Finally getting the snowman together and I am seeing that all the accessories I was making are too small. Yesterday I tore the hat apart and completely redid it. I feel that scarf is now much too short and small. Even as I finished each snowball I saw I had to find bigger black crystals for the coal. All I can do is proceed doing each necessary part and leave myself the options of redoing the animals at the end. My only comfort is the idea that smaller animals will make the snowman look larger!

I checked the contest rules and I only need to send a photo by email so that gives me more of the month to work on the piece. It is getting very heavy! with those two layers of beads but I love the stability of the snowball and those frosted white 11s are great snow. The AB finish offers those glints of color one actually sees in snow when the sun shines.

Looking at the photo I can see how 'too small' his hands are! So often when I look at a piece I am working on I cannot see 'errors' like this until a photograph gets me far enough way that my heart and the dream in my head recede.

That limp yellow stuff on the hat is straw. I see I need to put some wires into it. Last night it seemed stiff enough!