We love tools too!

One of our great joys is getting to know people from the wider polymer clay community.  Sometimes Birtamod seems a long way away from the rest of the world.  Samunnat has made sure that most of us have visited Kathmandu at least once (a 16 hour bus trip) but for many of us, bahira or beyond that, is a very unknown quantity.People from outside are making their way to us.  Sometimes in person like Cynthia and the Colourful Journey travellers, and sometimes via the internet.  We communicate via emails and skype and hope to do this more in our new building where we hope to have internet access.And now Alison Lee, the amazing Alison from Craftcast, is forging more wonderful links.  (A very suitable metaphor we think!) On 16 October 2013, 8.00 pm EST, USA  Alison is conducting a free webinar-one of her fabulous I LOVE TOOLS sessions with an array of wonderful artists including Christi Friesen, Cynthia Tinapple, Kate Richbourg, Patrik Kusek, Sarah Shriver, Seth Savarick and Suzanne McNenly sharing their favourite tools and their creative mojo secrets!In conjunction with this, Alison is running an AWESOME raffle where people have the chance to win $1000's of great prized including.....drum roll...one of our magnificent nativity sets or one of two thauli purses filled with unique, handmade beads created especially for this raffle by each lady and accompanied by a signed slip of paper showing who made which beads.  We are also including some of our magnificent faux amber. Prizes have also been donated by Metal Clay Supply, Brynmorgen Press, Wanaree Tanner and of course, the lovely Alison!  It's the wee small hours of the morning for us here in Nepal when you will be learning about tools but we will be doing our utmost to get someone there too!  Here's the link to register.Every cent raised goes towards completing and furnishing our new building (roof goes on this week!) and towards the ongoing provision of support, legal services and training to women in our area who are attempting to escape violence in their lives.Every day one of us goes down to look at the site where our new home is emerging.  The metal supports for the roof are in and the concrete will be poured in the next few days.  In the west, it is hard to imagine the huge number of people who are involved with this.  No conveyer belts or machines- we have a succession of strong, determined people carrying a load of cement in a metal bowl on their head.  Maintaining their balance, they climb up bamboo ladders to the roof where another team of people spread and smooth the cement.  At the end of a long day there is a quiet celebration where all the people involved are fed a special meal and we all know that a very significant step in our building construction has been reached.So, that's it for now! Learn about tools and be in the running for some wonderful prizes.  At the same time, know that you are making a profound difference to us. Thank you!