Hi Friends!
Happy Tuesday! I received my first Halloween card last week from a friend in Holland. I will share it next week as there is quite a lot to share in this post already. I was sad to discover on Sunday that another blog challenge has closed its blog doors and moved to Facebook. Country View Challenges, which is a challenge blog run by the Country View Crafts Shop, is/was one of my favourite challenges to enter, but I don’t expect to be entering future challenges as I don’t much like Facebook challenges. 🙁 Still having problems with my eyes and obtaining the meds I was prescribed, so my screen time is still limited as is my reading time of actual books.
Today’s Art . . .
Today’s art is my October art journal page which I hope also qualifies for Neet’s theme this month on Art Journal Journey – In Gear since my girl is dressed up in her best Goth gear for Halloween.
But also I have a short video recap of all the pages I made for my Books, Cats, and Tea theme last month. It’s 1 min 40, do you have time?
eotc books cats and tea video by EOTC
OK, back to my calendar page…
Miss Lily in her usual spot ready to assist me…
The girl, the bats, the poison bottles, and the candles are all stamps from this new Paperartsy stamp set (this is the one I had to chase the postie for last week lol). I drew the tree, the spiders and the the October, Halloween lettering.
A FIVE SECOND animation to show her hands in motion…
eotc goth girl dance by EOTC
Currently Reading . . .
What’s this, I’ve only read a book and a half since last week? Well, sort of, because I actually listened to The Last Devil To Die FOUR TIMES instead of moving on to my next book. I just didn’t want to leave the gang!
Book 102. This is the author’s debut novel and I have to say that I’m enjoying it very much. The cover caught my eye in the bookshop back in August, where it was one of the staff recommendations. I mean really, they had me at “library of magical books”.
In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection—a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.
Genre: Fantasy
TOTAL for 2023
102 books
September Books so far – 6
95. Robert A Heinlein – Stranger in a Strange Land 
96. Justin Cronin – The Ferryman
97. Jodi Taylor – The Good, The Bad and The History – Chronicles of St Mary’s #14
98. Mick Herron – The Secret Hours
99. Kim Harrison – Demons of Good and Evil – Hollows #17
100. Richard Osman – The Last Devil To Die – Thursday Murder Club #4
101. Adalyn Grace – Foxglove – Belladonna #2
102. currently reading it
(re-reads if any are in bold)
Kitties . . .
Miss Lily had a relapse last week and was a bit poorly again. I am monitoring her for now, hoping that we don’t have to take her back to the VET. There is a new box in the house so she jumped inside immediately and has been napping in there.
Garden . . .
We have been getting so much rain and wind with the occasional dry and sunny day. I picked some russet apples from the garden before they all get blown off the tree.
T Stands for . . .
While I was in the supermarket, I also saw Stroopwafels for sale!
And of course Tony’s chocolate which is now available everywhere!
I’m in two minds about this as both things are imported from Holland and used to be something I thought of as “special” since my Dutch friend would always send them to me or I would buy them when I visited, but now they are available here and it somehow makes them both feel less special. 🙁
And after our discussion about The Last Devil To Die and Battenburg cakes last week, I thought I would show you these Mr Kipling Battenburgs that are the bog standard Battenburgs you can buy off the shelf. I used to love these because I love marzipan and Battenbergs are wrapped in an outer layer of the stuff.Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, thanks for reading and Happy Journalling! [edit: sorry I seem to entered twice today]
Ingredients
my journal, Paperartsy paint and stamps, stazon ink, pitt pens, posca pens, white gel pen,
Challenges
Art Journal Journey – In Gear
T Stands for – insanely expensive Pukka Tea, stroopwafels, battenburg cake
This is my third time of trying to leave you a comment. Either the internet or your insane robot ate it.
I tried to leave another comment on the steampunk coffee machine. I got a message that I can’t leave more than one comment per page. I wrote:
Since when can we not leave more than 1 comment per post.
I wrote I just learned I have that die. I’m going to make something like what you made, Elle. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery (or so they say).
Now for something new. When I buy tea, and I don’t very often, I prefer loose leaf tea. I buy it by the ounce for about $2.00 (USD) for 2 ounces. That does seem like a very high price for tea. I tried to enlarge one of the photos and it looked like up to 15 lb (sorry, no pound sign on my computer) per 100 grams.
I love your goth girl calendar page with her bats and the witch’s potent. Thanks for sharing it with us at AJJ using Neet’s theme.
Sorry Miss Lily is not well again. I hope she is better by now. Loved those wide eyes staring out of the box. Ironic that neither if my boys likes boxes. Both prefer paper bags.
I would give Stranger in a Strange Land more than 2 1/2 stars. I loved it.
Never heard of Tony’s chocolate, but who cares what brand it is (grin).
Thanks for sharing your calendar, your apples,. Miss Lily, and that insanely expensive tea with us for T this week, dear. Sorry I couldn’t get it to post, so finally gave up.
Battenburg is a favourite cake of a few of us at my local stamping club so we often have it on the second Saturday of the month when it is someone’s birthday. I just love marzipan. The cheaper one from Aldi is quite nice too so a favourite buy with lots of the ladies.
That tea is ridiculous! I used to drink the liquorice one, not any more. Red berries is my go to drink or ginger.
Which supermarket is this? Never seen Tony’s chocolate or hear of the stroopwafels.
Your calendar is fabulous. I love everything about it, the colours, the lettering, the images, everything. It’s ‘my cup of tea’ if you will pardon the pun. I can understand you chasing the postie for those stamps, gorgeous – that girl is fantastic and I love that her arms are jointed on your calendar (does it come come that or have you made it like that?)
Thanks for joining in with my theme, yes – love her gear!
Hugs, Neet xx
It was fun to see a September recap and your dancing goth girl. That’s a great calendar for October. Did you pick up any new things rereading the Last Devil book 4 times? I’ve never seen a Battenberg cake for sale here in New Hampshire, either in a bag or at a bakery. I do know what they are, but those bagged cakes are really pretty. One day I hope to try a slice. And that PUkka tea is expensive, especially when I go through the exchange rate. The boxes are really pretty though. I hope you have a super T day Elle. And thanks for linking up the calendar to AJJ. hugs-Erika
Love the Halloween themed calendar and your dancing Wednesday – totally love her and loved your video of her dancing and ALL YOUR FABULOUS books/tea/cats themed pages. Such a fun mix of creativeness for sure!
Hope your sweet kitty gets to feeling better.
Love seeing the fun foods you have available – I have never seen any of it so it looks very special.
If you listened to a book 4 times, I definitely need to read it.
Now you need to show us what you made with your apples like Nicole did.
Happy T-day and hugz!!
I couldn’t find the blog post where you talked about the battenburg cakes last week, but I liked your photo of the commercial version of the cake. IMPRESSIVE that you listened to it three times.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.coom
I love your calendar pages! I missed a lot of your ‘ Books, Cats, Tea ‘ pages so it was so good to see them in your video. You really did create some beauties. Russet apples are my favourites – they’re in the shops for such a short time! We’ve been using up some stroop waffles since we came back from France Tonys Chocolonely is one of our favourites, especially the dark ones! Haven’t had any Battenburg cake for years. Hope Miss Lily is OK now. Hugs, Chrisx
Wow Elle, what a fabulous post! I loved seeing all you artwork, the Books, Tea and Cats pages are amazing, especially your drawing of the mesmerising green eyed ginger cat – beautiful ??. Those Stroopwaffles are one of my favourites, perfect with any cuppa. Take care and wishing you a very Happy October ?. Hugs, Jo x
OK, that is an awsome calander. I love it! So many nice treats too. Have a nice day.