It's still Christmas at my house!

I'm sitting here feeling very blessed.  For many reasons but one big one is that I'm part of a wonderful community on the Wet Canvas Glass Forum - I've mentioned them before but they have to be the most giving, wonderful bunch of friends I have ever come across online.  I'm almost embarrased to share everything I've received but want everyone to know much I appreciate their kindness.

I went to the Post Office this afternoon to see if my copy of The Flow had arrived - YES!!  Woohooo!  The Women In Glass Edition - crammed with incredible pictures and tutorials!  But alongside that was a 'come and pick your package up' ticket.  I wasn't expecting anything so imagine my surprise when the clerk brought out a box -

[caption id="attachment_1342" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="My box!"][/caption]

One of my WC friends had sent me something!  I couldn't wait to get home to see what was in there!

[caption id="attachment_1343" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Oooh! it looks EXCITING!"][/caption]

Wonder what could be hiding under the tissue paper??

[caption id="attachment_1344" align="alignnone" width="318" caption="SOCK MONKEY SLIPPERS!!!"][/caption]

OH WOW!!!  It doesn't get much better than this!  Thank you SO much Deborah for finding these and thinking of me!  The funny thing is, I had put slippers on my family Christmas list and even mentioned I'd seen some cute monkey ones, but they were not forthcoming - so these put an extra big grin on my face, and my feet!  My old slippers are just about in pieces.

[caption id="attachment_1345" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Warm tootsies!"][/caption]

I wonder what Raff is going to think when I chase him wearing these?? Hehehe!

Since I had the camera handy, and since I'd been so remiss about posting most of the other wonderful things I received over the last while I decided to get some more pictures while I was at it -

[caption id="attachment_1346" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Monkey Socks!"][/caption]

Rita of Rita'z R-tistic Ramblez gifted me these colourful socks!  I wore them for the first time on Christmas Day and got lots of great comments!  Thank you Rita!  --anyone would think I liked monkeys?! ;o)

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Karen Leonardo Book"][/caption]

I was speechless when I opened a package to find this book that Deb sent me - It is full of tutorials for different beads followed by a section on how to turn them all into different pieces of jewellery.  I made my first brooch following instructions in this book and was thrilled with how well it turned out!  Thank YOU Deb!

A while back Paula had surprised me and sent me two crochet books -

[caption id="attachment_1348" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Books from Paula"][/caption]

The Bead Crochet book answers so many of the questions I had about how to do, and what to use, and I'm looking forward to trying some of the 'recipes' in the wire book too!

As if this wasn't MORE than enough, I also received Pipyr's eye cane tutorial from Maggie - I'm working on this one, I've got a cane made, but trying to perfect setting it into beads.

I know I posted this before but will show it again, Maxine sent me one of her presses!!



If you aren't a beadmaker and wonder what this contraption does it helps to create beads of a certain size and shape when the molten glass is pressed between the brass blocks.  I'm still working on this, it doesn't come naturally to me and is going to take some practise.  There is a definite skill to getting just the right amount of glass melted to fill the press and no more!  When I get some decent beads made with it I'll post them here.  Thank you GirlFriday!

And to top it all off Rhonda sent me the Lichen glass I wrote about a few posts back - I don't have a picture of it as I made it into -



(except the bottom one which is my interpretation of Pipyr's eye cane tutorial)

I'm now feeling very indebted to everyone!

Here's The Flow



It's very exciting to see beads by so many people I know all in one place!  I'm now going to go and have a proper look at it, the gallery of glass in there is breathtaking.