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Scanned journal page; digitally layered with a text page (by Amanda Sexton, in Art Journal Caravan Parcel 46 from Scrapbookgraphics.com) glitter stars (from the 2010 Art Journal Caravan Steamer trunk – no longer available) and alpha (from Amanda Sok‘s package that was the Scrapgirls.com Jan 2010 offering.)

I printed this out onto textured cardstock and it came up quite well.  Just like a bought one.  Wouldn’t want to do that often since printer ink costs more than Dom Perignon or caviar… but my hands were too sore to cut out and paste In Real Life, so GIMP to the rescue! (GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program, and it’s FREE.)

I use GIMP because it’s freeand fully linux compatible,  but I admit there are times I wish I had Photoshop Elements* or (dream on!) the full Photoshop works to play with- just because there are some groovy things (actions, styles) that you can’t translate into GIMP.

*DO NOT tell me there is a free trial version  -I know there is; the other part of the story is that we are primarily a Penguin (linux) household, because Bill Gates wants too much money for his Windows OS. :-pppp

ANYWAY, the birthday girl liked the card. I also gave her a Pitt Artist’s Pen in GOLD – love those pens, and had to get a gold and silver for myself – yum!

and a wee journal for her to Zentangle in.  (Something comes to mind here about buying pressies that you’d really like for yourself… hmm!)

My hands are slightly improved after a week back on the Celebrex.  Problem is, that’s not a long term solution (anti-inflammatories greatly increase the risk of stroke, as this ABC Health article points out).  I have an appointment to see a rheumatologist down in Brisbane but that’s not until the end of February.  (The wait would be several YEARS if I was trying to see one in the public system…)  Still no oboe of flute practice and I missed the concert band’s end of year concert and two rehearsals so far… hoping (I would cross my fingers if they didn’t HURT so damn much!) that I might be able to play in the carols gig on Monday night… we shall see.

Apart from that – I’m really enjoying reading a series of novels set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Woods Cop mysteries – but they’re far more interesting in letting the wilderness and the people who interact with it star in the stories.  The main character is a Conservation Officer named Grady Service, and they’re written by Joseph Heywood.  Deer huntin’ , shootin’, and fishin’ is DEFINITELY not my usual cup of tea but I’m loving these books.

And now it’s past my bedtime.  It’s raining here again (wettest Spring on record, anyone?!) and we have to get almost all our sheets through the wash because they’ve developed a musty pong. Ick.  There are times I wish we had a clothes-dryer…

Credits: Art Journal Caravan Parcel 8 (Scrapbookgraphics); K. Pertiet Basic Journal Spots (Designer Digitals); brushes from A Rockwell’s CU grunged pattern brushes (Scrapartist); font is Academy Engraved

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Off to doctors – more later!

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Credits:  Fonts: CK Ali’s Hand, ShangriLaNF Small Caps; Pink and grey plane “sticker” from the “Greetings from Paris” digital collage sheet by Itkupilli; Page Border from the KitschGarden Brushes set by Studio Berna; all other elements and papers from the Studio Tangie Steamer Trunk, part of the Art Journal Caravan.

I’m planning on printing this out at 8×8 (well, getting it printed on an 8×10 sheet at somewhere that does nice photo prints and cutting it to 8×8) and binding it with about 30-40 pages as the first month’s journal.  There’s no point trying to use the one book for the whole year – I know I get BORED, and I know that the book would get hopelessly fat and ratty over that time frame.

I really like the overlay on this page – that KitschGarden Brush set was something I Just Had To Have as soon as I saw it – luckily I was able to grab it on Christmas Day as my last bit of the quota free download.

I’m off to the respiratory specialist on Wednesday, just the two year checkup to see how I’m doing with my sleep apnoea and tolerating my CPAP machine. I’m about 25 kg lighter than the last time he saw me, so I’m hoping he won’t rouse on me too much!  I find it almost impossible to sleep without the mask (connected to the machine) on; although apparently I can still fall asleep enough to snore if I put the mask on and forget to restart the machine if I get up in the night.  No, it’s not particularly romantic, but neither is having Mr Beloved lying awake, tense, waiting for me to start breathing again!

Steamy here today, after the lovely rain (4 mm yesterday – we’re not getting the wonderful (flooding) rains they’re getting down South, but 4mm isn’t bad!) and I’m off to get bread, milk, and the post.  Oh, and of course the new Sacred Hot Water Bottle of Happiness…

(ETA: D’OH! Boxing Day is Mondayised this year, TOOWOOMBA is SHUT!!)