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

Chalkboard Book by etsy seller erinzam

(Seen on Poppytalk (who found it via SwissMiss)

Just too darn wonderful!

Note to self: Get out the Keith Smith books and learn how to do coptic stitch!  I mean, I bought Vol III Non-adhesive binding: Exposed Spine Sewings with the intention of getting this right… (although I bought mine years ago from Artisan Books – and their booklists have just been updated, yay!  [not that I'm buying anything. Nope. Not until we get some bills out of the way...])

(Although if I WAS in the financial position to be buying books, these two are definites:

[click images for links]

but sadly, boring things are eating up the small amount of discretionary income our budget allows.)

As I’m writing this, it hasn’t stopped raining for 48 hours.  We’re getting wind gusts up to 87 kilometres per hour (that’s NINE on the Beaufort Scale – or, to be more accurate and modern, 24 metres per second.)

The rain by itself isn’t a huge problem – even though we had 157 mm of rain in February, and therefore the ground is wet, and most of the rain is running straight off into water catchments.  No, the problem is that our house (and I suspect a lot of other houses in southern Queensland) isn’t designed to cope with rain that arrives HORIZONTALLY.  And at 24 metres per second. Blowing right under the ridge cap and running down the frame inside.

Consequently, the roof is leaking.  Again, that’s not toooooo bad – the ceiling that’s under the worst leak is pretty high on our list of Things To Do If We Ever Have The Money. It’s plywood and was eaten by termites (well, the corner opposite the wet patch was eaten by termites) and overdue for replacement.  (It’s just part of the larger puzzle that involves new gutters, insulation, roof repairs, etc etc etc…)

The sheets of tin lifting in the wind (and pulling the affixing nails out with them) over the laundry/toilet extension of the house (different roof line to the main house) – well, there’s a hand’s width of daylight (such as it is in this gloom!) already.  Eeeek! That’s quite worrying.

One lane of the big highway down the Range has been closed due to a mud and rockslide.

Its’ very, VERY wet.

In other news, I’ve been out of action with stomach/abdomen problems again – fortunately, tonight is prep for the procedures tomorrow.  (icky drink!  Then never more than 2 metres from the loo…) I’m having a gastroscopy and colonoscopy, or as Dad says, an up periscope and a down periscope.  Part of me wants the doctors to find something and tell me why I’m so crook; the other part of me doesn’t want them to find anything wrong.  Arrgh!  In any case, I can’t go on feeling so sick all the damn time.

No pics today: camera is in house and I am down here – and I’m not braving the rain again until I have no choice!

ARRRRRRRRRGH!

Exercise book: 39 cents; deeply discounted scrapbooking paper and cheap ribbons from Spotlight (and stash): $4;teeny weeny little bulldog clips $2:
Having a really fun journal to play in: PRICELESS!

Working on my Junque Journal a la Tangie (the scrapbook paper and exercise book at left of pic)

and in the orange-with-lots-of-stitching-cover is my first Remains of the Day journal from Mary Ann Moss’s class.

(Apologies for flash glare – the other shots had flare from fluoro lights, I’ll try and get better shots in daylight tomorrow)

So – prep for art journals to come, but not much else creative happening.

Found out there is a school reunion in October for my Yr 10 class.  Hmmm, do I want to go?

… in our third cup of tea before getting out of bed.

From Swiss Miss, via Ngaire.

Not much reading.

No energy.

Just… meh.

Hate this.