IMAGE FAQ

As a digital artist working at the intersection of creativity and healing, I create images designed with intention — for art journaling, expressive arts, and the kind of quiet, restorative making that nurtures the spirit.

I believe that beautiful, meaningful imagery should be accessible to everyone, not hidden behind a paywall or reserved only for those in formal therapeutic settings. Expression is a birthright, and the tools that support it should be too.

These images are made with crafters, scrapbookers, and art journalers in mind, though they are freely available for any personal use. Simply follow the Terms of Use below and create something that is entirely, beautifully yours.

Image Credits

If you are a tagger, scrapkit creator, art journaler, or any other maker who wishes to credit imagery in your work or on your pages, please credit as:

Creative Abundance by Stacy Stephens

That is all that is needed — and it is genuinely appreciated.

License & Terms of Use

All free images shared here are licensed under CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike).

This means you are welcome to use, remix, adapt, and build upon these images for personal, noncommercial purposes only, provided that:

Credit is given — please use the credit format above
No commercial use — images may not be used for any purpose involving monetary gain, including commercial scrapbook kits, products for sale, or paid design work
Adaptations carry the same license — if you remix or build upon these images to create your own free resources, your work must carry the same CC BY-NC-SA license

Personal use includes things like scrapbook pages, art journal spreads, free e-cards, and personal blog or website design. It does not include shops, kits, or anything sold or monetized in any way.

For the full terms, please read the FAQ listed below.

Image Sizes

Images are offered in various print sizes and may be resized freely for your project needs. DPI and dimensions can be adjusted in most photo editing software. However, images that accompany my life coaching program are always very large 300 DPI, already sized for professional printing.

Copyright & Originality

Many images on this site were created using AI generation tools, produced directly from my own original prompts and creative direction. Others were created through my own photography or made by hand and digitally. All work originates from my own imagination.

Any resemblance to existing artwork is entirely coincidental. All AI-generated images are the product of artificial intelligence responding to my input, and all photography and handcrafted work is entirely my own original creation.

1) What does your CC-NC-SA license mean?

This license enables users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator. NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms. (if you use my image to create free cards or scrapbooks, etc, your images must also use the same license as this).

I also require that you change an image in some way before you share it. You cannot share my images as is. Do not take a collection of images from my blog and then just offer them on your own blog for free. The images are meant to be used to create something new.

Do NOT just drop the images into a free scrapbook without altering them and changing them in some way.

2) Can I use your images for commercial use purposes?

No. They are not licensed for commercial use. You cannot use them in images, or anything else, that you plan to sell.

I create these beautiful elements to share for others to use out of kindness.

This is a service I do not charge for. I don't make money from them, why should anyone else?

I do create some images for Commercial Use, you will find them on my Pixabay and on my Open Clipart. I suggest you check those out, they are free for all commercial use purposes.

3) Can your images be used in personal use projects?

Yes, absolutely.

Some personal use projects people have used my images in are: art journal pages, scrapbook pages, greeting cards, ATC cards, blogger and Facebook banners. They also work great for printed paper projects.

You may use them in things such as: blog and web design (as long it's not for a shop and as long as you aren't making money from the said website or blog), free scrapbook kits, free clusters, free e-cards, memes (so long as they are not violent, racists, vulgar, or anything else illegal), scrapbook pages, art journal pages.

Basically any image free to use, or shared for free. Or created just for yourself.

4) Do I have to give you credit?

Yes, you have to give me credit. This means if you upload page you make with my image to a blog, website, or gallery, please include 'Creative Abundance by Stacy Stephens' in your credits list.

If you use an image of mine (remember you also have to alter it in some way) for your FREE scrapbook kits, you must provide my name in your credits list.

Again, credit me / my images as: 'Creative Abundance by Stacy Stephens.' A link to this website would be appreciated but is not required.

5) Are images totally free?

I never charge for the free images offered here. However, if you'd like to help support my work and my website, you are welcome to DONATE. Any amount is appreciated.

6) Are all the images created completely by you?

No, but most of them are. Sometimes I purchase Commercial Use images, elements and digital tools that I then incorporate into totally new works of art and designs. Some of the commercial use images are purchased, some are free and some are free stock images. However, I purchase them with Commercial Use license and they are safely incorporated into new images and designs. The images I share are legal and they are still okay for you to use for any personal use purpose.

Images for which I sometimes use Commercial Use elements are: e-cards, premade background scenes, clusters and cluster frames.

7) Why do you create for free?

I began creating digital images for my own personal use — for art journaling, creative projects, and as a visual resource for my life coaching program, Life in Transformation. Over time, as I developed my own library of imagery, something became clear to me: high quality, meaningful images for creative and healing work should not exist only behind a paywall. They should be available to anyone who needs them, regardless of budget.

As someone who has spent years creating scrapbook pages, art journal spreads, and original digital artwork, I know firsthand how quickly the cost of quality graphics adds up. I have spent a great deal over the years purchasing images and elements created by others — and eventually I simply began making my own. It felt like a natural extension of that to share them freely with anyone who might benefit.

This is my small contribution to art, to healing, and to the belief that creative expression belongs to everyone. The image library offered here is free, and it always will be.