Thursday, October 29, 2009

Learning by Copying CAS Cards

Both of today's cards were directly inspired by CAS cards in magazines. All I really changed were colors and themes. Sometimes, I see cards that I totally WISH I'd thought of and just have to make my own! Here are two of them.


First, I basically copied the card above by Jen Del Muro that was published in an issue of Stamp It! Cards earlier this year. Jen is an incredibly versatile stamper who is as at home making a twelve-layer confection of a card as she is making a very CAS card.


Jen's card was a mother's day card in kiwi kiss, white, and black. Mine is a birthday card in blush blossom, white, and chocolate chip. What I loved about Jen's design is how she created a three-part rectangular base for the scalloped circle. (I wish I'd noticed how she runs her rectangle all the way to the edge of the card because it really looks nicer that way!)

She accented the thin white rectangle with the row of circles (she used brads, I used half-pearls). The scallops are repeated at the end of the base, tying the circle and rectangle neatly together. Scalloped BRILLIANCE!!!!



My second card was inspired by the totally awesome Tracy Durcan. She published this Merry Mittens card in Holiday Cards and More, Vol. 2, in 2007.


Her square card uses a scalloped circle stamp as a base for brown mittens with a little pink ribbon knot.



Obviously, I kept her exact layout and close to the same color scheme, just changing the theme and images. I don't have a scalloped circle stamp, so I created a mask with the SU scallop punch and sponged blush blossom ink onto the card. Since the idea of a ribbon on ice cream is icky, I popped my image up and added a bit of brown stickles for the sprinkles on the ice cream to add dimension and a bit of sparkle.

It's a lot of fun--and very stress-free--to make cards that are not "original." I believe we learn a lot from copying designs so directly. It allows us to get inside the designer's head and understand in a very tactile way how the design works. If we do this enough, we internalize those lessons and don't have to think so hard when we do sit down to make "original" work.

At least, that's what I think.

19 comments:

  1. Gotta say - I am a big fan of the CAS.

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  2. I love your take on these cards - no change there then!!
    I totally agree with everything you say but is anything original!?!
    I know I am subtly influenced all the time by what I see here and on SCS (many other places too). But hey isn't that what CASing is all about ... greatest form of flattery etc. etc.
    I would love to get inside your design head then I could produce fantastic cards just like you ....hehe
    Thanks for sharing all your great ideas and thought processes, long may you continue.

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  3. these are the posts I love the most ... great cards and a running discussion of how you did things and why!!! Thanks for the insight!!!

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  4. Susan, I always love your sweet cards! I'm not always great at leaving comments but I am always oohing and ahhing over them :) It was really fun to see my mittens card again. Thank you for sharing it and casing it!!

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  5. Love your versions. Actually I've been thinking about CASing some of your wonderful creations! :0)

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  6. I CASE your cards all the time. I'd say you are the number one stamper that makes me get up and make cards.

    I'm SO GLAD to see that you get inspired by others too! I was starting to think that you were like the font that all stamping inspiration comes from. haha.

    I LOVE your versions.

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  7. Love the layout of the top one. The brads and scalloped edge are really cute.

    I like the popped up icecream.

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  8. I am glad to see that you CASE cards too. On the days when my imagination has left me, I have a file of pictures I run to. Sometimes just one CASE will clear out the cobwebs and I can come up with an original idea.
    I love you changed up the cards and still kept the style and feel.

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  9. Love the design on the first card, so pleasing! I do copy other crafters designs but I feel so guilty when I do it! Like I'm doing something bad!

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  10. I love that you can copy a CAS card and make it even more so. I feel so inspired.

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  11. Great case of already great CAS cards! I also appreciate reading what is going through your mind when you are making a card!

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  12. Fabby cards, Susan! Love them all!

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  13. UT!OH! I'm odd-man-out because I don't feel the same peaceful sigh, like coming home, as I feel when the card is straight from your head. So I'm going to REALLY study these cards hard!

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  14. Ah, I just figured it out. The only stamp I own that I haven't used is a scalloped circle. In my head, it's a die-cut, and they always look out of place on the cards I make. I have NO idea why. But I'm happy you did these cards, Susan, so now I know to send my scalloped circle stamp to my sister in case she will love to own it.

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  15. I love that you take inspiration from others, as well as being an inspiration to all the rest of us. It's amazing some of the things you think of, like making a mask of the SU scallop punch! How did you DO that?!

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  16. I love your take on these two cards which were, as you said both really appealing. I like the icecream popped up like that, and your colours on the first one give a totally different feel to Jen's.

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  17. Susan these are wonderful! I cant pick which one I like the best...Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Halloween!

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  18. I love your ice-cream card! Can you please tell me where the ice-cream stamp comes from? Thanks!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!