Damn you malteaser bunnies!

Well I think my Gimp skills are coming along but I still have a bit more to go. Above is a picture of my first ever custom order... At least I think it is... Well all I know is that I got an e.mail from a nice lady asking me to make it for her. It was actually a little stressful to make! I think because there was a bit more pressure to get it right because someone had specifically asked for it! It took a few attempts to get it perfect but I think I got there!  It's probably one of my favourite cards that I made. The middle picture is my new Candy jar that I got from Vicky! It has been adequately filled with lots of chocolate. The third is my semi failed attempt at making oreo stuffed cookies. I say semi failed because I couldn't get them to cook properly, I think because I put them all too close together and they made one giant cookie (should have taken a photo!) and also because I also made malteaser bunny stuff cookies too and I think the malteaser-y ness off malteaser bunnies may have been what made them so soggy in the oven. BUT. Once I got them out and they set they were still pretty damned tasty anyway... like half baked cookies. And everyone loves cookie dough. I am absolutely trying them again though!

I am off to Cardiff tomorrow morning, so my shop will be closed for a couple of days but will be open again Tuesday evening.

Happy Sunday!

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I want, I want, I want!

winged heart necklace from olympias//Mini 60's Dress from RustBeltThreads//Jaguar Button Up Shirt from Huckleberry Vintage//Vintage tweed skirt from AmprisLoves//Chevron Necklace from SPARKLEFARM

I've definitely been bitten by consumerism these days! I just want everything! Especially these awesome things from Etsy but I'm going to be good and save up for some trips to see my friends. Even though I can think of many excuses as to why I should buy these wonderful things, I never see my friends from home enough (they're dotted around the UK at their respective Uni's) So I'm going to be good and recommend that you, dear reader, buy them!

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The bike formally known as Billie

Yesterday I went to North London to get a free bike off Vicky!! I have always wanted a bike for London, It'll save me money and I think now that I will be cycling most places, it'll be alright that I have a tendency towards eating whole packs of double stuff Oreos at once. Vicky also gave me a wok, some file drawers, (i'm not sure if that's what you actually call it but it's a storage thing that I'm going to put on my desk) some cool light things to put in my garden, an iron and an elephant candy jar! She's moving house and wanted to get rid of a load of stuff so me and Richard happily went over and helped her out in that department. Getting a bike and various other home wares from north london to south london was quite the challenge but when I was coasting down hill from the train station to my house it was well worth it. Today I also found out that I got the job that I interviewed for which is such a relief AND I also sold my first valentines card! A couple of my cards have been featured on some treasury lists too! I've put them below...

So it's been a pretty good couple of days all around! Above is some pictures of my pink bike and some card
ideas, there very much  just ideas, I still want to do much cooler patterns...

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GIMPtastic II

    Slowly but surely, I am getting the hang of gimp. Here's some pictures of my teapots whilst showing off my
    mad (average) skills.
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Patterns

Yesterday I decided to just draw for the sake of drawing and I decided that I'd like to incorporate more patterns in my cards. Like really bright crazy ones, It's definitely something I'm going to do a bit of research on... Above are some drawings from my new Australian wildlife book and also a couple of basic pattern ideas, I like the colours of them but I want them a bit... funkier. Yes that's right FUNKIER!

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Teapots!

I've spent most of the day retaking pictures of my cards, it usually take a few goes for me to find a background that I really like. My favourite place is on top of one of my aunt's cabinets in her kitchen in Kent. But Kent is an hour and a half a way and it's just generally much easier for me to take pictures for my cards in my own home, that way when I go visit I'm not just taking pictures the whole time! My new listings are taken in the conservatory (well sort of... it's the best was to describe it!) of my new house, where there's lot's of light and light green walls. I placed my cards on my white Ikea book case, and used my Elephant teapot as a little prop sort of thing, I think It's nice to have something a little different in the background. What I'd really love is to have the teapot blurred a bit but i've totally forgotten how to do that! When I do I'll probably retake them all again. So as you can see, I'm using lot's of trial and error!

I mentioned my Elephant tea pot, which is awesome. I've started to collect animal teapots fairly recently because I just find them quite hilarious! And very cute too. I've only ever found any in charity shops in Truro, Cornwall but I always like to keep a look out.

One day I'll post the one's I have (although you can see the elephant one in some of my listings) but in the mean time these other vintage teapots are cool too!

Bar keep Teapot by SeaPillowTeasuries

Owl Teapot by Jollywolly

Dancing Ducks Teapot by HobartCollectables

Fruit Teapot set from Binky Lovecat

Cottage teapot by Joyce Emmott

Kitty Cat Teapot by Northstar Vintage

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FOR SALE VI

Puppy Love

Rhino Love

Frog in Love

I finally have my Uni work out of the way! So I put up a few more valentines listings in my shop.

Not much else to report... other than I'm certain I'm due for a heart attack because I've been frying literally EVERYTHING due to my broken oven. Here's hoping I'll still be alive by my next post

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Tabbin'

Finally realised who to get tabs on my blog! Woo!

Also sold this guy today...

My first birthday card sold! I'm going to try and put some more listings up soon!

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Inspiration

A lot of people know exactly what they want to do with there lives, I for one still have absolutely NO idea but the only thing I am very sure of is that I  want to keep up with the drawing and painting. It's an on/off hobby that I've had since I was a toddler but it's now something I want to always keep doing in my life, it's stopped me going crazy many a times. My boyfriend was the one who suggested selling cards online - I used to make him random cards for whatever was going on in my or his life, and still do -  but I wasn't always sure because whilst I do like my little drawings, I'm not the most amazing artist in the world. It was illustrators like Edward Monkton, who's cards I love, that made me think that this could be something that I could do and reminded me that although I couldn't (and still can't!) draw animals that were particularly life like didn't mean they were bad.

So these are a few etsy shops that have inspired me to keep drawing  weird and wonderful things. Shop's like these remind me to try different things (hence the random fast food paisley card I have for sale!) and make me really want to learn new ways of drawing and painting! Hopefully one day I will...

             

 Fox and Fly illustration from  Frances Clements,

Valentines Card from  Poosac  

       

    

 Jack Russell Magnet    

  from Miller Sye

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Somebody Print      

from Yellena



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Damn Keyboard...

I type this from my cousin hannah's Mac as my laptop's keyboard is now buggered beyond repair, even onscreen keyboard is now starting to fail me on a few letters!

 So I'm down in Kent at the moment to get all my stuff to bring up to London and I thought this would be a good opportunity to draw and take some pictures because I've never found as good a place to take pictures of the cards than down here at my aunts. I took these using my phone and I'm pretty happy the way they came out, I think I might take some more tomorrow morning (it's a bit too dark to take more now!) and list them soon... I'm not so sure about the frog one though... I like my drawings to be a bit weird but i'm wondering if it's too weird, most of the time I love it but every now and again I think "i dunno...." But we'll just have to see!

I'm really happy with the Walrus one, I got the idea from a Barbra Streisand song which I love (I'm going to link in at the bottom). I remember I wanted to do more Streisand related cards but I go distracted with all the animal stuff! And then there's the I dislike/hate valentines day ones, I've done some similar ones on a different kind of card but I prefer these I think. I did these because of my own uncertainty of how I feel for Valentines day, but I'll go into that on another post!

Enjoy Barbra Streisand - Woman in Love and it's Cheesy Youtube video!

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Gimptastic

Hippo and Seal birthday cards!

So I've been trying to get the hand of gimp in an attempt to make this blog look snazzier, I still have a while to get the hang of it, it's really confusing but you can see my use of scissors above! (One step at a time!)

These are some Birthday cards I've listed, I realised I hadn't put any up for ages, I scanned the images in of them earlier but alas, I wanted to flaunt my very basic Gimp techniques... and to pimp out the cards a bit.

In other news, my auntie has offered to take me to Ikea on friday to get a few things for my new bedroom and I am SO EXCITED! Last time I went to Ikea me and my brother played with the scanners and climbed around the shelves of all the flat pack stuff! I doubt she'd want to do the same but it'll still be a fun trip, gotta love nesting!

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p.s I cannot stop listening to this...

A-Z of me

I just got back to London yesterday and since I'm between moving houses there hasn't been much done on the drawing part!  So i thought I'd post about something non card/drawing related...


I frequent my friend Vicky's blog  quite a lot and she has a little A-z of me thing and I thought I'd do it too since to be quite honest, I do like to talk about myself... but try not to do it so much. I'm not sure if I've been successful. ANYWAY here it is...


A-Z of me


A.  Age: 21

B. Bed size: I am about to move into a house with two single beds in my room!

C. Chore that you hate: DISHES. Although I'm trying to get better at them

D. Dogs: are something that my dad likes to get rid of. He's sent two away in my life time - Daisy and Spike, we had one before that when I was very young called Carrie who passed away. Now we have a crazy Jack Russell called Tattie who we adore and we have made clear to Dad that if Tattie goes so will he.

E. Essential start to your day: actually getting up. I am not a morning person.

F. Favorite colour: Purple

G. Gold or Silver: I'm not sure but the two pieces of jewelry that I never take off are silver.

H. Height: 5 foot 2. 

I. Instruments you play: I can play violin I got to grade 6 standard when I did gcse music but I haven't played since really. I would love to get lessons again but they are expensive. I also took piano lessons when I was very young but I quit that too. Those are my only  two regrets of my life so far; quitting music lessons.

J. Job title: Nada... but hopefully that will change.

K. Kids: not for a while please!

L. Live: South East London

M. Mother’s name: Christine

N. Nicknames: I've had a lot. Main ones being; Greggors, baby cakes, and norn iron

O. Overnight hospital stays: One. I had to go to leeds to get my leg operated on to see if I was allergic to anesthetic. I was awake for the whole thing and it was one of the most relaxing experiences I've ever had.

P. Pet peeves: The usual ones that everyone hates, those and when you text someone asking them a question and they don't reply.

Q. Quote from a movie: I haven't seen it yet but it will be in there "Life is a happy song when there's someone by my side to sing a long" from the new Muppets Movie

R. Right or left handed: Generally right except for when I use a knife and fork. When my Grandma taught me how to knit (a long time a go!) she told me that I knitted left handedly. And when my mum attempted to teach my how to crochet she asked me if I was sure I wasn't left handed! So I don't think my brains very sure!

S. Siblings: An older sister called Catie and two younger brothers called Patrick and Peter.

U. Underwear: I have an extreme hatred for thongs and or g strings.

V. Vegetable you hate: Mushrooms and Carrots 

W. What makes you run late: My warm and cosy bed and the fact that we can rarely afford to have the heating on.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: 2.  1 of my finger in primary school after a boy kicked it (to be fair i hit him first i think) and one of my head after a skiing accident. I have a really bumpy head.

Y. Yummy food that you make: I make damn good chocolate fudge buns (cup cakes) with oreo's at the bottom. Recently I made a pretty good roulade too!

Z. Zoo animal: hmmm watching giraffes run is always cool, zebra's are an old favourite and Seals

Fast Food paisley II

                                                   To list or not to list? That is the question.

**Update** I listed it!

Doodling

The weather is so miserable here that there isn't a decent enough light for me to take any remotely good photo's so these are scanned in images of what I've been doing.

So I've been playing around with more paisley stuff. This time I've gone for Cow themed paisley because they're my favourite animal. They're just great! I threw in some cheese and milk, cow pat and daisies (cus you know... Daisy the cow?! Anyway). The other two to the left are a couple of birthday cards that I'm going to list if the sun ever returns to Northern Ireland.

This is pretty much all i've been doing these days, drawing silly pictures and listening to Desert Island Discs! Not long till I'm back in London, where I have many things to do but the thing I'm most looking forward too is glasses shopping! I'm supposed to wear them all the time but I lose/break them constantly I haven't worn them for at least 6 months which is bad. I can live with out them but it causes many a headaches. I'm looking forward to that, I've even had a look on Etsy but I could never buy a pair with out trying them on!

Big Love and I hope everyone's enjoying 2012 so far!

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Fast Food Paisley

A while a go I decided I really liked paisley. I'm not sure why... I think it might have been the discovery of a vintage paisley skirt that I saw and subsequently bought on Etsy. I wanted to try and incorporate to my cards some how and ended up thinking of themed paisley which led to "Ian" paisley, (I made this as a joke for my boyfriend) which involved the Red Hand of Ulster and a lot of NO!'s. Then was Valentines Paisley

and then some how Hamburger Paisley came to mind which led to fast food paisley ( burgers, chicken and pizza). You can see the drawings above - including a non paisley one!- they're still a work in progress but I think the fast food one could make a cute note card or two!

I've been feeling a bit sorry for my self these days. The end of 2011 did get pretty stressful but there was nothing that was actually that major. I was reading post secret today and this secret in particular helped me snap out of it. It's one of those things that people tend to say a lot but it is very, very true.

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