Tag: cute

A Christmas Gift Guide

~ Artiecarden ~ 11 Comments

Hey pals,

I never thought I would do a gift guide honestly, but I’ve stumbled upon some cool small businesses and artists online, and some of them are also my friends! What better way to celebrate Christmas than sharing the love of art and creations for others to buy! So here is my Christmas Gift Guide.

Cassie Maes’ Bijoux a la Main Jewellery

Cute and quirky jewellery. She also produces custom orders.

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Lena of Art by Lena

She provides a website/social media header design service, all beautifully hand painted and custom to you. Cute wooden Christmas-ish ornaments, stickers, prints, bookmarks, postcards, all kinds of hand painted wonderful-ness! Lena is always expanding the kinds of things she creates, so I recommend having a browse! Many cute stationary pieces.

Check out her other links here. The main shop can be found here.

Dylan / Dylanoliv.art

A real mixture of creative works from photography to drawing to sculptures. He makes cool illustrated sticker versions of sculptures he has made and draws cool faceless people. To buy, send him a message on his art insta. Dylan also has a Redbubble!

Abbi Guse of Abbigail Guse Art

Art prints of ethereal women and landscapes. Also cute stickers and clothes! (I’m particularly partial to those) Also check out her Redbubble.

Alex of Baby Limbs Art (Now on Etsy)

Funky wallpaper, line character work, gremlins, cute animals and more!  You can order directly through her on her instagram/etsy for postcards and prints. Occasionally, they will make bizarre jewellery bits like funky earrings, so if you’re looking for unique, one of a kind pieces, Alex is the one for you! I have personally bought a print in the past and can say they’re great quality and everything is super reasonably priced!

Fox Fisher

Another nonbinary seller on my list. Screen printing and teaching short courses, limited edition prints, LGBT+ art works and stickers.

Check out their store here.

Shadeaux by Annie 

Owned by a LGBT+ woman of colour, Shadeaux creates fetish inspired jewellery for the kink community. Annie’s shop started as a line of acrylic accessories, an easy way to add some kink to everyday looks or streetwear. Shadeaux will be adding a line of ball gags an paddles by the end of September 2020. Check out and follow their instagram here.

Lorna Henson

Handmade elasticated harnesses, custom orders, size inclusive. Either wear as sexy addition to lingerie or a cool accessory addition to an outfit.

Devovere Lingerie and Jewellery 

Similar pieces to above that are custom made but also some jewellery pieces. A disabled queer person, I’m always here to support! They are a UK based store too. Everything can be found at Devovere.com

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RT Designs by Ruth

Black woman owned business, I found her through #BlackPoundDay on Twitter and fell in love with her beautiful gold flake bookmarks I mean what that hell?? She makes coasters and jewellery with similar designs and I am definitely planning on picking up a bookmark. UK based. Check out her Instagram.

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Tiffany: 30 year old emo from Essex (& very proud). Bi & chronically ill & disabled – Crohn’s & a stoma. I love records and prints and being unapologetically me.

Shimmer and Sew was born – like a lot – out of lockdown, after being made redundant due to covid, and getting a sewing machine for personal use, I decided to try my hand at sewing properly! I don’t normally stick with hobbies because if I’m not good, I give up, so this is a big thing for me! I have a Christmas scrunchie drop (or two) planned, and take on custom orders (I’m currently working on a duvet set for a friends rabbit).
Orders are mostly taken via DM on any social media and can be PayPal or bank transfer. I have an Etsy shop now open for pre-made items, for custom orders send a message 🧡
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Positively Peculiar  Quirky handmade jewellery and badges, second hand clothes with a 90’s vibe. The badges often have a good political statement which is always a plus for me!

CultureSmart’s Travel Guides! Kuperard Publishers very kindly gifted me a copy of their ‘essential guide to customs & culture’ Japan edition! This is a whole new level of travel guide that really talks about the culture of the place you’re interested in travelling to with some helpful do’s and don’ts when it comes to conversation. This would be a great present for anyone looking to travel in the New Year and they have a HUGE list of locations they have covered!

If you know anyone who loves books, I recommend searching and buying from Hive as they support indie bookshops and you can decide which ones your money supports.

Snuggly Duckling Crafts is a one-woman melt and pour soap making business, based in Singapore! All of Marsy’s soaps are cruelty free, paraben free and handcrafted by herself – making sure no one soap is the exactly the same as another. She ships locally to Singapore and also to the UK, but is open to worldwide shipping. She has an etsy store (that’s currently on holidays because of bank issues) or you can place an order via DM with her at @snugglyducklingcrafts on instagram!

taxidermy animal skulls and antlers

If you are interested in taxidermy, I recommend reading my blog post on it! Lots of good places to buy recommended on there.

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And of course, ME! Can’t make a gift guide without shameless self promotion!

As you know, I sell second hand items on my depop or my vinted, you can for sure find some presents on there (and it’s not always just clothes) all my postage wrapping is reused!

I also make all kinds of art stuff! I particularly like line drawn portraits and making fun wall signs out of scrap pieces of wood, and I sometimes make cute cards! I’m open to commissions 🙂 hit me up on my art insta. I do have a RedBubble of my own with some of my drawings or photography on. Link here.

And I do tarot card readings through email! So if you’re interested, give me an email at: artiecardenbusiness@gmail.com (paid through paypal)

I hope you enjoyed this little gift guide! It’s mostly art stuff but occasionally something else! I hope you found some good ideas here and thank you for supporting my friends and their small businesses!

~ Artie

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My Pin and Badge Collection

~ Artiecarden ~ 3 Comments

Hey pals,

I’ve been working my way through a lot of my old computer files and have found many things I meant to make posts on but didn’t for some reason (likely, forgetfulness) and this was one of them. I’m a bit of a badge/pin collector, even though I don’t often wear them out. I just wanted to share some of my collection with you here!

 

The first two are ones I picked up at Gay’s The Word in London. They have a great selection of LGBT+ themed badges and have a lot of merch based on the film Pride (the same bookshop!).

The second photo I’m wearing a Jumper enamel pin that says ‘loner club’ because, honestly what described me better? Bought from This is Not A Butchers in Brighton, it’s a great little shop filled with all your nerdy desires! and a small badge with a graphic fist that I bought off Amazon.

And the final image is my disabled travel badge. Just so you no, no one cares and will not offer you a seat even if you have this on and a walking stick!

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Here’s a better photo of my ‘Loner Club’ jumper pin and also my favourite Slytherin house pin! Also from This Is Not A Butchers.

 

If you’d like to see my full collection, let me know and maybe I’ll make it into an IGTV video. I’ve been making a lot of these recently!

 

~ Artie

Book Review: HEARTSTOPPER by Alice Oseman

~ Artiecarden ~ 7 Comments

 

Hey pals, 

 

We are finally here. I’ve seen a lot about Heartstopper on the Twitter, because I follow a Untitled Design 5lot of queer people in the book blogger/booktube community and also the author Alice Oseman (duh) of the web series. I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into whilst also not actually knowing a thing about it! (Besides it being a spin-off to a novel and that it was gay, you know, the important things!)

 

I finally got to reading it because I was DETERMINED to have read it before I went to the book signing in Piccadilly… and I was surprised. The art style really reminded me of manga and even some of the dramatic ‘omg am i gay do i love this boy’ moments felt SUPER rom-com manga. I love the blend of the art style I normally associate with japanese culture, and VERY BRITISH plot points and language. Never did I think I would see boys playing rugby and saying the word ‘lad’ whilst also looking like the cast of OHSHC. 

 

Heartstopper is actually very different from what I thought. I imagined it was more of a whole story (I thought they would be together by the end of part 1) but I’m actually pretty excited about it being more episodic. I haven’t read anything like that in years, and it felt really packed with beautiful art and TENSION… ooooo gay tension.

 

Without trying to spoil the book, there is a page near the end of volume 1: we see Nick, head-to-toe, at a party, and boy does he look like a bisexual icon. The characters have been trying to convince me this boy ‘looks straight’, please. Rolled up short sleeves, cuffed jeans and VANS? This boy has stolen my look and I am CONFIRMED bisexual. You couldn’t convince me this boy was straight by his fashion choices alone, thank you very much. Good thing it was near the end!

 

It took me two weeks to get around to reading volume 2. And that isn’t a bad thing. Actually, it was like when I would buy manga books and couldn’t afford many of them. If i knew I had one book left before I’d have to buy more, I’d drag out the time it took to read it because I didn’t want it to be over. At least if I had it, I knew I had the answers to my questions. Reading Heartstopper is super nostalgic for me because I read it similarly to how I read manga. I read one book in one sitting (4 hours tops) and always had an emotional roller-coaster, wrapped up in bed in the dark. It’s so hard to explain the tension without ruining it! But the art compliments the plot so well that you just get a big old punch to the gut when bad things happen and your chest hurts when something adorable happens. I’ve lost my capacity to talk about this because it just makes you feel things so strongly, and it’s only an experience I’ve ever had whilst reading manga/graphic novels. 

 

I’ve also found I have a favourite boy, which I think it pretty common for the readers of Heartstopper, but I just didn’t think I would? But, I do indeed. My heart cries for our giant buffoon, Nick in volume 2. He’s truly just so loveable.

 

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Alice said in the talk before the signing that these books obviously have it’s twists and turns, there’s angst but not too much that the tone is heavy. And she really works it so well that the overall feeling is light and fluffy, even when our boys are sad. It’s the perfect series for those who love the friends-to-lovers with a bit of ‘they’re almost happy’, because you won’t be depressed for long and if you really can’t wait for the next book, you can always read the webcomic! (I’m going to do my best to hold back!!)

 

~ Artie

https://www.aliceoseman.com/

check out my reading vlog here! 

What I Love About Autumn

~ Artiecarden ~ Leave a comment

I never thought I’d be this excited about Autumn. I don’t like the cold because I can never keep warm and I’m not a huge fan of Christmas looming. But after the longest and most gruelling summer I’ve experienced in my adult life, I’m ready for a bit of chill. So this is my written dedication to what I love about Autumn.

Orange, brown, red, yellow leaves crunching beneath my shoes. Watching them twirl and dance in the breeze as they fall. Wearing jeans and thick knitwear and scarves and hats. Being able to show off my collection of jumpers, a different one every day, I own enough to not wear one twice for at least two weeks. Warm bed socks at home, too thick for my shoes but perfect for lounging. Crawling into a onesie, the only acceptable time of year to wear one. Wearing jogging bottoms around the house without getting too hot. Not needing a fan and being able to use a heater. Sitting by my window, the glass so cold it reaches out and tickles my skin, drinking a hot chocolate, the combination giving me goose bumps.

Seeing the sky turn pink at 6pm, finally seeing the meaning of cotton candy skies. Trading in my beloved iced coffee for spiced coffee.

Halloween festivities, watching films and TV shows about witches, dressing up in costume, carving pumpkins and using the leftovers to cook a wonderful snack. Eating the seeds and remembering the friend who first fed them to me and taught me how to make them.

Reading. Everywhere. Snuggling up in my autumn clothes in a café or at home, reading whatever is taking my fancy. Not quite reading the winter and Christmas books I reserve for December.

Bonfire season. Something I didn’t get to participate in for three years in London for university. Every village and town has their own designated date for a bonfire or firework show all starting from the last weekend of September. Wrapping up in my warmest clothes, walking round the village with friends, cans from the corner shop in hand, maybe stop in a pub or two. Watch the parade of people dressed up and carrying Guy Fawkes, shuffle over to watch the fire being lit and the sparkles scatter in the black sky. Every laugh or breath comes out as a puff of fog. You can’t feel your fingers.

This is what I’ve missed about Autumn.

~Artie