A very Happy New Year!

Wishing you and yours a very happy and prosperous New Year!

I know in my heart I live with honesty and integrity and never wish malice towards anyone and wont start now.  I know people point fingers saying I have, and I can only say that isn't true and when we point our finger we have four pointing back to us.

I find it amazing that I could apologize before anyone realized there was an issue and still be punished for being shocked and pouring out my feelings.  Lessen learnt that only popular crafty kids have feelings.  C'est la vie.  I have never wanted to be a popular kid, however, I don't think it is too much to ask people to be respectful of everyone equally.

New Year! Same ol me with honesty and integrity and always working to be a better version of me.

So I asked another question, good thing I'm not a cat.

So following the ban I actually asked Splitcoastampers site what an SPR violation is and because honestly to be banned for a month really deserves a better explanation than the stat 2 word response. "SPR Violations"

"Hi Kristen -

Good to hear from you. I really do hope you are doing okay.

I am not a moderator - I am the Community and site manager. But we love and depend on our moderators! :) Here is the site posting rule you violated, which is the most important rule we have:

Members are cautioned to take the greatest care when they post new threads or create a response to an existing thread. We ask that no one creates or condones a post openly disparaging any individual, company or group of people.

I hope you have a good rest of the holiday season."

Now I just want to say I knew it was going to Site manager because none of the other relevant boxes sent it through - might have to do with the ban or might be a glitch, I honestly don't know.  I appreciate the kind response but am still puzzled how asking for clarifications from those who blur the line between person and business is "disparaging" especially given some of the threads I have read over the years about others in the crafting community on Splitcoast.

I did reply with the following (and of course now see a grammatical error! Yikes! and I know there are probably more).

"Many thanks for your reply.

What have I specifically done that has disparaged an individual, company or group of people after I was cautioned by PM?

I have ask about a product being Free of charge.

I have asked about disclosure of Free of charge products, how is that disparaging? That is Freedom of Information!

I have also ask in Current Events how Martha Stewart, as the example given me by a moderator, can be considered an individual in a craft world where she has made millions and is incorporated as a business?  Which considering the number of negative threads about other craft people such as for example PTI and Nicole Heady is puzzling and inconsistent.

In the past there has been a very specific warning if there is an issue.  The issue for this seems to be one of a click/clique where a moderator is a part of it and doesn't wish to questioned.  She specifically said in her response in PM that she didn't care who I included.  And then I am banned for quite a length of time?  That is just plain irrational."

Now if I thought for one moment everyone was being treated the same I would have no ongoing issue but there really seems to be a protective bubble around this product and the mentors of this product and how dare we question it.  I really like the SCS moderators, generally they have been absolutely brilliant over the years, even when I have have previous vacations, but I just think if you are participating actively in a thread and "liking" the "craft celebrity" posts that it might be best to recuse yourself from moderating that thread if there is a perceived issue.

Full disclosure, I really like the product, I just don't understand why it is so hard to say "I got it for free and think it was awesome!"  I have consistently said - get it patent protected (even when the creator of it said a lawyer said she didn't need it), get mass manufacturing to bring the price down.   So that isn't negative.

I just don't get the defensiveness and animosity when I asked quite legitimate questions.  

Why Blog Freebie disclosure matters.

What does it matter if a blogger receives a product free of charge, even as a gift, and proceeds to promote it?

It matters because, I, as a consumer, don't know their intent.  They can tell me their intent, their friends and allies can tell me their intent, however they can't tell me what I believe, that is my choice and opinion to form, not theirs.

I have no problem with bloggers blogging about freebies, just tell me it was free to you. There is no need to act all offended if I just want to know the truth and assess for myself.  Give yourself some credit that if you are blogging with honesty and integrity that I will come to the same conclusions that you have about the product.  When a blogger fans the flame which encourages others to fight on their behalf, it makes me question the validity of their claims. 

There is a big difference between "Wow, I just read the thread and now I'm going to defend myself" and "Oh yeah, I got this FoC and it is a great product" - one fans people to jump on the bandwagon and keep attacking, the other places the focus back on the product.  

Secondarily, I am disappointed when a moderator of a forum participates in the discussion and openly takes sides.  At that point they really should hand it over to another to assess and moderate because they are involved whether they are besties or just in awe of the poster, then to couple it with false accusations in PMs as a moderator is beyond the pale.  I don't and can't have a personal issue with any crafty blogger because I don't know them personally.  I know them as an online persona or a business persona.  To be accused otherwise by a forum moderator is strange and biased.  It seems like a very bad day at the office, just wish my vacation was a paid one.

Banned for asking FTC questions on Splitcoastampers

Tt says -
"You have been banned for the following reason:
SPR violations

Date the ban will be lifted: 01-27-2015, 09:00 PM"

Got to laugh - apparently you aren't allowed to ask if Jennifer McGuire has received a product for free and promoting it without disclosing that to her viewers.  And what is an SPR violation?

Shouldn't a full explanation be given?  I've been repeatedly attacked on the MISTI thread for asking questions.  Many got very defensive that I would dare to ask a question.  It is important to me if a person is promoting a product they received FoC and every person I have asked away from the forum has told me exactly the same and even the Federal Trade Commission addresses it.  

It is like a rapid pack on forums if you cross the wrong elite crafter nobody is protecting the little guy.  Buyer Beware!

Is Martha Stewart a person or a business?

The following is from a thread I originated on Splitcoastampers which I expect to be deleted.  I am posting it here to protect its contents.

I know I am asking this at the risk of a vacation, but I think it is an important question. So is Martha Stewart a person or a business?

Background. On a tool thread I ask if a well known blogger who earns a living blogging about craft stamps and tools by representing many companies had received that tool FoC. Since asking people have been quite adamant that it didn't matter. I pointed out that it DID matter and that is why the FTC had regulations about blogging. It was pointed out by the creator of the tool that she had approached the blogger to represent her to Hero Arts (that sounds like business to me).

A few days ago the blogger who NEVER has mentioned sponsored product (followed her for years) goes to great lengths on social media to say this is being promoted for a friend -  - honestly, at the time, I felt it was a dig at me (right or wrongly, it doesn't really matter, if someone feels that way that is how they feel). I posted that here, had a think about it and was going to delete it but someone had replied. I didn't want to dishonor the person so replied that I was going to delete that post but since they had replied I felt that would be disrespectful. Then the blogger posts and really has a pretty direct go at how anyone could think that she would promote a product she didn't believe in (which I never said and how many thread are there about people being on DT and not liking the product etc.) and all the popular kids told her this was going on, so she had to sweep in and save the day and post but she was far too busy and had an employee that dealt with her comments on social media. (Person or Business has an employee for social media?)

Another poster then had a direct go at myself for thinking as I did. And I reported it. Mod involved and I was told that the blogger that earns a living crafty blogging is a person and that this was an attack on a person and against the terms of the board. I said I have no reason to attack a person and this was a discussion about business practices. I was told that

Quote:

The rules are very clear and simple and you are well acquainted with them as a regular contributor here. Every human on earth is protected here by our rules, regardless of whether they have a personal brand or not. Martha Stewart has exactly the same rights as Jane Doe.

Honestly I am confused. Martha Stewart is a brand. She is incorporated as a brand and if Martha Stewart posted here I would consider it PR to promote her brand.

Additionally there are many threads all over this board about owners of different companies and their bad customer service and this wasn't even near this level. 

I get it that I am not crafting elite or a popular "kid" but honestly I don't get the vitriol on this. If a person's online persona is how they make money they are a business.

What do you think? and I may not get to reply because I am expecting this to be deleted and to be sent on vacation for asking a legitimate, Federally regulated question.

(I also got accused of having a problem with the blogger. I have no idea where that came from. That was just weird, especially as I stated multiple times that I don't and there was nothing personal in my questions. I don't know what is so hard about "Look what my super talented friend gave me, let me show you what it does!")

So after full disclosure, is Martha Stewart a person or a business?

Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/current-events-f65/martha-stewart-person-t595235.html#post20849409#ixzz3N7BnHuHx

Joy to the World!

The challenge this week for the High Hopes blog is Silver.  So I took this image and colored it in with copics trying to emulate Sandy Allnock and then used Sakura metallic and glitter pens to make the stars silver.

I wanted to emphasize the silver without detracting from it so I matted it on gray.  The purple came from the lowlights on his headdress.  I used a cutterbee piercing bug to add interest and allude to the faux stitching on his robe, around the image and on the sentiment.

Ingredients:
Card size - 8 1/2 " x 5 1/2 "
Cardstock - Recollections white 110lbs; white, gray, purple 65lbs;
Stamp - High Hopes Stamps - Shepherd's Awe; Inkadinkado - Hope; Studio G - alphabet;
Ink - Memento: Tuxedo black, Nautical Blue, Grape;
Color - Copics;
Accessories - Cutterbee piercing tool