No, I didn't get to the shoulder jewelry again yesterday. I guess my limit is two separate projects at the same time. I did finish up the watch and sent a message to its intended recipient to ask for approval. It was accepted and I'll get it properly photographed this morning so I can get it listed for her. Then it was back to the pile of undisclosed tatting.

I am finally getting to the point in the assembly line creation that pieces are getting finished. I got one down late yesterday and I should finish another early today. Then it's onto the finishing work for three others. I'm also getting a tad uncomfortable with the number of pieces I have recently sold, but haven't gotten around to remaking to list again. I mean it's not all that many, but I guess that just speaks to how obsessed I've become with having everything listed all the time. It might be unhealthy, but the phrase, 'if it's not listed, it can't sell' keeps echoing in my head.

In other odd news, I received a returned International package in the mail yesterday that was originally sent out over a month ago with the 'no such address' box ticked. Of course they placed this sticker directly over the address so I had to carefully peel it back to confirm that I had not made a mistake writing it, I hadn't. I have already contacted the customer to acquire a corrected address. What is odd to me is that I heard no complaint from them regarding the lateness of the package while at the same time I get messages from folks who haven't even been waiting a week yet. I guess patience levels are different for everyone. I'm still waiting to hear back and I hope I do soon, because I hate the thought that I have someones order and their money at the same time...it gives me anxiety.

So today's plan involves finishing all that tatting, hoping I receive a few emails and if the stars align getting back to the shoulder thing. What's sad is I think it's the weather that's keeping me from working on it. I need a fully bare arm to test the piece and I'm just not willing to wear a tank top all day in these temperatures. It's terribly difficult to strip down one arm out of warm nosy long sleeves just so I can check how the piece is laying. Alright, I'm babbling again...let's just say good morning and move on.

Are You Watching

If you read yesterday you can probably guess that I was doing quite a lot of tatting yesterday. I even brought it upstairs while I did homeschooling, which I never do. There is always some dead time for me while the child does things like math pages when my hands could be busy doing something else. I am opting for an assembly line method in making the pieces for the show since they are a few of the same type, this way I stay in the same groove though it does mean that I haven't finished anything yet as they are all in a halfway state. Oh, and just in case you were worried about me getting ahead of myself, I'm not making anything that I can't just put right in the shop so whatever the outcome, the time has not been wasted.

I know that I said I would make some time for the shoulder/arm piece, but it laid untouched all day. I did get to my other custom project. I had ordered some supplies forever ago from an etsy supplier in China and apparently they did indeed come over on a slow boat. They're here now and I could finally get to work. As you can see, it's a tatted watch. I was initially hesitant to agree to the project since I was uncertain whether the design that they wanted could support the weight of a watch face. I told the customer that they would have to wait until I got some in so that I could work one up and see. The watch face has a small hole on each side and that's it, so my solution for a stronger bond was to make a wire circle around the face to which the tatting would attach in four places. This wouldn't obstruct the back for battery changes nor the dial for changing the time.

I wish I could tell you that after I took this picture that I sailed to the end of the design with ease, but there was a fatal flaw in my wire design and it literally came apart as I was finishing the piece. So, I cut the whole thing apart, sussed out a solution and began again. This morning I have about as much work left on it as I did yesterday. I did send a note to the customer that I was finally on the project, but I have yet to hear back, so this may all be futile as well. The piece will end up in the shop either way and since most of the work is just a simple bracelet, there's no skin off my nose.

I'll finish up the watch and hope for the best this morning. Then I'll get back to my assembly line. I imagine I won't hear anything new until late Thursday as I was told there was a meeting with the stylist that day, then I should have more confidence in that project. Maybe I will get some time for the shoulder piece later today, though I certainly wouldn't put money on it. Alright then, off to it.