Seasonal Layers Dies - The Maine Stamper

C.A.S.E. This Card

June 18, 2020

What Does C.A.S.E Mean?

If you are a card maker, you have probably C.A.S.E’d a card or two, maybe without even knowing it! The initials stand for “Copy And Share Everything”. It is the “copy cat” of copying.

All card makers enjoy looking at each other’s work. I have spent many hours on Pinterest myself. If you have a particular stamp set or theme and need ideas on using it, there are plenty out there!

How To C.A.S.E.

C.A.S.E.-ing is simple. First, find a card you love. Next, re-create it, just like it is pictured. I find great card samples in the Stampin’ Up! catalog, on Pinterest or on someone’s FaceBook page or blog.

It is highly encouraged to C.A.S.E.. Many card artists who design cards are flattered when someone “copies” their work. It is a sign of a great card if other card makers want to make it too.

The “Do Not” of C.A.S.E.-Ing

The number one “do not” when C.A.S.E-ing a card is to claim that you are the original designer of the card. While C.A.S.E-ing is encouraged, it is also recommended that you give credit to the person who created it.

Cards and card designs are not copyrighted. It really can be difficult to track down the original source, especially if a particular card has been C.A.S.E’d over and over. If you are not sure where the design originated, give credit from the last known source.

Copy And Slightly Edit

The initials C.A.S.E. can also be construed as “Copy And Slightly Edit” as well. This analogy is also very common. How many times have you looked at a card design and thought to yourself, “I would change this or that”?

When you slightly edit, you are taking the original design and changing a thing or two. Perhaps you are rearranging the lay-out just a bit. Maybe you are adding something extra in. The changes for a slight edit are minimal, and the original design is evident.

Fine Lines

There can be a fine line between slightly editing and making your own design with forethought in mind of a previous card you have seen. It is up to you to decide if you should claim the card as your own design, or say you were “inspired by” the original card creator.

There are a lot of cards out in the world. A lot. And even if you are creating your own designs, chances are that someone, somewhere, has a similar card as well, without any C.A.S.E-ing happening. After all, great minds really do think alike!

My C.A.S.E’d Cards

Even though I prefer to create my own designs (I share my own card recipes with every Monday’s Are Hard Stamping, Shouldn’t Be Cards, and pass on project information in my monthly newsletter) I also C.A.S.E. cards from time to time.

Why does someone who has the creativity to design cards C.A.S.E. them? The answer is two-fold:

TIME

It can take a lot of time to come up with an original idea. When I design a card, I can spend hours on just one! I play with parts and pieces and colors, setting aside things that don’t work and trying more ideas. If I am commissioned to make a card for someone, I am typically pressed for a timely delivery.

DESIGNER BLOCK

Ever heard of writer’s block? Card design can get blocked too. Sometimes I need lay-out inspiration, or visuals on how certain stamps were used by others. There are times when I want the quick answer on how intricate parts assemble, without having to figure it out on my own.

Card CASE 1

Julie Makson, The Maine Stamper, Images Stampin’ Up!

This card was cased from Jeanie Stark. I made quite a few changes, but loved her original design.

Card CASE 2

When looking for inspiration for a 90th birthday card, I found it in Sandy Mathis’ card. Again, I changed many things, but the overall design is similar.

What Will You C.A.S.E.?

There is no shame is C.A.S.E-ing. Often times, using other card ideas as starting points for creativity is best. Your card may inspire someone else!

Card making and clothes shopping have this in common: You see something on the rack at the store (or a card on Pinterest) and you take it home (or go to your craft room) and add different accessories or clothing pieces (or different embellishments or card making supplies) and create your own look. You may be inspired by what you see, and make it your own!

So, shop and C.A.S.E. away! If you need stamping supplies, my online store is always open, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net/. Be sure to follow my blog for easy Monday card recipes, and sign up for my email to get additional tutorials. I also love to inspire you!

2018-2020 Retiring In Color, Call Me Clover

April 17, 2020

Retirement Time For Call Me Clover

Stampin’ Up! offers trendy In Color collections that are only available for two years. After two short years of use, the In Colors, like Call Me Clover, are retired to make way for new colors. This gives us a fresh palette of popular hues to work with.

In April, the retired list comes out. This list includes all the products that will not be available in the new Annual Catalog, which is released in June. “Get them before they’re gone” and “while supplies last” is often heard during April and May.

And every year, we have to say goodbye to five In Colors. Whether we are ready to, or not. Some of the colors are so fabulous, we hope to see them in Stampin’ Up!’s color line-up in the future, if we are so lucky, during an infrequent color refresh.

This year, we are bidding a fond farewell to the following 2018-2020 In Colors: Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover and Blueberry Bushel.

Give Me A Call, Clover!

Garden Green (left), Call Me Clover (center), Shaded Spruce (right)

Green is my very favorite color. It really doesn’t matter the tone: light, dark, medium… I love green (see my blog post Ever Elegant Green Cards for more on green). So, of course I am sad to see any green color retiring!

Call Me Clover is the perfect green for clovers at St. Patrick’s Day, Easter grass in a basket, Christmas trees and more. It is a green green. Not yellow, not brown. Clover reminds me of summer, with the grass growing lush and thick and a cooling canopy of tree leaves overhead.

Garden Shed

With thoughts of summer fresh in mind, and Call Me Clover right at hand, this card came together quickly. I chose neutral accent colors, Gray Granite, Basic Black and Whisper White, to keep the focus on Clover.

I stamped the Garden Shed image using Gray Granite Ink on Whisper White Cardstock. Next, I used the Garden Green Watercolor Pencil to add some color. Afterward, I splashed on some water from my Aquapainter to blend the pencil lines. Lastly, I used the Artisan Textures stamps and Gray Granite ink to ‘faux’ color the garden shed.

From the Colorful Seasons Stamp Set, I stamped leaves in Call Me Clover on Whisper White and die cut them with the Seasonal Layers Dies. With the same dies, I cut the branch and chair in Gray Granite Cardstock. As a final step, I sponged Gray Granite Ink onto the chair with a heavy hand, and then lightly onto the white cardstock, using my Sponge Roller.

Floral Essence

Call Me Clover makes wonderful leaves and stems for any flower card. And this particular shade of green goes beautifully with purples. For this card, I called on Rich Razzleberry to lend a hand. This can be seen in the cardbase, and the stamped and punched flower, using the Perennial Flower Punch.

This elegant card gets its wow factor from the Perennial Essence Designer Series Paper, which is framed in Call Me Clover. The Purple Posy Vellum layer came from a free Sale-A-Bration offering from 2020. And with such delicate composition, I chose more vellum for my sentiment. In order to keep the ink from smearing, I stamped the words in Black Staz-On, then wrapped the entire piece around my DSP to avoid unsightly glue or tape lines.

Some may consider Call Me Clover to be a secondary player in this card, taking a backseat to Rich Razzleberry. I believe they share the stage here, as Clover is very present on this card, both in layering and in the leafy coverage, thanks in part to the Leaf Punch.

Dino Days

Bring out the dinosaurs, and give them some Clovers! This fun and simple card uses the stamp sets, Dino Days and Praiseworthy Prose, as well as the Dino Dies.

I stamped my friendly dinosaur using Call Me Clover Ink on Whisper White Cardstock, adding his spots in Blueberry Bushel. Then I gave him a die cut. The sentiment and dino tracks from Dino Days were stamped on Whisper White using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, then layered on Pool Party Cardstock. Additionally, I stamped the friendship sentiment in a background pattern on Whisper White using Call Me Clover Ink.

Fun DSP from the Dinoroar Collection gives this card a lighthearted nature. I added some (retired) black cording and Call Me Clover Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots as embellishments. This card is ready to send to a special friend-a-saurus!

Used To Call Me Clover

As you can see from the diverse themes of the above cards, Call Me Clover is a great color to add to any type of project. When choosing color combinations for these cards, there were not many that clashed with Call Me Clover. This lends to its extreme value as a supporting color.

It is not too late to get some of the wonderful products still available in Call Me Clover, but time is running out fast. If you pick up an ink pad, please purchase the ink refill too. You will stamp far into the future without the ink pad going dry.

While you are in my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, make sure you consider the Stampin’ Blends in Call Me Clover, as well as cardstock and embellishments. You will find it hard to stop adding this amazing green color onto all of your upcoming projects!