The COOLEST gift....

For our anniversary John ordered this SWEET double violin/mandolin case thats right one case housing two instruments! How awesome is that?

Well pretty dang awesome until...

The mandolin I have doesn't fit the case.

Biggest sad face EVER :(

See how cool it could be?

I email the company, call the company no answer for 6 days.

Finally a response "try it, it should fit no problem regardless of the mandolin style"....ummmm really?Would I have called or emailed if it had fit?

Would I have called or emailed if I hadn't already tried to make it fit?

Probably not.

After a few more emails complete with pictures they said they would take it back

BUT

Restocking fee 20%, return shipping at least $15, shipping on boring single mandolin case $15

UNLESS

"you want to try to "modify" it"

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....

with John's blessing

his full confidence in my ability (mine not so much)

and $40 spent at JoAnns

($15 under the budget of the prior mentioned return fees etc.)

I tore into it...LITERALLY

This is where I started to get REALLY nervous.

I had taken a beautiful gift and trashed it....on purpose!

It was definitely mine now, no place to go but forward! 

It sat like this for a little more than a week. But today John had the day off and I got a "little" time to craft. :)

So I did a little drawing

Tracing really

and a little carving

(yes, EVERYTHING is fair game for crafting in this house)

WOOOOHOOO!

The mandolin fits!

I was a little skittish on the cutting and had to trim several times this darn foam is expensive!

YAY! They both fit BUT it was kind of ugly. I mean green foam is great but it's not really my style.

Good thing I had picked up some soft purple fabric to cover it in.  

Now on to glueing. Again with the nerves, I put this off for most of the evening. I've never worked with spray adhesive or foam or covering upholstery which is what I assume this is like, kind of, but probably not really.

John set me up a little area in the garage and I headed down; Ipod, case, tea, and can of glue in hand.

Turned out alright if I do say so myself. I even added a little last minute slot for the tuner to ride in. On the top of the case (outside) it has a zipper flap for music, strings, (harmonicas) whatever so I didn't worry too much about other slots/compartments

                                     



NOT FOR SALE