Everything About Handmade Jewelry

Above item made and sold by Sophie @ hearttohearts (YAY! Only if your customer knew how you got the design from.)

So I am going to talk about my Whale Tail Pendant design in this post.

Original blog posts from me: 

de Cor's Handmade Jewelry: Prototype: Whale Tail Pendant

de Cor's Handmade Jewelry: CUSTOM ORDER: Whale Tail

I am not ranting, merely reporting.

I woke up seeing a mail from an artist friend, Suzi.C:

"Think you and I need to get our heads together as I have come across someone who has been a member on JL for quite awhile who looks like they have been using it to "grab" ideas from.

Corra - this person has made my little foot I did - and decided not to write a tutorial on...this one (link removed, I do not wish to promote for this website in my blog).

..and she has done this one!! uggh! - http://www.etsy.com/listing/70985085/silver-baby-foot-pendant (Now removed)

However - in my travels - I have discovered that she has ripped off your whaletails and SOLD IT!!! only in December 2011....and here is the transaction as proof for you.

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/67553469

So - as said - I'm trying to go about this with out going completely off, and when I saw your piece wondered if it might not be a bad idea to go in jointly and get her to remove them both from sale as she is clearly infringing on both of us.

Anyway - let me know how you feel about it all..."

Thanks Suzi for the head-up.

I did not reply Suzi, I went straight to Sophie.

And I told her I am going to make this public, and to be fair for all people involved, here's our actual conversation:

Corra to Sophie:

"Hi there, didn't want to jump the gun but if you are making my whale tail design for a sale, could you please kindly put a credit to me? I am not interested to make a fuss about this because my baby is going to pop next month, but suzi campbell which you have made her little foot design just wrote to me about you, she is ready to pursue her copyright, but I am not keen as long as you put a credit. This item is sold now so it can't be modified, if you intend to reproduce and sell it, please put the credit back to me so I won't receive emails from various jewelry makers to report about you. you knew where you got this design from and you knew I wasn't accusing you for nothing.

Listing: www.etsy.com/listing/71931026/whale-tail-pendant"

Sophie to Corra:

"hi, I apologize if the tail design is yours. When I made it, it was from a fr33 tutorial I found on a jewelry blog. The foot pendant tutorial was there as well. I will take down that listing because I didn't know it was someone else's design. I thought these designs were just fr33 tutorials on this blog."

Corra to Sophie:

"Which fr33 blog? Give me the link if you are not lying. I have been on Internet jewelry blogs, forums and marketplace long enough to say I have not seen fr33 tutorial on any blog, think carefully of what you want to say before you actually said it. You were on jewelry lessons dot com, a common place for people like yourself would go for designs to steal, which is a main reason why I no longer put my stuff there anymore. If you love arts, please protect us artists. Suzi is ready to come after you, so, be ready for it. For me, if I am not pregnant I would too, so consider yourself lucky. Do take down the listing as you promised, before things got out of hand. Thank you."

Sophie to Corra:

"It was a while.ago so i dont remember which blog. I've aplologized for unknowingly using your design and i have taken down the other listing. there's no reason to accuse me of lying or getting nasty.

congrats on the impending little one"

Corra to Sophie:

":) You are actually saying me accusing you for lying? For a blog that WOULD give you F. R. 3. 3. tutorial and got you MADE something for SALE how possible you will not remember the blog? Of course you would remember, and you would bookmark it, that's common sense.

Here's the link: , and it's provided by Suzi herself, to asked me to joint complain with her about you.

If you are appreciative enough, you won't call me nasty. The sold item can't be removed, and you knew it, just bear in mind that you only have one pair of eyes looking at this world, but there are billions pair of eyes watching you, please do good stuff.

Corra"

Sophie to Corra:

"Also when i was on jewelry lessons i had posted many of my own designs and was an active member there."

Corra to Sophie:

"that is non of my business. you took people's design and made it to sale without giving credit, and then you blame it on your memory loss. It is easier to tell white lies for your case, too bad i don't buy it.

Don't get me wrong though, I am not even angry about this whole thing. People know what you did, I don't even need to worry about that.

Good luck."

Sophie to Corra:

"I'm sorry but your accusation of my joining jewelrylessons simply to steal designs was a nasty comment. I have apologized to you twice now, and I am in contact with Suzi herself. If the tail pendant had not already been sold I would have happily removed that listing as well.

I apoligze again and lets leave it at that"

Corra to Sophie:

"as I said before I did not know those designs belonged to other people."

Sophie to Corra:

"Suzi came after me to seek support to file joint complain about you, I told her I didn't do this for her, I did this for myself. I am very used to doing these kinda confrontation alone.

So if she is nice with you (which, she probably would, to protect her reputation), congrats.

For me, I prefer to be direct and upfront, and get the message delivered.

I will leave this as it is after I blogged about it. A little something I would do for myself, and it's the consequence you gotta face. I will paste your explanation too (about getting f. r. 3. 3. tute from a blog and forgot which blog that was, and did not know those designs belonged to other people).

100% original, won't edit anything you said.

Corra"

Sophie to Corra:

"If it will make you feel better to insult me on your blog when it was not me that took your design, then go ahead I guess"

Corra to Sophie:

"nope. i don't do this to make myself feel better. and i don't think it's insulting anyone.

I am reporting a case, that's all."

Sophie to Corra:

"you are making it sound as if I took your design on purpose when I have explained to you several times that it is not the case. happy blogging. I might leave a comment to that post of yours explaining my side, but I won't answer any more convos here"

* Conversation within me and Suzi:
Corra to Suzi:

"This is what I wrote to her:

"Hi there, didn't want to jump the gun but if you are making my whale tail design for a sale, could you please kindly put a credit to me? I am not interested to make a fuss about this because my baby is going to pop next month, but suzi campbell which you have made her little foot design just wrote to me about you, she is ready to pursue her copyright, but I am not keen as long as you put a credit. This item is sold now so it can't be modified, if you intend to reproduce and sell it, please put the credit back to me so I won't receive emails from various jewelry makers to report about you. you knew where you got this design from and you knew I wasn't accusing you for nothing. 

Listing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/71931026/whale-tail-pendant"

I suggest you do the same before her item is sold and description become permanent."

Suzi to Corra:

"Oh hey Corra - congrats on the baby! :)

I wasn't wanting to jump her completely either - but wasn't wanting her to use the design as well without saying where she got it..that's why I said I had to think about it all.

Like you have said - so long as she gives credit - I too am ok with that...and hope she doesn't comes back with a flat NO to either of us.  But I can totally understand what with your baby due that you have more important things to worry about.

I was just about to send this email and write to her but thought I'd go check on things - and it looks like she freaked with your email alone and has removed the little foot from her listing...so all is good - thanks for that..

hey hope all goes well with the birth!.. :)"

Corra to Suzi:

"Its okay, if you don't have the courage to do it yourself, I've done it already. And I am not even feeling angry about this person, just telling her what she need to know.

She took down her happy foot listing, but she can't take whale tail down cause it's already sold.

Don't need to thank me for anything, I do this for myself, I do appreciate your head up though. But Suzi, you don't need anyone to join complaint with you, if the design is yours, you reach out and claim it, if you knew it's not completely yours, then too bad, blame it on great mind thinks alike.

I am capable of sending her mail that's enough to freak her out, but what i told her are truth - you came to me, you wanted to go after her, and I told her to be ready for it. Whether you take action or not, that's completely yours.

Good luck. "

Corra to Suzi:

"She told me she is going to come talk to you directly. I told her you might be polite to her to protect your reputation. If you won't take this opportunity to make things clear for yourself, then in future you will have to deal with the consequence yourself. :)

Take care."

Summary:
1. Not everyone WILL get their hands dirty ALONE.
2. Not everyone WILL do confrontation.

3. People (usually at-fault) blame others and claim to be victims (SHOW ME THE F. R. 3. 3. TUTORIAL BLOG SOPHIE! I WANT F. R. 3. 3. TUTORIALS TOO!)

I am happy that my message is delivered to Sophie, now I hope you readers enjoyed reading the drama. And no, I am not angry at all.

Here's my Whale Tail Pendant, first designed for a friend (sorry Jane, your stuff got stolen.):

Whale Tail Pendant Tutorial is available (NOT F+R+E+E) here: DCHMT007 Whale Tail Pendant Tutorial
Whale Tail Finished product (100% ORIGINAL) is available here: Whale Tail Pendant

P/S Google didn't like the word "FRxx", I replaced all then with F. R. 3. 3.

Have a great week ahead. Mine gone haywire, I hope yours turn out better.

Corra @ de Cor's Handmades