A lot of Hot Air

Wow, I’ve been reading some blogs and forums and I can’t believe the number of heated discussions there are regarding the new changes to Stampin’ Up’s mandate.   This posted card is the extent of my hot air.

As a lot of you know Stampin Up has changed their Independent Demonstrator Agreement (IDA) that affects the personal blogs of demonstrators.  It would probably be easier for me not to address the issue but because it affects my personal blog and my personal relationships, I feel that it should get my personal attention.  Relationships are the core of my new business and I feel the need to clarify things due to the negative press this new agreement is getting and let you know where I stand.

Firstly, I don’t belong to any design team, I don’t sell competitior products and I don’t compete in challenges pushing competitor only products and I am therefore, not really inconvenienced by the changes. The majority of products I use are SU! and I still believe that SU! has a lot to offer the crafting community.

Secondly, like you, I am also inspired by many other products and wish to use them.  SU! is not telling me not to use or display other products they are simply telling me I can’t tell or show you where to buy the product or verbally promote the manufacturers (This really makes good business sense).  So the only change to my blog will be that I won’t be listing specific manufacturers or stores in the “recipe” section for non-SU products.  (Note: I will NOT discourage my viewers or customers to fill in those blanks for me in the comments section, but legally I can’t list them myself.  I also encourage you to email me if something I use strikes your fancy and you want your own.)  Chances are that the products that have inspired my projects have already inspired you and you know exactly who the manufacturer is and where you can buy it.

My goal will continue to be showing my friends how to integrate the quality and original SU! products with the other products in their craft room.  In my opinion, this makes the most business sense.  My goal will never be to convert all hobbyists to SU only and I whole-heartedly believe that inspiration should NEVER be limited by name brands.

Finally, I can, according to SU, “link to any blog or forum that highlights the crafting industry in general, regardless of the products highlighted or advertised.” This means that I can still link to my friends , SCS , Get Sketchy , and other blogs that highlight a multitude of different products as long as these products can’t be purchased DIRECTLY from that blog or forum (ie. there is no purchase button on the page).  I can also participate with those other galleries as long as my blog isn’t linked to that site.

I will still continue to link to sites that have inspired me especially when I’ve CASED or implemented a design or technique.  I have an ethical and legal obligation to tell viewers and customers where I’ve
gotten these ideas.  Like any artist though, I’ll be focusing on implementing my own ideas.

What I really hope for is that the crafting and blogging community can continue to support, encourage, and inspire one another regardless of what products are being used.