Tuesday 29 September 2009

Really Frustrated.....


I am really cross and frustrated tonight...

I have just had an email back from a craft company about a product i have purchased from them, a die cutter to be precise.

I purchased the die cutter quite a few months ago for my wedding stationary and favour boxes, it was not cheap but i saw it as an investment.
I emailed them over the weekend as the machine was not cutting as i thought it should and i wondered if it needed a part changing (i am keeping this quite vauge as i don't want to name names until i have had a further response from them) I looked on the website and could not find the machine nor the part i needed??????
A little confused i emailed them and this is the response i got:

Thank you for your email regarding our **** Machine. I am sorry that you have been unsuccessful at finding this machine on our web page. The website was under maintenance for a short period so I am guessing that you have probably tried to look for the machine at this time.

Please follow the link below as this will direct you straight to the **** machine and Accessories.

Link removed

The machine hasn’t been discontinued; however we found that some of the machine had a slight weakness when cutting creased dies. We have therefore introduced the xxxx machine which is very similar to the ****, yet is specifically designed to be more efficient at cutting creased dies.

This isn’t a problem for crafters who wish to simply combine their Prestige and Sizzix products; however this was more of a replacement item for those in Design & Technology departments etc who are only using Net dies etc

We were originally trying to introduce a replacement section to combat this, however this has proven unsuccessful hence the release of a new machine.

If you find that this problem applies to you then please let me know as we can look into issuing a replacement machine for you. Please note that at this present time the only machine we can issue as a replacement is the kkkk which can also be viewed on our website.

This machine however, cannot cut Sizzix dies.

Please let me know if I can help you any further.

The machine they are offering as a replacement (called kkkk in email) i already have, ut choe to upgrade so to speack as a roller machine was easier to use. I have emailed them adviseing that i was frustrated that i had tried to use this machine not knowing there was a problem for months and months and they didn't consider issuing a notice to say that i may experience problems. I have also asked if they will be offering a roller machine as a replacement (even offering to pay the difference) as i had the machine they wanted to exchange it for and also brought the roller machine as i struggle with the other machine due to a wrist injury.

I know there is nothing you guys, out there in blogland can do, but i just wanted to vent my frustration and i will let you know of any progess i have but do not hold out much hope, what spoils it for me all the more is that this is my fave company, the company i dream of working for and i feel a bit let down by them right now :o(

Hugs bloggers

LxXx




Monday 28 September 2009

Santa Kisses and Fangtastic Gifts....



Just wanted to share some little gifts i have made, the first is Santa Kisses which is an idea i had kept from last Christmas



Jelly lips in a bag, die cut bag top with printed verse, hand drawn stitching and little punched holly with a rhinestone.



The halloween bags are a bit of a by product... the only lip sweeties i coulf find were mixed with teeth! LOL!!
Orange bag top - cut with nestabilities lables 8 die, with hand stitching, computer type and cuttlebug spider and bat die cuts!



Hope this inspires

Hugs
L xXx

Sunday 27 September 2009

Die Cutting Drinks Cans....




Mr Fairy is quitre partial to a can of beer so there is no shortage of beer cans in the Fairy household!!!
The picture is made using his empty cans!!



I also made a matching card with the same die cutter...



all you need to do is:
Make a stab with your scissors at the top of the can, just as the hard rim of metal finishes and the softer metal of the can begins.
Cut atound the top of the can cutting the solid top section off
Then cut down the can from top to bottom
And cut around the solid bottim part of the can, you should be left with a rolled up sheet of metal
PLEASE do be carefull as at this stage it can have sharp edges, once die cut the edges will not be sharp or rough.
Different cans have different finishes inside, i prefer carling as they are more of a shiny metal, Fosters is more of a lighter brushed metal which also works well and gives a diffferent effect
You then just use you sheet of matal like you would card in your die cutter
This will only work with the thick sizzix dies or equivalent so do be carful not to try it with the thinner dies




The frame is a box type frame, it was about £2 from a cheap odds and ends shop
I just cut the shape out 3 or 4 times and layered it up with foam pads cutting them down each time to the wheel was infront of everything else to give it some dimension.

This would be lovely with flowers and different shapes and would make a great and very cheap pressie!

Enjoy

L xXx

Saturday 26 September 2009

Wedding Wonders...



Just some pics of some wedding stationary i am working on fo a friend at work. there are place cards, table setting cards, menus and little after dinner mints



These are just the initial designs... i am sure there will be some changes along the way...



Table names and menus



A little bit of everything...



Name cards...



Hope you like them, i will take some pics of any changes and post them soon


Hugs
L xXx


Friday 25 September 2009

Card for the Boys...

Just wanted to showcase a couple of cards for the boys... no primas in these pics sorry!!!



This was fro my Bro, Brian. the letters for happy birthday are quickutz die cuts, the word bro is cut from vinyl and stuck onto some tickets and the little croc sticker is from paperchase



and this is a card made for Robs Dad, it was made with the sizzix bigz serif alpha dies and they were joined to make into a card (harder than it sounds!!)



It was then embellished with quickutz die cuts and ribbon (manly ribbon i must add!)



you can't really see in the (not very good) photos but the letters were covered with a wood grain paper, it looked much nicer in the flesh!



and finally a card for my grandad who loves fishing!



boo bear die cut, embellished with the fishing outfil and a lil bit of grass that was a QK cut file



love
L xXx

Thursday 24 September 2009

A Big Craft Room Update!

Just a little update on the room... it is coming together slowly



First up is felt, felt glorious felt... i have manged to jam full a expedit cube with the fuzzy stuff!



Here is my little puter space, where my bum is parked when i blog, the desk is a folding one and doubles in size when needed which is great for an extra production line space!



The shelves my comp table is up against, the shelves are full but most of these things are not in their final resting place!



This is the space to the side of my desk, my little metal bin filled with rolled up stuff like vinyl and paper, and my silver ikea drawers, i don't remember how but the first draw is missing a handle so i fashioned one from ribbon!



My lovely drawers with my TV, my small accucut dies and printer on top - this is still quite messy but it is on my sorting out schedule!



The tops of my shelves behind my computer and a little to do  magnetic baord that i have put up, it is actually a cook book stand but i like it up there



My Billy shelf combo - top left



Top Right



Bottom Right



Bottom left



Top of my dies bookcase



Middle



Bottom...



Top right of my expedit



Top Left



I am not showing you the bottom yet...far too messy!! My desks run along side my expedit and they are messy too so once tidyed you can have more pics!!

Crafty Cuddles

L xXx

Wednesday 23 September 2009

2 for the Price of One.....

These are some cards i made for my mum (mum) and Robs mum (mom)...back down home (St Albans) you never see the word mom and up here (Wolves) you hardly see the word mum!! It is quite strange but good for telling the mums apart!

Anyway, mum, mom, cards!

I made these as little gifts for the mothers, the "embellishment" is actually a felt flower brooch that i made and pinned to the card... the card was then just embellished with some vinyl letters cut on my robo... just had to sneak some vinyl in there somewhere!



I used a couple of sizzix dies and layered them up in different shades of felt



fixed them with a couple of loose stitches just to hold them together, sewed on a matching button and a brooch clasp on the other side



And viola! a card and pressie in one, great for a quick make for pretty much any occasion, i was thinking of making some snowflake ones for christmas...would you wear one?



Hope you liked them

Hugs

L xXx

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Photos on Cards...

These are 2 cards i made for a pets competition in a craft mag a few months ago...needless to say i didn't win!
But they have my cards so i wanted to blog these pics as i love the photos i used off my little molly moo!



Her "real" name is Molineux... this is the name of the wolves football ground... it was my bartering stick for getting a dog... and i only call her it when she is bad!
Like today when i came home to a chewed mascara!



I don't think she is coping very well with me going back to work after the 6 weeks holidays! This week me and Mr Fairy have come home to some sort of destruction every day!
Mr Fairy works shifts and is on days this week, the first time sice the holidays finished, on Nights and Faternoons she gets lots of daddy time and the destruction subsides!




Well back to the cards! the pink one with lace is my fave, i was quite pleased with it really!



I am biast, but think she should have one by cuteness alone!!

Love

L xXx

Another Christmas Idea...

These were actually made as easter gifts, but i plan to do some in the same style but with santa kisses in them this year for christmas pressies



The writing on the inside is cut in my fave font - smiley monster - in vinyl and the bunny is made from card and die cut on my robo using a Quickutz file i purchased from their online shop.



The box is the sizzix bigz XL shaker box which i really love and i have just popped some acetate in the window to keep the goodies in place!



Inside is filled with chocolate eggs wrapped in pretty foil just nesting on a bed of tissue paper