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I am Going to get chewed up for this, but I am going to say I was not impressed buy the Fat Cat Halloween Grab bag. I bought five and will be selling them off. I paid $750.00 for sloppy work that looks like they were done at the end of a day just to get finished. There are some fine pieces in the Grab Bag lot., But I ask why are they not all fine pieces. I paid for a fine piece and got pieces that showed they were done without thought and care. I will be more cautious the next time I buy a Grab Bag and make sure each piece is done as an artist caring for each piece as to just make a quota. Melody You just shocked me, this is not your work, they are empty fill in pieces. I love you product, and you are inspirational. You just dropped the ball here.
Michael: I disagree entirely, I love the one I bought, he’s not a pumpkin like most wanted but I love him all the same….I don’t think they seemed at all rushed and or Melody worked on these for over a month if I recall correctly…mine has such tiny little details that I love….
and I think you just seem a little too bitter about it, there’s no reason to tear down Melody on these, they look awesome…yes, we know a lot of them ended up being cats but GBs are always that way, there’s always a lot of something then a few that look different, and we always go towards the one Melody painted less of which I’m sure is somewhat frustrating for Melody when all of us like the unique ones time and time again…..
and I’m looking at the ones you received, they are all nice pieces, I would love any of them….just because you weren’t quite happy, you shouldn’t take it out on Melody, she spent a lot of time on these and if I were her hearing this from you, I would probably be saddened that people were talking this way about something she worked hard on….and when you buy GBs, you’re always taking a risk that you will not quite get what you want, that’s the risk! but that’s why we trade and sell them too, what you may not like, might be the one that is someone else’s favorite….
4 things I'm looking for:
1. Mother Meerkat
2. production color Sitting Young Oriental dragons to be made in more colors besides VF, Brimstone would be awesome!
3. Female Griffin – Siamese with White
4. September Raffle Prize 2022 AHD Male GriffinI have to agree with what fatalbeauty said and add that grab bags started as pieces that weren’t perfect just like she does with the monthly raffle. NO NITPICKING with grab bags. I love certain colors and sculpts and it’s always hard to resist a grab, but I did even though I love alot that everyone has been showing of these kitties. It is disappointing when you buy a ton and dont get what you love, but that’s no reason to be completely rude about her painting and the effort she DID put in.
Michael, I’ll buy this kitty even though he doesnt match my collection. I think he’s fabulous, I love the pupil eyed kitties and scaredy cats. Maybe the koirins I have will take him in as family 😊 I do have a new “black sheep” koirin lol.
Yeah, I’m stunned at how gorgeous the fat cats are! I bought a total of ten, and yes, some were not to my taste, but that’s preference. Your presences are personal, and you’re entitled to them, but stating them as fact is just rude. If it was your intention you be rude, well, at least you’re communicating clearly. If that’s not your intention, it might be a good time to look at how your post is likely to be received and modulate your tone. Tone is always tricky online, since we don’t have Body language, inflection, etc – just your words.
Trust me, most of us who have been here a long time have definitely pitched a fit or moped when we didn’t get the piece we wanted – but the majority of us regretted the outburst and realized it came off as entitled, childish and petty. This community is a lovely, tight knit group, and part of that is because it’s full of people who are joined in our love for Melody’s work. Maybe grab bags aren’t for you – there is always the chance that you won’t get something to your taste. You might be happier if you stick to production pieces.
Seeking Test Paints & GBs ! Please get in touch if you'd trade/sell. I'll remove pieces from list by owner request
ANY Red Eyed Unis
ANY Test Paint Bat
UNIS:
The Purple/Yellow Baby Uni of Awesome
Male- Snow Leopard TP
White Lighting Male, Pony, Colt and Grand - I have Mom, Baby, & Young
Ponycorns: Golden Zebra and/or Spotted Skunk
Mother: Okapi
Gothic - Mahogany
PEGS: Male Midnight Calico, Male Bloodstone, Mother Starlight Rain
DRAGONS: Male CoyoteMichael, I’ve kept my mouth shut for the most part on some of the more opinionated posts because like opinions are like rear ends… we all have them. I get it. It’s another thing as a newcomer to the forum to come on here and bash Melody’s work. She’s been doing this for years, bending over backwards to meet the demands of her fan base on this online community for over a decade prior to your arrival on the forum. This is not taking into her account her surplus of experience prior to this online community being created. Every piece she paints is hand done by her, not a machine and she cranks them out by the hundreds nearly every month for grab bags on top of working on her comic, sculpting, running contests and monthly raffle donations, and having a family and a menagerie of animals to care for… I’m not trying to cause an argument but that post just kind of blew my mind. She’s Melody freakin’ Pena… like a legend among artists… maybe I’m fangirling too much, but pieces are going to have minor imperfections. I just… I have no words right now. I’m sorry you feel that way about your grab bag pieces. I have had bad luck with grab bags on many (MANY… TOO MANY) occasions, but I’ve never felt a piece I received was merely rushed to meet a deadline and if I wasn’t happy with it I could always at the very least get my investment back if my piece wasn’t my cup of tea. Again, I’m not trying to come off as a jerk and I’m not saying you can’t have an opinion but I’d try to not bash the quality of the artists forum you’re on too harshly. Maybe you would do better on the 2nd hand market. I tend to do that a lot myself and find it much more fruitful as far as grab bags are concerned.
Got a busted Windstone?
drag0nfeathersdesign@gmail.com
*OPEN for repairs**SEEKING GRAILS*
Arc-en-ciel Emperor
Siphlophis Male Dragon
Calypso Hatching Empress
Ivory Moss Sitting Baby Kirin
Tattoo Mother Kirin
Emerald Tabby Male Griffin
Tie Dye + Orion Hatching Royalty
Indigo Rockfish + Flame Tabby Little Rock Dragons
Dragon Quail + Obsidian Frost Old Warriors
Betta Sun Dragon + Male Dragon
Dreamscape, Orion, Poison Dart, Fireberry, Spangler + Tigerberry DragonsWow, Michael.
That’s unbelievably harsh and disrespectful. Your statement that the grab bags weren’t Melody’s actual work is insulting to her and implies that you think there fraudulent. That’s simply horrible.
Melody is an incredible artist and very few people have anything close to her talent.
I didn’t participate in this grab bag because I don’t collect the sculpt, but I certainly would never denigrate anyone’s life’s work.
If what you got isn’t your taste, that’s certainly your opinion. But, please don’t insult Melody. She most definitely didn’t “drop the ball” as you put it.
Good luck on your sale, but please be nice.
Life is beautiful.
I’d like to add that were all allowed to have a hissy fit now and then about grab bags. They get fustraiting sometimes and I am definitely guilty of a couple moments where I was upset and frustrated as well. I didn’t get what I wanted either, but saying Melody dropped the ball and this is not on par with her work was just a low blow.
Painting 100 or so unique Halloween scenes on a sculpture roughly the size of a golf ball is no easy task.
Got a busted Windstone?
drag0nfeathersdesign@gmail.com
*OPEN for repairs**SEEKING GRAILS*
Arc-en-ciel Emperor
Siphlophis Male Dragon
Calypso Hatching Empress
Ivory Moss Sitting Baby Kirin
Tattoo Mother Kirin
Emerald Tabby Male Griffin
Tie Dye + Orion Hatching Royalty
Indigo Rockfish + Flame Tabby Little Rock Dragons
Dragon Quail + Obsidian Frost Old Warriors
Betta Sun Dragon + Male Dragon
Dreamscape, Orion, Poison Dart, Fireberry, Spangler + Tigerberry DragonsAfter studying Michael’s photographs I see no difference in technique between his pieces and the ones that other people got. Different designs, yes – but not different quality.
Every grab bag has some pieces that are more elaborate than others. However, Melody doesn’t do better work on those pieces and carelessly dash off the remainder.Drag0nfeathers’s suggestion is a good one. If you want a particular design, or the chance to see what you will get before you pay for it, the secondary market may be a better option than buying a grab bag straight from the store.
I have been sitting here mulling over what he said for hours. I am so glad the others responded because they have all politely said what I’ve been thinking.
There are class photos for everyone to look over BEFORE deciding to buy. You had access to those, you saw what was available and you chose to buy 5. YOUR choice, no one forced you to buy even one.
It’s a grab bag, a hand painted one of a kind item. Which one you are going to get is a gamble.
Out of 3 GB Pumpkin Spice kitties that I chose to buy, one was a keeper and I’ve traded one and have another for sale.As others have said we’ve all had grab bags that didn’t work out for us. I’ve still to see any of my top 3 GB cougars make an appearance and so I ended up selling the one that I did buy when they were released.
It’s called life. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t.
Looking for:
"COSMIC SHIFT DRAGONS and KI-RINS" and the "OCTOPUS TANUKI TEST PAINT #1"Ya the tone just came out wrong. hey I’m not bitter, they will sell. I have two sole already. I bought the Fantasy and love them. I believed the Fat Cats could have been more (evenly) lively. I just have seen some of the Greatest art of its time come out of Windstone, and felt out of five pieces, not one lit me up. I just reread what I wrote and its wrong what I mean.
Hey dragOnfeathers I love what you wrote
I agree with what everyone has said to you, Michael. Many of us older members have had our share of grab bags where we didn’t get the one we were after. Heck every Previous GB I never received the one I was after, but most of the time I ended up falling in love with it all the same. And if I didn’t bond with mine I either traded or sold it. The one I got in this GB for example. I absolutely had my heart set on the demon cat. The first owner very kindly held on to him for me while I waited for mine to arrive to see what I got. The demon cat looks every bit as beautiful as the ones you got. I was completely surprised by the one I did get and wasn’t expecting him at all. I thought everyone had already gotten all the sky kitties. It was a wonderful surprise, and that’s what makes GB’s so enjoyable. Had I not gotten him, I still would have traded for my demon cat. Plenty of others thought the demon cat was cool as well, and the original owner won’t have any trouble getting him traded. Point is there will be people out there who love yours and will be more than willing to trade with you or purchase outright.
Grab bags are very similar to blind box vinyl collectibles. There are usually a few that are more rare than the others. That is part of what makes GB’s so much fun. You don’t know which one you’re going to get until you open your box. If it’s not one you were after, folks are usually pretty accommodating in direct trades, three way trades and purchasing outright.
I understand you are upset. Many of us have had our disagreements in the past, myself included. But please don’t take your frustration out on Melody. She is a dedicated full time professional artist who works very hard creating for us whilst juggling many, many other tasks. That we even have the opportunity to purchase hand painted and signed pieces from Melody herself is remarkable. Please try not to take it for granted. I’ve been a fan of hers since childhood, and though everyone may not agree on everything all of the time, one thing is for certain. All of us here love collecting her work and enjoy admiring it in our homes. It’s something many of us will always do, even when we don’t get that grab bag piece we wanted. At the end of the day we’ll still have the privilege of owning that one-of-a-kind hand signed piece from Melody herself.
Michael, I’ll third what Drag0n and Etruscan said. If you’re a picky collector (nothing wrong with that, many here are) it may be best to wait for pieces popping up on the secondary market. Especially shortly after the GB drops, prices aren’t too elevated yet and people not in love with their grabs are looking to recoup. And there are always a handful Windstone keeps back to cover lost/damaged in shippings, after the dust settles they go up on eBay. That should be happening with this GB soon. This way you can see multiple pictures of a piece you’re considering, and be sure you get one you love from the start.
And if you see one you really like in an upcoming GB’s class pictures, be vocal about it. People sometimes keep in mind who’s ‘squeaked’ for what when they’re rehoming pieces.
I Must Humbly Apologize for what I wrote. I got my shipment of Cats in and my MRI results on my spine the next day. The past 4 days the pain has been horrible. The more I am on my Feet the worse it is. I refuse to lay in bed all day. I am immune to normal human dose of pain medication, I would have to take 4 times the normal dosage to deal with the amount of pain I go through. I refuse to take that much pain medication. I just learned there are more problems with my spine. I wrote without really thinking, I ordered the Cats, I took the chance. I am not angry at Melody, I am angry at the amount of pain I am in every second and my only cure until I see a Back surgeon again, is to be on enough pain meds to knock a horse out cold. The Doctors can’t explain how my body builds up a high tolerance so quickly. They say I’m a .5 percent of human population that has this resistance. See I don’t get colds. I don’t ever catch a fever. my immunity system is off the charts. But in the past 10 years 2wice I was almost killed by Idiots slamming me in their Pickup trucks. The second time the Doctor had to pined my spine after evasive surgery. Now I never broke a bone in my life and there were plenty of times when I should have, But my Disks have taken a beaten and Arthritis has ravaged the rest. I apologize for my weakness. It will never happen again. You all have been nothing but supportive to me. I respect that and are thankful.
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