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Debbie Ridpath Ohi

@debbieohi.com
68K followers 8.2K following 20K posts

🇨🇦 Author/illustrator. Illus books by Judy Blume, Michael Ian Black, others. Author news, more: debbieohi.com/links Atmosphere updates: debbieohi.com/standard-reader 📚 I WANT TO READ *ALL* THE BOOKS 🎨 I'M BUSY DebbieOhi.com

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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 1h
Irish/Belgian book blogger @beledit.com discovered Paul Hardisty's trilogy through Bluesky! Thanks to Fiona for her guest post in #HowReadersFindBooks. Thx also to publisher @orendabooks.bsky.social for identifying Mark Swan as the cover designer. #BookSky #Climate #Dystopian
books.leaflet.pub
THE FORCING TRILOGY by Paul E. Hardisty
Discovered by Fiona Brichaut @beledit.com
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 5h
To creatives thinking of trying out the new Tweet platform: make sure you read through the Terms of Service carefully. User content may be used to train AI and machine-learning models. For those who missed it: www.engadget.com/2251699/new-...
A screenshot of a terms of service excerpt with a section highlighted in blue that reads: "Tweet may also use User Content and related information to develop, train, test, evaluate, and improve artificial intelligence and machine-learning models, algorithms, content-moderation tools, recommendation systems, safety systems, and other data-driven technologies used by or for Tweet." The unhighlighted text immediately following states: "Tweet may engage service providers to assist with these activities, subject to appropriate contractual restrictions and the Privacy Policy."
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 27/05/2025
Authors & Publishers posting about illustrated books launching this week: pls credit ILLUSTRATOR. Doing a #CoverReveal? Credit illustrator & designer. Not only does this help boost artist but it shows people that you hired a HUMAN artist. #PicturesMeanBusiness Art @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social
Illustration of a blue round creature with wings and a tail, containing the text “#PicturesMeanBusiness.” Beside it, hand-lettered in blue, is the question: “Why do so many book people keep forgetting to credit illustrators?” Small text at the bottom credits illustrator Sarah McIntyre and the website
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 20h
To those thinking about trying out Meta's new AI agent: please read this ZDNet article first: "Meta Muse is the worst AI agent for privacy – and I’ve tried them all" www.zdnet.com/innovation/m...
zdnet.com
Meta Muse is the worst AI agent for privacy - and I've tried them all - ZDNET
Meta's AI agent holds its own against others from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. But don't say yes to every permission without reading this first.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 20h
Does anyone know the cover artist / designer of THE FORCING trilogy books by Paul E. Hardisty, published by @orendabooks.bsky.social? I've been unable to find that info online, and would love to include the info in an upcoming post on How Readers Find Books. 🤞🏽
Three side-by-side book covers for a trilogy by author Paul E Hardisty. From left to right:

The Forcing: An orange, cracked background featuring a white handprint that contains a black silhouette of a crowd of people.

The Descent: A red background with a central white circle showing silhouetted figures walking, surrounded by stylized yellow flames.

The Hope: A blue background with a pale fist rising from dark vines or branches at the bottom, engulfed in orange flames.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 21h
Please support book reviewers and book bloggers like @beledit.com! Stay tuned for a post from Fiona coming soon to How Readers Find Books, where you can find other book boosters. #SupportBookBloggers
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 21h
Apologies to those who have sent emails but haven't received a response. Because of personal behind-the-scenes challenges the past couple of months, several have fallen through the cracks - Apologies! I am catching up now, but feel free to nudge me via my Contact Form debbieohi.com/contact/
debbieohi.com
Contact Debbie – Debbie Ridpath Ohi
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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
the world is a rough place these days, but there are tiny glimmers of light everywhere if you know where to look for example, my sister just texted that their youngest decided to take up the trumpet and was honking away all evening in the garage, driving them nuts, and that did bring me real joy
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 29/09/2026
History-inspired biscuits! Also love the motivation behind the research project. #Uplift
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 25/09/2026
#OneThingIveLearned: Taking a walk outside almost always helps. I also find that purposely NOT listening to audiobooks/podcasts but just letting my mind wander gives me the mental breathing space to come up with new ideas & solutions. onething.pckt.blog/taking-a-wal...
onething.pckt.blog
Taking a walk outside almost always helps
It's amazing how much a walk outside can help me regain perspective, especially when I've been spending a little too much time on my computer. It doesn't have to be an autumnal forest - it can just be around the block. What I also find helps: sometimes purposely NOT taking my headphones (for listening to audiobooks and podcasts). This gives my brain space to do whatever it wants to. If I find myself spiralling into anxiety-churn, then I focus on concrete things around me. Sometimes giving myself...
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molly conger @socialistdogmom.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
it’s so good for your mental health to go outside & take a little walk. i’m not talking about the benefits of exercise or getting a little sunshine or any of that shit, i’m talking about maybe you’ll meet a microscopic chihuahua named soda pop and he’s got the tiniest fucking paws you’ve ever seen.
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Lilah Sturges @lilahsturges.com · 25/09/2026
Hi everyone, it’s “be nice to yourself o’ clock” which means you have to forgive yourself for something boneheaded you did AND you have to make a plan to do a small nice thing for yourself. That’s the rules. What’s a small nice thing? For me it was driving through my favorite local coffee place.
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KidLitArt @kidlitart.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Q1: Share a new art or writing skill that you learned recently! alt: What's an art/writing skill that you would like to learn? #KidLitArt
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KidLitArt @kidlitart.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Hello all! Tonight we are discussing Back to School / Learning! This month's art was created by Joshua Chennault Your moderators tonight are @weyakindesigns.bsky.social & Charlene Chua Before we get started on our questions, share your wins for the month! #KidLitArt
Illustration of a busy classroom filled with animal characters as students. Some are writing 'Back to school' on a blackboard. Art by @joshuachennault.com #kidlitart
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 24/09/2025
Happy #PunctuationDay! What punctuation would YOU buy?
Illustration of a sign advertising punctuation for sale. Beside the sign is a pony-tailed woman on a typewriter at a desk. Punctuation for sale includes a comma (5 cents), hypen (15 cents), ellipsis (27 cents), Em dash (30 cents), silcrow (42 cents), semicolon (61 cents), and guillemets (75 cents).
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 24/09/2026
😂
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 24/09/2026
Happy Punctuation Day! I used to be an Oxford Comma hater, but I've been lured over to Team Oxford. How about you?
Cartoon of a woman speaking to a group of commas on the ground. She says, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t keep you all in my manuscript. It’s nothing personal!” The commas respond with speech bubbles: “Don’t listen to those Oxford comma haters,” “Pick on the semi-colons instead,” and “You serial comma killer!” The artist’s signature and website (Debbie Ridpath Ohi – DebbieOhi.com) appear at the bottom.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 23/09/2026
Thanks to those who suggested KAREN PIRIE. Finished (& loved) Season 1. Based on books by Val McDermid. Lauren Lyle is brilliant. So refreshing to see a smart, funny female detective who is simply good at her job (not a brooding loner or tortured by secret past). debbieohi.leaflet.pub/3mtqsvs7x5c2u
debbieohi.leaflet.pub
Britbox suggestions from the Atmosphere!
(and yet another use for the social blog you are reading right now)
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Tami Wicinas @tamiwicinas.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I am pleased with how my betta fish dish came out. I’m having a lot of fun playing with the glaze on these fish!
Ceramic dish sculpted in the shape of a betta fish. The glaze ranges from green to blue to purple.Close-up of betta fish dish.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 23/09/2026
#AtmosphereConf overlaps with another event I'm attending next year (filkontario.ca), else I'd seriously consider going; I've never been to Amsterdam before! Envious of everyone who IS attending, and I'm still looking forward to following developments & news.
filkontario.ca
FilKONtario – Ontario's Science Fiction and Fantasy Music Festival
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Eric Smith @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
One wholesome thing I’ve noticed since reopening to queries, is just how many folks have followed up with offers. I can’t read on a deadline these days, but oh does that make me happy. If you’re out there querying, keep going! Colleagues are reading! Folks are getting signed! It’s all happening. ❤️
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 23/09/2026
Secretly cursing @katkruger.bsky.social for telling me about Shattered Pixel Dungeon shatteredpixel.com. 😂 I forgive her, tho, because I found out she's one of the writers for BETRAYAL AT HOUSE ON THE HILL (3rd ed) boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35... - one of my favourite co-operative board games!
Selfish of person holding a smartphone in front of their face. Screen reads "Shattered Pixel Dungeon"Box cover for the board game Betrayal at House on the Hill 3rd Edition featuring three characters approaching a eerie green-lit mansion against a massive red moon.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 23/09/2026
Visited our house renovation site and LOOK this is going to be my writing nook!!! Goal: minimalist, very few distractions. I was inspired by my friend @msagara.bsky.social's writing office. Storage and mess-friendly creative space will be in the basement.
Person in short black windbreaker poses on an exposed cement corner of a house undergoing renovation.
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Emma Mitchell @silverpebble2.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Leaf ombré my daughter made 🍁🌼🌿
Breach leaves in autumn arranged on a tree stump so their colour shifts gently round a circle
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Gordon Kerry @gordonkerry.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
no-one gets in or out without giving me a tummy-rub. #dogs
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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Get together with like-minded readers, celebrate banned books, AND get a free audio book from @libro.fm! Join a Banned Books Read In this Banned Books Week, October 4-10! All the info below!!!!
blog.libro.fm
Banned Books Week Read-In
Join Libro.fm, Silent Book Club, and over 400 bookstores and libraries for a Banned Books Read-In this Banned Books Week.
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Leaflet @leaflet.pub · 22/09/2026
Tapas is gone, and Webtoon is boiling the frog. Artists, as long as your put your hard work on a proprietary service, this will keep happening. You NEED to own your own work and audience!! It’s NOT hard to do! You don’t need to code and you can still be discovered! Use Leaflet! leaflet.pub/about
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
Sad to hear that Tapas (comics platform) is shutting down. Too bad that there isn't an Atmosphere equivalent, one that optimizes reading experience for mobile vertical scrolling, custom reading interfaces, and episode/chapter structure, tipping and micropayments, paywalled/early access feeds, etc
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
What's your "origin" video game? Most gamers have a lot of favorite games, sure, but there's always one that basically 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 you: the game that flipped that little switch in your brain and made into a life-long gamer. Mine was the original ascii text dungeon crawler game Rogue.
Ascii text game screenshot.
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Greg Pincus @gregpincus.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Let’s have a #kidlitchat at 9pm Eastern today here on Bluesky, shall we? I mean, we do this every Tuesday, I know, but for sure today let us #kidlit folk gather and chat for an hour! See ya then!
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
Dropped by the house (being renovated) to check on the state of my basement office. Wowza. 2nd photo is what the same space looked like right before our move.
Debbie standing at the far end of an empty room that has been stripped down to bare beams.Extremely cluttered office filled with half-packed boxes, books, and papers.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
Registered for a library card at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (jccc.on.ca/visit/librar...). Had a lovely chat with the two librarians. Going to do some novel writing here; only appropriate, given that my MG novel includes Japanese yokai mythology. Also bought 2 books from their sale rack!
Person smiling selfie with a small library in the background.Covers of two Japanese books. The one on the right looks like a children's book.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
If you buy/order any of my kids' books between now & Oct.31, I'm happy to send you a wee signed note for recipient to insert in front of each book. However, you need to let me know before the end of Oct. Reply to this thread here on Bluesky & I'll DM you for where to send your proof of purchase.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
Any other Canadian creators finding process of sending pkgs to U.S. a major hassle nowadays? Between trying to figure out tariff exemptions, being forced to use a 3rd-party app (& paying processing fees on every pkg), etc I rarely send pkgs anymore. www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/perso...
canadapost-postescanada.ca
Sending packages to the U.S.
Sending to the U.S. has changed. U.S. duties must be prepaid and now apply to most items. Even gifts under US$100 require a Declaration ID number via Zonos.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 22/09/2026
Construction noise in the apartment next to us is making it harder to focus this week, so I will likely be scarcer here for a bit. FYI, I recorded what I've been hearing in my creative workspace in the apartment: soundcloud.com/inkygirl/con... Building mgmt says it should finish up in 8 wks.
soundcloud.com
ConstructionNextDoor
I write and illustrate children's books for a living. I also sometimes write music for Urban Tapestry, for my video projects or just for fun. More recently, starting to compose music in VR, mainly w
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Suw @suw.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
This is absolute perfection.
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
NASA picture of the day today is a real 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿beauty! This is a composite image of the ~5000yo Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis. The amazing Giuseppe Petricca has only gone and photographed the Sun at noon there, every few days, for a whole year. #Dedication 🔭🧪👌 ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/image-articl...
The imposing Callanish Stones stand talk with their shadows spanning out across the glass.  It's a super clear sky, but looks cold. Above the central stone is a strange figure-of-8 shape of dots.  This is the location of the Sun, at noon, on various different days across the year.
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The Whimsical Muse @whimsicalmuse.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Don’t allow anyone to tell you that your dream of going off the grid and becoming a bookstore owner with a mysterious backstory who has a quaint shop on a cobblestone side street in Edinburgh is “unrealistic."
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Mr. Joshua @pantspants.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Pen, watercolor, black & white charcoal pencil.

Another featured piece from the Spooky Pants book.

A man in a sweater stands with his hands on his hips looking out of a large window with the curtains open. Things aren’t looking good outside, reader. A massive winged demon is emerging from the clouds as dozens of little ghosts and bone demons rip through the sky. On the ground below we see townsfolk running through the grass. Our man in the window is in no mood for this. He lets us know, “Oh, I am in no mood for this.” His dog looks out the window as well, wagging its tail. 

Fantasia (1940) inspired drawing. I think I could’ve gone a little heavier with the chaos outside but we’ll try again with fresh drawings this October. I like how the clouds turned out. Trying to balance my sloppy lines with more detail can be tricky but I think we achieved a good result.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 19/09/2026
#Uplift
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 19/09/2026
Nearly finished decorating my friend's radiation mask for his upcoming Celebration Of Life. Materials include character sheets from old role-playing campaigns, comics, handwritten notes, doodles, K-drama refs, coding, more. I posted about my friend Reid at debbieohi.leaflet.pub/3mtyotpbeyc2w
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 19/09/2026
I was familiar with claw machine arcades from Despicable me, but this was the first time I ever visited one myself! Thanks to my friend Luisa for taking me to Claw Me Baby Midland in Toronto: www.instagram.com/clawmebaby.to/
Two smiling people in front of a wall of stuffed animals. Each person is holding a stuffed animal.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 18/09/2026
Thanks to @heisereads.bsky.social for posting about the annual read of WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? to her students, introducing them to the concept of libraries (borrowing, returning). www.instagram.com/p/DdXi69bRDA-/ #LibrarySky #KidLit #WhereAreMyBooks
Cover of Where Are My Books, featuring an illustration from beneath a blue and purple bed, showing a child hanging over the edge and looking around. On the floor are some crayons and children's drawings.Screenshot of an Instagram post by heisereads: “Time for the annual read aloud of Where Are My Books? for the first K4 library book checkout today! 💜” The post praises the book for reminding kids to return library books and includes several school and library hashtags.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 18/09/2026
Thanks to my brilliant (& funny) friend @bmacastro.bsky.social for helping me incorporate Bayes' Theorem in an illustration for I'M WORRIED by @michaelianblack.bsky.social & me: a mathematical rule for updating probabilities when new evidence becomes available. debbieohi.com/im-picture-b...
Book cover for I'm Worried with text "I'm Worried" in orange against a yellow background, and a worried looking potato.Illustration showing a pig-tailed girl in a lab coat pointing to a blackboard full of equations. In the foreground, a flamingo and potato look at each other with confused expressions.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 18/09/2026
One of the reasons I love Bluesky is because of posts like this (I don't understand most of it, but love that some science people here DO 😁🩷).
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Foxes In Love @foxes-in-love.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A comic of two foxes, one of whom is blue, the other is green. In this one, Green approaches Blue, who is nestled comfortably within a large purple bean bag chair.
Green: How's the bean bag chair?
Blue: Comfy.

Blue watches in silent horror as Green jumps into the air, about to dive into the chair as well.
Green: Make way!

As Green dives in, Blue is launched into the air by the force of Green's landing.

Now cozied up in the bean bag chair, Green watches as Blue flies off in the distance, barely visible as a shred of colour on the sky.
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Kevin Sylvester @kevinarts.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I am having a blast making little statuettes and #puppets. I had some watery looking tiles and decided to make a series of arctic readers. Here’s #Penguin and a book! And I put it up on my shop. 4x4x6 inches kevinarts.bigcartel.com
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 18/09/2026
Ooooh, can't wait to try this! #BookSky #KidLit #MGLit #YALit
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 18/09/2026
POLL: What do YOU listen to (if anything) while working? #OneThingIveLearned: Italian progrock helps drown out noisy neighbours. 😁 Thanks to @whatevernot.com for introducing me to sanity-saving workmusic via Locanda Delle Fate. onething.pckt.blog/italian-prog... #CommunityPoll #ItalianProgRock
onething.pckt.blog
Italian Progrock: Great workmusic to drown out noisy neighbours
Everyone has their own preference for work music. Some writer friends prefer silence. If I'm writing, I can't listen to any music that has English lyrics because I get too distracted. If I'm illustrating, anything is fine. And when I'm trying to write in a rented apartment when it sounds like someone in the apartment directly above my office is hammering and drilling (drilling into my brain), I find that my usual mellow atmospheric music doesn't cut it. I pull out the big guns, e.g. Italian prog...
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 18/09/2026
Incorporating comics into my radiation mask art project in addition to my friend's character sheets from AD&D and Champions roleplaying campaigns (thx @aiabx.bsky.social & @bmacastro.bsky.social) & old handwritten notes. Thx to @kevinarts.bsky.social for comics donations. bsky.app/profile/debb...
Radiation mask being decorated with comics and printed character sheets, on a dining room table covered with old comics and notepaper.
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