thanks to Rhi-Mixx for holding the giveaway in the first place + for sending me such gorgeous prizes!!!

i suggest you visit her blog which is always full of all things adorable and cute, fashion bits, kawaii bobs, really super duper stuff... - the Mixxture

* * *

in other news...

i didn't go to college today mainly because i woke up feeling so ill!

i've been doing a bit of sewing this morning but it's not going to well to be honest!

here's hoping i get a burst of creativity at some point this week!!!

until next time,

that's all folks... 

◕‿◕ ★ xX

Paldies un uz redzēšanos

(that's thank you and goodbye in Latvian, vienmēr laipni ♥)