This and That

I had quite a lovely day yesterday. It started out pretty bad though. I got a sale in the shop from Italy that I had to immediately cancel. If you were unaware, shipping things from the US to Italy is problematic because they have some of the strictest customs regulations I've ever seen. Primary among them for me is the prohibitions of "Haberdashery and sewn articles of any kind, including trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind". This means I can't ship anything I make, so order canceled, customer disappointed, and day started on wrong foot.

I tried to turn things around by finishing the pair of dream catcher earrings with spiders I was working on, then after schooling we went to an open house at the husbands work. They moved into a new facility some time ago, but this is the first time we've had cause to visit. When we got back from that I started graphing out the new saying for the cross stitch I'm working on. I got so busy doing that that I hadn't yet checked my phone or email. Turns out I had received not one, but two orders while I was distracted! So I went to work remaking one of the pieces I sold, a bracelet I call rickrack. It's been awhile since I had cause to make this one. It's one of my simpler designs, but I love the shape it makes.

The other piece I sold I couldn't remake because I am completely out of the beads that I used to make, yet another reason I tend to use few beads in my work.  I went back to the cross stitch and with the new saying fully graphed, I got most of it stitched. I still have a bit more writing and then it's onto the additional elements, to make it more appropriate to my household. I am truly hoping there will be more tatting distractions for me today, but if not the end of the cross stitch should stretch my creative muscles a bit and that's always a good thing.