Facebook was telling me that my 547 friends and followers hadn’t heard from me for a while.  When I get 'head down & motoring' busy or I’m feeling a bit out of sorts, I do tend to forget to post on there.  I think ‘I'll do that/say this tomorrow' and of course tomorrow doesn't ever arrive as it is always today then it becomes yesterday, and I still haven't popped by.  The same happens with blogging.  I have a number of started blogs, or a folder of photographs, but then something happens, or is it that it doesn't happen, and items stay unwritten until I sit down with that hat on and my fingers rattle over keys and a whole pile of 'stuff' gets done.  Emails fly out into the ether, blogs get written, posts and pictures start to appear on Facebook & Instagram.  A flurry of activity and a great deal of satisfaction achieved.

​The main thing that has been taking up time recently is this 'White Butterflies Magenta Flowers' lampshade. I finally stopped painting it and sewed the butterflies on and then turned the flat to round. The client has seen photographs & her first word was ‘Stunning’ which is a bit of a relief as I really wasn’t sure about it!  It is very different from my 'usual' blue themes.

​Now it's full on with Christmas things and preparing for two SWI – Scottish Womens Institute weekend workshops on fabric collage.  They will be making a tealight or picture and I need to get some examples sorted asap and also to sort through my fabric scraps which have spent some time ‘airing’ in boxes on the cabin decking… I need to check that everything is OK there. And write lists.... lesson plan.... materials.... equipment.... samples etc....etc.... 
This picture is of a lampshade that I made inspired by an old stone wall.  

I've also started to get my Christmas hat on.  I organise the Christ Church Winter Bazaar in Lochgilphead and it now has a great reputation for being the biggest and the best event in Lochgilphead, which I’m thrilled about.  Taking place on the first weekend of November it really kicks off the Winter & Christmas Fairs and markets in the area.  I’ve already taken a LOT of bookings including I think 11 new makers so it’ll be even bigger than usual!   That's only seven weeks away, and then there is the Homestyle Argyll Christmas House .... with Friends .... Last year was such a success that we’re doing it again ….
 All of a sudden, the month I thought was going to be quiet isn't!

The utter chaos that is my studio desk..... designs, with potential and without.... and rather refelcts the state of my head at the mo!
More anon, 
Kx

I was at the Argyll Festival in Glasgow at the weekend.  Organised by CHArts Argyll & the Isles (Culture Heritage &  Arts) who are charting all the culture, heritage & arts activities in the Argyll area.  Argyll Fest was about the best that Argyll has to offer by way of food, drink and artisan crafts.  I was delighted to have been accepted and been part of the event.  

We had arrived in Glasgow the night before as I hadn't wanted to travel across country in the early hours & it meant we could go to the cinema and see something loud and nonsensical the evening before.  Glasgow was fully booked up, my favorite hotel had run out of beds.  So we took the first one we could find with a vacancy.  Not the nicest but we went to see Mission Impossible which was loud very nonsensical and just what the Dr ordered!

After a late night, as I was up until all hours sending emails for Artmap weekend, we left the hotel to get to the venue, slightly antsy as I was tired and feeling stressed by the day to come.  Arriving early, when we realised that we had driven past the venue twice before eventually finding it, I had written it off as a waste of a weekend.  If we couldn't find it what chance did was there of any customers coming in?  Then I discovered that there wasn't any electricity as had been requested and promised.  I was stomping around by this point.  We hadn't been able to park terriby near by so I had a lot of to-ing & fro-ing to do before I could start to set up.   However an electrician arrived and power points produced, I stopped being hot and bothered & fakely smiley, was provided with a cup of tea and gradually I calmed down and properly smiled at people!  I discovered later flags and bunting etc got hung out and so people did come in to see what it was all about, LOTS of people!

The Briggait is an interesting space/venue.  Now full of workshops for over 100 artisits and creatives with a huge central space, fantastically light and bright.  (I was actually quite pleased it was a bit of a grey rainy day so that my lit lamps and shades did show up.) 
It is situated in the medieaval part of Glasgow,  Merchant City, a category A listed building originally built to house Glasgow's fish market, it was completed in 1873 and used for the market until the late 1970's.  

I didn't take this picture but have nicked it via Google from discoverglasgow.org.  I probably should have googled it before we went so that we knew what to look for when we arrived!  There's also a, now restored, steeple/clock tower, which can't be seen in this picture, that dates back to 1665, an interesting building.

I was very rubbish at taking photographs that day and was too busy chatting to customers and fellow stall holders to remember.  Periodically Mr B brought across a sample of one of the gins or whiskys or ales that were on offer and food.  It turned out to be a really nice day and we decided to stay an extra night and managed to book into our favorite quirky urban chic hotel 'The Z'.  Also an interesting old building, formally a printworks.
A very mixed weekend!
Kx