What the F*ck? I get an email from Flickr this morning telling me how great "the new" flickr is going to be if you have a free account... considering they have spent the last 6 months flashing messages at me at every turn encouraging me to go pro I wasn't amused.... then I sign in to my trusty Flickr account page and... what the hell have they done?????
Why ruin something that was so great? Flickr was plain, simple and easy to use, it was all about the photos and didn't have lots of useless flashy programming that just slows up your browser and adds nothing to the user experience except frustration. Now it's all black screens (I HATE black screens!) and I can't seem to comment on anyone's photos and couldn't even add my name to the petition to get Flickr to change back... because I can't comment on ANYTHING now.
Everyone makes mistakes and unless Flickr quickly adds an option for us to change back to how it was then I for one will be deleting all my photos and closing my account. I'm so sad, I LOVED flickr :o(
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Hot & Sunny?!*!???
It's a beautiful hot and sunny May Sunday here on the Welsh Riviera and I think there is probably nowhere else I would like to be right now, well, perhaps sipping iced tea at La Maison Rose in India... take a look...
http://mechantdesign.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/la-maison-rose.html
http://mechantdesign.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/la-maison-rose.html
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Just a quickie!
Someone has just pointed out to me that Viral Addiction, the online T Shirt company who last year stole my art, have shut up shop. While I have no joy in finding out that someone's business has closed I am quietly pleased that, for once, it seems, being an Art Thief does not pay.
Absences and apologies
I haven't had much time to get on the blogs and read/comment on all your posts lately, and definitely nothing to post about myself - that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot going on here of course! I turned 50 this week (eeek!) and am in the process of packing up all my belongings once again to move house at the end of the month. I won't blog again until I have settled in, so maybe check back in mid June.
Reluctantly saying goodbye to this view at the end of the months, but really looking forward to my new home :o)
Moving to a new studio/work room is a great opportunity to have a clear out, (Didn't I just move in here 18 months ago??) and a lot of the craft stuff I have accumulated in this small flat simply will never get used and so is now going to the tip. I don't enjoy throwing away perfectly good craft items and fabric trims that other artists might be very pleased to have BUT in the past when I have listed these bits and bobs as "destash" in my etsy shop, or laboriously listed them on Ebay, they have sold so slowly and erratically that it has not been worth the effort. Photographing, weighing/packing for postage and writing out all the listings... it takes a lot of effort and time (then you still have to store it all in the unlikely event any of it actually sells) so this time - into the bin it goes!
I feel a kind of buzzy high as black bin bags full of clutter get taken away (I am making myself sound like one of those crazy hoarder ladies, but show me an artist or crafter who doesn't have boxes and drawers full of mystery items that "might come in hand one day"... then never do) and I feel pretty sure that this excitement will translate into a period of intense activity once the new work room is set up. This is the time of year when my freelance design work traditional gets a little quieter so at least I will have some time to get round to my own work again and I am hoping that lots of art dolls will be stocking the shop by the end of the Summer. I have already drawn up a new pattern and started working on some new BJD hats :o)
So I have made myself a May Resolution, from now when I post on this blog it will be like old times, pics of work in progress and lots of arty things I am working on, I promise, watch this space....
Reluctantly saying goodbye to this view at the end of the months, but really looking forward to my new home :o)
Moving to a new studio/work room is a great opportunity to have a clear out, (Didn't I just move in here 18 months ago??) and a lot of the craft stuff I have accumulated in this small flat simply will never get used and so is now going to the tip. I don't enjoy throwing away perfectly good craft items and fabric trims that other artists might be very pleased to have BUT in the past when I have listed these bits and bobs as "destash" in my etsy shop, or laboriously listed them on Ebay, they have sold so slowly and erratically that it has not been worth the effort. Photographing, weighing/packing for postage and writing out all the listings... it takes a lot of effort and time (then you still have to store it all in the unlikely event any of it actually sells) so this time - into the bin it goes!
I feel a kind of buzzy high as black bin bags full of clutter get taken away (I am making myself sound like one of those crazy hoarder ladies, but show me an artist or crafter who doesn't have boxes and drawers full of mystery items that "might come in hand one day"... then never do) and I feel pretty sure that this excitement will translate into a period of intense activity once the new work room is set up. This is the time of year when my freelance design work traditional gets a little quieter so at least I will have some time to get round to my own work again and I am hoping that lots of art dolls will be stocking the shop by the end of the Summer. I have already drawn up a new pattern and started working on some new BJD hats :o)
So I have made myself a May Resolution, from now when I post on this blog it will be like old times, pics of work in progress and lots of arty things I am working on, I promise, watch this space....
Monday, April 29, 2013
Popovy Dolls
I haven't much time to come and read blogs lately, let alone write posts, but I do seem to find time to stare endlessly at the stunning dolls of the Popovy Sisters. I am transfixed! I discovered them about a year to 18 months ago and never thought I would have the chance to own one, but now they are making BJDs and have a much more accessible (for us non-Russian speakers anyway!) website. Do your eyeballs a favour and make your way over to Popovy Sisters and take a peek ;o)
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Kharma is gonna get you!
Back at last and with another grumble (Surprise!!! I am turning into Victor Meldrew).
I have met so many lovely, funny, friendly people in the doll community over the last 7 or 8 years that I have been buying and selling doll items on the internet. Some have even become firm friends (you know who you are) and yet things always seem to turn a bit sour when I go to sell on Ebay these days. I remember when that too was fun. Great fun, in fact, and I sold a lot of my hand made rag dolls there quite happily.
The last few years it has become a bit of a minefield though. I have stated here previously that I am baffled by those few US sellers who refuse to ship outside the United States at all, so believe me, I do understand the frustration of finding a doll you would love to own only to find you are excluded from bidding. If you have been selling for a while you will no doubt have come to know Paypal's "Seller Protection" policy. I have fallen foul of this myself once when sending a doll I made out to a European address by regular Airmail as the buyer requested. I thought everything was fine but the seller said they never got the doll and I had no way of knowing one way or the other. They did a charge back and Paypal paid up, they may well have been telling the truth and that doll has gone forever into limbo... but they may have been someone dishonest who got the doll and claimed the money back.
After that I have always used Airsure, it is fully tracked and insured. International Signed For is also insurable but not tracked, so not really complying with Paypal's Seller Protection rules. If I used it and a parcel went missing, the buyer would be compensated by Paypal of course, but I would lose the item AND then have to try and claim the insurance, if you have ever tried to do that you will know that it is not that easy. On handmade items they will refund only the cost of the materials used to make it, if you have the receipts that is! Not fun....
So now when I go to list dolls or other expensive items on Ebay I only ship to countries where I can send out by Airsure. Airsure does not ship to certain European countries. Ebay allows you to block bidders from those countries for that very reason. So I list my item and in this case I decide I will put UK ONLY, SORRY on my listing. Ebay will only show the item as available to UK bidders... and yet I start to get a steady trickle of messages on Ebay and flickr (all from people I have excluded for a legitimate reason to stay inside Paypal guidelines) who want me to sell off ebay. Some are polite, I have no problem with them, but as with the case of the unpleasant Sybarite auction I had last year, some won't take a polite no for an answer. I am getting sick and tired of this every time I list certain types of doll and will no longer be using Ebay to sell these on in future, I will stick to private forums where I can control who can and can't contact me full stop.
Errrrrr, except the new forum I joined a fortnight ago only to find that the most unpleasant Sybarite collector I have ever come across there, the very same person who I had to block on Flickr after a torrent of abuse because I wouldn't sell off ebay to them last year! I reported them to Ebay too but they did nothing (surprise) as the most abusive messages (unbelievable language) had come on Flickr. Anyway, I had to laugh as this VUP (Very Unpleasant Person) who shall remain nameless, was bleating to all who would listen about an overseas Sybarite sale that had gone horribly wrong... she was really playing the poor little victim and obviously did not realise until too late that the person she was bad-mouthing was also a member! Ooops, so, maybe there is some truth in the theory that Kharma always pays you back in the end? ;o)
I have met so many lovely, funny, friendly people in the doll community over the last 7 or 8 years that I have been buying and selling doll items on the internet. Some have even become firm friends (you know who you are) and yet things always seem to turn a bit sour when I go to sell on Ebay these days. I remember when that too was fun. Great fun, in fact, and I sold a lot of my hand made rag dolls there quite happily.
The last few years it has become a bit of a minefield though. I have stated here previously that I am baffled by those few US sellers who refuse to ship outside the United States at all, so believe me, I do understand the frustration of finding a doll you would love to own only to find you are excluded from bidding. If you have been selling for a while you will no doubt have come to know Paypal's "Seller Protection" policy. I have fallen foul of this myself once when sending a doll I made out to a European address by regular Airmail as the buyer requested. I thought everything was fine but the seller said they never got the doll and I had no way of knowing one way or the other. They did a charge back and Paypal paid up, they may well have been telling the truth and that doll has gone forever into limbo... but they may have been someone dishonest who got the doll and claimed the money back.
After that I have always used Airsure, it is fully tracked and insured. International Signed For is also insurable but not tracked, so not really complying with Paypal's Seller Protection rules. If I used it and a parcel went missing, the buyer would be compensated by Paypal of course, but I would lose the item AND then have to try and claim the insurance, if you have ever tried to do that you will know that it is not that easy. On handmade items they will refund only the cost of the materials used to make it, if you have the receipts that is! Not fun....
So now when I go to list dolls or other expensive items on Ebay I only ship to countries where I can send out by Airsure. Airsure does not ship to certain European countries. Ebay allows you to block bidders from those countries for that very reason. So I list my item and in this case I decide I will put UK ONLY, SORRY on my listing. Ebay will only show the item as available to UK bidders... and yet I start to get a steady trickle of messages on Ebay and flickr (all from people I have excluded for a legitimate reason to stay inside Paypal guidelines) who want me to sell off ebay. Some are polite, I have no problem with them, but as with the case of the unpleasant Sybarite auction I had last year, some won't take a polite no for an answer. I am getting sick and tired of this every time I list certain types of doll and will no longer be using Ebay to sell these on in future, I will stick to private forums where I can control who can and can't contact me full stop.
Errrrrr, except the new forum I joined a fortnight ago only to find that the most unpleasant Sybarite collector I have ever come across there, the very same person who I had to block on Flickr after a torrent of abuse because I wouldn't sell off ebay to them last year! I reported them to Ebay too but they did nothing (surprise) as the most abusive messages (unbelievable language) had come on Flickr. Anyway, I had to laugh as this VUP (Very Unpleasant Person) who shall remain nameless, was bleating to all who would listen about an overseas Sybarite sale that had gone horribly wrong... she was really playing the poor little victim and obviously did not realise until too late that the person she was bad-mouthing was also a member! Ooops, so, maybe there is some truth in the theory that Kharma always pays you back in the end? ;o)
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
On the move again sadly...
Yesterday was a beautiful early Spring day, warm and sunny, little crocus and daffs poking up out of the tubs in my yard, sun sparkling on the river and my Kitties sunning themselves out the back. My friend the gander has just arrived back on the river after his winter trip to warmer climes and this year I hope he finds a mate... yes, yesterday was perfect and I was looking forward to my second summer here in Rhuddlan in this little flat I enjoy living in so much....
Until I got a phone call from the Landlady's agents saying she is putting it on the market!
Fab, just when I was starting to feel really settled. Having had to rent my whole life I have had more addresses than the average Gypsy and never been able to put down roots anywhere. If you have to move every year or so why just move down the road, why not move to a whole new area and get to see the rest of the country? I got so fed up of my enforced nomadic existence about 8 years ago that I moved back in with my Mum!!!
Constantly being on the move is costly, I am 49 and own stuff, even furniture, because I have found that having my own stuff around me to feather each new nest at least gives me some feeling of security. Plus, these days 'unfurnished" means you don't even get a fridge or washing machine so now renters have to cart all that stuff around with them too! I had to buy all curtains and window fittings to live here, more needless expense that I will never get back. Also, as a pet owner, not every rented property is available to me.
I wish I could just buy somewhere but I have been mostly self-employed throughout my career and never been able to save up enough of a deposit because of the escalating costs of constant moving. Now I guess I am too old to get a mortgage without a HUGE deposit to put down and the cost of housing in the UK is so damn high I could never make the sums work anyway. As my mother said years ago, I should invest in a Gypsy Caravan and take to the roads!
Until I got a phone call from the Landlady's agents saying she is putting it on the market!
Fab, just when I was starting to feel really settled. Having had to rent my whole life I have had more addresses than the average Gypsy and never been able to put down roots anywhere. If you have to move every year or so why just move down the road, why not move to a whole new area and get to see the rest of the country? I got so fed up of my enforced nomadic existence about 8 years ago that I moved back in with my Mum!!!
Constantly being on the move is costly, I am 49 and own stuff, even furniture, because I have found that having my own stuff around me to feather each new nest at least gives me some feeling of security. Plus, these days 'unfurnished" means you don't even get a fridge or washing machine so now renters have to cart all that stuff around with them too! I had to buy all curtains and window fittings to live here, more needless expense that I will never get back. Also, as a pet owner, not every rented property is available to me.
I wish I could just buy somewhere but I have been mostly self-employed throughout my career and never been able to save up enough of a deposit because of the escalating costs of constant moving. Now I guess I am too old to get a mortgage without a HUGE deposit to put down and the cost of housing in the UK is so damn high I could never make the sums work anyway. As my mother said years ago, I should invest in a Gypsy Caravan and take to the roads!
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