Putting the record straight

I have always enjoyed my activities in blogland and been the first to say what a friendly place it was. I was therefore mortified to receive a mail from a blogger which has prompted me to do this post.

This is what they wrote, I will not name them, but they know who they are:

"Brenda

I have seen your rose tutorial and it is sad that you have copied the wonderful Tim Holtz and claimed his work as your own http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/12-tags-of-christmasday-12.html If you wanted to write it why didn't you say it was his work.

Lots of people have followed your tutorial and credited you with the idea which its not at all. I have always followed your blog and thought your work was original but now I wonder. I will not be following your blog any more."

Until last evening I was unaware of a few comments buzzing round blogland, but prompted by the mail and those comments I thought I should put the record straight. Apparently TH has also posted a rose tutorial, which I have just been directed towards and it seems mine and his versions are pretty much the same with the exception of a bit more distressing on his part, as we would expect.

My tutorial was posted on 8th December, Tim's on 12th December, presumably those making the comments and the person who mailed me failed to notice this. And I can confirm my crystal ball is not that reliable.

I have been making my version of paper roses for some months and demonstrated them at Sir Stampalot and Coleman's on at least three occasions in recent months, but as with all things crafty, everybody's version is different and there are no patents.

I am being totally honest when I say that I had absolutely no idea TH had a rose tutorial until it was pointed out to me on my blog. Had I done so and copied it as is suggested on several posts in blogland over the last couple of days, then I would have been happy to credit it to him. But given my tutorial was posted four days before his, this would have not been possible. Moreover I could have saved myself hours of making roses, taking pictures and writing up the tutorial, something I had been promising for a couple of weeks but delayed due to an eye op.

The whole reason I did my tutorial was to help others who had asked how I made them.........to me this is what crafting is all about........sharing ideas and passing on new found techinques.........as I repeatedly say, we all draw inspiration from each other and crafting is a continual learning curve.