They are trying to address the folks who buy Etsy designs, cricut print them as stickers and put them on a water bottle. Without recognizing that I still have a lot of work to do even if I buy a premade design. My effort is the painting.

Oh I said - does someone sewing a product have to use an original pattern or original fabric?

Yeah I don’t blame them for trying to crack down on some of this stuff. But there’s a difference between buying a graphic to print a sticker, and buying a graphic to laser cut, stain, paint, seal, etc.

And here’s the thing, could I ask ChatGPT to make me a design, I throw it into my design software and boom, I have “original” artwork? You bet. But I choose to pay the original designers for their work, even though I often have to fix and completely re-do files to make them laser ready.

They are trying to stop people from buying a design on Etsy, printing it off as a sticker and throwing it on a water bottle.

But feels like they haven’t recognized the additional work that goes into my products.

So of course this happens when I have lost my day job and my sales are decimated by the US tariffs. Of course a quarter of my items are no longer eligible. I guess it’s good that I have three weeks to pump out clay designs that take less effort and work than the wood.

Well now I know it need to redesign a simple snowflake to sell it. If I have an idea, I have to draw it myself, even though I’m bad at drawing, good at detailed painting, but that’s not enough. Of all my non-landscape pieces, this is what’s left.

At the end of the day, I can’t purchase a piece of design to be cut. Even if I’m turning it in to laser files, sanding, staining, painting, sealing and putting the piece together. I’m not a graphic designer. I’ve done some basic pieces (usually shapes with lines) but why redesign a simple snowflake?

I had a silly little blog for so long and way too many people read it just because it was easy to find and share.

Now I have a silly little jewelry business that even has followers but no one sees it because even the systems that worked 5 years ago are gone.

Don't worry, the Russian robot should take over soon.

I shared it earlier and I now regret that decision considering it’s now THE THING today.

Yeah what’s with that face?!

Oh great - they want me to work for the military??
I have been working in public service and adjacent for a decade. Lost job due to federal funding cut.

Yeah, it's 9:30am and sunrise isn't even until 9:52 at this point.