Well after writing the last post I thought I'd give explorer bar writing another shot.
I've uploaded a version of the Explorer Bar. A screenshot is here It's only been tested on Windows XP running IE 6 and with the .net framework installed. If the bar doesn't work on your setup let me know. I'll be releasing the code along with an article describing how I wrote the object shortly.
There's a couple of issues with it that need resolving quickly most annoying of which is that Edit control doesn't capture the backspace keypress. And also you can't edit any stylesheets containing @import rules.
Personally I haven't started using @import yet so this isn't a major problem for me, this getting fixed will depend on feedback.
You can download CSSEdit here
Installation is a case of extracting the dll in the zip file and using regsvr32.dll to register it in the windows registry. Then to activate the explorer bar, launch a new session of Internet Explorer and from the menu View -> Explorer Bar -> Inline CSS Editor. Next browse to a webpage and when the page has loaded the css can be edited in realtime and the effects viewed instantly.
Enjoy