Craftster-inspired "Pop" Art Mirror

[dirtythghts4]

oh. that is so cool! i might try to do a variation on this during the summer, when i MIGHT have more time, lol.

i have a huge blank wall over my bed that could use a little something-something.

[hazzardwolf]

This is amazing... I took one look at this and knew I had to make one. I've been scrounging the recycling bins at my school... got some cool energy drink cans, blue sky soda, green tea, all kinds of cool stuff! And this is great because my friend KariudoMegami makes stuff out of pop tabs, so nothing goes to waste! <3 This is going to look so cool in my dorm room. I have to find a frame and a mirror, though...

[Pink Polka Dots]

So cute, I want to make one it would fit my classroom look easy!

[scbell1]

I love what you did. I saw a similar mirror in a catalog and have been saving cans since.

[daisyannissa]

I love love LOVE that! And you have my dining room table!

[SuzukiBeane33]

Wow, your mirror looks even better than the thousand-dollar one!!  I am VERY impressed, and thanks so much for the inspiration.

[artguy]

Just to inform all the crafters out there monitoring this artwork. This is not a big corporation making this piece but a husband and wife team who create artwork for a living. Great to be copied for personal use (we will take it as a complement!) But selling these does indeed infringe on our registered copyright. If you spent the time designing and coming up with the idea as well as making them you would understand. You said it took several weeks to make this. figure out the hours and you will understand the cost. Also take into consideration the website and catalog company are entitled to their percentage. The mirror you made is still only a copy and the original intended to be art as well as functional(hence more cans than mirror) and irregular in cut sizes embellishes the hand made artistic look. No offense, yours looks more factory made than the actual. My wife and I make a living, making and selling artwork and depend on our original creativity and designs for our income. I hope all the real artists out there understand this concept and don;t take offense to this reply but rather respect the nature of originality, creativity, copyrights and ownership. 
Making artwork for personal use is totally acceptable, but copying someone else's artwork for profit is actually no different than stealing. I am sure all of you have seen the ads at theatres now about copying movies or downloading music illegally being the same as stealing something, someone else has worked hard to create.

M. Levin

[colarific]

Sir, although I do respect your desire to defend your creative ownership of this piece, I wish to clarify a couple of things.
I did not make this mirror to sell. I made it for myself. I used the link to your piece in my original post, only because I had first seen it on this forum, and I knew others might be familiar with it. I have seen different versions of these mirrors in the past though, as have other people. You may own copyright to this creation, but you are certainly not the only one making them.
However, the copyright concerns that have been brought up here were not in reference to you. The concern that people are debating here, refers more to trademark infringement, rather than copyright, on the part of the manufacturers of the sodas. If you search around this forum and elsewhere, you will find many stories from artisans who have found themselves in legal battles with those major corporations, by making items that included packaging from their beverages.
It was suggested to me by people both on this board and elsewhere that I should sell these mirrors. Again, it was never my intention to do so, but the thought alone led me to question the legal ramifications of doing so. As with the movie and music pirates, just because you and others are doing it, does not mean that it is legal.
And as for my mirror looking more "factory made" than yours, no offense taken. The most time consuming part of making this was cutting all the pieces precisely even. It would have taken me far less time to cut them all differently and then piece and trim them to fit. As I said, I made this for myself in the way that I wanted it to look, and am quite happy with the way that it turned out.
 

Just to inform all the crafters out there monitoring this artwork. This is not a big corporation making this piece but a husband and wife team who create artwork for a living. Great to be copied for personal use (we will take it as a complement!) But selling these does indeed infringe on our registered copyright. If you spent the time designing and coming up with the idea as well as making them you would understand. You said it took several weeks to make this. figure out the hours and you will understand the cost. Also take into consideration the website and catalog company are entitled to their percentage. The mirror you made is still only a copy and the original intended to be art as well as functional(hence more cans than mirror) and irregular in cut sizes embellishes the hand made artistic look. No offense, yours looks more factory made than the actual. My wife and I make a living, making and selling artwork and depend on our original creativity and designs for our income. I hope all the real artists out there understand this concept and don;t take offense to this reply but rather respect the nature of originality, creativity, copyrights and ownership. 
Making artwork for personal use is totally acceptable, but copying someone else's artwork for profit is actually no different than stealing. I am sure all of you have seen the ads at theatres now about copying movies or downloading music illegally being the same as stealing something, someone else has worked hard to create.

M. Levin

[elizabethdee]

colarific -- your mirror is so amazing that i read the whole thread (well, almost the whole thread) to catch every word you had to say about it. fantastic! the way you cut and pieced those tiles -- wonderful.

mitch levin -- i completely get what you are saying about not reproducing other people's designs for your own profit, even though colarific herself didn't need the reminder. from my understanding of copyright, you were probably obligated to say something once you knew about this discussion.
 
is there any chance you would be kind enough to go the extra mile  and answer the other question people were raising? How do you manage to use trademarked logos and not infringe copyright issues yourself?

thanks.

[artguy]

As far as the trade mark it is no different then purchasing a six pack and reselling it by the can. We have no copyright or trade mark to the corporate logos only to the concept of a pop can or soda can mirror in this format. This copyright goes so far as to cover what is reffered to as "Substantial Simialarity", which is pretty much as it sounds. Like I said I have no problem with people copying our work for themselves, immitation is again the greatess form of flattery, But the topic of making and selling them came up several times.
M. Levin