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I am brand-spankin' new to stamping, and I just recieved the supplies I ordered through my first party (pretty limited-- cardstock, 2 hostess sets, stampin spots and not much else), and I'm attempting my first cards. But all I find myself doing is copying stuff I've seen in the gallery! Where do you all find your inspiration?
Just stick with it and you will eventually get the hang of how to design your own cards. There is soooo much inspiration in the gallery that you can do almost anything that comes to mind. There are times I have that dreaded brain cramp and do case someone's beautiful card. No crime in that!! The ladies on here are very talented.
__________________ Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones!
Joining a swap forced me to come up with a design of my own. There is a swap right now that's for 1st-time swappers only, and there are also periodic swaps for newbie stampers as well. The fact that swaps have a theme really helped me in designing a card. It was really intimidating at first, but now I love swapping!
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
Try one or more of the weekly challenges. Start with the Sketch Challenge - it gives you a boost and you don't have to start completely from nothing. Often I find that my card turns out nothing like the sketch but it's enough to get me going and is often very inspiring.
Sketch challenges definately help. Don't feel bad that you CASE a lot or all the time. Sometimes that's what makes you comfortable until you get used to all the tools.
Another place I get inspiration is from old Hallmark cards. I save lots of that stuff so sometimes I'll go back and try to copy a layout or a fold or a color scheme from an old card.
Next time you CASE a card, challenge yourself to change the color scheme and one other element about it..then it becomes your own creation.
Go ahead and CASE. There is nothing wrong with that. Before you know it tho, you will be trying different colors of cardstock, different stamp sets, trying different embellishments, adding some vellum, and suddenly the card is ALL your own creation. You were inspired and ended up with your own card!!!
I think most of us start off CASEing. It's kinda how you learn what works and what doesn't. Then before you know it you'll feel a little braver. Then you'll change a few things here and there. And then before you know it you'll be producing creations of your own!
Don't let CASEing stress you - that's *not* what this hobby is all about! What it's about is sharing a love for what we do. And part of the reason that all of us post what we've done is in hopes that it will inspire someone else: to do the same card, to use the same colors, to try the same stamp set...or maybe move in an entirely different direction! Inspiration comes from all around. Don't feel bad about CASEing at all!
One of the best pieces of stamping advice I heard was indirectly about CASEing. It was Convention 2003 in a talk given by Jackie Bolhuis - if you ever get to hear her speak, *GO*!! Bear in mind that I'm paraphrasing here...but she pointed out that as demos, we frequently see a card that we like and feel that we *must* buy the exact same set to duplicate the *exact* same card. She showed several slides of similar cards made with different sets...but that shared a similar design element.
What I would challenge you to do is this: if you are *really* wanting to break away from CASEing, take a close look at all of the cards that you have CASEd. Are there any common design/color/embellishment elements that many of them share? If so, focus on those elements as you begin your own creation. Also identify a 3- or 4-color "grouping" that you can *always* fall back on. For me, I can always create nearly anything with the combination of Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, and Mellow Moss because that color combination is a "comfort zone" for me. (And I'm *never* without those three colors!)
Otherwise, don't sweat it! We've all had to start somewhere and we've all CASEd at some point. Welcome to the sisterhood! ~ K
__________________ Hi...My Name is Kaylyn...I'm An Alphaholic.
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I always have books and pictures of cards I think I want to do and I am constantly looking at this gallery on this board. Then I go to sit down with my pictures and make my card and I end up doing something totally different. Now I TRY to case and find it hard to do it. LOL And I am fairly new at this stamping too.
I know exactly how you feel! I think that is all I do also. I don't have a very "creative" mind and it just makes me feel good to see all of the wonderful cards in the gallery and be able to CASE some of them. The people on this site are so talented. I do try to change things just a little to make it my own but still keep the general idea. Maybe one day with all the inspiration here, my creativity will just jump out at me but until that happens.......
Case away - nothing wrong with it, it's a great way to learn. Perhaps when you're ready you could start with altering one or two things on a card you like - maybe the colors, or embellishments, or layout. That might just get your creative juices flowing. Most important of all - have fun!
__________________ Linda
”From the rising of the sun to its setting,the name of the Lord is to be praised!”
Definitely don't feel bad about caseing, most of us do it. Why don't you try finding a card you really like but use a different SU set but use the same colors, or use the same set and change the colors, use more embellishments than the original card, or less.
As you start to build up a collection of cards, you will probably find your style.Most importantly just have fun.
I think CASEing is very flattering to the creator of the card. I spend hours looking at all the cards on this site and have tons saved to my favorites, but I find I end up doing my own creation. I like to look at the different techiques or color combos and just start stamping away. You will too! One day you will look back at your first creations and see how much you have learned and how far you have come.
Yeah, MamaK is right. I will have been stamping for 2 years come September. I feel like I case'd for the entire first year. Then I slowly began to be able to sit down and make something...but I'd still get started by printing out my favorites thumbnails and case'ing them. Now I can sit down and make things all by myself. I finally feel like I am a real stamper!!
If it really bothers you to CASE, then pick a card you'd like to case and change just ONE thing. Next time, change TWO things. Before you know it, you'll be making them all on you own.
I still CASE when I see something I like or am short on time. If anyoe were to CASE one of my cards, I'd be so flattered!
__________________ Liz
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless ~ Mother Teresa
All I'm doing is CASEing!
CASEing
