Thoughts about scraplifting

[pamcook]

I just wanted to mention a few things about scraplifting. Maybe some folks will take the plunge after reading this? That's my hopes anyway.

When you scraplift a page you can choose any element of the page to inspire your page. It could be the number of photos, the overall placement of the photos, a photo theme (or filter). You could choose a color or colors. You could rotate or flip the design. You could choose the title or title idea (multi word, large letters, multi font...). You might use similar embellishments or the same, or the same designer, or collection. Or you could replicate the entire page. Totally up to you.

Any time you have questions - throw them out there!

[Keitha]

I think this is something all scrappers do whether or not they realize it; we are always inspired by products, techniques and design we see on other pages and if any of that makes its way to our own pages it fits your description. I'm guessing that many of us - myself included - are even more literal than that; replicating the whole page design, possibly with many of the same products. Unless we were scrapping the other person's photos our pages will always be different. And as long as we're not claiming credit for the design or worse, monetizing it, there's no reason not to.
While I love the ease of Thickers that might be one reason why I shy away from premade words/titles; it's definitely one area where I like some originality on my pages. I get that scrapbook companies aren't going to sell anything more than the most generic words/phrases, but as I strive to never repeat a title - at least not knowingly - my recourse with premade words is to use them in longer titles. And as I like my fonts/colours to at least coordinate if not match entirely, that's not always possible with the options at hand.
If the idea of scraplifting doesn't sit well but you see a page that inspires you, one option is to make a quick sketch of the page layout. Then scrap from your sketch; with the colours and product choices removed, your page will definitely be unique. I'm a big fan of sketches; when I first started using them it was to improve my overall page design, but now I find they're a good jumping off point if I don't already have a basic plan in mind.