The Stamp Workshop

Card Positioning Systems

Have you ever been at a loss when trying to design the layout for your card?  Well, today's feature is a very useful website that helps you layout the perfect card.  Check out Card Positioning Systems.  This wonderful blog displays a new card layout every week.  Then it provides links of some very fabulous cards made with that layout.  The site has been around for just over a year now and has over 50 layouts posted.  So next time to have crafter's block.  Check them out!

Copyrights and Your Creations

Have you ever wondered how your creations are protected once they are posted on the internet?

Many of my readers have their own blogs.  A majority of these blogs are creative blogs in which the blog owner posts her (or his) paper craft creations.  Here is a great article on copyrights that I happened upon on CNNmoney.com.  To see the original post and the article in its entirety, click here.

Q: Do I have to patent greeting cards?

A: A patent is for an invention. According to Brent Routman, a Minneapolis attorney for Merchant & Gould, an intellectual property law firm: “Unless your greeting card has a functional or mechanical aspect to it, what you’re looking for is a copyright.”

Of course, if you’re using someone else’s artwork, you’d have to get their permission to include it on your greeting cards, and you are also barred from registering a copyright.

If your cards are entirely self-created, you have the option of registering a copyright. Registration is voluntary: Copyright is automatic under U.S. law, and your work is inherently protected the moment it is created and put in tangible form.

You will want to register, however, if you wish to file a lawsuit alleging a copyright infringement. “In doing so you’re potentially entitled to greater damages - up to triple - if and when you go to court,” Routman says.

For more copyright information, go to the US Copyright Office.

Stampin' Up Ideas & Techniques

Today's feature is a great resource for some fabulous Stampin' Up! Projects: Click here

Each month Stampin' Up! posts three wonderful paper craft projects.  Each project includes a picture, a listing materials and step-by-step instructions on how to complete the projects.

The projects pictured here are from January 2008.

Check out each month for some great inspiration!

If you see a project you like, but need help recreating it, just contact me!  I'll be happy to help out.

You can order all the materials listed in the projects directly from me at Michelle@stampworkshop.com.

eclectic Paperie

Today's feature is a wonderful online store: eclectic Paperie

Yes, I know this is a blog "Exclusively featuring Stampin' Up!", but there is a link!  I had the opportunity to meet the fabulous owners, Daisy and Joy, because of Stampin' Up.   I met Daisy and Joy just before they launched their online store. 

I buy all my non-Stampin' Up! products from eP and just love the customer service and the variety of products.  They have a great alterables section.  (Here comes the tie in to Stampin' Up!...)  Check out their 4" coasters.  You can use Stampin' Up Designer Series Paper to cover the coasters to use as a base for desktop calendars.  The covered coasters also make great mini album covers!

So, when you have a chance, check out eclectic Paperie.

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers

I've joined the Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers 6!  It was a wonderful group of well, Blogging Stampers!  Check out my page of links to all the Blogging Stampers' Blogs.

Be sure to visit my Blogging sisters!  You can find a link to their blogs here.  Have fun and enjoy!

To my Blogging Sisters, I am excited to get to know you  more!  I know I am supposed to post an intro, but instead I am going to direct you to my family blog.  Click here to check it out.

Splitcoaststampers

Today's feature is a website: www.splitcoaststampers.com

Splitcoaststampers (aka SCS) is a wonderful stamper's community.  It has over 90,000 active members.  SCS was started in late 2002 as Tracy, the site's owner, was looking for a way to communicate with her Stampin' Up! team members.  Since then, it has grown into a community for all stampers.

With so many active members, it is *the* place to go for the latest stamping news and trends.  SCS also is a fantastic resource for card and paper craft ideas.  Many of its members have had their work published in national magazines and books.  The SCS gallery has over half a million uploads!

Members include crafters, design team members, online and brick and mortar store owners, stamp designers, stamp company owners.

Come and visit Splitcoaststampers!

Color Combos

Stampin' Up! features more than 50 exclusive colors in four color families, In Colors and a selection of neutral colors.  These colors can be mixed and matched to create perfectly coordinated projects.  There are literally thousands of combinations available!  Check out this Stampin' Up! color combination website provided by Laura at scraptitude.com.