The Art of Scraplifting

Scraplifting. Such a controversial subject. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? If you scraplift someone- are you complimenting them or insulting them? If someone scraplifts you are you insulted or honored?

I don't think that scraplifting, in general, is all that big of a deal. But for some, it's this horrible, for lack of a better word, technique. For them- it's unethical, it's not the right thing, and it's *gasp* plagiarism! In reality- they are probably overreacting. Why do we buy scrapbooking magazines if not to look at the layouts and techniques inside and lift them for our own layouts?

We often forget that scraplifting isn't limited to just design concepts. It also includes techniques- someone inks an edge, someone else comes along and copies it. It includes element use- someone staples ribbon to the edge of a photo, someone comes along and staples ribbon to the edge of a tag. It includes journaling placement- someone journals on a photo, someone else comes along and journals on their photo. It includes photo use- someone uses one photo, someone else comes along and uses one photo. It is entirely possible to have multiple lifts, from multiple layouts on one layout.

There is a huge difference between 'scraplifting' and 'CASEing' (Copy And Steal Everything). To CASE a layout means that you take every single element and use it on one of your layouts- you use the same brand and line of papers, the same fonts, the same concept, the same quotes, title, everything. The only thing that changes is the picture and any journaling that you might include. CASEing is, if anything, even more controversial than scraplifting. It's something that I try to avoid, simply because the layout doesn't seem like 'mine' when I CASE someone. I don't get that feeling with scraplifting.

So- should we be hurt or upset when someone scraplifts us? I don't think so- I think that we should feel honored that someone liked our layout enough to take something from it and use it on one of their own layouts. This doesn't mean that I don't think that people shouldn't give credit when they scraplift (they should). It just means that I think people shouldn't get so bent out of shape about it when it does happen. We shouldn't get so offended when someone lifts our layout- we shouldn't think that someone took something away from us.

We should also realize that sometimes- lifting is incidental. Not every layout that uses a title similar to ours, fonts close to ours, or even has the same general idea as ours is a lift.