This is a deep Cadmium-Red card for you...

s  I'm writing this post there is a very vivid visual representation of my self that comes in mind to share, but pictures speak with fewer words so here it is:

Just remove the moustache and that's exactly it! ha! :D

I'll try to keep this as short cause I'm too eager to leave all these behind and deal with the massive backlog of  orders, e-mails and things to do, but something new came up that requires its moment of fame.

In the spirit of the picture, I'm pulling my boxing/mma shorts everyday a few inches higher. After last night i pulled them up quite a bit, i almost wedged myself, although it's not the same with girls... anyway digressing!  :)

I got a really nasty hit below the belt...

In short, in the midst of thousands awesomely kind and supportive mails from all of you kind people, i have received just a few that trespass the line between the "no no honey, i think you are wrong and i'm telling you" kind of comment and the "I'm here to trash talk you until you bleed from the eyes and you go deaf" type of a comment,  if you know what i mean... you do! ok great!

I had just a few harassing comments that have lately intensified and a pattern emerged among them. They were all talking the same talk with the same tone and also they were changing e-mail addresses and IP addresses from comment to another.

The comments were trying to destroy my legal rights on the Paperchase case with false personal accusations, they were accusing me of having ulterior motives in speaking my mind and fighting for my rights and most importantly they were trying to destroy my reputation as an artist by accusing me of copying another one. These are comments that anyone is free and welcome to post in my blog since i do not moderate them and i'm happy with anyone speaking their mind. However there is a small twist that makes all this worthy of blogging about.

Last night, that "person" (one verified username is"objectiveobserver") was probably feeling on top of the world, untouchable and super manly strong, or maybe he's just ferociously mentally deprived cause he did a major fault. His last IP address traces back to the...*drumroll* ...Paperchase.co.uk London central offices.

Now, i don't need to explain much about this... like that, you could say, someone from within the company has started a personal war campaign against me and is actively trying to destroy my reputation as an artist and discredit me as a person. My post might sound light and fluffy but this is truly distressing and unnerving! So what's next mafia coming after me... a horse's head in my bed?!  o___O;

Bottom line is that it came from Paperchase.co.uk! It doesn't matter who wrote it, the boss himself, a very bored and unproductive employee or the stapler boy... exactly the same way it would have never mattered legally if i had done something similar. Who would have cared if a harassing e-mail originating from my home was actually a product of my partner, my pet ferret or me pressing *send* in a narcoleptic state above my keyboard..?!?

So here it is, I give a deep red card to Paperchase!  Nobody likes the guys that don't play by the rules and this is the second strike already for the company. Have just sent them an e-mail asking them to act responsibly and take immediate investigations and actions. Let's see...

(Quick Photoshop of a photo of me and Mr Bear, i had taken for an etsy article last Xmas, for those that doubt red cards are cadmium red ;)

Huge thank you and love to all for your kind support and valuable viewpoints!

Bear hugs!

Hidden Eloise

xxx

*** Update ***

I have received an email from the Paperchase head. He says that they found the person who was writing the comments and fired him/her. I'll share my thoughts about this in a later post.

Comments

[Claire]

Unbelievable!!!! The plot thickens... Stay in the ring, comrade, we're in your corner. x

[Aelina.]

I'm sorry to hear that you're going through so much grief with these people. Keeping up with this all has made me totally not want to buy from them (and I used to go and spurge every once in a while) and worry about other artist out there. My sister is an artist... I would hate if this would happen to her!
Anyways, chin up deary!
(PS.. if you ever make the "He says he can hear the Forest whisper" into a bag I'll totally buy it from you.. I bought the other one and now refuse to use it... (><)8 )

[Nymeth]

I have no words.

Don't worry, though, try as they might they WON'T destroy your reputation as an artist. Theirs as a serious and honest company, however, is gone for good.

[amanda]

I'm sorry to here it's went this way.
I made a comment to a person on Twitter that was suggesting you copied from another artist, wondering now if this was from them too.
Keep up the fight for artist everywhere.
Amanda.x.

[sue]

OK now paperchase needs to pay big time if they allow there employs to harass you.

[Amanda]

Really very disgusted with Paperchase... After being a long-time fan of them, I have decided not to purchase their products anymore over this incident. I'm an artist myself, and would hate the think that they would do this to someone. I can't imagine how I would feel if this were me...

I'm sticking up for a fellow artist. Big nasty companies think it's easy to stomp on little artists? Think again.

[Matthew]

Pieces of trash like Paperchase shouldn't be a company.

But if the company is literally harassing you, do you not have the legal rights to file a lawsuit against them? If it's gone this far can't you take legal action?

[Hidden Eloise]

Thank you all!
I'm dealing with it floatingly because it is just crazy if i think of it seriously.

And for the love of god, do they even think the harm they are doing to Jen Corace as well? So shamelessly focused on taking me down that collateral damage is not important!

They should be careful now, i have a moustache and high-waisted boxer short on!! :D

[Trisha Cornelius]

Hi Eloise

I think what Paperchase has done is pretty despicable. I like many others support you and hope that Paperchase investigates this and takes appropriate action.

Rock on as an Indie artist - so glad that you are not just a clone in the box.

Much love
Trisha

[hedgie]

I have loved loved loved Paperchase for years and years - but to be honest I was pretty shocked at the arrogant and inept way they have handled this affair from the start (Their MD's ravings in the Telegraph were pretty astonishing; he seemed to suggest twitter should be censored to protect his brand). I can well believe they don't have a PR department. However this trollish behaviour takes the cake. What on earth do they hope to achieve by doing this? Hopefully it was done by an aggrieved rogue element and is not a directed company action - although at this stage we can't be sure either way (And either way their reputation sinks even further down the plug hole).

Keep strong and keep fighting the good fight; you have right on your side. Although this must be hellish to live through it certainly makes for fascinating reading!

[Di]

Will it be the same person who started a twitter account with the sole objective of suggesting you were copying someone elses work? I had thought that person was simply using your own site to generate 'interest' in their own, but I guess it could be the same person (sorry, but I don't have a link for their feed).

[Sarah Wolf]

Words fail me. But we won't fail you. Keep strong lovely xx

[Alison]

Goodness this is ridiculous now isn't it, not that it really wasn't before!?!
You have had to go through so much over these last couple of weeks but you are doing fab & you are an inspiration.
You rock girly girl!
x

[kat - rock n roll bride]

holy crap. thats shocking. fighting your corner and standing by your side on this one girl

[Katie MVD]

I don't know how to spell the noise that that revelation made me make!!

Pathetic & childish. Nothing more than bullies, and yes, we all respect someone who hides behind their computer & stupid 'mysterious' names, don't we?

NOT!!!!!!!!

[Captaincaz]

Utterly pathetic and only likely to enrage and damage Paperchase's PR further, not that they've done such a sterling job to date.

Well done you for keeping tabs on the negative comments and don't let the not-so-objective observers get you down!

[sofia]

This is unbelievable! Are all employes at Paperchase morons? *yes, I think so*

[Jane F]

Just a thought - I wonder if the person at Paperchase who was harrassing you was the person who had "investigated" your claims last November and decided there was no copying? What if he hadn't done either the initial enquiry to Gathernomoss or the follow up investigation properly? It'd fit that he'd need to discredit you to protect himself (presuming, of course, that the protagonist here is a male....).

Anyway, just a thought, as I said!

Keep fighting - we're right behind you with cudgels in hand!

xx

[cari-jane hakes]

Yay! Go girl!

[twitter.com/jcukier]

hello Heloise
when you find yourself in such a situation, you may win or lose, but you also have to endure attacks on your reputation, libel and such which can be very hard to deal with. So please accept my support.
what you have done will increase the odds that companies behave responsibly. now any CEO who reads the press understands that they are taking a risk if they dismiss a claim from someone no matter how small they are. This is not just about paperchase, or about indie artists. Of course, in many cases, a company can get away with it but they now realize that even a lone individual has the means to unleash a tsunami of bad PR at them if they are wronged. and you didn't even sue!

oh, and I really like your designs.

[JulieT]

You know, the real zinger here is that because Paperchase has obviously lied through their teeth on this, repeatedly, well... anyone else believe they really fired the troll? Anyone? I don't. I wonder if their 'investigation' into the troll went like their original 'investigation' back in November into the plagiarism. Due to the way they've handled all this, they've no one to blame but themselves, when no one believes them.

Another epic fail for Paperchase.

Over the weekend I sent an e-mail to Borders corporate (the parent company of Paperchase) and told them that due to the handling of the Paperchase mess, I won't be shopping in Borders, either. They replied that the mail had been forwarded to some VP or other. It's an avenue for those of us in the US.

[Hidden Eloise]

Thank you all for your support and for sharing your views on the situation! The vibrant discussions here have always both lifted my spirits and allowed me to be prepared for any eventuality.

I will write a post soon with all my thoughts, but for now i am talking care of the shop and all those who have kindly emailed me.

Bear hugs,
Hidden Eloise

[Julie Blanchette]

Oh... My!!! Eloise was a mess!!! I had no idea!

Words do not fail me, as a matter of fact, I have lots to say to Paperchase.com.uk!

I will get on with that but meanwhile my sweet, not one can not tarnish your dignity and integrity! Trust that it is all that you need to FOCUS with through these rough seas! Don't forget that this attack on you is no longer personal, it is now a whole Indie matter!

Talk to you soon..

Much love...

Julie

[kimberly shaw]

My fists are up right beside yours. Keep up the good fight, it sounds like they are afraid of you, and they should be. And remember: Thieves are also lairs. Only good will come out of this when they begin telling the truth and making this wrong into a justified right.

So Paperchase: if you are reading this, do the right thing before artist and bloggers create a firestorm of activity that even Eloise won't be able to control, it's your call, we artist have a right to protect our intellectual property.

[Esther Hansen]

So glad I mentioned to you right at the beginning of the debacle about IP addresses, incredible how stupid some folk are. Wish you the best.

Esther