Comments on: Accused of Stealing Ideas, and Received a Menacing Fake Jewelry Order

By: ANDREA WELLMAN

ANDREA WELLMAN — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 05:47:19 +0000

Actually, you are ALL STEALING from me. I created metal. And stamping. And quotes.

In fact, I created the entire concept of jewelry making…

Actually, the entire concept of art.

I expect you to all have your royalty checks in the mail tomorrow.

😉 Andrea

Ps- sorry you are going through that. Keep your head held high. You did the work… and actually, it really sounded like a troll or a kid to me. Some people just enjoy hurting others. It’s disgusting.

(But get those checks in the mail! :))

By: joan

joan — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:33:15 +0000

if you’re a sensitive person like i am it’s hard to dismiss those type of people, but i’m learning all the time to “let it go”. what an eye opener to deal with the public. i once sold alot of distressed copper w/washers, and i had someone order alot for the holidays. then one day she told me she saw them on etsy/pinterest. she still bought mine. i looked the sites up and they looked like mine! in fact i surprise and momentarily thought the person copied mine. ha ha 🙂 so it’s been an eye opener all right.

By: Delia Stone

Delia Stone — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:19:52 +0000

Don’t worry about the nasty-gram. The people who accuse you of theft behind your back do so because their claim is indefensible. I had someone accuse me of stealing their designs a while back. An absolute falsehood. Eventually this came back to me and I confronted the person, politely, to give her the opportunity to explain to me which designs she thought I copied. I knew I had not copied her and it bothered me. I wanted to keep good relations with my fellow artists so I felt the best thing to do was open a conversation. Lo and behold, she refused to talk to me about it… why? Because she had no leg to stand on and she knew it. I’m not the only one she has accused. A third party was recently tending the jewelry counter at a gallery I’m in and the accuser was there. The third party also has jewelry in the gallery and she had some seashell jewelry as does the accuser. A fairly new line for both of them. The customer was looking at the third party’s seashell jewelry. The accuser made a big sigh and said to the customer ‘everybody is making seashell jewelry now.’ The customer then showed the ladies a seashell bracelet that she had bought from me. Accuser said again “everybody is making seashell jewelry these days.” “On no,” said the customer. “Delia made this for me five or six years ago.” The third party said this shut the accuser up on the spot. It later came back to me that what she thought I had stolen from her was a bangle bracelet with a single stone and a clasp. This is a very common design. It’s everywhere. It’s like accusing someone else of copying you for making one of those tree pendants. I remember, looking back, that after I put my bangles in the gallery she suddenly made a dozen or more of them to put in right behind me. At the time I didn’t think anything of it, because as I said, it’s a very common design. Nothing unique or special… but her over-reaction certainly was something special. I’ve decided that her ongoing accusations aren’t worth considering. She’s since made indirect accusations regarding other artists copying her in conversation with me, to which I responded “isn’t that a pretty common design technique? I see it all over the internet.” She doesn’t speak to me about other artists copying her anymore either. I see her antics as insecurity. She’s really a very talented lady and I don’t understand why she needs to act out like this. I’ve decided to just dismiss her behavior and accusations, whether they be about me or anyone else, henceforward.

By: Casandra W Perry

Casandra W Perry — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 21:09:21 +0000

What an idiot. Look, there’s an old saying: Steal from one person, you’re a thief. Steal from many and you’re a designer (or something to that effect). I see things I like all the time, and I think to myself – I LOVE that, but maybe with green instead of blue here, and oooh, those beads I got that one time for this project that they didn’t work in, and I’ll stamp a charm but I’ll put THIS saying on it instead of THAT saying…by the time it’s all said and done, I’ve basically taken the exact design of somebody and completely made it my own. I even have some “signature” pieces that I’ve done “repeatedly” that it turns out are subtly different every single time. The thing is, there is a long history of jewelry “copycats,” some going to great lengths to create exact looking copies and others copying the spirit of the thing. Even in haute jewelry, you can see OOAK or “limited to 5” jewelry that is worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars…but within a short time after those pieces are introduced, the likelihood that you can find copycat styles for almost all of them is very strong.
I guess maybe I’m not making a lot of sense, but what I’m trying to say is, even if the person had a legit beef with you somehow making something that was detail for detail and exact duplicate of something they made, it would be foolish of them to complain. The nature of the world is such that using similar components and similar tools, we will of course come up with similar creations. The true test of artistry lies in the details. I hang a tiny cross charm on each of my creations near the clasp. I know a designer who uses only wrapped loops on everything. I know another one who has an absolute love of vintage crystals and I’ve seen her prising old crystals out of old jewelry to use because she just loves them so much. Each of those little details is the art in our creations. Your creations have great heart – they’re lovely. Keep on keeping on. <3

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:47:25 +0000

I’m stunned! Someone actually tried to lay claim to metal stamping with a simple font! What exactly did they think was “theirs?” The basic font, the common phrase, another person’s name, stamping something onto metal, or maybe metal itself! Outrageous! Sorry this caused you grief.

By: Debby Hogue

Debby Hogue — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 03:04:48 +0000

Kimmie, Hi! I hate to read about such a really cowardly stupid person. I agree with all the above comments in that this person is insecure, jealous and kind of scary! I have been making jewelry off and on for about 7 years. I am in no way a professional. I just love to make jewelry for family and friends. I have not had any formal education or instructions. I have learned entirely from reading books, online lessons and from seeing pieces in stores that have caught my eye. I’ll say to myself “I can make that!”. You see, I am not the creative type. I can’t design, create original art. I copy everything I see. I do try to put my own spin to it. Truth be told, it never turns out as pretty as the piece I copied. Does this make me a thief? I don’t know. I hope not. If it is, then I am very sorry. I can’t always afford to buy some of the handcrafted, beautiful pieces out there. But I can copy cheaper using cheaper components. I feel that what you do is use your very OWN imagination and creativity to design a piece. You may have been inspired by something you have seen, but for goodness sakes it does not make you a thief. Please don’t let this person discourage you. Then they win! Keep making your treasures and keep putting your love and heart into each piece you make. They are from your mind, heart and hands. No one can copy or steal that. Brightest Blessings, Deb Hogue.

By: TheLadyZeke

TheLadyZeke — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 06:14:44 +0000

I designed some earrings recently that were a simple, yet strong, statement of a political opinion. A girl half the country away from me contacted me and wanted 100 pairs of them – for fundraising, it turned out – in three weeks’ time. I told her that wasn’t possible, as I would have to order some of the parts from overseas. She was willing to consider waiting for me to get the parts, but then offered to make half of them for me. The fact she was going to buy the parts herself, make half of them, would have meant I had no quality control over her pieces… would have had to take a considerable paycut because she made some of them… um, no. Because I don’t buy my parts in the same places, over and over, I wasn’t willing to just roll over and let her take my design and cut into my profits, even for fundraising. What would have made me $2000 was suddenly going to be $400, if I were lucky. Because she suddenly revealed she makes jewelry too, but wouldn’t share her page with me, I strongly suspect she has decided to co-opt my design for the fundraiser and make the money herself… so I’ve told a friend in her state to ask anyone who wears them that she might see where they got them from… I realize that more than one person can come up with an idea, but after the communications between us, I’m fairly confident she is going to do this.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:59:01 +0000

All inspiration comes from things we have seen somewhere. I guess that makes us all copycats in some way. I have also had the same experience. What always amazes me is when people ask if they can take pictures or discuss how they saw something like it online and they could make it themselves, very nervy. I am always amazed at how people feel threatened because of their belief in lack. I believe there is enough to go around and that we are all blessed with interests and talents that we are supposed to share if it makes us feel good. Keep doing what you are doing and don’t worry about nasty people. You did nothing wrong and they are only hurting themselves by behaving in such a way. Blessings to you!

By: Kathleen Bennett

Kathleen Bennett — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:59:14 +0000

What a shame for you to receive such a nasty email and what a shame for the person who sent it to you. I often feel sorry for these people as there must be a lot missing from their lives and they must be truly unhapy.
Do try to get past this. I haven’t had anything like that happen to me, except for one show I went to when the owner/designer followed me about to see one of my necklaces that i was wearing, but wouldn’t address me. I soon left. Keep your chin up and all the best in future.

By: monique

monique — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:45:14 +0000

I am so glad you wrote this. I have wondered if when I see a design on a beading or jewelry website and even on here if I am copying it by making something similar. I am new to jewelry making( less than a yr). and mostly I do my own designs but sometimes I see something and think wow that is great I want to make it. I hope if someone sees one one my pieces and its similar they would think hey Im glad others like it enough to want to put their spin on it. I have seen on etsy a follower or two of mine design a piece like mine after they “favorite” it and I am glad to inspire someone else’s creativity. I have recently bought the stamping supplies (basic typewriter letters) to start making necklaces as I thought it would make great personalized gifts. I’m starting with the basics of names and birthdates/anniversaries so hopefully none of the million other stamping crafters think this is copying. I think the person who sent you this fake order is a child whining about what is theirs that clearly was not taught what sharing means. Everyone has their talents and sometimes we have a similar like we see on a huge expanse of widely available internet sites. That does not makes us a thief. If it does than I guess 75% of us are guilty of been impressed by something and wanting to make our own.