Copyright Infringement Update

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement...it really helped lessen the blow.
Things have been worked out between the other person and myself. They aquired the pattern from someone at a gathering and had no idea mine even existed. One look for herself though, and she was pretty sure that her gathering friend copied the pattern from me.
She has since removed offending items, and was very kind and accomidating about the whole situation. I'm glad that it worked out.
I don't know exactly what I can do to protect myself in the future...you want a photo to represent detail, and I can't zoom in too close and detailed without giving away the pattern, essentially.
Oui.

Thanks Tote-N-Tots!

Dropping my entrecards this morning, I noticed that my "Circle Gets the Square" necklace was featured on Tote-N-Tots blog. Thanks so much! Be sure to visit her blog to see fashionable items for mommy and baby. I just love her bags. Have a look at her etsy shop HERE.

It's happened!

I've officially had a design ripped off, beaded poorly, with prices undercut.
Highest form of flattery?
Still sucks.
I've asked them to take the offending items out of their shop and informed them that they need to actually ASK permission before taking someone elses design and making a profit with it. Lets see if they at least credit the designer. Right now they are claiming that each one of their designs is "unique and original".
Yeah. Ok.
Unfortunately I relisted my item recently, so at first glance it looks like I copied them. However I'm fairly sure etsy has records of when I first put the item on there, early this year. If it really comes down to it, I've had my design loaded on various networking/beady sites for quite some time now.
I had a feeling I would have to deal with this one day...all the beaders talk about it. I feel sick to my stomach about it.

edited to add: Ok the beadwork they did actually isn't bad...and on closer inspection they changed a couple beads but..still

My Sister, the Beauty Queen

Any of you who have been regular visitors to my blog know that I rarely talk about personal beliefs and views, I tend to keep this site fairly proffesional. However, once in a while a topic/event moves me enough to break out of "business blog" mode.

This past Saturday my younger (but much taller) sister Jessie was crowned Miss Taunton. Taunton, MA is where we grew up together.


Music runs in the family (mom: piano, flute, clarinet; dad: drums; brother: guitar; me: bass) and Jessie is no exception. She had been practicing her really hard classical piano piece at home for a long time. She was understandably distraught when she found out she would be performing on a KEY-board and they would not have a piano on hand. Two nights of dress rehearsal mishaps on the keyboard had Jessie a little dissapointed, but she NAILED it when it counted.


Congratulations Jessie, I'm so proud of you! Future Miss Massachusetts? Miss America?
Keep a look out for my beautiful sister.

You can read the story from the newspaper HERE if you're interested.

"Ancestral Expressions" Challenge winner

Congratulations to Triz, who won the Etsy Bead Weavers November challenge "Ancestral Expressions" with her beautiful collar "Let My People Go".
Way to go Triz!

The "honorable mentions" include:

Second: The Hoshen - a Breastplate - beadshead

Third: hands against time cuff - thebeadedlily

Fourth: The Greek Key - BeadsAndI

Fifth: was a tie between ONE WORLD Bead Woven Embroidered Cuff Bracelet - caraway and Plaid Pride Bracelet - FrancescasFancy

Sixth: Proud to be an American - dreambeadweaver

Seventh: Another tie: Patchwork Cuff - playnwithbeads and Catching A Dream Bracelet - myfairladyvt4

Eighth: Celtic North American Native - SilkenLariat

Ninth: The third tie! Beaded Ancestral Expressions Petroglyph Totem Cane - SalamanderHouse and DNA in Violet and Blue - Wide Beadwoven Peyote Cuff - time2cre8

Tenth: Hungarian meets French - beaddiddy

Congratulations everyone!

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for "Snow Queen". I just may participate in this one!