Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Surfboard Advent Calendar and Some Glossy Mag for Desire Empire Which Flopped


Hello Beach Dwellers
What do you think of my surfboard advent calendar incarnation for 2014?
It's Christmas time and it's the best time for this blog.  I just love Christmas creativity and I always launch it with an advent calendar.

It seems others notice my advent calendars too.  So much so, that a glossy magazine in NZ with the country's largest circulation, sought to use this pick from last year, in their 2014 Christmas issue.  


Of course permission to use the shot was granted by me, subject to a credit to my blog website and a copy of the mag, when it came to print.  To their credit, the mag arrived yesterday by post.

So, on their 'We Love' page, a cropped picture of the above advent calendar appeared along side another cute Christmas idea, some Christmas Pudding bin liners, which could also be used as Santa sacks.  The website for the pudding sacks was listed in the article.  To my complete disappointment, my website credit was not listed in the article, but rather was squashed into what they call the "gutter credits", listed vertically in fine print, near the spine of the mag near the bottom of the page.  It was near the article, but virtually impossible to see.  I had to write and ask, where the credit was.

Here's how it appeared in the mag, with no obvious sign of the credit to my blog.


Here's my credit. You have to really flatten out the page to see any reference to the creator of the picture.  'Gutter' says it all I think.


I know conventional magazines are struggling for survival and desperate for cheap content, but really these things really should be win win, not executed David and Goliath style. Next time, if there is a next time, I will be more specific about my terms. These projects sometimes take days and hours to prepare and shoot and as the gorgeous Patrick Swayze once said, "Nobody puts baby in the corner.'

Would it have hurt them to be a little bit kind and given my blog a more obvious credit for the use of my creativity?  No, I don't think so. 

The upside is, I had alot of fun discussing it with other bloggers on Facebook yesterday.  Everyone agreed it was unfair.

What do you think?  Fair or not?  You know me.  Let it rip.  I value your opinions.


Anyway, onward and upward with this years incarnation of an advent calendar


This time around, I used a Malibu surfboard I had salvaged from the side of the road and some advent bags purchased from IKEA several seasons ago.  But any little gift bags will do here. You would need to write or stick on 24 numbers, that's all.


First I laid out the bags in the shape of a Christmas tree.  It was tricky getting 24 bags into the right shape in the limited space, but I think the spacing worked well in the end. The bags are hanging from small tacks, which I nailed into the fibreglass.  I also tied them off with ribbon to give more texture to the project.


Topped off with a star fish as her crowning glory,  I am pretty pleased with her.  I would love to use this as our Christmas tree.  I think it would look great with all the gifts piled high around the bottom of the board.  As usual my kids have other ideas and as it is alot of fun putting up the tree with them, we will probably do both.


But if you are after a simple idea for a combined advent calendar and Christmas tree, I think this one serves the purpose well.



If you would like more decorating, crafting and baking ideas for Christmas check out my Christmas page.

If you would like Desire Empire posts to come straight to your inbox every ten days or so, you can sign up here for my Newsletter.

You can pin any of these shots by hovering over the shot and clicking on the "P".

You can also find me on
Today I am linked up here

26 comments :

  1. Very, very gorgeous. You are such a clever beach house cookie. I am annoyed with that magazine, They could have helped their readers by referring to your page onhow you made the ladder. It's really cheap of them. Plus did they ask you for a full size image or just grab it off the website... ?? Next time insist they use the full size image and make sure you get a good credit. Cheeky buggers!! I am sure you could get in early next year and sell some of your ideas to magazines here and in the UK and US by the way.

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    1. Yes they know what they are doing. They asked for the original high res shot and cropped it. I am fine with that because I know space is of the essence. But their mean spirited use of my shot is just the bit I am cross about. They have no etiquette. Credit were credit is due I believe.

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  2. That is awesome!!! And the slimy scheming magazine people...hellooooo. They want people to think they did all the hard work. They are trying to sell their souls. This just proves it. Media moguls....there is a reason !! Lols. Tell them next time, you want cash. When the cheque has cleared, they can have your photo, plus a subscription for the year and product placement, or they can go make their own ladder. No loss to you if they don't use it, as you never had anything off them in the first place. If they do you right, all your bloggers will know it. So more people will buy, win win
    Don't sell yourself and your designs and your blog short again. Thus endeth.....

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Yes you are right about them wanting peeps to think it was all their idea. How inconvenient it must be for them to have to credit anything at all, even though it's virtually hidden. Scruples are lost on these people. It's a dog it dog industry and I have learned that the hard way.

      I think a 2 page spread on my blog in their mag next month would fix the damage. Like that's ever going to happen!!!! Ha.

      PS I only deleted above because of a spelling error.

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  3. So simple, yet so effective! Every year I am inspired to make an advent calender but I never do but with little bags like these, it's super easy! I wonder if Ikea still has something similar to these?

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    1. If they don't have the exact ones, I'm sure they have something similar.
      Carolyn

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  4. I couldn't agree more with your feelings on this subject,especially as there is no personal creativity in the trash bags as they are a bought item, aren't they? I do love your creativity.

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  5. This would make an awesome Christmas tree! Agree - it would have been so easy for them to give you a proper credit and the acknowledgement you deserve.

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    1. Yes it would on both counts.
      On the Christmas tree front. I wish my kids agreed with you.

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  6. This is a very unique Advent calendar idea. I love it!!


    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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  7. Rather than paying someone with talent to come up with something to fill a page in their magazine that also requires paying a stylist and a photographer, they're going through blogs asking for things for free in exchange for a credit. And you'd think they'd be bending over backwards in an effort to be gracious and grateful and appreciative but no, they've conned you. And it's because they don't really want their readers to know they haven't come up with these ideas themselves. It's shabby treatment and I'm sorry they took advantage of you and your talent. I love your surfboard advent calendar! xx

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  8. Oh, Carolyn, that's so gorgeous. Hence forth, I'll think of you as the Advent Queen. Sadly, your experience is pretty typical. They've followed the crediting protocol for paid images when they should've given you the same courtesy they would show a company giving them a freebie x

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    Replies
    1. Yes and I think they need to rethink their protocol. You are right, it is like a freebie for them.

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  9. SO simple and yet so effect. It look fantastic. I did love the one you did last year too. What a shame about that glossy magazine - very disappointing! Did you ever hear back from them?? x

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    1. No of course not, they never got back to me when I pointed it out to them. They have moved on, as I should too. I am just a bit wiser now.

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  10. I have to admit I've never seen a surfboard as an advent calendar, and I love it! You're right in thinking that you should've been given ample credit for your idea, but I'm afraid that your situation is not one that is unusual.

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  11. That magazine was so very rude to not mention your blog in a way that others can find it, because after all you helped them with a picture for their magazine, and their readers would have loved to find out where to go to find out how to make the Xmas Decoration. Actually they should have done a write up about how to make Advent Calendars, with a "Bio" about the blog!!!
    I love how create you are with your Surfboard Advent Calendar, its amazing what you can see and do with a surfboard!! There is no way I could "See" the end project and create something so stunning - love it. You so should be a beach/surfer interior decorator :)

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  12. I saw this on facebook, such a disappointment I agree that they only seem interested in their own needs and to not credit the source in a more respectful way is completely unprofessional.
    I love both your advent calendars xx

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  13. Please give us the name of the magazine so we can discuss with them their diss

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    1. Hi Maria
      Thanks for your support, but no need to create controversy. I let them know how unhappy I was with their scruples. That's enough for me!!! .

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  14. This is such a brilliant idea, Carolyn. I hope they don't get a hold of this one as well! Have you thought about adding strategically placed watermarks to your images? Your ideas are always so amazing-it's terrible that others are profiting from them!

    Thanks so much for sharing this at the Say G'day link up.

    Best wishes and keep up the great work that you do-we are all here to support you!
    Natasha in Oz

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  15. Totes unfair they didn't give you proper credit!!! I hope you gave them heaps about it.
    As for the surfer advent calendar...now THAT would totally work in our home!

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