Not a beading project, but it does have beads. Bu's Christmas mouse. Again I thought he was too old for Christmas present. While gearing up to open the European family's gifts on the 24th, Bu was under the tree pawing through the gifts for a whiff of catnip. So we stopped everything while I made this mousy. Thank goodness he went back upstairs while I worked. The he heard us rattling papers he came back down, still half asleep.

.He picked the nicest ribbon for his own and then gave me this stare to say, "Is this all I get for Christmas?"

"This is the best you could do?" 

In the evening he sat among the discarded papers waiting on either more gifts or a better mouse.

I have been working on this Kangaroo for several days but my days have been shorted, not only by the early sun sets, but the long afternoon naps I take after working on proofing books. That job is not yet done and here is Christmas breathing down my neck. Maybe the next few days will be more relaxing so that I can bring you more bead progress.
The dentist just called and said he wants to pull Werner's tooth today. Yikes!
Good news! The dentist found all the pain was caused by a high spot on the fixed tooth that howled every time Werner bit down on it. A bit of drilling and polishing and he is home pain-free. My Christmas present!

I think I have reached the end of the purses. The one on the right I had started and then felt the colors were too awful so I ripped it all out. Then I was so pleased with the new attempt that I started on the last one I had. As you can or cannot see the colors are not working on this one. I tried to buy more from Fire Mountain - thinking it was easier to buy new ones than to rip out all those beads, but evidently they have stopped stocking them. GOOD! Maybe I can stop making them. I really do not see good enough to be doing cross-stitch with beads. However, every time I see Mary she has a new story of someone who has admired her purse.

With the photo shoot set-up given over to the Christmas tree and the sunlight coming in so low I had to go on a search for a place to photograph the finished Howlidays Dog. Just minutes before the flower shop delivered  a lovely bouquet from Hans and Carol I tried to get a shot of him and the Christmas tree but it was too dark and the sunshine too splotchy. Splotchy. Now there is a word I do not use often. . .
Last night I used up all my angel wings and plastic boxes to make the last of surprise finders - keepers gifty things. Now to find someone willing to hide them around town.

Forgive the silence. This full-sized beanie baby took some time.Plus I have often been too tired to bead all afternoon and evening.Mailing out the calendars made from photos of the animals has taken a few afternoons, also.
I got my FM order and the pounds of white beads so I can work on Howlidays dog again. I cleaned out the photo set-up so for the next couple of weeks it will hold our Christmas tree instead of beaded animals waiting to be photographed.

I  bead every day, until deep in the evening, but it seems I get so little finished. So I am glad to report that the book worm made the trip across the room to the photo set up today. I got a couple of dragons with the auctions a couple weeks ago and am eager to start them. I do not have enough of the white beads so I am thinking of doing one in golds since I have so many 8s of that color. Then I can use sequins on the spine and glitter for the wings. I am afraid the glass chips will make the wings too heavy.  Off to see what can be done with a beautiful summery day on the beading tray. Oh, Werner got me new recliner for Christmas! It is smaller so it fits me and the space in my beading corner better.