My mom worked up the artwork for the inlay you were discussing with her. Here's what we've come up with:    

      This Ebony oval is to be flat and then inlaid on the surface of the guitar. It will appear like the lid of a compartment, but it will be permanently affixed.    Here you can get an idea of the scale of things:    

 

Here's the sketch you requested with more roses:
 

added roses look excellent!
what would blue specks for eyes look like?

Here's the latest version with the parrot and the space in the eyes for the blue zircons:  

 

Please show me any update, with color, as well as Tribute body progress....
I plan to snail mail y'all two sets of conure photos (Peppy & Dusty)

mica, i alway's loved your mom's art.  Even if i can't afford to buy a guitar from you, is there any way i could buy one of her drawings?
 
Jake

mica, is there any way i could buy one of your mom's drawings?  they are totally awesome!
 
Jake

Hi Sam,
 
Here's some of the first pieces cut out, some still ahve the paper pattern attached:
 


 
 
Jake - My mom does sell her artwork. You can send her an email susan@alembicguitars.net and she'll be happy to discuss it with you further.

James has been making good progress on the inlay. Here's your guitar parts in the carving department:  

 

  These will be joined together this week, Looking good!

More inlay pieces:
 

 
Mike made the Ebony oval already, and James thinks he will start inlaying the pieces next week.

looking great!
when do you put on the strings? (just kidding)
any mockup of the bird(s) yet? (did you receive hard copy snail mail pics?)
eyeball at 12th fret?

We got the pics of the pretty birds, thanks. The line art for the bird is up on March 27, I wasn't planning on doing a shell mock up of it since it's so similar to the previous version.  
 
Your guitar is in the spray department now:
 

 
Sorry I didn't get the photo before Bob prepped it for the next coat of finish (what you're looking at is the sanded surface). It practically has strings, heh heh.  
 
The eyeball inlay art will be ready for you towards the end of next week.

The conures don't have the vertical line at the base of the beak which you show in the line art.  If you could mockup with (fingerpaint?) a dab of watercolor to clue me in on the bird's appearance in carving that'd be appreciated...
What's ETA ballpark?
And how many guitars are gestating at once? looks like multiple births waiting for spray.  No trade secrets, just curiosity

Here's the revised area with Peppy:

 
We're thinking this project will be completed in mid-late June.  
 
There's about 90 instruments gestating here right now in various stages of development. Ain't ultrasound a wonderful thing?

Yes, hyper-mega-ultra-sound gives great vibes.
Pls make Peppy's beak black, utterly black; the white eye ring is perfect, & Peppy looks perky & chirpy!