Crafts and Copyrights

[Holy One of Heaven]

Okay, so I've been creating some bookmarks on bristol board that I'm going to laminate and give some as gifts but eventually I want to make bookmarks for a small price, possibly making it a small business eventually breaking into other crafts or art forms. But, at first I was using my stash of stickers to create my designs, and it wasn't until I saw some Disney stickers did I even think about copyrights and stuff. I realize I can't use Disney, but ALL the other stickers are copyrighted too, mostly under Hallmark.

So, my question is since they are copyrighted under Hallmark or something or another, are they forbidden to use if I'm going to make money off of the finished product? I haven't used any that I plan on selling, just a few gifts for starters. I don't want to do something I'm not supposed to do, and a friend of mine who is a beautiful artist, she suggested Dover books (dover publications) who have royalty free clip art and permission free stuff too (I honestly don't know the difference between the two) and I've been tempted to get them to use as guides.

Does anyone have any suggestions or comments or anything to add to this?

 

[PhoeJynx]

Stickers are an iffy situation, and yes copyright laws are a pain in the bum, sweatdrop but if you want to use said stickers for personal designs and plan on making a small business out of it, I would try to contact Hallmark or at least dig into the technicalities of copyright laws. Permission is the main thing here. The Dover publications sounds like a brilliant idea, but I would also suggest using your own doodles/images/etc and just getting them backed with adhesive, which I bet you could do at a kinko's er something... Since you're laminating them to seal them anyways, using your own images (even if they have an unglossed finish) wouldn't really effect your finished product! whee  

[Holy One of Heaven]

PhoeJynx

Stickers are an iffy situation, and yes copyright laws are a pain in the bum, sweatdrop but if you want to use said stickers for personal designs and plan on making a small business out of it, I would try to contact Hallmark or at least dig into the technicalities of copyright laws. Permission is the main thing here. The Dover publications sounds like a brilliant idea, but I would also suggest using your own doodles/images/etc and just getting them backed with adhesive, which I bet you could do at a kinko's er something... Since you're laminating them to seal them anyways, using your own images (even if they have an unglossed finish) wouldn't really effect your finished product! whee

Yeah, I would like to use my own designs and drawings because its then more personal, but I guess I still have confidence issues in my drawings. I'm not all that great when it comes with freehand drawing, and I don't have Illustrator or even a pad and stylus to draw on the computer (like the Bamboo or Bamboo Fun). The only program I have is Photoshop Elements 5.0, which is great but also very constrictive with what it can do and the tools you can use (like it doesn't have simple things as Paths or actions regular Photoshop has) but its better than nothing.

I guess I got to practice more of my freehand to make things more uniquely me. I've been painting my bookmarks so far, with two of them having stickers which I will use as gifts. The one I'm most proud of so far is my ladybug on a leaf, completely painted by me. I'll be sure to post some pictures once I get them finished. I have one more bookmark to paint or doodle or whatever and then I can laminate the ones I have. Then I can add some string and beads to the end with my Crop-A-Dile(TM) to give it a reinforced, professional look. Only thing I would need to be completely self sufficient would be my own printer that works with my new laptop since my old one died lol

Ah and I'm rambling on again xd I guess my biggest thing is finding the confidence in myself to stick with it and do my best no matter what. But I will upload pics of my bookmarks as I complete them and I'll be sure to also get pictures made of them so I can start my own little portfolio ^^  

[PhoeJynx]

I'm looking forward to seeing them! blaugh