Tuesday 24 April 2012

Bad reactions to a DIY tutorial

Hi all, a different kind of post today.

Some of you may remember a DIY I blogged several months ago, how to make bones style Fimo bracelets. Well this week the designer of the bracelets (which I fully credited in the DIY) has sent me angry messages via Etsy, Facebook and this blog. I have also received comments and emails from other 'friends' of the designer too, accusing me of stealing her designs and profiting from them.

It began on Etsy when she accused me of selling these bracelets and demanded I stop. 
I replied asking WHERE AM I SELLING THEM? And sending a link to my DIY, saying I made them as a blog DIY and nothing else. By then, she had already posted on her Facebook page the same accusations, prompting several comments and posts on my Shh Facebook page accusing me of stealing designs.

I have today received more angry messages and so I have decided to remove the DIY tutorial.

It saddens me to do so, as I never set out to maliciously take business away from anyone. I wrote the tutorial in the trend of the many DIY blogs out there - PS I Made This, A Pair and a Spare, I Spy DIY, Honestly...WTF to name but a few.

I have been accused of taking business away from the designer. Well I apologise if I did so. However, seeing as it took the designer herself two months to notice the tutorial photos, I do not flatter myself as being a highly profiled blogger. And in fact, I know of only 2, sometimes 3, bloggers who read my blog and reside in New Zealand. The rest of my followers are global, and so in some way it could be said that within my relatively small following I actually made people aware of her work, people who otherwise may never have heard (or cared!) about these bracelets.

I was (and am) more than happy to discuss the matter with the designer, and had she wanted me to remove the blog DIY, she could have asked and I would have done so. Instead, she has not replied to my response to her original message and instead taken to using friends and anonymous comments to bully me into taking the DIY down. I think that's pretty uncool.

So from originally being WRONGFULLY accused of selling the bracelets, I am now being bombarded with abuse for creating a DIY!

C'est la vie.

I have removed the tutorial and hope she can move on. 

I will leave you with one particularly (grammatically interesting) anonymous message I received:

Ok so straight up - your a crafter - WHY would you do a tutorial on HOW to make someone else's work? what is WRONG With you???? Bedrock bones works so hard to so what she does and you are blatantly taking customers from her telling them how to do it themselves. This is not creative because its NOT your idea. You are copying someone else's hard work and encouraging people not to buy the OG ones. NZ is such a small place why would you take that away from her? I think this is absolute crap and really uncool of you - Don't call yourself a creative crafter if you do this kind of thing. Bedrock is all hand made by ONE person - and you should feel pretty ashamed of yourself dude. Her stuff isn't cheap $2 shop crap that is mass produced - its skillfully handmade with love and you should take this post down.

12 comments:

  1. That is Seriously messed up. You obviously gave her credit and I don't think she is the only person to make bone necklaces from clay... I mean I have seen them in the states at craft fairs and such, Sold by different artists and crafts people. I understand that she was upset but to not just message you personally is not the way to handle it. I even found other DIYs out there on how to make them. I hope that it doesn't get to bad for you.

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  2. Is this why you now have blog comment approval?

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  3. Oh Sadie, I am so sorry to hear this, it's really sad how people can be so malicious on the internet (and don't get me started on how much it angers me when people leave nasty comments under 'anonymous'. Don't take it as a slight against you, because you are lovely (and a great crafter). xx

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  4. Skillfully handmade with love....whatever.

    Let me just say this: If her stuff was soooooo unique and amazing then it wouldn't have been such an easy DIY to recreate. I remember that post and I thought you recreated the bone bracelets so well.

    Everyone does DIY tutorials of things. How can Bedrock be so full of itself that it thinks it has a trademark on bone bracelets? Are they made of butterfly silk? Does it cost her $100 to make each bracelet? Give me a break.

    If I were you, Sadie, I would not have removed the DIY Tutorial post. I probably would have re-posted it actually. Don't let anyone bully you into something, especially when you are not in the wrong. You weren't selling her pieces as your own. You were making Bedrock more relevant actually, but now I will boycott them. Nobody likes a bully.

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  5. I love a good blogging drama. This sucks Sadie, really. You weren't even selling them. It's strange that she does live so close to you, but as artists, we have to realize that once you put your stuff online (etsy, blog, what not) it's open to be copied by anyone, anywhere. It's just the downside to art, on or off the internet. Fashion, jewelry, dance, photography, whatever. You think Chanel emails P.S. I made this and sends them hate messages? No. Instead, homegirl has a book. It's fine for her to express her dislike for your tutorial but to get a gang of Anons to send u ridiculous messages was annoying. Sorry you had to go through that.

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  6. Personally I wouldn't have removed it, the DIY tutorials are great! If you were never reproducing them to sell them I don't see what the issue is?

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  7. Sadie dear you are too kind to these people and too sensitive, frankly speaking they don' t deserve your kindness.
    i would put the tutorial back to its place cause you didn't steal anything from anyone.
    Xoxo

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  8. omg some people just have issues since when is doing a DIY stealing?! all those DIY blogs and posts would be banned then if it was such a horrible thing to do. well just goes to show you some people are just dumb and insecure about not being able to sell their products. luckily you're such a good person that you have people to support you!

    City Style
    Harvey Prince Fragrance Giveaway!

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  9. Dude that sucks! People DIY so much stuff so does that mean that the people who sell the stuff should do the same to all these DIY'ers out there? Bullshit! Good on you for taking the high road though and not stooping to her level. Sorry to hear about the hair too hun, that really bites :( I had a bad cut not too long ago but nothing as major as yours sounds. xx

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  10. Don't even pay attention to these kind of people! Your blog is amazing!
    xoxo
    Vicky

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  11. so rude! if thats the case, all DIY posts would be the same. I could design my own shorts that could be very similar to something out there already, but i wouldnt be copying! people have issues! its just bullying, don't let them get you down :)

    www.myladyboudoir.blogspot.com

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  12. hi sadie that really sucks babe and i agree with stylelovver above that your blog and your own personal designs are amazing! maybe write a DIY about how to make your lovely pendants or something? I have heard about people getting narky over their DIY's. I was asked when I first started blogging to take down my header which contained someones flowers images which I purchased on Dreamstime! its pretty crazy hey but I am proud of you for taking it off and moving on with dignity
    XX Ilana

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Sadie x