Finished!

If you've been a regular visitor to my blog
you'll have noticed that I haven't posted for a long time
and you'll also probably know that my workload is sometimes really heavy. Last year, around this time, I tried to be superwoman and do lots of things (like blogging and getting involved in swaps and, you know, having a life)
as well as attend to work commitments
...and I ended up with a whopping migraine followed by a heavy cold.
This year I made a decision to focus on work until all my marking was over and, I'm glad to tell you,
I'm feeling really well and I only have one more report to write until I'm finished!

Life hasn't revolved completely around paperwork...I couldn't resist doing a little bit of crafting and nearly managed to finish my Spring Ripple Scarf:

The pattern,
which was easily memorised,
and the lovely colours,
which reminded me of twilight,
made this the perfect, soothing piece to crochet whilst I was marking.

...and I was given the opportunity to sing with the Collegium Symphonic Chorus
in a People's Messiah
which I just couldn't pass up.
I've loved the Messiah ever since my dad first took me, when I was ten,
I've wanted to perform in it for years
and it was magical,
just as beautiful as I'd imagined it to be.
I had to fight hard not to cry in parts because the music was sooooooo exultant.

Last weekend was my first completely paperwork~free break for ages.
Just spending time in my garden felt luxurious.
It's becoming quite overgrown out there,
a tangle of honeysuckle, passionflower and couch grass,
but I found out that a shy little dart butterfly has taken up temporary residence:

that the snails are feeling very confident:

and that there are flowers blooming, unexpectedly, in forgotten corners:

This little blue~blossomed plant is originally from my nanna's garden. I don't know how it got into mine (Nanna passed away twenty years ago) but it's a sweet reminder of her.

The upside of being stuck away for weekends on end is that, when you finally resume your social life, ordinary events become really exciting. On Friday night I went to Bazaar at Fremantle Art Centre. Sitting in the Art Centre's grounds, drinking wine and people watching with my dear friend R was a joy. Getting to do some shopping amongst all the hand~made goodness was pretty darn thrilling too. I bought beads, which you can see in the bottom right hand corner of the following photo:

They're destined to become part of another chunky, red~orange necklace.
I also purchased these wonderful polymer clay, drop earrings from oddgirlout:

I adore them! (and if you click onto the link you can see what they look like on.)

On Saturday I went out to a friend's fabulous exhibition at Accent Gallery in Dalkeith (where my new earrings were much admired) and on Sunday I did nothing but nap, read and crochet:

I felt positively decadent.
(The pattern, by the way, is from the Big Book Of Dishcloths.)

So I'm back.
I hope you're enjoying the beginnings of the festive season too.
I'm looking forward to spending some time in Blogland, catching up.
I've missed you all!
Have a wonderful week.

Today's post is brought to you by the colour...

pink!

I have an array of rose~coloured items for show and tell,
including:

• Pink cotton that's in the process of being crocheted into a wash cloth for a secret swap partner over at Ravelry:
  
  
  
  

• A chunky pink necklace that I've just strung together:
  
  
  
  

• A pretty silk top,
  found while I was op~shopping,
  that has pink roses embroidered into it:
  

• Pink geraniums, blooming at my back door:

• ...and more pink (and blue and green) beads:

Continuing my theme,
I've also been feeling in the pink,
ever since attending a vocal workshop led by the fabulous Tony Backhouse. I haven't been to choir for months; I'd forgotten just how joyful it is to sing and to be surrounded by beautiful harmonies.

Best of all, I'm tickled pink.
I've just had six month's leave approved for the second half of next year.
How lucky am I?

What's colouring your world?

Poppies

I don't haven't made as many crafty things as usual to show this week. My creative energy of late has been spent singing. I've just performed a concert with my choir. Here, thanks to my fellow chorister Katrina, is a picture of the night:

The gig was fabulous. Music really is the ecstatic art.

For now, on the art and craft front, I'll share two photos of poppies (how I love these flowers)

...and a less recent sketch of poppies drawn with pencil and pastels.