But I wasn’t the one who said that I could do it in an hour– I appreciate the time and effort that go into these things. I just said it looked like My Paper Crane.  I shouldn’t have used the word ripoff.

Looking at her other work I’d have to say that I think the banjo is about a thousand times cooler and better than the ice cream sandwich.

 I personally own a carrot and the grilled cheese with tomato soup combo and they are pretty badass.

Oh, how the language doth evolve.  I can remember a time when felt vegetables were pretty much the opposite of “badass.”

And, I guess I don’t “get” the plushy interest mostly for two reasons:  1 — I live in the desert, and EVERYthing gets dusty.  So, I choose to not have a lot of things that sit and collect dust. (And, felt can’t just be dusted — it would have to be washed, which would probably ruin the artistic effect.)   2. — I have pets.  Who consider anything that’s not nailed down to be Theirs.  To play with as they will.  :-)

I can see the care and hard work that goes into making these things.  I just don’t personally see it as something I would purchase. 

Seems like the artist has a following and fans.  That is great.  I also read her friends statement as a humorous comment to lighten the mood. 

If you think you can make this in two hours, go ahead.  I’ve picked up a few new hobbies that way.  At the very least, you’ll gain some insight. 

Not every opinion or knee-jerk reaction qualifies as legitimate art
critique. Art criticism requires that one have at least *some* knowledge of the
medium used, of how to evaluate the finished product and the market
value. Saying “I don’t like it, I don’t get it, it’s not worth the price” and skipping away expecting no input whatsoever from the artist is called a ‘drive-by’ critique in many art communities.  

I personally know very little about felting but as an artist myself, I have no trouble seeing that it probably took several hours of work, that the finished piece (while not a theme I personally have interest in) is well-made and polished and- evidenced by her fan’s vouching- that there is clearly a market for it. If it takes her a few hours and she values her labour at somewhere like 10 bucks an hour, it can EASILY amount to 50-60 bucks right there. I don’t see what’s so outrageous about an artist demanding a regular, very conservative working wage for her own work, especially if she has earned a consumer base (which can take years to build, most often *at a loss*). This is hardly crass exploitation or dishonest, as several people here seem to be implying.

If this was some malformed lump of Fimo being sold for $300, I could understand the snark and puzzlement.  
 

i’m a crafter who does all of my finishing by hand using no electric tools and i know how much time goes into each item i make. the public often compares our prices for the work we do to the prices they see for sometimes inferior, machine-made products they see in stores made by companies using inexpensive labor and materials at reduced wholesale prices. crafters often make a little more than the cost of their supplies and time and we need to live, too.

On the other hand, I rather applaud the artist and friends turning up, as long as they can maintain their dignity. Too many people get critical on the internet, assuming the artist won’t be reading what they’re writing, let alone be willing to engage with them. Maybe people will be less willing to slag off others behind their backs when they realise they’re actually slagging them off to their faces!

(On that note, perhaps using the word “ripoff” was more emotionally charged than I meant to say. My bad.)

If you really want to crap your pants over some of the prices at Etsy,
go to the website and do the advanced search, setting the prices at
“high to low”. Sure, some of the very top matches are there only to snag
views, but once you get into the heart of it, you really start to get a sense
of what some people think about their art.

Take a moment to look online (or in your local library!) and you’ll find plenty of examples by many famous artists responding quite publicly to critiques.

Just because I’m not willing to spend 75 dollars on an ice cream sandwich plush, doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in supporting a “fair price” for handmade gifts.   Mostly, it means that my priorities are different. 

The fact that the artist and her friends need to come over here and defend it shows a bit of an immaturity, actually. 

sorry if this sounds “rude.”

Frankly, you’re incredibly rude to continue to dissect her price and claim you can duplicate her artwork.

Also, “rip off” of My Paper Crane? Hardly.