Sorry for my short absence, frienDDs! Cat allergy wiped me out all of a sudden (was catsitting for a few days). Big time. Swollen (crusty *yummy*) eyes, sudden major trouble breathing, sinuses ready to depart Earth, the whole shebang.Then left for a few days in Portugal (with the allergy attack aftermath #sexy). Should've hopped back in here to let you all know!
Thank you for caring.
Alright, prepare yourselves! I just caught up with the AE live Facebook DD video and boy, oh boy, I have somehow managed to survive 1 hour (ONE. HOUR.) of Ali's (and Katie's) super growly vocal fry. It took several breaks and some unvolontary fist-clenching and finger-flexing to get through it... I'm so happy vocal fry is nearly impossible in French. I'd go mental if I had to listen to it day in, day out. Sorry about repeats of what others have said, I just decided to catch up on the video before the thread!
Here are my live reactions (with complimentary gifs) to the video (because you know you don't need them):
1. A flat rate for all whatever you're buying, no matter how little? Say what? I was planning on buying Liz's mini kit, that's it. I am not paying $15 (ETA: for internationals) to have a lightweight $20 kit shipped to me! ETA: flat rate to the US is $5. Ali confirms in the video there's no free/reduced rate for those only getting a kit. What is in the Oregon coffee? That is bonkers. Completely bonkers. Typical forceful sales tactic now that she has the December-documenting market in the bag: push customers to buy as much as possible from your shop by imposing a mandatory rate under the guise of "simplifying." Yeah, Ali, my banker doesn't call that simplification but inflation. I'm pissed off. And definitely not buying Liz's mini kit now. I'm sorry but I'm not mad. It's been $19.99 for a mini kit until now. I'm not paying $35 all of a sudden.
2. No order modifications this year. Good luck to anyone who has a problem with the website crashing and ends up buying multiples of the same unbeknownst to them! But I'm sure all these errors we've experienced with every single DD release in the past will have been resolved for this year, not to worry.
3. So, Jasmine's back for a mini kit (and other DD stuff), we all agree?
4. So much grey. It just doesn't offer the necessary contrast for gold foil and it's a little sad for the holidays. "I'm dreaming of a rainy Christmas." Also a little late with the trends.
5. This isn't a 3x8 card set. It's a freakin' stack. Too much. So many super basic patterns, too. You can just trim very similar stuff from regular SB papers and spare yourself $15. And finally get rid of some stash.
6. 11.99 for some 6x8 papers? Everything seems expensive.
7. I hate FB live videos. The quality's shite.
8. Oh no, nevermind. Jasmine's not back for a mini kit. There's only one this year. Just Liz then. Remember when there were several? When there were mini kit designer reveals over a week? It seems so long ago now... And you'd get a big stack of 6x8 papers included in your mini kit! Sigh.
9. 15.99 for a JJ card set? Ooooooh-kaaaay then. The black 3x4 with the holly is cute. Well, JJ managed to spell 'tis correctly. I guess that's some sort of accomplishment.
10. Boob-backgrounding for transparencies. Das klassy.
11. Those embossed cards are just not a good fit for most crafters. Heck, even Ali and Katie couldn't get the embossing pen to work well. Seems like a major gamble to invest in the full (costly) card set not knowing how well those completely white embossed cards will work out.
12. I'm losing interest. Coffee maybe? Sugar high?
13. I'm back. I got tea to spill.
14. More boob action. I'm far (veeery far) from being a prude but somebody give the woman a piece of dark cardstock/chipboard!
15. The Christmas tree design stuck to her chest that way is making me giggle. I'm such a 12-year old boy sometimes.
16. Wait, 7.99 for five 3x8 transparencies? This *is* expensive, right?
17. Still half an hour to go. Send help.
18. Three die-cut page inserts for 7.99? WHAT? You get some for free in the Simple Stories December album with the large spine and large rings that retails for 19.99.
19. I'm totally simulating how much a 2018 DD album with some goodies would cost at the end of this video. I feel like the pricing is really off the charts.
20. MOAR grey. (and I like grey but this is turning into 50 Shades of December D'greyed)
21. 7.99 for three (GREY!) tags? I've barely been gone a week and I feel like I'm totally out of the SB pricing loop? What's going on? I keep doing the "wait what?" head tilt as Ali gives pricing.
22. *paging Roald Dahl* Ali and the Giant Cork Numbers Holy Baby Jeebus, they're yuuuge!
23. The pricing seems on point for the wood veneer numbers if not, dare I say it, a little cheap. This is just weird. I'd have bought a set if there wasn't that stupid $15 flat rate. Oh well.
24. But the gold foil chipboard set, same font and size, is 9.99? Huh?
25. 20 more minutes. *stretches* *yawns*
26. 9.99 for puffy stickers. Well, if you love 'em (and Ali's handwriting), I guess you'd be ok with paying 10 bucks for six sheets?
27. Oh look, those cursed label stickers in the expensive sticker bundle. Because Inked customers don't have several sheets of those sitting in their stash already...
28. I just realised Ali didn't present an alternative holidays card set during the paper section? That's a real shame. Would have appreciated some love for the non-Christians. Even just one simple multi-cultural $7.99 card set with multiple options (could have split it up according to A and B-sides).
29. Well, at least we can get our paws on some Christmas chipboard without pawning grandma's pearl necklace this year...
30. EGGS. A SHEET OF CHIPBOARD CHRISTMAS EGGS. #justsayno #donotgetpeerpressuredintoeggs (I can already feel the wrath of the Cadbury egg lovers...)
31. The 2 inch shape set is the better chipboard investment, jussayin'.
32. Fifteen minutes to go. Yes, I'm counting.
33. 11.99 for those acetate pieces?
34. 6.99 for some sequins? Are you effin' kidding me? Oh come on. Friends, frieeeeends, you can buy this for so cheap on AliExpress. Don't get duped by the mini glass tube with mini cork.
35. 6.99 *giggles*
36. 6 freakin' 99 *snorts*
37. 12.99 for THREE rubber shapes? Granted, they're really big but LAWD HOW MUCH DOES A DD ALBUM COST IN 2018?
38. Minimalism, my arse.
39. I had some small rubber words in a mini kit from AE a few years ago and they were not good quality. Just a weird kind of dry rubber. Hopefully, they've changed manufacturers (but I doubt it). Just a word of warning.
40. 4.99 for some fabric stars. Again, just cut them out yourself or head to AliExpress.
41. 8.99 for masking tape. Sacrebleu.
42. 8 minutes left, I can do this!
43. A "this story" sentiment takes up valuable space on an AE stamp set. Ah yes. Ah no.
44. Facebook Live was not made for showcasing stamps with smaller sentiments/designs. Can't make out much.
45. Brandi joined DD as a designer? WHAT? How did she manage to do both AE and FYC? Oh my, what if she's definitely joining Inked now? Ladies, should we stage an intervention? (good for her, however)
46. The vocal fry has lessened as the video has gone on. I'm grateful. Teehee, grate-ful, get it? (it's the simple pleasures in life)
47. 29.99 for that small arse planner? That's just silly.
48. It's OVAH! I'm alive!
Simulation time: let's imagine I'm an international (I am) doing DD (probably) and wanting to buy from Ali (*checks 'disagrees' box*) while getting the most out of those mandatory $15 in shipping without going overboard... Let's say I buy a 6x8 album, a mini kit (assuming they're still 19.99), one extra card set (let's go for a cheap one), the transparency sheet set, one chipboard set, the cheap wood veneer numbers and those big rubber shapes because #treatyoself. Nothing more! That's actually very reasonable. How much would it be?...
15 + 24.99 + 19.99 + 7.99 + 9.99 + 12.99 + 3.99 + 12.99 = $107.93 (plus taxes and administrative fee for customs if your parcel gets inspected upon entering the country)
Over $100 for an album with little embellishing (entry level DD). I'm sorry but that's cray. I didn't get a gift/that amount of money for Christmas until I was an adult! And I'm a millenial. I can't. It's way too much. (I'm not even counting photo prints, extra page protectors or buying some bonus embellishments from regular SB lines to fatten up this self-curated kit)
Yeah, I'm out (of the official DD product offer) this year. Sorry Liz Tamanaha!
