I am having a serious problem with a friend who is also a jewelry maker on my friendslist.

In the last six months or so, her work has been veering very close to my work in some instances. Not all of it, of course, but enough that I have gotten emails about it from my customers.

For instance, do any of these look familiar to you?

www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25073402
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30676337
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30688387
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34238802
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34248946
www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=21382439
www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=17414843

Or, from last night's Yule update:
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34240711 (also available in silver)
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34243373
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34243178

And these are just the ones I could find off the top of my head.

Here are the facts: I've had three emails saying "do you think she's copying you?" My answer has always been, solidly, "I don't think she would ever copy me on purpose." And I don't. I really like her and I know in general, she is all for originality.

The thing is that we buy supplies from a lot of the same sources. Up until recently, this has not been a problem. In fact, we've talked on more than one occasion to make sure there wouldn't be too much overlap, and it has always gone swimmingly.

However. When I post "My Winter's Gift / Winter's Branches are coming back this year" and then she bumps up her update from Thanksgiving to right before my update-- and hers contains similar to nearly identical versions of my Yule mainstays-- I get rightfully hurt and upset. Especially when she did something similar around Samhain-- at first, she was adamant that no Halloween pieces should go up before the Autumn Equinox-- my update was set for Mabon. And then suddenly, her update went up one day before mine. Bottom line, it was hurtful and feels deceitful, whether or not it truly was or not.

So, I just emailed her.

Hi Alicia.

First of all, I want to make it clear that I am coming to this place not in anger or accusation, but I do need to talk to you about something.

Intentionally or unintentionally, I feel that some your work has been too close to my work. I started noticing it in the update you did before Samhain-- because I got an email from a client who thought I might have an Etsy copycat based on some similarities she saw in three of your pieces that were quite close in execution to ones I'd done. I assured her that was not so, that I knew you personally and that you would never do anything intentionally unethical.

However, your electroplate leaves in your next update (Samhain) gave me pause because you were now styling them quite similarly to how I style my Sylvan leaves. Then I saw your Yule update. I applaud your wire wrapping. It is lovely.

However, these pieces made my jaw drop:

[Pieces from above]

They are either quite close to or identical to pieces I created and sold last Yule. Furthermore, I announced that My Winter's Branch / Winter's Gift pieces would be coming back this year because they were staples of my Yule collection. I have, in fact, gotten two emails this morning alone on the "she's stealing your ideas" line.

I don't know what to say here. I truly and honestly don't think you would ever intentionally copy, but with every update, I'm seeing more similarities, and it worries me, both on an artistic and interpersonal level. I absolutely do not want to have drama with you because I think you're a lovely person, but I do feel I have to speak up in defense of my own work.

Warmly,
Chris