Grandma's Rocking Chair - November 17, 2013 - Ideas

Grandma's Rocking Chair Question - How do you come up with your ideas?

Today I had 3 new stampers at my Techniques Class.  I love new stampers they are so excited and love to learn.  They also ask really good questions.  One today wanted to know where I get my ideas and how do I come up with the great cards and projects.  I must confess A lot of my ideas are not my own and in fact I may think they are my own when I come up with a great card, but a lot of time I take something I saw from one thing and put it with another things or tried a technique a little differently.
We stampers call it CASE - Copy And Share Everything.

I also get a lot of inspiration from the Stampin' Up Catalogs.  I may change colors or even copy it directly.  I did a few copy directly for my Christmas Card Classes this year.

These Two were direct cases from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog Page 10.

This one I changed up just a little bit.

Still from the Holiday catalog page 10.  Can you name what I changed?

Also if you go to Stampin' Up! events we do what is called swapping.  Where we make cards, a lot of cards and exchange them with others for the cards they made.  Here are some of the swaps I got from the Stampin' Up! convention this summer.

The one in teh upper right was my swap. Notice the lower left.  I used that card except teh saying for this Mother's Day Card.

There are also general swaps and I got a great card from Pam Morgan who works at Stampin' Up.  So I just changed up the Designer Series Paper and the saying and made this card.

I made this card from inspiration I got from a card in the Holiday Catalog page 10.  Can you tell me which one?  I wanted to do something different and I thought Vellum would be really nice and kick it off.

I also get inspiration from sites around the internet, mainly looking at photos.  Sites like http://www.stampinaddict.com or http://splitcoaststampers.com  Stampin' Up! also has a site for demos only called Stampin' Connection  where we post photos, instructions, videos and ideas. 

I also like to try different color combinations and certain colors go with certain stamps or techniques and I am sure I have seen something like it before maybe on Pinterest or one of my sites or in a magazine or catalog or a swap.  Sometimes I think I think of it all on my own I really am happy when that happens, such as this one.

The Colors are from a Color Combination in the Annual catalog but I think the idea is mine, but I would not be surprised to find out that I had seen something similar and just thought it was an original.

It is always good Stamping Etiquette to credit where and who your idea came from if you can.  Such as in my instructions I say this is from the Stampin' Up Catalog, or I was inspired by a SWAP from XXX for this card. Or I got the instructions for this project from Brenda Quintana ( I use her Hershey projects for some of my classes and always say she came up with it - I could never be that creative).  It is OK to CASE things, I really don't think there is a fully original idea for a card out there that has not been done, the stamps and colors may be changed to protect the innocent, but that is about it.  If someone puts down on their description not to copy their idea please respect that, there are always more to CASE, and if you really want to make that card or project contact them and ask.  

Even though I love my projects and cards the ideas are not always mine.  I try to come up with originals but at times it is easier and faster to CASE than make 4 -6 attempts to get it just right, even CASEing them you sometimes have to do that to get it just how you want it, but you don't have to think of the idea.

So you have permission to CASE all my cards, experiment and change colors and stamps and go for it.

If you have any stamping or paper craft questions just comment here or e-mail me here.

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I am having a give away.  I will pay half of your Convention registration for next years convention.  Here is how it works.

You will get one ticket if you are on my team.

You will get one ticket if you join my team from now until the End of February.

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The week before Convention Registration begins I will draw the winner.  I will then pay you 1/2 of the convention registration once you register.  If I get 20 new Recruits I will pay your entire registration.

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No Matter the Reason, to get $125 of Merchandise for only $99, you want to share the experience and fun with someone, You want to make a little bit of extra money. Now is the time to join. Check this out to see why I am a demo. http://marysstampinghappenings.blogspot.com/2013/07/grandmas-rocking-chair-july-21-2013-why.html

Happy Stamping

Mary