Warning: skullgrrl

[grygon.livejournal.com]

eta: update post here: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/507048.html

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WHO: skullgrrl, deadthingsgrrl, custom cranium, cephalobot

WHAT: Trade: I sent her a box of supplies in exchange for other supplies and a doll.

WHEN: The first emails I have are dated March of 2010. I received the box of supplies from her in mid 2011 (I think around April, I know it was after my March advice post which is linked below). I don't have an exact date as I no longer have the box the stuff was mailed in and my memory fails to give an exact date. I have yet to receive the doll.

PROOF: Sadly, most of this went down in texts but here is the screen cap from when we began, some of the discussion also happened in communities:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29033586@N08/6061281830/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Towards the end of that screen cap I resorted to texting since she was constantly claiming my emails weren't appearing in her Inbox. I know it's generally not advisable to do so, but it was a last resort.

Several times I tried to use android market apps that promised to mail out your SMS messages in an email to you. I even tried just emailing the messages one by one to myself (touch-hold, then select fwd txt, then email it) and none of these worked, my email never got a thing. Not even in the spam folder. I've also suffered a few phone crashes this year that lost all my saved texts. Here is what I do have:


Me: so when do we wrap up our exchange? (June 27, 2011)
Her: as soon as I'm done with your Simba :) (June 27, 2011)
Me: Can I get a time table for the simba? Any wip pics? (July 3, 2011)
Her: I don't have wip shots, never take them. We are in the middle of a major construction project, id say another week since right now I can't even get into my studio (July 3, 2011)
Me: So what's the word now, a month.5 later? (August 15, 2011)

No reply so far.


EXPLAIN:
In spring of 2010, I approached skullgrrl for a trade. It was initially lots of materials for one of the dolls she makes. Since then we added a few more things on her end (some supplies). I even sent the doll she could tear apart to make it (she takes old dolls and remakes them into skull-dolls), and a description of what I wanted done to it. Since I sent the supplies it has been like pulling teeth to get some communication from her and any of my half of the trade.

A few months ago she shipped me what she says was part of her side of the trade, and she said another box would be due as soon as the doll was finished. I still have not received it, and it continues to be like pulling teeth.

I also know she has done other work in this time period from a Facebook fan page for her dolls. After I brought my first doll of hers to a con, a TON of people here started to buy them and then made a fan group for her dolls based in my city. She has posted to that fan page about the work.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/217696271578092/
I also seem to recall posts made there about custom work, but my memory could be playing tricks on me. I know I have heard through a fan-page members friend about custom work (but that is just word of mouth from their friend to me).


I have posted here twice for advice on this situation, without posting anything specific:
http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/406878.html
http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/433860.html

I thought about doing that again because I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and I've been a bit hesitant because of the possibility of upsetting her local fans, but I am not sure what else advice could be given and I've had enough; I am tired of having to send multiple messages just to get a response from her, and getting yet another excuse why it isn't done.

Comments

[skullgrrl.livejournal.com]

Goddamn internet ate my post.
Ok, rehash: your HUGE box of supplies? Two broken chicken skulls, some miscellaneous small bones, a large femur of something I forget, and a broken cat puppet, all of which we agreed upon, to be fair. Also, the doll I was to turn into a Stuffy and some jewelry you wanted repaired, which was sent back and you were thrilled about it.
I tried to be your friend, but you are very bad at communication, sketchy as a person, and generally antisocial and hard to do business with. I'd expressed interest in several other things you'd posted about, willing to send you immediate PayPal, but you never got back with me about lists or prices.
I've been working without a studio for 6 months, in a dining room with MAJOR house construction and 4 new people moving in. I manage to get things done, but you can't manage to EMAIL me, instead of posting to this community? I can PROMISE you there's no other person that has bad blood with me. You know my Etsy feedback, the spotless record that's there for everyone to see? My FHB transactions read the same way.
I've been working on your doll, but it's a difficult project trying to do something new without having a way to check your mistakes by trial and error (I'm not going to post details of it in case you wanted to keep it secret, out of respect). I'm not going to back out on it, but try communicating better with me instead of 'calling me out' on something that's as much your fault as it is mine.

[skullgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah: Regrettably, we did talk more on text message than any other way, so it's hard to produce details like email. I've gone through two phones during this time, too. I learned my lesson.

and I have to say this, too. I'm angry, but I don't hate you. I don't understand you and how you see certain things, but I still hope this can be smoothed over. And if you'd bothered to check in about your project, I'd have told you that I bought specific supplies so it would be fucking fantastic, because I liked you as a person and wanted to do something spectacular.

[grygon.livejournal.com]

I have bothered to check in. A lot. As the post says, you rarely reply or communicate.

[grygon.livejournal.com]

The chicken skull was not sent broken. There was also 4 mink stoles in there, a goat leg, 2 tails, a coyote ear, 4 muskrat skulls...

You express interest but never follow through.

You never told me about any of your construction projects until that text. And I have been trying to communicate with you, you do not answer.

[skullgrrl.livejournal.com]

I forgot about the furs, yep, sorry. The muskrat skulls was a separate transaction, though, and the chicken skulls were broken before you sent them, you even warned me and I still said I could use them, so that wasn't bad on your part.

I have a better way to get this text message crap fixed up, BTW. I have a Google Voice number you can text, and a new Google email, will PM it to you. That's been far more reliable for communications.

As far as interest, I would follow through if you answered me about what I am interested in. I STILL am interested in the mummies you posted that you didn't get back to me about.

Let's get this worked out and start over again.

[kikai-saigono.livejournal.com]

You would come off a more reliable and trustworthy person when presenting your side of the story if you don't call people names, like sketchy a a person or antisocial. I'm just throwing that out there.

[spiritlobo.livejournal.com]

You might want to read this post the next time you see your name on A_B: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/494658.html

It'll probably help show your side of the story in less sketchy light.

[skullgrrl.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone will ever mention my name in a negative light here again.
But that was a good post, thanks for throwing that out there.

[grygon.livejournal.com]

And this discussion as well: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/495599.html

[spiritlobo.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that one!

[grygon.livejournal.com]

It was hard for me to forget. I've had a few clients get attached to me, but until now I've never had someone tell me to straighten my behavior and accept their friendship already. I'm not that hard to befriend, unless I'm basically being told that I need to change in order to be friends. I have a friend at work that will now and then say she doesn't understand me, but it is in a teasing way where I can then explain myself in a way that helps her to understand (and as we are complete opposites, I'm glad she is open to this).

(frozen)

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Please refrain from personal insults like that.

That said, you are and always have been welcome to defend yourself here, as long as you follow the rules. You may want to consider reading this post for some tips: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/494658.html