Thank you Honey Bees!


I just want to start by THANKING ALL OF YOU, for you wonderful comments on yesterday's post. Although it was only my intention to make people realize the reasons for why I do what I do, it was so nice to hear your love and support!  This whole topic, especially regarding designers copying published work, is making me realize that a discussion needs to be had- It's coming to my attention that a lot of people don't really understand what is good etiquette when being inspired by what they see in books and magazines.  I'm thinking of different ways to approach it without sounding all preachy. I am not copyrights lawyer, but I do have strong opinions of what is copying and what is inspiration.

Anyhoo, I also want to say THANK YOU to all of you who purchased something from my Etsy shop yesterday! I am totally shocked at how many sales came in yesterday, and am sooooo very appreciative! I am thrilled that some of these pieces will be going to new homes, and can be worn, and loved! I am sending out all of my orders today, cuz that's the kind of obsessive compulsive seller I am. The sale continues til Sunday. Last night I added a few more things that I found laying around the studio. View the shop here.

After packing up all my orders last night, I sat down and felt inspired to create this bracelet. It was a completely random design, and started with the pewter Green Girl LOVE link.  Slowly hand-picking out things from my stash that flowed well with each of the other components, wasn't as hard as you think it might be. The Ceramic bee connector was one of my Bead Fest finds, from Joan Miller Porcelain.   Then the dotted heart from Gaea was wire wrapped with square wire from Vintaj Brass. At this point, I realized that the overall theme was "REVERSIBLE"- the bee connector has a bee on the top and bottom, and the Love Link has decoration on both the top and bottom.  The heart bead is dotted on all sides as well.  So I decided to create a two sided component using vintage tin on one side, and a Vintaj Brass floral disc on the other.


I riveted the pieces together with one of Objects and Elements screw rivets, that Susan Lenart Kazner talked me into getting while at Bead Fest.  I love that the thickness doesn't matter when using these rivets, unlike the ones you hammer, I can't get more than 2 layers to rivet decently.
I finished off the piece with a rectangular jump ring, some glass rings, and a wire wrapped section of amazonite and lampwork glass.
The cool thing about this reversible piece, you can wear it any which way and it's always pretty!
This new piece is now available for sale in my B.C. shop.

Comments

  1. I never thought that I'd be able to feel your pain. Beadwork is so mind-numbingly difficult to copy that I never thought anyone would try until the other day when I received a series of convos from a lady trying to copy a bracelet that I had created a pattern for...asked me extremely specific questions promising to buy the pattern...I kindly refused to answer her questions stating that it was all in the tutorial. Never heard from her again.
    Maybe you should talk to Stringing about putting an article on Copyright in their mag. I'm sure they can get a hold of some big guns to write the article?
    I agree...a louder voice is needed.

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  2. i love the idea of reversible components...
    beautiful bracelet..

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  3. Anonymous9/09/2010

    I wish you would do an article or start a convo somewhere. I don't sell anything online (tried, but didn't have time to do it right so I have an etsy shoppe that's empty now), but I do sell at a local gift shop in my hometown where you would think the odds of copycats would be slim to none, but it has happened. I've even had people take my photographs of my kids' activities (marching band) and make a cd to sell to raise money for the band without my permission and without credit. What is wrong with people?

    And by the way, that honey bee bracelet is stunning!

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  4. I have so seen this since I started. But I will say that I was tempted to copy a design and then the guilt set in and I actually contacted the designer and told her exactly what I was doing (for my personal use only) and it turned out she was so sweet as to say I wasn't copying hers that my process was different and she was so glad that I had asked her before continuing. I do love the designs that are out there and sometimes I don't have the resources to purchase them but I will wait from now on to get them and honor them!

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  5. Fantastic piece! I love reversible pieces! I am happy you got so many sales yesterday! That is awesome! Have a great day!

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  6. L. Usually I think you're on the money, but I have to say that I don't agree with your ideas of "copying" items that you have sold to publishers with step-by-step directions. My opinion is that once you accept the privilege, and the money associated with it, of having your work published in a magazine where a primary purpose is to educate the public on design, the idea is no longer yours but floating in the wind. Besides, you're really bigger than that ... you're already on to the next thing.

    Susan Lenart Kazmer is laughing all of the way to the bank on the concept of encouraging people to copy her work. Just another opinion. Barbara

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  7. another gorgeous piece!
    I did an entire blogpost on how specifically you inspired me to look at pattern and randomness, order/chaos in jewelry: http://fancifuldevices.blogspot.com/2010/08/loreleis-inspirations.html#comments
    But i guess its easy to give credit when you dont actually copy the person's style, much less the exact pattern.
    I wanna say, though, that a copy will never be as inspired as the original, the creator will never have as much fun and therefore will not be able to repeat enough to make any substantial $ (unless you get copied by a factory, which i have seen, which totally sucks). Copies are almost always shoddy and more annoying than really dangerous to your income or process. we should all just take a deep breath and realize that attracting shady people only means we've made it big enough and enough folks know about us that some percent inevitably have to be shady. that's what i say. (b/c i have a copy cat who copied even my shop section names and my whole blog layout! and she's only had, like, 3 sales.)
    sorry for the ginormous comment.
    lorelei, you rock. you've got creativity coming out of your every pore and some lamo copy cat won't change that.

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  8. Lorelei, I just discovered your blog the other day and I am amazed at your creativity. I'm sorry that you feel annoyed at being copied, and I can totally see your point. But I can also see JeannieK's side and agree with the jeweler who told her "Everything is a copy of something, everything." I had an idea for a bracelet made of resin with butterflies suspended in it. I didn't think it was the most original idea in the world so before I started selling mine I thought I would see if there was anyone doing the same thing first. There was. But I had the idea too completely on my own. I won't be selling those bracelets but I will be making them for myself and anyone who wants one. Some people may not know any better - after all I see patterns in mags that say "this piece will take you only a few minutes and are very popular sellers." Your designs are so original though, I'm sure you wouldn't have trouble getting them copyrighted. When you start getting frustrated by the copycats it might help to remember what my mother always used to say - the most sincere form of flattery is imitation. Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

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  9. Great bracelet. You always combine such unique elements and yet they still come across as cohesive - it's what I love so much about your style. Haven't been to yesterday's post yet as I'm slowly working my way through the post-vacay backlog, but I'll get there. Dying to read it!

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