They claim there are striking similarities in Carole Holding's handiwork with their own.

One artist is also tearing her hair out over fliers trumpeting banana leaf dolls at Holding's studios.

Mrs. Ronnie Chameau said the wording in the fliers resembled -- almost word for word -- that in brochures plugging her own hand-made dolls.

But Mrs. Holding, who has five shops and employs about 20 people, has brushed aside the outcry. She denied doing anything to justify such artistic angst.

And she portrayed her rivals as being varying shades of green over her popular creations. She said her business, Carole Holding Studios, had expanded over the years, and proved highly successful.

In St. George's, for instance, she had an art and craft shop.

"I think price-wise there is a rivalry on the Island. Unfortunately that happens if one is successful.'' Mrs. Holding also thought the dispute with Mrs. Chameau had been "amicably resolved''.

"I find it strange you should ring me on this,'' Mrs. Holding told a Royal Gazette reporter.

She said the fliers had been reworded, and the old ones "gathered in''.

One artist upset with Mrs. Holding is Mrs. Maria Smith, who runs Studio Art.

She makes from home "sand balls'' -- a glass ornament with a star and ribbon on top.

Mrs. Smith claimed Mrs. Holding's balls, including their stands were uncomfortably similar to her own. And she also alleged Mrs. Holding had gone to the same US ribbon manufacturer.

Another artist, Mrs. Heidi Augustinovic, of Lovers Lane, Paget, believed Mrs.

Holding's ornamental sand dollars had a familiar look about them.

They looked disturbingly like her own. "I was not amused,'' she said.

Mrs. Chameau said her banana dolls were sold with brochures.

The brochure starts: "Bermudian artist, Ronnie Chameau, searches along the Island's roadsides and nature trails for the natural plant materials from which her Banana Leaf and Palmetto Palm Leaf Dolls are made.'' Mrs. Chameau said fliers distributed publicly by Mrs. Holding were disturbingly similar -- although they included the name of an employee, Judy Perry.

The flier begins: "Bermudian artist, Judy Perry, searches along the Island's roadsides and nature trails for the natural plant materials from which her Banana Leaf Dolls are made.'' Mrs. Chameau said one sentence in the flier -- referring to the dolls -- was markedly different, however. "There are similar copies on the Island but none can match her flair when it comes to recreating the old style costumes and stance of the true Bermudian with a Victorian theme.'' Said Mrs. Chameau: "I was really angered by that. It suggests we have been copying her!'' But Mrs. Holding said she believed the dispute between herself and Mrs.

Chameau was over.

"She called last week and the matter was resolved the next day. We were quite amicable.'' Mrs. Holding, who pointed out Mrs. Chameau used to supply her with dolls, said the wording for the flier had been on a computer.

Somehow it appeared on the flier, but this was "an innocent mistake''.

Mrs. Holding said she was unsurprised by Mrs. Smith's attack on her.

She accepted her sand balls were "similar'' to Mrs. Smith's.

But she scoffed at any suggestion she would deliberately set out to use the same ribbon. "This is absolutely not true. I don't know where Mrs. Smith gets her ribbons from.'' Mrs. Holding said she was more surprised by Mrs. Augustinovic's criticism.

She said her sand dollars were different from Mrs. Augustinovic's.

"Heidi's are very elaborate.'' A spokesperson for the Bermuda Society of Artists said the organisation was aware of simmering discontent.

"Carole Holding has ruffled a lot of feathers along the way which is not unusual when you are dealing with people who are very commercially orientated and a bunch of artists. It is like oil and water.'' She added: "In a small community like ours it is even worse when people feel others are taking their ideas.'' The spokesperson voiced more concern over the fliers controversy.

"It shocked me to the core,'' she added.