CASED on STAMPERS SHOWCASE!

[baughtl]

This is not only happening to the REAL SCS TALENT... it happened to me, too!

I'm on record in this forum stating that I do not have a single creative bone in my body and would be SOL if it were not for my ability to CASE. This is still is so freakin' true - I do it frequently and it's what I do best!! Just check out all the case-ing in my gallery (no, don't :shock:!!) But at least I always try to give credit where it's due.

OK - the card is pretty basic and I don't feel that I "designed" anything, but I'm still feeling a little ripped off. Suppose I will consider that I am in good company (the Real Talent) and just let it slide.

Whaddaya think?

[Heather_M]

Wow are you sure that they don't a SCSer on their team? Beautiful card, but were they really made independently from each other...you might have a twin out there!!!
Heather

[kamuelamom]

Beautiful card. What's stampers showcase?

[Sencie]

I think 2 people came up with similar cards.
It happens.

Sencie

[uchy2us]

I think that's too similiar to be a coincidence! Wow! I would be upset,too!

[robynstamps]

I don't know.... it's does look like it but at least they changed it a bit if they did CASE it. Not like Lisalisa's where it was EXACTLY the same. Sometimes I make a card that I swear I made up and find that someone else had the same idea. It really does happen all the time. You should feel flattered!!

[scrappygirl66]

I'm really considering leaving Splitcoasters. I'm afraid I might be inspired by something here and make a card a little too similiar. I am new stamper and I case all the time. I thought the SU copyright was the only thing we had to worry about. I've never submitted a card for publication, but I have swapped CASED cards with a small yahoo group I'm on. I recently became a demo, and thinking now I might should quit that too. I can't come up with ideas on my own for my workshops, and I was planning on getting ideas from anywhere I can. But now I'm afraid. It seems if any card I make is similiar at all to anything that inspired me from here, then I run the risk of upsetting someone if for some reason that card is seen by someone somewhere else. If I have a demo website, do all the cards I put in my gallery there have to be my own original creations? Or just something I hand-made myself? I certainly don't want to offend anyone by thinking their card is worthy of copying, but if I can't use the ideas I see here, then whats the point of being here.

[smartinez182]

Scrappygirl please don't leave here. You are more than welcome to CASE things people would just like to reseave a littel recongiztion. I have never been cased as far as I know but if someone did decide to case me than just saying I got this from so and so is all you really need to do. Or if you just take a simple idea and tweek it just say you got the idea and did this. I know I say a card I really liked and made it into a brag book page but still have the orginal person credit. Just my opinion.

[Stampin Wrose]

Scrappygirl66,

I don't think people should get upset when similar cards appear anywhere! I thought it was supposed to be an honor to be cased!!

Why on earth is anyone upset when it happens??

Think of all the cards in the SU! catalog that get cased. They are there to copy. They are published for us.

It's nice if you copy something exactly to give credit, but I still don't think it's necessary. OUR CARDS are not copyrighted. Only the SU! images are copyrighted.

I look at so many cards, it would be quite possible for me to end up with something a lot like someone else's by accident.

I agree that we shouldn't be afraid to case cards. And not worry about giving credit.

(How many times have I seen, "I cased this from somewhere, sorry." I always want to say, why bother even mentioning it.)

I'd like to see a big discussion about this, because it needs to be talked about!!!

[StampinMelis]

I think it is sad that you feel you want to leave. :( Although I think it is wrong to submit for publication a CASE of someone else's card, I can honestly say I have made cards in the past that I thought were "my" ideas, but later find something here, or somewhere else, that is VERY similar. Was I "inspired" by someone else, or is it just a coincidence? Impossible to say. I've never posted anything here that was a deliberate CASE and didn't give credit to the person who inspired me. If someone CASEd one of my cards, I would be thrilled and honored.

[grace]

Scrappygirl66, I sure hope you don't leave either...I CASE lots of ideas here and do try to not post those...and if I do, give credit...if I mess up I sure hope those that share will know deep down that I am not doing it on purpose! For me it would be more of a problem if I tried to submit it to a magazine or something like that. I personally love to see everything here! I find it hard at times because I don't get my sets till way after the gals here so I'm always wondering if I have seen it somewhere else or is it my creation...so gals if I ever accidently CASE something and don't realize please take this as my...I got the inspiration from you! THANKS!

[wozi14]

Duplicate cards and or ideas do happen....

I don't have a scanner so I cannot post cards here yet but I can't tell you how many times I have made a card later to see a very similar card or an exact idea posted on this site. If I were to later post some of these cards, that were originally my own creations, someone else could accuse me of casing their card when infact I did not. But how would they know...or how could I prove it.

I have thought about this a great deal...on how to handle it if I ever decided to start posting cards here... I wouldn't feel I would need to give any one any credit because it was my idea before it was ever posted here...but someone who made a card and posted it before me might feel slighted if I didn't recognize them.

One example out of many...

I made a tag and put cut out letters on it identical to letter on a folder card in this months DD gallery. I made my tag over 8 months ago. The alphabet is different but the cut is the same... who would know it wasn't my own idea .... someone could assume I copied the idea when in fact I did not...point made.

I think being sensitive to others work and giving credit where credit is due is very important... I do know from experience though that duplicate ideas do happen!

[LizzieStamps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrappygirl66

If I have a demo website, do all the cards I put in my gallery there have to be my own original creations? Or just something I hand-made myself?

The things that you put on your demonstrator web-site do not, in fact, have to be original creations, nor do they even have to be made by you. Stampin' Up! recently announced that demonstrators could put images from the Stamper's Showcase on their web-sites, so they wouldn't feel pressure to generate enough artwork to keep it looking fresh. They even gave instructions on how to copy the artwork from the Showcase and put it in your own web-site. They did ask that you not take samples off of any other web-site but the showcase for this purpose, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrappygirl66

I certainly don't want to offend anyone by thinking their card is worthy of copying, but if I can't use the ideas I see here, then what's the point of being here?

We're here to get ideas from each other. When I upload cards to this site, I'm doing so with the thought that anyone who comes here can use my idea. I'd be flattered if they did.

If a card is posted in the Stamper's Showcase, it has been submitted by someone to the monthly demonstrator contest. I may be a little sad if someone copied my idea exactly, sent it to SU! and it got posted on the Stamper's Showcase with their name in it, rather than mine. I'd feel bad because it was MY idea and I didn't think it was good enough to submit, but someone else did & got the credit for it. I remember reading somewhere in Stampin' Up!'s information that they consider the person who submitted the piece of artwork the "proprietor" of that submission. The realize that ideas are shared, but don't have the resources to research who the "original" creator was. They put it much better than I did, but I can't find where it is written. However, in the contest rules, it specifically states not to submit projects made with patterns or images known to be copyrighted.

I recently submitted a card to Stampin' Up! for the monthly contest. It was 100% my own idea, and in my opinion, one of my best pieces of work. I am waiting to share my creation with SCS until after I hear back on the contest, so that someone else doesn't submit it as well. That way, I can remain proprietor of my idea for the contest.

[MoreStamps!]

I joined and posted pictures here with the knowledge that anything I posted would be copied...I wanted to share...I put instructions on things that seem more difficult to figure out from a picture. I've been cased several times already. I like being "cased" it strokes my artistic ego...
It made me post like crazy!
I just wouldn't like someone putting my cards in a gallery, or publication, or sending it to SU! as their own design or especially if someone got paid for it...Give Me the Money! or the credit...

Please go to my gallery and click on my designs, and post comments!
I love watching the number of views going up and I love to read the comments!
Gallery at Splitcoaststampers
I don't have enough stampers in my life, that is why I am here!

[cardsbyanita]

Just had to say....I like yours with the 3 strips better.
Anita

[Stampin Wrose]

Toni,

I think that if I looked at both those cards without knowing anything, I would assume that YOU cased the showcase but IMPROVED it.

I like YOURS way better!!!!!

[scrappygirl66]

Thank you for all the encouragement and explainations. This is the third time I've seen this topic here and it really does make an avid CASE'r like myself a little fearful! I'm also worried about how SU might react if they get alot of complaints all the time about "copied" ideas. Did you ever wonder why there are not alot of websites such as this for a ideas from a certain scrapbook company? Or why pages are NEVER seen in major publications using this company's stickers and such? They have very restrictive rules on who can copy and where images of their stickers and such can be seen. So the only place to get ideas is from this company's websites and publications. What would happen in SU decided to do the same thing and not allow images of their stamp art to be displayed online in any form or in any publications? They would undoubtedly lose alot of customers since one of the reasons I'm addicted to SU is because of what I see in magazines and on websites. But you never know what a company might do to protect themselves.

I just hope I never upset anyone for using an idea they have posted. I will always try to reference where I got the idea if I can remember.

[MoreStamps!]

LizzieStamps wrote:

Quote:

I remember reading somewhere in Stampin' Up!'s information that they consider the person who submitted the piece of artwork the "proprietor" of that submission

Well I really don't like that, I haven't read it myself, but I think I better. I do believe, legally, the fact that something is published (internet as well) and dated elsewhere first gives a person some leverage with something like that---If someone was schmarmy enough to directly steal and claim someone elses design!

But that makes me think about not being so free with my original ideas...isn't that sad.
Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

ReneeH

[Stampin Wrose]

Ladies,

Your cards are not copyrighted!!!

They can be cased with impunity. Sure, it's nice to give credit, but nobody needs permission or anything. It's simply a polite gesture if the caser actually remembers who they copied.

SU! has copyrighted the STAMP images.

I'm really sorry to hear people upset because they are copied or afraid to copy.

I personally think the BEST thing about stamping is (was?) the sharing of ideas and I used to like to tell people that it was the one area where people considered it a COMPLIMENT to be cased.

So why don't we all just relax, and be complimented and not get our knickers in a knot??

[duffgirl]

Just remember that not all cards on the Showcase were cards that were submitted for a contest. Lots of cards that were swapped at Regionals and other events get put on the Showcase too. It is also known that Stamper's Showcase sometimes has misprints (cards that are attributed to one designer mistakenly, and they do not usually publish "inspired by" comments either), so it is not easy to judge intent when something like this is published.

I for one am not particularly artistic or creative. I do create my own cards but I freely admit that most of them have direct inspiration from a source, either the SU catalog, Stamper's Showcase, or cards here on SCS . I don't submit cards for contests, mostly because I am lazy, but also because I don't want to deal with the hassle of something like this. I have copied cards here from SCS (not exactly, I do tweak things here and there with color combos and sayings and such) and used them at swaps at Regionals, so who knows, I might be the one that everyone is writing about on a post like this.

I am really tired, I think I am going to bed before I start rambling. Good night!

[MoreStamps!]

Oh darn I put up the wrong link! Go here please:
Mrsstremm's Gallery at Splitcoaststampers
That's my gallery...
MoreStamps!
ReneeH

[CajunStamper]

I must say that I CASE'd a card, changed it a bit, for a regionals swap and it ended up on the showcase. I was not going to post it in my gallery because it was a CASE, but I probably will now and try to give credit where it was due. I CASE almost everything I do and I always tell people who comment on my CASE'd cards, "It wasn't my idea." I am like the other person who said she didn't have a creative bone. I feel exactly the same way and love the fact that such talented ladies share their creativity. I would love for someone to CASE me if I would be creative! I'd be honored.

[dot2dot]

Why do I buy stamp magazines? To copy the cards.
Why do I go to 10 club? To copy the cards.
Why do I come here? To copy the cards.
Why do I share my cards? In hopes that someone will like them enough to copy them?
Why do I hostess stamp meetings at my house? So people can copy my cards.

Come on folks this is not people scanning Picasso and saying it is theirs!

This is like buying magazines for outfit ideas and doing your darndest to find the exact or similar things in the store.

Why is copying so very offensive? Who cares if you get your name on it or not because we are all using "handles" here anyway!!

[dot2dot]

PS- If you don't want your card copied then do not post it on a public board for all to see!

[Sencie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dot2dot

Why do I buy stamp magazines? To copy the cards.
Why do I go to 10 club? To copy the cards.
Why do I come here? To copy the cards.
Why do I share my cards? In hopes that someone will like them enough to copy them?
Why do I hostess stamp meetings at my house? So people can copy my cards.

Come on folks this is not people scanning Picasso and saying it is theirs!

This is like buying magazines for outfit ideas and doing your darndest to find the exact or similar things in the store.

Why is copying so very offensive? Who cares if you get your name on it or not because we are all using "handles" here anyway!!

Dot2dot
Thank you so much!!! Isn't it kind of funny how some people worry so much about their cards being cased. Like you said most people don't even go by their real names. So if we case a card or get an idea from someone here... and say we use it for a swap with our local stamp group... do we really need to let everyone we swap with know this was first created by "dot2dot?" Like they'd really know who that was! And yes, it's Stampin' Up that has the copyright.

Can you imagine the artists that created these stamps reading this thread?? :shock: They are the one that came up with the originals.

Wow... just wish we could all relax! I teach my customers how to make cards, scrapbook pages, etc. So what if they show someone else what I showed them? What if they make the exact card I showed them and sell them in a craft fair? So what! I have no copyright on the card! Case away!!!

Sencie

[Stampin Wrose]

I have an idea...

I would like to thank everyone who has ever posted a card anywhere, for inspiring me.

I too have never considered myself "creative." I am good at imitating, and I do a lot of tweaking to be my own style, but basically for the most part, my brain is simply percolating all these ideas from other people. Everything that comes out of me is a blend of all these cards.

So Thank You for sharing them. May the world be full of more beauty and love because of it.

[travelmt]

Sorry ladies but I am going to suck every creative drop from this website and come back for more.
If I'm showing a card at a workshop I'm not going to go out of my way to tell them that it's not my creation nor am I going to lie and tell them it was, I mean what's the point in that, they don't care they just think it's cool.
I know I didn't find out about this website from my upline (who was my 10 for 10 demo for a year and a half) till I signed up. She doesn't tell her clients about it cause this is where she gets all her cool ideas from and then her clients think she's a god .

BUT, if you are going to case a card and then submit it at least have the descency to change it a little. I have no desire to wade through 20 replica's of the same card cause someone was just proud they could accomplish it.
If your going to case something and then post it, CASE THE TECHNIQUE NOT THE CARD ITSELF. Go ahead and show me 20 varieties of the same technique.

Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it :P .

[stampingkaren]

At every one of my workshops I proudly tell my customers that I CASE almost everything. I want them to realize that they don't HAVE to come up with original ideas to be great stampers, or hopefully, great recruits! And I always try to share all my ideas and techniques. What's the fun of making something beautiful if you can't share it with your customers? And get them excite them as well?

I saw a beautiful card recently using Vintage Verdigris EP and All I Have Seen. (Sorry, I don't know how to put the link in, but it was created by StamperSharon). I CASEd it with Botanical Gardens and I love it so much I had to do it at my last WS. Now everyone there is buying Vintage Verdigris EP and is trying come up with $300 WS so they can get Botanical Gardens too! It just goes to show you that one WOW idea will get people excited. I would love to make this as a convention swap, but of course I would give StamperSharon credit.

I live on a military base and it's a pretty small community, especially among the stampers. There's another demo that has a bad reputation with my customers because she told one of them flat out that she didn't like to talk to other demos "because they steal my ideas"!!!!! I haven't seen her work, so I don't know how good she is. But I don't know anyone who is buying from her after that. If I didn't get inspiration from SCS, swaps, and other great sources, I would have hardly anything to show my customers.

Sorry this is long. . . just my .02.

[NavyWifeArmyMom]

Cased?? I'm a new demo, AND new to this website and don't understand what is going on here.

Am I, or Am I not allowed to use ideas (from whatever source) to make my own cards or projects?

I understand copyright and trademark laws. I'm a teacher and am always warning my students against plagerism. So, IF I copied a card exactly, or used the basic idea with some of my own creativity added in, and posted it somewhere, I would certainly credit the orginator - if I knew her name.

If I'm just using the card to send (personal use) or demo at a workshop, what am I supposed to do? Stamp the back and use the other person's name (if known)? In this case, I would have actually "made" the card myself.

I'm just terribly confused about this and about all the emotion swirling around it. Can someone help me? Are there rules?

WVstamper
Rhonda

[srogers5]

I can totally imagine that someone could have come up with that card on their own. It's a simple design, and there have been lots of cards with the strips/ribbon going across the bottom. While similar, I don't think it can be ruled out as a conincidence.

[karinlm]

Hi ;)

I had never seen the card that you feel was CASED until today and although I see some similarities I don't think it was CASED. As a matter of fact, I am sitting here looking at two cards I did in the past few days w/ a different stamp set that look very similar to yours. I find that I create similar cards to ones that are on here all the time but I haven't necessarily seen the others first. I think CASEing is a compliment anyway and would feel honored to have someone CASE my stuff ;)

[crazyboutstamping]

All I can say is that i have never been CASED (that I know of). But it's going to happen ladies. Would you have been upset if the poster had said it was cased from someone else. Because honestly how many times can you give credit? Maybe someone CASED you for a workshop, mentioned that it had been CASED and then someone from the workshop showed it to a friend.etc.etc.etc. Really take it as a compliment and don't get your knickers in a bind...(said with love, so please don't flame me )

I know everyone works hard on their designs, but what is the gallery for if not to get ideas.......

[YLM]

Oh please don't leave. Caesing is like winning the GOLD METAL to me any way!
The reason I'm looking at SCS is to case for ideas! I may use 10 ideas on one card alone!
There is not one person who is not cased! even if you think your idea is new I'm sure there is someone some where who swears they made it first! Make a card that make you smile and don't worry about anyone else!

[MyraRivera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrappygirl66

I'm really considering leaving Splitcoasters. I'm afraid I might be inspired by something here and make a card a little too similiar. I am new stamper and I case all the time. I thought the SU copyright was the only thing we had to worry about. I've never submitted a card for publication, but I have swapped CASED cards with a small yahoo group I'm on. I recently became a demo, and thinking now I might should quit that too. I can't come up with ideas on my own for my workshops, and I was planning on getting ideas from anywhere I can. But now I'm afraid. It seems if any card I make is similiar at all to anything that inspired me from here, then I run the risk of upsetting someone if for some reason that card is seen by someone somewhere else. If I have a demo website, do all the cards I put in my gallery there have to be my own original creations? Or just something I hand-made myself? I certainly don't want to offend anyone by thinking their card is worthy of copying, but if I can't use the ideas I see here, then whats the point of being here.

I don't think that you should quit SCS or SU! because there are going to be times where ideas are really similar and seem CASED, but it was just a coincidence and there are going to be times when you actually CASE. Just remember to be honest about it (with your customers too) when you CASE and give credit to the person (or at least the source - SCS, Stampers Showcase, etc.) and you won't have to worry !!! That is what I do and I make it a point not to submit anything that I have knowingly CASED (again, coincidences do happen and it is possible that this wasn't an intentional CASE and submit situation) !!!

[leora williams]

Hi. Can someone enlighten me on what CASED stands for? I presume it is that someone copies the idea.

[Kathy Cavanaugh]

I tell my kids this all the time:
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

They roll their eyes when I say it, please feel free to roll yours.

[prbloom]

All I have to say about this matter, Please Case My CArds! I think it's wonderful to see that maybe I might have an idea that somebody else thinks is WORTH caseing. I love all the sharing that goes on on this website and value each and everyone's cards. Some stampers are at one point in what they do and some are at other points, but what draws us together is we LOVE TO STAMP!

Let's not forget that we are SISTERS all and each one of us has something to share with each other.

:lol: :lol:

[skpupy68]

CASE means Copy And Steal Everything.

The very name says it all! I too am guilty of CASE'ing. I try to give credit where credit is due, especially if it's a really neat card. Have you ever heard the saying "There are no original ideas"?

There is a certain thrill to show someone something and have them go ga-ga over it and know it's your own creation but someone said that they tell people that it's not their idea so people know that they don't HAVE to come up with their own. That is soooo true. People are intimitaed but HAVING to create something on their own and most people are too insecure.

IMO, if you are selling it, your should come up with it pretty much on your own but if you're just doing it because you like it ... carry on.

I don't know how many times my mind has been changed about a stamp set because of something I see done on this site. And even the most simple cards usually aren't duplicated EXACTLY.

Ok, I'm done .... next!

Mo

[Jenmouer]

I think people can have very similar ideas without ever looking at someone elses stuff - so in the end it looks cased but it is really not...

case in point I saw this card
Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

and from that IDEA I made this card.

Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

at the time I made the card I had never been to the gifts galore gallery so when I was ready to up laod my card I went to check to see if there was even a gallery for Gifts Galore and found this card

Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

so if someone looked it would look like I CASED Bzea's card when in all reality I had never seen it...

Likewise when I first found this place I saw a card that was identical to one I had made at home - so two people can have the same idea and create very similar cards....

[stampingkelly]

[quote="LizzieStamps]If a card is posted in the Stamper's Showcase, it has been submitted by someone to the monthly demonstrator contest. I may be a little sad if someone copied my idea exactly, sent it to SU! and it got posted on the Stamper's Showcase with their name in it, rather than mine. I'd feel bad because it was MY idea and I didn't think it was good enough to submit, but someone else did & got the credit for it. I remember reading somewhere in Stampin' Up!'s information that they consider the person who submitted the piece of artwork the "proprietor" of that submission. The realize that ideas are shared, but don't have the resources to research who the "original" creator was. They put it much better than I did, but I can't find where it is written. However, in the contest rules, it specifically states not to submit projects made with patterns or images known to be copyrighted.[quote="LizzieStamps]

Not all cards that get on Stamper's Showcase are from their monthly contests. They take many cards from the SU! events such as convention and regional seminars and post them as well. At every SU! event, there is a basket for us to submit our swaps to SU!. They use them for Stamper's Showcase, sometimes for displays at convention and regionals.

You are right that they ask not to submit projects made with patterns or images known to be copyrighted. The key here is patterns or images that are *copyrighted*. The only one who owns any copyright on cards made with SU! images is Stampin' Up!, period. It's pretty hard to actually copyright a card design. Now, there are card patterns out there on bydonovan for example, those are copyrighted. So, you couldn't use a card pattern from that website to make your card. TAC carries a line of product that is from Wilde (I think? TAC s, if I'm wrong I'm sorry) that are basically card shaping templates. You couldn't use one of those to make your card and submit for an SU! contest.

In the July 2002 Stampin' Success, Shelli laid out pretty much exactly what you said, that many people may come up with similar ideas and that they don't have the resources to determine who came up with the original layout, so they give credit to the stamper who took the time to stamp the card him/herself. Additionally, she said in her note that many of the cards come in with info on the back like "If you like this, it was Susie's idea!!" It really seems unfair to assume that people aren't still doing that since they were in 2002.

You know, I sat in convention in Orlando last year and swapped with almost two hundred wonderful SU! demonstrators. I sat in convention classes and heard over and over and over again in the classes - "CASE - you don't have to invent all your own cards!" "CASE from Stamper's Showcase (or Stampin' Success, or the IB&C, or swaps) - that way you can recruit more easily because you can honestly tell your recruit that it's OKAY to not come up with their own ideas".

I think we do people a disservice when we assume the worst. (That's why there's one of the 10 Commandments against it.) Someone is assuming that someone CASEd a card and submitted it for a contest. Voila, tempers flare. Personally, I think the cards that started this thread are similar but I wouldn't call it a CASE, period. In fact, if anything, it adheres to the idea that was so popular on the Lisalisa thread - "Gee, she could have changed *something*" I think we also do ourselves a disservice when it comes to recruiting, when we say one thing in the recruiting talk - "Oh, you don't have to be creative, you can CASE the IB&C, Stampin' Success, the Inspiration Sheets" and then we trash-talk people who CASE (or IMO for this instance adapt a card.)

I truly think there isn't anything to be gained by being offended over someone being inspired by my artwork. I will join other posters in saying that I'm afraid to post anything to the gallery, for fear that it might have been overly inspired by someone else's idea. I look at hundred, maybe even thousands, of ideas every month, from magazines, Stamper's Showcase, Stampin' Success, and even here on Splitcoast. I'm getting to the point that I try to avoid the Splitcoast galleries but they keep pulling me back in. I don't want to be accused of CASEing and these threads just get so unkind.

Wouldn't it be better if we all assume the best, not the worst?


Cheers,
Kelly Schroeder
Zion, IL