So.
It looks like the notorious Mrs. Smith does read my blog (unless someone e-mailed her - I don't know) because she appears to have removed a few items from her shop. Cute. Really. Interestingly enough though, she seems to think that my Liquid Beads (click) are another one of "her" designs.
I have given her the courtesy of not exposing her real name here, so far. Honestly, I think there was a reason for that but I don't even remember what it was anymore. Since when am I so courteous, and what has she done to deserve my courtesy? I don't really know. The thought of publishing a link to her shop here sure is tempting, I will say that. But I can't decide if that would be a good idea or not. I think I will give her the chance to remove ALL copies of my beads from her shop (including her shop's banner) before I make my decision. Even if she does that, she should know that I will be keeping an eye on her future work - and that it would probably be in her best interest if it did not "resemble" mine.
Yeah, that's it. This is over. It has been going on for long enough - which is way, way too long - and now it is going to stop, once and for all. I feel better already.
I'd like to thank everyone who responded to my last post - in the comments or by e-mail - your kind words and support mean more to me than you know (and so do your not-so-kind words, haha). When I finished writing it, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest - I had been holding back on this issue for a really long time, and as a couple of close friends of mine know - it was literally driving me insane. Sometimes things just need to be aired out, I guess.
I'm off for today. Talk to you soon.
oooo....I do like to be right, we worked it out earlier, and we were looking at some of her beads and I could fully understand your anger!
Now of course I go back to look at one of those, and magically it has gone, suprise suprise!
Well done Sarah, and lets hope she will now change her banner.
Anyway, she looks a little too perfect for me, a bit like a Stepford Wife!!!
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Ha... I wonder if she's a robot. That would explain a few things.
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Hi Sarah,
I'm so glad it appears to be working. I seem to be the only one who doesn't know who it is so if she continues, do post the name and site!!!!! I want to see what kind of site a person who copies and has no original thoughts has.
Susan
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I don't know who it is either. Which is probably just as well, that way I won't be tempted to go say bad things to her.
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Hey, I'm trying hard to be good here.
I'm thinking perhaps reading the comments on my previous post would be punishment enough. But we'll see what happens.
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Soooo glad you are getting some results, I hope she decides to remove all remsemblences to your work! As a lampworker, particularly as a very new one, I look to all sorts of designers for inspiration - ideas for colors, etc. and I print lots of designers sets off and use them for ideas..but I would never consider selling something that I made from another designers inspiration. I'm still seeking to find what "my style" is, but it needs to be an expression of me - not a recreation (poor one at that) of the work that someone else has already done; slowly I will find my style. What you do is truly artistic...your design, your colors....the artwork becomes an extension of ourselves and when someone blatantly copies, it is like being violated. It is stealing, and I hope you do receive justice in this.
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thanks for "getting it"!
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Shopmonkeys are a bit late to this little dustup, but being monkeys we were curious to see if we could I.D. the accused...
To the Etsy listing of focals!
Lets see... Um, no not that one, no, nope, ah, here are some of Sarah's ... wow, they're really nice... no, no, not that one, hmmm this one looks sort of like it could be a factory second of Sarah's but could also just be coincidence, oh, and this one too, and this one and... ah. Shopmonkeys can well imagine which sort she could have pulled from the listing, since the ones that are still up are kinda-sorta Horniky but not so much that they're any more derivative of yours than your beads could be accused of being derivative. The distinctive way you use curvilinear surface knurling patterns to counter-sync with underlying color striation would have been a dead giveaway, if those were in fact the sorts of ones she pulled.
Oh well. If, in fact, she was "borrowing" a little too liberally from your style, it's only because they want a taste of some of your sweet, sweet lampworking mojo. Once something is learned it cannot be unlearned, so your re-imagining of what a long bead focal could be is out there and not going away anytime soon.
You can at least take some comfort that this won't be the last time it happens... oh, wait... that's not very comforting, is it? ^_^
Loves and kisses,
shopmonkeys
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Sarahmonkeys think Shopmonkeys may be able to ID the accused in their client list - as the "new glass" mentioned in the previous post was the Shopmonkeys' favorite kind - just a wild guess. Don't know for sure.
Sarahmonkeys also like the word "Horniky".
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Shopmonkeys thought so too, but can neither confirm nor deny the question of the accused being a customer - and anyway, we aren't the only monkeys on the toobz selling glass. The best, sure - no doubt, says humble little monkeys. The only? nope.
There are several locations they could have acquired such soft beautiful hues that stand out like no other glass available today, taking the artist to a whole new creative level that... oh, sorry, devolved into comment spam there. Ahem. ^_^
Loves and kisses,
shopmonkeys
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That's okay, Sarahmonkeys were not expecting any such confirmation or denial - and will love Shopmonkeys forever no matter what (just in case that wasn't obvious).
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This may not be the same person you are talking about, but there is one on ebay that looks an awful lot like yours. Take heart, when she isn't copying you she is copying Anastasia
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