Discord Threads | Green Is Universal - Art of ReUse & the Today Show Experience ~or~ Turning Lemons Into Lemonade Pucker UP!

Green Is Universal - Art of ReUse & the Today Show Experience ~or~ Turning Lemons Into Lemonade Pucker UP!

Please note the skirt shown above can be found on ARTFIRE at Discordthreads.artfire.com.

Questions welcome! Click the ASK above and ask away!

As a finalist in the NBC Etsy Green Is Unversal Art of ReUse contest, I entered the contest with no expectations of going any further than entering my item, and I questioned whether or not I would even be allowed to enter as my designs are featured on the up and coming Artfire Marketplace rather than Etsy. On April 22nd, Kathie Lee and Hoda of the Today Show announced the top three winners after featuring entries from nine of the ten finalist earlier in the week. Perusing the forums, news stories, blogs and vast internet, I’ve noticed many misconceptions and rumors flying through cyberspace, so here’s my point of view.

4/6/11 – While skimming the forums, I notice an Etsy announcement calling artists to enter their creations in the Art of ReUse contest http://www.etsy.com/teams/7716/announcements/discuss/6845715/. Surprisingly the deadline for submissions looms only two days away. Very odd that Etsy wouldn’t inform their artists sooner, but perhaps they announced it elsewhere on a prior date.

4/8/11 – After polling friends and family I decide to enter the brightly colored twirly skirt of upcycled sweaters in the contest http://www.greenisuniversal-reuse.com/. After collecting my before/during/after pictures, I compose descriptions for each picture. At the end of the submission page sits a little box for my URL. So, I do what anyone else would do, I enter my studio URL Discordthreads.artfire.com. After proof reading my text several times I click submit. Now the anticipation gnaws at me for several hours as I wait to see my skirt listed in the projects and fear rejection of my non Etsy entry, but I could find NOTHING in the rules I read several times before entering requiring entries to be from Etsy shops. Finally, when I look at the fashion products I see my twirly skirt in a sea of Etsy entries…Success! Except where everyone else lists a link to their Etsy shop, that area is blank on my item.

4/7/11-4/13/11 – The next week I beseech my friends and family for their votes through daily postings to forums, facebook, twitter, emails and any means possible to alert them of the deadline for votes. I can see the LIKE number increasing daily for the skirt, but I wonder how many actually vote. Many inform me they can’t figure out how to vote, or they discover since they do not live in the USA, they cannot vote, or once they realize they must register first they are scared away by the requested information for registration. I did notice that at some point NBC added text instructions for how to vote at the top of each entry, so someone must have informed them of the confusion regarding how to vote. On 4/13 I open and read the following email from NBC Universal.

Dear Kelleyanne:

Thank you so much for participating in the Art of ReUse contest. Half way into voting, it looks like your project is getting a lot of good attention! In fact, the contest overall has gotten so much good attention that our judges Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee from the Today show are interested in doing a few segments next week about the contest.

We wanted to provide them with some items that really showcase the contest, and we were hoping your item could be included. Of course, as with all news programming we can’t ever guarantee that the story, or your item, will make it on-air, but we would like to have it in hand at 30 Rockefeller Plaza by the end of the day Friday so the producers could take a look.

Please let us know if you have an item you could loan us for the week. We would pay all shipping, and return the item to you by May 1st. Please let us know so we can get you shipping information ASAP (we can send you Fed Ex Labels)

Thank you,

- Green Is Universal & Etsy “The Art of ReUSE”

So of course I say YES! Wow, what an opportunity. Of course when I received this email, repeated calls to my hubby and mother ring to voice mail, but my eleven year old jumped up and down around the living room with me! As you can see from the email, NBC Universal promised nothing, but what occurred next was a far cry from my expectations. My low expectation proved to be far from the outcome.

4/18/11 – An email congratulates me on making the top ten finalist, but I have discovered this over the weekend, since the contest website posted the finalist list. My dear daughter awakens with a fever, so while nursing her back to health at home, we watch the Today Show all morning patiently awaiting Kathie Lee and Hoda to see which of the ten finalist they might feature today. At the beginning of the show they inform the audience it is Funday Monday. On the table in front of them along with their daily beverage we notice something on display. About ten minutes into the segment they introduce the Green Is Universal Art of ReUse contest, and compliment both artisans on their creativity and even mention one by name – Jessie Katz. The artists were

Gift Card Earrings by Jessie Katz

Re-Zip It! Zipper Brooch by Heather Sennabaum

4/19/11 – My daughter feels well enough to go to school, so at 10am EST I am at my desk at work where I am a support technician for software and develop our Classes Online training for the software. While there is no television at work, I am allowed to use my laptop at my desk, and at 11am EST I watch the first ten minutes of the show. It is Boozeday Tuesday. Having browsed the FB postings on the KL&H page as I multi-task completing work, I already discern today is not my day, but revel in their praise for the next two projects. Today they highlight these artists, but do not mention their names or studio.

Tab Top Pet Collars by Elizabeth Pickett

Coloring Markers Jump Rope by Jenna Riggs

4/20/11 – Another morning of suspense at work and as I read the FB postings on the KL&H page I learn that my skirt is on TV! Elation fills me, and I refresh the KL&H video clip page a zillion times awaiting the clip featuring my skirt. I discern a theme when they begin the show as Winesday Wednesday. I fast forward to the last few minutes. First they model the messenger bag made from a firefighter’s coat. It seems to be positive until they mention price, and then ask the model if he would buy it. Oh no! This is not good. What began with positive comments quickly deteriorates. While the transcript for that show doesn’t detail every word said, they did at least mention the artist’s shop name. Here are the not complete transcripts.

all week long we have been showing you things.

this is a firefighter coat turned into a messenger bag.

chris is our computer guy.

wow.

it’s pricey. $460.

what?

would you buy this?

probably not.

even though it is making a huge difference?

it is cloth.

all this other stuff.

we added the metal.

it’s all recycled stuff.

thank you very much.

don’t mind hoda.

They move on, and a slender waif emerges from the wings in my creation! It is on sideways. If you look at the picture submitted to the contest, two panels with colorful embroidery adorn the dead center front of the skirt, but not revealed in the photo is the back which is slightly longer than the front. Instead the center front is to the right of the models hip, and the longer back portion is to the left of the models hip. Not only does this make the hem look strange and uneven, the colored panels which were placed symmetrically and in a specific sequence when worn properly, now just look haphazardly placed and random. Sigh…

brooke is modelling a skirt made out of sweaters.

recycled sweaters.

that’s cute on you.

and a turtle neck sweater.

only brooke could wear a turtle neck around her waist.

would you wear that in real life?

maybe. sure.

everybody is lying on our program.

Now the transcripts for some reason don’t show everything said. Kathie Lee did also say –It’s actually really adorable… But what you don’t read there are the smirks and giggling and eye rolling and not so nice attitudes. The artists featured today

Firefighter Coat Turned Messenger Bag by Evon Cassier

Brightly Colored Twirly Skirt of Upcycled Sweaters by Kelleyanne Wank

Later that evening I Google some key words and return results with a variety of links to stories about the KL&H Art of ReUse debacle.

http://www.businessinsider.com/today-kathie-lee-hoda-kotb-etsy-matt-lauer-meredith-vieira-katie-couric-royal-wedding-video-2011-4

http://www.poshglam.com/tag/kathie-lee/

http://racked.com/archives/2011/04/20/video-watch-hoda-and-kathie-lee-make-fun-of-etsy-products-on-air.php

http://www.lovelyish.com/746163943/watch-kathie-lee-and-hoda-make-fun-of-peoples-etsy-stuff-on-live-tv/

My jaw hit the floor, but I scrambled to turn this to my advantage. Fingers swiftly swept over the keys leaving my studio URL and pics to the skirt shown from the FRONT anywhere I could. Comments from the online community ranged from supportive and complimentary, to downright mean and insulting. Of course the skirt may not be to everyone’s taste of liking, but the skirt was actually created last Fall at the request of a co-worker. It is bought, sold, worn and loved by someone, so the unkind remarks, while perhaps not known at the time made, were very rude to the owner of the skirt.

4/21/11 – The last day before the celebrity judges select the top three entries. It is Thirsty Thursday. Are you beginning to think these ladies imbibe at work? Today KL&H include photos of the remaining entries, and giggle as they correct their pronunciation of Etsy and mention how they were naughty, and the response from viewer’s and Etsians to the previous day’s Art of ReUse segment was not all cheery and positive and serious. As they segeuway into the first photo, they indicate it’s difficult to be serious about alum-fish… Their lack of enthusiasm makes me wonder what exchanges occurred between NBC and Etsy. Also strangely omitted from the features was the final entry of the ten finalists?!? I can only imagine how that artist felt seeing the other nine finalists showcased on national TV. But don‘t worry, she gets her revenge. The three finalist featured were

Cast Iron Claw Foot Bathtub Couch by Jill Morrison

Weego the Scarecrow by Leslie Wilton

Flying Alumifish by John D. Richards

And never shown or mentioned the lone tenth finalist was

20 Minute Dog Sweater by Jennifer Kerr

4/22/11 – The fat lady sings! Before eleven arrives an email from NBC notifies me that I am not a winner of the top three prizes, so the suspense is over. Reading the posts at the KL&H FB page, I learn the clawfoot bathtub couch garners the grand prize. I love it, and wondered how a skirt or jump rope made from markers could compete with such a grand scale idea. The winners are.

Grand Prize Winner
Cast Iron Claw Foot Bathtub Couch by Jill Morrison

Second Place Winner
Firefighter Coat Turned Messenger Bag by Evon Cassier

Third Place Winner
20 Minute Dog Sweater by Jennifer Kerr

Congratulation to the winners! And special kudos to Jennifer Kerr for earning the 3^rd place prize despite being omitted from the television features. May many sales be cha-chinging in the stores and studios of all the artists. Don’t forget, you can still go to the ReUse contest site and view all of the entries to the contest including the finalists and winners.

When I hit submit for my entry back on 4/8, my expectations were low. I certainly expected nothing like what transpired over the course of two last two weeks. While many people might sulk and moan over ‘bad publicity’, I choose to use this as a means to draw traffic to Artfire and the Unique Indie Shops where I feature my designs. My observations on what ensued…

Pros

The contest was a great opportunity for artists to showcase their creations, and for some their shops.

My skirt was seen by many people both online and on national television.

My skirt was featured in many articles all over the internet. Not all of the articles pointed out the not so lauditory segment from KL&H. Below are some of the links to positive articles before and after the winners were chosen where my skirt is prominently displayed.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2011/04/etsy.html

http://www.shelterpop.com/2011/04/22/art-of-reuse/

I can add the tag line – Featured on the Today Show to my Artfire Studio and the skirt, and possibly add a clip of my skirt on the show to my webpage, once I gain permission from NBC.

The contacts from NBC were very pleasant and communicated as much information as they knew.

Exposed to many new artists and products I never knew existed.

Cons

Only two days notice to decide what to enter and enter it.

The website was confusing to entrants, and then to voters. Not surprising to me though, as Etsy was a co-sponsor, and their site continues to become more of a maze every day.

Only 2 of the 9 submissions featured on the KL&H show were fortunate enough to have their name or shop mentioned on air. No credit was given for most of the artists, and one artist out of the final ten was not even shown on the show.

In most of the articles before and after the contest, while the artist were listed by name, there was no mention of where you could find their product. The only credit given was to Etsy, and the LA Times article even listed only Etsy’s name as credit for the photos.

Communication between KL&H, NBC and Etsy seemed to be lacking. The hosts appeared to have very little knowledge or information about the contest and items they featured each day. While there was a white banner at the bottom of the screen where the artist name and URL could have been posted, or NBC or Etsy could have provided the hosts with cue cards with the information, it didn’t happen. It seemed very disorganized and didn’t show recycling or being green in the most positive light.

Again there was no communication between the KL&H, NBC and Etsy. Anyone with eyes could look at the picture I submitted of the finished skirt and see the RIGHT way to wear it.

In conclusion I do not regret entering the contest. I doubted I would be allowed since Etsy closed my shop due to my repeatedly placing a link to my Artfire Studio in the announcement for my empty Etsy shop, and due to not being an Etsy cupcake or cheerleader in the forums when they would announce a new bright shiny to distract from the flaws of the search engine or blatant favoritism on the front page collections. But that is another story. I wish I had been a fly on the wall to hear what really happened. I wonder about a lot of things. Did Etsy purposely have the model wear my skirt wrong? Did Etsy purposely have the hosts color the segment featuring my skirt a certain way? Was my skirt – a non Etsy entry – even shown to the judges, or did Etsy only show the Etsy items for the final judging… I may never know, but I do know the skirt took the trip of its lifetime, and my Studio hit continue climbing since Wednesday’s show even though they didn’t mention my name/studio. I turned Etsy’s lemons into lemonade and continue using any avenue to publicize my Artfire Studio.

Thank you NBC Universal and Esty for sponsoring the contest. And thank you to all my friends and family for supporting me and voting for me! And another congratulations to the winners! And last a pat on the back to everyone who entered the contest. And remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that’s no reason to be nasty and insulting to what another finds beautiful. It would be a pretty boring world if we all liked the same thing.

Some day life is gonna be different…when I paint, my masterpiece… Bob Dylan

Off to work on MY masterpiece…peace out!

Ttfn

kelleyanne