Wow.

ETA: See here and here for more info. I have decided to do this, cause I have found more people defrauded by this person.
Thankfully I did NOT send her anything before...
Her name is Jennifer Starr and goes by jennystarr and stillsmiling on the message boards


That's all I have to say. I never thought I'd encounter one of those people you only hear about in everyone else's horror stories.

Back in March, I received an order for LOTS and LOTS of custom work from my jewelry line.

I made 6 necklaces, five bracelets, and 5 pairs of earrings.

LOTS. About $440.00 worth of it.

I was so excited to be getting request after request from this person for more pieces.

I used so many of my materials (silver, 14k goldfill, findings, stones, etc), but I knew that once I got paid for all the items I had made, I'd be able to replenish my supplies.

Fast forward 7 months, many unanswered e-mails, and a ridiculous $35.00 Paypal payment, and now it turns out that:

- she didn't really like the things
- I made the work without her asking for it
- I hid my prices from her.


WTF?

She didn't really like the things...???

OMG!!!! EVERYTHING IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!!
You did a fanastic job!! Love it all!!!

Is there anything left of the multi-gems or the malachite? I would love some sort of a matching bracelet with the multi-gems... if there is anything left...

LOVE everything - so excited ....

She had no idea the bill would be so high...????

...two different necklaces one with chalcedony and the other with rose quartz or the green prehinite that you have used...

YES would love a bracelet!!! :)

Thanks for explaining the gold fill stuff - do you think the malachite would look better with the gold fill than the silver??

All quotes taken from her e-mails to me... (those grammatical errors are not mine).


Then she offers to start giving me $100 a month starting in September.
I figure it's better than never seeing a cent, right?

Well, September's come and gone, and not a cent.

Serves me right for doing the work without receiving payment BEFORE I started.

I thought she was a friend. I met her through a message board, and I really thought she could be trusted.

Um, not really!!!

I have refunded her $35.00 payment (for a more than $400.00 bill), canceled the Paypal invoice I sent her, and made peace with the fact that I got ROYALLY SCREWED.

I had to undo all the work (the stones she sent me to work with are not up to the quality standards that I use on my pieces) so, I cannot sell them on my shop, like she had the nerve to suggest.
I had to take it all apart, waste tons of silver and gold fill wire (which I cannot reuse), and also have to pay to send her stones back.


This sucks.

I needed to vent.

I hate doing this but I am really hurt. She's accusing me of making things without her asking, of hiding my prices from her, of making things she didn't like. All false.


Enough of this. I never want to make another post as awful as this one.

Just a little enabling.

I was reading Keisha Campbell's blog this morning, and she had these amazing LOs using the coolest flower punches I've ever seen.

They are from Mc Gill and I found them at Overstock.com, with $1 shipping!!!!!!! Gotta love the O.

I have always loved Prima's hydrangeas but they are really hard to find. This gorgeous punch lets me cut my own!



Love it!

This one's a basic 5 petal one, but I love the little indentation at the top of the petals.


There, I have enabled.

Go have a great weekend!

O.M.G.

Imagine my surprise when I get an e-mail from my scrap idol, Miss Karla Dudley asking me to design with her amazing digital kits, After Five Designs.


Yes. That thud you heard was me falling on the floor.

I have never done digi or even hybrid, but I have always thought it looked incredibly cool.
Now, I get to not only learn a very cool way of scrapping, but also use her perfectly designed kits.

They can be found at her store and I bet a whole new world of possibilities will open itself to you!

There is a very cool forum, blog and gallery attached to After Five Designs. I hope I see you there!


I have received my first kit and I will share my creations with it, soon ;)

Later gators!

No title.

I am having a hard time posting something new after my last post about Aleida.
It all feels so trivial...

I know she would be kicking my ass right now telling me to get on with it.
I will, girl!

Nothing much to share. I haven't scrapped much lately. I just stare at my beautiful goodies, but I create nothing with them. Blah.

Last Saturday I had my annual Christmas card making extravaganza with my scrapgirls and I made a SINGLE card. How pathetic is that??? Nothing was coming out of me.
I still had a great time just hanging with them, though. They are therapeutic to my soul.

Here's the infamous card...



I used Papertrey Ink's amazing card stock, my beloved Fontwerks stamps and some embossing powders.

I need to go gather the strenght to get on the treadmill... Wish me luck!

Have a groovy Tuesday.

I'm heartbroken...

My beautiful, dear friend Aleida, passed away today in a terrible car accident.

I will miss her always. She was funny, caring and an amazing friend.



This is the last thing she ever wrote to me:

Anilu:
You know I've always thought you were pretty damn cool... but now I just think you are better than that! You are a bad ass! I love it.

Chica, you will have place in my heart always.

A little something...

to start your week with a big bang.

A video of the amazing fireworks at EPCOT. Definitely one of my fave things at Disney.
Enjoy!



Have a wonderful week.

Haven't done one of these in a while...

so, here goes:
(stolen from Lou's blog, who stole it from Tere...)

1) Are your parents married or divorced?
Separated... :(

2) Vegetarian?
No way! Pork and duck are just too delicious.

3) Heaven?
I really hope so.

4) Come close to dying?
No.

5) What jewelry do you wear 24/7?
None. I have never been able to sleep with any kind of jewelry on.

6) Are you eating?
Not right this second. No.

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
Yes.

8) Makeup?
Not if I can avoid it. It's too hot and humid for make up in Miami.

9) Were you usually the dumper or the dumpee in your past relationships?
Dumper all the way and it felt gooood!

10) Would you ever have plastic surgery?
Nope.

11) What do you wear to bed?
Only a cami. I have never been able to sleep with my legs covered no matter how cold it is.

12) Have you ever done anything illegal?
Never!

13) Can you roll your tongue?
Yes.

14) Pluck your eyebrows?
Just a little. I like natural, bushy brows.

15) What kind of watch(es) do you wear:
An Omega Constellation and a vintage Cartier.



16) Abortion?
I plea the fifth...

17) Hair color?
Kinda golden brown. Natural, never colored, never will color.

18) Future child's name?
The ones I have right now are Milagros and Natalia. No future ones. No way!!!

19) Do you snore?
No.

20) If you could go anywhere in the world on a vacation?
Scotland.



21) Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
I'm 36, so no :)

22) If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
Buy a house!!!!!!!

23) Gold or silver?
White gold.

24) Hamburger or hot dog?
Burger!

25) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Duck confit from Les Halles.



26) Beach, city, or country?
City with a pool.

27) Who was the last person you touched?
Natalia was just here kissing me :)

28) Where do you eat?
In my bedroom or the family room.

29) When's the last time you cried?
Yesterday night...

30) Have you loved somebody so much it makes you cry?
Yes! My daughter and my niece.



31) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
No. What for?

32) Ever been involved with the police?
Oh, no!!!

33)Believe in Santa Claus?
I did for about 5 minutes.

34) Do you talk in your sleep?
I'm sure I do. We all do.

35) Beach or pool?
Pool. I hate having sand all over.

36) Can you cross your eyes?
Yes.

37) What's your favorite song at the moment?
The Story by Brandi Carlile.

38) Window seat or aisle?
Aisle. I have to pee a lot.

39) Ever met any famous bands/singers?
No. I once saw Gloria Estefan at the airport in Mexico...

40) Do you feel that you've ever had a truly successful relationship?
No. Who has, really??? Be honest...

41) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
Twirl, but without a spoon. That just looks ridiculous and only kids are supposed to use a spoon to eat spaghetti.

42) Rickie Lake or Oprah Winfrey?
Oprah should be banned from Earth. There, I said it. Hate her.

43) Would you ever admit to having done plastic surgery of any kind if confronted?
There would be no need for confrontation.

44) How long does your shower last?
About 15 min week days, longer in the weekend... Ahhh!!!

45) Do you drive a stick?
I did in Mexico. The cutest VW Golf. Here in Miami, no.

46) Cake or ice cream?
Cake!!!

47) Self-conscious?
No. I am very self assured. A little too much to tell you the truth. Thanks Mom!!!!

48) What time do you get up?
Argh... Too early, 6:00AM

49) Have you ever given money to a bum?
I'm sure I have.

50) When was your first crush?
I was sooo in love with Ralph Macchio it's not even funny. Wax on, wax off!


51) Where do you wish you were?
At the Spa in Mision del Sol in Mexico.



52) Have you ever broken someone's heart?
Yes.

53) Ever been given a ring?
Yes. A nice big one too :)

54) Longest relationship?
Fourteen years and counting.

55) Last gift you received:
Lots of shoes from my Mom.





56) Last sport you played?
LOL!!!

57) Things you spend a lot of money on?
Handbags and scrap supplies.




58) Where do you live?
Beautiful Miami.

59) High school you attend(ed):
Lycee Francais d'Haiti.

60) Last wedding attended:
Yikes... I think it was Juan's cousin's a loooong time ago. I love weddings so much, I wish I was one of those people who get invited all the time.

61) Favorite fast food restaurant:
McDonald's.



62) Where do you work:
At home.

63) Can you cook?
You bet, and I do it very well.

64) Most hated food:
Stinky cheese.



65) Can you sing?
Not really.

66) Last concert attended:
Chumbawamba during my honeymoon, I think.



67) Last kiss?
Natalia just gave me lots of them :)

68) Favorite Alcoholic drink:
Tom Collins and Margaritas. I have absolutely no tolerance for alcohol and these two are the only ones that don't make me super sick immediately.

69) Current crush?
I really wanna get it on with Dominic West from The wire. Mc Nulty, come to mamma!!!!!!



How about you????

A new scrappy adventure!

I was invited by the amazing Francine Clouden, to join some seriously talented gals in her new creative adventure over at It Takes All Kinds.




An great new challenge and inspiration blog you have to visit.


Some of the contributors are: Caroline Ikeji, Marcy Lambert, Vee Jennings, Paula Gilarde and Anja Wade, to name just a few of the crazy talent Francine put together for this.


Come join in the fun with us!

The journey starts today.

Have a great week!