weekly update. . . no luck

I have tried to take photos of the new dragon, but I can't get them to look decent. I tried on the photo table, I tried selfies wearing it, every photo I took looks like crap. 😒 I know you're probably thinking "oh it can't be that bad" but I assure you it is. 

The angles are bad, the lighting is bad, the color looks off, I mean I know I suck at selfies but damn 😞

honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do about it either, I don't have or own a mannequin, the laying flat really doesn't do anything for the look of the piece display wise

I guess should not be surprised that she continues to be the most frustrating dragon to date. 😅 Awkward at every stage, frustrating on the bench and now impossible to photograph, I think I shall name her Mondragon. Funny to me because of the "dragon lady" librarian from high school, but also because it has caused me a month-long case of the "Mondays". 

Weekly update. . .time suck

A "time suck" is something that wastes your time, there are a variety of things I do that take up time that could be more productively spent, some of them I do for fun, some of them I do because well they need doing, some of them come from outside sources and are not really a choice. 

I like watching youtube reaction videos, waste of time I know but it's fun and I usually do it while doing other things like cooking or chainmailling so it's more filler and not a total waste of time because other things are still getting done. 😎

I have 3 cats that require a lot of care and attention, I don't like calling them a time suck because I love them and they make me happy but scooping 3 litterboxes 5 times a day along with the feedings, and in and outs they do take up some time. 😅

Lately I've had some strange messages on my etsy and etsy messages kind of have to be responded to or they penalize your shop. So, starting back in August this guy messages me this; 

"I have been made to order a rainbow option choker by my Master"

Now I don't judge and there is a part of me that doesn't care at all who does what with whom, but seriously I did not need to know. Since it's an etsy message it included a link to the listing he messaged from which is a rainbow necklace about 20 inches long. 

I assume he wants a length adjustment to "choker" size, so I replied with an explanation of how it's made of anodized aluminum so take care when measuring and leave a bit of room for neck flex because metal maille does not stretch. 

This of course led the conversation to where I already knew it was headed and I had to explain that I sell Jewelry and anodized aluminum is not the material he's looking for, that for his application he needs someone who works in stainless steel. I recommended someone else and he thanked me for the explanation and advice. I breathed a sigh of relief because well it could have gotten creepier or he could have ordered and then broke one of my necklaces which would have been a return/refund issue my shop has NEVER had in 10 years. 😥 Honestly, I'd rather not get a sale than have somebody order and be unhappy or worse break something that took me days to make.  

About a week later I get another message from the same guy (new message chain) linked to a different listing but similarly questionable message. 

" My Dom wants to use the front loop as if it were a handle to be led around with.  "

So, I explain (again) that I sell Jewelry not adult play equipment and that anodized aluminum is too soft and not fit for purpose, that he would be better off with a different material, shop, product. 😑 Because really who doesn't love writing out the same explanation over and over. He replied " Oh gotcha, I forgot about you saying that already" and I rolled my eyes and moved on.

Or so I thought because a couple weeks later he messages me again on the existing message chain about the same bloody necklace. "I love having that second pic with the hoop type position to be led around with. That's what he wants to do with me, but he probably won't do it. " Now at this point I am getting annoyed but telling off potential customers is bad business, so I reign in my desire to go flaming dragon and instead link him to what he's really looking for. 

That really should have been the END.  Well, Friday night I got yet another message about my necklace listing, a bit weird and didn't make much sense to me as he was asking about a loop in the second photo, but the second photo in that listing is the chain lying flat in a spiral so no loop. 😕 And he said "before I order" and I'm just like 😫 

Saturday morning, I responded I tried my best to remain polite but did end up telling him point blank. "Please do not order soft aluminum Jewelry for BDSM play purposes, I do not wish to be responsible for a claim if it breaks." His response was to basically admit he'd been out drinking, I did not respond and I will not be responding further and if he messages me again. I am seriously considering marking him as spam because I think I've somehow gotten into a very one-sided relationship with a crazy person. 😟

Weekly update. . .so close

I am soooo close to finishing this thing

I really have been trying to finish this, but it seems Merlin has become jealous of it, lately when I go to work on it, I only get a few rings in before there is a cat on my bench kicking rings around and crawling on my shoulder. 😏 I have achieved length, I got the clasp on yesterday, I just have the few scales along the end to place. She is 27" inches total and will sit up like the other dragons but can be comfortably worn as a necklace.  😎

Once finished I'll need to do a ring count and get some good photos. I was hoping it would be done already and there would have been a photo of me wearing it in this post but cat-interference, maybe next week. 😌  

Weekly update. . .wasted day

I wasted a day this week, not intentionally it just worked out that way. I dip my plier tips in a product called Plasti-Dip it serves a couple of purposes, but the main one is it prevents me from scratching rings while I work. Back before the move, at the beginning of the year, I did a double coating on all my pliers and threw away the open can. I chucked the open can because I didn't want to take any chances of it spilling in transport, the stuff dries out overtime away, and I've never had a problem finding it. 

See that last bit is the problem, in all my years I've never had a problem finding/buying the Plasti-Dip I use, so I never anticipated a problem this time. Being back in Indiana and close to a Menards I didn't think twice as I popped over to the store until I'm standing in the isle and . . . .

there is literally a whole section of "Plasti-dip" that is SPRAY?!?! 😖

no pop-top can to actually DIP stuff into?!?!? what the hell??

It literally has DIP in the damn name why is it all spray now?!?! Who wants plastic over-spray everywhere? I'm sure the product serves some kind of purpose (even if I can't think of one) just not useful for me. After chatting with the chick working there she looked on her computer and suggested the Ace Hardware (the website said they had it) so I left disappointed in search of an Ace. 

After an annoying drive thru some crazy traffic, I found myself at the Ace Hardware where my disappointment multiplied because they only carry the spray in the store 😕 they can order the other but don't keep it in stock. 😠 So why is it listed on your stupid website if you don't actually physically have it to sell me?!?!? 

Moving on, I located a Lowes and drove back thru more annoying traffic to a 3rd store, now hours into what should have been a simple 20-minute thing. Luckily Lowes actually had it in stock, so I bought 2. 

I have since peeled/stripped the coating off the pile of used pliers and started the process of re-doing them all. 😇

after 2 coats and some drying cure time I'll be back to work next week and will finish that darn stubborn dragon 😅