Finally added the Crafty Book Addicts community on LJ.  You may not be aware of how much I like to plan things, but I really like to plan things.  So instead of planning, I decided just to create it now (instead of sleeping) and worry about the fine print later.  that’s what happens when I don’t go to bed at a decent time!  So if you are a Book Addict (ie person who loves books) and a crafty one at that, then please go join up.  You must also be a member of the Book Addicts Book Group since we are a community for Book Addicts (and there would be no point if you weren’t now would there) and you must be crafty.  See the community for more info.

Zazzle has *finally* sorted out their email notification system and I got 267 emails from them today :p  Oh joy!  Every email I should have had since it “broke” arrived in my inbox this morning, and they just keep coming, so quite possibly it’s still not working quite right, as I know for a fact I have not had 32 new orders today lol but they keep insisting I’ve “just made a sale” *head spins*  Anyway, nice to see some emails instead of nothing.  Now I don’t have to keep checking manually to see if anyone has bought anything, or commented or “joined my fan club”.

Christmas mail delays are irritating me no end.  I am waiting for presents I ordered online to arrive in time for me to post them elsewhere, and I am (and this is a BIG worry) waiting for craft supplies to arrive in time for me to make other presents *chews lip*

Speaking of Christmas, I currently have negative money, and I found out today that I might also not have any heating for Christmas.  It is beginning to sound a bit like a Dickens novel, but I rang the oil company today and due the the “Christmas rush” they might not be able to get to me by Christmas!  Who’d have thought there would be a Christmas oil rush, it’s not exactly like a gold rush I suppose *strokes chin*  Anyway, should there be no heating, then I may be offline due to it being too damn cold to type, or sew or knit or read books.  I will be hibernating or perhaps moving me and the kitties in with the rele’s.

I saw this a few days ago and I think he’s really cute.

Check it out here at the Etsy DarkSide Team LJ community There are some cute photos of the little guy and while you’re there why not check out what else the community are making. There’s a cute little pink monster that’s just adorable.

Ha! I watched Heroes episode 12 last night.  I could have watched it yesterday morning but certain people demand that I wait for them *le sigh*  If you haven’t seen it yet then all I’m going to say is Sylar – lie detector – “there’s cake?”  LMAO  I am so making a banner with his face at that moment lol

Ok a few posts ago I mentioned I had ordered 3m of art deco silk taffeta.  It arrived this morning along with a gazillion other packages – it was better than Christmas.  Anyway after communicating with the seller about various fabric related and boring questions, he told me he didn’t have much left, so of course I then had to order what was left.  It was unavoidable.  I will now have 13 metres of silk taffeta to play with – ideas on the back of a postcard to…

Also arrived today was a big box of books from amazon (go Prime!) but unfortunately one of them is diabolical and has to die be returned.  I just wrote a reasonably scathing review of it on amazon which they may or may not publish but here’s some highlights just in case they don’t.  DO NOT buy this book under any circumstances

Creating Romantic Purses

I saw this book on amazon a few times and read the reviews which made it sound pretty decent.  It’s hard to tell from the cover but the two bags featured on there looked “ok” from a distance. Having now seen inside the book, I think you would have to have a screw loose to want to carry any of them around with you outside in public, let alone make them.  They are completely over the top, over-embellished, overdone and really reminds me of crafts you used to do as a child with lots of leftovers and scrap fabrics.  Truly appalling.  Less is more people, and if you are going to have more, let’s not have them looking like something your granny’s granny might have had stashed away. Lots of lace, fake flowers, buttons, beads, and lots and lots of fringing on everything. Another review mentioned that the authors looked like something from a Jane Austen movie – do not be fooled into thinking that must mean Elizabeth Bennett or Emma – they look like Mrs Bennet or worse Lady Catherine de Burgh (or her granny)  In addition to that, all patterns included in the book have to be enlarged at 335%!!!  They do have a website but it’s full of curtain tassles, fringing, fake flowers etc that really don’t need to be put on a handbag.  Don’t waste your time with this book.

Maybe the title and the cover might have given a clue to how bad it was going to be, but honestly at that small size what was on the cover didn’t look that bad and it got some positive reviews.  I did consider it a few times before and never clicked the “add to basket” button so I need to learn to trust my instincts where crappy books are concerned.  It’s being returned this afternoon :p

crafty photos coming up in the next post…

Day 5 in the big blood eye house.

Ellie is turning into a vampire

Yup I can actually feel when it’s bleeding now, and it seems to bleed a little more every night.  Hmm usually after talking to Jack *wonders if there’s a connection* *eye starts twitching*

Went a bit mad last night on a fabric shop that someone from Etsy linked me to because I wanted to know what fabric she had used on something that I ended up buying.  OMG the shop had a sale and shipped internationally.  Many dollars, a seven page wishlist and some hours later, I logged out and went to bed dreaming of all the prettiness and ruby slippers.

This morning the postman delivered some parcels but still not enough (!) and also a card demanding more money for customs charges for something they haven’t/won’t deliver until I pay *sigh*  I think it’s probably my sexy topless men fabric.  I hope they didn’t open it or they may think I’m some kind of pervert.  I guess I can look forward to at least another 3-4 similar cards for all the rest of the stuff that is on its way

On the bright side, I did the rest of my Christmas shopping online this morning and it should all arrive this week.  Then it’s only a matter of me making the rest of the things I want to give people – once the supplies arrive from the four corners of the globe.  Hopefully I am not cutting it as fine as I think I might be.

Also thinking of throwing in free tablet with orders on Etsy once I get organised and make stuff to sell there.  So far it’s only book covers and mousepads.  It should be many other things which should be easier now I can see the room I’m supposed to be working in, but probably too late for Christmas orders.  Timely for January sales though!

Oh and later I will post some photos of the new improved sewing room now that I can see it lol

So my eye has been bleeding again. It seems to bleed at night when I’m sitting down doing nothing and not exerting myself, sneezing or being stressed – unless of course it’s just a delayed reaction to what I’ve been doing during the day!  I took more photos of it this morning, it’s looking more vampiric by the day and the good news is I will probably still have it at Christmas and I will be able to scare small children and repulse people while they’re eating their Christmas dinner – see everything has an upside!  I made another batch of Tablet last night but I’m not eating it, nuh huh.  I will have to hide it from my sister though lol

When I stocked up my Zazzle shop a few weeks ago (3 almost) I set myself a little test target just to see if anyone would want to buy anything that I created, and also because statistically less people know about Zazzle than Cafepress.  Well I exceeded the target I set for the month in just under three weeks, so thank you everyone who bought anything from the shop and especially to all the crazy Twilight obsessed fans who are just buying everything I have.  Thank you all!  I’m really surprised at the popularity of keychains btw, I guess they make good stocking fillers.

It might be a bit of procrastination on my part but I am still trying to reorganise my sewing/craft room workspace instead of doing any actual sewing.  I’m taking a break for lunch (even though it’s 3pm) as I just managed to dig my way out of mountains of fabric. Remind me why I think I need more fabric?  Speaking of more fabric I am fretting quite a bit that some things I ordered at least 2-3 weeks ago have still not arrived from the US, whereas a beautiful bracelet (a present and unfortunately not for me) I ordered via Etsy arrived today, also from the US.  I just hope they aren’t holding my fabric up in customs as I REALLY NEED IT and it’s very sexy.

Still also waiting for my recent ebay purchases but since some of them are from Saturday I know I’m being unreasonable.  I just want them now. (like I don’t have enough fabric lol)

Photos of the new and improved sewing room will be posted – maybe a before, during and after makeover lol.  I found stuff up there buried deep within the depths of the spare room that I forgot I even had, but also I found fabric that I bought in Glasgow last Christmas and that reminded me that the shop (Mandors) will be having another sale this Christmas so I definitely need to put that on my to-do list.  I seem to remember last year having to enlist the help of a couple of family members to carry everything I bought.  Fabric is heavy you know.

Book Group

Just a quick mention about the book group since this isn’t the book group blog!  1984 – George Orwell and Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer are the books for this month, and in the Paranormal Social Club we are reading Pleasure Unbound – Larrissa Ione.  And of course you can read whatever you want and come talk about it with us.  Virgin Suicides and Time Traveler’s Wife discussions are still going if anyone wants to jump in.  Plus also we have very sexy Rules of Book Club designs on a bunch of items on both Cafepress and Zazzle.

I’m a little depressed this morning as my eye has been bleeding more and Jack freaked me out last night with medical nightmare stories once he heard that my nose was also bleeding.  According to him I should have rushed off to the A & E at midnight last night or woke up my BIL to drive me there.  The subjunctival hematoma that I think I have was bleeding more last night which is what set off his panic attack.  I’ve never had this before but I thought that once it bled that was it, and then it would just eventually go away.  I didnt know that it would keep bleeding/bleed again.  Jack btw of course thinks it looks “cool as hell” and he wants one (or two) so he can “freak people at work out”.  Apparently there is a character in a David Gemmell book called Blood Eye who has eyes like mine and a streak of white hair (I’m still working on the hair). He also thinks I look like a vampire which is kinda cool and it does look freaky but if I wanted to pretend to be a vampire then I would have to wear a patch over the good eye since it’s not red.  I also have a bit of a headache on that side, behind the eye and temple, and went to bed last night wondering if perhaps I should get a doc to look at it just in case or whether I would wake up covered in blood (yes my mind works that way).  Causes for this include coughing and sneezing, heavy lifting, and high blood pressure.  I have all of those.  My Barry White voice bug, moving furniture around in the sewing room during the week, and my blood pressure was 146/84. The 84 is the good bit but the 146 isn’t so.  It was worse, it was over 90 so at least that’s improved.

Anyway to cheer myself up I bought stuff on ebay yesterday instead of writing my Jane Eyre essay which is due today!  I did think about asking for an extension due to bleeding eye but I can see ok so I haven’t yet.  If this headache doesn’t improve I might have to.

The first is vintage japanese kimono silk. I just loved the colours. The second is black stretch lace I bid for on a whim.  Who knows, maybe everyone will get black lace panties for Crimbo!  And the third is some blue organza mainly for making little bags – heh maybe to put the black lace knickers in!

If anyone wants to see the freaky eye, then it’s behind the cut. This was taken yesterday morning – it’s the one I posted on the forum yesterday – but it’s spread more now so I need to take more photos.
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Out of curiosity, requested an invitation to Ravelry.

You’ve been added to the invitation list!

You were added to the list on December 6, 2008 at 05:35 PM
When it is time, we’ll send your invite email to xxxxxxxxxx

There are 4969 people ahead of you in line. Your invitation should be sent in about 4 days.

Like wow, that’s a lot of people interested in a knitting and crochet site right?

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I had some success on ebay today.  I generally don’t like to bid, I prefer to buy things that have a “buy now” price, mainly because I don’t have time to fart around with bidding and because I want it now!  However, I did place some bids last night (during the whole bleeding eye incident) to distract me from the whole bleeding eye incident, and today I was successful.  Yes I bought more fabric.  I was in a fabric frenzy so I can’t remember what I actually bought lol.  *racks brain*  Oh yes, some organza (a bugger to sew), some black stretch lace (have plans for that!) and some kimono silk.  I got pipped at the post for some tartan fabric but then I got a second chance offer from the seller so I’m mulling that over.  More kimono silk later tonight, hope I get that one as I love the colours.  Then I bought some yarn that I needed to complete some presents and now I think it’s time for tea.

Of course I should be studying today and that’s not been going very well.

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Oh and I keep meaning to post this but forgetting.  I wonder if that cat is really pissed off or just a little?

I am not amused

Looks great with the cat though, very matchy matchy.