Indie Crafter v Paperchase

As a maker and designer I am always aware of the people who copy. It has happened to me numerous times and mainly I ignore it, sometimes a curt email does the job, but usually it is just someone trying to do what I do and not realising that they will get spotted. When I started selling on Etsy I had someone buy a doorstop from me on ebay and immediately copy the design and sell it on Etsy. I was alerted by other uk etsy sellers who kept me up to speed with her goings on and her reaction to my emails asking her to remove them. Her shop has since closed and she won't be missed by many, especially not me!

Sadly there is currently a situation with a UK etsy designer HidenSeek who has had her beautiful and unique illustrations taken and manipulated by Paperchase. Paperchases line is that they are not the same, as theirs has a different 'feel' My personal opinion is that their behaviour stinks, Twitter has apparently gone mad over this and a Google search reveals it as a seriously hot topic with the press becoming increasingly interested.

Please please spread the word and help protect the rights of indie makers.

Read more here here and here

Latest news is that Amazon who were stocking the Paperchase item in question has today removed it from their site!

Spring clean and a SALE

At the beginning of this week I thought I would be spending all my time trying to get my head round finishing my accounts and filing a tax return, but to my utter joy I had forgotten that I had already sorted the necessary receipts and so the job was made much easier, added to that I gave myself a crash course in Excel and discovered the joys of Auto Sum.
So job done I have set to sorting out my stock and fabric and general mess which is spread through a number of areas round the house......the result a SALE!! There are items in both my ebay and etsy shops to be snapped up and more to come later this evening.
This cushion is made from some Heals fabric rescued from a very poorly curtain and is listed in a new shop on MISI I will be adding a proper link to this soon, but will be using this shop for my simple cushions.

Off to sort out more fabric there may be some coming to ebay very soon I really have too much!!

Thankyou!

I want to say thankyou this morning to Gay at I Dreamed I Saw who included my Pear cushion from my etsy shop in a blog post yesterday!

Today I feel like I've woken up, the snow has gone and I can see green again, the rain has stopped and the sun is shining, so we are off to Henley for a leisurely lunch and a walk along the Thames.

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday too!

Louise x

fabric buys

Some new fabrics arrived today from fabric rehab, definitely brightening my day after a slow trek through the snow this morning to post off orders.

Hope you are keeping warm and safe if you too are suffering the snow

Anyone not from the UK might like to take look at this to see just how we have been hit! we are under there somewhere....

Our xmas cake!

I forgot to post this in time for xmas but still need to show you the beautiful xmas cake that I won...yes won!..... in a raffle at the pre school where I do supply work. The cake was made by the incredibly talented and lovely Natasha of neviepiecakes who makes the most delicious and beautiful cakes and sweet treats I have ever seen, she really is an undisovered star of cakes!

So thankyou to Natasha for donating the cake it really was delicious I think there is just one slice left which I suspect my husband will have this evening when he gets in from the cold.

So this was Xmas

Xmas for us this year was a white one and though it was very beautiful it was also so dangerous to travel that we had lots of cancelled plans, including our family xmas down in Hampshire which had to be rescheduled.

The girls improvised with rock pooling nets to have a snow fight, the snow being too powder dry to make snow balls.

These photos were taken after just one fall of snow we had another 3 inches a couple of days later. Today we have freezing fog and another abandoned trip to Milton Keynes as the roads headed up that way from here are icy and the temperature was dropping as we headed north, we turned back and came home to our cosy home. Much the best pace to be at any time, but especially now.

Thankyou to everyone who shopped with me over the xmas period I kept my shops open and was suprised at how busy I was.

I am however considering closing my Folksy shop as the sales from there are so slow and I really can't have stock sitting around for so long. I really am sad about this as I love the Folksy site and ethos but it just isn't working for me. So I may concentrate my efforts more on my Etsy shops and keep on with ebay too as sales there have been non stop for the last few months.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2010

Louise x

Dutch design

I have been doing a spot of internet browsing today and came across this great Dutch online shop BijzonderMOOI . I have seen these angels before, and I really love the pattern design on them, such a simple idea for a table setting. They also have beautful lanterns by the same designer

These candle holders would be great anytime of the year not just Xmas

And well I am seriously tempted by this tape, I've been using some Christmas tape from MUJI on my parcels this year and it brightens my day as well as my customers.

And my final pick is this light shade made from blankets,I really like the way they've used blanket stitch seams and left them on the outside to be seen. We are decorating in the New Year and I am wondering how I could make my own because as gorgeous as they are, they just aren't in my price range.

Well the snow here is falling once again adding to the 6 inches already covering the ground, it really is properly Christmassy here in the Chilterns, very picture postcard and I shall brave the cold tomorrow to bring you some pictures.

Louise x