So many pleasures, so little time .......

I've discovered the inherent problem with blogging.  At the times when you're  really busy and dashing about doing interesting stuff - there's no time to write about it, and then, when you have time to sit and update the blog - you haven't got anything to write about.  And it has been a 'fun-packed' couple of weeks which is why I've not had time to post.  I had my niece to stay for a few days which was great, then at the last but one weekend I went to an afternoon tea party, held in honour of one of my neighbours who was celebrating her 95th birthday!  It was a surprise, organised by one of her friends, and her daughter who is currently visiting from the US.  There was a young girl at the party who suggested that we all hide and jump out when Nora arrived, but I think we managed to convince her that maybe at 95, that wasn't such a great idea.  Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon and Nora thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Apart from that I've worked, practised guitar, been to Pilates and the gym, lunched with friends, beaded and knitted, (having gate-crashed a freeform knitting workshop run by June Linsley at ArtVanGo) .......

Oh, and not to mention a Whole Lotta Led gig, and giving blood (totally unconnected events, you understand.)

On Saturday I went to the Embroiderer's Guild - I'd not been for ages as it seems to coincide with Leyton Orient home matches.   I took the day off  as they had arranged a speaker I particularly wanted to see - Libby Smith who is a member of the E.A.S.T group, and who was talking about her most recent work.  I loved it and have booked onto a workshop with her in a few months time (fortunately after the football season finishes!)

On Sunday (it's ok, we're nearly up to date now so I'm not going on for much longer) I went to the Landmark Arts Centre at Teddington for the Contemporary Textile Fair.  It was wonderful - every imaginable type of textile art, and all of a very high quality.  I could have spent fortunes, but I managed to be fairly controlled and bought some very different, but equally beautiful pieces of jewellery.

The first is a pair of earrings, using stitched wire around large press studs, which I thought were really unusual, and which were made by Judith Brown .....

Next, several pieces of wire jewellery - two brooches and a pair of earrings, made by Jo Dewar

and finally, a really delicate and beautifully stitched brooch made by Karen of Contemporary Embroidery.

It was lovely to meet up with Karen after following her blog for some time, and a little bird tells me that she may be running workshops in the future, so I will definitely try to put my name down for one of those.  In fact, I'm going to see if she'll come to our branch of the  Embroiderers Guild - her work blends traditional stitching, used in a contemporary way, that would appeal to all stitchers.

Right, that's me up to date, just got time for a quick guitar practise before heading off to the cinema.