Draw your own conclusions

Hi everyone,

Please take a seat and get “comfortable” as I deal with some unsaid business. Go back with me, if you will to the first DUCF.

Why? Because that is when I started making my mixed paper journals – in fact, I sold the first batch of about 20 during the show August 2006. During the first year that I made these books they had library pockets in the front and due date slips in the back. I know we’ve all seen them, but here are some photos just to remind us what they look like.






All from my Flickr May 2007

Now here are journals by Comfortably Lovely. These journals were posted by her blog on January 28, 2009

And some more posted by her this year:


Similiar notebooks she put in a store here are the exact same size and page count as mine.

Oh, if only that were the only thing I’d like to point out. Here are some other things that look suspiciously like my work.

My work:

Posted to Flickr March 2008

Comfortably Lovely:

Posted 2009

My work:

Posted May 2007

Comfortably Lovely:

Posted 2009

The back of my journals:

Posted March 2008

Comfortably Lovely:

Posted 2009

I use paper quotes in my collages a lot:


Posted August 2007

Comfortably Lovely:

Posted 2009

Shall I keep going? OK.

Here are the stationery sets I had been making since 2008, and sold first to Drake General Hotel in early 2009.

Posted to Flickr Oct. 2008, sold at DUCF 3 in Nov. 2008.

Then suddenly, surprise! This post popped up on the Comfortably Lovely blog this past Saturday.



The “art” of letter writing is something I have been talking about online lately for my new zine “Write Back Soon!” and my new line of extended letter kits which debuting at DUCF this past Saturday.


My Etsy listing for Write Back Soon


My Facebook post about my new line of goods

I am happy to discuss where the ideas for my work comes from and how my work fits into a larger philosophy about work produced in Detroit and remaking the city.

I am also happy to talk about how I operate with transparency and fairness in both Handmade Detroit and my own business, or anything else that anyone may have heard a rumor about.

I am also happy to openly discuss the ex-boyfriend that the artist behind CL and I share -- because that relationship has absolutely nothing to do with anything that I sell in Phantom Limb.

If you spend 5 seconds with me, you’d see how much I value creativity, originality and independent spirit, and how important I believe it is for not only the Detroit community but the handmade community at large.

I hope you will continue to support original work and their makers.

Thanks everyone for reading this,
Stephanie

p.s. In the time it took me gather all this stuff today, it looks like she is claiming I'm stealing from Emily Kircher. Hey Emily, can you post the truth about that in the comments please?

Birthday Sale!

It's my birthday! I'm happy to be alive, let's celebrate!

25 percent off everything in my Etsy shop! Free shipping on orders over $40! Free goodies packs with every purchase! Today only! (6/12/09)

Discount prices are as marked. Get shopping!

http://thephantomlimb.etsy.com

Classic

Join us tonight!

I'm speaking with the other Handmade Detroit ladies tonight at the Indie Biz Chicks Conference.

From HD: "News update! The members of Handmade Detroit will be speaking at the Indie Biz Chicks Conference this Thursday, May 7, at 8 p.m. We’re joining a pretty bad-ass roster of lady speakers, including Jenny Hart and Gwen Bell! We’ll be talking about craft fair questions 101."

Lish will also be speaking at 7 tonight about low-cost online marketing.

It's free to register and listen live. Otherwise you can purchase all the recordings and related materials after the conference. And if you click on the banner above or ad on the right, I'll get a percentage of the sale. So, um, do that, please?

This cloud pin is Lish Dorset approved!

Get yours here.

Ohio and Minnesota and restock

Hello to all my new Green Street readers! Here's a quick update of new Phantom Limb goods and restocks.

Wholly Craft now stocks new Ohio map cards and mixed-paper journals.


For Minnesota map cards and journals, head over to i like you and Truly.


Letter sets are at the Drake Hotel General Store. And Renegade Handmade has some as well -- along with a few new original tree collages.


New felt pins based on my collage characters: Quote trees, rain-filled clouds and bird wings have made their way to 323 East.

And if you are not near any of these shop, all of these items are slowly being added to my Etsy shop this week.

Inspiration in an unlikely place

I really did not expect the Watkins Museum in Winona, MN to be this crazy-inspiring place so all I had was my camera phone. Watkins was a door-to-door sales company that sold everything from soap to spices to both my grandmas. Though it's no longer a door-to-door operation, the company is still around -- and their branding is smart -- catering to a sensible sense of nostalgia.

The museum was small but is jam-packed with old products with some seriously sweet color and design things happening. You can check out fuzzy photos of some of my favorite packaging here.