Ok, debating whether I should post this or not but here it goes...
A few months ago a person I met on here that I was chatting with asked me to show her how to decorate cookies. She was doing them for a kids party for a friend and had no clue how to do it. So she comes over with enough cookie dough to do about 6 cookies. So I had to make more dough using my own ingredients and also my own conf. sugar to make the icing to decorate it all. So I show her how to make it and later she posted the pictures on here as her own. The pictures she posted were clearly the ones I did. Now I notice she put them on her website and are passing them off as her work. Should I call her on it or leave it alone? I know that if someone actually orders them from her that she wont be able to replicate them since she still is very much in the learning process.
I would say something.
That is your work and you showed her how to do it.
You don't have to be nasty about it, but at the same
time she needs to know that it is not okay.
That is very dishonest, no only towards you, but also
towards potential customers as well.
Ash
OMG I would be highly upset. If it were me I would have to email her or call her and tell her that she has used your photo without your permisson. I would tell her I have no problem with you using the picture on your website if you give me the credit for the work or she would have to remove it.
THAT'S SO NOT RIGHT.
I would be irritated too! I would address it. People (like you) on this website are sooooo helpful and people take advantage of it. It would be kinda funny to see someone's reaction if they ordered these cookies and didn't get what they thought they were getting! 
Let us know what happens. She had better watch out.........I don't like that behavior and I know many others here do not either.
I would call her and ask her to post "her" cookies that "she" decorated and not the ones that you decorated. That's just not right!
Yah, I thought I should but Im kinda a whimp when it comes to confrontation. I didnt want to cause any future problems for myself since she basically could get me in trouble for not being licensed even though she isnt either. Not to mention this woman is HUGE! She is about 6'7 and 250lbs with tatoos. Not that I judge people by looks but Im only 5'1 and she could kick my A**!!!
...but first dish on who it was!!! LOL (totally joking!!!)
Wow. I would be careful what I said about someone, especially if I knew they were members here. I'm sure she'll see this post and know you are talking about her...especially after saying she's huge. Put the shoe on the other foot...how would you feel if she were here talking about you? I'm not trying to start trouble or anything, I just think this would have been better handled thru pm's. She probably wouldn't have bee nupset at all...I'm guessing this thread would upset her...it would me.
Wow. I would be careful what I said about someone, especially if I knew they were members here. I'm sure she'll see this post and know you are talking about her...especially after saying she's huge. Put the shoe on the other foot...how would you feel if she were here talking about you? I'm not trying to start trouble or anything, I just think this would have been better handled thru pm's. She probably wouldn't have bee nupset at all...I'm guessing this thread would upset her...it would me.
Well Im not sure if she will see the post or not but I decided to take the higher road anyhow.
But if someone had posted something about me like this I would be embarrassed. But I dont need to steal other peoples work to post on my website or here. And if she does see the post maybe it will make her think about taking it what she did and how wrong it is to try to pass someone else's work off as their own. I pity her and her customers since their not going to get what they pay for.
Iâm confused. Did she take digital photos from your web site, or did she take pictures of cookies that the two of you had worked on together?
I would cut her some slack. She probably considers the cookies âher workâ just by association. I know I did the same thing with a cake from my Wilton class. The instructor made about 90% of the roses that ended up on the cake, but I still told everyone that I had decorated the cake.
Carol
If she posted the picture on this website can't you report it as yours and have it removed?
She is about 6'7 and 250lbs with tatoos. Not that I judge people by looks but Im only 5'1 and she could kick my A**!!!
Weirkd, you're so funny...based on what you described I'd be aprehensive too!! 
And, I don't think is right to take credit for other's work though...maybe you can 'pm' her??
okay is there any chance that this girl practiced alot and made cookies that looked just like the ones you helped her with? I think you should contact her and ask just in case. 
You were nice to her in helping her with the cookies... but why did the niceness have to end? Taking this public and talking about her size was a low blow.
Just sayin'...
Iâd be pissed honestly. If you decorated the cookies then itâs you work to show off, not hers. Carol Iâd consider what you did dishonest as well so long as you failed to mention your instructor did most of the work. Iâd never let someone bust their butt to show me how to make something then turn around and try to pass it off as my own. The idea of that being okay just baffles me. I got a big fat F on an essay I did in college when I failed to credit a source I used. Nobody cut me any slack. I stole someone elseâs work and tried to pass it off as my own. I knew what I was doing when I did it so I deserved it. I donât see it any differently here.
Is it possible she thought it was okay for her to do this? Did you say anything to her that day that she may have interpreted wrong and thought claiming the cookies as her own was fine with you? I totally hear you about confrontation. As a tiny woman myself Iâd be weary of starting something with a woman who could stomp me into the ground with her big toe. Chances are though, sheâs not as mean as she may or may not look, probably the opposite in fact. If sheâs got any kind of class sheâll simply remove the pics at your request and not say another word about it. And I totally thing you should say something about it. She needs to know this isnât okay to do.
People are amazing....it's funny ...kinda, the cleaning gals that have worked for me, at one time or other I've had a leftover cake and asked them if they wanted to decorate it and take it home....most people are so fumbly fingered, i'd feel bad and "show" them how to do stuff on it...end up decorating it myself while they watched....later they'd tell me (every time)..."MY FAMILY COULD NOT BELIEVE I MADE THAT CAKE!"
DUH...no wonder, cause ya didn't.....maybe she doesn't know it's wrong?
BTW...i been liftin that 30 quart bowl for 6 years...i aint got no tats...but i'm pretty strong... and a bad attitude ....want me to take her down for ya?...LOL!
I'd be mad too. Sorry, but if you are going to pass off someone else's work as you own.. you are not okay in my book. I don't care if it was 90% of your roses on a cake (even if you can make a perfect rose with your eyes closed on your own and you just needed help with the volume) or as extreme as claiming that something you had no part in making was your end product. Give credit where credit is due. When people are nice enough to help you you should acknowledge that.. if you don't, you sour the people who helped you from helping others. I have been burned helping people, and I have been so rewarded helping people.. I choose to keep helping, but am definitely less apt to do it without some serious thought now. I have seen cakes where I have helped with the decorating posted.. with no mention of any help at all.. it stinks.. but life is life and what can you do?
Iâd be pissed honestly. Carol Iâd consider what you did dishonest as well so long as you failed to mention your instructor did most of the work. Iâd never let someone bust their butt to show me how to make something then turn around and try to pass it off as my own. The idea of that being okay just baffles me.
I guess Iâm just not a possessive soul. I wouldnât think ill, bitter thoughts of a person for calling a collaborative work his or her own. It is human nature to be proud of something you take part in regardless of who else was involved.
My instructor made five buttercream roses and I did everything else, why was it dishonest to call that cake my own? I was thrilled and proud of my work and my instructor shared in my excitement (even though Iâm sure she thought it was lumpy and amateurish). And as I left the class that night that kind lady didnât shout: âOh by the way, when you show off your cake make sure you tell everyone I made the roses.â
I I got a big fat F on an essay I did in college when I failed to credit a source I used. Nobody cut me any slack. I stole someone elseâs work and tried to pass it off as my own. I knew what I was doing when I did it so I deserved it. I donât see it any differently here.
And by not crediting a source do you mean plagiarism? I can understand why that would warrant an F. Some universities would kick you out for thatâ¦.
Carol
^^ agree. this is what private messages are for. badly done.
There were no names given.. I hardly see how this is horrid.
I think you have a right to be miffed.
But if it were me, I would probably just let this one go.
First of all I didnt give any names out. Secondly, I wasnt making fun of her size. I was simply stating that she is much larger than I am and someone I wouldnt want to piss off.
And asking for people reaction on the thread before doing something I might regret I feel IS THE HIGHER ROAD. I thought that what the forum was all about? Posting questions, problems, etc. with fellow cake decorators? If I was a rotten person then I would of trashed her etc. Well, Im not like that but I was trying to decide if it was worth making a fuss about and wanted some input.
I dont think think if you do the cake and someone helped you with the roses is stealing someones work. But sitting down and watching the person do all the cookies then posting the pictures on the internet of YOUR cookies is.
But Im not going to do anything about it and leave it at that. But Im sure other people in my position would of felt the same way.
I too think it was a bit mean to bring her size and appearance into it. You keep saying that you wanted to take the high road and be nice but...are you?
You are in the right here about the photos, but, I would be afraid of her reading the post and getting her feelings hurt-she obviously looks up to you.
Not trying to be critical, just honest.
Well you be the judge, she came over and I not only made the RI, made a batch of dough because she didnt even have enough for everyone using all my own ingredients. I then showed her how to do them and didnt say a word when she posted the picture on here as her own. I think that is pretty damn nice. I dont know about you but I dont have many people that bend over backwards like that for me.
And again, the only mention of her size was that I was afraid of her. Not that its bad to be that size or anything else. Just she is very tall and I am very short.
And believe me, the reactions I got on here made me realize that next time I will keep it to myself. And like Kjalman, I will think twice about helping someone out.
Give credit where credit is due. When people are nice enough to help you you should acknowledge that.. if you don't, you sour the people who helped you from helping others. I have been burned helping people, and I have been so rewarded helping people.. I choose to keep helping, but am definitely less apt to do it without some serious thought now. I have seen cakes where I have helped with the decorating posted.. with no mention of any help at all.. it stinks.. but life is life and what can you do?
Why this overwhelming need for accolades? Shouldnât helping your fellow man be satisfaction enough?
I'm not saying the recipient doesn't need to offer thanks, but thanks should be freely given and never forced, demanded, or required by The Giver. If acknowledgment is something you have to have, make it a part of the deal. Tell the recipient (before you help them) that you expect to receive equal credit on the project and written acknowledgement of your help. That would clear up any confusion and prevent hurt feelings on your part.
I guess I just see it as common courtesy. If someone helped me I would thank them and if I was going to post a picture of it.. especially if it was their creation that I had no part in making.. I'd be damn sure to say thanks Jane Doe for the help with this cake/cookie/whatever. I don't want someone to say "Oh thank you great and powerful cake goddess for helping a lowly person such as I." But a thanks would be nice. Not so much if I did a small border or something.. more-so in this instance because the pictures weren't of their collaborative effort.. it was someone else's work passed off as her own. That's wrong in my book. I don't even want my name mentioned.. just a general thanks for the help from my cake pal would be more than sufficient.
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