From The Nest

Summer Gift Show in Atlanta

 

 

 

 

Just a quick update...heading to Atlanta in the morning with the Captain for the summer gift show at the AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta. We are very lucky the heat wave is over and the temps are back to normal summer weather. Lots of new opportunities awaiting me this year with meetings with potential new clients, meetings with my regular clients, the launch of several new lines and products, dinner meetings and seeing a bunch of my artist friends from all over the country.

 

Back next week...stay tuned for more photos and news ~~

 

Best,

Carol

Quick Update/New Product Launch

Haven't blogged in ages...simply too much going on! All Spring I was busy with the sale of Mom's house, our family home, which I sold myself on the internet in one day...with no real estate agent! It was a bittersweet time to say the least. The young couple that bought the house is so cute, with 3 little girls who will bring youthful laughter back to our home. My brother and I had such a wonderful happy childhood and the memories are so fresh and strong, that it was hard for us to let it go. My Dad was very clever and built all sorts of custom bookcases, molding, ceiling beams, corner cabinets in the house and the new couple loved all Dad's work...appreciated his talents, so that made us feel good to know his work was loved. But, when this young happy couple fell in love with our house, it made it easier for us to say good by. Then we went off for a few days to unwind and regroup, came back to tons of work reorganizing our own home with all the wonderful things from Mom and Dad's. We are still finding a place for this and that, but all the cleaning out was a cathartic experience and I am trying to carry that over to my own home now. Work is really good. I just signed a new licensing deal with Evergreen Enterprises, Inc. My new licensed collection "Girls with Mo Mo Panache" is debuting in Atlanta in just a few weeks at the big gift show and will feature all sort of products, from compacts, to jewelry boxes, key chains, flasks, frames and lots more. I am debuting 2 new decorative flags, garden signs and such for Magnet Works this July as well. I have new embroidered towels and pillows coming out with Peking Handicraft. I am working on another new fabric collection for Andover Fabrics and just finished mugs and acrylic tumblers for another client to debut in August. My Christmas lines for Demdaco continues to sell and my Halloween group for Gallerie II is a best seller! So things continue to move forward in a positive way. The economic climate is more upbeat, companies need new art and product ideas and for the most part, therefore business is pretty good. Just got back from 4 days in Maine with 3 of our munchkins...lots of summer fun. Always special to have quality time with the kids. We are so lucky to have 9 of them to play with. July 4th is next week so we have the big Marblehead Arts Festival here with lots of excitement, shows and fireworks. Happy Summer! best, Carol

Follow up Copyright infringement

Things have been busy here at the studio. I wanted to follow up on the Lee Hiller copyright infringement situation. I contacted Amazon immediately and they shut down all her pages with my copyrighted designs. I contacted the president of Andover Fabrics since all of the infringed designs I had licensed to them for over the counter fabrics. At last count, there were literally dozens and dozens of designers who had the same issues that I did regarding this woman ripping off our designs. I contacted her directly and told her that she was using my work illegally and that I was contacting my IP lawyer if she didn't take all my designs down off her website, Amazon, Cafe Press, Zazzle and other sites of that type. Unfortunately, someone like her can just take designs that do not belong to them and go on sites that allow you to put the designs on a mug, plate, key ring, etc over and over again. Not any design to it, she just slapped it down in a most amateurish way that I find degrading to my work as well as embarrassing. These sites allow people and artists to take a design and place it on a multitude of products so that they can look like they have licensed artwork on the market. Many legitimate artists use this to show their work on products, particularly inexperience ones who want to have products to show with their work. It gives them a chance to show the world what they can do. The sites have a caveat at the start of the process that asks that you guarantee that you are the sole owner of the designs, when in truth of course she was not, far from it. You do NOT have to prove your copyright, so it is really just expecting people to tell the truth...and guess what? So until someone steps forward to cry "Foul!", they keep selling the items with your designs on it. Anyhow, after many e mails, letters etc. Ms Hiller has finally taken down of all my infringed designs and I believe those of others as well and I check her website from time to time to make sure she is not continuing this practice. The strange thing is she claims to be a photographer and has a copyright claimer on her website telling folks not to use her photographs without her permission..interesting, huh? I actually asked her where she got my artwork from. She claims she bought a CD from Indonesia that supports local children that had all my designs on it along with the others. Good Story, but a lie. She most likely just went on our websites or those of our fabric companies and just took the images off, erased my copyright and added her own. She is a thief, just like any thief that robs a bank, she stole copyrighted designs that belonged to me, put them under her name and sold them on the internet to make a profit. How sad. How illegal. How aggravating! Someone like her that has little or no talent of their own so that they need to steal from other artists is just really pathetic. For now things are quiet and I appreciate all the responses on Facebook and e mail from those of you who were following this. I have moved on, there is no point to spending too much time on this, she was deluged with dozens of designers contacting her who went after her quickly when they realized their designs were also infringed. What it does show, however, is that in this day of social media, people learn quickly about this sort of thing and we can get it shut down just as quickly with all of us networking to keep copyright infringers at bay.

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT....AGAIN!!!

OH NO!! NOT AGAIN!...yes, I am afraid it is true. My friend Kathy Weller contacted me just a week ago to tell me she had seen this lovely key chain on Amazon.com with the name Lee Hiller Designs next to it. She knows my work and knew this was my fabric design licensed to Andover Fabrics and part of my "Dem Bones" Halloween line. Well,how can this be she thought? Why doesn't it say Carol Eldridge? MMMM, I better contact Carol and let her know, thought Kathy, being the wise friend that she is.
Note:my copyright clearly marked on the selvedge of the fabric! So I check it out and I saw the name Lee Hiller Designs....and I am thinking to myself, who is Lee Hiller and what is she/he doing with their name on my copyrighted design?? So I googled the name Lee Hiller Designs and come up with a website of a photographer from Hot Springs, Arkansas ...(three things came out of Hot Springs, Arkansas, Bill Clinton, Walmarts and Tyson Chicken) who has a website with a copyright notice clearly marked right on the home page along with the caveat that you cannot use any of her images without her permission since all the images belong to her....are you seeing a trend here... aren't you wondering why she has a copyright notice on her website but ignores mine? I know I am....so I search a little deeper and I come up with a list of design categories that she has on her site, so for the fun of it I click on the Halloween one...mmm...dare I go through all 900 pages..what the heck, I have nothing better to do right? yes, 900 pages of Halloween products with designs on them... each page with about 12 designs or so on it..that is over 10,000 images and products, just in that one category...YUP! you do the math! check this out...
This is just one page of literally hundreds of pages of designs with products made by Zazzle the on-line shop you can send your work to and have it put on plates, mugs, aprons tee shirts etc...you can see the care and design ability of this woman ( she is a woman) took in using my design and "slapping" it down on her choice of items. That is my design in the upper right hand corner on a plate...(lovely).
Well, what do we have here...my skeleton design from the same "Dem Bones" collection I licensed to Andover Fabrics....on so many gross and cheap looking products....I shuddered as they unfolded before my eyes...mugs, aprons, tiles in frames, cards, ornaments, plates, coasters, clocks, pencil holders, fabric swatches...on and on and on and on and on....

and she is selling quilting squares using my fabric design...
oh and a lovely designed apron with my skeletons just plunked as a square right on the top of the apron...now that's creative...
here's a closer look at my pumpkin/skull design on a plate...complete with a gold rimmed border... perhaps I should order a set for my family for Halloween...tempting...
oh, a framed tile for my kitchen...
a nice mug is always handy....
and who wouldn't want a Halloween star(?) with the skeletons right in the middle to hang up on their...ummm...Halloween bush?
If you weren't big on the skeleton apron the pumpkin/skulls apparently are available in the same adorable square format (shows so much design skill I can hardly stand it) on their very own apron!
and if you are lucky enough to have one of those mug racks, you could add another of my designs to that with this mug with the pumpkins/skulls.
and who couldn't use another set of coasters for Halloween... but wait...she has moved out of the Halloween category into my "Fiesta" fabric collection based on one of my trips to Santa Fe...perhaps you need a card to send to a friend who is upset because her artwork has been ripped off yet again...



are there words...

This is the star of the collection...a pencil box...how perfect, I think I will order one for all my clients, I am so proud... but this next series of designs just kills me...this is a coordinate stripe I did for the "Fiesta" line... quilters need fabrics like this to make their quilts, little ditzy all over prints, stripes, dots to fill in areas around the primary patterns...so she ripped off a stripe... I mean how pathetic is that to rip off a stripe...a stripe...only the lowest of the lows of not creative or talented people would need to steal someone's stripe...



branching out into clocks now...
framed tiles
and it goes on and on and on and on... to be continued....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! The Captain and I just got back from a long weekend in Maine. We stayed at a lovely inn right on the ocean. The weather was nice and sunny, we walked along the beach, did some antiquing, had lobster rolls, did some shopping, had a massage at the spa and wonderful food at the inn. I am sharing some photos from the weekend. Have a great day everyone with your significant other!
Maine is so pretty any time of the year, but in the Winter this little inlet looked as if it had been painted with a glaze of frosting all along the edge of the water line.

Carol and Kenny Forever!
Dinner one night at the Stage Neck Inn....wonderful.
Beautiful Nubble Lighthouse
Some local color
This adorable place caught our eye...a tiny Sea Cabin out on a pier over the water...how cute is this?
Valentine's dinner with the Captain. Our trip to Maine as always was peaceful and fun, lots of sunshine, beach walks, great dinners, some of our favorite spots, sleeping late, hearty breakfasts, lots of time just enjoying life. wonderful!

Atlanta Review Part One

I have to say the Atlanta Gift Show was great! The Captain accompanied me to the show for 5 days in Atlanta, Georgia and was I glad he came along to help. Unlike last year when we had a major ice storm and a foot of snow, this year was sunny and in the high 50 and 60s so easy traveling weather. I had a ton of meetings, 2 signings, dinner with clients, dinner with friends and a meeting with a bunch of artist's friends the last night we were there. The aisles were busy and packed with buyers, the showrooms were full and the mood was upbeat and positive. I had a wonderful time doing a signing for a new client Woozie, that manufactures the cutest wine glass covers to keep your wine glass from weeping and keep the wine cool, very cute. They had printed up some huge posters advertising the signing and had them posted in the hallways and by the escalators so that everyone would see them. Really especially nice people who own the company so we had a great time getting to know them better during the show. The signing I did for them was packed with buyers and the samples flew out the door and we actually ran out so they are asking me to return in July to sign some more! Here are some photos of the signing...


This fun lady was named Susan and has a store in Beaufort and loved the new line! One of the fun parts of my business is actually getting to meet people from around the country who buy my products, so it is really nice to connect with them in person at the show!
It was so great to see the enthusiasm return to the gift mart! Everyone was pumped for all the new lines that were coming out on the market. I had so many new products launching at this show, it was really exciting. This last year of hard work and extra effort has really paid off and there are more good things to come. Here I am in the Raz Imports showroom with a couple of my new Christmas snowmen in tuxedos!!
Glad to hear that my halloween topiary trees are being so well received too!
Then on to Gallerie ii/ C and F enterprises where they did an exceptional job with my Halloween "Ghoulish Delights" collection. I was really thrilled to see the characters come to life! Just so much holiday fun with lots of bling and lots of color to decorate for the best holiday!
The whole line looked fantastic but the large black cat and spider are to die for! Just fabulous!
They even had me design a Halloween platter that is made out of glass fusion, very hot right now!

Blossom Bucket had me do a signing as well, unfortunately, the product I was suppose to sign never arrived so I had to wing it and sign the catalog, offering to ship the item to the store when they finally did come in. I had a new Halloween collection, a new Beach collection and some new girlfriends and flamingos. Just darling little resin figurines that are so darn cute!


Some of the resin flamingos and "Girlfriends on Vacation" products that debuted at the show in January.
Halloween is a favorite holiday of mine and I love designing products for this category. The Bucket's new product line is so cute, just a few inches high and so well done.
stay tuned for part two later on. thanks, carol

Alma Martin Howie

It has been quite some time since I posted on my blog. My Mother, Alma Martin Howie(1922-2011), passed away peacefully on Monday afternoon, November 14, 2011 after a 3 month illness. She was not in any pain and she spent the last weeks of her life with her family by her side each and every day at my brother's house here in Marblehead. We lit candles for her and played her favorite Frank Sinatra tunes softly in the background. We surrounded her with our circle of love. Someone was always with her. She was a wonderful Mother, an extraordinary nurse, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. She was well liked and well loved. My Mom was kind to everyone and considered friendships especially important. Her thoughtfulness was well recorded. She would take strangers under her wing and help them. There was always an extra guest at our holiday table. She was a gracious hostess and her dinner parties were legendary. She had an inimitable sense of style and was always well dressed and well coifed! As her daughter, I have learned so much from her, both in how to live and now in how to die. She did everything with class and such grace. The last few months have given me many opportunities to talk with Mom about her life in such sweet and tender private moments...something I will always cherish. Each day we have with the people we love is a gift. Don't waste a moment. I am so blessed to have lived near my Mother my whole life and to have been able to spend such wonderful time with her both on a daily basis, on fabulous trips both here and abroad that we took with both my parents and just having her in my life to guide and love me and my girls and Kenny and now our grandchildren who all adore her. I will miss her forever, but as I told her just a few days before she died, she will be with me always because I am part of her and she will always be part of me. She liked that and so do I. Godspeed my beautiful Mother!

Continuing November

Fall continues to be a beautiful time of year in New England. The weather has been wonderful and rather warm this year, in the 60s. I love the fall. This year we are continuing our journey with Mom as we care for her during this favorite season of ours. I look out the window at the blue sky and the colored leaves on the trees and I know how much my Mother loves the fall as well. I tell her about each day and how pretty it is. Lots to think about with Mom's illness. The challenges we face each day, how difficult it is to see someone you love just fade away, yet be mindful of the fact that she is still very much here and sharp as ever. My Dad passed away the day before Thanksgiving a few years back and it was hard to deal with the holiday that year, but we did. I think though, when you loose someone you love, it makes you realize how fragile life is, yet for me, makes me hold on to those special times we love even more. Because most of us do not really pay that much attention. We go through life sort of in a robotic way, not really noticing the little things in life that are so important. Telling the people we care about how much we love them daily, not just when something happens. So while loss is sad and tragic, it is part of life and it does make you sit up and look around and greet each day as a new opportunity, a new gift to unwrap. All the trite sayings are true. Live each day to the fullest and be thankful for what you have. I told my Mom that people who are parents never really die. I like that thought and so did she. Part of them continues to live on in their children and their grandchildren... quite literally in the genetics that we pass on. The lessons that parents teach us on both how to live and how to die are also with us forever. We then pass them on to our children and then they pass them on to their children. I find comfort in that. Somehow you continue through those you love forever generation after generation. I am so grateful for this special time with my Mother. Our tender moments, special talks, sweet words and rememberings of my wonderful childhood that she and Dad created for my brother and I...... my family and how lucky I am to have the kind of parents who always put me first no matter what. Who supported me and loved me and were always there for me. There was never an event I was involved in that my parents didn't attend. Even as an adult. They flew to New York City one year to attend the Surtex Design Show at the Jacob Javits Center where I was exhibiting my artwork at so they could see me at my show. While I enjoy the Fall season with the beautiful trees and fall colors, I am making a point to look around and notice it all especially this year, since I know that soon all the leaves will fall and winter will be upon us. Another season, another time that has come and gone.

November

November.......We are so lucky to have just wonderful fall weather in New England, mild and sunny for this time of year. Mom is with us still, enjoying her views out the window to see the fall colors. Making the transition into fall and winter after the summer is always a bit painful. The boat has been hauled out of the water and put away for winter storage. All the yard furniture and lawn ornaments are packed in the garden shed for another year. The window boxes and wire baskets around the deck are now sporting fall mums and kale with those darling little pumpkins and gourds.
Actually, Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the colors, the change of the temperature, the crispness in the air. I love eating apples and going apple picking. Fall mums and gourds, little pumpkins, pressing leaves and changing my summer wardrobe. I love wearing sweaters and boots, getting ready for the winter and traveling in the fall. This year we are not planning any trips. We are staying close by to take care of my Mother. She is doing well considering her illness and I am so grateful we can be with her each and every day.
As the seasons change we realize that life is fleeting, like the seasons that come and go. Each one is special, each has special moments and events. My Mom loves the fall as well. My Mom is terrific. My biggest supporter, my friend, my companion. Her mind is sharp and she is aware of everything that is going on.
It won't be long until Thanksgiving Day. We are hoping Mom will share the turkey day with us once again. I always loved Thanksgiving. Family and friends without the pressure of gift giving. All the preparation, planning the menu, baking the pies, deciding what type of turkey to buy, designing new place cards, pine cone turkeys, all the fixins. Thinking of Thanksgiving over the years and all the memories I treasure. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was cheerleading and the Captain was playing on the football team on Turkey day as we met our big rival from the neighboring town for the annual game that everyone in town came to see. Hardy Mum corsages with a big red M made out of a pipe cleaner placed in the middle of the mum were handed out to all the cheerleaders before we marched down the field in front of the band, welcoming the spectators to the upcoming game. Then my family would gather after the game to have that traditional dinner together with my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins etc. My Mom would spend days preparing and her specialty was her apple pie. Still is the best ever! So another year has come along and we are welcoming another wonderful fall season with lots to be thankful for.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! A beautiful day here in New England. The sun is shining, it is cool, but not too bad. I am wishing you all a fun and safe night trick or treating. I am sharing with you just a few of my new Halloween products that are out on the market now! Have fun!