IMPORTANT!!! ALL SELLERS BEWARE!

There's a scam artist out there trying to get you.... and his emails go a little something like this... I have copied and pasted mine in here so you get the idea...... (When he realized I was on to him, he went back and deleted the ones he had sent to me- but the dumb ass forgot about my sent box!)

Day 1:
On 09/30/11, John Benson johnbenson1990@hotmail.com wrote:
Hello,My name is John Benson,I want to place an order in your store,I will like to know if you ship to Philippines .Do you accept credit card?.Get back to me with your website/price list.I will await your prompt response.
Best RegardJohn Benson
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Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011
From:
To: johnbenson1990@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Order Inquiry
Hi!
Sorry.... when I first looked at this it almost looked like a virus?! I hope I am wrong!

Yes I can send to the Philippines. And you can order from my store here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Katiesclaycorner
I do believe you can pay with a credit card directly there! Thank you for your interest!

Katie:)
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On 10/12/11, john benson wrote:
Dear Katie,

Good to read back from you . below are the Items I want to order,

Birdhouse- Dollhouse Miniature
50 Quality

3 Miniature Birdhouses- Dollhouse Miniatures
50 Quality

SHIPPING ADDRESS
1)My Customer's ID # : D7LO231101LOP
2)Delivery Full Address:
16 Ayala Avenue,
Makati City,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1226

Concerning the shipment,the likes of UPS,FEDEX and POST OFFICE always don't take care of the charges down here. Charges like handling, customs duties,tax etc. I have experienced such situation before and I don't want to be the victims of such a thing again. I will be glad if you contact this freight forwarder LECH TECH LOGISTICS for shipping quote.The shipping company will arrange the pick-up of my order from your store,so you don't have any stress to face in shipping processing at all.Here is their email address ( lechtech44@gmail.com) ,Not that I can't deal with the shipper directly,but they always prefer to deal with the store where they will be doing the pick up in other to reduce the customs duties and other charges.They have a way of preparing their shipment documents whereby the custom duties payment on this goods will be reduced and if I wanted to pay for the custom duties and other charges, at times it is 40% of the whole package amount.I do trust LECH TECH LOGISTICS ,if not I wouldn't have recommend them for my shipment.They are very reliable and fast.They will take care of everything including Handling, Customs duties,Tax, Insurance etc.Contact them to obtain a quote and get back to me in the format bellow:

COST OF THE ORDER
COST OF THE SHIPPING FROM LECH TECH LOGISTICS
TOTAL COST (ORDER + SHIPPING)
Once I have these details from you, I will get back to you with my credit card information,so you can charge and make the necessary shipping arrangements.
Regards,
Benson

NOTE:The freight company will need these 5 information to get you a quote,so provide them with the details bellow:
1)My Customer's ID # : D7LO231101LOP
2)Delivery Full Address:
16 Ayala Avenue,
Makati City,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1226
3)Pick Up Full Address : PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS
4)Weight Of The Consignment : PROVIDE ORDER WEIGHT
5)Momentary Value Of The Consignment : PROVIDE ORDER TOTAL COST
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Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011
From:
To: johnbenson1990@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Items Needed.............................................................Contact Shipper

Hi John,
After I picked myself up off the floor, I'm really going to have to re-read this again. I'm sorry... I've never had an order this big, and am a little speechless right now...... I honestly thought this was spam from the beginning......

I can totally understand the customs issues and will contact lech tech log. and see what I can find out on my end. When I ship stuff overseas, I try and mark it as a gift so people don't have to pay that charge........but then again I generally only ship a few at a time....

As for your order, which birdhouses are you referring too...... I make several kinds and several colors..... What did you have in mind.

I usually don't check this account, but now that I know I'll be expecting another email from you.. my next reply won't take so long... Sorry about that!

Thank-you!

Katie
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On 10/21/11, john benson wrote:
Dear Katie,

Have you Contact Lech Tech with this information i gave you?Remember Lech Tech ( lechtech44@gmail.com) will need all this information below

1)My Customer's ID # : D7LO231101LOP
2)Delivery Full Address:
16 Ayala Avenue,
Makati City,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1226
3)Pick Up Full Address : PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS
4)Weight Of The Consignment : PROVIDE ORDER WEIGHT
5)Momentary Value Of The Consignment : PROVIDE ORDER TOTAL COST

Best Regard
Benson
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Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2011
From:
To: johnbenson1990@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: RE: Items Needed.............................................................Contact Shipper

Hi Benson...

I have Not contacted them yet, because I am still unsure of what it is that you want so I don't know how big the box would be or how much it would weigh. Nor do I know how much it would cost because I am a little unsure of what birdhouses you are referring to. I make several and I make them as I go, generally no 2 are the same. Once I get a little better understanding of what you want, I can call them with a better understand of the information you want me to give them. If you go to my store site you can tell me which birdhouses you are requesting?

Katie
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On 10/25/11, john benson wrote:
Dear Katie,

I just got your email right now,Just give me any good ones that can make me happy and get back to me Asap thanks a lot.


Best Regard
Benson
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And it was about right here when I found out that the whole thing was a scam.......
which you can find here:
http://stopartscams.blogspot.com/2011/02/scam-email-andrew-roundy.html
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Well Hello MR John, or whatever your name really is....

I have Googled your Lech Tech and Found a wonderful site explaining who you are and what your up to.... and I just wanted to say Thank-you for F*ck*ng up my week. You know I am a single Mom with a really bad Heart trying to take care of 3 kids and when I saw your order I was so proud of myself. I can NOT begin to tell you how crushed I was when I found out the whole thing is a scam! Shame on you!!! What a terrible thing to do to people! Didn't YOUR Momma teach YOU any better? "Just give me any good ones that can make me happy"..... what kind of crap is that? Well Buddy..... Try this some where else..... My chest hurts, my feelings are hurt... and Now I'm Pissed! Thanks!

Best Regards my Ass!
Katie


What a Joke!
Like I said......
BEWARE OF PEOPLE LIKE MR. BENSON! Or whatever his name really is......

New signs.... and a med update...

I have bought a Lot of stamps lately.... too many to admit to actually..... but this little witch has got to be one of my favorites.

I can't remember where I had seen this phrase, but I knew I had to do it in mini.... and when I found the stamp, I thought it would make a cute sign- Now to find a home for it... Anyone building a witch's flying school? lol..... Neat idea, though, huh!

Just had to share these with you..... My youngest had brought one home in a milk carton and this is what they blossomed into...... so pretty! I love the rich colors of the fall!

BTW- Like my new backgrounds for my signs? It's new neighbor's walkway, lol..... I think it looks great against my 'old' signs!
I love the saying on this one......

Sorry, but before you get your hopes up, this one has already been sold...... But I can make more, but it might not be exactly like this one because I used the middle section of a big stamp to do this... I really like it, and wasn't surprised when it was one of the first signs to sell this afternoon:)

I gotta tell you..... When I went out to take the pictures, the sun was already past my yard, so I had to go across the street and use my neighbor's walkway.... And don't you know I can't go Anywhere without The Three Stooges following me... And I thought the kids were bad, lol....

... I don't think I told you yet... But do you remember me telling you about the little boy who lived across the street with leg cancer? Well.... after they took out his leg, replaced it with the rod, went through Chemo.... Went back to get checked out again and then they found out he had lung cancer. Well they removed that, went through Chemo again.... and guess what... He just went his first year being Cancer free:) And they just moved back in next door, temporally.... but it's nice to see them again every day! I miss hearing him yell... "Hi Drew's Mom!" :)

OK... You know I gotta go there..... It time for a med update.....

Last night was my recent up dose. I'm now taking 3 pills( 75mg) of Topiramate a night (don't think I've actually told you the name of the med before.) So My toes/feet/fingers/ and hands still go numb for random reasons and actually as I type my left foot is asleep. I find myself stomping my feet in the strangest of places- like in the grocery store- between my bagging issues and now my stomping issues, I know those people think I have lost my mind!). The night sweets(LOL, I had to leave that typo- to funny sweets, lol...meant to type sweats) are gone, but I'm getting hot flashes... and I'm having a hard time maintaining my body temp so I'm drinking lots of warm fluids. I'm still not hungry. I have begun my old regime of drinking nutritional drinks in the mornings again to maintain some kind of normal for my body. Not having too much of a problem with my IBS- but then again, I'm not really eating so there's nothing there to annoy me. And in the past few days I've noticed my heart rate increasing. I have SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia) anyways, and take meds daily, but if it gets worse or to a point where I think I need to call someone I will. I know how my 'Lemon' works, and I know when to push it and I know when to back off...... at this point, I'm still 'treading water'** The worst symptom is my mind and is still really messing with me. Now there's been a LOT of 'family' drama, so I can't tell if I'm just stressed or if I'm really losing it, but I've been on meds like this before and I'm kinda thinking that it's a combo of both. You know- Forgetting if I feed the cats or not- And they don't help- They always act like they're hungry! Or When you drive to the pharmacy and end up at the post office instead, but you normally catch yourself en route... well I'm not catching myself till I get to the post office and I'm sitting there trying to figure out wtf I'm doing at the post office..... go ahead, laugh... I do. I always do! Well.... I cry, too. This med just really has my head all screwed up, lol. Up down and all around. Damn it, It better be worth it! LOL...

**When I was a kid, I grew up next to a lake. We used to go swimming all the time, some days we'd swim from the time the sun came up, to the time the sun went down, and then there were the days we'd push our luck and wait for our parents to come yell at us to get out. But it wasn't till the other day that I realized that it was then that I learned how to Really tread water. Eventually you get to the other side:)

Did I tell you I had my one year anniversary with the store:) And I didn't go bankrupt, lol. One day.... I'll get around to having a blog giveaway to celebrate, but my real life just has me all hemmed up right now. So I might be giving away pumpkins for Christmas, but you guys will understand, right?! LOL

In case you didn't notice... this is why I'm not blogging.... I'm rambling..... so instead I'm working:) I'll be starting to work on Christmas signs here soon.... If I can ever get away from the Halloween signs... They are just so addicting..... SO when you get a chance- Come check out the store:)

Until Next Time...

It's me again... fussing this time!

But I have pretty pictures... So does that help? LOL...

Please tell me why it took me walking all the way to the Post Office this morning before I realized it was a Federal Holiday and that the Post Office was closed?! Yup... my car is still dead, so I'm walking.... Now, don't go feeling bad... it's not far... And I don't mind! I actually like walking. My heart doesn't like it, lol.... But it's good for it! Walking never hurt anyone. In fact.... when I see my head doc every week, I take the stairs instead of the elevator. I don't understand why more people don't... You're only going up 2 floors people! I always tell her I know it's going to be a good day when I can actually make it up the stairs, I may be a little winded by the time I get up there, But I'm there, and that's a great feeling. The walls leading up the stairs are soooo white! And I was telling her the other day that they should paint murals on them, and that might encourage people to walk more?! Don't you agree?!

So... I went back out yesterday for one more pic op in the garden before the sun went away...... This time I tried to set up a 'Pumpkin Patch' picture. Oh- and you asked yesterday where the bench came from- I have no clue, lol... People give me things? I dunno why? lol- I'm not complaining, I like the things they give me... but I'm not sure where it originally came from. It goes in the garden- it's not 1/12 scale..... More like a giant barbie scale, but it works.... And I like the finish on it, too:)

We also had a visitor yesterday.... I tried to get her more involved in the pictures, but she was a very uncooperative ladybug! lol ...... and now that I'm seeing my kitty planter in the back- I'm thinking he needs a couple coats of pink paint- doesn't he look like the Cheshire Cat from this angle?

And before I go..... I just gotta bitch about this new medicine I'm on..... The doc has me on this med to try and regrow those missing nerves.... It's a long shot, and I know that, but it's a chance that I'm willing to take at this point. I've been 'sick' for a long time, and Damn it, I'm ready to move again! I know in the back of my head that there's very little chance this will work, but I have Hope... so we will see.... And I'm not giving up until it's over, so there.....

OK.... So, I'm up the 3rd dose of it, and the symptoms are very apparent! My appetite is Gone. All the weight I worked so hard to gain will soon be gone. My toes and fingers now tingle for no reason. Kinda like when they go to sleep cause your sitting on them wrong- but I'm not even sitting on them kinda thing. I'm waking up soaked every morning because my body is Not maintain it's body temp during sleep. I've taken my temp during the day and it's around 97. I get hot- sweaty, icky, I'm going to throw up hot- then so cold my teeth chatter and my bones hurt cold- It's ridiculous! My IBS is driving me nuts, I wake up in the middle of the night throwing up and find myself sleeping in the tub to get a break. Oh... and I'm forgetting things. Forgetting to mail things, forgetting to do things that I do everyday, asking the kids questions twice and not remembering it. I feel like I'm losing my mind some times.... But I'm rolling with it. Mostly, lol. In 2 weeks, I'll up the dose again..... if I can make it that far. I'm suppose to be on this for at least 6 months before we will know anything. You know sometimes in life, you just got to deal with the bs to get to the light at the end of the tunnel... one day at a time, and one foot in front of the other.... Well..... today's just one of those days where I think I'm just going back to bed, lol.

Until Next Time...

I Love the Sunshine!

I sure hope the weather is as beautiful there as it is here!! I just wish I could bottle it up and let it loose every morning:)

Thought I'd drop off some pictures so you could get an idea on size. This is Momma Fox (Mrs. Slydale if I'm correct). I've had her Forever- she's one of the original Sylvanians.... In the first picture she's holding a large crackled cream colored pumpkin...

...and in the second picture she's holding a small pumpkin...

Mrs. Beaver (which came from the original Mapletown figures) also came out for the photo op...

Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember taking pictures of these ladies when I was a little girl.... of course back then I would just line all of them up along a wall and a take a picture- how boring!! Don't you think they're much more interesting this way:)

Don't forget to check out all the pumpkins in my Etsy store:)

...until next time....

Pumpkin Update....

I am just now Finally getting the pumpkins loaded into Etsy. Between the rain, the car dying on us, and everyone having a cold.... well.... you know how that goes...... I just fell behind. So I thought I'd drop off some pictures to share with you:) When you get a chance, you can check the rest of them out on Etsy:)

All of my pumpkins were sculpted by me using a toothpick- and not because I don't have the right sculpting tools, but becasue for some reason I am more comfortable using a toothpick?! Each were painted with a base coat before being painted with LOTS of coats of acrylic paint. After they were crackled, I went back over them with watered down paints to add more age. I feel like I've been painting for weeks, lol. Each pumpkin was also sprayed with an acrylic sealer to protect all those coats of paint.

....look, it has a hat?! ...too cute!

Love those little pink flowers behind the pink pumpkin! With it being October- I just had to make a pink pumpkin! Save those Ta-tas!!

So... Earlier today, I was outside taking pictures.... came in the house for a minute.... and when I came back out the sun wasn't shining in my yard anymore.... So when I started looking around, I spotted my neighbors Beautiful Orange pumpkins.... and knew they'd make a good backdrop- my neighbor wasn't home, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind:)

My biggest pumpkin.... and my smallest pumpkin:)

And of course I can't go anywhere without my shadow!

My neighbor has dogs, so when she's home.... JD doesn't get to come in their yard..... But now that he had their yard to himself..... he was making sure he left his scent Everywhere! Poor dogs- When they finally get outside, they're going to go crazy trying to figure this out!

I still have some more pumpkins to upload into Etsy tomorrow.... but for tonight, I'm done...... well... with the computer at least. I have 'other' pumpkins that need to be finished and one that I'm hoping to have done for a giveaway here soon. Don't worry, it won't be one you can buy it the store, it will be special:)

Ok..... before I go..... I want to thank those of you that leave comments! I know I've been slacking in the whole blogging department and even worse when it comes to leaving you comments, but I'm hoping this will change soon. I was thinking that when the kids went back to school I'd have more time, but for some reason, some one is stealing my days, and I just don't know where time goes these days?

So....
Until Next Time......