#FlatRichie Is Travelling Again + Misc.

/ December 5, 2018

Day 14 of my smoking cessation drive. And the best husband of all is rapidly becoming divorce material. He’s just lit up another fag right in front of me, in the same room. I am not amused. I need a bit of happiness blogging to make up for the bastard move on my sofa. So here’s a bit of a misc of good news.

1. Flat Richie is on the move again

Travel Shrine goes Weihnachtsmarkt [Christmas market] Photo courtesy of Kate

Have you caught up with his first stop? He arrived in Germany last week, and host Kate took the travelling shrine on a little outing in her home town. I’ll just snag one little picture here for illustration purposes, but please check her hilarious post HERE for more pics and insights. 

If you are curious about what Kate chose from the package of goodies, you can see picture evidence and read more in a separate blog post HERE.

Also, I have been reliably informed by Kate, that Flat Richie is indeed on his way to the next host in the chain. We’re not saying where he is headed – except that it’ll take him a loooong way…

2. Flat Richie’s Log

If you have looked at Kate’s posts, you may have already seen some glimpses of the accompanying log book. In case you are curious what it looks like, I made a video flip-through for my junk journal-focussed Youtube channel.

Yeah, totally ignore that stupid voice!

I can’t wait to see what this journal will look like once it has travelled to all participants!

3. BS on RTE Player

I know, I already mentioned it in yesterday’s post. However, I think you ought to see the whole exchange between me and the RTE Player Twitter account. It appears that RTE Player is a member of the Armitage Army. Or how do you interpret this:

*fans herself* Spot on – “not enough Richard Armitage in life”. I mean, maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill, and yes, I know, RTE is hardly the biggest player [sic] in the market, but just to see an entertainment entity taking note of RA is just something that really, really thrills me. Hey, RTE, why don’t you collaborate with RA on a nice little Irish project? Or offer him a job reading adult bedtime stories every night? You could have a hit on your hand with that… Just sayin’

4. Lastly – support a fellow fan

Many of our fellow fans are talented writers – quite a few of them published, too. And now another one is making that step to published author. I know Alyssa from my own early days in the fandom, and I am delighted to hear that she has finished her book and is now getting ready to have it published. Alyssa is somewhat “famous” in the fandom, having coined the phrase ‘I believe in Lucas North’ all the way back in 2013. She wrote a huge long post on Lucas North and the treatment he received by the writers. It’s a classic that every fan, new and old, should read at least once. So, in recognition of her contribution to the fandom, I have backed her kickstarter campaign – and if you have enjoyed her treatise on Lucas North, maybe you feel like contributing to her fundraiser, too.

Right, that’s it. Don’t forget to check the RAdvent CalendRA every morning!

 

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182 thoughts on “#FlatRichie Is Travelling Again + Misc.”

  1. So first congrats on the 14 day victory b/c it is a victory. NC on the other half of your first paragraph not my place and don’t want to regret or upset you (a back story but not proper here) second I think you have a great speaking voice and you gave me a great idea although I don’t have the balls to go on YT that you do (👍💗) third excited for whoever receives Flat Richie next glad that project is off and running fourth go girl for expressing yourself on Twitter
    Fifth hang in there all the way around!!

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  2. Oh and your YT video which I just relistened to after the pups were fed dinner your voice sounds Irish and British tinged not really heavy German esp on the words collage and intended among others but those stood out to me. Lot of insights into the junk journal diary vid so very inspiring! Jou! Jou!!

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    • LOL – collage and intended? I’ve been saying the two words out loud to me now, and I’m trying to gauge how I am making those sound… But yeah, Irish people tell me I sound German but with an Irish accent as well as some weird British pronunciations. (Could also be weird British vocab – picked up from my Anglo-Irish in-laws) Outside of Ireland and Britain, native speakers of English tend to get a bit confused about my weird mixture of accents. In NZ they couldn’t place me at all.
      LOL on the jou jou 🙂

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  3. I am not familiar with junk journals, so I found that fascinating! the vid itself is so relaxing to me, I don’t know why! the crinkling of the pages and all the pretty tags you made, tucked into so many nooks & crannies, plus your voice. I don’t mean to embarrass you but I really do love the cadence of your voice. I can’t wait to see the Flat Richie journal for myself 😎

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  4. 🙂 J’ai hâte de suivre la parcours de ce journal créatif. Car en vacances 4 jours dans la très belle ville de Lyon, j’ai trouvé quelques idées de cadeaux. Alors, bon voyage “Flat Richie”!
    (cf la chanson de la chanteuse Desireless: “VOYAGE VOYAGE”)

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  5. God love ya! I am at 5 weeks, however I am lucky that my sister and I are doing it at the same time and I don’t live with a smoker. Best of luck! (A trick I have been using is to tell myself “I am a non-smoker” when the urge is relentless.)

    The more I see of Flat Richie the more excited I become to play along.

    Yay for RTE! They are pretty darned smart.

    Now, I am off to read that post about Lucas.

    btw – you have an adorable voice.

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    • OH Abi – congratulations on 5 weeks. I think, if you have reached that long, you are definitely over the nasty withdrawal period. Great that you are doing it together with your sister. I am sure that is a great motivation and help, being able to share the trials of beating an addiction with someone else.
      “I am a non-smoker” – that’s a great point. Positive reinforcement. I must try that when the urge overcomes me.
      So, did you read the Lucas post? It is massively long – but so interesting…

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    • Actually – it is just occurring to me now that I didn’t even comment on your post yesterday: Congratulations on your fantastic endeavour, Alyssa! As I said before – I can’t wait to see the finished product. And that’s me, who is not a fantasy-fan per se. But I am a fan of yours, so fingers crossed that the funding campaign will be a success. One day in and 20% is already backed…

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  8. I had never heard of junk journals before. Your video was so interesting it made me google the technique how the covers are created and the pages bound. Looking at your video again I was blown away by all the lovely details you included and I can’t wait to see the journal up close when it arrives. Are we meant to just write messages in it or can we also tuck in a little surprise or two in the pockets? Btw I think you have a lovely voice. Maybe a certain turtleneck wearing bloke can hook you up with a narrating gig. 😉
    Best of luck and strength of will re: becoming cig-free. I know you can do it. I need encouragement to do the same myself.

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    • Aw, thanks D, I am glad you liked it – and that the whole thing made you curious. I love making these journals – even though I hardly have the time to write a journal anymore. But I have made a few of them in the past few months, sold some, given some away as presents. It’s a really creative endeavour.
      As for your own use of the log when it comes your way: I am not quite sure how Kate has started the log, but if possible, I’d like to fill it from front to back. So use the next page available, write a message for your parcel partner on the next available tag. (That tag is intended as a special message and memento for your parcel recipient.) Then use the space in the log for a little journaling – write about your time with the shrine, tell us which gifts you chose and why, add a message to anyone who will read the log, stick in photographs, stickers. Use the little tuck spots and fold outs as you like – and yes, surprises in pockets are definitely allowed 😉
      As for voices and narrating – well, thanks for that kind compliment, Donna. And if a certain turtleneck wearing bloke would hook me up with a narrating gig, I’d be more than happy to take it on. (I actually have voice recording experience – for language learning materials. And I totally love recording…)
      D – come on, let’s stop smoking together. I know you smoked much less than I did, so if I can do it, so can you. I am convinced that it is only the first three weeks that are tough – the time it takes to establish a new routine. And I have given myself permission to replace the cigarettes with sweets and diet coke – for that period of time, anything that will help me break the habit, is allowed. It seems to work. And I look forward to calling myself a non-smoker, soon. Join me, please!!!

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  9. I had never heard of a junk journal either. It looks so pretty. Reminds me of a Victorian Valentine. Maybe it’s the lace. I can’t wait to see it in person. I agree that your voice is great, very soothing. And the crinkling of the crisp paper sounds wonderful.

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    • Absolutely Victorian Valentine, Kathy! Although that is because I am into the vintage look at the moment. When I started out making these junk journals, the results looked much more contemporary. I guess it can look any way we want it to look.
      The crinkling of the paper is one of the most attractive bits of these journals…

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  10. no one ever like the sound of their own voice on video, do they?! neat video and i hope Flat Richie stays safe in the post til he gets to me as i’m right down the line! (honestly not moaning-just a bit jealous and totally impatient! lol)

    clicking on the calendar daily, it’s a very silly but funny thing-which i very much appreciate in my life!

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    • You are absolutely right Rachel – listening to one’s own voice is just excruciating ;-). Funny, I really should be used to it because I do voice recordings in a studio every year, but it’s just strange how alien that voice sounds to me :-))
      As for Flat Richie – patience 😉 But he will make it to you, eventually, I am sure…
      Good to hear that the RAdvent CalendRA works 🙂

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      • Glückwunsch zu 14 (vierzehn!!!) Tagen rauchfrei! Super, dass du tapfer durchhältst, trotz der Sabotageversuche deines Gatten. Vielleicht solltest du es wirklich damit versuchen, seine Kippen zu verstecken 😉.
        Vielen Dank für die Vorabeindrücke des Junk Journals (gibt´s dafür eine deutsche Bezeichnung?). Ein richtiges Kunstwerk. Da traut man sich ja fast nicht, es zu benutzen. Und ich wünschte fast, ich wäre später dran, ist bestimmt super spannend zu sehen, wie es sich über die Reise füllt.
        Yep, wahrscheinlich findet jeder seine Stimme auf Aufnahmen schräg. Weil wir selbst unsere Stimme nunmal anders hören als der Rest der Welt. Mich hat das dazu gebracht, einen großen Bogen um jedwedes Aufnahmegerät zu machen. Mich würde aber mal interessieren, ob jemand, der als Schauspieler oder Hörbuchvorleser arbeitet, die selben Probleme mit dem Klang der eigenen Stimme hat. Da fällt mir auch zufällig jemand ein, den man das dringend mal fragen sollte.

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        • Danke danke – und nö, ich habe mir jetzt folgendes überlegt: Ich werde ab sofort jeden Tag mehrfach triumphierend erwähnen, wie toll es ist, dass ich jetzt nicht mehr rauche, wie viel Geld das spart, und wie gesund ich mich fühle. Mal sehen, wie lange er sich das anhören will…
          re. Junk Journal – nach der deutschen Bezeichnung habe ich mich auch schon gefragt, aber da gibt es nichts Griffiges. Müllheft? Abfallbuch? Schrottblock? Aber klar soll das benutzt werden – was reingeschrieben und -geklebt wird, macht es dann ja noch schöner 😉 Ich bin auch supergespannt, wie das am Ende aussehen wird. Ich werde es auf jeden Fall zeigen!
          Und ja, du hast sicher Recht, dass wir alle unsere eigene Stimme gewöhnungsbedürftig finden, wenn wir sie auf einer Aufnahme hören. Ich hatte mich da sogar schon mal dran gewöhnt (als ich noch regelmäßig Studioaufnahmen gemacht habe), aber bin mittlerweile etwas raus… und dann schaudert es einen besonders schlimm, wenn man sich wieder hört…
          Und die Frage habe ich mal notiert, für den Fall, dass man irgendwo mal wieder ein #AskArmitage hat…

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          • Ja zu allem. Ja, zeig uns das Journal am Ende seiner lange Reise. Ja, wär schön, wenn du das fragen würdest, falls sich die Möglichkeit ergibt. Und ja, probier die Taktik ruhig aus bei deiner besseren Hälfte. Hoffe, es zeigt Wirkung.
            Schrottblock hat phonetisch wenigstens was, aber der Rest klingt irgendwie nach etwas ganz anderem.

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            • Ja, mir gefällt Schrottblock irgendwie auch… aber klingt tatsächlich noch schrottiger als das englische Pendant… Vielleicht sollte ich das die Community auf YT mal fragen. Da sind auch ein paar deutsche Damen dabei…

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  11. Yes congratulations on 14 days, Guylty, that’s great going. I love opening your advent calendar every day, although Richard with a white beard is really freaking me out, particularly yesterday’s Father Christmas – someone who really shouldn’t be fanciable!

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    • *giggles* Well, that’s Father Christmas for naughty girls, Jane…
      I have to agree with you, though – while I love the little bits of silver that have started appearing across RA’s stubble and temples, the full-on white is a bit much…

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  12. That journal is a real work of art already. Utterly exquisite with all the little pockets and lace and foil and things. It must have taken you hours. A shame that kind of thing isn’t available in the shops, because I’m sure lots of people would want one. Maybe you should go on (Red) Dragon’s Den 😂 And I loved the chance to put a voice to your posts, and a very musical one it is too.
    So there!

    PS. I think I just found a photo of your OH online. 😤

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  14. The junk journal is stunning! After years of bullet journals I’m making my first junk journal as 2019 agenda, but is very very plain. I discovered their existence around two weeks ago, and yours is really wonderful! Congratulation for the no smoking challenge, it’s harder living with a smoker, but you can do it!

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    • Oh Lurkerella, come here my fellow junmk journalista!!!! Aren’t they the coolest things? If you want to have real junk journal fun, try the challenge that one of the eminent junk journal authorities on YT recently set everyone. It was called the “Deserted Island Challenge”. I explain it at the beginning of my video here: https://youtu.be/pXYuzR3vGbo

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      • Wow! Lots of lovely ideas over there! I need something useful on a daily basis, so my journal will ne a work in progress for the whole next year. I can’t wait to start (now I’m only collecting material). Thank you!

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  15. What a gorgeous little journal, your creativity blows me away. I love beautiful stationery but don’t put that appreciation into practice much. Now I’m keen to have a go at making a junk journal – I’ve already done the coffee thing when I created brown stained paper for my students to create pirate treasure maps. Hopefully by the time my turn with Flat Richie comes around I can do it justice by adding something funny/creative/clever/inspiring, all the things I am not without a great deal of effort lol.
    PS It was lovely being able to put a voice to your face 😊
    PPS Your Etsy/YT pages are now bookmarked.

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      • Hi Yve – you can do both things. The first method you mention is called “altered notebook”, i.e. you simply decorate/alter the pages of a notebook. What I did is making the whole thing from scratch, i.e. I chose lots of different items to make pages with and then bound them together in a hard cover with needle and thread.

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    • Aw, thank you, Mezz. Glad you like this little crafty thing of mine. And definitely go and give it a try. You can use lots of things that you already have lying around in your household – envelopes (new or used), note pads, old bills or forms, sticky notes, old books that you don’t mind tearing pages out of. They don’t necessarily have to be tea or coffee stained; white paper is just as good.

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      • After watching your video on YT last night I ended up in the junk journal rabbit hole and I can appreciate the time and work put into making them, especially sewing the pages in. I think I’ll have to plan a trip to the big haberdashery/craft store about half an hour from home 😉

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