Love Lalaland

‘Oh no! Not another beer card’ I hear you scream or maybe some of you are thinking... ‘This girl has a problem!’
My problem has always been finding the right card for my beer snob hubster so this was created especially with him in mind. Problem solved!
This is another cheery beery card for the dads and features a colourful crafty design for the beer connoisseurs out there.
... Don’t forget, there’s still time to get your Father’s Day cards in time for Sunday!
https://etsy.me/2KheZVJ
I’m also very excited that I’ve got my early bird tickets for the Derby Beer Con this year... and look, last years glass has come in handy as a prop for my photo shoot.🍺💕
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Me: “We have a very talented family with a footballer and ballet dancer” Kid: “Mummy, you’re good at drawing” Me: “Aw, thanks. What’s Daddy good at?” Kid: “Trumping!”
... True story! So this conversation with the kids, inspired the beer design of the cheeky drink series especially for the dads who like to fart around!
It’s defo beer o’clock here after a productive weekend (I work weekends too!) editing product shots and uploading new designs to my Etsy shop.
Not forgetting important family time, we had a trip to Nottingham yesterday so I could check out Handmade Nottingham shop now it’s moved and pick up their latest magazine, it’s loads bigger with lots of great artists and makers.
We also went to Malt Cross to see the Craft Beer Art Exhibition and catch up with the super talented Emily Catherine who was doing Beermat Doodles and we talked all things arty farty. Great to see your smiley face, awesome lady!
There will be lots of local artists doing Beermat Doodles in different pubs in Nottingham this coming week for Nottingham Craft Beer Week so if your into beer and doodles (which I certainly am!) go and get your lovely faces done. 🍺💕
#NCBW19 #emilycatherineillustration #beermatdoodles
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Today has been a happy day (even with all the rain), filled with two of my favourite things. BBC 6 Music has been celebrating Drum & Bass Day so this morning kitchen dancing started early while I cooked breakfast. I have to admit it set me up for the day!
I got into jungle music at college, where I met my hubster (aka DJ Rufian, local jungle DJ) and he wooed me with a mixtape. He taught me how to mix, then I swotting up on record labels, tracks and artists and started buying ...them from BPM in Derby or Selectadisc in Notts, just to impress him. I still have all my records but sadly my DJ career was short lived!
It got me thinking which are my top 3 jungle tracks... 1. Brown Paper Bag by Roni Size 2. Maximum Style by Tom & Jerry 3. P Funk Era by Pascal
However, It’s also donut day so of course I had to take part and munch on my favourite delicious deep fried treat.
For the non-drum & bass heads, I thought I share my top 3 flavoured donuts… 1. Caramel donut by Birds 2. Reeses by Krispy Kreme 3. Sugar donut by any seaside food van
Today, I had a good old-fashioned sugar donut and a nice cup of tea after the school run with my feet up while listening again to DJ Zinc's mini mix. Living the middle-aged dream… big up, my selecta!
Share your music or donut related favs below in the comments and let’s celebrate the weekend together. 🎧🍩💕
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The best part of my job is making people happy so I was excited (and a bit nervous) to share a custom charm with a customer today.
She had requested something for herself, a little blue present with white ribbon (to represent her love for all things sparkly, like a Tiffany box).
It was hand delivered so I was fortunate to see her face when she opened it. It was a special moment, especially when she comment on little details which I’d tried so hard to get just right. It made ...me so happy!
She was so pleased with it she has asked for another one for a present for her sister (luckily she is not on Facebook!) Thank you Sarah for your order, it means alot to a small biz owner, you are awesome!
If you would like a special something for a special someone, please just let me know or just treat yo’self 🎁💕
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After visiting the HYPER JAPAN festival last year I had to take part in their #hyperkawaiicontest showcasing original, handmade, Japanese kawaii inspired work.
For me, the highlight was the Japan food show so here’s my little handmade polymer clay sushi friends, hand painted and varnished on a charm bracelet. I just wished I’d made my favourite sushi, a dragon roll. I’ll definitely be wearing it when I visit the show this year.
It was inspired by my original artwork ‘Yeah baby, I like to raw’ and my favourite is the cheeky little egg roll, tamago, with his geeky smile hiding at the back, up to no good, I can imagine. Which one is your favourite? 🍣💕

I can’t believe it’s the first of June tomorrow and summer is finally here. Woohoo! I’m not a keen gardener myself but I do enjoy sitting in my garden usually with a nice G&T or glass of fizz (these are my favourite summer drinks) while the kids have a pool party.
However, I did design my garden and pick out all the plants and flowers. I had some decking built at the back because it’s a sun trap and I have a little shed where we keep our bikes.
If you’ve started to think abou...t Father’s Day, here’s a super cute illustrated greetings card featuring their happy place, it will look awesome in their shed quarters and I’m sure he will dig it! Happy Friday everyone! 🌺💕
https://etsy.me/2Qy7xWA
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Hey pitches! I hope everyone is enjoying the half term holidays even if you still have to work, at least it means there’s no early morning school run.
I’ve managed to squeeze in a mini break and having family fun time glamping near Margate. Camping is my favourite summer activity, I love the chilled out vibes, cooking outdoors, alfresco drinking and looking up at the stars.
I have stayed at lots of different places in the UK but I prefer being by the seaside. I like to walk a...long the beach, dip my toe in the sea and relax with a beach picnic of sandy sandwiches or ice cream.
This week I’m looking forward to crazy golf, bingo and playing the slots machines. But most of all, I enjoy getting away from technology and spending quality time playing with the kids and having a break away from home. It will mean I’ll be back super excited and energised ready to stock my Etsy shop.
Here’s a postcard from Lalaland in Margate... where are your favourite holidays spots when you’re having a staycation? I’d love to know. ⛺️💕
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After reading about @GCA_UK #cardtokeep campaign I was keen to share my special greeting card as I think it’s great to keep these lovely reminders and it shows how important it is to send and receive cards.
This is my first Valentines card from my husband which he gave me when I was 17, 25 years ago! I remember exactly when he handed it to me, as it was our meeting spot, Rosemary Street Centre in Mansfield.
We had only being courting (love this old skool word) a few days and ...I hadn’t got him one because I was playing it cool and didn’t want to look to eager. However, I did get him one the day after as I felt guilty!
It reads ‘I love you... more than jammy donuts’ and I thought if this guy like donuts as much as me then he’s a keeper. And as they say, the rest is history!
Please join in the campaign, I’d love to see your keepsake cards and hear your stories. 💌💕
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Woohoo! The sun is out and half term has begun and that means only one thing, it’s time to celebrate with fizzy Friday.
There was a time, BC (before children) where my Friday’s after work would be spent with my best girls in a beer garden partaking in one (or two or three) bottles of fizz to celebrate the weekend.
Today I did the school pick up and took my little girl gang to the local village pub and we had some beer garden action with swings, slides and fizzy lager! Rename...d as fun Friday!
I wouldn’t’ change it for the world. Although I do need to book in a day with my original drinking crew.
Tag your fizzy friends, who will be enjoying a glass over the bank holiday weekend.
Cheers me dears 🥂💕
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I can’t believe I’m at the halfway mark of the #The100dayproject and my doodle friends are coming along nicely.
I’ve got to admit it hasn’t been as easy as I thought. Doing a quick sketch everyday takes commitment and I’m a bit of a perfectionist so sometimes they just weren’t up to scratch. But nobody said it was easy! 😉
Only recently I was a week behind and I thought I’d never catch up but luckily I’m quite determined and a bit stubborn so I powered through doodling 2 - 4 ...times a day!
I’ve realised that some days I’m just not that creative and ‘can’t be arsed’ and other days the creative juices are flowing and I’m enjoying being a doodle machine 😂
Please have a look through the album and see my progress of #100daysofdoodlefriends maybe you can spot some of your requests. Also there’s still time if you want a personal doodle, just leave a comment below.
Happy hump day folks, hope my doodle friends make you smile ✏️💕
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Day 25 - 50... halfway there, woohoo! 🙌

It has been #mentalhealthawarenessweek and even though I’m usually a happy smiley soul sometimes I have my down days. I’m pretty good at hiding when I’m a bit sad but there’s one person who can tell just by the sound of my voice... and that’s my mum!
I had a particularly low point the end of last year and she said that I’d lost my sparkle and that’s exactly how it felt. Luckily for me it was a passing phase and my sparkle came back. I even tried a bit of mindfulness for the f...irst time and the running helped too.
Most importantly, talk about how you are feeling to family, friends or people you know well, sometimes they can offer good advice, support, a listening ear or my favourite, a hug.
As Jerry Springer would say, ‘take care of yourself and each other!’ ✨💕
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A little birdy told me it was donut week. How did I miss this brand new information?!?
Today I made sure I got up early and went for a pre-school run, run! Then went to Birds and treated myself to my favourite caramel donut. Mmmmmmm!
I always have donuts on my mind and here’s proof, donut grow up.
... I’m a big kid at heart and totally embrace my inner child and it helps having a mini me. I love building worlds out of Lego, having bike races in the school playground, dancing in the rain, watching back-to-back episodes of The Simpson’s or just colouring in the lines.
So escape adulthood for awhile and embrace the feeling of not really caring what others think! What will you do this weekend just for fun of it? 🍩💕
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So tomorrow is #drawingday and although I pretty much draw everyday with my trusty sketchbook and pen either in bed, with the kids at the kitchen table or by the river on my lunch break. There was a long period when I didn’t get my doodle on.
After studying design at uni and then working as a graphic designer in the corporate world, being creative was my job. I just didn’t think about drawing in my free time as I was doing it everyday for work.
But since my ‘eureka’ moment on... maternity leave when the kids were in bed and the supportive beard was out running, I realised something was missing... I needed to do something for me, like a hobby.
I soon realised that drawing makes me happy and having a creative outlet has brought the spark back into my life. Yay! ✏️💕
Which hobby would you like to get back into?
Photo: Doodle of some happy stars for a new positive postcard... coming soon!
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Now Line of Duty doesn’t occupy my Sunday nights (missing you already!)... I’m back to planning for the week and now I can use my fab new rainbow planner. New stationery alert! 😍
This usually includes checking the weather to see if I can do some products shots in the kitchen during the week (ideally it has to be light cloud) although I was taking photos of my baby cards this morning with my DIY light diffuser made of tracing paper!
I like to plan ahead with my social media po...sts and look if there’s any special occasions or things trending and I set myself 3 manageable tasks a day, this could be writing descriptions for products, sketching new ideas or sending artwork to print.
This week I’m working on a new designs for Fathers Day and some positive postcards too... I’ll keep you posted on those. But don’t let the fancy planner and good intentions fool you into thinking I’ll manage to get everything done this week, things happen and plans change pretty much all the time. But hey, you gotta try your best!
What are your plans for the week and more importantly what fun things have you planned for a break from the norm? 🌈💕
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I’ve got that Friday feeling after an amazingly short week... so after a few requests to use my artwork as a screensaver. I thought I’d pop my favourite postcard designs (especially resized for your phone) in an album for you to save and use as your wallpaper.
Currently I’m ‘choosing happy’ a reminder to not to let the barstools grind me down and keep smiling.
If you want a daily dose of LalaLove, grab your favourite positive picture and start the day the right way. Peace y’all 🌈💕

To save your wallpaper, press the 3 dots at the top right corner of the screen and save photo. Then go into settings and choose your new wallpaper. Ta-dah!

Congratulations to Harry and Meghan, I hope you don’t like sleep!
To celebrate the birth of the new prince, I thought I’d share my latest baby card designs inspired by a message that was written in my card when I left work to have my first baby.
Never a truer word spoken... 👶💕