Any artist/craftsperson will tell you that the hardest part of creating art is getting an original idea. The skill part is that, a skill. Artists/crafters spend a lot of time coming up with a concept....usually much more time than actually creating a finished piece.
If you look through the items on Etsy, there is a lot of really nice work. There is also a lot of junk. And there is also a lot of stuff that in no way is "handmade". With all the junk and resellers it takes a lot of sifting though.
My latest obsession has been with the people that buy pashmina scarves from China and pin something on them and call it their own. They aren't "creating" anything....they are frauds. And real fiber artists should be outraged that they are getting away with it. Most buyers believe that they are getting something handmade, because that is how it is advertised. Real fiber artists can't compete with these shops.
Another category to check out is jewelry. Try doing a search for say "tree branch pendant". Wow look at all of them! So how are these sellers getting away with it? Apparently Etsy's policy says that you can "alter" something and call it your own as handmade. Altering in the art world means changing the original item or raw materials into something new and unique. (I am ok with beaders that buy beads and components and arrange them in a unique design. That is jewelry making at it's simplest but it is creative.) However I am not ok with someone buying a mass produced charm or pendant and putting a chain on it and calling it your own. There is zero creativity, and zero skill. I work in a store that sells jewely. Most of the pendants come in with out chains so we add them. I don't tell the customer that I made the necklace!
These sellers/resellers could make something if they wanted to...they are definitely creative enough to come up with ideas on how to scam people.
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