Christmas Cruising

Well the big day is almost here and its been a rollercoaster of highs and lows to get here. A New Year beckons and more treats in store, but before all that and on this momentous Eve, i'd just like to spend a moment to celebrate the small things, the gestures and the work that although seemingly simple, mean a lot. My bit on the blog represents a culmination of several years collaboration between a number of good friends, most of whom with the exception of Woodstock, ive never had the pleasure to meet in person, but have shared more with over the last ten years or so than wth anyone else.

One such great friend and confidante is our very own Philosophic Toad. Working tirelessly away behind the scenes, she has been responsible for uncovering some utter gems of ephemera which have changed  my perception of collecting toys, radically. Shes been a blog regular with her witty and insightful comments and a valuable source of support to me personally when thing got tough.

Never one to blow her own trumpet or draw attention to her successes and amazing research skills, Id just like to take the opportunity to show another wonderful facet to her already stuffed pocket full of skills, that of needlecraft! This Xmas myself and a few other friends received a wonderful hand crafted xmas card. Not just a nice thing in itself, but a cross-stitch depiction of her own favourite Spacex ship, the Pleasure Cruiser! If that wasnt enough, she kindly sent me the rare 2005 and Beyond violet version too! As an artist myself, I can appreciate the skill involved in transferring the detail and tone from a blog photo into such fine needwork, all the more imppressive when you consider each piece is only a couple of inches square! So i though such beautiful handiwork should not go uncelebrated, so here are my card and Woodstocks to show you all her amazingly detailed and precise work!

xxx Bill