Etsy, I'm disappointed in you.

Dear friend,

Remember this post?

Can you guess what happened next? I got an e-mail from Etsy saying that it was all their mistake. There was never any claim from any company against me. What really happened was something called bad and unprofessional work on their side.

Basically, Etsy accused me of violating some copyright laws with one of my prints, so they automatically banned that print from my shop and instructed me not to re-list it, otherwise my entire shop was going to be banned. In their notification they said that "X" company from the apparel business had placed a legal claim against my print. As you can imagine I was in shock. I knew that the notification had to be a mistake so I very politely asked the person from Etsy to please, take a second look at the claim because I was 100% sure that the whole case was a mistake.

Did they take a second look? The answer is no. In their notification there were no details about what product or design my print had been associated with. That was more than enough to see that something was wrong. You cannot accuse someone with no basement at all. That is common sense. I very politely asked again for those missing details but I simply was told that they could not send anything to me, instead I had to look for legal help. Unfortunately, Etsy assumed that I was wrong. This is where my disappointment started to build up. Did that mean that after being a clean and decent Etsy user for 5 years I didn't have any credibility? 

After finding myself in this unexplainable situation I was forced to contact a copyright lawyer so I could start defending myself against something that I never did. Now, imagine what would have happened if I couldn't even think about the option of having a lawyer. It's an unfortunate reality that many people involved in copyright issues cannot afford to defend themselves. If that was my case I would have have to let my print stay banned and remain in limbo forever. Here is where I started thinking about the things that are wrong with Etsy as a place to have a professional store. 

To make the story short I will tell you that the only reason why Etsy realized that they had made a mistake was because "X" company had to get in touch with them to clarify that they had NEVER placed any claim against me. The "X" company got in touch with them because of the actions taken on my side. When I asked Etsy to review the case, based on my clean background as a seller they said NO. They had to hear from the big company to do something. That is not right. 

The e-mail sent to me by Etsy admitting their mistake was a short, dry line saying that they had made a mistake and were sorry. I had to write back in order to ask for more details before I could notify my lawyer. 

Of course, I could take action against Etsy for the inconveniences that this incident generated. But instead, I have decided to share the story with you and then let go. I have been putting energy on educating myself about other shop options for the future. Because the most important lesson that I have learned from this experience is that Etsy is a vulnerable place to grow a professional business. Not only for what happened to me but many other reasons that I wasn't even aware of. This article has been a helpful one to read.

I love the Etsy community and I will always do. But I can't say the same about Etsy as a company after the way they treated me. After my incident I did lots of research and it turns out that several other Etsy sellers have been affected by Etsy's bad work in different ways . I had no idea. Looking back at my case I see that this incident could have been resolved in a minute, only if Etsy had agreed to take a quick look at my case. But they decided to believe that I was guilty without any evidence. I'm all for forgiveness but forgiveness is something that has to be earned somehow . Etsy hasn't done anything for me to believe that they are REALLY sorry about what happened. This is unfortunate but it is what it is.

I'm fine over here, happy to be over with this case and looking forward to the future!

Elsita :)

A Little Bug.

I made this bug out of paper for my Mom. It wasn't a gift really, but a little prank :) I put the bug on my Mom's bed. She was supposed to scream! But instead she said: OH look! A bug! Careful! Don't kill it! Let's put it in the garden. She wasn't wearing her glasses so after she put it on her hand she said: Mm, It's not moving. I think it's dead and it looks dry. Then I told her the truth. We both laughed a lot! That's why I love paper so much. It is such a fun material :o 

 

Thanks a lot :)

Dear friend,

I'm stopping by to say that things are well over here and that I appreciate your words from my previous post so much. I have professional help now regarding that absurd issue and things will be OK for sure. I will let you know if I eventually need concrete help. Thanks a lot for your support.

 

I felt very upset/offended for about 10 hours but then I transitioned to not being upset anymore. Life is too precious, time is gold and it's too easy to get lost in  a black hole. I remind myself that we should use our energy on things that are really important such as drawing friendly characters with a black felt tip pen :) playing with my children, communicating with supportive friends and relatives, laughing with My Mom and watching Diego become a LAUSD celebrity.

My Mom is visiting from Florida. She is a lot of fun to be with plus she is the master of keeping it real. My Mom thinks that genuine talent defends itself by just being and that it always wins no matter what. You know that as Moms, we always think that our kids are geniuses, my Mom is not different. Her recommendation is that I put my energy into creativity while the enemy is busy being wrong. This is all said with her unique sense of humor and her it's-not-the-end-of-the-world approach to life. What would the world be without people like my Mom?! 

Today I'm working on a big gardening project over here with my Mom and our gardener. There is nothing better for the soul than being in touch with nature. It will be lots of fun!

Thanks a lot again and have a wonderful weekend!

Elsita 

(And my Mom, she sends a big THANKS  A LOT to you for supporting her daughter :)

 

I am so upset.

Dear friend,

A representative from a large company related to the apparel business has contacted Etsy to claim that one of the papercut designs from my Etsy shop has violated  some copyright laws. Meaning that I have copied something related to this company. I have no idea what this is about since nothing visual has been provided. There is no clear explanation. This is so absurd and unfounded. I thought that it was not real, but it is. 

The claim is based on the image below, which comes from one of my papercuts. The original design is here. I created this piece years ago. It is one more of the things that I have created with this signature look that I have been developing for years. My work is personal and honest. That's why the claim from the company in question has left me in shock and upset.

I have already gotten in touch with them. I received an automatic e-mail so far, which I replied to. All I hope is that this is some sort of mistake and that it can get solved soon. 

Please feel free to post a comment with your opinion about this unfair case. I would appreciate it. Maybe I can send the link to this post to the company. They need to take action and fix this by cancelling their claim with Etsy. A large famous company doesn't have the right to hurt an artist that has been developing a honest career for so long. All I hope is that this is a mistake.

Thanks a lot,

Elsita

Six Unique Brooches.

These brooches are available for reservation. If you're interested in one of them please send me an e-mail to: elsammora@gmail.com Or you can also get in touch via my Etsy shop.

Price: $65 each.

Update: Only #5 is available. The rest have been already reserved.

Thanks a lot!

I enjoyed creating these pieces so much! These brooches are made out of wood clay. I purchased this material 3 years ago but I got comfortable with it only recently. Sometimes it takes time to "understand" a new material. I love this clay because it's very strong when dry and because it's made from real cedar wood.

This time I decided to give titles to my brooches. Each one of these pieces is a small artwork that could be added to your outfit but it could also be framed in a shadow box for display. 

A Red Bird Discovers Magic Creatures by the Ocean.

Measurements: 2" x 1.5"

The Infinite Journey of a Lonely Bird.

Measurements: 2.5" x 1.5"

A Miniature Bird Dreaming a Big Dream.

Measurements: 2 3/4" x 1 1/4"

The Bird that Collected Spots from all Kinds of Places.

Measurements: 2" x 1.5"

A White Bird in a Drop of Water.

Measurements: 3" x 1"

A Fish that Wanted to be a Bird.

Measurements: 2 1/4 x 1.5"

 

Five New Pendants.

Here are some new necklaces made out of paperclay painted with acrylic paint. Each one comes with a sweet black ball chain. They are so special in person! I give them a really nice finish that includes several layers of matte varnish. When the surface is very dry I apply some aromatic oil to make them water proof. They look beautiful on a black background. I hope that you enjoy looking at them :)

1.3/4" x 3/4" (2cm x 4,5cm) SOLD OUT.

2" x 1.3/4" (5cm x 4cm)  SOLD OUT.

2" x 1.5" (5,5cm x 4cm) SOLD OUT.

2.1/4" x 1.5" (5,5cm x 3,5cm) SOLD OUT.

2" x 1.1/4" (5cm x 3cm) SOLD OUT.

 

New Papercut Patterns.

  

Yay!!

I couldn't wait to share this with you.

I designed a new set of 4 papercut patterns featuring birdies.

I hope that you like them :)

 

Ten New Necklaces.

Here are the 10 new necklaces that I made with so much love. To reserve one of them (or more) just write me an e-mail to: elsammora@gmail.com or send me a conversation via my Etsy shop.

The price is: $65 each.

UPDATE: The 10 necklaces have been sold out.

Materials: paperclay painted with acrylic paint. The surface is protected with several layers of matte varnish and sealed (to make it water resistant) with an extra thin touch of orchid oil. The antique-bronze-looking chain is included.

 

One of a Kind Pendants.

I'm so excited about these necklaces!

This is an idea that I wanted to materialize for a long time. The other day I finally started working on it. But I had to push myself to go to bed because I  didn't want to stop. It was very late at night and I was still working. I had the best time painting all the tiny details. These pendants look so much nicer in person. I gave the surface a waxy finish that is very attractive to the eye.

Materials: Paperclay painted with acrylic paint and finished with several layers of matte varnish (for the waxy finish). The antique-bronze-looking chain is included.

If you want to reserve one of these necklaces just write me an e-mail: elsammora@gmail.com or send me an Etsy conversation.

Each one is $55.

Update: 

Only one pendant available: #1

 

A new brooch.

Can you guess what is inside this little bag?

I will let you know in another post :)

 

*