CASE-ing away....

In the paper crafting world, CASE means "copy and share everything".  It's a method and a philosophy, both of which I heartily endorse and practice.

The philosophy:  art and ideas are to be shared and enjoyed, the spirit of generosity, the healthy practice and joy of giving.  Credit given to where it is due.  After all, we do this for fun, don't we?
The method:  to copy something one sees and enjoys, and give the original creator credit.  "Copy" can be used very literally or very loosely.  It can be a jumping off point for further creativity.  Or just a simple way to get you started on creating something beautiful, loosening up a mojo block, so to speak.  Its also my go-to method for doing something when I'm too stressed to be creative and only have a small amount of time.

Here's an example:

This is a pretty straightforward case of a design from Stampin' Up.  Its taking a ready-made chipboard book and embellishing it with stamped images, patterned paper, paper flowers, ribbon, brads, die-cuts, etc.  I especially love the cute tabs peeking out the side.  This could be a journal or a small photo book or whatever.

Since I needed a little handmade something to add to my niece's birthday care package (sorry, Kristin, for giving away the surprise before you receive it!), and it was kinda late, I knew the quickest way to make something I knew would be successful (that is key) would be to CASE something.

But then, I was on a roll.  And I don't know about you, but I have - ahem - a pretty extensive stash of blank mini-books, handmade albums, etc., which were waiting for some love.

Each version is slightly different, tailored to the size and format of that particular book.
It seems that I can never just do one item, whether it be a card or something else.  Once I get going, I want to keep going.  That way, I use up the - wait for it - LEFTOVERS, and I have more books (or cards, or gifts, etc.) to give away!

I don't get bogged down with the belief that copying is "copping-out", creativity-wise.  One of the many lessons I learned from my art history education was that the greatest artists in history were all master copiers! After all, how could they learn technique if they didn't copy?  Its the same with all creative pursuits, be it science or music or writing or whatever.  I think when we're young, we believe we need to be "original" and "different" to claim our individuality.  But as I age, I realize that its all just building on what came before, and adding our own twist or flavor.  We're all part of this creative community, because we're human.