Back in Business!

I'm baaaaccckkk! And hopefuly, to stay! Not back home. Yet. But back online. We've been fortunate to be in France, where Marc is working. What hasn't been working is my computer. Specifically, my power cord. The connection to my computer is loose, so the battery drains and then I can't use it. Even with all of the gadgets we're traveling with, I really can't get any blogging done if MY computer is down. Marc needs his computer for work, so I can't muck around on it. My Nook, an e reader, has a web browser, but its function is limited and I can't download photos to it with my camera's big CF cards. It doesn't have a usb port either. Then there's the ipods. Embarassingly, three, in our family. Everyone but me, and that's just fine. The kids have theirs as a result of Marc's upgrading his. And Marc also has an ipad, but that's his too.

We're actually traveling with our own router and a big power bar. The router works in locations where the free internet is hardwired, or the wifi doesn't work well, and the power bar is great for plugging in everything that needs charging -- all of these devices plus cell phones, cameras/batteries, you name it. We haven't camped for a couple of years and it would be fun to see how we would manage without electricity!

For now, my computer seems to be connecting to the power source properly. I'm handling it like an explosives expert attempting to detonate a bomb, and driving everyone else crazy with it! They know to steer clear of the cord and to not touch my computer. We're in one spot for a few days, so I'm hoping to catch up and share some photos soon. Marc was off the second and third weeks that we were here, so we travelled to Germany, Austria, Italy and the south of France. Back in Reims now, where he's working, we're still able to take small side trips. We just returned from a weekend in Belgium.

And I have been art journaling, though not 10 minutes a day. Just minutes, here and there, when I can find the time. I'll have to get those pages photographed, so I can share them.

Here are the last pages photographed, started back home and finished in Reims. My week 2 for July:

I picked up these stamps at my LSS, which sadly, is now closed. They were clearing out stock so I got a great deal, but I'd rather they were still open. On gessoed pages, I stamped, using Palette Noir ink. I watercoloured the background, coloured the stamped images with FC fine Pitt markers, which I also used to add colour elsewhere. I finished up the journaling with black Pitt markers, and some of the colours that I'm traveling with.

I prepped 6 sets of pages with gesso before we left, so that I could keep up with my art journaling. Its been more collaging than anything else, as I've been saving a lot of ephemera from our travels. I'll get those photographed soon.

Ready for the road!