Juggling life through a bi-polar lens. Sometimes up, sometimes down. Mostly trying to tread water in the middle. Creating a likeness to a normal life. Whatever "normal" is...

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Update on The Art Cafe....

After a week and a half and still no feedback on the cards I handed in, I rang them just now-

basically the answer is no-
after the "we don't seem to have any space for them at the moment" (Hmmm... that's odd, with all that empty space upstairs....!!! Besides, if this were the case, why offer to look at any?)
she said that "it was thought that the images used weren't all your own" ....so I explained about rubber stamps and water-colouring, and pictures/images/materials/papers etc. sold specially for craft purposes. Seems they have never heard of the Angel Policy used by craft companies, meaning that you can use their rubber stamps/papers/images etc for reselling. Seems the idea was completely new to them! Hey ho! Pity they didn't think to contact me and let me know. Perhaps then I could have explained to them about the materials used. Besides, I didn't use rubber stamps on them all....

Obviously it would be better to sell a piece of cardboard that someone has stuck one piece of paper and wire on and charge £3 for it. (That seems to be the standard of handmade cards sold round here....!)

What riles me is the way no one answered my emails or rang to let me have a decision.
BUT WHAT REALLY GETS TO ME is the patronising implication that I don't know what I'm doing -when they are ones who don't know what they're talking about! Instead of giving the cards a quick look and deciding, "oh, these aren't original!" why not contact me and ask me whether they are or not?

Take a look round the other blogs that do crafts- start with the ones on my link list. No two cards look the same. Unoriginal? I think not! There are dozens of crafts companies designing and selling products for us to use in our projects- all with an Angel Policy that states we may resell them. Get yourselves informed before you judge, please!!!!

10 comments:

Dragonstar said...

Oh, that's so unfair! You're right, they didn't have any idea of what goes on.
Right (gets organising hat on!) make up a small leaflet explaining these things, then try someone else - there must be more possible places than that, and your cards are very saleable.

Mrs Mac said...

Thank you so much, Dragonstar. I have been low these last few days anyway ("brain fog"!) and this really knocked me. It sent me right back to when I was a child at school and the teacher pulled me up in front of everyone and accused me of handing in a poem that wasn't my own work. Of course it was! This happened to me a few times at school and really left me very sensitive to this sort of comment!

Your leaflet idea is brilliant. I like that. Must do that. Cheers!

Thanks, DS, this had really knocked me.

Dragonstar said...

If people had any idea how much they can hurt, surely they'd be a bit more careful.
Oh dear, school has a lot to answer for. I was good with English, but useless with Maths. My father taught maths, and my teacher knew it. She called me useless in front of the class, and one time when I actually understood something new she accused me of getting the answers from the back of the book - I didn't even know there were any!
This all happened when I was 12. It took years to even start to get over it.
Try not to let one idiot get you down. You have a great deal of talent and a beautifully creative mind. I'd like to see that woman making cards even a quarter as good as yours.

CherryPie said...

They can't be up to much if they can't see how wonderful your cards are. You just need to get them displayed in the right place. I am sure when you find somewhere, people will be asking for special requests ;-)

BumbleVee said...

They should rename their cake shop....Ignorance is Bliss.......

Roz said...

OOoooOOo, I'll bash them for you!!

This is my first visit to your blog, and it's great! I'll definitely be back.

Love Roz x

Mrs Mac said...

Thanks, everyone. I've been low these last few days, worse than in many many months- and I really didn't need this!

Thanks for the cheery support :)

Lynda (Granny K) said...

What Numbnuts! I hope their cream curdles and their scones crumble!

Good idea of Dragonstar's about the leaflet.

Do you have a Newsagent locally? Ours used to sell handmade cards, but I think the person who did it has given up making them.

Sometimes these arty cafe places are so far up their own butts they need miner's lamps.

Anonymous said...

Hi Helena,

As it was a group decision... ugh... too many individual tastes and opinions... it may have taken time for them to get everyone together.

I think it was poor business practice for them not to answer your email. They could at least have said they were still deciding... or asked you questions about the images you used.

I've been told to always "shepherd" my artworks. That means whenever possible present my paintings in person. That way I can answer any questions which may arise AND I can ask them questions.

I think their shop would have benefited by offering your cards for sale. They could have even set up a short term trial period for holiday sales.

(hugs)

Kristin Eberline said...

What?! I'm so behind. They're loss, Helena. You will find better...I'm sure of it.