Monday 30 January 2012

Monday blues

Well today was supposed to be a big day in the Brown household. I was up bright and early to get all my chores done in case the lovely man with my sewing machine decided to come bright and early. At 10am, no sign of him.....have a cup of tea me thinks. 10.30 no sign of him.....I'm thinking that I'm being really silly, it may be 5pm before it gets here. A few Tweets later and another cup of tea, I decide that I do really have to go to the loo, I was sure he would ring the doorbell at that precise moment....wrong again. Now I'm thinking, I can't waste a whole day, lets do something creative. So I start fiddling around with an unfinished project that had been sitting on my desk since the end of last year. It was nice to actually finish it and I'll show you a picture later but right now, I'm in whinging mode!!! Sorry to be offloading this on you guys but I've already whinged at Mark and Alex and I still feel the need to rant a bit more.

The most annoying part is that I rang the shop on Friday morning asking when to expect delivery and they told me it would be Monday. There was a special off with the machine too....a free dress form.....worth £100.00....what a bonus me thinks. The nice man at the shop then rang me back to say that there was a slight technical hitch with the dress form offer......they have none left!!! More than a slight hitch I thought but he went on to say the new offer is a quilt kit. I'm thinking shame about the dress form but a quilt kit is probably a good thing, something for me to practise on and again he confirms delivery for Monday.

Now I know that I am not actually going out to work these days but as my studio is in the garden, I did have to wait in the house all day as you can't hear the doorbell out there and all day I kept thinking of all the things I could be playing with......never mind, it will be worth the wait I tell myself again.

Now it's 4.30 and still no delivery man.......grrrrrr. Time to call the shop!!! The oh so friendly shop keeper man says ah Mrs Brown, I was just going to call you!!!! Yeah, I bet you were!!! There's a slight technical hitch....must be his favourite phrase. It's to do with the special offer, the new offer doesn't start until Wednesday, the 1st of the month so if it's OK, it will be shipped out then. NO IT'S NOT OK!!!!  I've waited all day cos you told me it would be here TODAY!!! Oh sorry about that, he says in his cockney accent, is Thursday not a good day to deliver then??? No, I'm going to be away until Monday, so now delivery is re-scheduled for Monday and as you can probably tell, I'm really not that pleased!!!

Anyways, why won't I be here until Monday I hear you ask? Because I'll be at Creative Stitches & Hobbycraft show in Bluewater doing a spot of demonstrating for Mr & Mrs PaperArtsy. It's a four day show starting this Thursday and should be a lot of fun. Leandra has some fabulous new products on offer and we will both be demonstrating our little socks off for you with all things PaperArtsy. Stamps, paints, dies as well as Portfolio Pastels and Crafters Workshop Stencils. A little birdie told me that Leandra has some new stencils that I don't have.....may have to do a spot of shopping myself!!!  When I know the stand number, I'll let you guys know but I hope you can stop by, it will be wonderful to see you.

OK so now I've calmed down a bit, this is what I channelled my frustration into today.



At the end of last year I did one of Linda Elbourne's chunky ATC classes. She kindly gave us enough stuff in our kit baggies to make three of these babies. During the class I only managed to finish one which was a Christmas one, so today I faffed around and did an all things Tim one. Well, I say, all things Tim, the fabby door knob on the top actually came from Anthropology and the metal flowers are Vintaj but everything else is Tim's.

Phew, I feel so much better now! I'm off for yet another cuppa.
Lin

P.S. Don't forget, Bluewater this Thursday - Sunday, it's gonna be a great show!

EDIT*** Now have show information!!!
STAND BB42
GLOW EVENT CENTRE
BLUEWATER MALL
KENT
DA9 9SG
Closest car park either Plaza car park or Thames Walk car park.
Glow is situated between M&S and House of Fraser

17 comments:

Helen said...

What a nightmare!! They obviously don't know how important you are.... Glad you calmed down enough to make your chunky ATc it looks fabulous!

PaperArtsy said...

Wooo hooo

I don't know why but i am really excited about this show, maybe it because we haven't demoed together for what seems like ages. And in a mall!! We are going to be a nightmare!!! And fabric upstairs !!!! OH EM GEE

Peeps can find us on stand BB42 on the lower level. Theya re advising peeps to park in either the Plaza Carpark or the Thames Walk Carpark

Brenda Brown said...

Oh what a day - I can feel the frustration Lin and I would be the same. You will be so pleased when it finally gets to you.
Have a great show, sorry I won't get to see you - but good luck to you and Leandra.
Love the chunky ATC.
luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Siobhan Brignull said...

Im gonna be there Saturday me thinks, looking forward to getting some more fresco paints and seeing how pan pastels work, you know me, quick demo and Ill need them all, LOL . . x

Bethan said...

Oooohh not good! Its more than annoying when things don't turn up when they should!been there and ranted! hope your blood pressure has returned to normal! Super chunky ATC and wish that Bluewater wasn't soooo far away! enjoy your 'shopping'!

Anonymous said...

Well, Missie Linda - at least I helped pass away a few minutes . . . but I'm surprised that you haven't gone down to the sewing machine shop and smashed the window in yet!!! If I were there, I'd help you do it. It's enough to drive you bonkers!!!! Think a good bit of demo'ing with The Crafty Chick will help and make the days until next Monday go by fast -- and with a lot of fun. Remember: CUTO!!!!
Lots of love - Missie Sally xoxo

Ali H said...

Doesn't that just drive you mad !
(did say you should have gone for a Janome !! LOL !!)
And when you are on tenterhooks all day its so hard to settle to anything else too isn't it
Ali x

Chris Arlington said...

Well, I love the way you've channeled your frustrations. I thought that shoddy delivery practices only happened on this side of the pond. I feel better now, Hope you do too.

Diane Kelsey said...

I had a similar experience when I ordered my Embellisher last year, although it was delivered at 6.20pm. I had waited in all day and cancelled my patchwork class, they must have known it would be a late delivery. Going to the show on Friday, I will pop along to your stall.

TAM said...

Why oh why do retailers not deliver the service they promise - there should be some sort of compensation due when they mess customers around like that and perhaps they would then get their act together.
Loving the ATC you channelled your energies into though.
Unfortunately can't get to Bluewater but I am wondering if you will be at the NEC with Crafty Chick in March ???? please say yes

Hilda said...

Aw!!! Lin - I have been resisting going to this show but now I know you will be there - and with leandra,- I can resist no longer!!! See you Thurs!!

Crafty Loops said...

You have more patience than me....I would have phoned them at lunchtime!! lol. Fabulous projects. Im sure you will have a ball at the Craft Fair. Lee x

Linda M. Cain said...

A brilliant day I'd say! And our kids wonder why we don't "just buy something". It's because we know the frustration of everything new and customer service that doesn't exist!

~Linda

Unknown said...

LOVE your knob ... Forgot all about those ... Now where did I put mine :0) the chunky ATC looks fab and boo hiss to sewing machine man xxx

MadeByKarla said...

This is beautiful! so much detail!

What an awful thing for that craft store not to call you with an update!

I'm sure you will have great pictures from the show ;)

Neil said...

Hi there, I feel your frustration as I too "work" in the bottom of the garden! Great ATC though, and I've succumbed and I'll stop by to say Hi on Thursday.

craftimamma said...

Don't blame you for ranting Lin but I won't wind you up again by saying what I think, lol!

I have to say no one would know how annoyed and stressed you were looking at that lovely chunky ATC. The colours are so calming and so is the imagery. Wish I could get to that show purely to see you and Leandra demo but it's too far away :o(

Hugs
Lesley Xx