I randomly discovered that someone is using one of my digital pyrex designs as cellphone wallpaper. While it is flattering that someone would like it enough to do this, it also makes me sad. I have not yet offered a digital download of my designs for any use. It was taken without my permission and then posted as a screenshot on the Internet and I got no credit. I know that the intentions behind it weren't coming from a bad place, but I still think people should think before they take other people's photos/music/designs/etc. If the artist isn't giving it away for free, then it is not yours to take. It simply being on the Internet isn't permission to take and distribute how you please. I spent a lot of time creating each pattern and bowl and combining them into new designs. At the very least, I'd like credit, but obviously prefer to also be compensated for my time as well.
Because of this, I've added a digital download package to my etsy shop. It includes 5 pyrex wallpaper designs that can be used expressly for one single person's personal use as a phone wallpaper.
I don't generally purchase glass on the internet because it is terrifying what some people think is acceptable packaging. That and shipping costs tend to be outrageous on top of paying the evil bay premium because many sellers think everything they list is gold. I was really needing a fix because good vintage has been hard to come by locally as of late. So I took to the Internet. I bid on a pink scroll, but it went above what I wanted to pay. I found a Buy-It-Now of a turquoise tiger Federal bowl that was $10 higher priced than one on auction. I decided to bite the bullet since I had no idea if there would be a bidding war that increased the price of the auction above the BIN. Shipping was more than the bowl itself because it was coming from Canada. These bowls were sold there and are hard to come by in the states, so that is why I picked this particular bowl over other coveted pieces. I must say that I like this bowl a lot less than when I made the choice to buy it. Here's why.
The seller had prompt communication and shipped quickly. It arrived much sooner than I had expected. My mail carrier is THE. WORST. EVER. She never, not ever, buzzes me when I have a delivery and most times lately the packages are just left on top of the lock box. Whether this is her doing, or someone who works for the complex, I'm not sure, but it really defeats any security measures that are supposedly included with living here. That's another rant for another time. The box was left outside our door at some point, who knows when, and BJ found it as he was walking out the door in the morning. He knew what it was and brought it to me so that he could see it before he left. The box itself was flimsy. The bottom had been folded and then taped and the corners were all smashed in and thin. I shook it first because I was scared. Luckily, I didn't hear any rattling, but there was movement.
Then I opened the box. All that was protecting this bowl from wreckage was one too small piece of bubble wrap around the bottom and a shit-ton of plastic bags on the bottom and top of the box with the bowl positioned sideways. It had two wads of newspaper inside the bowl, one small piece of bubble wrap around the bottom, then was SARAN WRAPPED?! Then put in a huge black garbage bag, which I took as a precaution of, "hey, if it breaks, all you have to do is toss it out!" Then it was put in a box with a gazillion plastic bags ranging from tiny ULTA bags to gross grocery bags with bits of things in or attached to them which obviously flattened during shipping because that's what they do. Thanks for sending me garbage! I refuse plastic bags while out shopping and certainly don't appreciate a new collection of them. Plastic bags are not equal to bubble wrap, even if she hasn't had something break on her just yet.
This was a while ago and I forgot to leave feedback until this week. I was unaware of there being "etiquette" to leaving feedback. Apparently, you're supposed to only leave "YAY YOU!" positive feedback publicly, but if it is in anyway negative or honest about a relatively positive experience, but a suggestion on how to do better, you're supposed to communicate privately with the seller or just don't leave feedback at all. Well, I've been quickly schooled on this. Mind you that I gave the seller almost all 5 stars, I gave less for shipping costs because she only gave me the option of express shipping which was f-ing expensive. Nothing life shattering. But I said that it wasn't packaged well, but arrived in one piece and suggested to use bubble wrap instead of bags next time. Truth. Now she is harassing me to change my feedback and is blaming me for not selling anything in the 1 day since I posted the feedback because she "had a sale almost every day before." [Almost implies not all thus she can't blame me for 1 day of no sales.] She still has 100% positive feedback and yet is wasting her time and energy being crazy to me because I violated an etiquette that I didn't know existed. One shouldn't have to read an etiquette page before leaving feedback. That is ridiculous and unfair to expect people to only give you praise, but if they have criticism, then let's deal with that behind closed doors. I really believe other buyers should know about her shitty packing, which she believes is outstanding by the way. She suggested that if I have such high standards of packing, I should communicate that before shipping. I had no idea that the use of standard packing supplies to ensure than a glass item arrives safely is a high standard. Some would argue that it is actually insulting to a seller to do that as well. It really is a catch-22. Needless to say, I am not changing my feedback because I don't feel that I am in the wrong here and since she had the nerve to send me multiple messages about how rude I am, she's not getting what she wants from me. I've apologized to her already and she continues to beat a dead horse. I genuinely felt bad, but now that she's acting like I've crumbled her business and didn't even take ownership or apologize for her shitty packing, she can go to hell in a plastic bag full of broken glass.
I hope someday the bowl doesn't remind me of her stupid existence. As it stands right now, I have thoughts of smashing it to a million pieces just so I never have to think of her again. But I won't because that's crazy talk.
I bought the Audrey II and Sandworm pre-order from Heidi and Gretel back in November. It never showed up... I'm still not convinced that it wasn't due to theft right here where I live. Anyway, I saw that Vintage Pip had a limited number of these for sale and wanted to snap them up quickly because she doesn't know when or if she'll go back to creating things for sale due to a series of unfortunate events. It took longer than the estimated time and I started getting really nervous, but they arrived safely inside my very own mailbox! Fun fact: these plastic brooches each had more bubble wrap per surface area than the glass bowl and were attractively wrapped in fluffy tissue paper for added padding, sealed with a cute sticker, and then put in a reusable mesh bag. I wasn't even worried about them breaking in transit, but kudos to Vintage Pip for making extra sure of it!
I bought a Wednesday Addams brooch from Baccurelli for myself as a birthday gift. It finally arrived, but not in my mailbox this time. I was not buzzed, as per usual. I went down there when I saw that tracking finally had it marked delivered. It took TWO WHOLE DAYS to get from St. Paul to Minneapolis. Did someone deliver it on a pogo stick? Worse yet, it was just left on top of the lock box in the unsecured entry and, IT WAS OPENED!!! I hate my mail carrier with a passion. I can't believe it was still in there, but I'm not confident that it would have been had I not gone down to get it when I did. The brooch itself exceeds my expectations of awesomeness and I'm thinking of going goth just so I can wear it every single day.
All the negativity of this past week has really brought me down when I've been working so extra hard to get out of my darkness. I'm feeling black on black on black and might dress up like a Portlandia Weirdo for work at the shop tomorrow. Hopefully no one will talk to me then and I can just hide away and listen to sad songs while watching a video of rain. Or maybe my hair will actually turn out and I won't hate people and I'll feel like dressing for Caturday. I finally got new glasses that are the cats pajamas so I'll hope for the latter, but won't put too much pressure on myself.
