A Little bit controversial

Okay this has been something that has been on my mind the last few days... and reading Amy's post tonight about blatant scraplifts and them not being credited.... it made me have a little bit of a rant on a topic that is on my mind...

Now let me firstly say I will not give details on this - I'm not pointing any fingers at all this is something a little general based on something that I thought was a possible thing...

I was looking a little more closely at some scrap templates the other day, I'm so sick of seeing these things and just trying to get accustom to them so I can stop being so ARGH when I see them. I have admitted to not being a fan of them and I think I have worked out even more why - it's because I like originality and creativity - people who impress me the most are those who always come out with things that I always sit back and go "wow why didn't I think of doing that" ... Dani Mogstad is a big example of this - her layouts always have something on them that make me sit back and go 'wow' that's very creative! ...

now back to my rant.... So yes looking more at them .. and you know what MORE then once I looked at a template and went "Where have I seen that before?" - I started to wonder how many of these designs are being 'lifted' from people layouts [both digi and paper] I think the reason why it go my attention is that more often then not it was a paper layout I would be thinking of when I was hit by the "Where have I see that before?" ...

Now I know there is very little room for "oringinatlity" and things will look the 'same' but ... where is the line?? And ya know it is HIGHLY possible that you could trawl the gallery for layouts to turn into templates ...... or what about taking sketches and making these into the template files? I know Bree is doing this with hers - which is perfectly alright as they are her sketches in the first place - but what about some other desinger using one of Bree's sketches as a template - or a becky Higgns one??? - Is this RIGHT?!?

My next ? is the fact - Do these template created layouts publishable? Should they be submitted?? I'm sure this could be a very arguable topic - and I guess in many cases it's very hard to say yes or no to - but for me right of the top of my head ... I wouldn't publish any thing that was made with a template. But then maybe this is because I see the template as someone else layout design - While yes you may pick the elements and paper pieces that go on the page - You are still following someone else design - like if you where scraplifting a layout or following a scrap class at a shop - same as I would never expect a 'class' layout to be published for this reason [that you're following someone else design - not your own] I think the same applies to templates....

Maybe I'm crossing some line by saying this - I know templates are great ways to get an album done or get out of scrap block and not everyone wants to be published....

But yes - they really have gotten under my skin and I'm really starting to wonder about how these things are going to play out down the track.......