How Many Plans Does a Girl Have to Have?

Sometimes, things just don't go to plan no matter how well prepared you are! Take last week; I spent a good deal of the week preparing kits and packing for my workshops in Port Macquarie. I was well prepared but I had a little hitch; my regular Australian supplier didn't have any of the lovely little filigrees below in stock. So I'd made arrangements to buy them from a supplier in a far off land. Two weeks after ordering them, I was still waiting for them to arrive.

Now, not being one to panic (for too long!!), I knew there was still time but as I checked time and again, the order just didn't budge from the "Your order is ready to pick" stage. Not speaking Chinese wasn't helping the situation. I eventually came to the conclusion that they just wouldn't arrive in time. But I decided they would not be the downfall of one of the projects. So I drew up a Plan B...... and a Plan C just in case.

I knew I had some brass filigree flowers and squares on hand that would work.....

........but I didn't have enough. They would have looked good wrapped around the bottle cap though.

So I implemented Plan B2 which was to order a back up component from across the other side of the country. They weren't exactly what I wanted but I would have to make do. With the help of a wonderful supplier, they were dispatched the same day and on their way across the Nullabor.

Thankfully, they arrived in the nick of time, yet still things didn't work out! You see, the components I ordered were too small - how on earth did I make that mistake? Grrr!!!!

So, it was time to roll out Plan C..... a beautiful filigree butterfly which gently wraps its wing tips around the bottlecap and gracefully and securely connects it to the chain.

I'm thankful that Plan C actually worked. It wasn't the ideal solution, but I was running out of time and options and I really didn't want to call up Plan D which was to wait for the original components to arrive and then post them to everyone after the workshops!

Today, my order from Hong Kong arrived. And now, my original Australian supplier has got them back in stock and they too should arrive any day. And on top of that, my Plan C supplier is now also stocking them. It never rains, but it pours - I now have so many suppliers that it will be a long time before I have to go looking for these again!

'Til next time.....