Does stamping & cardmaking alter how you appreciate what others send/show you?

[Looser]

I've tried to make the thread subject 'clear', but it may help if I explain its inspiration...

When I took one of my first college classes in Theatre Arts, a professor told us that--even we did not plan a career in theatre--it would be difficult for us to ever again just 'enjoy' a performance without being aware of what it took to produce it. He wasn't saying that we would be doomed to analyze every aspect while in the audience, but we would have some awareness of the process.

So what I'm asking is, 'Has becoming a stamper/crafter altered your reaction to the projects you receive or view on sites like ours? Feel free to write & ramble.

[Looser]

When I receive an actual something someone has made & sent me, my initial reaction remains positive. I take great pleasure in knowing that someone 'likes' me enough to make & send me something that has required time & effort on their part.


With that true, it's rare that I don't also do at least some analysis (not necessarily 'judgement') of the project. As a stamper/crafter, I want to figure out what its creator did. I may also consider what I would do/have done if I were making the same piece. That may be what CASE-ing is?

As members of a AI, we often include information about how we made our stuff along with item when we send it to a fellow Inkster (or other crafter).  Commercial cards don't do that, of course. Can you imagine if Hallmark started selling Its cards with that kind of information?! 

[howdyheidi]

I think I have an appreciation for things that are home made and I do enjoy receiving something where someone took the time to make it for me! 

Sometimes I do analyze how something was made.  Like Daniel, it is not a judgement of it.  Sometimes it is when I want to know how to do it too.  Sometimes it is appreciation for things I might be too lazy to do.  One time recently, I got a hand crafted (but purchased) card from a family member and I appreciated it because it looked so easy to make and really profitable for the maker to sell!  (I know that is hard to come up with something like that!)

Sometimes, I just enjoy a card because I like it and don't feel the need to "figure it out."

And it is fun to look at designs on Hallmark type cards too.  Sometimes you might want to use the design or look of it to make a cool hand made card!

[Far North]

Heidi good point about the Hallmark cards!  Our Hallmark stores here closed a few years back and I don't think I have look at commercial cards since.  I might be missing some fresh ideas and inspiration.

I agree with the other thoughts here except for Daniel's self-defined questionable use of the acronym "CASE". Stampers have frequently described that as meaning Copy and Steal Everything...I don't think that matches Daniel's description.  I do think all of us are of the mind to take inspiration from a card but definately make it our own.

BTW-to change the title one has to open a new reply message and then add and delete title parts as desired.  When the new message is posted it will appear correct to you but some opening and closing of the thread seems to be needed before it shows on the public's view (not sure of the specific magic combo for that part LOL).

[stampwilly]

Yes, when I get a hand made anything, I know the time and effort put into it and it is appreciated! I put my received cards up on a board in my craft room to look at from time to time, to remember ideas I get from them,etc. I have one friend who does a lot of different folds and love the see what she will do next. I too, try to see what the person has done if it looks like a technique has been used.

Stampwilly

[yellowcherrios]

I do think my stamping/crafting has made me more appreciative to what others send ---and many times I do analyze the piece-----b/c for me, it's like a puzzle (and I love puzzles).  Like Heidi said, sometimes I analyze b/c I want to try it too or other times, I figure out upon analysis, that maybe a certain ink was used and I'm amazed further by the card!!  And after I've done my initial analysis, I rarely do so again, and I just enjoy seeing the card for the duration I have it up before I place it in one of my shoeboxes to save.

I like April's practice of rotating her received cards for her viewing!

Yes I agree with Jan--I had not heard of CASE-ing before this thread, but if how Jan is defining it is true, then Daniel, I don't think you meant that what you see, you want to create exactly down to making an exact replica of the card.  I do feel that we all have an appreciation and respect of each other and how the things we make take time and energy---I don't feel that anyone here would replicate a card/ATC/etc exactly without putting their own spin on it. 

Which leads me to think about one of the things I enjoy about our group: one of us can do something really cool we like and we tell each other "Oh I like that and I want to try it too!!" and no one takes offense and in actuality, I would even say we all really like helping each other try to do what the other did and help each other get the same results.  It makes me so happy to know I am in that kind of learning environment here on AI.   

As a side note, I do know that my 2 years I had to take piano in college REALLY helped me to "like" listening to piano music more....I could appreciate what the piano player played more than before those 2 years.  And the topic in college did come up similar to what your professor said Daniel----us music majors as freshmen would talk about if how we heard and what we heard in music would be altered forever after we finished our music classes...as if we were all about to embark into a mysterious realm of lost innocence with no way to turn back    . lol, oh some of my friends in college could pour it on thick....but what they said was true...it did change how I hear music---but for me, it's a good thing and I enjoy what I learned and the things I hear in music now b/c of my classes in college. 

[Looser]

Yeah. 'CASE' probably wasn't exactly what I was suggesting, but (along with lots of designer peers) I did my share of 'steals' from what I saw in publictions. Never an actual project design, of course. Ethical & legal issues are important--even expensive if it goes to court. 

Based on the posts so far, it appears that we are able to enjoy what friends send/show us without letting any analysis become an all-consuming part of the 'viewer experience'. Good for us!

[howdyheidi]

While I almost never do it, I have CASED a card before.  Of course no cards are going to be exactly the same, it can be a good way to get restarted when you don't have any ideas.  Most of the time, I will lose my way with the CASE and go off and do my own thing anyhow, but a couple times I have fairly closely copied something. 

I think it is perfectly fine to CASE a card, but if you use the internet to display them, definitely never enter them in a contest (unless the theme of the contest is CASE ing) and always give credit to your source.  Otherwise, I don't think it is a huge faux pas or that it shows lack of overall creativity. 

For people that do CASE a lot, I think that is fine, but i think they will find that they want to start doing their own thing. 

Great conversation!

[yellowcherrios]

Of course no cards are going to be exactly the same, it can be a good way to get restarted when you don't have any ideas.

I have started to thinking about doing this Heidi---there has been a few blog posts I have read that I thought the card was so neat but I wasn't sure how you do the card they were showing.  Thus, I have often thought that I should go try to copy (follow along) with what they did to learn the card or look.....have yet do get to do it though.    

But a great example for me, is I really like the shabby chic look but I have a hard time replicating it or reproducing it ...so I have wondered in the past if I could copy a few "shabby-chic" cards, would get the hang of the style???  Not sure if this line of thinking works or not. 

Heidi when I first read your post about there being case challenges I was surprised--but then I thought about Sadie's challenge to copy her stencil---is that a case challenge?  or is a case challenge really to copy an example card exactly? (As you can see I have not seen or heard of these types of challenges).

[howdyheidi]

Of course no cards are going to be exactly the same, it can be a good way to get restarted when you don't have any ideas.

Heidi when I first read your post about there being case challenges I was surprised--but then I thought about Sadie's challenge to copy her stencil---is that a case challenge?  or is a case challenge really to copy an example card exactly? (As you can see I have not seen or heard of these types of challenges).

Sure!

I do think that Sadie's challenge was a loose form of a CASE. 

You could probably even make an argument that a sketch challenge is kindof like a CASE.  (but probably not, just making a point.)

 In the CASE challenges I have seen, people have done everything from copying the card exactly, to copying the overall style/layout/idea of the card while substituting out papers or a stamp for a similar one, using different colors, etc.  Here is an example of one from my blog that I did.  Follow the link on my blog to the original card and you will see that I really did copy it, every single element of it, even if it isn't the exact same.   http://mylittlestampingblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/mama-elephant-cup-of-wishes-case.html

To further this tangent, I think that the reason there are design teams for stamp and paper crafting copanies is because they really want you to use the ideas they give for projects.  You can think of it as a stamp class at Michaels where you go and do the project they are teaching.


Actually, I think your idea of trying to CASE a shabby chic card is the perfect way to try to learn the style. I bet you would learn a lot!

hth

[Looser]

LOL, Heidi! I love tangents! Next to plane & solid geometry, trigonometry was one of my few fave math studies.

Before I join the conversation about CASE-ing, I do want to make it understood that when I was doing work as a pro-designer, I never actually did a real 'steal'. What usually happened was that one or more of us would see what a fellow designer had published & be intrigued by the possible ways we might tackle a similar process or design. The understood rule was that you never contacted the designer & asked her for any information. Which leads to a tangent of my own...

Many of y'all are much more computer tech 'literate' than moi, but I have heard of 'reverse engineering'. That's where you take an actual 'something' apart in order to figure out how it was made. Once you you're at that point you have several options--some of which get into grey areas of ethics & legality. Neither I or my pals went 'grey' except as a color. 

What usually ended happening was that once we took the piece/process back to step 1., we could see a new path to follow--one that was truly ours  And... It was almost always because there was something that was currently 'hot' for crafters to make or work with.

[CarefreeSadie]

Oh my, I appreciate anything homemade from others.....from our wonderful swaps here to things the grandchildren bring me they drew in church before they come to lunch.  It all inspires me and makes me realize that the way I look at "made" objects is not the same as others might.  I have some beautiful cards my children and grandchildren have made using construction paper and crayons, I wouldn't trade them for the most expensive hallmark wonders.  I do give cards to some people who do not appreciate the work I put into the cards I send, I have a tendency to not care much about the technique used on those cards.  I also have some people who save every card I make in their keepsake boxes and those people I tend to make more detailed and personal.  So having those two extremes on my card giving list I try to be enthusiastic about every object I receive that is homemade. 

Now on to CASING.  I have always looked at CASE as using someone's card as a starting point but using what stamps and paper I already have on hand.  I have made Tim Holtz's tags almost exactly as he made them if I happen to have the product already.  The thing is even if I have all the same product as he uses mine never look exactly like his.....LOL!  The other thing is that I learn how he does things with his distress products that I can take and use on another project later.  Win/win for me. 

I watch process videos on the youtube a lot and sometimes follow them exactly (which still does not look exactly like their project) but it is how I learn to do that technique or use that particular product.  So in my mind that is casing too.  My ideas on things are not new or innovative because I figure anything I can come up has probably already been done.  So just about anything I do in my crafting has come from something I have seen and put my spin on it.  Perhaps I subconsciously take things from 3 or 4 different projects I have seen but everything comes from something else.  I don't pretend to have any new ideas, I just roll with the ideas I have picked up from other people.  I mostly don't name the people I have gotten ideas from because most times I don't remember who I got the idea from I just know I didn't think it up on my own. 

The reverse engineering is not needed too often if you watch the youtube, the ones I watch mostly start with a blank page or card and I can just sit here in my comfy chair and watch whatever from start to finish.  I love technology.  I would have never thought that in my lifetime I could just look through and pick and choose what I want to learn about and just click on a video and see that particular thing be made or fixed.......If I want to watch puppies or kitties lick babies the youtubes have that.  If I want to watch someone use one of We R Memory Keepers punch boards the youtubes have them too.  If I want to fix my front load washer I can watch a video on that.  I can even watch some woman unpack a variety of craft items in a haul, I don't really like these all that much tho.  I can watch a number of stores tell me what is in their store or show me their new product that just arrived. 

Well, here was a "ramble"!

[Looser]

As always, Sadie, a great 'ramble'! 

When it comes to viewing videos online, I consider myself fortunate that my online access is very slow. Makes watching anything a very long process. Even when there were lots of televized craft programs like Carol Duvall & Aleene's, I was a so-so viewer. By the time those programs--& others--were available, I was already somewhat 'set' in how I learned any craft process/technique.

For me, it's ok to see how someone is doing something, but the chances of my doing it their way are usually slim. One of my designer pals once opined that I always wanted to 'reinvent the wheel'. LOL! She was correct. And I don't think it's a gender issue. I've know lots of female crafters who work the same way. They can be 'influenced' by another's process, but in the end, they still feel the need to do their own research & experimentation.  Those who don't share our 'quirk' roll their eyes & shake their heads sadly.  I figure it's 'apples & oranges'. So long as folks are happily making stuff, it's all good no matter how they decide to get their results.

As I've shared before, I taught a great many craft classes in many categories over the years. There were always a few students whose goal was 'to do what I did'. As I become a more experienced instructor I began to share with my students that they were never going to 'do my work' any more than I would be able to do 'their work'. Happily, many students understoood what I was trying to share with them. And what's that you may ask? 

It's that we can each have identical materials, knowledge & more, but our results will never be identical. Why? Because each of us is a unique individual. I've always found it ironic that something like 'common sense' is one of the most uncommon human traits & that being 'unique' is the most common human trait of all--IMO.

I'm thoughly enjoying the posts about what CASE means to us & how we use this in our efforts to learn & create. I continue to see it as a chance to do the reverse-engineering in may cases. 

What I am always leery of is anything & anyone who uses words like 'should always', 'never', 'must' & such. I'm not doubting that they are well-meaning, but using those kind of words around me is like waving a red flag @ a bull. Now that might be a 'guy thing' (or just my unique response to being told what to do).

What an example? If someone tells me all wheels must be round, I will bust a gut to invent a square wheel that 'works'.

[yellowcherrios]

I too am enjoying this conversation and the points and views shared about CASEing.  I have always thought that copying was bad, bad.   I really think this came from school and the teachers well-meaning attempt to get everyone to do their own work on tests, homework, and in artwork, etc. 

So I really appreciate others sharing how copying can be a good and positive thing.  (Now I do understand that copying and not giving credit or copying and making profit from it is totally bad.)  For me, Sadie's challenge of copying her stencil I loved bc having that "rule" of copying it was a structure for me to play with and expand upon. 

The understood rule was that you never contacted the designer & asked her for any information.

  I can see why this would be a good thing---it requires you to think and figure out how they made something on your own, w/o the "answers" given to you.  and I bet that sometimes the end results looked the same, but they were not made the same.   

I do give cards to some people who do not appreciate the work I put into the cards I send, I have a tendency to not care much about the technique used on those cards.

 

Sadie, I am starting to do this---especially when I have several cards backed up that I really need to get made and sent out.  I tend to notice myself thinking "I've spent enough time on this card....I need to go to the next"....which is weird to me, b/c years ago I worked on a card until I thought it was finished, no matter the time it took.  But now that's not always the case---I can (sometimes) see more (or less) I can do with a card and thus I am starting to use that knowledge to help in time crunches. 

What I am always leery of is anything & anyone who uses words like 'should always', 'never', 'must' & such.

Daniel, do you think there are times (in any craft form) that this would be a good thing or even an essential thing -- especially as a beginner?  For example, in music a teacher teaching a beginning student would say "a quarter note always lasts one beat"...and this is true...but later on you find out that through styles and musicianship that that "always one beat" might actually go over that one beat a little bit or be shorter than a beat.  But to a beginning student you are teaching the foundation of music to, they need to know a beat is always one beat.   

I have been in situations though were the "always and never" statements were wrong to use IMO and can restrict a person's learning---so I do get your point Daniel and agree.   Just thought I'd ask though.   

[Looser]

...I have been in situations though were the "always and never" statements were wrong to use IMO and can restrict a person's learning---so I do get your point Daniel and agree.   Just thought I'd ask though.   

Thanks, Melissa. Your post is fun & definitely continues our conversation.

Speaking just from a crafting standpoint, my distrust of the 'musts' & 'shoulds' language breaks down into 2 areas--authorities & everyday crafters.

Authorities. If their 'musts' & 'have-tos' are a matter of safety when using a product? No problem. I may even believe them. If it involves 'results'? I may still respect the information, but not always follow it. That's my choice & I am prepared to live with what happens if I ignore it.

My strongest 'knee-jerk' reaction is when I hear a fellow craft say they 'must' do something or risk feeling like they have 'failed' in some way. 'Sok. I'm actually much better than I once was at keeping my tongue behind my teeth. But, oh boy, I sooo want to let that person know that the fewer 'absolute musts' we burden ourselves with, the greater our potential is to increase our ability as crafters.

I guess what I'm trying to share is my belief that it's good to have guidelines--especially when we are just begining to learn anything. They can even be necessary. But, once we reach a certain stage in any craft, I'm convinced that (self-imposed) musts, shoulds & have tos are roadblocks to enjoying crafting for crafting's sake.

LOL, Sadie,  on the 'less concerned' comment for those unappreciative Philistines.  Having both masochistic & sadistic streaks in my nature, I have been know to pieces made for the heathens. Rarely converts any of them to the ranks of the appreciative, but gives me a chance to indulge myself.

That's it for now, but I do have a post I may do sometime soon. It concerns an aspect of my original topic & is something of an 'elephant in the room' thing. But tomorrow is another day...