Lunaticgumis Bee and PuppyCat Fan Merch – Review

Today I want to talk about an independent artist I adore and have been meaning to talk about on my blog for almost a year now! Better late than never I always say. As I recently made a second order with Lunaticgumis and wanted to share with you my collective haul from this year and last, and as the title of this post suggests, they’re all Bee and PuppyCat related. 😛

First of all I think most people know by now, I’m a massive Bee and PuppyCat fan! Due to that, I’m always after new merchandise, official or fan made, usually the latter. I discovered Lunaticgumis through Etsy whilst I was searching for PuppyCat items to add to my wish list or purchase.

I ended up adding all the PuppyCat items she had for sale to my wish list and eventually around the end of 2020 I made an order and picked up as many PuppyCat items as I could, including stickers, an enamel pin and an amigurumi.

Before I show you guys the items I’ve bought, I want to tell you a little bit about Lunaticgumis!

Lunaticgumis is run by Joana, a fan art artists illustrator and amigurumi creator based in Gran Canaria. Joana started creating amigurumi back in 2011 as she was inspired by Adventure Time. Since then, Joana hasn’t been able to stop creating amigurumi dolls inspired by her favourite shows!

Now I’ve told you a little bit about Lunaticgumis, lets get down to showing you the awesome goodies I’ve picked up!

At the time of writing this I will be adding links back to items mentioned on this post, however some aren’t currently available and I’ll try and add the links as and when I can.

As I mentioned previously the first time I made an order with Lunaticgumis was in November 2020. I ordered a bit of everything and I had a lovely thank you note inside my parcel from Joana, which I’ve kept. 🙂

• PuppyCat Amigurumi (without keychain) – (link TBA)

The PuppyCat amigurumi is what attracted me to Lunaticgumis! Amigurumi is something I discovered during COVID in 2020 when I was stuck at home and spent most of my evenings looking at cute goodies on Etsy. Eventually I decided to order my own PuppyCat amigurumi from Lunaticgumis and decided to get my PuppyCat without a keychain, as I knew he was going to live in my plushie cabinet. This amigurumi is tiny, but so precious and detailed with it! PuppyCat has his signature pink collar with yellow bell attached, as well as his grumpy brown eyebrows! It’s so adorable and I fell in love with it when he arrived.

• PuppyCat “I’m Not Cute!!” Sticker – (link)

If there is one thing I love about Lunaticgumis it’s Joana’s unique style when she draws PuppyCat, which is by fair my favourite out there! This design reminds me of a tattoo with the flowers surrounding PuppyCat, as well as the placard that states, “I’M NOT CUTE!!” which is something PuppyCat states in season one of the show. I especially love how grumpy PuppyCat looks, but has his cute little pink blushing cheeks.

• PuppyCat “2 Cute 2 Poot” Sticker – (link TBA)

Another PuppyCat sticker, this one comes from S01 E01 of Bee and PuppyCat where PuppyCat is forced to wear a helmet to go to the shops, which states, “2 Cute 2 Poot” which he hates. 😛 Again like the previous sticker, this is adorable! We still have some flowers surrounding PuppyCat, as well as his grumpy face but this time we can see his pink collar and yellow bell. Of course, he still has his pink blushing cheeks. 😛

• PuppyCat “I’m Not Cute!!” Acrylic Pin Badge – (link)

Like the “I’m Not Cute!!” sticker, the acrylic pin badge is exactly the same design but in pin form. This isn’t an enamel pin, but plastic acyclic which is a change for me! I want to get a collection of Bee and PuppyCat pins going, so I just HAD to have this acrylic pin badge!

• Freebie Stickers!!! – (not for sale)

In my parcel I received LOADS of free stickers, four in total including a mini version of the “I’m Not Cute!!” sticker and acrylic pin badge! Alongside that one, I also received “I’m not cuteeeee!”, “Hey Peon, bow to me!” and one of PuppyCat dressed as a reindeer inside of a Christmas wreath.

I loved my parcel so much that I received in November 2020, all the goodies really did make me smile and it really urged me to search and buy more Bee and PuppyCat items!

I decided at the end of August when I was paid that I would treat myself to some Bee and PuppyCat goodies from Lunaticgumis. Joana had mentioned over on Instagram that when some PuppyCat items were sold out, they wouldn’t make a return… So… I had to get my order in. 😛

Alongside the goodies I ordered from Etsy, I’d been in talks with Joana since November 2020 about getting a bigger PuppyCat made for me! Joana reached out at the end of August in regards to a bigger PuppyCat she’d made for me and showed me some photos. I was so happy and ecstatic about what Joana had made for me and sent her some monies via PayPal for it! This is for sale on her store, but only two per month will be available, so if you like the look of this amigurumi… Keep your eyes peeled on Lunaticgumis Etsy and Instagram.

Apart from my amigurumi, all the goodies (and freebies!) I ordered were wrapped in paper, which is unique to Lunaticgumis. I’ll definitely be keeping it as it’s got some adorable designs all over, including PuppyCat of course. 😛

• PuppyCat Amigurumi Velvet Yarn Version – (link TBA)

This is by far one of my favourite things I own. My velvet yarn PuppyCat amigurumi is so precious and I wish he was bigger so I could squish him lots and lots! This PuppyCat amigurumi is the same as the smaller version with just a few differences. PuppyCat is made out of velvet yarn, which makes him really plush and soft to the touch and he also has a jingling bell on his collar, which is such an amazing touch! I remember Joana messaging me about the bell and asking if I liked it or not, of course I loved it! 😛 This amigurumi is perfect, honestly and it makes me so bloody happy. :’) If you would love a PuppyCat like this yourselves, then make sure to keep them eyes peeled, as mentioned above!

• PuppyCat Dressed As Bee Sticker – (link)

This sticker is amazing in every way shape and form! For a start the size of the sticker is perfect and that for me is always good. I just love the idea of PuppyCat dressed as Bee, it looks so cute. Like the other stickers previously of PuppyCat, he’s surrounded by flowers. Of course he’s dressed/cosplaying as Bee, with the hair, yellow bee jumper and pink skirt. Such an adorable design, that I don’t personally feel anyone else has done yet.

• Bee and PuppyCat Wallace The Fish Sticker – (link)

Wallace is a character from the pilot episode of Bee and PuppyCat that you don’t see merchandise of too often. I think he’s adorable, even for the few minutes that we see him. I’d love to see more of him in season three when it comes to Netflix! Anyway, we can see Wallace crying, whilst PuppyCat comforts him. Wallace is always sad when his mama goes away, so waits for a story to be told by PuppyCat. I’m going to pop a YouTube video of this scene above because I feel like everyone needs to see it!

• PuppyCat Dressed As Bee Acrylic Pin Badge – (link)

Like the sticker, the acrylic pin badge is exactly the same design but in pin form. This isn’t an enamel pin, but plastic acyclic which is a change for me! I want to get a collection of Bee and PuppyCat pins going, so I just HAD to have this acrylic pin badge! This was the reason behind me making the jump and placing my order. I really wanted to snag the pin badge too!

• PuppyCat “2 Cute 2 Poot” Acrylic Pin Badge – (link)

Like the “2 Cute 2 Poot” sticker, the acrylic pin badge is exactly the same design but in pin form. This isn’t an enamel pin, but plastic acyclic which is a change for me! I want to get a collection of Bee and PuppyCat pins going, so I just HAD to have this acrylic pin badge!

• PuppyCat “I’m Not Cuteeeee!” Button Badge Pin – (link)

This was a freebie that I’d contemplated purchasing in the past! button badges aren’t really something I buy and use anymore. I had a massive thing for them back when I lived at home and was a student, but since enamel pins have come around they’ve sort of taken over. This button badge is really cute and I love how PuppyCat is shouting, “I’m not cuteeeee!” as it’s something he hates being called! I also love the little bee, as well as the rainbow background. The packet it came in has a little mini print of the same design.

• More Freebie Stickers!!! – (not for sale)

Again, like on my first order Joana threw in some freebie stickers for my second order. This was also one of the reasons why I wanted to place an order. Joana mentioned over on Instagram how she would be throwing in some freebie stickers in orders that wouldn’t be for sale later on the store. The designs are both adorable with PuppyCat rein acting scenes from season one. One is where PuppyCat has his yellow booties on to walk in the rain and the other is from the beach where PuppyCat is being terrorised by the cleavage crab.

Overall I absolutely adore all my Bee and PuppyCat goodies from Lunaticgumis and will definitely buy more from her in the future as and when Joana brings out new designs.

If you love Adventure Time, Bravest Warrior, Animal Crossing, etc then Lunaticgumis is a store you need to venture to! I’m going to pop links below as always.

Website

Etsy Store

Instagram

Twitter

What do you guys think of the goodies I picked up? Do you love Bee and PuppyCat as much as I do? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Until next time all, I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend and take care!

Nyanzilla The Elementalists Enamel Pin Collection

This is a blog post I’ve been looking forward to writing for a few days now since these adorable AF enamel pins arrived! Well, it’s been on my blog “do write” list for a while, but instead of talking about something else this weekend and wait until August to share these… I’ve sort of swapped my blog post schedule around. 😛

I hope you guys enjoy this weeks blog post! It’s all about Nyanzilla and their beautiful Elementalists enamel pin collection! None of these pins were gifted to me, I bought them all with my hard earned monies. 🙂

At the start of 2021 I mentioned Nyanzilla on a blog post of a enamel pin collective haul (which you can read here). This was the first time I’d ordered anything from Nyanzilla, which was an enamel pin from the RPG Job Class Enamel Pins – Warriors of Cute Kickstarter.

At the start of February this year Nyanzilla launched The Elementalists Enamel Pin Kickstarter. They have previewed all the upcoming enamel pin designs on Instagram and I was SO excited for it! I knew I was going to back for all of the designs and had zero regrets about it! I can’t 100% remember what happened but I know now that the Kickstarter in qu3estion is now subject of an intellectual property dispute and is currently unavailable… Which is rubbish! I wish I could have shown you guys the Kickstarter.

I know that due to being in the UK my Kickstarter pledge was cancelled by Nyanzilla and moved over to Etsy for payment and such. This was handled really well and Kanae even offered to throw some freebies in too for being so understanding.

The Elementalists collection is a Pokemon Eeveelution collection inspired by mages. As someone who often plays as mages in games (especially Elder Scrolls!) and also plays D&D, I knew I loved the collection! It’s something I haven’t seen yet. The first design for this collection was actually posted on Nyanzilla’s Instagram almost a year ago late August 2020! Eevee, Leafeon, Espeon, Umbreon and Glaceon’s designs were shown at the time, but it wasn’t until late January 2021 where Nyazilla posted about this collection again, as well as showcasing the rest of the Eeveelution designs (Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon and Sylveon).

As mentioned I backed for all nine designs, as well as one special design I fell in love with and HAD to have. Originally I was only going to back three designs, those being Eevee, Vaporeon and Sylveon. I’m honestly so excited to show these off to you guys! I’ll be linking back to Nyanzilla’s website as The Elementalists collection won’t be on Etsy. If you are from the UK/EU you can email Nyanzilla in regards to what items you would like to buy and a custom listing will be placed on Etsy for you! 🙂

I’ll be talking about these pins in their Pokemon numbers, because why not!

All designs are available in both their original colours, as well as their shiny colours too, which is an awesome touch! Just an FYI, some of the titles below for enamel pins will be missing their descriptions and this is because they don’t tell you anything more than what the title of the product does anyway!

I want to mention first of all that I didn’t receive any form of customs charges, which surprised me! I was prepared for this, as I spent so much money on these enamel pins, but alas I dodged it… Whether it was due to paying the VAT on Etsy or not, I’m unsure!

The package itself and how everything was presented was really nice! Everything was wrapped in blue tissue paper, with a Nyanzilla sticker being the first thing I saw when I opened the box. It says, “Thank you Adventurer! Happiness boost inside!” which I thought was a really cute touch.

Inside the package itself was of course the goodies I bought, but there is an adorable card/print as well as thank you for backing and supporting the Kickstarter campaign and a discount code to use on the online store! 😀

The image on the card is an Eevee making a potion up! It says “25th” along the table cloth and I wasn’t sure if this was that I was backer number 25 or something else… It’s actually to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokemon this year! I know this happened this year but completely forgot… And to think I call myself a Pokemon fan… 😉

I received some stickers in my parcel, as well as the enamel pins. I’ll be showing off the stickers first!

The stickers are amazing quality as they’re thick and have a matte feel/look to them, so I’d like to think they’d be long lasting!

• Vinyl Sticker: Sleeping – Cute little vinyl sticker of Sleeping Elementalist. – $3.50 – (link)

Look at this little cutie! It’s an illustration of Eevee sleeping on a book outside. It looks tired out after researching mage spells! It’s such a lovely design and I’m glad I have the sticker version of it. I have a feeling this was a freebie from backing the Kickstarter. This is also available as an enamel pin, which you can find here.

• Vinyl Sticker: Little Helper – Cute little vinyl sticker of Little Helper from the Elementalist collection. – $3.50 – (link)

I’ll be honest, Mimikyu isn’t a Pokemon I understand all the fuss about… But this Eevee x Mimikyu design that Nyanzilla has come out with is adorable! I’m pretty sure this was a freebie from Nyanzilla, which is really lovely!

• Little Helper Enamel Pin – Cute little helpers of the Elementalists! – $10.00 – (link)

Alongside the sticker, Nyanzilla also sent me a freebie of the enamel pin version of this! Like the sticker it’s an Eevee x Mimikyu design wrapped in a snuggly brown hoodie, with some Eevee ears and a cute and derpy little face. I much prefer this design to the original Mimikyu design to be honest with you. 😛 This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Flying Enamel Pin – Elementalists are powerful magic wielders each mastering an element to aide them in their journey. But they must also master the ways of flying! – $14.00 – (link)

This is an enamel pin designed I backed for with the Kickstarter. I couldn’t resist it, it’s so adorable! As you can see it’s an Eevee riding a broomstick, with a cute little brown hat on, behind a glitter blue sky! This is a huge pin and definitely the biggest lot of the bunch I received! It just makes me happy whenever I see it and because of that it’s up there in my favourite designs from this collection! This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Magic Portal Enamel Pin – Elementalists are powerful magic wielders each mastering an element to aide them in their journey. This is a magical portal the Elementalists use to travel great distances. – $14.00 – (link)

From memory this is an enamel pin that came free from backing the Kickstarter campaign. It’s a gorgeous glass window style design with an Eevee surrounded by all its Eeveelutions and elements. The types of Eeveelutions look exactly like the base energy cards seen in the Pokemon Trading Card Game. This is a gorgeous enamel pin though and I’d love to see it as a keychain that’s see through or a sticker! This enamel pin is silver metal plating.

• Elementalist Enamel Pin – Elementalists are powerful magic wielders each mastering an element to aide them in their journey. Where all Elementalists begin, the first step in choosing their elemental path. – $12.00 – (link)

The Eevee design, the main one from the bunch and it’s one of my favourites! I love how Eevee is wearing a cute little brown fluffy coat, alongside with an Eevee shaped staff too! Eevee looks ready for the winter weather, that’s for sure! I love the little smile on Eevee’s face too, as well as the subtle design on its coat. This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Hydro Mage Enamel Pin – $12.00 – (link)

This is another one of my favourite designs, if not my favourite out of them all! Vaporeon has always been one of my favourite Pokemon as I love it’s mermaid/dog look. This design is beautiful though and I cannot get enough of it. I love the flowing blue dress it’s wearing and I especially love that their staff has a Horsea at the top! The detail on this one is amazing and I just can’t get over it, plus the colours remind me of summer holidays in Fuerteventura, which I equally love. I semi regret not getting the shiny variant of this one too, I think I will in the future. Purple is my favourite colour and as this is up there as my favourite design, it’s kind of silly not to? This enamel pin is silver metal plating.

• Storm Caller Enamel Pin – $12.00 – (link)

I love what a little rogue Jolteon is always seen to be, but this design really does show that! The snaggle tooth is my favourite bit about this design for sure! I also love how fuzzy his coat is, it makes him look semi royal and important, which I love! His staff doesn’t stand out to me as anything… unique like some of the others, but it’s definitely cool! I also love how grumpy and serious he looks too. Nyanzilla really nailed this design. This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Ember Mage Enamel Pin – The Ember Mage is the Master of conjuring and controlling the flames. – $12.00 – (link)

This design is up there as one of the ones I feel had a LOT of detail put into it, which I always love! I feel enamel pins can never have too much detail. Flareon is surrounded by fire, even the staff is made out of fire! The pop of blue on the outfit really does stand out, which I like as it feels a little bit like the cloaks colour got lost amongst Flareon’s red/orange fur. I feel like Flareon isn’t as serious as Jolteon, but that sort of, “Don’t fuck with me or I’ll burn you…” look going on? 😛 This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Mystic Enamel Pin – $12.00 – (link)

Both of the gen two Eeveelutions have a VERY similar theme going on, in the sense they are clearly have face coverings on, which I really like! It makes them appear more mysterious, which they both are amongst the other Eeveelutions. Espeon is a gorgeous purple colour (of course!) and I especially love how much detail was put into their staff, which clearly is to resemble the sun. Their face covering only seems to cover their mouth. A sun brooch is also on their cloak too. This enamel pin is rose gold metal plating.

• Shadow Mage Enamel Pin – The Shadow Mage is the Master of controlling the dark energy. – $12.00 – (link)

As mentioned above, both of the gen two Eeveelutions are sporting face coverings, Umbreon however has more covering their face than Espeon. Umbreon definitely has a darker design than Espeon with their black and yellow cloak. I love that their mouth and nose are covered up as with the darker colours it makes it look more mysterious, if that makes sense! Umbreon’s staff is of a moon and the design of it is really detailed, which I love! This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Druid Enamel Pin – The Druid harness the power of nature to protect and aide them on their journey. – $12.00 – (link)

I actually think this is the design with the most detailing on it and due to that it’s up there as one of my favourites! The Leafeon design reminds me of Radagast the Brown The Hobbit, but this is kind of obvious why, isn’t it? 😛 The colour scheme of this design is one of my favourites and I especially love the white themes brought into it too with the flowers on Leafeon’s cloak, hat and staff. The staff is so pretty too to boot. Just everything about this pin is gorgeous! It reminds me of my friend Sarah (Raiin Monkey) as I know how much she loves this design. This enamel pin is gold metal plating.

• Frost Mage Enamel Pin – The Frost Mage controls the battlefield by conjuring storms of snow to slow their foes. – $12.00 – (link)

The Glaceon design is so pretty and it kind of reminds me of the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The design is gorgeous and I just love every aspect of it! Glaceon’s cold stare, the snowflake staff, to the fluffy cloak. The colours of this one are perfect too and I especially love that it’s silver metal plating too! I can just imagine Glaceon being a bad ass and not standing for anyone’s shit. Again, this enamel pin is silver metal plating.

• Fairy Enamel Pin – $12.00 – (link)

Finally we have another one of my favourite designs from this collection and one I feel is a firm favourite from a lot of people who backed the Kickstarter campaign! The Sylveon design has a fairy theme to it and the design looks so playful and happy out of all of the designs. Sylveon’s whole outfit reminds me of a cross between Little Red Riding Hood and someone who is into Japanese Lolita fashion. Sylveon’s staff is also a heart shape, similar in style to the staff that Jolteon is holding. I especially love the fact Sylveon is winking. Like Vaporeon, I would love the shiny variant of this one too. This enamel pin is rose gold metal plating.

There we have it guys, all of The Elementalists enamel pins! I’m so glad I decided to get them all, as I know for a fact I would have regretted it and scrambled to try and buy the other designs at a later point.

I know in the future I’d love to pick up some of the shiny variants of Vaporeon and Sylveon, as well as the prints of Eevee, Vaporeon and Sylveon. I’ll be looking to pick some goodies for Christmas too… 😛

Alongside the enamel pins, Nyanzilla did also bring out vinyl sticker sheets and prints of all The Elementalists designs. If you’re interested in any of these, I’ll pop a link below for where you can view the whole collection. Alongside that, you CAN also buy all nine of the Eeveelutions enamel pins in bundle set, which I’ll link here.

Store

Etsy Store (UK and EU customers)

Instagram

The Elementalists Collection

What do you guys think of The Elementalists collection? What are your favourite design(s) and which would you pick up? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time all, I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend so far and make sure to keep safe during these times.

May Wish List ‘21

It’s another month and another wish list! I said this last week on my monthly favourites post, but bloody hell 2021 really is flying by! I can’t believe we’re already into May, a week into May at that! I’m quite excited for what May brings, including some better weather as at the moment the weather has been vile, who agrees with me? This being said, I’ve really needed some rain as my water butt is empty and my flowers need water. 😛

I’ve treated myself to quite a few things in May so far, including some goodies from Japan and more. For the rest of the month I’ll be on a spending ban, as I need to start saving up money ready for a new fence to be done! I’m aiming for that to be done by the end of May at the latest!

This post feels like it’s full of a lot of the same stuff, or at least similar, so I do apologise for that. A lot of the stuff I have on my wish list isn’t items I felt the need to write about this month OR I’ve written about them previously.

I’m really after some cute items lately, a lot of which are from America… Hence a lot of monies. 😦

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this months wish list!

• Zambicandy Nana Print (link)

I discovered Zambicandy recently through artist Girthy Boba Straw on Instagram and as a massive fan of Nana, both the manga and anime I have fallen in love with both Girthy Boba Straw’s and Zambicandy’s designs. This print is one I really want in my home above my new desk. The relationship between the two Nana’s is beautiful and although they’re different in their interests, their love lives and goals in life are somewhat similar. I just love them both and this print is perfect, especially with them dressed in their animal forms too!

• Pandora Disney Lady Charm (link)

As regular readers will know, I LOVE Lady and the Tramp. It’s my favourite Disney film and has been since I was old enough to watch it. I just love Lady and Tramp and how they bring the best out in one another. I already own one Pandora charm of Lady and The tramp as well as the Chamilia’s charms of Lady and Tramp too. So, whilst I don’t really need more… I’ll always add more charms to my bracelet! I think I’m going to treat myself to this charm in June when I’m paid. 🙂

• Zambicandy Nana Enamel Pin (link)

Zambicandy again but this time it’s a Nana enamel pin! As an enamel pin collector, when I saw this adorable enamel pin of both Nana’s snuggling together under a floral blanket, I fell in love. I’d love to add this to my collection but I’ll be honest, the shipping pries from Zambicandy are shockingly high for the UK! I know this isn’t the sellers fault, but it sucks nonetheless as a UK shopper. $25.50 is more than all three items together in this post so… I’ll be having a big think about this.

• Blushsprout Animal Crossing Cookie Enamel Pin (link)

I LOVE Blushsprout’s designs. They’re so chibi and cute and designs I really do want to own. I at one point last year backed the froggie ita bag on Kickstarter that had been created, but due to saving monies I ended up cancelling the pledge, which I semi regret… That being said, I LOVE their Animal Crossing enamel pins and would love to own as many of the dog villager designs as possible! Cookie of course is at the top of the list followed by Walker, Lucky, Goldie, Genji and Vesta. As I’ve recently signed up for Blushsprout’s Patreon, not only will I be getting the Lady and the Tramp II Angel enamel pin, but I’ll also use the discount code I get to grab some of the Animal Crossing enamel pins too!

• Razer x Sanrio Keyboard and Mouse

These are both some major items that I REALLY want to snag soon! These are the Razer x Sanrio keyboard and mouse set that are exclusive to China. I toyed with getting them last year when they first came out, but as I didn’t have a desk at the time, there wasn’t much point. However, now I do have my desk I really would like to get them! I’d definitely like a good mouse for my work laptop and personal and the keyboard would be amazing to use instead of my laptop keyboard on both my work and personal laptops. It would just be cool to get something cute and of a brand name that I know I can trust and love! I’ve asked YY Kawaii if she’s able to get hold of these which she is, so I’m hopeful I can get hold of these sooner rather than later.

• Zambicandy Nana Sticker (link)

Finally we have one more Zambicandy item to talk about, which is a sticker. Again, this is of both the Nana’s from the manga and anime of the same name. Honestly, I can’t get enough of Nana merch! It’s not something I knew there was much of until the start of this year. I really love this design and out of the three it’s definitely my favourite. I love how both the Nana’s are dressed up in their animal forms, but I especially love the chibi style of them too. I think as and when I go to make an order from Zambicandy I may need to order two of these stickers so I can keep one “nice” and use the other. Does anyone else do this with stickers, or is it just me? 😛

So there we have it guys, my monthly wish list! This one was very samey, especially with all the Nana designs mentioned too, which I apologise for.

What do you guys have on your wish lists for the month? Are there any items on my list that you like or own? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time all, take care and have a great weekend!

March Wish List ‘21

I can’t quite believe we’re coming to the end of the first week of March. I woke up this morning and said to Dane, “Is it Friday?” because the week has gone by so bloody quickly!

I’ve been having a think about what items to talk about and share with you for my wish list this month as I’m struggling a tad AND as I mentioned on my favourites post (which you can read here), I’m on a spending ban again in March. It’s not gone off to the best start but meh… It is what is it and I’m going to try and be better throughout the rest of the month!

All of the items on this wish list are things I plan to purchase come payday due to pre-orders or because they’re home related items I’d like to buy.

I hope you enjoy this months wish list as always! 😀

• Persona 5 Animation Parts 1 & 2 (link)

As everyone knows, I love Persona 5. It was a game I played when it first came out in the UK and I quickly fell in love with it. I’m currently playing Persona 5: Royal and will look at FINALLY starting to play Persona 5: Strikers today. I love anime and when I heard Persona 5 was getting one, I was so excited! This was quite a while ago now and I’ve never actually watched the anime. 😦 This is because at the time it was subbed (Japanese speaking with English subtitles) and as I’d played the game dubbed (English speaking) I wanted to watch the anime with the same voice actors that I’d played the game with. I know Channel 4/All  4 have the English dub to watch, but with adverts and all that, I was put off. Now it’s coming out for pre-order at the end of the month I’m happy to wait a little longer after ordering! 😀

• Pokémon TCG: Eevee Sweet Choices Playmat (link)

I’m not a Pokemon Trading Card player, but I do hope to get my own desk in the future and this ADORABLE Eevee Sweet Choices playmat would be amazing to buy to use as a massive mouse/keyboard mat for my future desk. It’s a cute design with an Eevee on the front holding and surround by Eeveelution themed chocolates. The background is white and is covered in the Eeveelution themed chocolates. This is really hard to get hold of now and you’re looking over £60 to get hold of one from America. This is kind of frustrating to be honest as it only sold for $24.99 this time last year. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for it, as it’s definitely something I’d love for a desk. It would be so bloody cute. 🙂

• M&S Pure Cotton Strawberry Bedding Set (link)

I don’t know about you, but I’m always up for buying some new bedding, especially in spring and winter. I was contemplating buying some new bedding in winter but ended up leaving it, which I’m glad about as I’m definitely planning on buying this bedding soon! M&S bedding is really lovely and great quality, so when I spotted this strawberry bedding set on the website, I fell in love! I love strawberries and the print on this bedding is really sweet, delicate and the pink strawberries remind me of Japan a little. This would just be perfect to use throughout the year, especially spring and summer. When payday hits at the end of the month, I’m going to order this. 🙂

• Smoko Pearl Boba Tea Air Purifier (link)

I LOVE Smoko’s products! They’re so practical and kawaii that I do love having them in my own. I love their Pearl Boba design and I already own the little light variant of it. So when Firebox announced they’d got the air purifier in stock, I KNEW I had to have it! As someone who suffers from hay fever, this purifier would be perfect in the summer to keep next to me when working from home in the week. Imagine too if I had my own desk, with the cute Eevee playmat, as well as this air purifier? Would be so cute!!!

• Asda Artificial Succulent In Dalmatian Pot (link)

For some reason I thought I’d mentioned this last month… But I didn’t! I actually discovered this through someone on Twitter, which was amazing! I would have bought it last month if it hadn’t been for a mixture of spending ban AND you need to buy something else in order to snag this item from the website. I haven’t seen anything I want or need to justify ordering it, which is a bit of a shame. I’ll get one eventually I’m sure. I plan to keep it by the front door to add a bit of colour into the hallway!

• Lunaticgumis Puppycat Enamel Pin & Sticker (link)

Finally we have this amazing enamel pin and sticker design from Lunaticgumis. I LOVE Bee & Puppycat, so I’m always in the lookout for merch from independent artists. Lunaticgumis is my favourite for Puppycat goodies and I already own some stickers, an enamel pin and even an amigurumi of Puppycat from her (I’ll be talking about her in the future on my blog!). This Puppycat design is so adorable as Puppycat is dressed as Bee! 😀 This isn’t something I’ve seen anyone else do in the community yet, so it’s something unique for sure! I’ll definitely be ordering the enamel pin and the sticker in the future. 😀

So yeah there we have it, all of my wish list items for March! As I said previously, I’m on a spending ban this month so these items won’t be bought in a massive hurry in all honesty, but I do really love sharing my wish lists with you all to promote independent artists and more.

What item(s) do you have on your wish list this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. 🙂

Pikarar – Review

Guys I’m back after a weekend off and I’m so excited to be sharing with you an independent artist/store that I fell in love with towards the end of 2020!

As regular readers (and followers of my Instagram) will know, I do really love to share independent artists/stores with you all. If anyone needs our support (purchasing wise) right now, it’s these guys! Plus, their designs are so much better. 😉

I discovered Pikarar around October/November 2020 when Yapfrog shared one of Pikarar’s designs over on Instagram. It was a shiba version of K.K. Slider and was ADORABLE! I went over to her store to check out her work straight away and made an order. I also pre-ordered some goodies towards the end of November 2020 for the New Year. I’m already planning to buy from Pikarar again, but I wanted to talk to you guys about my experience (spoiler it was amazing!) as well as share the goodies I picked up. 🙂

I first of all want to mention here that the store isn’t open at the moment, but I have reached out to Pikarar to find out roughly when it’ll be open again. At the time of publishing, I haven’t received an answer in regards.

Pikarar is based in America so I already hear a lot of you in the UK worrying you may not be able to order… I don’t think we have to worry! Granted, I avoided the VAT related issues that began at the start of 2021, but I’m still in the frame of mind that Pikarar will offer to ship to the UK, which is amazing!

I want to get this out there first, shipping was NOT cheap, but it was worth every penny for how bloody quickly everything arrived. Both my orders arrived to me a week after they’d been shipping and as I had tracking with both too I was able to track the process. 🙂 I also didn’t get customs charges either, which was AMAZING! We all hate those, don’t we? I paid $20.00 shipping but personally this was worth every penny to me. 🙂

On the website there is a section where you can preview what will be for sale, but these are view only images. There aren’t any prices at the moment I’m afraid. I can’t 100% remember how much I paid for some of pieces I bought either, which is frustrating so sorry I can’t give exact prices on some of the pieces I picked up. I’ll mention what the rough price is on some items and the actual prices on others.

One thing to mention here is any clothing you buy, Pikarar will send you an apparel care guide, aka how to wash them etc. You need to wash the clothing inside out in cold water. I hate hand washing stuff and with my dermatitis on my hand, it isn’t something I can really “afford” to do. Instead I opt for popping the pieces into my washing machine inside out on a lot heat for a short amount of time and I hang it to dry naturally. You can tumble dry low if you want to, but I don’t personally.

I really hope you enjoy this blog post today guys! Alongside talking about Pikarar’s designs and the pieces I picked up, at the end of the post I’ll also share the website again, as well as their social media. 🙂

• Eevee Crane Sweater – Between $45.00-$55.00.

This was the first piece I popped into my basket! I love Pokemon and I’d seen this item shown over on Pikarar’s Instagram page shortly after discovering them. As many of you know, I love Pokemon and Eevee and the Eeveelutions are one/some of my favourite Pokemon. I couldn’t pass this sweater up in all honesty, the cream brown colour isn’t a colour I have in my wardrobe either so it’s something new!

As you can see from the design, this is a crane machine but instead of plushies it’s full of Eevee’s and they’re all doing different and cute poses. My favourite is the one at the front in my middle who is pushing its whole body against the glass of the crane machine. All the designs are adorable though and whenever I’ve shown me wearing this on camera to friends, as well as photos on Instagram/Twitter people have always commented how cute it is!

I’ll be honest, when it arrived the little white patches where the Eevee’s are smushing their faces, hands and bodies against the glass I thought the little white patches were a flaw in the print. I reached out to Pikarar in regards who was really lovely and understanding of my confusion and explained what it was.

Alongside how cute the design of this sweater is, the sweater itself is so bloody comfortable! It’s super fluffy and soft inside, as well as being really warm. It’s definitely been worn and loved loads since buying it in October/November last year. The sizing is unisex and I went with an L. I can get away with an M no problem but I wanted something really big and baggy which this sizing choice has done perfectly.

• Shiba Crane Sweater – Between $45.00-$55.00.

The shiba crane sweater is actually my favourite out of all the crane designs I own from Pikarar. Shiba’s are adorable and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the breed. After returning from Japan I’ve kind of fallen in love with the dog breed more and more often now than before if I see a design of the breed I like, I may go for it. This shiba crane sweater included.

It’s the same sort of design idea as the Eevee crane sweater but with shiba dogs on it instead. I actually prefer the shiba design due to some of the poses the dogs are in. They’re very similar to the Eevee’s but there are some minor differences and such. My favourite shiba dog is squished by the drop/win section of the crane game. It’s little face is squashed up against the glass and it looks a little fed up.

I went for this gorgeous baby pink colour for my sweater. Pink isn’t a colour that you’ll see often in my wardrobe, so it’s nice to have some variety. I wear this sweater quite a lot and it’s fast become one I reach into my wardrobe for when I want to wear something warm and comforting.

When I recently went for an eye test at my opticians one of the women who worked there commented how cute this design was and asked me where it was from. I love clothing that can become a conversation starter, especially if people know of the artist whose pieces your wearing, or if they love that animal, character, game, etc.

Like the Eevee crane sweater, the sweater itself is so bloody comfortable! It’s super fluffy and soft inside, as well as being really warm. It’s definitely been worn and loved loads since buying it in October/November last year. The sizing is unisex and I went with an L. I can get away with an M no problem but I wanted something really big and baggy which this sizing choice has done perfectly.

• Shiba Samurai Sticker – Between $2.00-$5.00.

I actually bought this sticker for my boyfriend as since he bought himself a laptop in the summer last year, he’s started to pop stickers on it for fun. I saw this shiba samurai sticker and thought he would love it. I haven’t allowed him to stick it on his laptop yet as I wanted to show it off to you guys first! 🙂

As you can see it’s a black and white sticker of a shiba holding two katana style swords and looking a mixture of cute, serious, and ready to fight! I knew my boyfriend would love something like this. There was also a sweater with the same design on that I contemplated buying him for Christmas, which I didn’t in the end. I’d still like to pick this up for him in the future, or maybe even for myself as it’s such a cool design!

The quality of the sticker is really good too. It has a matte texture and it feels lovely and thick, so you know it’s going to last a long time on whatever you decide to stick it against!

It’s nothing to do with the design but I wanted to mention here that whenever you buy a sticker Pikarar pops it in a cute little envelope, alongside with a thank you care and your apparel care instructions, if you’ve bought any.

• Shiba Good Girls Hoodie – $55.00.

This was one of my pre-order items and one of the items I’d wanted to snag the first time I made an order with Pikarar. I missed out, but I was happy to wait for my pre-order. I went for the mustard yellow/gold colour hoodie and the “Good Girls” slogan on the back and arm of the hoodie. You could also choose black and the “Good Boys” slogan. I don’t have a mustard yellow/gold hoodie and whilst I was anxious to wear this bright a colour, I knew I’d be able to pull it off. Since it arrived last month I’ve worn it quite a few times now. It’s been my go to hoodie for when I want to look and feel cute, but I don’t want to be too warm.

There is a shiba design on the back where it’s wearing a black hoodie and underneath it says, “Good Girls” alongside with “Pikarar”. The shiba looks so cute and happy as it’s smiling and it sort of reminds me of the shiba cafe we visited in Harajuku, Japan last year. The hiragana on the arm reads something along the lines of “good”. I did work out what it said the first couple of times I wore it, but I’ve since forgotten. 😦

This hoodie isn’t as thick as I thought it was going to be, which I first thought was going to be a problem. Thankfully this isn’t the case and it’s actually been a great hoodie to throw on when I want to be warm, but not super toasty. It’ll be a great hoodie to wear for spring, cooler days in summery and autumn and winter days when I want to wear a long sleeved shirt underneath. This hoodie is also a little see through… Which is annoying from someone who wears a lot of dark t-shirts… This being said it could be worse. I picked this up in a size L, as like the unisex sizing for the sweatshirts this is nice and baggy. 🙂

I actually have a defect on the hoodie from where Pikarar has printed the design on the sleeve. There’s a green/black mark near the hiragana which I reported to Pikarar who has been kind enough to offer to send me from free stickers and a discount code when the store opens. At first the offer was for me to send the hoodie back to her and she would send a replacement. That sounded like it was going to cost Pikarar a lot of money, so I suggested a discount instead to make things easier and less faff.

• Pikachu Crane T-Shirt – $25.00.

The final piece I bought and own by Pikarar (so far anyway…) is the Pikachu crane t-shirt. I decided that I needed the other Pokemon crane design in my collection, but I wasn’t quite sure I wanted another sweater. A part of me regrets not getting the sweater, but at the same time I don’t. It’ll be good to have a t-shirt to wear in the warmer summer months.

This t-shirt is also the same colour as the shiba good girls hoodie, so that mustard yellow/gold colour. I wasn’t feel as anxious about wearing such a bright colour with a t-shirt as it can always be styled with a darker pair of jeans or a skirt. This being said I actually really love the colour and both pieces have received lots of compliments during work calls!

The Pikachu design on the t-shirt is really cute and is very similar to the Eevee and shiba designs. Unlike the other designs, I can’t pick one Pikachu that I love and adore more than the others. The Pikachu’s in this design are all so sweet and adorable to look at! The one in the claw about to get won is pretty adorable, but so is the cutie at the front pressed up against the glass. I’ve really loved wearing this design. I picked this up in a size L, as again like both the sweatshirts and hoodie this is a unisex size. I could have gotten away with an M in this, but glad I got the L for that slouchy, comfy fit.

It’s adorable and out of the three this one reminds me of my childhood the most. Hot summer days during the school holidays and miserable rainy weekend days me and my dad would venture to a local town in the countryside where there are loads of arcade games to play! We’d pay the claw games and he’d win me teddy bears. One year he won me a fake TY bear that looked like Harry Potter. I cherished it for years and it’s still in my parents house somewhere. I think that’s the last time he won me anything on the claw games before they got “rigged”. I have to say, when the world starts to go back to normal, I’d love to go there with my dad for a day out together. It would be my treat and we could play arcade games, grab fish and chips and just have a fun day together. 🙂

I would love some other things in this design, including a mouse mat if that’s something Pikarar would look into doing in the future.

That’s everything I picked up from Pikarar though! I’m really excited for when she opens her store again to potentially grab a few more pieces and maybe even snag some goodies for my boyfriend for his birthday in April!

Overall I’m so happy with everything I’ve bought from Pikarar so far! Her designs are so unique and adorable. I just want to snuggle and squish all the cute animals she draws. I’m really excited to see what she comes out with next. I know she recently announced she’s creating a sticker Patreon soon so if you’re interested make sure to follow her on Instagram.

The same goes for when Pikarar announces when she will be opening her store. Following her on Instagram for updates in regards is the best place to be. 🙂

I’m going to pop Pikarar’s links down below for you, including their store as well as social media.

Store

Instagram

Twitter

Twitch

For Fans By Fans (Store)

What do you guys think of Pikarar and her unique shiba and Pokemon designs? Make sure to let me know in the comments below, plus what you would buy from her store?

Until next time guys, stay safe and take care.

Sugar Bunny Shop – Review

I’ve mentioned a few times now on my blog (as well as social media) but in December I went very shop happy and not just because I had Christmas presents and sales goods to buy.

It was announced by the government that there would be changes made to the VAT and how it’s treated on overseas goods sold to UK customers. Due to this a lot of independent stores/artists in America had to say no more to selling to the UK from 1st January 2021. I was gutted as more and more stores/artists I wanted to buy from announced no more sales in 2021 to the UK, so I went shopping. Sugar Bunny Shop was one of the stores I bought some goodies from and I had to share with you what I bought, as well as a bit of a back story in how I discovered Sugar Bunny Shop and why I’m glad, but also gutted (due to the VAT stuff) to have finally bought from them.

Before I talk more about Sugar Bunny Shop, I want to just address the VAT related issue here for people in the UK who may want to order. I did reach out to find out more information in regards to what may be set up/happen in the future for people in the UK looking to order. I know some American stores are looking to open Etsy stores for UK shoppers, as well as discuss further options etc.

Sugar Bunny Shop/Samantha did in fact reach out to me in regards to my query. I want to thank Samantha for taking the time to reply to my email and for how lovely she was too! 😀

Unfortunately I don’t have a resolution to the UK issues at the moment. I’ve considered using Etsy, but the fees are so high it’s not an ideal solution. I’m hoping the UK/EU will figure out some kind of solution to this for small businesses as they iron out the wrinkles in how the new VAT system works.

I wish I could offer a solution so that any of your readers could immediately order stuff if they wanted. My best suggestion is to recommend they maybe follow the shop on social media or sign up for the newsletter to be notified in any updates regarding UK orders.

I’ve known about Sugar Bunny Shop for years, I feel like it’s been since around 2011, so for the almost ten years and it’s only in 2020 I actually finally made an order. This being said, this isn’t the first time I’ve had something from Sugar Bunny Shop. Back in 2014 my boyfriend bought me a Doki Fox sticker sheet (which I spoke about here). He didn’t buy it direct from Sugar Bunny Shop (think he said it was on Crunchyroll’s store?) so when I opened it and said, “Oh my God! How did you know I loved Doki Fox?” He was taken by surprise.

Over the years I’ve been really interested in the Doki Fox original character, as well as a red panda original character called Ponwan. I’ll pop a little bit below about Doki Fox. I love that Sugar Bunny Shop wrote a little blurb about the cute fox character she’d created!

Silly li’l dumplin’ fox, Doki is a cheerful ball of fur that can’t contain his joy for pastries!

This plump little fox is cheeky, playful and so very fluffy! Small, dumpling-shaped chicks are his best friends and they love to follow him around, though sometimes he confuses them for real dumplings. Especially when they mingle with his food. He would never eat them, of course! But when he’s stuffing his face too quickly he sometimes discovers the taste of feathers. P’tooie!

Eating and sleeping are Doki’s two favorite hobbies, and he can often be found napping contentedly with his peeps after stuffing his tummy with tasty food. Aside from snacks and sleep, this wee fox enjoys soft grass and warm sunshine, which is the perfect spot to laze the day away.

Although dumplings are his favorite food, he also enjoys trying all kinds of other treats as well.

Text and image of Doki Fox taken from Sugar Bunny Shop

Doki Fox has been through some design changes over the years and doesn’t look as chibi as he used to. That being said, he’s still absolutely adorable and I’m glad to finally own a piece of clothing and some more stickers with Doki Fox on!

Short story behind my main reason for ordering from Sugar Bunny Shop. I asked Dane if he would be able to buy me the Doki Fox sweatshirt for me for Christmas/birthday and I’d somewhat hoped he had. Christmas passed and the size of the sweatshirt I was after came back into stock. I’d asked Dane in passing if he’d bought it for me and he said no. I rushed to the Sugar Bunny Shop website and got my order in for the sweatshirt, as well as some stickers! A part of me regrets not ordering more, especially as I’m unsure when I’ll be able to buy from Sugar Bunny Shop next…

• Doki Fox Chick Pile Sweatshirt – $55.00 (link)

This sweatshirt is gorgeous in every way shape and form. I remember when it was announced around autumn time in 2020 and I fell in love with it. The design, the colour, the autumn vibes and most of all that it’s on a sweater! This is a dark brown sweater that is so fluffy and soft inside and makes me feel like I’m wearing a cloud of marshmallow! The sleeves has yellow and orange autumn leaves on, which I love. Autumn is my favourite time of year, so this is already perfect for me! Of course on the front we have the Doki Fox design – he’s lying on his back with a cute little smile on his face and is surrounded by his dumpling chick friends, who look to be really happy to be around Doki Fox. There are more orange and yellow leaves surrounding them, which I like. The design is just so adorable and it makes me smile whenever I see it.

• Doki Fox and Chicks Vinyl Sticker – $4.00 (link) and Doki Fox Playful Vinyl Sticker – $4.00 (link)

I decided to order myself some stickers from Sugar Bunny Shop as I’ve become a bit of a sticker hoarder lately! Of course I couldn’t resist the Doki Fox stickers and both of the designs I bought are adorable. Both stickers feel like amazing quality due to the thickness, as well as the matte finish. I don’t mind shiny stickers, but I do prefer matte sometimes. The first design is of Doki fox lying on his belly and surrounded by his little dumpling chick friends. It’s such a sweet design and makes me smile! The second design is Doki Fox on his own, lying on his back, with his front and back legs in the air in a playful position! Both stickers are adorable and I regret not ordering two of each.

So that is everything I picked up! I regret not ordering more to be honest, so just wanted to share below just a few of the items I wish I could have picked up.

Image taken from Sugar Bunny Shop

• Red Panda Ponwan Parfait Vinyl Sticker – $4.00 (link)

I had so many regrets not buying this sticker and it was only JUST AFTER my items had been dispatched that I noticed it! NOOOO! Red pandas are one of my favourite animals and I swear, Sugar Bunny Shop has designed this so perfectly too, from how happy and fluffy the Ponwan is, to how yummy the parfait Ponwan is holding looks. I hope that Sugar Bunny Shop designs more Ponwan goodies in the future. 🙂

Image taken from Sugar Bunny Shop

• Lavendeer Fawn Floral Sweatshirt – $55.00 (link)

I don’t so much as regret not buying this sweatshirt, but it would have been awesome to have picked up considering how lovely my Doki Fox version is. This is something I’d definitely love to pick up in the future if possible. I love and live in sweatshirts, especially since working from home due to COVID. I love the colour purple and the Lavendeer Fawn design is so damn pretty!

Image taken from Sugar Bunny Shop

• Doki Fox Playful Bee Unisex Shirt – $25.00 currently on sale for $22.00 (link)

If this hadn’t of been sold out in my size, I would have ordered. The only size that is currently left is an XS and that wouldn’t have fit me AT ALL! I’m really gutted I couldn’t pick this t-shirt up as Doki Fox is adorable. The design is more spring/summer than my sweatshirt design and has Doki Fox playing with a bee. It’s really cute and I hope (again) in the future I can pick it up, or maybe even another/newer Doki Fox design.

That is everything I regret not picking up and hope to in the future from Sugar Bunny Shop and with that we have come to the end of this review.

Overall I’m really happy with my order and I’m glad I bit the bullet and placed it. I’d have regretted so much not picking up that Doki Fox sweatshirt. I’ve already worn it almost a handful of times and it just makes me feel so happy to wear.

I’m going to pop Sugar Bunny Shop’s links down below for you, including their store as well as social media.

Store

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Art Prints Store 

What do you guys think of Sugar Bunny Shop and her adorable AF designs? Make sure to let me know in the comments below, plus what you would buy from her store? 🙂

Until next time guys, stay safe and take care. 🙂

Quirkory – Mostari Mystery Pack Review AND An Exciting Announcement!

Guys I’m back to talk to you about Quirkory, what an amazing independent artist/store they are… As well as some exciting news, which I’ll be sharing first because I just can’t contain my excitement!

Image taken from GIPHY

Drumroll please… I have become Quirkory’s brand ambassador!

Not only has this made me really happy (because we all know how much I love Quirkory as a brand, he couple behind it and of course their kawaii designs!) but I feel honoured too. I’m honoured to be able to become an ambassador for a brand I really do love and especially love talking about on my blog, to people on messages/social media and more!

Quirkory were lovely enough to recognised how much I loved them and offered me to become an ambassador towards the end of 2020, with it all starting to become official on my birthday! If you didn’t know, Inari and Mosted are based off of the couple behind Quirkory and are their kawaii mascots for the brand. So, when they suggested me becoming an ambassador a while ago, we also discussed them creating a mascot all of my own to represent me! I gave them an idea and on my birthday they sent over the finished design, which I’m happy to finally show you all!

I went for a raccoon, as they are for sure my spirit animal (as well as one of my favourites alongside foxes, dogs and red pandas), so it seemed right for me. As well as that, I went for a purple bow around their neck, as that’s my favourite colour. I loved the idea of having my mascot with food/drink of some sort, especially considering the name of my blog is to do with coffee! We didn’t go with coffee however and instead opted for a matcha bubble tea, as this is one of my favourite beverages! The end design is so adorable and I couldn’t be happier with it! I’m planning to buy a print of it from Quirkory so I can pop it in a frame and hang it in the house. I’m honestly a mixture of happy and proud to now be more than just a fan/buyer of Quirkory, but now working with them too.

Of course, with being a brand ambassador I do get a special discount code for you guys to use to snag yourself a bargain or two! This code will be “TMBQUIRKORY” and gives you 10% off of Quirkory’s Etsy store. Don’t worry if you need to quickly grab the code in the future and can’t find this post, there’s a few ways this discount code will be accessible.

I’ll be adding the discount code and image, as well as this post under the “Quirkory” section of my blog, as shown in the image above. As well as that, I will of course have the discount code image on the right hand side of my blog, which will be added after this post is live!

Anyhoo, exciting announcement over, it’s time to talk about Quirkory’s Mostari Mystery Pack! This is an item Quirkory revealed and launched towards the end of 2020 and it’s something I KNEW I had to pick up for myself. It’s always nice to pick up a surprise box/bag to see what goodies you get. I know I often talk about Quirkory on my blog and for people who may have never bought anything from Quirkory before and interested, the Mostari pack may be a great way to introduce you to Quirkory!

I’m going to explain what the Mostari pack is all about, as well as prices, what you’ll expect as well as what I received in my pack! I have also done an IGTV video about this over on my Instagram account, which I will post here if you’re interested in watching that alongside reading this post.

The Mostari box comes in three different sizes, bag, mini box and large box.

Bag (£20.25) – You will receive three different pins or two different random pins and one surprise item.

Mini Box (£27.98) – You will receive three different pins or two different random pins and one surprise item. You will also received one art print and either two jumbo vinyl stickers or one stick pack/sheet.

Large Box (£41.59) – You will receive five different pins or four different random pins and one surprise item. You will also received one art print and either two jumbo vinyl stickers or one stick pack/sheet.

I went for the large box, because why not? 😛 It arrived before Christmas and I was SO HAPPY with all of the goodies I received. Quirkory made sure that I didn’t receive any duplicate items and I couldn’t thank them enough for this! To be honest, if I had of received some duplicate enamel pins, I would have gifted them to my friends. 🙂

Image taken from Quirkory’s Etsy store.

First of all the image that Quirkory designed purely for the Mostari pack is absolutely adorable! It’s Inari and Mosted looking inside the Mostari box in front of them, which is full of sparkle! The name Mostari is also a mash up of Inari and Mosted to sound like mystery!

Inside the box it is full of shredded pink and blue tissue paper, as well as the goodies all in their packages and such. I’m going to talk about all the goodies I received, honestly I couldn’t be happier with them! There is also a thank you card in there with some cute animal designs on! I’d like to think these are Quirkory’s pets…

Every box may contain common, discontinued or new/unreleased items. Due to this each box will have a random different rarity grade:

Common- if containing items with a stock of more than 30 pieces.

Rare – if containing items with a low stock.

Vaulted – if containing items no longer on sale or out of stock.

Surprize – if containing a new item not yet listed for sale/not yet shown to the public.

• Sticker Pack – Chillin’ Pals Sticker Set (link)

When I saw this in the box, I was so surprised! I’ve been meaning to buy this sticker pack for the longest time, but just keep leaving it for a rainy day when I fancy a treat. I finally have them and they’re so cute! The stickers themselves are matte and not shin. There are four stickers in the pack, all to do with dogs and cats and are original Quirkory designs and even have their own names.

Luci is a black cat and white cat with a blue beanie on and a book in front of them. The book has sparkles and swirls, which I assume are to show Luci getting into the magic of the book.

Doteki is actually my favourite from the bunch and looks to be a shiba who is chilling on Petflix with some film/TV show snacks and even a hot water bottle! Plus, he’s got cute little feet pads and a little cross to show his bum… So cute!

Snoozin is a ginger and white cat who is asleep under the blue fluffy blanket. They’re dreaming about sleeping in a box in the sunshine. Snoozin also has a cute little red bow around their neck.

Yuki is the final design and is a cute little shiba wrapped up for winter months. I don’t know why but this design reminds me of Japan in winter. Yuki is a brown and white suba, with pink earmuffs on, a massive chunky blue tartan scarf and some cute little pink mittens.

• Art Print – Happy Togedeer Art Print (link)

I’ve seen this print before receiving it in my Mostari pack due to being a Patreon and it was actually a design they released as wallpapers for computers, phones and tablets so it was so cute to receive in my pack! It’s two deer snuggling together, one is white and one is brown, with a little heart above them both. The pale blue background works really well and it says, “Happy Togedeer” at the top. It’s printing on photo paper and feels really lovely. I’m planning to keep either stick this on my plushie cabinet, or keep it somewhere safe for when I eventually get my own desk. 🙂

• Rare – Mew enamel pin from the Mythical Rising Star collection (link)

This Mew enamel pin is from Quirkory’s first Kickstarter which launched back in March 2019. It’s crazy to think that was almost two years ago! I hadn’t discovered Quirkory at this point but if I had I know for a fact I would have backed for this enamel pin design. Mew is one of my favourite Pokemon and they really captured how playful and cute the psychic Pokemon is with this design! Mew is sat against a blue stained glass design, with a purple bow design on its tail and some star designs hanging from its tail too. This is a chain design enamel pin so it does have something dangling off of it. With Mew the design is a pink and purple swirl, which I assume is based off of it being psychic Pokemon. It’s on a rose gold enamel, is a two back pin for the main body of the design and then another back for the pin for the dangle/chain swirl design too. As well as that on the back of the main design of the piece is Quirkory’s logo. There are loads of designs similar to this one including Diancie, Victini, Celebi, Shaymin, Jirachi, Marshadow, Manaphy, Zeraora and Meloetta.

• Rare – Flower Eevee enamel pin from the Cute Eeveelutions collection (link)

This series of flower Eeeveelution is from the Kickstarter that helped me to discover Quirkory after buying some of the Greek Eeveelutions designs through it, as well as after (you can read all about the Greek Eeveelution designs here). The first enamel pin I opened from my Mostari box was this design and it made me smile so much! This cute little Eevee is laid back on a white flower, with it’s fluffy tail dangling below it, I think it’s having a snooze! I love the big green leaves for this flower too, as it compliments the overall colours of Eevee and the flower. This is a gold enamel pin, with two backs and Quirkory etched into the back.

• Rare – Flower Flareon enamel pin from the Cute Eeveelutions collection (link)

Again, we have another Eeveelution design from the Kickstarter I backed back in 2019. As you can see I also received the Flareon design which really did make me smile. Back when I discovered Quirkory they thanked me for all their support by sending me the Flareon Greek God design, so it’s really nice to get Flareon again! The Flareon, like Eevee is lying on it’s back, but Flareon has its paws up to its face, almost like its giggling at something. It is lying on a purple flower, which like the Eevee design compliments the colours of Flareon’s orange and yellow so well! Alongside the Eevee and Flareon designs, you can also pick up the other Eeveelutions too – Leafeon, Vaporeon, Sylveon, Espeon, Jolteon, Umbreon and Glaceon.

• Rare – Yamper Corgi enamel pin (link)

The Yamper design is adorable and one I’ve toyed with buying for a while. I actually think the Quirkory design for Yamper is better than the original by Pokemon… 😛 It’s not an overly complicated design and the Yamper definitely shouts corgi when you look at it. It also has a little blep going on, which makes it even more adorable, alongside with the way it’s sat. This is a gold enamel pin, with two pin backs and Quirkory etched into the back of it.

• Vaulted – Bulbakura Enamel Pin (link)

Alongside the Mew enamel pin, this Bulbasaur enamel pin is also from Quirkory’s first Kickstarter from March 2019. To me this Bulbasaur design is different to anything Quirkory has done since and because of this I’m glad to finally own it! It’s a gold Bulbasaur with a pink cherry blossom on it’s back instead of the bulb we all know and recognise the Pokemon for. Due to the Bulbasaur being gold, of course the enamel is gold too and like pretty much all of the pins I received, it has two backs as well as Quirkory etched into the back of the enamel pin. It’s quite a thick enamel pin to be honest, which is really nice to hold. I can’t wait to display this in the future, the gold makes it lovely and shiny so it’ll definitely be a conversation starter in the future.

• Surprize – Totodile Patch

This was actually such a surprise and was the first thing I opened when in my Mostari box! I’ve never seen Quirkory sell patches before so if this is an upcoming project I’m excited for it! This is a patch with Totodile on and he’s holding a hose pipe which he’s shooting water out of. It took me a while to realise what it was, but coming out of his head is a needle and thread, which looks really cool and unique. I’m not sure what I’m going to put my patch on yet but I’m sure I’ll find something soon. 🙂

I also received some other goodies in my pack, but this was more of a thank you from Quirkory for supporting them, plus as I’m a Patreon, it was also a thank you for that too! As always, Quirkory also sent a really lovely thank you note. I’m not going to share it as it feels more personal, and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before on my blog, but all the thank you notes Quirkory have sent me, I’ve kept. 🙂 They also sent me a special discount code for their store as a thanks for being a Patreon.

• Detective Pikachu Sticker (link for sticker pack)

This Detective Pikachu design looks to be from a sticker pack, but I honestly love the design I was sent. Detective Pikachu is holding his little takeaway coffee cup and looks adorable as anything! Why do I feel Quirkory sent me this because it’s to do with coffee? 😛 It’s a matte sticker by the way. I don’t have a clue where I’m going to stick him yet, but I’m sure I’ll find something.

• Whipped Ghost Sticker (link)

This is another design I’ve seen floating around Patreon and one that reminds me of autumn/fall in America. It’s a pumpkin pie with little candy corns on it, as well as a happy dollop of cream! It’s so bloody cute. This is a vinyl sticker. I think Quirkory should definitely do more food themed designs. 😛

• Inari & Mosted Christmas and Autumn Stickers (Sorry no link…)
  

Quirkory sent me some of their mascot stickers and I always smile when they send me some! They’re so cute and I actually have quite a lot of the mascot stickers on my iPad case, including the Christmas Inari and Mosted they sent me from last Christmas (2019). Inari has reindeer antlers on, whilst Mosted wears a Christmas hat. These are small stickers and matte. The other two designs they sent me look like they’re from autumn. Inari is dressed up a cream squirrel and holding onto an acorn whilst Mosted is dressed as a squirrel too but is a dark brown and is holding onto a toadstool/wild mushroom. These two designs are adorable!

Sadly neither of these designs are available to buy on the store, however here are some Inari and Mosted designs you can check out instead – Halloween Stickers and summer stickers.

So that is the Mostari box! I’m so glad I picked one up before Christmas as it was so exciting to open it up! I don’t know if any young Brits from the 90’s remember, but there used to be such a thing as a “surprise” bag you could buy from the shop where it was a sealed bag full of exciting goodies to keep you busy! It would have an activity book, some crayons, as well as a toy and sweeties. My mom would buy me one every now and then and I really did love it. I just googled it ad FOUND IT! It was called Dick Turtle Surprise Bag. This is exactly what the Mostari box reminded me of and it definitely brought back some nostalgic memories, which have been lovely.

I’m going to add all of Quirkory’s social media pages and especially their store below:

Store (Etsy)

Instagram

Patreon

Facebook

Twitter

So, do you think you’ll pick up your own Mostari box? If so, what size would you opt for and what goodies would you hope to get inside your box? Of course if you are interested in getting a box of your own, you can use my discount code to save yourself some monies as well, which is always good! 😀

Let me know what you think in the comments below and make sure to say hello to Quirkory from me if you find yourself making a purchase, posting on their social media and more. 🙂

Until next time guys, I hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe during lockdown with everything going on. Take care all! 🙂

HUGE Shop Small UK Guide – Christmas 2020

Can you believe there is only 18 days until Christmas? Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I’m awful this year and I’m not done. I usually have all my gifts bought by now, but alas I still have my parents to buy for.

This year I wanted to do a gift guide, but not my usual one aimed at the geeks, otaku and kawaii fans, beauty, fashion etc etc. I wanted to instead focus on small companies/independent artists/businesses who need our support more than ever due to COVID and it’s affects from lockdowns here in the UK.

First of all, I’m only speaking about the UK as with a Twitter poll a couple of weeks ago, it’s what you as the readers voted for. However at the end of the post I will mention who you can shop small with all over the world too.

I’m going to add all sorts of categories here, not just geek, kawaii, otaku related. I’ll be talking about beauty, home, geek, Japan related, food and more! I want to try and talk about as much as I can, so when you need ideas for Christmas gifts you have lots of choice. I will also mention the last date to order for Christmas too if you’re in the UK. Please bear in mind with the COVID situation and Christmas on the horizon, Royal Main is struggling a little, so if you want to order, order as soon as possible!

Let’s get started! I really hope you guys enjoy this post. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Geeky/Kawaii

Image taken from Jennifairy Illustration

Jennifairy Illustration – Creating cuties to make you smile. Enamel pins, stickers and keychains, all inspired by cute animals, video game characters and more.

Last date to order for Christmas – 14th December. However, if order after this date it could still get there but that can’t be promised. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Jennifairy Illustration is an independent artist/store I have spoken about on my blog since 2017 and I knew they were one of the first places I wanted to speak about today! Jennifairy has a range of products – enamel pins, stickers and keychains. Her style is incredibly cute and kawaii and the designs make me smile whenever I see them, both on her store and in my home. If you know someone who loves cute animals and certain characters from popular video games, then they will love to open a cute design from Jennifairy. Christmas wise you can pick up some gingerbread friends or even a Christmas Pikachu, with a Santa’s hat and a cup of coffee. There are loads of different designs to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Image taken from Littlest Spook Shop

Littlest Spook Shop – We put the Oo in spooky! Cute spooky ghost prints, mugs and other items to choose from!

Last date to order for Christmas – Currently Littlest Spook Shop is looking to close 9th December.

Halloween isn’t just once a year with Littlest Spook Shop. I discovered them around Halloween this year and I love their spooky ghost designs. They’re so damn cute and spoopy and I’m down for that. I regret not ordering some of their Christmas cards this year to be honest, but there’s always next year. If you know someone who celebrates Halloween all year around then a print (or two!) from Littlest Spook Shop may just be for them! Not only do they sell prints but they also sell mugs, tote bags, enamel pins and patches so that spooky friend or family member can show off their love of ghosts and all things spooky all year around! The Always Cosy Club spooky print shouts out to me so much. During the colder months I’m like that little ghosty.

Image taken from FoxLeap

FoxLeap – Kawaii designs inspired by Disney and Japanese characters from films and video games.

Last date to order for Christmas – Not known at time of writing post.

FoxLeap is an independent artist/store I love buying enamel pins from. They’re adorable and there is always something in the store I want to pick up, including the Jiji enamel pin which I may need to order myself as a treat for writing this post. 😛 There is something for everyone when it comes down to FoxLeap including designs inspired by Disney (especially The Lion King series!), Pokemon, Studio Ghibli, Wolf’s Rain, Okami and more. Anyone who loves enamel pins will really love to receive a FoxLeap design and honestly they probably already know of FoxLeap’s existence. Not only do they make and sell enamel pins but they also sell prints, t-shirts, stickers, enamel pin flags, tote bags and more so there is plenty to choose from!

Image taken from NaomiLordArt

NaomiLordArt – A freelance artist who creates adorable prints inspired by animals, magical creatures, witches, Goddesses, Critical Role and more!

Last date to order for Christmas – Orders will be shipped until the shop closes for Christmas on 20th December. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Guys you know me I love kawaii animals, especially foxes and that is something NaomiLordArt does so bloody well! I mean, look at them cute seasonal fox designs! I feel anyone of any age will love a little stocking filler that involves one of the many designs that NaomiLordArt has on offer. Plus if you and your friends are fans of Critical Role, she’s drawn all of the gang and put it onto a print, which you can find here. I feel NaomiLordArt would be perfect as items to gift children, teenagers and anyone who loves prints and stickers. I’ve gifted my best friend goodies from there before that were surrounding Star Wars and Harry Potter. There are also RPG class animal stickers and prints too, so if you play in a D&D group and are taking part in a D&D themed Secret Santa, these would make perfect gifts alongside some dice.

Image taken from GIPHY

Japanese Snacks

Image taken from Something Japanese

Something Japanese – UK based online shop that sells the best things from Japan! Chocolate, Candy, Collectables, Otaku Goodies and much much more.

Last date to order for Christmas – December 21st. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Something Japanese is a store I have bought from for about five years now and they are really good! I especially love to pick up the Japanese snack boxes from them as they’re always an amazing price for how many Japanese sweets and treats you get. I ordered the Halloween one and it was amazing and I’ve ordered the Christmas Japanese Candy Box too. This might make for an amazing gift to someone who loves Japanese sweets and treats and who may also miss Japan or want to visit Japan. COVID has prevented travelling to Japan for a lot of people and I know a lot of my friends who missed out on their trips this year. This would make for a nice treat to open Christmas Day. Something Japanese does sell other items too and separate sweet treats so make sure to check that out too.

Image taken from Tofu Cute

Tofu Cute – A UK kawaii shop that sells all sorts of cute and unique Japanese snacks, plushies, accessories, stationery and other goodies.

Last date to order for Christmas – Not known at time of writing post.

Tofu Cute is a store me and my boyfriend often order our Japanese sweets from as they’re great prices and they always seem to have the goods that Japan get at the same time. Not only do they stock sweets but also drinks as well! We’ve bought many bottles of ramune and Pokemon fizzy drinks from Tofu Cute and they’ve all been enjoyed! Think my favourite thing I’ve ever bought from Tofu Cute are the Melty Kiss chocolates. They’re to die for and would make an amazing gift for someone’s stocking this Christmas. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Home

Image taken from Cushty Co Twitter page

Cushty Co – Handmade home fragrance. Scented soy wax melts beautifully crafted with sprinkles of glitter and careful colouring. Vegan friendly.

Last date to order for Christmas – Monday 14th December – Store will close at 5pm. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Cushty Co are my go to for wax melts and I’ve ended up buying so many this year! Their autumn/Halloween collection being my favourite to date. If you know someone who loves burning candles and wax tarts like me, Cushty Co are a great place to check out. They do LOADS of different scent varieties and three different sizes of wax so the choices are huge. They currently have their Christmas/winter scents in stock and I have all of them! They’re absolutely amazing and if you know someone who loves Christmas and wishes it could be everyday, then some of the Christmas/winter scents will be right up their street. Not only do Cushty Co sell wax tarts, but they also sell room sprays too, which I’m yet to try. If you know someone who loves Lush then they’ll love Unicorn Dreams which smells exactly like Snow Fairy and Nightfall which smells exactly like Twlight.

Image taken from Bubble Baskets UK/Books Baths and Beauty

Bubble Baskets UK/Books Baths and Beauty – Lovingly Custom made 3D printed Bubble Baskets.

Last date to order for Christmas – 17th December if ordering a pink, black or ombré bubble basket. 14th December if ordering a custom colour. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

I recently decided to buy myself a bubble basket from Books Baths and Beauty as I’ve wanted one for over a year now and as my bathroom was redone in the summer, I’ve finally been indulging in bath products and having bath cocktails more. It arrived over the weekend I’ve used it a few times since. It’s really good and if you’re like me and use bubble bars, shower gels and more to create bubbles, then this is for you! They’re made with a 3D printer and are sturdy and amazing! 😀 If you know someone who loves taking baths and using the same products as I do, this will be perfect for helping them create lots of bubbles! Teenagers will love this, as well as mermaids.

Image taken from GIPHY

Beauty

Image taken from The Bath Bae

The Bath Bae  –  Handmade bath treats to make you glow inside and out. Vegan and cruelty free!

Last date to order for Christmas – Monday 21 December at 3pm Royal Mail Tracked 48 or Tuesday 22 December at 3pm Royal Mail Tracked 24. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

I recently made my first order with The Bath Bae and honestly – I have zero regrets. They focus on bath bomb products in various different varieties and scents so there is plenty to choose from! So far I’ve only tried the bath cubes and they are amazing, perfect for anyone of any age. You can pick up bath sparkle, sparkle rocks, bath cubes and bath soak. These would make great stocking fillers for teenagers and anyone who loves a good soak in the bath. My favourite scent from them so far is Oh So Slushie, which reminds me of Tango Ice Blast slushies from the cinema.

Image taken from Happy Melon

Happy Melon – Handmade beauty products made in small batches and packed with cuteness, colour and yummy fragrance. Cruelty free!

Last date to order for Christmas – Restock this Sunday (13/12/2020) and as items sell out quickly, there isn’t really a last date to order for Christmas.

Happy Melon is a brand I discovered this year and bought from during their last restock. If you know someone who loves their beauty and bath products and for them to be as colourful as possible, Happy Melon is a good indie brand for this! They have a wide variety of products including bubble bath, lip sugar, perfume oil, bath soak (snuggle soak), sugar scrub and more! One of the bubble baths I own is a Lush Snow Fairy dupe (Sabrina bubble bath) and it’s one of my favourite products to use after a long day. Plus a little goes a long way and this stuff lasts AGES! One of the products I am excited to try soon is the Pop Kei Snuggle Soak, which smells just like Tango Ice Blast slushies! It would work so well with the slushie bath cubes from The Bath Bae. Again this is a great brand for teenagers due to how colourful everything is and maybe even children too due to how colourful and sparkly the bubble baths are.

Image taken from Hex Bomb

Hex Bomb – Divine handmade gothic beauty products for dark sweets hearts. Creator of the first black bath bomb! Cruelty free and vegan!

Last date to order for Christmas – 21st December. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Hex Bomb is a brand I have always wanted to try since the Black As Your Soul bath bomb came out. I’m yet to try it still and plan to buy it in the near future! I’ve mentioned some colourful and kawaii beauty indie brands so far, so I wanted to through a gothic, dark brand in there for good measure. I love me a dark bath, it reflects who I am inside and this brand would be perfect for any goth friend or relative out there! Not only do they make bath bombs but Hex Bomb also sell shower gel, soap, scrub, lip balm, perfume oil AND even wax melts for your home. If you aren’t sure what to buy that gothic beauty in your life (because Hex Bomb have a lot of variety!) you could always pick up one of their gift boxes which contains a variety of products. If you want to see a review (or two) of Hex Bomb make sure to go and check out my great blogger friend Raiin Monkey’s blog posts here.

Image taken from GIPHY

Honourable Mentions

Geek/Kawaii – Quirkory – Due to being based in Italy, they didn’t qualify for this shop small post. However, I couldn’t not mention them! They sell enamel pins, stickers and prints inspired by Japanese video games and cute animals.

Geek/Kawaii – Claire Likes To Doodle – The reason I didn’t mention my friend Claire and her store is because she got a post allllll to herself recently! Which I am going to link here. 🙂

Geek/Kawaii – 1 In 100/One In Hundred – A local Brummy like myself, Alex over at 1 In 100 has some amazing designs on her store and you can buy items from clothing, badges, keyrings, stickers, prints, stationary and more. I keep meaning to pick up some of her Japan inspired prints. Check them out here and here.

Geek/Kawaii – Chibi Shibby – May have bought a Christmas present from one of my favourite artists… 😉 Shibby recently reopened her store and has filled it was gorgeous kawaii goodies! There’s also some Christmas related goods in there too.

Geek/Kawaii – Lunaticgumis – Due to being based in Gran Canaria, they didn’t quality for this shop small post. However, I am planning to write about them on my blog very very soon! 😀 They sell stickers as well as amigurumis (Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures). They stock Bee and Puppycat designs WHICH I LOVE!

Geek/Kawaii – Taiyakiblue – This store is joint owned by tattooists senseoftheterrific and tubbybeartattoo. They stock clothing, prints and even some keyrings and pins made out of resin. They’re both inspired by geeky/kawaii themes such as D&D, Studio Ghibli, Dragonball Z, Moomins, Adventure Time and more. I’ve purchased a Christmas present from them and plan to buy prints in the future! I love their style so much.

Bath – Bath Bake Love – No restock until after Christmas where there will be lots of enchanted teasers for the New Year Wonderland and plenty of goodies in January!

AND THERE WE HAVE IT! My HUGE shop small Christmas shopping guide for the UK!

What do you guys think? I wanted to try and cover as much as I could and I like to think I’ve done that quite well. In the future I may pop up with some of these after Christmas, just as good shopping guides throughout the year for birthday’s and more!

Honestly guys, I hope you enjoyed this post today as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’m off work for the week and the first thing I knew I wanted to do was to write this post.

Are there any small shops in the UK that you feel I should know about? Make sure to let me know and I’ll take a look for next time!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a lovely weekend. 🙂

Shop Small – Claire Likes To Doodle*

Can you believe Christmas is now less than a month away? With Christmas comes Christmas present shopping, have you started yours yet? I have and I’m almost finished! I know some people who wait until the last minute to buy their presents and some who buy them throughout the year.

I like to get my shopping done early and always have done so that I have more money for Christmas parties and trips to the German Market throughout December… None of those are happening this year due to COVID… 😛

However this year I have decided to shop small and mostly buy Christmas presents through small and independent artists. Some own their own stores online and host on websites like Etsy. I’ll be writing and sharing more stores with you in the coming weeks.

Today I want to talk about my good friend Claire, who owns Claire Likes To Doodle. I spoke about Claire and her commission work last summer (which you can read here) and we have decided to work together again, but this time to talk about her online store!

Claire opened her store again around July this year and since then she has filled it with loads of amazing goodies – especially her original character Bernard.

Since working together last year Claire wanted to share an update in regards to how her work has changed since then, as well as how Claire Likes To Doodle will be in 2021!

The last time I was featured on Nat’s blog, it was primarily for my chibi work. That was my main focus for commissions and merch too. I’m still a commission artist, I do watercolour pieces and portraits, MTG alters and tokens. My personal work has changed up a fair bit though!

The great (and sometimes frustrating) thing about being an artist is that you’re constantly evolving and changing up your work and style until you settle into what you love creating best. I found that when I was doing Inktober 2019 and I introduced a little monster called a Bernard. Since then I’ve been creating more and more work around Bernards and their world, and people have fell in love with them! I now have an active shop with Bernard goodies, original art and other oddities.

I’ve got big Bernard plans for 2021, watch this space… Once again, thank you Natalee for featuring me and letting me introduce Bernard to your lovely readers!

I really love when independent stores/artists I work with have an input in my posts to tell me all about them and how they got started, their store and plans for the future.

I have been friends with Claire since 2006 and our friendship has grown more and more as the years have gone by. I’m so proud of Claire for how far she has come and I have a feeling 2021 will be her year!

Inside this package there was a lovely note from Claire that really made me smile. As someone who has anxiety and depression this note is very much appreciated. Whenever people write down words like this, whether it be on a letter or a text I keep them and read them back when I feel down. I’ll be doing the same with this note too. 🙂

Claire kindly gifted me all the items in this post (apart from one item which I bought with my own money) for reviewing purposes. Apart from the quote above from Claire, all words are my own and items that are gifted will be marked with an *.

Claire has a variety of goodies on her store to buy from stickers, badges, original work, paintings, stationary and more. I was sent a little bit of everything to show to you today!

First things first – if you are UK based like Claire is – she offers Free UK shipping on certain items. If she does offer this, it will state it on the item in question e.g. stickers and badges. I felt this was an important note to add as I know a lot of people in the UK may be looking for small gift and stocking ideas for Christmas and throughout the year.

The cut off point for ordering in time for Christmas is Monday 14th December 2020. Commissions are now closed until January 2021.

Finally before I start to share the goodies share sent me – Claire Likes To Doodle is having a Black Friday sale! When you use the code “YOULLBEBACK” at checkout you will snag a cheeky 20% discount on everything in her shop. This is valid between Friday 27th November 12am GMT – Sunday 29th November 12am GMT. So, if you like the look of anything here, make sure to go and grab a bargain.

Oh… I also have an exclusive 10% discount code for Claire Likes To Doodle’s store, which will be on the right hand side of my blog moving forward. I have added it here though too for readers who my see some good below and want to make an order. 🙂

Finally… I’ll share with you the amazing goodies that Claire sent me! 😀

• Autumn Bernard – Square Sticker (link)*
• Autumn Bernard – 38mm Square Badge (link)*

A square sticker/badge with a cozy autumnal Bernard, enjoying her favourite pumpkin spice beverage and wrapped up warm. Take a bit of autumn with you wherever you go with this unique sticker.

As regular readers will know, I love enamel pins, badges and stickers! Badges remind me of my emo kid self back in the day, I would stick badges all over my bags and jackets to try and show off who I was as much as possible. This autumn Bernard is so perfect to me purely because I love autumn. It’s my favourite time of the year and Claire has captured that perfectly with her autumn Bernard design. My favourite colour is purple so I love that Bernard is wrapped up in purple accessories and is holding a warm drink. I also love the little pink flushed cheeks, just showing how cold it is where Bernard is. You can show really off your love of autumn all year around with both the badge and the sticker, as well as show off and support Claire’s original character.

• Chill AF Bernard – 32mm Badge (link)*

Need a little calm in your life? I get it. So does Bernard. May this 32mm button badge be a reminder to take a step back every now and again.

This chill AF Bernard is a reminder for everyone right now to take a deep breath and relax whenever you can. With the way the world is at the moment I think everyone could do with this badge as a reminder to step back and take a few minutes for yourself. It can also help with anxiety too to remind people to take care of themselves. I really love this badge and I think I’ll be sticking him on my work laptop bag to remind me to relax for five during the busy work day and grab a drink and maybe a casual chat with colleagues. 🙂 To add as well by the way that both of the badges I received from Claire are amazing quality. They feel really well made and sturdy!

• Flower Crown Bernard – Sticker (link)*

Original design – take this summer-themed Bernard wherever you want to go!

This Bernard reminds me of the summer, drinking with friends in beer gardens, going to festivals and basically summer vibes and activities with friends and loved ones before COVID. This is a sticker that reminds me that we need to be patient, because when COVID is gone – we can all have fun with our loved ones again and make some amazing new memories. The flower crown Bernard is so precious and I love how colourful the crown is! I wish my garden could look more like this. 😛

• Halloween Holographic Stickers (Halloween exclusive piece – not available to buy)*

Sadly these stickers aren’t available anymore, but Claire sent them me so I wanted to show them off to you guys! These were exclusive for Halloween and only stuck around the shop for a short period of time. There were two designs released with a baby Bernard inside of a pumpkin and a Bernard flying on a broom. They’re both so adorable and the fact they’re holographic too makes them feel even more spooky and seasonal for Halloween. The quality of these stickers is thicker than the other two stickers Claire sent me which is really cool! I might not stick these anywhere and actually use them as decorations for the Halloween season and stick them on my kitchen window! 😀 In the future keep your eyes peeled on Claire’s store for more store exclusives!

• Round Cat Painting (Twitch stream piece – not available to buy)

This is a painting I purchased on one of Claire’s streams in the summer during lockdown and sold pieces she painted on stream. Due to to COVID I’ve only recently received it due to not being able to meet up and such. I paid £10 of my own money for this print and have been so excited to add it to my little growing collection by Claire. It’s a little round cat that looks like a Siamese breed. It’s so derpy and cute that I just had to buy it! I’m not a cat person to be perfectly honest with you but the derpy look in this cats eyes just had me! It feels so… Expensive(?) if you will due to the special art paper Claire has used. It was so relaxing watching Claire paint this piece, it’s cool to now have it in person. 🙂

• Artgust – Original A6 Watercolour Paintings – Electric (link)*

Through the month of August 2020, I did a painting every day based on a prompt list put together by myself and my wonderful Discord community. A mix of funny pieces, sad pieces, portraits and Bernards done over 31 days! Each piece is A6 size, painted in watercolour.

The final piece I want to talk about that Claire sent me I was taken back by. I didn’t quite expect her to send me one of her watercolour paintings but I’m not going to complain, especially considering she sent me a Pokemon themed print! Back in August Claire took part in Artgust where you draw/paint something everyday of the month. This was day 28 of August and it’s titled “Pikachu”. As you can see it’s Claire’s original character Bernard who is surrounded by hearts and has a Pikachu on his head. It’s so bloody cute and I love it! This is going to go on my plushie cabinet alongside my other prints. I’ll be keeping it in the cellophane packet it came in to keep it safe. For an A6 print size it packs a punch and not only looks amazing, the quality of the piece itself feels high quality too and expensive.

Claire still has quite a few prints left from the Artgust challenge, as well as one she took part in in October called Annarack October that are all looking for homes! The prints created during October are all Bernard themed too, so if you like the look of Claire’s original character and would like to pick up something with them on, definitely go and check those prints out!

They’re all A6 size and cost £15 each. They’re also unique one of a kind pieces, no reprints here. Once they’re sold, they’re gone. For example if you go onto the website the Electric print is sold out, because of course I own it now.

I’ve had my eye on one for a while now and definitely contemplating buying it soon! It’s the Black design from Artgust. I’ve always loved the look of it and if there’s one style of art Claire does really well it’s the blackout style. She did it for a time on her Instagram page and it’s one I always find myself gravitating towards. Who knows, I may end up buying it after this post is live… 😉

Something else I may pick up soon for when I return to the office for work is the ‘Distanced’ A4 Year Planner 2021. Not only is it handy but also really nice to stick on the sides of my desk for a bit of artwork… Nothing wrong with livening your desk up, eh? 😀

So there you go guys, the first of many independent artists I’ll be talking about during shop small in December! I’m so happy that Claire Likes To Doodle could be the first one I talk about.

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What do you guys think of Claire’s designs and store? Will you be adopting a Bernard of your own in the form of a sticker, badge or print? 🙂 Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

Until next time, take care guys and stay safe. 🙂

Quirkory Lunar Plushie Spookies Enamel Pins – Review

I can’t believe Halloween has now come and gone already… Was it really two weeks ago? It feels like a lot longer to be honest with you! I was so hyped up for Halloween this year but when it came down to the actual day it wasn’t as spooky as I’d hoped.

We visited a pumpkin patch and grabbed ourselves a huge pumpkin each to carve. Dane carved Calcifer (Howl’s Moving Castle) and I carved a spooky Pikachu. It was so much fun to do and they looked really cool in our kitchen window… They only lasted a few days though and I was a tad gutted. 😛

Back in August Quirkory released their Halloween collection Lunar Plushie Spookies enamel pins on their Etsy store for pre-order. I was on it as soon as they released and purchased two of the designs as well as some stickers.

I know Halloween has come and gone now, by spooky season is here all year for me, especially after this year and the designs Quirkory brought out aren’t just Halloween exclusives either.

I want to pop this here that this past year I have fallen in love with Quirkory’s designs and I get along really well now with the owners of the brand. We talk often and they’re so lovely to talk to! In September they opened their Patreon and I LOVE being able to see their updates weekly now about upcoming designs and projects, as well as some Patreon exclusive goodies.

For now let’s get down to the review of the spooky pins I picked up! I also want to mention here that due to being a Patreon and as a thank you from Quirkory they sent me some free goodies too. I was over the moon to see some extra goodies in my package. I won’t be marking these down as gifted but I will state which goods I bought and which were gifted.

The Lunar Spookies originally came out last year alongside the Eeveelution Greek Gods Kickstarter campaign and around a year later Quirkory decided to revamp those original characters to bring them into a plushie form! They even brought out a couple new characters too! Personally I much prefer the plushie revamp versions to the originals. Don’t get me wrong, the originals are adorable, but I feel with the plushie versions Quirkory’s unique style and eye for detail has really come through now.

Originally there were only five designs which consisted of Moodey the Spider, Tab the Bat, A-Ghostine the Ghost, Meowny the Cat and Moose the Mouse.

These have all been revamped, alongside with some new characters added to the mix too including – Poomkin (a mini enamel pin), Froogie Boogie and Meowny the Cat (lilac version).

I will pop a link here so you can check out all of the Lunar Plushie Spookies.

To start this post fully I’m going to be talking about the two enamel pins I bought, as well as one that Quirkory kindly gifted to me. 🙂

First of all, all designs are on a gold enamel with two pin backs, which is always good at making sure your pins are extra secure! They also all come with the etching “Lunar Spookies by Quirkory” on the back of them, even the mini pin! I always love when enamel pin artists have their brand names etched on the back of the enamel pins. It’s great when looking/showing pins off to people so you can tell them there and then who designed it. I have so many enamel pins, sometimes I forget who they’re by. 😛

Another thing to mention here is how cute the backing cards are! They so spooky with the full moon in the background. Did you know, on Halloween this year we had a blue moon? I ended up forgetting about it due to eating McDonalds and watching horror movies. 😛

One final thing to add that I love about this collection is the cute little tags that they all have on them to symbolise they’re plushies! This is what I mean when I say how I love Quirkory’s unique eye for detail. They put so much intricate detailing into their designs, whether they be enamel pins, prints or even stickers!

Flapping here and there, faster than wind, he’ll come on Halloween night to… suck… all your lollipops, and candies he can find!!!
Little Tab here has no qualms… He’s too much evil muhahahah.

Tab Enamel Pin (link) (original design)

I love bats and always have when it comes down to Halloween, which was down to a bat blow up decoration my mom bought me as a child. So when I saw the revamp of Tab I fell in love with him. He’s a mixture of light purple  with darker purple wings and patches on his body. Tab has clearly been loved and cuddled very much OR been through some battles as he has two patches, one on his ear and one on his body. I love the detailing of the patches with the little stitch marks and where it’s obvious a different material was used to fix him up. He also has a cute little smile, which makes it look devious due to his fangs. I think deep down he’s a little cutie, especially with his blushing cheeks and stars dotted around his body. I love this design so much! It reminds me of when I was a little kid with that bat toy my mom bought me. If Tab were to be a real plush, he’d definitely become a part of my collection!

Woooohhhhh… woooooohhh… scritch scratch… Strange creaks come from the room next door. Chills down my spine… the air is suddenly turning cold. S…s…some…something touched me?!?! A high-pitched squeal breaks the silence! But it’s not mine…
*DUMP!* Heyyyy is that you, A-ghostin?? What are you doing here in the dark?! And you… turned the air conditioning on?!
You scared me with all this noise and fuss!
You weren’t that cheeky last year! Since when you’ve become famous, met lots of people and went around their homes… you’ve also become all puffed up! And now you even do everything all on your own, tinkering here and there. You used to hide yourself always underneath that lil’ pumpkin… didn’t you?
How much has changed in a year! From a shy and curious lil’ thing to an effusive cuddly “soul” of the party! He now DEMANDS for YOUR cuddles.

A-Ghostin Enamel Pin (link) (original design)

I think A-Ghostin has stolen my heart. I forgot what his original design looked like and honestly it’s so adorable! It’s safe to say that out of all the Lunar Spookies, A-Ghostin is my favourite. I love ghost designs, there’s just something so adorable and mysterious behind them and throughout Halloween this year I have bought SO MANY ghost themed things. Out of them all though, A-Ghostin is up there as the best and my favourite. Like Tab, A-Ghostin’s design received the same attention to it’s design and it works so well! Of course A-Ghostin is white, he’s a ghost but he too has been through some wars of his own and has needed patching up. I love the Halloween themed colours of orange and purple that were used on him. The design of the patches are the same as Tab too, which is good. I especially love the cute little :3 smile that A-Ghostin has. He’s a shy little boy and his smile shows this, alongside his little arms and blushing cheeks. I love this design and if Quirkory don’t bring out a plushie of him… 😛

Ohhhhh but… yeah, it’s just Poomkin!!! He’s still too young to join the team, but he tries whenever he can to take part in their forays against crime! Such a little naughty rascal! After all, his dream is to become a real member of the team one day… and even the leader, no less! 😯 Well, it will certainly not be an easy task… but he’s already trying his very best aaaaand who knows, maybe thanks to his determination he might succeed at some point!

Poomkin Mini Enamel Pin (link)

This is the enamel pin that Quirkory sent me as a thank you for not only being a Patreon, but for also supporting them throughout the past year. So I just want to say a HUGE thank you to them for sending me this little cutie!

Poomkin is new to the Lunar Spookies and he’s so small and precious! I’ve never been a massive pumpkin fan in anyway shape or form, but I really do love this design. For a mini pin he packs a punch and as always there are those unique details from Quirkory in there. I love that his stem is purple, keeping with the Halloween themed colours. His smile is so precious and baby like, but all with the Jack ‘O Lantern theme too!

As I mentioned alongside the enamel pins I also ordered some stickers as well! I decided to order a pack of the Lunar Plushie Spookies vinyl stickers, but Quirkory sent me LOADS for free as well as a thank you. 🙂

Lunar Plushie Spookies Vinyl Sticker Pack (link)

I knew I wanted to get some of the stickers of the characters from the Lunar Plushie Spookies as whilst I loved all of the designs my heart truly fell in love with just the two (three if you count Poomkin after he arrived!). The stickers are so cute and I’m glad to not only have Tab and A-Ghostin, but the whole gang! They’re a great size and the quality feels lovely. Each character also has a colour background around them which I thought was a nice touch. Most of the stickers I own by Quirkory are paper so it makes a nice change to have vinyl. I think I also received a sticker of everyone in one big signed due to pre-ordering my enamel pins. This one is especially cute! 😀

Inari & Mosted Halloween Sticker Pack (link)

This is another extra thing that Quirkory sent me as a thank you! It’s almost like they read my mind as I’ve been meaning to order the Halloween sticker pack ever since I discovered them! Now I don’t really need to and I’m so grateful for that. :’) As always, thank you so much to Quirkory for being an amazing independent store to make my geeky and kawaii purchases from.

I didn’t get a full sticker pack but I got a lot of stickers from the pack and more! I was set a small and large size of both Inari and Mosted dressed up for Halloween! Inari is dressed as a witch and Mosted as a vampire, he even has tiny little fangs. SO CUTE! I also have a large sticker of three pumpkins and some little ones of bats, a sweet/candy and candy corns. 😀 These are so damn cute!

Inari & Mosted Little Summer Sailor Popsicle Stickers (link)

I know these aren’t Halloween related BUT I had had my eye on the Inari & Mosted summer stickers for ages and forgot to order them when I placed my Lunar Plushie Spookies order. I mentioned this in passing to Quirkory and they sent me them anyway. Honesty Quirkory make me feel so loved. 😥

The Inari & Mosted designs are so cute and I really do love them! I love how they’re both dressed as sailors and clutching onto their ice lollies (which is what we call them in the UK). Inari is holding a watermelon ice lollie and Mosted is holding a lemon one. Not going to lie, I think I’m with Mosted with lemon! 😀

Finally one thing I received was a print, which I think may have been an exclusive item for Patreon subscribers. This print is gorgeous in so many ways, for a start it’s super spooky and PERFECT for Halloween! It was a design that Quirkory put on their Patreon for Halloween and it was downloadable to have as a wallpaper on you phone, laptop or tablet device.

The print itself has a matte/velvet sort of feel to it and it feels really plush in a way and expensive… I hope it wasn’t expensive for them to make! I’ve kept this away somewhere safe as I worry if I pop it up somewhere on my plushie cabinet it may get damaged. I’m going to try and find something to put it inside so it doesn’t get damaged when I do put it up. 🙂 As this is an exclusive print I can’t link it back, sadly.

So that is everything I picked up (and some bits I was kindly sent by Quirkory!) from the Lunar Plushie Spookies collection! 😀

As always I am so impressed with everything I ordered as well as how well packaged everything was. I haven’t shown it, but I also received a lovely hand written note from Quirkory that really made me smile. Since buying from them last year I’ve kept all the notes that they’ve sent me, personal or not. 🙂

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Also if you enjoyed this review, make sure to go and check out my other Quirkory reviews below:

Eeveelution Greek Gods Enamel Pin Review

Animal Crossing Gimme My Joy-Con Review

What do you guys think of the goodies that I picked up? I know Halloween is over now until next year, but would you pick these up? Oh and do you think spooky season isn’t just once a year? 😛 Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time guys I hope you’re staying safe during lockdown two and are having a great weekend. 🙂