The way the lion leans it looks as if he is enjoying getting his back scratched with a needle. Normally I do not like to follow the spine with the bead rows (it is hard to maneuver the needle at the neck and often at the tail) but this guy's butt is so cute I felt I had no choice.  I will show you when I get it done. Never have I had to use the plastic bags so long but between catching the mane fur and the ears and the pads on the front feet, I am very thankful to have found this way of keeping them out of the way of the thread.
The shipment of my latest EBay win arrived so now I have 7 of the dinosaur animals which I am hoping to be able to make into dragons. I tried making a dragon with the seahorse but it had no legs. I thought of beading legs but gave up on that idea so I am glad to have these. There are also a couple of camels in the box. . . a beaded nativity set?