Just to prove I dont just hoard it...............very photo heavy

following yesterdays revelation of my guilty little secret, I thought I had better prove that I dont just hoard it............................ I just buy too much, lol

Guilty secret!

well it would seem I have a guilty secret......................I mean I know I am fond of Christmas and winter time.............but really I never knew it was that bad!!!!!!

 This isnt a WOYWW picture! This was done at the urging of my FG who decided I should be more organised..................In my defense I dont separate my Christmas stock out, because I make Christmas cards for most of the year, but the tower in the middle of the pic is MOST of my Christmas stash in one place, oopsie!
Theres 3 large storage boxes, a cardboard box full of Christmas Stamps, and the boxes of card kits and ribbons etc, so how big is your Christmas Stash?
So I have finally put my foot firmly down, (well until something else that catches my eye) and no more craft stash!!!!!!!!!!!
Erm who do I think I'm kidding?

This one is the final bits of embellishments, Christmas glitters etc, that filled my work desk.

So come on be honest..................how big's your Christmas Stash?

First Saturday of the Month and.....DT Call

Yep its that time again. Time for a new challenge over at Kraftyhamds, this month its a Sketch!

So a little bit more difficult, but of course easy if you have the Kraftyhands Boys disks, anyone will do, or a kit. Dont forget if you use Kraftyhands products then you stand to win £20 of physical crafty goodiness, none of this "Digi Download" stuff from the boys, but proper touchable gear.

So now to my entry,

From an Oldie but a goodie, Team Santa!
I printed off the topper onto some photo card, then split it into 3 and mounted them onto some silver Mirri. I printed off the backing paper, and on some plain cardstock I printed the topper set I had taken the main image from , and used the small border as my bottom ribbon design.
This bit was a bit fiddly, as its the waste from scallop punch and I had trimmed it before I realised I neednt have so I had very little left to hold in my fingers, DOH!
Then Add some silver glittery ribbon, make a multi looped bow instead of the flower in the sketch, and use one of the stoppers fro the middle of my "flower".
3 drops of Cosmic shimmer Red Berry pva glue, and as my Dad would say "It'll be right", and most Kiwi's out there will open their eyes wide, lol.
Right off to finish off on this blooming machine, bloomig Microsoft, and I'll update when I am back up properly, I havent forgotten you all just having issues,

see you all later, and hope to comment on your entries,

Now for those of you who have read all the way down here there is currently a DT call over at Kraftyhands.....running till 6th Sept, find the details here/:http://www.kraftyhands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/dt-call.html

Hugs

Lou
Edited to add if anyone knows the reason this was scheduled for 2014 instead of 2013 I would love to hear from you! Blooming Blogger!

My woes and trials! "We like to think of every customer as our only customer, and hope we treat every customer in that way.!"

Boy what a few months I have had!
its been non stop, first Doncaster and Lupus knocked me for 6, then Pc decided it was slowly loosing the will to live, so new motherboard required then Microsoft sent out a dodgy update, which I found out about AFTER fresh installing 3 times!!

So where I am now. Finally the pc is behaving properly, NOT FUNNY microsoft! One of the security updates on 13th Aug started playing havoc with some computers, all sorts of issues, I didnt own my own files anymore, I couldnt print to the printer, I couldnt scan to the printer but could print, cor it drove me NUTS!! Apparantly it activated built-in errata data in some processors, in some machines it allowed root kits to run, crashed Games on Gamers computers all sorts of issues. But uninstall the offending update and everything works fine....................wish I had known about it before the 3rd fresh installation..........oh boy was I cross! 15 pages of complaints at Microsoft over that one!
So to new-ish pc, well actually the important bits are new, courtesy of a fabulous company I found AWD-IT!
Building your own PC from scratch isnt really something I relish, well its been a long time, computer world wise since I last built one, and my Heat-sync fluid was as dry as a bone, so I went hunting for some alternative and came across this company AWD-IT.
Now I am a computer engineer, qualified etc, but  have lapsed with my current health situation, which lets face it now is NOT going to get better, but I have had about 30 yrs of being active, so cant expect too much from this body now-a-days.
But back to subject, well sort of if you know me, lol. So I do know what I am doing, but in all honesty setting up a bios for all the relevant pc parts leaves me with a big weight in my stomach, not something I look forward to at all, and something I try to avoid. So its one of those things, dont want to do it, lets see if I can avoid it...........and you know what ..........................I DID!. AWD-IT send out a complete and tested motherboard!
lets see if I can explain this in layman terms:
A pc really relies on 4 things: Power supply unit (PSU), this is where it plugs into the wall, there is a box inside the pc that splits all the power from the socket up into different cables. If its a really old pc then you may need a new PSU. A PSU is NOT something to play with! Its the most dangerous part of the PC! If you're in doubt about the PSU in your machine, BIN IT! And get a new one! They can KILL! Do not fiddle or try to repair a PSU EVEN when its not plugged into the wall! It holds a charge like the inside of the old TV's, enough to KILL!
The Motherboard is where it connects all the little bits that we plug into the machine, and what allows information to flow from the keyboard to the Graphics to the Processor,  to the speakers, its all interconnected. Think of it like a sat nav or Road Map, directing the bits to where they need to be.
The processor is the Brain of the computer, its what tells every other bit what it should be doing, just like the human brain. Without the processor it wont work! So the processor is important. The more powerful the processor, the more it can deal with at any one time. The way to think of this is your Great Grand Fathers Brain verses a genius' Brain 100 years from now. Obviously you want one of the more powerful Brains.
Lastly is the Random Access Memory (Ram). The easiest way to explain this is imagining Ram as Hands! You know those things hanging off the end of your wrists? Hands. If you have 1 hand you can do things pretty slowly, if you have 2 hands you can do things pretty quickly, but if you had 100 hands you would be super fast! Ram is the bit that passes things around, and holds them while it waits to be told where to put it, and obviously the more Hands/Ram you have the faster things can be done.
So with that info in mind, building a computer from bare components can be tricky. So what if you could get most of it done for you? Thats what you really pay for in a pc, someone who will put it all together and make sure it works.
So I got the pre-built Motherboard from AWD-IT, and a new PSU, and I now have an up to date pc which should go for years for £200, with the option to upgrade to 32gb ram, (I actually remember pre-windows home computing when it was IBM or Amiga, the pc didnt have a memory built in it did it all off floppy disks)!
I must admit I did have to phone up once to check something but I was that impressed with their knowledgeable help that I complimented them on their service to which I got the most astounding answer: "We like to think of every customer as our only customer, and hope we treat every customer in that way.!" You know what? What a company statement that is! Well done AWD-IT.
You are only the third Company who I have come across who operates in that way, along with MTC and KNK, well done all 3 of you!
So the pc was re-built using the new bits, and the old bits like screen HDD's, dvd players etc. The old bits are going down the line to eldest son, and his pc will go to youngest son, or eldest daughter, who is actually quite able to build her own pc, but probably wont get round to it, so I'll have to do it for her.
So up and running pc wise, then the update from Microsoft hit, after 6 days of sitting there thats when it decided to play up, and I'm generally on my pc quite a bit, I even watch C&C on here 24 hrs a day, so yes I use it a lot, and boy was I confused with the issues that were occurring. I didnt relate it to the windows updates as that was 6 days ago, and no issues.........After the second glitchy failed attempt, I found out about the update, and now have a working system provided I dont go looking for updates, which tends to be one of the first things you do when you do a fresh installation!
so now to what I have been doing in between the pc issues...............

Picture frame, 

S for Santa by Kraftyhands Penny slider

another picture frame

erm well obviously a Thank you card!

a Crafts u Print card

last years Snowman card kit

Embossilicious folder

last Years snow man

Last years snowman

some free Christmas decoupage, dont know where from

Another CUP Kit

last years snowman

another Embossilicious Folder

Some Dufex

another of the unknown decoupage

last years Snowman, Again!

More Dufex

Another Embossilicious folder

Yet more Dufex

Christmas card kit from the £ shop

and another Cup file!

Photo's courtesy of youngest and I have just noticed I havent put my watermarking program back on!
A quick reminder if you have got this far: Kraftyhands are having a DT call, so check it out:  http://www.kraftyhands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/dt-call.html

hope to see you soon,

lou

I'm sorry!

Hi guys and girls, well I really am sorry for my abscence I should have realised that my Doctor knew what she was talking about, but it was a case of "I'm not listening, its only another blooming thing wrong with me, and she is wrong because surely I'd know" issue.
Last year my fabby EDS Dr told me I had Lupus, she also happens to be a Lupus specialist. Not going out , and an awful summer last year meant I saw no reason to believe her, other than the fact that I now dont wear make up as my skin reacts to everything.

I went to Summer Crafting a few weeks ago, hottest day of the year. Well it took a few days for the full effects to strike. and yes my Dr was right.
So I have been comatose more or less since then, and am just on the way back up. So I apologise for not doing anything.

So here's my creations for the Kraftyhands tv show for 12 Days of Christmas on Tuesday which I completely missed, I didnt even know we were in August!

These where done before Summer Crafting, phew!
So If you saw them please let me know what was said, and how they went over?

Hugs

Lou

Anything goes Challenge at Kraftyhands

Morning!!

Well this month, something a little bit different, Anything Goes!
the rules:
You must follow the Kraftyhands Challenge blog.
You must link to a creation that hasnt been blogged before.
erm................................That's it!

But to stand the chance of winning £20 of physical Krafty goodness, then you have to use Kraftyhands Products. Otherwise you only get a Top 3 placement.

So............... and dont give me that "I dont have any" nonsense, coz from what I have seen at the shows recently, and the boys telling me themselves, loads of you out there have stuff from Kraftyhands, ..............so root it out, and get Kreative!
Luckily for me, as I started making this before I checked what the challenge was, its anything goes, which gives me the opportunity to use all sorts of different things, yippee!

So one of the new box card kits, a sheet from Kew, and some glue, Glitter, ribbon, and one of Kraftyhands new embellishments, and I'm ready to go!
The peacock was coloured with my Spectrum Noirs, and some glitter added to the smaller details.
And basically job done! so come on, get Kreative!

New Challenge for July Pretty in Pink

Well its the first saturday of the month, so a fresh Challenge over at KraftyHands towers, Pretty in pink.

Rules, you must be a follower of the Kraftyhands Challenge blog.
Obey the Challenge criteria,
mention in your post that your are entering in the Challenge.
Link back to the kraftyhands blog in your post.
Simples.
Then if you use Kraftyhands products you stand to win a £20 voucher for some strokeable goodies, as in physical product, be it a cd, or some photopolymer, or rubber stamps, or kits. NO DIGITAL Downloads on the Kraftyhands site, just proper goodies!
If you dont use Kraftyhands products then you have a chance for the TOP 3 Placement only.
 Right boring bit over, here's my Creation for the Pretty in Pink Challenge:

This is from the Preferably Pastels CD, one of the older cds, but still a lovely cd to work with, and currently on sale (and I do actually mean Sale, as in SALE!)in the webshop!
This was printed on Photo card, as the 2 topper/sentiments were on on sheet. And a sheet of co-ordinating Backing paper.
I cut the 3 bits from the photo sheet, front bookmark, sentiment, and verse for the back. then I cut a sheet of Acetate to create a 3rd layer in between the two verses.
I used a simple frame design from Make The Cut Gallery, and cut the outside layer on the Zing from the Backing paper.
simply sticking the bits together, and then finishing with a touch of glitter to highlight.
Yes the photo was taken some time ago, when we had the beautiful weather, and the Sun, (wow seems strange to write that word and not be sarcastic!) has bleached the image slightly, but its one of my favourite makes for a while!
So create something Pretty and Pink, and pop over to our Challenge blog to enter your own creation!

Hugs

Lou

Response to Black Listing comments

I would like to thank all who have left comments, all have been published, except for spam.
Unfortunately I have been tied up with my sons move to secondary School, then getting my grandson to bed, then refereeing in an argument between my elder son and daughter, and have only now got time to respond to the comments made.

Mo, at no point did I refer to any one company in this post. I have not identified the company that duped me, and I have not identified anyone who has allowed this information to filter through, or identified ANY companies considering this move.
Yes I linked to Lexies blog, there is a lot going on at the moment in blog land with regard to illegal distribution of intellectual property, not just by yourself, but by others as well. It is important to get the RIGHT information out, educate not intimidate.
I have NO issue about rules for DT's, personally I have ALWAYS informed any prospective DT of my other DT commitments, as I completely understand the individual requirements, being a sample maker myself.
I do, however, have issues with regard to possible blacklisting. That is the content of my post.
I do also have issues with theft of intellectual property. It has happened to me in the past.
The fact of the matter is that companies have made money from my intellectual property, they have used it as a selling point for their product.
Many companies in the UK are feeling the pinch, and not only here, but worldwide. Many have discovered that people aren't willing or able to finance their craft to the extent that they did, and some companies are being immoral in their dealings with other companies and clients.
So its not just customers who are being immoral but companies as well.

Kathleen I have no argument about a team owner being allowed to choose their own Design Team, as stated above I respect the decisions and understand the reason as I make samples. With your statement of "Having read the comments above they are all pretty much in the same vein of, 'I will do what I want, I will colour whatever images I want and no one can tell me who I can or cant design for."" it seems clear that you have misread what these people have said. What they have said is that they disagree with the idea of a Blacklist. That they have images legally obtained either as bought or free at the time, that they wish to use as they design a card. Not that they are using or going to use them illegally. But that now they are unsure wether to use them, do they in anyway want to be associated with anyone who has been considering the move to blacklisting?

The whole aim of the post was to raise awareness that some people are/ were considering this move. From the amount of readers to the post, I suspect that the message has got out.
Just to clarify I have a couple of other points which have cropped up, which anyone can feel free to address or not.
A Black list blocks people while allowing others, a White list allows people while Blocking others, Boycotting blocks people while allowing others. In effect they are all the same thing.
What happens to a company who signs up to one of these lists or groups, then ends up taking on some one that they feel can do a good job for them? Does the company then get blacklisted/whitelisted/Boycotted for doing what is right for THEIR Business?
If you create a list then you have to inform people who have been omitted from or added to the list. If you fail to have a full and frank, impartial conversation with someone on or off the list, then you have left yourself wide open to prosecution/litigation for Deformation of Character, worth thinking about isnt it?

I must admit, I am somewhat stunned to find comments on here from people I did NOT expect to ever see or hear about this post. Whilst people I DID expect to hear from have kept fingers off the keyboard.

Lou

Black Listing of Design Team Members.

  I must raise this subject, as its getting on my nerves.

Over the past few years I have been lucky enough to join Design Teams for various artists and Companies. When I started blogging, I was lucky enough to jump straight on a DT or 2, though I was completely new to blog land.

 I didnt understand blog land, I had no idea what was right and what was wrong, as there are NO RULES WRITTEN DOWN!
I also didnt think that people in the craft community behaved in a nasty fashion, very naive wasnt I?


I started working for a company, and was given a bit of information about something that was going on, some of the people who gave me the information believed they were telling the truth, they were duped like me, and it would seem we were lied to.
Something happened that resulted in myself and others finding out the truth and since then we have steered well clear of the company involved. We didnt know at the time that we were being lied to, would you? All we had were emails, some quite hysterical, and vitriolic attacks by people we didnt know. We were very confused.
Now it has been drawn to my attention that I am to be on a Black list because I USED to be on a certain Team. Even though I and others left when we found out the truth? I never said anything nasty, never left nasty comments, never got involved in the vitriolic goings on, I left when I knew, quietly. Now there is talk of a proposal going around that ANYONE who has worked on some of the more unscrupulous Companies Design Teams, is Black Listed, and should NOT be allowed to be a Design Team member on any company that sign up for this proposal.
EXCUSE ME! That happens to be a defamatory proposal, and damaging to my relationships to my Peers.
I had no knowledge of what was going on, when I found out, I behaved with impunity and withdrew from the Team. I have never left nasty messages, or been involved in any of the nasty goings on, which are still on going. But because of that you want to Blacklist me? And anyone else that comes into contact with a company you disapprove of? Future, Past and Present design team members all over the world are affected by this!
Can you please explain what gives you the right to damage my reputation in such a way?
Have you EVER had any contact with me?
Do you know why I left?
Have you EVER asked me about it?
The answer to all those questions is NO! You have NOT!
Yet you now claim the right to blacklist me?
Who made you Judge and Jury?
Where's the Innocent until proven Guilty?



I only started watermarking my cards when I realised that other people were taking the cards and posting them as their own challenge entries. I only started Copyrighting my blog when this was pointed out to me. There is no set of rules for crafters entering blog land. MOST crafters are genuinely good, kind, sharing,  law abiding, generous citizens. However there are those out there who dont abide by the unwritten code, and it would seem are taking un-watermarked images and using them without paying the artists for them. I suspect that generally, the people posting the images on Pintrest arent aware that they need to watermark them, or that they shouldnt share the image that has inspired them. Yet instead of doing the sensible thing and trying to come up with a set of guidelines for Crafters in Blog land, Crafters new and old are insulted, dictated to, and informed in a very condescending manner of what we are expected to do by some one who believes they are the only person who can say anything?
There's a lovely quote by Thumper from the Bambi film, "If you cant say anything nice, don't say nothing at all." If you're upset fine, but think about what you are doing and how you are saying it, come up with a CONSTRUCTIVE means of getting the message across instead of being sarcastic, and insulting those who you should be educating.
People draw in many ways, and gain inspiration from many sources. Some of the Main digi artists with a certain style have obviously been influenced by Disney Princess films, Big eyes, flowing hair, yet it would seem that only one or two people are allowed to draw in that style? Personally I'm NOT a fan of the big eyed digi's or stamps, I prefer proper artwork to work with, which is why I have withdrawn from many teams, but I do NOT see why only a select few are allowed to draw in that style, if anything I should think Disney and other companies should look at certain Digi artists, to see if THEIR copyright has been breached.
But I do NOT agree with taking an image and altering it slightly then re-selling it. If its your own work, then you have the rights to it, just as I have the rights to the pictures of the cards that I make. If its not yours, then you DONT have the rights do you?
 I do NOT think its okay to post unwatermarked digi's or stamp and scanned images to Pintrest. If you want a digi, go buy it, they are reasonably cheap. If you want the Stamp, go buy it, you normally get more than one for your money, even if you have to save up for it.
I do NOT agree with theft.
I do NOT agree with the idea of Blacklisting Design Team members, or Artists that had contracts with other companies.
I do NOT agree that there are only a few people who have the right to decide which person or company is Blacklisted or not!

I do not agree with the idea that a select few can be Judge and Jury, with no trial, on wether a person has acted with impunity. That they alone can decide wether or not others were duped. That they can merrily allow defamatory posts and comments to remain visible when they have been contacted about the defamatory nature of the content, insulting and hurting others business in order to draw more business to their own by playing "Poor Little Me".
There is a world wide Recession, in case you hadnt noticed. Many business are being hurt by customers finding their pockets shallower than before, or simply by the fact that they have moved on from one style to something else, Playing unfairly damages you more in the long run!
I have also noticed over quite a period of time that some of the people involved in creating this Black List have also been accused of copying others work, wether these accusations are founded or un founded is moot, as far as I am concerned.  If you live in Glass houses then dont throw stones!
This proposal affects EVERYONE who has or will ever have a desire to work on a Design Team. Who knows what company will be the next to feel the wroth of the people running this list? The fact that the people proposing this action have been accused in the past of breaching others copyright, fairly or unfairly, makes the whole thing a sham as far as I am concerned.
Quite simply this is an attempt to increase their market share at the expense of others reputations! Which in all honesty STINKS as a business practice!

Please dont think this is an off the cuff response to the talk of a black list. It isnt, this has taken 4 days for me to write this post, and is my considered view on this subject.


Lou

Edited to add this link: http://lexiesblogstardate.blogspot.co.uk/ another unhappy blogger!