Like you, I struggled with Nancy Walsh's book, but, like you, after creating a couple of applications things began to come clearer. I've written GUIs using X and FoxPro and for me the process is the same, initially confusing, but gets easier the more you do it.

What I would like to see is something along the likes of a Perl/TK cookbook like the Perl Cookbook. Learning by doing has always worked for me, but I learn better by seeing how others do it. (Is anybody from O'Reilly reading this? I hope, I hope, I hope)