I woke up in a good mood and then I got one of those messages that puts a cramp in the whole day. It was the 'something is missing from my package...are you sure you sent it?' message. First one reacts with sheer, 'oh, crap', then I do a little looking to see exactly what transaction and the second I see it, I know for certain that everything was in that package. Just to be extra sure, I spend the next 15 minutes tearing apart every corner of the office to see if I don't 'find' said piece, the whole time chanting, ' I know I packed it'. I DO know that I packed it, and I sent a message back asking them to please recheck the package to see if it somehow slipped away from the rest of the pieces. This has actually happened before and the second piece had done exactly that as they tore open the package. Even knowing, I will spend the rest of the day doubting myself and flinching in anticipation of negative feedback, worrying that she has already tossed the envelope or tissue and there's nothing to be done for it. See, great way to start the day.
I shall try to move on here though, I got a special order for a mask yesterday. It's only a slight variation on my 'A Pale Kind Of Jewel' mask. Instead of the clear crystals, it's being made with black diamond ones for a more subtle sparkle and I have reshaped the eyes to a more catlike shape. They now come to more of a down point in the center and are a bit more flattened across the top. I shaped the wires first and am now tatting the design onto them. So far I'm made few changes to the actual pattern to adjust for the new shape. I have separated a few rings that were connected in the original design and will better space them when I wire the wire at the end. I figure that way I can keep the shape without losing the core design. I'll take some pictures when I get further along, or at least when I'm finished so we can all see how I did.
See, I wrote one whole paragraph and I'm already back to thinking about the lost piece...grrr. Anyway, the family is off to a 'field trip' with the other students in the virtual academy today and boy I am overusing the fake quotes today. All the families simply meet where we are going so that's why I hesitate to call it a real field trip. I don't mind telling you that I'm a bit nervous and uncomfortable about the whole thing. As you might imagine, my appearance occasionally puts people off, Generally, I'm perfectly fine with that, as the people I, umm, upset are not usually those that I care to spend time with anyway. If I am going to continue attending these events for my daughters sake, I would really like to not be a pariah. This is compounded by the fact that I am not what you might call, social. I'm painfully shy in new situations particularly when taken away from places that I know well. You know, like on a field trip, to a museum, I've never been to, in another city. I think you get it. Yes, I will suck it up and might even end up enjoy myself. That is, if I can forget about that damn lost piece message...sigh.
*comfort* My piece came & it's lovely. Thank you. Now I have to get tatting as I suddenly remembered that I should have something for a doorprize at the family reunion. On Sunday.
ReplyDeleteGood luck at the museum. If you're not too shy to tat in public, take some out during a quiet moment (if you have one). It's a real ice breaker.
A suggestion for future sales is to take a picture of the pieces, in the package if possible or just assembled immediately prior to packing. That way if there is a question later, you can send them a copy of the picture to show what was there when you packed it. That isn't helpful if someone in transit has pilfered the contents, but it is a check for you so that you know what you put in it and don't have to panic ripping the house apart, and it's a check for the client who can also see what should have been in the package. That way both of you know that it isn't something that you missed. It will make the client take a careful second look and will also let them know that it is missing through no fault of yours. Tatting is so light weight that if you don't open a package carefully, tatted bits can float off almost anywhere, under a chair, under the seat of a car, under the edge of a saucer, or under a table, depending on where the client was when the package was opened. I expect that it will take you some time to tat the missing piece but hopefully the client will understand the delay.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who doesn't like you because you have pretty-colored hair and wear a corset is just boring and stuffy anyway.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you'll find some cool fellow alternative/indie type moms in the group so you don't feel like a pariah.
Hope you are no longer worrying about the missing piece. It's too bad that people can't be themselves due to the judging of other people. I understand parental "danger" radar going up in situations, but don't we socialize so that we get to know others? Seems it will never change.
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