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Post by grammadee on Jan 23, 2021 0:38:32 GMT
Since my most recent Tuesday Morning trips have been pretty much a bust, I decided to splurge and get a new set of dies that make a large viewfinder. Supposed to show up today. When I scrap my trips, I always make thumbprints of all of the pictures I take in order to plan my pages and order my pictures. Now I can use some of those thumbnails in the viewfinder die. Where are you ordering this die set from? Sounds perfect for scrapbooking trips, or a year in overview, or maybe on a grad page giving small pics of the grad growing up.
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Post by 950nancy on Jan 23, 2021 2:11:15 GMT
Since my most recent Tuesday Morning trips have been pretty much a bust, I decided to splurge and get a new set of dies that make a large viewfinder. Supposed to show up today. When I scrap my trips, I always make thumbprints of all of the pictures I take in order to plan my pages and order my pictures. Now I can use some of those thumbnails in the viewfinder die. Where are you ordering this die set from? Sounds perfect for scrapbooking trips, or a year in overview, or maybe on a grad page giving small pics of the grad growing up. I found it on Etsy. All of the other sites that sold it were sold out when I checked. It has several other dies that go with this set.
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MDscrapaholic
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,375
Location: Down by the bay....
Jun 25, 2014 20:49:07 GMT
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Post by MDscrapaholic on Jan 23, 2021 11:41:52 GMT
grammadee , Elizabeth Craft Designs has a viewmaster die - Planner Essentials #32. I just got mine last week! ECD Viewmaster Dies(It looks exactly like the one above)
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Post by grammadee on Jan 23, 2021 15:40:54 GMT
Thanks, MDscrapaholic! I remember being tempted by that one the last time I was on the ECD site. But hadn't thought of it as something I could use on a 12x12 page, and I am not a planner. Hmmm....
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Jan 24, 2021 2:11:11 GMT
Well, I received more of my Costco orders today and 1 yesterday, too. The one yesterday looks just about as bad as the first one...included in that batch was a completely unedited (important because edits save smaller than the original files, so this particular image was in it's original 6MB size) and it looked fuzzier and more pixelated than photos taken in the dark using my cell phone without a flash. The 4 I received today are marginally better, but still subpar to the quality that I've grown to expect from Costco over the years and not something I consider acceptable ('they suck less' isn't a rave review that any good company would want to hear). I'm in the process of asking for a complete refund on all 14 orders even though I'm still waiting on 8 original orders to arrive as well as a reprint of the first order.
There are only two options that could be causing this since my high quality photos in their original form demonstrates that it isn't an issue I'm causing and they are: something is wrong with their upload programming causing files to be compressed when they shouldn't be or the company they are using to process photos is doing a piss poor job.
Some of the photos that I have received are manageable, but I'm not using Costco's services for mediocre results. I was really hoping that things were going to improve. I've been so disappointed by the whole ordeal that I've given up on even bothering to edit photos at this point. Completely lost my mojo.
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 24, 2021 13:16:05 GMT
Well, I received more of my Costco orders today and 1 yesterday, too. The one yesterday looks just about as bad as the first one...included in that batch was a completely unedited (important because edits save smaller than the original files, so this particular image was in it's original 6MB size) and it looked fuzzier and more pixelated than photos taken in the dark using my cell phone without a flash. The 4 I received today are marginally better, but still subpar to the quality that I've grown to expect from Costco over the years and not something I consider acceptable ('they suck less' isn't a rave review that any good company would want to hear). I'm in the process of asking for a complete refund on all 14 orders even though I'm still waiting on 8 original orders to arrive as well as a reprint of the first order. There are only two options that could be causing this since my high quality photos in their original form demonstrates that it isn't an issue I'm causing and they are: something is wrong with their upload programming causing files to be compressed when they shouldn't be or the company they are using to process photos is doing a piss poor job. Some of the photos that I have received are manageable, but I'm not using Costco's services for mediocre results. I was really hoping that things were going to improve. I've been so disappointed by the whole ordeal that I've given up on even bothering to edit photos at this point. Completely lost my mojo. I would just sit down and cry! It's so much work to get photos ready to print.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Jan 24, 2021 14:31:17 GMT
Well, I received more of my Costco orders today and 1 yesterday, too. The one yesterday looks just about as bad as the first one...included in that batch was a completely unedited (important because edits save smaller than the original files, so this particular image was in it's original 6MB size) and it looked fuzzier and more pixelated than photos taken in the dark using my cell phone without a flash. The 4 I received today are marginally better, but still subpar to the quality that I've grown to expect from Costco over the years and not something I consider acceptable ('they suck less' isn't a rave review that any good company would want to hear). I'm in the process of asking for a complete refund on all 14 orders even though I'm still waiting on 8 original orders to arrive as well as a reprint of the first order. There are only two options that could be causing this since my high quality photos in their original form demonstrates that it isn't an issue I'm causing and they are: something is wrong with their upload programming causing files to be compressed when they shouldn't be or the company they are using to process photos is doing a piss poor job. Some of the photos that I have received are manageable, but I'm not using Costco's services for mediocre results. I was really hoping that things were going to improve. I've been so disappointed by the whole ordeal that I've given up on even bothering to edit photos at this point. Completely lost my mojo. I would just sit down and cry! It's so much work to get photos ready to print. Probably 40hrs of work down the drain. Ordered a small batch from Walmart. Will pick them up today and see for certain if it is me or them.
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Post by grammadee on Jan 24, 2021 15:54:14 GMT
I would just sit down and cry! It's so much work to get photos ready to print. Probably 40hrs of work down the drain. Ordered a small batch from Walmart. Will pick them up today and see for certain if it is me or them. Checking one batch is a smart idea. Hoping that the problem is NOT you, and that you can resubmit the rest of those photos you put 40 hours into.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Jan 24, 2021 19:17:43 GMT
The batch from Walmart look fantastic! I am so relieved.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 25, 2021 8:28:27 GMT
The batch from Walmart look fantastic! I am so relieved. I'm so glad it's not you. Sorry about the whole ordeal with Costco. Definitely demand a full refund, and write a review letting them know how disappointed you are with their service. I wonder if they really have zero quality control checks. Hope your mojo comes back full blast!😁
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 25, 2021 8:41:11 GMT
Yesterday I worked on regular Halloween layouts, and (Christmas) December pandemic layouts. Used up all the remaining paper scraps for those themes.
I moved some embossing folders and dies to a more accessible pull out drawer, in hopes that I will reach for them more often, but yesterday was not that day.
With the 50 Layouts No Spend Challenge, I think I am starting to see a dent in my stash.
I've been reaching for a cardstock paper pad with just about every layout, and it's starting to get that floppy, skinny look to it.
I'm out of black cardstock.
I'm on my last refill roll of Scotch double sided tape adhesive. (Oh no!) This I will need to order soon, but with the way shipping has been, i might have to buy some in person too.
I have no album for 2021.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Jan 27, 2021 4:19:37 GMT
I feel like I have nothing constructive to add to this conversation! After a close inspection of the 3 orders I received yesterday, only one was actually all that good but I accepted another one because it was only 14 pictures and they weren't dark (the images with a lot of shadowing or black/grey seem to turn out the worst...that leads me to believe that those are the colors responsible for all of this and they're not doing great quality control). I wouldn't have looked again if not for every single order I received today (except for the reprint of the very first order) turning out poorly. So that means in around 550 4x6 prints and 4 enlargements that less than 50 turned out well on the first try. The 4 enlargements don't look good, either. So that means I have 11 orders that are going to be reprinted and if they don't turn out, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I asked about the refund process and apparently it's something above their pay grade and has to be escalated, so it might just benefit me to keep having them retry until they get it right.
In the meantime, I won't be ordering anything else from Costco. I had so much optimism after yesterday that it was a fluke, but I guess that was just me being hopeful and not having great lighting (I got them from the mailbox as we were heading to the store, so I inspected them under the lighting in the car when it was already after dark).
I might just order 5 or 10 pictures every time I get a month printed just to see if the quality has improved, but opt to order the majority from Walmart for the foreseeable future.
I discussed the whys with the supervisor helping me reorder everything for me and she's not sure what the ultimate problem is. She's reached out and they've not responded to her inquiries, but she did state that she suspects they're working with less staff, either out due to illness or due to social distancing requirements. I honestly don't feel like that's good justification for the lack of quality control going on. The window I have for delivery on prints is 2-3 weeks out...the ETA from my first order wasn't until early February...and I would honestly be okay with that. I'd rather them take a few extra days to process orders than have to waste their time, my time, their materials (if they kept a close eye on the quality they won't have as many bad batches that need reprinting as I can't be the only person having these problems) and the shipping cost (the reorders are sent next day air...almost all of these orders are under $5...only 4 in total were more than that and only 1 over $10).
Suffice it to say, unless Costco is using several processing facilities to print photos and your area determines who does the printing, if your photo orders from Costco typically come out of Oregon I recommend finding another source for your photo printing needs for a while. Photo editing and printing is already an unpleasant enough process (for me, anyway) without this added frustration. The one silver lining in all this is that it would probably be so much worse dealing with some companies out there. Save for my 2nd call today being after the supervisor I'd been working with resulting in me trying to talk with other people at first devolving into a 'you need to show us proof the pictures look bad' until I was transferred to a different supervisor, the support I've received has been great and highly accommodating. I don't know if it was because of me actually asking her how I could show her how bad the photos looked at the very start of all of this, my coming across as clearly distraught or just getting the right person to help, but I'm at least grateful that at least poor customer service hasn't made all of this worse.
If you take anything from all of my venting here, please let it be to order somewhere other than Costco (maybe try in store if you plan to order before they close on Valentine's Day) for a while so you're not having to deal with these issues.
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 27, 2021 12:31:37 GMT
scrapaddict702 I am glad you finally got to a supervisor that is giving you the good customer service we all expect at Costco. I've been trying to order smaller batches of photos, so your story is a good reminder!
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Jan 27, 2021 19:44:53 GMT
The WRMK project cart is in stock at Joann's. It was in store a couple of weeks ago, but sold out before I caved (even with a free shipping no coupon code needed promotion, I didn't cave) and had sold out in store before I discovered they were stocking it. It's now back in stock after selling out in store AND online, so I just ordered one for in store pick up using a 20% off coupon code (if you add stuff to your cart while you're logged in and don't check out, most of the time they'll send you a 20% off coupon to entice you to finish your purchase). Here's hoping that it doesn't sell out off of the floor before they pull it for me. I've been wanting one for a while, but I'm limited in space which is why I held off. I immediately regretted it when it sold out and was worried it wouldn't be restocked, so I didn't delay when I refreshed today and was restocked. As far as I can tell, it's been a hard to find item but highly sought after since it was demo'd last year at creativation. With the new 9x12 albums and trying to get caught up on photo printing, I'll definitely have projects that I can use it for. I hope I like it. The only thing I don't like is that the casters are gold. If I can't switch the wheels from a Raskog that floats around upstairs that my kids use, I'll tape up the wheels and spray paint them...most likely in black. In case anyone is interested: www.joann.com/we-r-memory-keepers-storage-project-cart/17456203.html
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 30, 2021 14:20:13 GMT
I finally tried out some Nuvo paste and a stencil. I used Shimmer with a star stencil. It is so pretty! It was pretty easy.
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Post by grammadee on Jan 30, 2021 15:30:29 GMT
Ha ha! 950nancy and MDscrapaholic , this is obviously not the first time I have perked up at the sight of a view master! I searched HEARTS in my Silhouette library and found this:
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Post by 950nancy on Jan 30, 2021 16:48:08 GMT
Ha ha! 950nancy and MDscrapaholic , this is obviously not the first time I have perked up at the sight of a view master! I searched HEARTS in my Silhouette library and found this: That one is really cute.
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Post by 950nancy on Jan 30, 2021 16:49:41 GMT
The WRMK project cart is in stock at Joann's. It was in store a couple of weeks ago, but sold out before I caved (even with a free shipping no coupon code needed promotion, I didn't cave) and had sold out in store before I discovered they were stocking it. It's now back in stock after selling out in store AND online, so I just ordered one for in store pick up using a 20% off coupon code (if you add stuff to your cart while you're logged in and don't check out, most of the time they'll send you a 20% off coupon to entice you to finish your purchase). Here's hoping that it doesn't sell out off of the floor before they pull it for me. I've been wanting one for a while, but I'm limited in space which is why I held off. I immediately regretted it when it sold out and was worried it wouldn't be restocked, so I didn't delay when I refreshed today and was restocked. As far as I can tell, it's been a hard to find item but highly sought after since it was demo'd last year at creativation. With the new 9x12 albums and trying to get caught up on photo printing, I'll definitely have projects that I can use it for. I hope I like it. The only thing I don't like is that the casters are gold. If I can't switch the wheels from a Raskog that floats around upstairs that my kids use, I'll tape up the wheels and spray paint them...most likely in black. In case anyone is interested: www.joann.com/we-r-memory-keepers-storage-project-cart/17456203.htmlIf I had room, I would get that. I like that it would hold larger than a 12 x 12.
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dald222
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,602
Jun 27, 2014 0:50:15 GMT
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Post by dald222 on Mar 8, 2021 17:26:22 GMT
i went ahead and started it but i did not put the list the monthly things like normal some people have been messaging me asking iif i was going to do one soon so i did
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Post by grammadee on Mar 8, 2021 17:31:04 GMT
i went ahead and started it but i did not put the list the monthly things like normal some people have been messaging me asking iif i was going to do one soon so i did Good to "see" you! How are you doing?
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dald222
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,602
Jun 27, 2014 0:50:15 GMT
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Post by dald222 on Mar 8, 2021 17:33:36 GMT
i am doing great. for some reason i have not felt like scrrapping
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dald222
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,602
Jun 27, 2014 0:50:15 GMT
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Post by dald222 on Mar 8, 2021 17:34:57 GMT
i did do an anniversary double page yesterday
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 9, 2021 12:46:38 GMT
i did do an anniversary double page yesterday It's great to see you here!
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