OK, I've been off the boards for a couple of days and mostly missed all of this, but I wanted to say that I am new at designing as well.
I went back and checked my thread to make sure that credit was given where credit was due. My first designs (I mean like the first 8 bc since then I've done a ton!) were made with clip art from other photobuckets except for the Will Turner one. I used them to create my own designs or even had a graphic designer friend redraw some of the clips for me. I had already given credit there. There were a couple that I found as blanks on Kari's page that I had just added words to. I didn't even realize what I'd done at the time, so I went back and gave her more credit that I orginally had done.
The tiara'd mouse ears are different. As best I can figure they originated with Michelle. I have her express permission to personalize those (granted I use my own font and style) for people and I try to give her credit each time I do so. She is personalizing on a limited basis and was totally ok with me helping out a bit there.
I think the big thing here is that when we're new to designing, we tend to start by looking on design threads and photobuckets. We, at least I, tend to forget there's a whole internet of stuff out there to use! Once I did my first designs, I started looking online for what I wanted and stayed out of other people's photobuckets when searching for clipart. Now that of course means that some of us end up using the same images, but that happens when we're all getting our images from the same internet!
I have had a TON of fun creating my own unique style and designs. While a couple of my tinkerbells from the first batch of designs I did are some of my most popular, my newer totally original designs are what get the most attention! These designs do take a lot of time to create, and I do enjoy doing it.
The big thing is realizing that it's a growing experience. Our designs get better the longer we do this, and our designs get more original and develop our own style the longer we do this.
See while I haven't seen anyone knock off my designs, I have felt snubbed when new designers ask me for tutorials on photoshop, which take a long time to type up and perfect bc I give step by step directions, and then don't give me credit for all the help they received from me in learning how to do the methods they are mostly using when I was pretty much their teacher. I know my students don't always give me credit for helping them with their math skills, but I see this as a little different. I don't mind helping with photoshop as it can be difficult to learn, but I learned it all by trial and error with a little nudge here and there from my sister... I'm helping people find the shortcuts and tips without all the trial and error I had. Oh well. Small vent over!
I guess what I'm finally getting at is THANK YOU to all of you designers who have been on here longer than I and who have been such an amazing inspiration to me! You have been so helpful and I am having so much fun paying it forward!
