Cleopatra Queen of Something
I received this comment to yesterday’s silly little blog showing off some of the art I love & live with.
It is from Cleo
“I enjoy looking at the books you have for sale, some I have not seen before. I have to say I see what I want and then I go to and buy them used because they are so much cheaper, even with the 3.99 postage. With these times I cannot afford to buy at an inflated price….”
AWK!
I posted this comment, it was an act of bravery on my part. What a terrible thing to say on my blog.
Is she trying to kill my poor struggling web site?
I am sure many of you know or can imagine the amount of work that goes into every book listing.
Researching & finding the books, ordering, winnowing out the more or less 1/4 of them that are unsalable.
Cleaning them, photographing them, editing the photos.
Then there is listing them. I scan/read them all. I try to get the gist of what the book is about.
I tell the truth about the book, For proof of this check out this listing:
http://www.newneedlepoint.com/content-product_info/product_id-2403/handbook_of_needlepoint_stitches_by_mary_meister_walzer.html.
I then, of course, package them, ship them and so on (and so on).
This is my “knee-jerk” response.
“OUCH. Think about it Cleo. When you buy from amazon.com you do not know what condition you are going to get. Yes, they say good or very good but those are very loose descriptions. You should see some of the “very goods” I receive/
From me you see the books.
It really is sort of unfair of you to use me that way. You read my “work” all about the books and decide you want one, then go buy it elsewhere. Does that seem fair to me, to you?
Yes, times are hard…for me too.”
I agree with Karen when she says:
“Yikes! That happens to car dealers all the time — go to one dealer, get the very best price; go down the road and get someone to underbid by $25 and buy from that guy who did none of the work putting the package together.”
Then tonight I received another very long blog comment from Cleo.
I am too chicken to post this one. Any bravery I possess has absolute limits.
I will give you some salient “talking points” from her comment.
First she says “no offense intended, it is simply known as shopping around”
Then she goes on to tell you all, in detail, about a almost brand new book (one I sell in NewNeedlepoint.com) that she bought on amazon for 1 penny plus their shipping.
What good is this going to do me, why would this stranger to me think it is OK to advise my customers (the few I have) that they can do so much better elsewhere.
Why would “Cleo” think this a Ok thing to do.
Does she think she is doing a public service?
That she is protecting unwary consumers from major rip-off artists like me?
She ends saying “no harm intended” (what did she think, this was going to be a help to me)
“she says she just wanted to explain further why is such a great deal for used books”
Then she hammers the final nail in my coffin by saying “you can get new books there too”.
YIKES
AWK
ARGH
And when all my customers are gone (since I mostly do sell books, it seems) and my nice little web site is a fond but dwindling memory. Just where is Cleo going to get these great descriptions of these books.
And all my info about books she never knew existed.
I may be paranoid these days, but this one caught me off guard and knocked me down for the punch.
Ia major change of subject is needed, by me anyway.
I just finished another Fiona Hill romantic novel. It is unusual, maybe even unique, the characters are unexpected and there are some fine moments and points to be made in this book.
It is called The Country Gentleman. Fiona Hill’s real name is Ellen Pall. I wonder if she is still publishing under another name?
I must, however, continue to protest the dust jacket blurbs saying Ms Hill is wittier and a better writer than Georgette Heyer.
I realize they want to sell (or wanted to sell, it is long out of print. Everything I am reading these days is) but saying that about Georgette Heyer is Blasphemy. (and I am not a finger-pointing accusions of Blasphemy kind of girl)
I ordered a copy of the new movie, It’s Complicated.
I have not opened it and watched it yet. Has anyone out there seen it yet?
Did you like it?
Is it a keeper? (would you like it your perma-movie collections)
I can still return it and watch it with a netflix copy (which I will have to wait for).
Anyone have an opinion?
filler blog
Books, I am selling books. 6 more today to one nice customer. I am constantly placing orders to replace sold books.
This is sort of interesting ( a 3 on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being deadly boring). The new books have been listed barely a week and I have sold 3 so far. I only bought ones of them all (except the Ruth Dilts books) so I need to re-order.
Ok, other then the above I have nothing of any interest to say tonight but blabb I must so……
I up-dated my home inventory pictures today. I had not re-done them since we moved home.
As I am sure you know, this is the very best way to prove what you own (and how nice it may be) in the case of an insurance claim. I keep the pictures on a flash drive in a fire-proof box in my safe. (me, paranoid? HA).
I separated out some pictures of a few of my “treasures” and edited the pictures. If you want to see some of the things I have collected and love, read on.
This is my Margaret Gerding Oil. I became more interested in art in the mid 1990′s. I had always loved it but never before could buy any. The trigger was a large oil painting of a field full of loosetrife in summer by Margaret Gerding. I love that painting but it is EXPENSIVE. It sold once and last year was back at the gallery for re-sale.
I wish it had come back before the markets collapsed..then again, why would it?
I did buy a small oil with a similar feeling…slightly similar. this is much darker then the one I love
This pastel by Margaret Gerding is closer in feeling but it is tiny. Still it is wonderful, Many people I know say this is their favorite of my pieces.
I have 7 pictures by a Western Massachusetts artist named Pam Lawson. Her work is all original art, she paints with acrylics on glass, then transfers the image to art paper.
They are not printed, they are not Glicee’. It is an odd process and I don’t really understand it but I like her work very much. I got tired of flowers and landscapes etc. We collected her work when we lived in New England.
This below is Keith’s favorite, guys all love this. I do too.
Another Pam Lawson
I inherited this pencil drawing from my father’s mother. It was in a broken frame with cracked glass. It is not signed but it is dated ’61.
Since we have had it since long before 1961 we assume it is 1861.
I love this drawing. I always put it somewhere where I will see it all the time.
This is a signed and numbered Glicee’ print by Brian Davis. It is called Peace Rose. The colors in this just glow, I have no idea how they got this lovely effect. This hangs above our bed.
I also collect art glass. Much of it is Clear glass Waterford (the more modern pieces and the Metropolitan line) and Color Waterford. I have one show stopper huge vase that has tall lillies sand carved standing from the base to the top. We waited 5 years for this vase to be marked down and finally, one Christmas they marked it down 40%.
I have a bit of Baccarat too.
I do not have the equipment or ability to photograph clear glass art glass as well as it should be. I wish I did.
This vase does not have a makers name, it is very heavy and the bulbous bottom is incredibly dense. I call it “Bulb Vase” ( I think I am funny).
This amazing vase is by a glass blower named Buzz Blogett. It too is very heavy. I don’t know why my picture of it has that gray/green area near the bottom. I tried taking another picture and it came out the same.
It does not look like that, the colors spiral down the vase getting darker as they go. I wonder why the pictures have that discolored area?
The last one tonight is my Meissen Figurine Group. I think of it as “the music room”. This is an amazing piece for several reasons. It is from sometime in the 1700s.
It is perfect, not one finger is even chipped. I, myself, have moved this lovely little group 9 times since I have owned it.
It is still perfect. I love it.
I hope you have enjoyed my “filler” blog post. These things are part of me, isn’t it funny how that happens?
pool vs. cat
NewNeedlepoint.com (this must be a record for me, getting the link in early) has not made a sale in almost 2 weeks. I am forcing myself into cheerful optimism (always a stretch for me no matter what).
I am not a natural optimist. Keith is, in fact I often refer to him as “Pollyanna”. It is a pretty accurate designation for him.
As are all optimists, he is often cruelly disappointed.
I am a natural pessimist. As such, I am often pleasantly surprised. I guess it all depends on “which way you are facing”.
This particular lull in my business began immediately following a customer from El Paso, Texas, who bought 5 used books from me then emailied me to ask if she could return 3 of them.
I might have felt differently if she had wanted to return 1, but 3?
Now, this customer had accidentally hit the “International Shipping” thingie in my check-out process so I had already refunded her $12.00.
It does say on my web site that I do not take returns except for something that is defective. That is sort of a general policy but as I said, had it been just 1 book…maybe.
. There are no NP returns. Needlepoint Canvases do not ship well. I wrap them in tissue paper and roll them up and ship in nice heavy cardboard shipping tubes, 4 inches across each (they are expensive) or padded flat envelopes if they are small.
The books are wrapped in tissue paper, either individually of 2 at a time, no more than that.
They are shipped in padded heavy envelopes, as well (also not cheap) for free.
To return books to me that I have shipped free, even if they pay the return shipping to me, is still a loss to me.
I am not Zappos. I don’t have zillions of transactions which render a return and lost free postage unimportant. I am working on thin margins.
So, I told her I do not do returns, as it states on my web site (in some of that “about us” or shipping boilerplate text).
She emailed me back “Well, I guess I won’t be buying from you again”.
Hmmmm, am I dying for a repeat customer who buys 5 books and then wants to return 3?
Is this person going to harm me with her tiny little blight on my poor web site?
I thought not….however it is now 2 weeks and counting. I wonder if I have been cursed (not that I believe in that stuff but still…..)
See, another day, another complaint.
I have all my NEW new books listed now except for the 3 book series Stitches for Effect, More Stitches for Effect & Even More Stitches for Effect by Suzanne Howren & Beth Robertson.
Do I list them together? But what is someone has #1 and wants 2 or 3? Or do I list them all separately? Except if I list them together I can deepen the discount, these are pretty costly books (marked $26, $30 & $31.50).
What to do? I suppose I could list them separately and together, both and them remove the together listing if someone buys just 1 (or 2).
But then again they have less value alone than together, I think.
Now you see how convoluted my mind is and how crazy I drive myself.
I listed some amazing books.
Creative Canvas Couching by Ann Stritz-Kurz includes a CD for instructions to use with the book.
I have these books from Ruth Diltz
Needlepoint 101, which is a guide to stitching Painted Canvas
And Needlepoint 202 which is Embellishing Painted Canvas
I have 2 books from the SuZy series by SuZy Murphy
SuZy’s Small Stitches
SuZy’s Surprise Stitches
I also have a few way off the beaten path books
ColorWorks is not a needlepoint book, it is about using colors and how colors effect others colors.
A-Z of Ribbon Embroidery
Orna Willis charming book of small designs “My Point Exactly”.
The Kneeler Book by Angela Dewer, a narrow niche book for church use stitching
I have replaced a couple of my used books that sold very quickly
Mira Silverstein’s Bargello Plus
This wonderful book, now translated from the German: Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Muller.
Needlepoint Samplers by Felicity Lewis
Needlepoint Design from Amish Quilts, with a dust jacket this time.
Now I have to save all this, then go back and do links for all of it…be back in a few minutes (or more)…………….
Back, if this was an infomercial I could now say “But Wait”….and tell you there are more and there are but I won’t.
I am reading more Fiona Hill. She seems to have won the decision in my “not Georgette Heyer but not too bad” competition. Ms Hill beat out Clare Darcy and Patricia Veryan. The Fiona Hill books have humor as do the books by my much loved Georgette Heyer.
I have just begun swimming in our pool. It is still cold but not unbearable. You get used to it pretty fast and then it is lovely. Even in Southern Florida you can only use a pool from about now to maybe late October without heating it.
Still…it is a pleasure. I love to paddle around in it. Jack The Cat is always flummoxed, what on earth are we doing messing around in something like this? He walks around the edge of the pool and meows at me. Sometimes he reaches down an touches the water with a paw, then recoils fast.
Occasionally he falls in. We never see it happen but we see these wet paw prints leading into my closet (curl up place of choice) and find a freaked out, wet & shivering cat all curled up in a ball. We take him out and towel dry him, soothe him and give him treats.
I wish all life’s messes were so easy to fix.
yet another rant
This is tiny little rant, it will not take up much of your time.
I think people who disfigure books with stickers are beastly. I know, beastly is a hard word but I have just spent 2 hours and my manicure scraping stickers off used books. One book had 4 of them on the tattered dust jacket. 4!. One used book wholesaler puts a sticker on the spine of every book, with their barcode.
Worse, are the ones who write $1.00 (or some equally puny number) on the paper inside cover page. I am sure this book was on some bargain table in 1972 but it has somewhat increased in value since then.
I have no beef with people who nicely write their name inside their books or a tasteful (or even cute, I can tolerate cute) book plate sticker.
I bow to the gentleman who used an embosser for his name and encased the book in a easily removable plastic “text book” cover.
Clearly I received most of my latest book order. 2 are deplorable, one has foxing so bad it looks like measles, another has the spine half way off the book, the entire spine.
But stickers! Parents of young children, I beg of you (of course, none of you have time to needlepoint since you are too busy chasing the kids and probably will never see this) think again before you give your children stickers to play with.
Think of them as sticker crazed adults stickering up the universe.
Stickers!
a very thin line
As you may (or may not) know last year I registered for Trademark Protection for NewNeedlepoint.com (got that link in nice & early this time).
That means no one else can use that name or copy anything I put that name on. I can’t trademark a new or used books or someone else’s canvas but anything original to me, I can and is.
Copyright is very similar. It protects not so much the name as the design and it’s integrity.
Let me tell you an old, old story. As some of you know my background is the garment industry. My grandfather started a company in the 1920′s that contracted to manufacturer and wholesaled men’s clothes.
My dad built it into a big business, we had a big lady’s line, men’s & kids. We even did several lines of nightgowns. Chief among them was a long, heavy flannel nightgown with a rounded yoke, frilled with eyelet and small flowers running horizontal down the gown alternating with stripes with the maker’s name written between the stripes.
Sound familiar? They were very much like the famous Lanz of Salzberg flannel nightgowns. Enough so we lost a copyright suit and had to alter our design.
I think it is good we did, although there is little truly original work in any “fashion” industry, including needlepoint, it is not right to copy to closely (or steal other’s designs).
There is a thin line between inspiration & trend and copying something, a very thin line.
I want to show you some examples and let you decide for yourself.
Are these needlepoint designs unfair copies or do they just “have the same feeling” for lack of a better way to put it.
(fair warning, some of these are ok, some not IMO)
How different is the Leigh Design Cat
From these Laurel Burch Dogs?
How similar are these Snowman Ornaments?
This one by Gail Lang.
Or this one by Laurie Korsgaden Designs
Interesting, isn’t it?
This new Design by Janet Perry called “Scrap Bag”
To this older design by Patt & Lee Designs called “Scrap Threads”
When you get to the finer points of it there are some “get away with” designs. Absolute classics like this David Merry design for Erhmann Tapestry
Or Samplers, there is not much possible variation to them, they all follow a form. Like this sampler by Mary Margaret Waldock
Or this lovely blooming flowers from Danji Designs
These are common, almost universal themes.
Let me find one more example of what I am talking about. Is it or isn’t it too similar?
These fish have the same feeling, the same layout. The colors differ but that is more about hue than actual color. One is a dull black background, one is a bright black background. The same for the design colors
This one is from Leigh Designs
I do not know the name of the artist here, it is a canvas from Needlepoint Alley
It makes me wonder Where is that line and how thin is it?
I do know that showing you other web site’s needlepoint canvases is probably not the smartest thing I have ever done here on my store blog. In the end I suppose it makes no difference. You, the customer, will buy what you really want no matter what I say.
I think I have said enough for tonight, I will spare you the “marianne is reading” report and all my other blather.
piggybacking
It seems that I am piggybacking on to advertising, using ads or reviews done (and paid for) by other people. As they say “works for me”.
The ANG magazine Needlepointers latest issue arrived a few days ago. I was thrilled to see this month’s book review.
They discussed Shirlee Lantz’s 1973 book A Pageant of Pattern for Needlepoint Canvas.
To quote the review in Needlepointers ” Books come and books go. But the occasion will arise when one doesn’t go, and instead is held as the standard for all the others”
It struck me that this is the exact same thing, in different words that my friend Jane, the esteemed mistress of the Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog said to me about this book when she suggested I find a copy.
This was long before I ever thought of listing and selling books on NewNeedlepoint.com
I have 2 copies of this book in stock plus my own copy. In the end I kept the worst copy for myself. I swapped my good one for a rottener (is that a word?) one that I was sent by a used book wholesaler (in very good condition, of course).
I also think a lot of Shirlee Lantz’s other book TrianglePoint from 1978. I list that one here too.
I used TrianglePoint as a border for one of my Bargello designs.
I was surprised how easily it stitched up except for the mitred corners. I never did manage that, so I did something else for the corners.
There is an excellent article in Needlepointers about how to best photograph needlepoint. I learned some things from the article and was pleased to see I got somethings right.
I think the most important piece of advice In the article is about not mixing your light sources. I learned that the hard way.
I have another bit of experience to share. If you love the light of the GE Reveal lightbulbs in your home, like I do, never try to photograph using them. Bad results, very bad.
I find I enjoy Needlepoint Now a lot more in it’s new incarnation. The projects sometimes appeal to me, as opposed to never appeal to me like before.
The articles in the back, by the “usual suspects” are often very informative.
It has been my intention to do an 1/8 page ad for NewNeedlepoint.com in Needlepoint now for 6 months now. The magazine is published every other month and I always seem to miss the deadline. I then promise myself I will make the next one. Then I miss that one too.
My friend Patt of Patt and Lee Designs has a current ad in Needlepoint Now and featured in that ad is this handsome design.
which I just happen to have listed as both a kit and the canvas alone.
As of my most recent count I have 18 designs by Patt & Lee for sale. Except for the Scrap Threads Designs, which are meant for you to use up your many “orphan” threads, yarns & etc., and the Vintage Cow all of them are offered as both kits or the canvas alone.
I even have a Custom Version of Patt’s well-known and much admired Geisha Cats design
In the NewNeedlepoint Version the Kanji in the upper right hand corner really does says “geisha”. That was my addition.
In the original design, the Kanji has no meaning, as far as Patt knows.
Patt & I are good friends (as I am sure you have heard me say before) and we have done several Custom Variations with some of her designs.
This version of her popular Shower Cat has been made simpler, for beginners and we have added the text to it. I think it is wonderful.
I added the text to her Penguins design (and changed the colors somewhat in the kit, making it brighter)
Patt & I added the quote for this one, from the famous John Lennon song with the refrain “All You Need Is Love”. We also simplified this a bit to make it suitable for beginners.
.
Let’s see. I am currently reading (and almost through with) Phillippa Gregory’s 520 page novel The Wise Woman. The title is clearly meant to be ironic. The “heroine” of the story is one of the most unlikable and self-serving characters I have encountered. Next to her even a selfish woman like Scarlett O’Hara looks like a Philanthropist.
Yet I have read through it almost non-stop.
I watched a current release pay-per-view movie tonight. It starred Jennifer Aniston, who is still charming but getting a bit old for these parts, and Arron Eckhart, who was not at his handsomest for this movie. It was about a popular author and grief counselor who is hiding his grief.
It was such a memorable movie that now, 2 hours after I watched it, I forget the movie’s name.
Sorry for such a long blog and so many links, I was on a roll.
Everything Old is New Again
I know, three bloggie days in a row.
Did you notice? The Garbage on the left side of my blog screen is gone. MY blog has gone private. There will be no ads here, ever (unless I put them here and I doubt I ever will).
My blog has a new address, and it’s very own domain. It is http://needlepointtalk.net. Isn’t the perfect, the guys at visible.net came up with the domain name and I think it is inspired (see, I am playing nice).
They promised me you would be automatically directed to this new domain from my old blog address. I sure hope it works.
I have also, finally, put all my blog posts in categories. When I first began this blog I categorized each entry but then I got lazy and stopped doing it.
I have been told that whatever program or search bot it is out there that “looks for blogs” or whatever arcane thing it does looks for blog categories.
So, I spent today putting them all in categories. I added a few more categories to help this process including the *Rant* category.
How perfect is that?
So, now my blog is pristine, all ship shape & bristol fashion. I got the ship shape one from the old Rex Harrison & Gene Tierney movie, The Ghost & Mrs Muir. A lovely old movie, she was lovely and he was dashing.
Now, back to listing the NEW new books, then some canvases before my next shipment of books arrives.
It is mostly replacements for books that have sold. I am selling quite a few.
It is good to be a peace again, for however long.
One last thing, I have a funny one. My mother & her sister (the wonderful and redoubtable Aunt Midge) are getting together with a family with a nice daughter who also lives in the North End of Boston to set these kids up on a blind date.
It think it is sort of wonderful, really and cute. My son is not against this plane, either.
“Everything Old Is New Again”. Isn’t this how it used to happen?
social networking
This is so typical. It is 5:08am on Saturday morning. I have been in bed busily composing this blog in my head.
Not sleeping like I should be, words lining themselves up in neat little rows, over and over and over. So here I am.
What got me started was a email from a NING group I belong to (and I think many of you do too) called Stitchin Fingers. They send me many emails, sometimes too many emails. I confess I rarely read them but last nights update got my attention.
NING is no longer going to be free. From now on you have to pay fees for a varied list of services. Or take your group elsewhere.
I got that part from an article I found on-line about these changes. It seems (and I sort of already knew this) that NING was started by Marc Andreessen, who they call a “bazzillonaire” and the founder of Netscape. He does not want to do anything for free anymore.
Zac, my web tech has been all over me forever to start a NING group. It was my thought, since there are several fine NING stitching groups (the one mentioned above and Stitcherie) that I would do a Needlepoint Book group but I never did find the time to actually do it.
This seems to be a trend. A few months ago Stitchopedia, Carolyn MacNeill’s wonderful on-line stitch index with complete directions for each stitch went “pay-per-view” (not really, a $24.95 yearly fee, I think it is worth it and pay it).
But will I pay for Stitchin Fingers? I don’t think so.
This all feels like a trend. I recently read Twitter is going to have ads soon. I gave up on Twitter a long time ago.
All it was seemed to be other start up on-line businesses (or not so start up) and we were all out there Tweeting at each other, promoting ourselves to each other.
It felt futile and stupid. I never read their tweets, did I think they read mine? NO.
And Facebook. I used to do some Facebook. There were (and probably still are) a nice group of needlepoint people out there.
I would occasionally promote something on my web store or just blabb.
But Facebook now is wall to wall Farmville (and fishville and mafia wars). That and my husbands relatives. Facebook is how they are stay connected and I was (seriously) required to “friend” each and any of them who requested.
Now between Farmville and their mega chatty faces, there is little else on my Facebook screen. It takes me pages (plural) to get through it all and get to some needlepointers.
That and Jody Valentine, jeez.
Then you factor in ads etc. placed on blogs beyond the bloggers control and without their permission you get a “sea change” in the world of blogging and I, for one, think it is a shame.
In going down the list of Needlepoint Blogs on The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure blog there are a whole bunch of new blogs. There seem to be new ones each time I look.
I just had this silly image of all the blogs, more and more and more of them inflating like a big balloon before it goes *BOOM*
Social Networking seemed like a good idea that has somehow gone wrong, for me anyway.
Then again, I am just a big old crab.
I am busy listing the new books. Some of them are terrific
and some of them are disappointing.
I am thrilled to know that the Father B’s 21st Century Book of stitches, based on his work with the ANG Stitch of the Month (from the beginning) is not out of print. I have 3 of them and can get more.
Unlike the used books, I know they will be in good condition when I get them (DOH!, they are new) but I don’t know the contents.
The condition of the used books is getting worse. It seems I (me, by myself) have bought up most of the good copies of certain books. I find there are a number of the books I sell and sell over and over
The New York Times Book of Needlepoint, this books is always in very worn condition, it is clearly a book that is consulted and used
Needlepoint & Pattern by Gloria Katzenberg, I have bought 3 of these so far, this one is , by far, the best of them.
The Bargello Book by Frances Salter, these are always in pretty good or great condition. They are clearly read but either Bargello People are neater or the book is tough and sturdy
Bargello Plus by MIra Silverstein, this is the book that proves Bargello people are not neater, all 3 copies of this book have been messy outside. The insides are good but…
97 Alphabets by B. Bossuck, this poor book, be it hardcover or paperbound is clearly read, used and neglected.
Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Muller, both copies, so far, have been gorgeous, very nice.
A Needlepoint Gallery of Patterns from the Past by Phyllis Kluger, 3 copies so far, among the most tattered dust jackets I have ever seen
The Beatrix Potter Needlepoint Book, for some unknown reason this book is always in wonderful condition. Of the 5 of these I have bought so far, 4 were in Gift Quality condition.
Of course, there is the very rare book I have created myself by selling and re-buying Bargello: An Explosion in Color by Margaret Boyles. I have sold so many and bought so many that a ok condition copy of it costs 30 times what it did when I began (no, not kidding)
I read through the 3 out of print Diane Farr books I have like I was eating ice cream. They were that enjoyable. I am searching for more of them.
I started another 1970′s Claire Darcy but so far, it feels same old. Too familiar. Once you figure out the plot points an author uses, what’s the point?
This happened to me years ago when I was reading Barbara Michaels novels. I went straight through them until I figured out there was always a not so gorgeous heroine, 2 heros to choose from and a mystery or supernatural atmosphere (or both). It was the heroines task to solve the mystery and figure out which suitor was the good guy and which the bad guy.
This was before Ms Michaels became Elizabeth Peters, the author of the many Amelia Peabody/Emerson Egyptian books.
But I have to admit, I reached a point in that series when I did not want to know anything more about any of it. It was after they married the son off to the perfect ethereal super rich blonde former egyptian goddess (no, I am not kidding).
I have always had something of a aversion for wispy, delicate ethereal blondes in my escapist reading. Which explains why I love everyone in Georgette Heyer’s Frederica except Charis.
I think this is enough blather for one night? Maybe I can go back to sleep now.
enough is enough
Things continued to escalte between me and my web site host, visible.net. I decided enough was enough and spoke directly to the boss there. He is a reasonable guy and I was reasonable (I hope). We had spoken before to good effect and this time, as well, I believe he listened to me.
I told him I would not talk about this situation anymore if he would stop what was happening on his end. We agreed and it felt good and right.
Of course (she said) that stuff is still on my blog, the “similar store blogs you will like” along with links to other store blogs. I am being patient that the change to the private blog I have paid for will be done soon.
So…….This has been a pretty lousy 2 weeks for me but as the prophets say “that’s life”.
In the good column I have received my New Books order. It is funny, Between selling these used and sometimes rare books plus recently reading either used books or books from my own bookcase I had not touched a brand new book in a few months.
Yes, there is a difference. I apologize for the reflection my photography lights made on these glossy covers, I need to figure out how to place the lights to minimize that.
I already have the flash turned off, which helps some.
I will be listing these new books in the next week or so now that I am (GASP) all caught up with everything else.
First up. I found the Original Publisher of the Father B’s 21st Century Book of Stitches. This is the last edition, dated 2000 of this excellent book which is based on the ANGs Stitch of the Month. This is a great stitch book that I thought was out of print.
I have Dominique Seigler-Lathrop’s The Secrets of Needlepoint which appears to be, as well as an interesting general needlepoint reference, a great and very well graphed collection of stitches.
I have two of the popular SuZy Murphy books. I had heard of them but never had seen one so I started with 2 from her series. SuZy’s Surprise Stitches
and SuZy’s Small Stitches.
I have 3 of the June McKnight series of small spiral bound needlepoint books. I own one of these myself so I already knew they are useful and handy books. I have to say here that I love spiral bound “work” books, they stay open and lay flat.
I have the Needlepoint Wisdom book
The Architectural Stitches for Needlepoint book and Decorative Backgrounds for Needlepoint.
My own book is the book on Shading from the series, I think I will get that to sell here next.
I have Ruth Dilts 101 & 202 series books. She subtitles them “Guide to Painted Canvas”. I think 202 has just recently been published but I could (easily) be wrong.
There is a USA published version of Susan Higgenson’s first rate Stitches book. I have not yet compared it with my English published version of the book. I will soon and get back to you (of course).
There a few of what I think of as the “less usual” books as well.
ColorWorks, The Crafter’s Guide to Color almost put me off with the title. I do not and will not think of Needlepoint as a “craft”. To me it is an Art.
However, this book does seem to have things I (or you, maybe) can learn about color use.
Below is a page from the book, as well
I have Creative Canvas Couching by Ann Strite-Kurz. I am told her books are very good.
New Twists on Needlework Embellishment by Susan Howren & Beth Robertson.
As well as the above books, the New Books include:
Beautiful Bargello by Joyce Petschek
Beginner’s Guide to Berlin Woolwork by Jane Alford
Exotic Fruits and Flowers in Needlepoint by Stella Knight
The New Church Kneeler Book by Angela Dewar
My Point Exactly by Orna Willis
A-Z of Ribbon Embroidery from the A_Z Series
and
Kelim Canvas Work by Gayna Awege which turns out to be a small booklet rather then a book.
These are just the start. I will see how they do before expanding.
I have more then a few New Needlepoint Canvases to list as Canvases and to Kit up.
This graphic with it’s lovely colors is hand painted by Eileen Best.
This wonderful Imari design is handpainted by Danji Designs, as is the Iris canvas below.
I have lots more too, just trying to not put them all on the web site at once, to keep things for when things sell (I wish).
So, clearly “I’m Back” again (and again).
I am re-reading Diane Farr’s The Fortune Hunter. Despite a 1999-2000 (I forget which) publication date it is sadly out of print and all but forgotten. This book and her The Nobody deserve better.
Tried to watch the old B&W version of Dinner at 8 on DVD. Could not get past John Barrymore’s posturing in a dressing gown and Jean Harlow as “Kitten”.
I remain puzzled that Jean Harlow was as wildly popular as she was. Although she does do crass and rude very well. And Lionel Barrymore dies magnificently.
At any rate, when I was done ironing, so was the movie, I turned it off and sent it back to good old NetFlix (where would we be without them?).
I hope no one is (very) disappointed by my not at all dramatic end to the web host story, it is not very good reading but it is best for me.
Now to business: Don’t forget, you can enhance your Needlepoint Life with the wonderful products you will find on NewNeedlepoint.com. Your one-stop destination for the best in Needlepoint
(whew, writing that hyperbole is exhausting)
coincidence?
I think the first thing I want to say here is that I am telling you the truth about what is going on between visible.net & poor little NewNeedlepoint.com
I know I have my emotions at play here and a sense of outrage but under all my hysteria, these things are true and are happening to me.
OK, to bring you to where I am now. I paid them the agreed upon $500 to make my blog private and take their “similar store blog you might like” garbage off it it and to prevent them from placing advertising on it in the future.
Except the “similar store blogs” is still there, at least the colostomy bags are gone.
I think of that $500 as ransom, Keith calls it Extortion.
OK, so this all happened a week ago.
Thursday night I was adding new listings to my web store. It is time, I thought, to put in the Holiday stuff. A cute halloween canvas from Patt & Lee (with another to come)
And a few Christmas Tree Ornaments I have been waiting to list. OK, so far.
Then I went to add some books. First, I wanted to edit a previous listing, I am always tweaking them, it seems.
I opened the listing and noticed all my KEYWORDS & META TAGS were gone.
Now, I need to get a bit technical. You do not see them but each listing I have (or anyone has) has Keywords & Meta Tags & Meta Descriptions attached to it. This is how the search engines see us. Without them we (nn.com) is invisible on the net. I don’t exist, in terms of the internet, without them.
They are not so easy to do. There are rules. Numbers of keystrokes rules, word number rules, when you can use caps and when not etc.
I am pretty good at these, They seem to come naturally and I use a text counter to keep me in line with the numbers.
Ok, I started opening stuff at random on my web site administration site. They were all gone. Blank. Zero.
All my keywords, Meta Tags & Meta Descriptions were gone for 300+/- listings.
I guess you know me by know to know I freaked out. This was late at night, I called Zac and left him a message. I was sobbing so hard he could not understand a word of it.
I am not a “trusting soul”. At my age and with my life experiences, I am wary, at best. On the other hand I do not think I am unnecessarily paranoid (maybe a little but not too bad at all).
My first thought was that someone had done this to me in retaliation for my talking about my store blog situation on my blog.
Zac had told me I was “making waves” (his word) and that what I had written had “been seen” (again, his words).
I am not a huge believer in coincidence. The timing here was too suspect, too convenient, too cute.
I spoke to Zac first thing the next morning (11:00 am EST, their 8 am).
He was upset about this too. I think his first feeling was that this had “been done” to me too. He said he would not have known how to do it. Then again, he is tech support and a nice guy. Not a techie heavyweight.
He said he would call me back that day. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. When I called him at 4:40 PST (7:30PM for me) he said he had left me a message.
Zac told me that this had happened to “a few of their clients” not just to me.
I asked him if any of his clients were affected (knowing his primary job now is not tech support, he just keeps a few of us as tech clients since his promotion).
There was a spilt second hesitation, then he said “One”.
Now, I am very fond of Zac but I don’t believe him. I know his job is very important to him, he has 2 small kids. In his place, I would “throw me under the bus” to protect my job.
I have no way of ever knowing the truth.
Zac told me they were being restored, with their backups. They did restore most of them, maybe 85%.
But I am trapped here. After a year of hard work and struggle to support my spirts and the will to keep doing this, I have finally begun to get some business on NewNeedlepoint.com.
If I move my web site to another web host I will lose all I have built this past year. My “web address” will change. I will be back to square 1 in terms of web site exposure and search engine ranking.
Yes, I do own my Domain Name (and not through them, thank goodness) and I own my web site design and contents but there is no guarantee that even an experienced tech can move my web site intact.
I might be faced with having to re-build it all, listing by listing and still be set back a year.
So, what am I to do?
I wish I knew. I’ll tell you what I did. I have spent all my time since Friday Printing out, laboriously, every single listing I have, active or inactive. I cut and pasted the entire descriptive text, the web site admin. as it looks and the keywords.
I used 25 pounds of paper (not an estimate, a whole 20lb pack and another quarter of one).
Keith says he is going to digitally back them up as well but I think I will not hold my breath until he does it.
Until I had everything backed up on nice old fashioned paper I was unwilling to say a word more about visible.net here.
But I do now and this is the story.
You most likely will make up your own mind about what happened & why.
Was this a badly timed web site glitch, that affected just a few of their clients or did some one sabotage me?
I wish I knew. I never will.
