Copyright and Protecting Your Work

Well this wasn't going to be my next blog post but because the drama today has put me in too bad of a mood to do anything else, I have decided to write about my copyright.  A couple years ago someone sent me a message on Etsy alerting me to a woman that was copying my Bundle BeBe  design.  She had favorited my design recently and recreated her own.  When I contacted her she was very rude and told me I had no copyright.  She also deleted me from her favorites to hide the fact that she had seen my work.  She claimed to not know who I was.

Copyright is a very misunderstood thing.  First, you own the copyright to your work without needing to register it with the government.  This includes photos.  The best way to prove ownership is to upload your photos to a site that will clearly show the date the work was created, like Flickr.  However, if you want to file any type of claim in court you need to have a registered copyright.  Also if you want Etsy, Pinterest, Flickr or other sites to remove the infringement, you have to have that registration.  So because this woman would not remove my design, and she was being combative, I registered my work.  You can find me here.

Fast forward to yesterday.  I received another message on Etsy from a lovely customer letting me know that she saw one of my dolls in someone else's listing.  Sure enough a woman on Etsy was using my picture in a listing for a custom soft sculpture doll.  I immediately messaged the owner of the shop as well as filed a claim with Etsy.  The photo was removed immediately and I heard nothing from the shop owner.  Etsy did respond with their steps for filing a claim which I was already aware of.  Because the shop owner removed the photo I considered the case closed.  However she then messaged me today with the question "Casie, who did you authorize to sell your pattern?".   Well first I thought this woman was just trying to cover her tracks by pretending she unknowingly used my work illegally, but then she responded that she found my pattern on Pinterest.  After a quick "BeBe Babies Pattern" search I found this.

My blood started to boil.  The "pin" is from this blog.  Notice she has put HER watermark on MY photo.  She does not have my pattern.  In fact, my patterns wouldn't be recognizable by anyone but myself.  They are a jumble in my head and on pieces of paper in an envelope.  I hate watermarks but I suppose I need to start using them to further protect myself.

I have since filed a claim with Pinterest, although after looking at the pin closer I do not think it was pinned by the person who owns the blog.  I'm not sure what happens in that case.  I have also emailed the owner of the blog but it isn't in English so I'm assuming she is not in the US, and may or may not understand what I said to her.  I don't know how international copyright works but I am assuming I can do nothing about it.

Looking at the Facebook page of this person I noticed we have 3 friends in common.  This is upsetting to me.  Also looking through her photos I recognize other artists.  Please if you have the time to help me look at this stuff, and you notice other artists she is doing this to please contact the artists!  She has since removed my comment on her blog and blocked comments for approval.  If you want to stay updated on this case please follow me on Facebook.  Otherwise the bottom line is do what you can to protect yourself and try to protect each other.

How to Overcome Fear

     I stood below the towering loop, my neck cramping from the height.  The roar of the cars drowned out the sound of the park each time they passed.  AAaaaaaah ROAR AAaaaaaah ROAR.
     "Well Case?" my Dad said mockingly.
     I don't remember what I said back but we turned and walked away.  My Dad giggled triumphantly.
     "At least I thought about it" I said.
     I didn't know at the moment that I would remember that sentence for the rest of my life.  There's nothing else I remember about the year I was 9 years old but my Dad never let me forget what I said that day.  Christmas dinners, my birthday, he will recant that story.  In a bad imitation of a 9 year old he will say, "At least I thought about it."
     When I sat down to write about fear it is the only story that came to mind.
     I have a lot of fears.  I use excuses to hide them.  I don't have enough time, knowledge, talent or popularity is what I think, but really I'm just afraid.  Many of the things I'm afraid of are holding me back in my business.  Here are a few:

1.  Blogging
     I used to think I didn't blog because I didn't have time, but then I read this post.  Now I realize I don't blog because I am afraid to be honest.  I'm afraid to effect my business negatively.  I'm afraid to lose my day job.  I'm afraid to cuss.  I'm afraid I'll hurt someone's feelings.  What I realize now is that the best blogs are the honest blogs, the blogs people can relate to.

2.  Rejection
     I'd like to think I don't care what people think of me but then I realized that is just an excuse to not participate.  If I don't participate people can't think I'm stupid.  I can't fail.  This is a horrible way to live.

3.  Failure
     If I tell everyone my goals, and I can't reach them, I will feel bad.  No one likes to feel bad, but most "successful" people fail many many times.  Failure is where we learn.

4.  Asking
     This is a big one for me.  I don't like talking to strangers.  I don't like asking for anything, from movie tickets to a raise.  Most of my friends and family know I will gladly let them step in and do it for me.  I think this is a result of my fear of rejection and failure.

5.  Control
      I have a hard time letting anyone do anything I can do myself (except talking to strangers).  But I find myself without enough time in a day to do everything.  If I'm going to run BeBe Babies like a business I'm going to need help. I have to find that help and let go.

     I eventually got on the loop-de-loop roller coaster.  I can do this too.  I'm not going to just think about this anymore either.

Special new design for a good friend.  She is a draft stopper and will be fighting the cold in an old drafty window.

Your Perfect Work Day

Step 1: Plan your perfect work day

     "F*#@ my life" I think.  The ipod is lit up and bongo-ing at me.  What happened to the old beep beeeeep alarms, this gentle crap is more irritating.  5:45 am stares me in the face.  The street is silent except for the sound of my boots click clacking on the pavement.  My jacket is zipped to my throat.  I am wearing a sweater dress, sweater, jacket sweater and overcoat.  No one ever tells you Mexico is actually cold and the houses have no heat.  

     I arrive to work and immediately it is on.  Teaching English is 90% stand-up comedian/entertainer and 10% teacher.  I didn't know that going in.  You have to make the conversation.  You have to smile until your face hurts.  You have to care about people's lives you don't give a shit about.  I don't want to be so blunt here.  There are some amazing students at my school that I do very much enjoying talking to, and they know who they are.

     Two things I hate: waking up early, and making small talk with strangers.  Obviously I didn't put enough thought into this career choice.  Here's what my perfect work day would really look like:

          8-9 wake up-no alarm

          9-10 shower/get dressed

          10-12 eat breakfast, work on computer stuff

          12-2 or 3 sew

          3 eat lunch

          4-5 exercise

          5-7 sew/take photos

          7 eat dinner

          8-11 relax/read/write

     The point of this exercise is to help you determine what you "should" be doing, or what your values are.  I probably need to make mine more detailed, but for now I want to focus on reducing the amount of times I get up in the dark.  Yes I will start there...

Custom Blythe by Kerria Rosette, with a mini BeBe in her pocket!

How to Turn Your Business Around

     "Do you have an extra pen?" She asked.
     I reached for the pen atop the bookshelf on my right.  As I passed it through the air to her unsuspecting hand I rolled it across my fingers and palm.  I gave her a smile.
     "No problem."
     I coughed again.  I had been sick for weeks.  Nothing new for me.  I thought, "teaching is not my calling.  Maybe if all the students are sick I won't have to come either."
     I wanted to be a teacher when I was a little girl, my brother wanted to be a fireman.  Now my brother hates being a fireman and I hate being a teacher.
     I can't remember a single thing my father or mother told me about making a career decision.  Neither went to college.  They believed in buying property, working your way up, and job security.  Things aren't the same for my generation.  We can't afford to do it that way.  I lost a house in the recession, worked my way to nowhere for 10 years, and I have 50K in student loans.  It's depressing and overwhelming.
     In the last couple months it dawned on me.  When I was a little girl I wanted to be a teacher because I thought the only jobs that existed were doctor, nurse, teacher, fireman and policeman.  I don't remember thinking anything else existed as an option.  However, I also loved baby dolls when I was a little girl.  Things don't change much do they?  The difference is that I LOVE making dolls.  It's the only thing I've never gotten tired of.  Not for one second.  It's time to make BeBe Babies a real, money-making business.
     Where did all this come from you ask?  Weeks and weeks of traveling down a rabbit hole after reading this link on Facebook.  So get ready.  More to come....

Happy Halloween!

Not sure this ghostie will be in the shop because unfortunately I didn't get her done in time for Halloween arrival.  But I thought I would share her with you anyway.  Have a safe and happy holiday!

Give Away Time!

Hi everyone!

It has been a long time since I did a give away and I have decided to do one now for a couple of reasons. One reason is that I am trying to boost my likes on Facebook (help me reach 1000!) as well as increase my overall shop awareness.  The other reason is that the BeBes are finally settling in in Mexico but I am unsure of the best shipping options for future orders.  There are only two options I am looking at; Fedex and Mexico's regular mail.  Like the US, Fedex is about 2-3 times more expensive compared to regular mail, but from what I am told is much more reliable than Mexico's government mail system.  I want to give my customers the best price, but of course I also want to make sure the dolly arrives in a timely fashion (or arrives at all).  So I have decided to send two "practice" packages, one via Fedex and one via regular mail.  I am going to see what the best price and shipping time is.  This give away will be sent Fedex.  

What are you entering for you ask?  Well because it is nearly Halloween I have decided to offer you a cute and spooky Vampire BeBe Bundle!

This little Bundle BeBe is made from cotton and flannel fabric.  My dolls are all recommended for children ages 3 and up.

Now the details and how to enter.  There are several different ways you can enter and the more things you do the more entries you receive.  Here's how:

1.  Comment on this post for 1 entry.
2.  Post this give away on your blog for 2 entries.
3.  Like BeBe Babies and Friends on Facebook for 3 entries.
4.  Post this give away on your Facebook page for 4 entries.
5.  Favorite the BeBe Babies and Friends shop on Etsy for 2 entries.
6.  Visit the BeBe Babies and Friends shop on Etsy and tell me which item you like the best for 4 entries.  (Post your favorite in the comments section here).
7.  Email me at bebebabiescom@yahoo.com and join my mailing list for 2 entries.  You will only receive one email per month with the most current BeBe Baby news.

Comment on this post and let me know all of the things you have done so I can calculate your correct amount of entries.  This give away will run until Sunday, September 20th.  I will draw the name on Monday and send the Vampire BeBe out at that time.  Let me know if you have any questions and thank you for helping me!

The BeBes are Finally Moving to Mexico

Hello everyone!  I am sitting in the San Francisco airport waiting for my flight to Mexico.  I have a 6 hour layover so I thought it would be a great time to fill you all in on the recent BeBe Babies news.  I spent 6 months in Mexico looking for a job and setting myself up and now I am returning after a two and a half week visit home.  Unfortunately it is very difficult to find supplies for BeBe making in Mexico but I'm making some headway there.  Mexico has very large and wonderful fabric shops but it seems they only stock utilitarian supplies (think curtains, table clothes and uniforms) and not a lot for the crafter.  I can not find wool felt, fabric pens, weighting materials, bulk stuffing, jointing supplies, etc but I will keep looking.  I am trying to avoid ordering too many supplies  from the US because I do not want to drive up my dolls prices.  I do have a sewing machine there and the rest of my supplies are packed securely in my luggage as we speak, so hopefully they last a while.  

OOAK Fern is available in the shop here.

I am now the proud owner of a Mexican visa and I have a great new job teaching English at a wonderful school in Mexico.  I have a one way ticket and no immediate plans to return to the US.  What that means for BeBe Babies is that going forward all BeBes will be made and shipped from Mexico.  What is currently listed in my shop is available and will be shipped from the US by my Mom.  I will be opening a new Etsy shop in Mexico that will have correct shipping and retail prices.  I am still unsure how this will effect my customers regarding prices, but I promise to bring you my creations at the lowest possible price, as always.  

OOAK Mindy is available here.

Shipping time will increase greatly as well so if you are interested in Christmas shopping you will need to let me know well in advance to make sure the dolls arrive in time for the holiday.  Most likely I will be unable to accommodate last minute Christmas shoppers.  This makes me very sad but it is the way it is I suppose.  Once the shop is open in Mexico I will let you know right away.

OOAK Holly Hobbie inspired doll- Custom Order

I hope that if you are looking for a special Christmas dolly you can find a large selection in my shop now.  There are several Soft Hearts, Pets, Bundle BeBes, Sweeties and finally some new Cuddle BeBes.  Here's a look.

I would like to share one last custom order that was a new design for me.  A customer requested this giant BeBe Pet bear to have arms and legs like my regular BeBes.  I love how he came out so much that I think I will be making more.  What do you think?

Well I think that is enough sharing.  As always you can find all my creations, including custom orders, in my Flickr album.  Thank you all for your continued support.

Moving to Mexico!

Hi everyone,

As you may or may not know I have been in Mexico on and off for the last year.  I want to get the word out to all my customers that I am returning to the US on Sept. 13th.  I will be in the US for about 2 weeks...so if anyone would like to place an order please let me know asap.  I am going to order all the supplies now so that when I am in the US I can complete them all and send them out.  After September my shop will re-open on Etsy in Mexico.  Shipping costs will go up at that point because I will be shipping internationally.  Now is your last chance to order a BeBe at US shipping rates.  Hope to hear from you soon!

Also here is a new design I have been working on... BeBe Mice!

Happenings....

Today I finally made pozole because it was one of my favorite dishes my host mom in Mexico made.  I used this recipe and it was so good and pretty close to what I wanted.  The chicken wasn't great though...but that's what I get for buying the last chicken at Grocery Outlet.  I probably should have let the little old lady that tried to beat me to it have it, but I didn't want to go to another store ha ha.  ANYway it was delicious and I have lots of leftovers now.

First I made some delicious ice tea because I also have been missing it.

Maisy goes crazy when I make chicken stock.  It's like doggy crack to her.

The best thing about pozole is the toppings.

Ok also I have new BeBes in brand new fabrics!!!  Woohooo....check them out in my Etsy shop here.

Beautiful....

So much to say, so much has happened...I don't know where to start!  My intentions when I went to Mexico were to blog frequently because I figured I'd have a lot to say, and new things to share.  However, when I first got to Mexico I was pretty miserable.  I didn't feel like I wanted to spread my sadness and despair around.  Something started to happen there though.  Something inside me changed and by the end I didn't want to leave at all, and almost didn't.  In fact I cried on the plane pretty much the whole way home...I felt sorry for the people who sat next to me...they probably thought I was nuts, or afraid of flying.  Anyway...I still don't really want to talk about Mexico...it just seems too overwhelming right now...but what I would like to share is today.

Today was a beautiful day in so many ways.  I started the morning with my tea, in my favorite mug.  In Mexico I did not have my tea, and I'm pretty obsessed with tea, so I was excited to brew my first cup.

Then I did some work!!!  I cleaned up my work table and started on some projects.  It feels so good to work again.

While I was working I decided I wanted to go to the farm today and buy produce.  One thing I really wanted to do when I got home from Mexico was hit the farm because the fresh produce is so yummy here in the summer.  So when my Mom called and said she wanted to go too we hit the road!

The picture below is solely included to make Sarah jealous.  :)

Biggest cabbage I have ever seen.

We might have over-did it on how much we bought...and I might have ate some of all of it just now :/

And I ate it all after this giant ice cream cone.  Ice cream sounded so good and I thought one scoop would be small because it was the smallest size but oh no...it was huge.  

Thanks for sharing my day with me!  I'm gonna do some more work and probably fall asleep early.  I came home with a stomach infection from Mexico and it has been wiping me out.  I think I slept like 13 hours last night ha ha.

Whoa....

Whoa Blogger is all weird...I guess it's been a while.  Hi all!  I figured it was time I buckle down and write a blog post.  It seems like every time I think of something to write about, I put it off, and now I feel like there are so many things, I don't know where to start.

First, I moved into an apartment.  The BeBes and I are in a new place!  Oh and Maisy too.  She lays by me while I work on BeBes in the kitchen.

Second...I'm going to Mexico!  In June I leave for a study abroad program in Mexico.  I'm not excited and terrified...I am mostly terrified.  ANYway, I am trying to raise money in any way that I can, so I'm listing everything I can find around here on Etsy, ON SALE!  Yep on sale.  Check them out here.

Oh and I turned 30.  I admit I was also terrified of my birthday, mostly because I didn't want a crappy story for my 30th birthday.  It ended up exceeding my expectations.  First... all my friends went out dancing on my actual birthday (no pictures, please private party (or I just always forget to take pictures)).  Thennnnnnnn, my boyfriend who had to be out of town on my actual birthday, booked us a gorgeous hotel room at the beach for the weekend.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  The weather was beautiful for the Oregon coast and we had so much fun...it was hard to come back.

Birthday champagne, and a message in a bottle...look at that view!

Enjoying the scenery tee hee.

Cheesies

Ok... keep checking my shops and help me go to Mexico!  I'm going to be sewing my heart out until June.  :)

My Swapee Received Her BeBe!

(Check out my previous post if you are interested in seeing the gift I received but now I get to share with you the plush I made for my swapee!)

When the Plush Team does the yearly swap you receive some information about your swapee, such as their favorite color, animal, food, etc. Luckily my swapee was Emily of Bluestar Fuzzies or Bluestar Ink. I say luckily because apparently we have very similar taste as her favorites are very similar to my favorites! I had no idea what to make with all the options but I decided on a raccoon.

I had never made a raccoon BeBe so there was some trial and error but I was so happy with how he came out. Emily and her super adorable daughter loved their raccoon too! Check out this Plush Team blog post where Emily talks about receiving her raccoon.

Plush Team Swap Time!!!

It's no secret that the annual plush swap is my favorite Plush Team event of all. I actually coordinated the last one and, honestly, I love EVERYthing about swapping time. There's the anticipation and wondering who is out there making me a special critter and there is the fun of making something for someone else (and waiting patiently for their reaction). I had a little hunch that my gift might be in my mailbox today so I drug my boyfriend all the way across town to check my p.o. box (I don't check it regularly and wouldn't have gone today if I wasn't so excited). Fun things, like plush buying, is scarce around here lately due to being a poor student, so getting a gift means so much to me.

When I saw the little key in my box I squealed...and then I squealed louder when I saw who it was from. I have been a fan of Megan's work forever. Her work, under the name Nonesuch Garden, is so recognizable, not to mention creative and super cute. Lately she has been working in a completely different style, which I love just as much, but is so different from what she is known for. This only increased my anticipation because I had no idea what style my gift would be in.

So my lovely boyfriend ripped the package open in the parking lot with his key and we were both delighted to find an adorable blue sloth hiding inside. Sloths are my favorite animal, and I am slowly obtaining a collection as word gets out about my obsession with them. I could not be more thrilled with my new addition! I only wish I had a little plush tree with some foliage for my sloth to eat...I guess that's a project for me! My sloths need a jungle!

I love being part of the Plush Team and apparently so does my sloth! Now to think of a name...

Valentine

I made this plush for my mustache-y valentine.

Day of the Dead Art Project

I am fortunate this term to again have a class in which I get to make an art project. This term I am taking a Spanish language class called, "Expresiones Artísticas". Basically the class covers all kinds of art created by different Spanish speaking cultures and artists. One assignment in the class, is to create an art project which represents each student in some personal way. Of course I decided to sew something, and I already had an idea.

I couple months back the Plushteam did a Day of the Dead, (Día de los Muertos), challenge but I unfortunately didn't participate because I didn't really have the time. I had an idea of what I wanted to make back then and even though I was too late to participate in the challenge, I was still excited to finally make a Day of the Dead plush.

I have always been fascinated by the holiday and am especially enamored with the ornately decorated skulls. Check out this one, this one and these. If you are not familiar with the holiday, or it's traditions, check out this website for an explanation.

I had a lot of different ideas of how I wanted to design my skull, and I'm sure I would have done more if I would have had excess time, but I am still pretty happy with how it came out. As I worked out the design on paper first, I decided that I needed some kind of theme because I was sort of just drawing designs all willy-nilly. The thought of a cohesive design led me to another significant symbol for death, especially during the Day of the Dead holiday, the marigold. Marigolds are placed as offerings on alters and at grave sites. To read more about the significance of the marigold in Mexican culture check out this explanation.

I have to say it was really fun presenting my creation in class today. I think I was the only person that didn't write a poem or make something on poster paper. I think when I get my project back I might add more details because I think there are too many white spaces left on the skull. I do really like how the marigolds came out though. The entire piece is made of wool felt and stuffing. I forgot to measure it but I would estimate it is about six inches tall. What do you think?