Tracking International Shipments and Men's Chainmaille Bracelets

Now, where was I?  See, this is the problem with having too many days between posts.  I forget what I've actually told you versus what I dictate via internal monolog.  Yes, I'm actually talking to you all the time and only a fraction of it gets transcribed into type. 

I need to get started on my wax carving for class.  I think I'm putting it off because... well, because I'm afraid.  I have ONE piece of wax and if I mess it up, that's it.  I'll definitely keep you posted on this project.

Other than that, I finally got my chainmaille bracelets listed.  Byzantine design (on top) and Inca Puno (bottom photo).

 

I like making "man jewelry".  I find it much harder to make than women's jewelry, but that's changing.  So many pieces are unisex now because there aren't such hard and fast fashion lines.  I like that.

Tracking International Shipments

Y'know how sometimes when you look up the tracking number through USPS of an international shipment the info just kind of drops off as your package left the U.S.? 

Well, turns out there MAY be another place you can get info.  Here's a link that on occasion has more info about the whereabouts of your international shipment.

Quilting Instead of Prozac

And here's an interesting article (that I think may relate to beaders and other forms of jewelry making) about how these kinds of activities may act as therapy.

My Upcoming Photography Tutorials

I feel like such a slacker because these tutorials (three in all) are taking so long.  The problem is I'm working on them in my spare time.  Well, you all KNOW what that means.  Yikes!  Yeah, what spare time?

So since the move is settling down a bit, I'm using my afternoon workbench time to finish up the tutorials.  I think I've got the first two 99% complete.  Yay!  Just one more to go and I'll be golden. 

After that, I go back to jewelry making tutorials... much easier in a myriad of ways.

Speaking of jewelry making tutorials, I got the nicest feedback this week for my tutorial of a basic net-weave bracelet.

As I mention in my tutorial, this isn't a weave I made up... almost all bead weavers know about it and use or have done it.  I learned this weave from several different sources.  All I've done is documented the steps for someone who may want my version of hand-holding during the process of learning the weave.

Here's the feedback: "Beautiful pattern and Laura is a genius with directions, even I could follow it! I can't wait to make a second one. Thank you so much!"

I couldn't be more thrilled.  That's exactly what I want... to teach something to someone who didn't think they could they could do it.

These are the bracelets the tutorial instructions make:

The Walks

The walks have been great.  The land around here is so lovely and the climate is ideal.