Hello!

How was your Christmas and New year?? So much has happened since my last post. It’s been a busy house here in Nottingham with Christmas, birthdays, visitors, doodle sessions – all sorts! My dress section of the wardrobe grew a little thanks to the January sales, which is always a nice way to start the new year I think. I’ve set about scribbling down some “new year” themed lists – Mainly book reading lists, I’ll keep you posted!

ps – I ate waaaaaaay too many biscuits during December… oops!

I’ve been absent from ye olde blog lately. It’s been a busy time here in old Mapperley-topsville. Halloween’s been and gone (shocking! – no pun intended). The trick and treaters ate ALL my sweets – totally not cool. I spent most of last week either living at the cinema or buried in my paints. The painting right at the top is finished, phew! and it’s the biggest I’ve done so far so I’m really pleased with how it’s come out. As you can see there’s a handful more I’m currently working on. I’m looking forward to framing the finished pieces and who knows they might make a formal appearance in the lovely shop sometime before Christmas!

Talking of Christmas – The cards are back for sale in the shop and a new one will be joining them before the week is out. Not to forget some lovely new stocking fillers will be tagging along too – I just need a new staple gun to complete that mission.

The Makeover mission’s been a proper challenge recently but I’ll come back to that with pictures and heart wrenching tales of sighs and grumps. Until then, for those of you who have some halloween candy left over – enjoy! For those of you, like me, who don’t – Fancy a cuppa?

ps for the next 24 hours (until 11am Thursday) get yourself 20% off in my shop! use the code BLACKCATS.

pps – A little Halloween illya roar for those of you who missed it:

Some new little accessories that will be making their way into the shop very very soon just in time for, dare I say it, Christmas 2011 (gulp!). I’ll also list some festive cards seeing as I’m getting into the Christmas spirit… during our mini heatwave…

I’m back from a little adventuring! I went up to Orkney for a few days to visit mum. We had beautiful weather, which was pretty lucky as I hear the winds have set in over the last couple of days. I love that place, the colours there are beautiful and I’ve come away armed with some fresh colour schemes to play with. We arrived at the same time all of the tall ships came to visit. Every day there were events going on in the harbour – little sailing trips, meals and music on boats. Stromness was full of fellow adventurers lapping up the oddities accompanying the Stromness Shopping Week (click the link for answers). We went for a 2 hour trip on the dutch Tall ship called the Wylde Swan. There were musicians on the boat playing sea shanties – mainly about doom, gloom and seasickness. LOVED IT!

On the down side I was lumped with a wisdom tooth nightmare – just what you need on a mini holiday! And ended up being given loads of antibiotics to calm it all down (it looked like I’d been “thwacked” on the jaw by day 8). I’m completely dreading the day I have to have this tooth removed and I’m sorry if I get a bit repetitive on this subject up until that day. Anyway, I hope that explanation helps you to understand why I’ve not been blogging lately – I was a seriously grumpy Amy. I hope I make up for it with this cluster of holiday snaps. Have a lovely day!

Hello lovely people, after being rudely awoken (again) by a loud buzzing bug flying through the window at 7:39am it got me moving and (for some reason I’m unaware of) tidying.

I’ve decided to have a little etsy shop clean out, so from now until Sunday Morning if you use this code: SPRING2011 in my etsy shop you will get 25% off your order :) Yay!

I’m hoping to cut down on the number of prints and doodles I have in the shop so a couple of items won’t be relisted – don’t panic though! As always if there is a print you’re fond of that you can’t find in the shop you can always contact me and I can create some custom listings for you.

HAVE A LOVELY SPRING SHAPED DAY!

Hello 2011! (You got here fast)

I hope everyone had a wonderful start to the new year. I spent the evening watching movies with the cat and by 12 was watching all of the fireworks from the window in our “studio/small room”. This meant the following day I was fully functioning and able to attempt making red lentil soup. hurrah! (Stayed in my PJs ALL day though)

I’m really looking forward to this year and I’ve been inspired to make a little list to hopefully push me in the right direction when I need it.

26 things to do while I’m 26, here goes:

1. Make a book
2. Make 5 zines
3. Create 50 paintings
4. Read 30 books
5. Knit a jumper
6. Complete 2 sketchbooks
7. Put on an exhibition
8. Have an Edinburgh adventure
9. Create 5 Posters
10. Make a new print each month for the shop
11. Get my book in page 45 (even if I have to smuggle it in)
12. Make a mix tape/CD for someone
13. Have a London adventure
14. Go to the seaside (I’ll save that for a warmer season)
15. Write down all the films I see (instead of forgetting them)
16. Complete my blanket
17. See more live music
18. Take more photos
19. Make a new friend
20. Bake a cake (that won’t damage/kill anyone)
21. Design book covers for 10 of my favourite books
22. Get a massage (Inspired by Jen’s list – this one is VERY IMPORTANT)
23. Find new charities to donate to every month (so is this one)
24. Build a den
25. Make a mask
26. Website revamp

Happy Christmas lovely people! Have a wonderful day!

(I’ve already donned the elasticated waist-band… bring on the chocolates!)

Cutest illya themed picture so far this season. And now for a random mush of Christmas tree pictures! We have a golden Poirot themed tree topper this year (I couldn’t resist). I’m sure there will be many more pictures to come over the new few weeks. Blog update day = complete! – Mince pie and tea time!

I’m SO behind on my blog updates, so today’s mission is to catch up! Right first up we have…. drum roll please…. some pictures from Bust’s London Craftacular! It was so much fun – blimmin’ hard work too, but still fun. It was lovely saying hello’s to Miss Pott, Miss Memo and Miss Correll. Me and my dear Eireann shared half a table there (I have to wear blinkers when I’m around her work because I can’t stop myself from buying it, it’s so beautiful).

Right, next posts: Cotton doodles, SHOP UPDATES, christmas tree.

Speak soon! x

Next Friday, come along! Enjoy the music, do some doodling and have a little drink! What could be better!?