Hello friends!
Happy Tuesday! Hope your Tuesday is going well. I am up late (after midnight Monday) so I am linking earlier than I normally would/am able to. After a whole week with no rain and temperatures around 26-27C, it rained. And it kept right on raining all day today with a touch of lightning (no thunder!) during the night. It makes me sad as I was really enjoying the heat, plus I assembled a gazebo at the weekend, got to sit in it for about 5 mins and now can’t use it till it stops raining. It came in a box from IKEA with a gazillion screws and washers and advice that it was a two-man job to assemble it. Two-man job = one-woman job 🙂 and I did just fine thank you even though it was a lot higher than expected so adding the roof was a bit of a challenge, but it can be done with just one person!
Two things before I forget, here is a link to some handy weaving videos Elizabeth, sorry I meant to link you last week but forgot. [edit – this video is finishing techniques, but there are many videos on this channel that will help] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft5p-DtV0K0&list=PLu7qd2uichKJDblli8Uq9VqIDWVSACzFe
Here’s a New To Weaving playlist link which definitely answers your question https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu7qd2uichKIsSBfFE-OJQ9ahR01AELai
August Reading . . .
And here is a list of the books I have read so far in August or it might be more accurate to say “that someone else has read to me” since they are all audiobooks.
Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus. Yep finally read it, recommended it to our book group and now we are all reading it.
Ben Aaronovitch – Amongst Our Weapons (Rivers of London #9) Very excellent urban fantasy/police procedural set in London and has one of the best narrators.
James Oswald – All That Lives (Inspector McLean #12) A favourite series, set in Edinburgh, police procedural with a hint of a supernatural element, or not.
Bridget Collins – The Binding. Really loved this one, planned to read her other book, The Betrayals first, but then someone said it was a sequel to this book (it’s not) so read this one instead and it was just a really good story.
Belinda Bauer – Exit – technically a crime book but very charming considering the subject matter: 75-year-old Felix is part of a network called the Exiteers, who sit with people who have chosen to end their lives. Except on his most recent mission, something goes wrong, the wrong man ends up dead, and Felix finds himself on the run for murder.
John Le Carre – Silverview – this book was a bit of a disappointment. I’ve been a huge Le Carre fan forever but this one was an unfinished manuscript finished by his son (also a writer) after his death and I feel like it kind of fizzled out at the end and nothing really happened. I prefer to remember him for his great George Smiley series, the Little Drummer Girl and the Constant Gardener.
Currently Reading . . .
Could one rare plant hold the key to a thousand riches? It’s the summer of 1822 and Edinburgh is abuzz with rumours of King George IV’s impending visit. In botanical circles, however, a different kind of excitement has gripped the city.
In the newly-installed Botanic Garden, the Agave Americana plant looks set to flower – an event that only occurs once every few decades. When newly widowed Elizabeth arrives in Edinburgh to live with her late husband’s aunt Clementina, she’s determined to put her unhappy past in London behind her. As she settles into her new home, she becomes fascinated by the beautiful Botanic Garden which borders the grand house and offers her services as an artist to record the rare plant’s impending bloom.
In this pursuit, she meets Belle Brodie, a vivacious young woman with a passion for botany and the lucrative, dark art of perfume creation. Belle is determined to keep both her real identity and the reason for her interest the Garden secret from her new friend. But as Elizabeth and Belle are about to discover, secrets don’t last long in this Enlightenment city . . .
And when they are revealed, they can carry the greatest of consequences . . .
Today’s Art . . .
For today’s art I am sharing this page I made yesterday for Day 16 of my #eotcartjournalaugust prompt which was ROLLERCOASTER. I had no plans to draw an actual rollercoaster but ended up doing just that – first time drawing a rollercoaster and it probably shows! Also because this was an activity in my childhood (and not now as I have more sense) I am also linking it to Art Journal Journey’s When We Were Young theme from Chris. And just for extra fun I joined in the Instagram Summer Scavenger Hunt where the items for this week are:
1. by the sea 2. something vintage 3. a ticket 4. something rusty and 5. a face.
By the sea and face are covered by the drawing. My tickets are made with the Tim Holtz ticket stamps, stamped on rusty coloured backgrounds, and my vintage item is the vintage book paper used for the words which think fit very well with this page, amazingly, considering the book they came from. BTW I don’t think this rollercoaster looks very safe – especially with those rusty stains under the supports – so perhaps that girl is screaming for help rather than screaming with delight hahaha.
I think I might have accidentally drew myself as a child lol. Same hairstyle and hair colour haha
T Stands For . . .
What else have I been making since last Tuesday…have a look at these blog posts…
I had some company while I was trying to make the page for Day 15. Maybe she liked the green things in the garden I was drawing.
These kitties have no respect for the art! Miss Lily is sitting directly on the page I was trying to finish! Note she did not sit on the finished page on the left, but chose the page I was working on. lol
Look how pretty I am…
Why don’t you draw me instead mama?…
This last photo is also my ticket to tea – a big jar of water which I have to keep the lid on otherwise she would be trying to drink it or stick her paw into or of course, knock over! No other drinks this week but I did make some delicious salads…
From left – carrot and orange salad, potato salad (I make one that is similar to Kate’s French potato salad from last week), beetroot salad, and fake chicken salad in a sandwich. I had this both days of the weekend when it was lovely and warm outside and I was doing a lot in the garden so it was nice that this was already prepared and waiting in the fridge for dinner.
I sent an assortment so I will be curious to see who receives what and who receives the ATCs that I also sent with them since this is my first time in the swap.
Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, thanks for reading!
Challenges
Altered Book Lover – T Stands for
Art Journal August – see original post here
Art Journal Journey – When We Were Young
#SeekGatherCreate IG challenge week 3 – items required 1. by the sea 2. something vintage 3. a ticket 4. something rusty 5. a face
You might also like these posts . . .
The comment I wrote seems to have got astray – latest one was OK?????
I definitely want to to read Fair Botanists -it sounds good!
Your Roller Coaster page made me smile – not that would ever venture on one – log flumes are scary enough for me! I love the folk all riding around with their hands in the air – my knuckles would be white!!! It’s a great page for my AJJ theme so huge thanks for sharing.
I would love a cat to wander around on my desk anytime – I do miss having a cat!
Sorry(sort of not sorry) that the weather changed before you could take full advantage of you gazebo – it’s going to warm up again nest week! Very belated T day wishes! Hugs, Chrisx
I’m sorry (but sort of not sorry) that you can’t use your gazebo. I had just about had enough of the hot weather. I would enjoy ‘Fair Botanists ‘ I think! Your roller coaster page really made me smile. I have only ever been on small scale ones or log flumes! Thanks so much for such a fun page for my AJJ theme. I’d borrow a cat or two for my desk any time – I really miss having one around. Your salad looks and sounds delicious. Belated happy T Day, Chrisx
Love the rollercoaster and the child on it. (I never went on one. I’m a bit chicken).
I enjoyed your book list and I picked two that I perhaps want to read. I’ve started to read The fair botanists.
Great photos of the cats. Yes, our (late) cat used to sit on my desk. A bit annoying. The cat at the hospice used to sit on the newspaper as soon as I started to read it.
Well done you for putting the gazebo together. All jokes aside, Ikea have greatly improved their instructions and a person (man or woman) should be able to put it together without problems. But you went one step further and did a two-man job! Kudos!
Happy T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
Hi Elle. I hope you had a nice T day. I wanted to stop by and say thanks for linking that fun girl on the roller coaster up to Chris’ challenge at AJJ. She made me smile. And I do remember taking rides on roller coasters as a kid for certain. Nice books too. Lessons in Chemistry was a really good one. Thanks for sharing with us at AJJ. Hugs Erika
Ohhhh I love this roller coster art. That little girl has all the expressions of the ride. The tickets make it perfect. Have a nice evening.
You really captured the joy (plus a bit of terror) in riding a rollercoaster. I hope the weather clears and warms a bit so you can enjoy your gazebo. Kitties ? Sounds like someone wants all your attention. Happy T Day
Your napkins are beautiful. I can’t wait to see which ones I get! I am loving your roller coaster project. Happy T Day!
Elle! I LOVE seeing your black kitties…. they are so beautiful.. Fighting , fighting , fighting the urge to get another kitty.. Hubby would let me have whatever i wanted but it is better for his health if we do not have animals.. Oh but the urge is still there.. i think we both miss having an animal terribly.. Maybe i need some fish… maybe that would help. lol I LOVE seeing all your art.. My fish painting is so close to being done! I’m so ready to do some OTHER art besides that!!! Happy T day! Hugs! deb
I like your childhood portrait with rollercoaster very much 😀
Your two beautiful black cats bear a resemblance to our Nina. (You can see her in my sidebar. Except that Nina is now 19 and you can already see her age. She also has a white spot on her neck. But other than that… :-))
All the best from a place near Vienna / Austria
Traude Rostrose (joining T Stands For Tuesday ??????)
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/08/blogparade-tropisch-exotisch-u30blogger.html
At least the gardens will be happy with the rain, we haven’t any here though, it seems to be missing is in NW England ?. We’ve had some thunder and lightning but no rain! Loving the heat too and your page, it’s such fun and you could easily get on a rollercoaster here as we are near the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool. Loving your cats, so funny of them to takeover your craft table, they must want all the attention …lol ?. I can’t wait to see what napkins I receive, so may possibilities for Art Journal pages – yay! Happy T Day wishes! Hugs Jo x