Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
people ask you to stamp something for them, and then they pretty much tell you how to do it? This is a small vent along with asking how you would handle this.
I have this project for my boss' retirement party that I was asked to do. It's the Guest Book for everyone to sign in. The person who asked me to make this wants it in a Wizard of Oz theme (there's a whole story behind this), use a sunflower stamp, blue and white gingham ribbon, a picture (of people dressed in Wizard of Oz costumes), ruby slippers and a yellow brick road. That isn't easy to do! Sunflower stamps don't really go with blue gingham ribbon or ruby slippers! The worst is that she got Wizard of Oz metallic confetti of the different characters...she wants me to glue them on the front! I am going to tell her that part just didn't work out. If I'm going to have my name on it, I don't want this confetti glued on. I tried talking her into a shaker box for them, and she didn't like that idea.
This leaves nothing to creativity, except to be creative enough to be able to pull this off without it looking horrible! This woman asks me to make stuff for her all the time and pretty much hands me a blueprint of how she wants it...why doesn't she just do it herself if she thinks she knows best!
How do you handle people like this? Do you just do what they ask, or do you modify it hoping they will like it. I don't want others who see this stuff to think that these are my ideas!
WOW! I am sorry you have to deal with someone like this and in the workplace. Can you just ask her to do it herself? Maybe next time graciously beg out of anything and maybe she will get the hint eventually.
Or, say, "This is what I am thinking." When she doesn't like that, you could just say you are sorry then cause it just isn't something you can visualize.
HTH (probably won't since this is really a difficult situation)
__________________ My newest toy- Harley Softtail Deluxe
Yeah - they want you to do all the work - but THEY want to claim all the glory...."Oh that was MY idea", or "I thought of that". If it was me, I would do what I could with what I have within the 'theme'. Do you have the $1 shoe from Michael's? That could be a ruby slipper. I have it if you would like to borrow it - if I'm not mistaken, you're in Racine, WI too right? What about the flower from Burst Into Bloom - another set I own - depending upon how you color it - that could be a sunflower. Let me know - I'd be willing to loan you what I have. Just let me know!!! ;)
Yep, that's one tough situation, but ultimately, your name is on the project, so it has to be something you want your name on. If she wants it done to her specifications, perhaps you could simply offer to help her get the supplies together so she can make it exactly the way she wants.
When she first asked me and then went on to tell me how to do it I would have said, "If you want me to do this you'll just have to trust me to create something nice within the Wizard of Oz theme." Or " Since you know exactly how it should be done I think you should do it." Since that time has already passed I would stick with the WOZ theme but would forget all her other instructions and do what I thought looked good. At the end when you give it to her she can either accept it or not. If she pitches a fit just smile and say, "I assumed you asked me to do this because you knew I was an artist. Artists create." Then smile again and turn away.
If she pitches a fit just smile and say, "I assumed you asked me to do this because you knew I was an artist. Artists create." Then smile again and turn away.
Oooh, I really like that!
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
There's always, "Oh, I thought you just meant I could do that, not that I had to!"
You said this:
"This woman asks me to make stuff for her all the time and pretty much hands me a blueprint of how she wants it...why doesn't she just do it herself if she thinks she knows best!"
Sounds like you need to break a cycle, which of course makes it harder. Good luck.
By the way, just sprinkle the confetti on the tabletops, soqn the centers of the tablecloths. ha ha, if there are tablecloths.... Or make a card and put them inside it to make a mess when he opens it. I love doing that to my family on their birthdays. They have been opening them carefully of late, though.
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
Thanks for the offer prhansen, but I bought a sunflower stamp at Michael's and she reimbursed me for it. I also found a shoe that I could use from 'It's a Girl thing" that I embossed in hologram highlights EP on RR paper. Turned out cute.
the confetti is the thing that bothers me...I think it will 'cheapen' it.
Thanks for your suggestions. I try to tell her I don't have time, or the way that I think it would look good. She tells me she trusts my judgement, but then proceeds to tell me how to do it! She is very appreciative of my work and tells me I do a great job and not to underestimate the cost of what I am doing, so I really hate to lose her as a customer. The fact that I work with her makes the whole situation a whole lot harder!
I'm actually almost through with it, but I don't think I will post it to my gallery because I don't think anyone will 'get' the significance of the WOZ theme and will think I'm crazy!
"Thanks for the suggestions... if you feel really strongly about "x", maybe you'd like to come over and help me do it??"
I'd be willing to lay money on the fact that if you call her bluff about actually putting time and effort into the project, she'll back off of her control issues.
__________________ "Just because it's unexplicated does not make it unexplicable." - HOUSE
You can suggest the confetti be used as 'sprinkes' on the tables to add color, etc. And I have seen some great quality OZ stickers that could be used to help tie everything togehter....What a challenge!
I showed what I had to her today. She said "Oh" in kind of a surprised voice. I used sunflowers in the background and colored with watercolor pencils and went over with the Aquapainter. The rest is in Yo Yo Yellow, Real Red and Ballet Blue CS.
After her initial reaction of "Oh" (and this is after I told her how hard it is to make sunflowers and blue gingham ribbon work together), she hauled out a yellow highlighter and told me I should color in the sunflowers with it to brighten them up! WHAT??? All that work and you want me to color them in with a highlighter? I told her I would bring it home and go over them with my YoYo Yellow SU marker! I can tell she didn't like it, but I did what she asked. Last time I make anything per her specs!
Sorry...I really needed to vent about it. I'm embarassed for anyone to see what I made.
she hauled out a yellow highlighter and told me I should color in the sunflowers with it to brighten them up! WHAT??? All that work and you want me to color them in with a highlighter? I told her I would bring it home and go over them with my YoYo Yellow SU marker! I can tell she didn't like it, but I did what she asked. Last time I make anything per her specs!
I will have to practice saying 'No'!
A HIGHLIGHTER!?!?!?!?!?!? I want to smack this person for you!!! She clearly doesn't get it. What an idiot! She's just one of those people who should do the project herself if she's going to criticize this much.
__________________ "Just because it's unexplicated does not make it unexplicable." - HOUSE
Maybe you could remind her that the flowers in the Wizard of Oz were POPPIES! I would definitely offer to sell her the supplies next time so she can do her project herself.
Maybe you could remind her that the flowers in the Wizard of Oz were POPPIES! I would definitely offer to sell her the supplies next time so she can do her project herself.
I tried to tell her that poppies were the first thing that came to my mind when she mentioned the theme. I had to ask her WHY she chose sunflowers! She said she didn't recall there being poppies in the movie and that sunflowers and Kansas go hand in hand (yes, they do, but not in the WOZ!)
I just about died at the highlighter incident. I felt insulted when she suggested that. What I don't get is that she does crafts and does a really nice job at them! So I would think she would understand. She is a really nice person, but this whole part of it really gets to me.
I just hope no one makes the connection that I made the guest book. I'm embarassed to post it here! I don't want people to think that's how I do my projects!
I would simply say that I am unable to give this project the time and attention it deserves, then I would hand it to her to finish. I wouldn't do any more projects for her either. Not that it has to be a big deal, but when she asks, just say your otherwise committed.
I would not have shown it to her ahead of time for her "approval". I would have produced it on the given day when she was too busy orchestrating everything else. Too late for her to take the highlighter to it, which she may do if you hand it over to her ahead of time.
~Nancy~
Don't you hate it when....
