Not the op but $1 is OK for the items that are offered but the rest of the store is full price. I love Kay Miller's templates and kits but none of them are on sale except the few items that are in the Farmer's Market. Which sucks as I'm not paying full price for them on a iDSD day but I'm am spending lot of money today and oh well, Kay - had you put your other stuff on sale you would have been able to clean my pockets.
totally agree w/ #1 and #3. yes $1 is cheap if those items are what you want. but why not offer a little discount on the rest of the items in the store? even places like SSD TDC TLP that don't do sales often are doing 30%
Well if you want to actually sell your items you should try to please as many customers as possible. Many of us don't like every designer who has items in the Farmer's Market and we won't buy something from someone simply because it's a $1. We have designers we like and have bought from before. Those are designers that we would have spent more money with had they offered their other items for sale today. But they didn't or weren't allowed to. Either way - I went shopping with my other fav designers who did have sales on all their stuff.
I don't see that comment as entitled at all! In fact, I see it as a customer saying she wanted to spend MORE than a couple of $.
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Thank you. At least someone understood.
No one suggested that the rest of the designers items had to sell everything for $1. Just put them on sale - 20% off or what have you. You would think that they'd want to make more sales then selling some shit for only $1 when they could be selling all their items.
They just had a big sale for their store birthday. The $1 thing must be working for them since they've been doing it for years. Yes I am a regular customer there. Some of the designers are doing discounts on theyre other stuff today too.
I completely agree. I did purchase from the farmer's market, and wanted to purchase more but I can purchase at full price anytime. My iNSD dollars get spent on sales. I think I would have spent more had it event been just been a small percentage off.
OMG Traci Reed's cover on FB says where memories meet quality design. I had one free stitch pack from her couple of weeks back which was so bad in quality! Everyone is so over their heads about quality, but still they'll keep buying from designers with quality issues, just because they are well known, selling from a well known store.
I agree with the others about SO, I had a pretty sizeable wishlist going but nothing I had to have. If it had been on sale, I probably would have grabbed most of it. Instead, I'm probably not going to buy any of it.
I picked up several items on the DSA blog train. I like the colors actually. Better than many palletes I have seen in blog trains. What did everyone grab from it?
Did you see the blog hop from Scrappity Doo Dah? One designer was signed up but didn't have a freebie cause she's not at home, and it's a weird combo of stuff...NEXT...the bag is cute though, but I'm a sucker for pink bags.
Luv Ewe: Direct download. The patterns are nice, the rest looks like recolored CU.
Missy's Bits: Didn't download. Not a fan of photo masks.
Tracie Stroud- Direct download. Cute alpha.
Truman Studio- Didn't download. A little too worn for my taste, but if you like that sort of thing, they look okay. The elements are nothing special.
Digilicious Designs- Direct download. The only think I like is the flower pattern.
Ocean Wide Designs- Didn't download. The paint is cute, but wouldn't download only for that.
Studio 68- I like the papers and the newspaper butterfly.
Jen Yurko- Didn't download. Looks cute enough but nothing screamed at me to download it.
Faynar's Wings- The patterns are okay, but I didn't download.
BZB Designs- Direct download- cute patterns.
MScraps- Not my style, but it looks nice enough for those who like to scrap with more realistic items. The patterns are kind of weird.
Lilacs in Bloom- Didn't download. I prefer more clustered and fuller pages but they don't look bad at all. Worth checking out.
Miss Tiina- Flat and boring, didn't download.
The Urban Fairy- Didn't download. It looks like she used the color palette for the solid papers and then just threw in a bunch of random foliage.
Queen Pamedalah- Doesn't have her part posted, but judging by the rest of her posts, I wouldn't download anyways.
Down This Road Designs- Doesn't have her part posted.
Krisi's Kreations- Didn't download because I'd have no use for it. It's a banner template...seems pretty basic but might appeal to hybrid artists.
Designs by Laura Banasiak- By far the most interesting submission I've seen in this train. Looks like she actually put effort into it and didn't just toss a bunch of stuff together. I downloaded and think I'll use most of it. Two download options provided.
One Story Down- Looks very cute, but I'm a little annoyed by the hoops I had to jump through to download. You'd think that a store could supply a method other than 4shared.
Jeanye Labaya- Didn't download. Simple template and looks like it was slapped together as an afterthought.
Zinnias and Swallowtails- Very simple template. Didn't download.
Tickled Pink Studio- Didn't download. A bit too graphic for my taste. Doesn't look to be textured at all.
Snuggle Berry Pie- Didn't download. Lazy paper recolors.
Jen C Designs- Didn't download. Boring solids and boring CU element recolors.
well in all the freebie craziness this weekend I have encountered two viruses, both from Mediashare. I just went to download the mscraps sunshine blog train and all the links I clicked on were hosted at Mediashare. I decided to skip it, I don't want to deal with another virus. :(
I hope I don't sound "entitled" but the Farmer's Market at SO is great for people who don't shop there regularly, not so much for people like me. Everything in there that I would want, I already have. The rest I'm just not interested in. It's iNSD! How about rewarding their regulars (like me) with a little sale so that we can buy the products we actually want?
SO's birthday sale was just about a month ago, I'm guessing they decided to split the festivities so they'd have the big sale for their birthday and Farmer's Market for iNSD. Maybe next year they'd be better off doing Farmer's Market for their birthday and the sale on iNSD, since that's when people expect a sale.
I was planning on buying Captivated Visions whole Captivating 2012 series, well Jan-Apr anyway. So much for that. Any insider knowledge on when they will have another sale?
Oh, you're just crabby. I'm having a blast and have bought many big orders of around $20.00 at a whole bunch of places I never usually shop - including farmer's market (and yes, that is a wonderful idea #30, about switching out the birthday and the iNSD Farmer's Market for them. I also was surprised the stuff wasn't on sale.
I wish I had a master list of every scrap shop and their web links. Is there anything like that? I know there is more I wanted to get, but I can't remember!
Jen Wilson was pretty rude and never would even answer emails etc and disappeared off the face of the earth before, I'm not sure why anyone would fall for that again.
Did Dover change their terms to not be digi friendly or am I just not getting the wording?
The license agreement for a book of Dover clip art says:
"Purchaser is granted a nonexclusive, nontransferable, limited license to access the images (the “Data”) on this CD-ROM by Dover Publications, Inc. (”Publisher”). Purchaser may use the Data for personal use and may incorporate Data into its products for sale to third parties (such as gift cards or t-shirts) provided that such products are not exclusively comprised of individual or groups of print or electronic images and provided that no more than 10 images are used in any product or project. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Purchaser may not use the Data to create digital or electronic files or products that are sold, distributed or shared. "
So the "10 items or less" thing is not new, but I've never seen the "no digital products allowed" clause... hmmm.
This comes after realizing that Designious changed THEIR terms to also not allow the use of their vectors in any digital scrapbooking kits. Is this the new trend, to just specifically exclude digital scrapbooking?
#32 I've spend hundreds of $$ previous years on insd weekends, this year I just spend a bit less than $20, but I'm a traditional style scrapper and I personally think the fantasy/tagger weird stuff is taking over and I have to really look for the traditional style, and those traditional designers are getting so cocky thinking they're already there and all that, that their quality is going down the drain, and isn't worth my money anymore.
This comes after realizing that Designious changed THEIR terms to also not allow the use of their vectors in any digital scrapbooking kits. Is this the new trend, to just specifically exclude digital scrapbooking? ---------------- A few designers didn't follow Dover's Terms and were making brushes from their files or putting the exact pic from one of their books in a kit without doing any changing at all. For those few who disregarded the terms, it ruined it for all of us who were following their terms. But that is the case with most things, there are always a few who think they can do anything they want because they paid to purchase the books!
I don't know anything about Designious-never heard of them but there are other sources out there that have changed their terms because of misuse of their product. Well maybe it's forced these designers to learn how to design (not) or go find other sources who still allow their designs to be used for scrapbooking, though a few still continue to use stuff they shouldn't be using.
#48 taggers are people who are tutorialwriters for psp and use tubes to create siggy's and stuff, all papers and elements are smaller than traditional kits and lower in dpi. If I'm explain this right.
I agree. This year just plain sucked. I picked up 1 set of brushes in Farmer's Market and that's it. I'm just not thrilled with what's out there. I did have a bunch of TLP's BYOC in my cart, but after looking at it, it's nothing special.
My sales have been OK, a bit more than last year, but I'm also in a bigger store.
WTF really what's this crap lately?!! I can't call them designers and I can't call it a scrapkit...those kits and stores with undefinable names are popping up more and more. Asking $4 for it, not in 400 years!
OMG I hate when people shadow a FONT! If the 2nd kit wasn't bad enough, a "designer" shadowing the font on her preview is reason enough for me to not buy.
it's horrible *brr* this community is going crazy. Isn't there some "police" who can kick stores and "designers" out of this bizz, it's taking my hobby away!
I would love to kick a few designers out of a few stores that I frequent. Their designs are not helping the store grow, but causing them to stay a low-level store.
Take for instance, ScrapMatters. It used to have high quality designers such as Jady Day, WM[Squared], Chelle's Creations and many others. Now they've invited low-level designers such as Blue Umbrella Designs, Cluster Queen Creations, Simply Kat and the list goes on and on! If they would get rid of those low-end, flat designers and bring on staff better quality designers with products that are not so flat and fugly, the site could be a better place.
And no, this isn't personal preference as you can see what designers the community is scrapping in their galleries. For the most part, it's the higher end designers products that are being used in the community's layouts!
Scrapping/Designing police, where are you? This store and many other alike could use your help.
#54 I see where you're coming from. There are really great designers out there who aren't well known, but do put out quality stuff, but what sells lately? The name instead of the product IMHO! And I actually hate that mindset.
Store owners should be the digi-police. They should be able to see the quality of a product (as in jaggies, and such), but also in "useability", cohesion, presentation in previews, and worth! It is one thing to pay $10 on an action or an element package that can be stretched and used in many different way, it is another thing to have a set of plain greyscale buttons even for $4.
It is fine to give a chance to newcomers, but store owners should still filter and accept/invite good quality newcomers. Make sure they know their program, they know the basics of color theory, etc. Not all newcomers are equal. Find the good ones, and let the others make blog freebies.
There is a different between quality and design ability. I know far too many people who use them interchangeably.
@55, their products might be quality, but if they're not making what people want to buy, who cares? Really. I don't mean that to sound bitchy, but business is business. If I were a store owner, I'd want people in my store who *gasp* actually sold product.
Far too much emphasis is placed on being "unique" and "different" - especially on this blog. In the real world, MOST scrappers just want a reliable product with which they can scrap pictures of their families. I love a good, quirky product, but they're not usually easy to scrap with and can sometimes take focus away from my photos and memories.
It's about scrapability. That's what sells. It doesn't have anything to do with realistic vrs. traditional, "name" vrs. "no name", jaggies vrs. quality. If a scrapper can make a page they're happy with and it prints well (if they print), guess what, they'll come back.
Would any employer in a brick and mortar business hire "just any newcomer to give them a chance" withouth considering their skills? Would that employer only rely on a written document (graduated from X) without testing himself to a certain degree? Would an employer keep an employee's spot if the employee is not doing good work or worse, if the employee is not even showing up?
Strange how many digi store owners will not do like a "real life" employer would do. Digital business or not, it should still be treated like a business, both by the owners and the designers.
#60 my opinion is that there are enough designers who can build up a great customerbase if they were even invited to sell at a well known store, but they don't even get the chance, cause they're not well known designers. What was first the chicken or the egg?
In a well known store the customer base are loving every new well known designers guesting or getting a permanent spot, cause it's a well known store, so the owner should know what they're doing, right? Well I've bought from loads of well know designers in the past, and they are all human too, and have also quality issues now and then. But we forgive well known designer more than new "good" or not so well known designers who can actually pack their bizz bags if they have a slip.
I don't know if store owners from the well known stores ask well known designers for a sample of their work if they're applying. Actually I think when stores put out a call they're waiting for the well known designers to apply first before they're looking at the other applications. Just a guess. I think it's just the mindset. A well known designer in your store automaticly means great business... ??!! well beats me!
re: 4shared Is this a new thing that you are required to sign up 1st before you can download something from there? A few places had their kits hosted there, but I skipped them because I didn't want to register at 4shared. Anyone else feel the same way about 4shared?
yep I skip them even if the thing is to cute and free I don't want to jump through hoops. Even the OSD Blog Train kit is at 4 shared, I thought a store like that could host it on their own server?
#62 - why should a store owner who has a store filled with successful, well-known designers give anyone (known or unknown) a chance? If the current designers are doing well and the store is profitable, why?
#64 - if a designer has been around a long time and no one knows who they are, I'd say that's a problem. It might not be with their product, but in all business, it's not just the product that counts. Marketing, social networking, forum participation, good customer service, etc. are all vital in this industry.
You need some hype, honey. That's what it's all about. Like it or not, wrong or right, it's how you get your name out there. How do you think you become "known?"
They don't have to give designers a chance, but maybe it will break open the community and business again?! I don't know, I'm not a store owner or a designer, but I was a well spending customer, but not anymore of the crap even the big designers are selling now. And yes I'm trying "new" designers now, and they are pleasing me a lot more, cause they're fighting hard to get their name out and try to deliver great products, instead of the designers already made it, those are lacking customer service and quality lately.
#70 for me "new" designers, maybe they are around longer than I found them. I like for example the style of some of the kits from Mirelle Candeloro @ FPD. And I shop not for the store or designer, but for the style, when it appeals to me. Even if there's a unknown designer selling at a store nobody ever heard of and I like that style I'd still buy from that designer. Could be a risk, could be the pot with gold at the end of the rainbow.
73 - I am from a 'big shoppe' that gets smacked on here often. I just checked my weekend and have $1,531.72 in sales. It is down from last year, but I'm ok with that number.
78 you are an idiot. nobody was asking for your sales figures. they wanted to know what everyone else considered to be a good sale, as in from a shopper's perspective. not how much money you made at sweet shoppe, and yes we did notice that you added the e at the end and no everyone else doesn't write shop that way. idiot.
I thought the best sales were the farmer's market at SO and a few random other deals I found from individual designers at various shops (not shoppes). I didn't find any amazing store-wide sales anywhere this year. I found individual grab bags a few places that were awesome deals, and not much else.
@85 you're buying grab bags? Not sarcasticly meant towards you, but I think they're all the same lately, kit, alpha, clusters and some wordbits, a suprise bundle nothing more to my opinion. But true on the store-wide happenings...pitty
#41 asked "How were everyone's sales today? Mine didn't start really picking up until this afternoon." I think #85 is looking like an idiot now, maybe 41 didn't specifically ask for numbers, but it obviously wasn't a question from the shopper's perspective.
So what if she posted her numbers. Just give the thread a few more days and people will be asking how much the designers made this weekend. It's always the same - she just jumped the gun a bit.
Anyway - good for you. I'd venture to guess that most of the thousands of designers out there didn't come close to that amount which just goes to prove that either you have to be in a 'big name store' or you really, really, really have to advertise. And your store has to advertise. And you have to have good product.
to #86, not all grab bags were surprise grab bags. I found a couple of build-your-own bags and they were great deals so I bought those and picked up a few kits that I had wishlisted.
78 was answering 73 which was from a customer perspective and not reffering to 41 and 85 responded to 78.
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even though this comment will probably confuse the majority of the people who read it, LOL, amen. 78 wasn't responding to 41 and to try and make us think that now just makes you look even more idiotic.
here's a direct quote, you idiot: "73 - I am from a 'big shoppe' that gets smacked on here often. I just checked my weekend and have $1,531.72 in sales. It is down from last year, but I'm ok with that number."
for the record, I also agree that the addition of the 'e' was really dumb.
Dear 94, I am a customer and I had quite a few items from the "shoppe" in my cart ready to purchase. I'm going to purchase elsewhere instead due to your attitude. I find myself not wanting to contribute to the pocket of anyone so rude.
You DO realize many countries outside the USA spell "shop" as "shoppe" right?
___________________
Really? which ones? I'm from outside the US and always thought of "Shoppe" as being an old fashioned way to spell it, but not particular to "outside the USA".
Also - I made $1,700 this DSD. Not at a "shoppe" and did LOADS of marketing before hand, because if you're not at a "shoppe" or an SBG, I reckon you need to market the heck out of your products. Good old fashioned hard work.
I made around $1100+ so far this weekend and am not at the sweetest shoppe there is. I also didn't advertise beyond my regular newsletter or my store's newsletter. I also am not an asshole like 98/94/78. What a c-word.
There are really great designers out there who aren't well known, but do put out quality stuff, but what sells lately? The name instead of the product IMHO! And I actually hate that mindset. ------
Lately? It's always been like that I've been around since 2005.
I market with my newsletter, the store newsletter, facebook, and twitter and that's it. I also make a quality product that's unique enough that people want to buy it. No matter how hard you market, if you don't make something that people want to buy you won't sell a lot. If you sell a lot it's because you're making what people want. Sounds simple but it's true.
Would any employer in a brick and mortar business hire "just any newcomer to give them a chance" withouth considering their skills? Would that employer only rely on a written document (graduated from X) without testing himself to a certain degree? -------
Yes. Walmart, McDonald's, KFC, etc. etc. Any of those business that hire teenagers for the summer or as part timers. Most of them will have no experience whatsoever.
for the record, I also agree that the addition of the 'e' was really dumb. ----
But the addition of the extra 'p' was okay, was it? I see. I'll remember to write shopp in future, as that isn't dumb, but shope is, or was that shoppe? Shop? Shoppeeee?
And I know what the response to this is going to be, so far, responses have been standard. Seen it all before.
You DO realize many countries outside the USA spell "shop" as "shoppe" right?
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Name me one. I don't know any countries that spell shop as shoppe, unless they are being pretentious. And I've been to a few countries and shopped there.
Dear 94, I am a customer and I had quite a few items from the "shoppe" in my cart ready to purchase. I'm going to purchase elsewhere instead due to your attitude. I find myself not wanting to contribute to the pocket of anyone so rude. --------
Flounce!
You don't know for sure that it was a designer from SSD, it could be someone stirring the pot and you just feel for it.
If you (generic you) want quality, you have to pay for it. End of story. But most of you want cheap and quality and we all know that's not the way 'real' businesses work, and you wouldn't expect them to. Yet, for some reason, you do expect digi stores to give quality at cheaper prices. They either behave like a brick and mortar store, or they do not.
For store owners to quality check every single product, that will take time (and money). To make it worthwhile, they will ask for a higher commission fee from their designers. They designers will then charge more for the product. Then, predictably, most of you will bitch about how pricey everything is.
Off-topic, but I have a Facebook question I hope someone could help me with. I recently joined, & while using it the other day, a message popped up saying I must enter a mobile phone number in order to continue with the account.
I don't want to give my phone number to Facebook (do they really need to know every single private detail of my life??), but it won't let me log in further without it. Any way to get around it, or is this just a necessity for signing up at Facebook & this type of website??
It seems nowadays that every single website demands so much personal info about you that doesn't seem necessary. I know that many people may not be concerned about this, but I really try to limit the amount of personal info I put online. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks :)
#121, I can see your point but the poster made it seem like they sold at SSD, which was why that person didn't want to buy anything from there. If they had said a different store I'm sure they wouldn't have bought from there either. That is what I read anyway. Who knows.
and as for poster #102, they also seemed to brag about what they made too. So, I see your point on that too.
122, that sounds really fishy, it might be a spyware pop up window or something like that, I'd do a scan on your computer. Doesn't seem right that they'd force you to give a mobile number, many people don't even have one.
I've had FB ask me for my cell number, but only for added security reasons. I didn't provide it of course and I can still log in.
I think so many sites ask for all those details because there are so many stupid people out there who don't take enough care and get "hacked". I had to provided extra information for my iTunes account a few days ago. I was pissed, mostly because they were standard security questions which anyone who knows you would be able to answer. I prefer to write my own security questions. That's secure!
Ok so I am a designer and I admit I do use a lot of CU. I am starting to work on learning to extract and create my own stuff. But how do I make it stand out so people (like the ones on here) don't smack me and accuse me of using CU. I mean I use a lot of basic stuff like basic ribbons, bows, fabric flowers but I layer them all instead of just recolor and move on. I can extract a basic fabric flower or button but it will probably look like something that a CU designer sells. With all the designers and kits out there it can be hard to be totally different from the next. Hopefully I explained that right as I hate typing and would rather say it wil real words.
Then, maybe SSD is a good place to sell even if one designer does not have the attitude you like (according to your own assumption of what you see in written posts).
#133 - I'm the one who posted about $1100+ and I am not #126. I also don't think that just because I called out the supposed sweet shoppe girl for being an ass on here means that I am one, too. As far as my store, I'm not going to comment other than to say that yes it's certainly in the group of stores that most would consider to be top-10 here on this blog. Nobody will ever agree on a rank order, so it's pointless to get into exactly how top-tier it might be.
Glad to see the queen of bitchiness decided to get educational and snotty in the DCR. Not that I don't agree with the point she is making, but snotty much? Jesus.
147, she's always bitchy and while I do feel aweful for her and the fact that her husband is sick, it's not an excuse for the way she talks to people all the time. Everyone has their own story and their own background, but not everyone chooses to speak to people the way she does.
Dover clipart - I predicted this at least a year ago - when I complained that the wholesale copying and turning Dover into brushes by that chick, Tricia Curtis, was outright theft. (Which it is, even if their TOU didn't directly address selling their clip art that way, which it didn’t – it just said a limit of 10 images per “project”.) I was in the minority on this issue and I let it drop.
How can an unknown designer be that good for a shop owner? By definition, if they're unknown, then people aren't talking about them or buying from them. If I were a shop owner, I'd want some funny chatty people for my forums. I do not want designers addressing customers and hounding them, but I would like to see them in the forums and know what they fixed for dinner, or whatever banal chitchat the question of the day is. I just want to see them around and talking to the gernal group, I don’t want them talking to me.
#54 - I agree with you for the simple reason that you have to make it worth the shopper's while to go to a store. Not to pick on SBB, but I never found even one designer at Scrapbook Bytes that I liked, and I look at the list of designers and think, who are these people? They could have a half dozen fantastic designers there, but I am not on their mailing list, don't recognize any of them from a blog train or DST posts, so how am I to know who suits my style, even if I see an ad for 50% off, it isn't worth my time to stop in and check out a list of 30 designers.
I don't know Jen Wilson, and don't really care because she'll be like another Emily Powers you all were complaining about a few years back. Who?
On the Catscrap news, I have one more little tidbit- Lisa Sisneros newsletter said big news is coming to Catscrap and she was "especially excited" about it. What could be happening that specifically excites Lisa Sisneros?
I bought a nice order from Sweet Shoppe this year for the very first time ever. It wasn't the new designers, it was the freebies that got them on my radar. Plus their new website is more in tune with my computer software & security. I could never see sale prices before.
#138. LOOK at the world around you, and go shopping at some expensive stores that are not online. Look at the textures of the papers and the shine of the glitter and how those ribbons lie when they are tied. Notice the trend is floppy bows with bog knots, not perfect arrow bows. Try to make your stuff less digital looking.
For instance, go to a florist and LOOK at a couple of flowers. Really look at them and you'll see that there are dozens of barely visible lines leading to the center which act as landing lights and stripes for insects. How to the stamens curve? How do the anthers hang? How is the flower attached to the stem? Is there a calyx?
On any daisy-style flower, the disc and ray flowers are separate. LOOK at how the center of a daisy is connected to the rays. It is not just plopped on top, but grounded down in. The ray flowers have veins - look at exactly how those are arranged. If the daisy is at an angle, the disc is at an angle, too. All these little things will make your designs look better, stand out, and look like quality, even if the customer doesn't know a disc from a ray. It isn't any harder and doesn't take any longer than finding the perfect PSstyle to fill your CU shape.
149 People losing their life partner may not filter everything they say. Anyone in that position needs no excuse. They deserve slack. However the interactions I have had with her have always been pleasant. She has always been generous imo.
147- I've never seen her be bitchy... only sweet and she's always been fair at DSA when there have been issues with contests and the like. I'm not sure how you can say she's always bitchy. Care to provide examples?
155 when someone you love is dying what people think of your behavior is the last thing on earth you are concerned about. She was really sweet during during CT Appreciation which was on her site. You are entitled to your opinion, but I doubt she cares what you think.
Wow, proof once again it's mostly designers who are the bitches on here, as every single one of you knew what that link and post was talking about.
I can't see it, just a lowly customer.
#152 - this is not the constructive blog, it's a smack blog, so you got lucky. You can that advice anywhere on the net - look outside of your comfort zone every now and again.
I don't know Jen Wilson, and don't really care because she'll be like another Emily Powers you all were complaining about a few years back. Who? -------
That sounds like me when most of you talk about new designers. Who? I have no clue.
I can totally see how giving new, yet to be known designers who make quality product can be good for an already well-known store. Obviously that person needs help getting the word out - which a big store can obviously help them with - and there is a chance to have something new and quality for the store's existing customer base. Long-time scrappers are always looking for something new - so the big stores make money by finding that something new for them.
It's two different goals, really - bringing in designers that are already well known has an ultimate goal of bringing in new customers - bringing in new, high quality, as yet unknown designers has an ultimate goal of giving your existing customers something new to spend money on and get excited about.
Wow, proof once again it's mostly designers who are the bitches on here, as every single one of you knew what that link and post was talking about. ---------------- It's always been this way. It was hilarious when these blogs first started, because the designers were all over DST and other forums complaining about the nastiness, and 90% of it is coming from them.
And that designer from the sweetest shoppe on earth? That's the typical attitude at that shop. I haven't shopped there in two or three years.
Regarding the issue of dealing with losing a loved one and whether that gives you the right to be a bitch to everyone else just because you don't have the mental capacity to use a filter when you interact with others. If you're dealing with the loss of a loved one or the impending loss of a loved one, maybe you shouldn't be wasting your time on digiscrap forums teaching others how to save a TIF file. That can't possibly be the most important thing in your world. Also IMO when your interactions with others are on the internet in a world where not everyone knows what is going on in your personal life, you can't assume they do know. Being bitchy just comes across as being bitchy if people don't know your backstory and you can't assume that everyone does know your backstory. Unless you happen to be a narcissistic ass who thinks the world revolves around you.
#163 - I, too, find it shocking when people are online talking and doing the most idiotic things when their husband, no less, is dying. I can understand needed a stress relief and relying on digifriends to chat with or to relax scrapping, but seriously? Answering a thread about saving a Tiff file at DST? I can't see the thread myself, so I can't say if she were bitchy or not, but seriously?
I hate to say something negative about someone going through so much, but damn. Get your priorities straight.
It seems that some people still aren't sure how to save TIF files appropriately. It kind of makes me crazy that there are designers selling in stores that don't know how to save them right. I spent some time today resaving an entire folder of templates that I purchased yesterday and that folder alone went from 1.6 GB to 139 MB. That's a little ridiculous. If your TIF is bigger than your PSD file.. it's saved wrong. Here are the correct settings for TIF files to make them smaller.
ok, I'm still not seeing examples of being rude lol! All I've seen is personal opinion with nothing to back it up. I don't personally have a problem with her TIFF files post. Maybe because I already know how to save them lol.
Having dealt with Sara and seen her interactions with others I can say I don't think she is a bitch necessarily, maybe a tad dramatic in how she interacts with others but that seems to be true of most of that group...........
I would like to hear what mid-level designers made - ie. not "top tier" store. As a designer and a scrapper I thought this year was blah. Didn't do half the stuff I normally do. I did fine for sales - but I made in a weekend what I normally do in a few weeks.
I thought Sara's post in the DST was helpful. I know how to save TIFF files so they are smaller than PSD files but am constantly amazed by the number of people who do not. (Sahlin Studio and the ScrapMatters CT come to mind. The TIFFs they include in .zip files are regularly 40-50 MB.)
I have to admit, using a tiff file is new to me, let alone the correct way to save them. I don't use them; I delete them as my computer often has corrupt issues with tiff files. The information given above and in the forum is new to me. If I ever make a template or something of the sort, I'll know how to save it correctly. Her tactic was a little in your face, which could have been looked at unacceptable given the fact that everyone in that forum is a designer. If you are trying to educate, you educate with the correct information and not rub in the fact that people are doing it wrong. It all boils down to one's tactics.
Re the Facebook cell phone number thing - if you look in the teeny tiny print at the bottom of that box, there is a link that says something like, Skip This. Just press that and go on with your FB fun.
Templates - I prefer psd but that's because I use photoshop. I have no use for the tiff files. I suppose those who use other programs need them for something. I just delete them or I don't download them to begin with if I'm able.
@#180- Photoshop supports TIFF files. They take up a lot less room, and they show the preview icon in the file which I find is very helpful. You can use them exactly like a PSD file.
I'm not sure why you'd say you have 'no use' for TIFF files because you use Photoshop. Photoshop reads TIFF files and TIFF files take up far, far less space. They are a compressed layered file (when saved correctly) with no image loss so there is literally zero reason why you would not want to use TIFF files. I use them for all my layouts too. I'd suggest you do this test: create a folder and throw a bunch of templates in it. Now duplicate that folder and re-save all the same templates in the copied fold as TIFF files. Then compare the size of the two folders. I suspect you will be astonished.
I agree with 177. The info Sara offered was good info, and honestly I also wish more designers would do this correctly. But two things about it. First she didn't have to be so snotty about it, if you're in a DCR with a bunch of designers just say "I wish you would do it this way because here's why it's better" and offer it up to be helpful. She wasn't just being helpful, she was mainly ranting.
"It kind of makes me crazy that there are designers selling in stores that don't know how to save them right."
"That's a little ridiculous."
"If your TIF is bigger than your PSD file.. it's saved wrong."
It wasn't necessary to be bitchy like this about it, when you could just say "I've noticed a problem lately and thought it would be helpful to offer up the following info for everyone." So much nicer, and not rude.
Second thing about it is that even if you do *gasp* get TIFF files from a designer that are saved incorrectly, it's not like you can't save them correctly the first time you open them up to use them. It takes all of 20 seconds per file, if that. She makes it sound like someone ruined her entire day and kept her from spending time with her family. I doubt that's the case unless she bought 50 template packs, all of which were from designers who don't know better. In that case, it's sorta her problem for buying so much from a designer who isn't tried and true.
Because Sara felt it was OK to educate others about how to do something better, then I am sure she won't mind me trying to educate her about how to do something better, too. I know she reads here, and the TIFF rant has been brought up here numerous times before (and in posts in the SSD forum) by her, so apparently she views it as her mission to correct this issue. More power to her. Meanwhile, Sara, try to be a little less abrasive. I agree with 186 that you can word things differently and get the same point across, without people thinking you're an asshole. I happen to know you're not really an asshole, but the truth is that you do come across as one often.
Thanks for all the advice about tiff files w/Photoshop. I'm clearly ignorant of how to use them but will certainly try them now. I guess I just never even bothered looking at them. I'm a scrapper not a designer or anything. And I always like to learn new things about my program - it cost enough! (I was #180 btw)
I dont use or own any type of Photoshop. The program that I do use often flattens tiff files basically turning them in to a jpg. If I can use a tiff file, after saving the file becomes corrupted. It is very rare for me to be able to use a tiff file, which is why I do not use them and usually delete them. Right now I use psd and png files to scrap.
Could someone here please explain (or link to) how to save a tiff file template correctly please?
I can't access the link posted above as I'm not a member.
I always wondered why the tiff files were so big compared to the psd files in some templates, & othertimes were much smaller than the psd files. Thanks :)
189 - No, somewhere smaller. But it also rather recently changed owners. The new owner has no idea what she's doing. Come to think of it, it's quasi-related to TDC in a round about way.
So when one of Funky Playground's designers turns in her resignation in a week, we'll all know who was posting here on the blog about having shitty sales.
I just went to Funky Playground to see who's even selling there and make a guess about who it might be. My first thought was Roseytoes. Clicked on her shop and if that's the correct answer, well here is why your sales are bad. You have 2 kits right at the top of your shop's first page that use the same exact CU leaves and not even recolored or anything. If you're putting the same exact CU items into your kits all of the time, you're boring your customers. Not to say you shouldn't use those leaves, but at least wait a kit or two before recycling them again LMAO.
189, how is TDC bleeding designers? I was surprised to read that and checked their site and they have 22 designers and 8 guests right now. The only designers I can think of that left TDC recently went to SSD and SO, a total of 3 people. Not exactly bleeding in my world.
2608 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 2608 Newer› Newest»so what is up with SO this weekend, are they not having a sale other than farmer market? everything else in the store is full price really? that blows
$1 not cheap enough for you? My, aren't you entitled.
Not the op but $1 is OK for the items that are offered but the rest of the store is full price. I love Kay Miller's templates and kits but none of them are on sale except the few items that are in the Farmer's Market. Which sucks as I'm not paying full price for them on a iDSD day but I'm am spending lot of money today and oh well, Kay - had you put your other stuff on sale you would have been able to clean my pockets.
Can't please them all.
totally agree w/ #1 and #3. yes $1 is cheap if those items are what you want. but why not offer a little discount on the rest of the items in the store? even places like SSD TDC TLP that don't do sales often are doing 30%
Can't please them all.
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Well if you want to actually sell your items you should try to please as many customers as possible. Many of us don't like every designer who has items in the Farmer's Market and we won't buy something from someone simply because it's a $1. We have designers we like and have bought from before. Those are designers that we would have spent more money with had they offered their other items for sale today. But they didn't or weren't allowed to. Either way - I went shopping with my other fav designers who did have sales on all their stuff.
I don't see that comment as entitled at all! In fact, I see it as a customer saying she wanted to spend MORE than a couple of $.
Some of you people are really stupid. I mean, REALLY stupid.
Not that SO would even get $1 out of me, but it would make more sense to have sales on regular products as well.
http://digiscrapaddicts.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21521
I actually like the colors of this blog train. If only some of the designers knew they could add neutrals.
Only picked up 2 pieces from that blog train
I don't see that comment as entitled at all! In fact, I see it as a customer saying she wanted to spend MORE than a couple of $.
_________________________________________
Thank you. At least someone understood.
No one suggested that the rest of the designers items had to sell everything for $1. Just put them on sale - 20% off or what have you. You would think that they'd want to make more sales then selling some shit for only $1 when they could be selling all their items.
They just had a big sale for their store birthday. The $1 thing must be working for them since they've been doing it for years. Yes I am a regular customer there. Some of the designers are doing discounts on theyre other stuff today too.
I completely agree. I did purchase from the farmer's market, and wanted to purchase more but I can purchase at full price anytime. My iNSD dollars get spent on sales. I think I would have spent more had it event been just been a small percentage off.
^^ sorry, their
OMG Traci Reed's cover on FB says where memories meet quality design. I had one free stitch pack from her couple of weeks back which was so bad in quality! Everyone is so over their heads about quality, but still they'll keep buying from designers with quality issues, just because they are well known, selling from a well known store.
I agree with the others about SO, I had a pretty sizeable wishlist going but nothing I had to have. If it had been on sale, I probably would have grabbed most of it. Instead, I'm probably not going to buy any of it.
I think it's kinda dull this year, or is it just me?
I picked up several items on the DSA blog train. I like the colors actually. Better than many palletes I have seen in blog trains. What did everyone grab from it?
Got the kit from OSD and MScraps
Where is everyone hanging out this year. The forums seem dead and I've looked around a lot of them.
I think After5's website went down. Anyone else having trouble with it or it just me?
#20 I'm having the same issue
Did you see the blog hop from Scrappity Doo Dah? One designer was signed up but didn't have a freebie cause she's not at home, and it's a weird combo of stuff...NEXT...the bag is cute though, but I'm a sucker for pink bags.
Crappity Doo Dah is still open??
kinda surprising huh?!
I don't know this designer, but that picture is creeping me out!
http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/showthread.php?t=302282
DSA Blog Train:
Luv Ewe: Direct download. The patterns are nice, the rest looks like recolored CU.
Missy's Bits: Didn't download. Not a fan of photo masks.
Tracie Stroud- Direct download. Cute alpha.
Truman Studio- Didn't download. A little too worn for my taste, but if you like that sort of thing, they look okay. The elements are nothing special.
Digilicious Designs- Direct download. The only think I like is the flower pattern.
Ocean Wide Designs- Didn't download. The paint is cute, but wouldn't download only for that.
Studio 68- I like the papers and the newspaper butterfly.
Jen Yurko- Didn't download. Looks cute enough but nothing screamed at me to download it.
Faynar's Wings- The patterns are okay, but I didn't download.
BZB Designs- Direct download- cute patterns.
MScraps- Not my style, but it looks nice enough for those who like to scrap with more realistic items. The patterns are kind of weird.
Lilacs in Bloom- Didn't download. I prefer more clustered and fuller pages but they don't look bad at all. Worth checking out.
Miss Tiina- Flat and boring, didn't download.
The Urban Fairy- Didn't download. It looks like she used the color palette for the solid papers and then just threw in a bunch of random foliage.
Queen Pamedalah- Doesn't have her part posted, but judging by the rest of her posts, I wouldn't download anyways.
Down This Road Designs- Doesn't have her part posted.
Krisi's Kreations- Didn't download because I'd have no use for it. It's a banner template...seems pretty basic but might appeal to hybrid artists.
Designs by Laura Banasiak- By far the most interesting submission I've seen in this train. Looks like she actually put effort into it and didn't just toss a bunch of stuff together. I downloaded and think I'll use most of it. Two download options provided.
One Story Down- Looks very cute, but I'm a little annoyed by the hoops I had to jump through to download. You'd think that a store could supply a method other than 4shared.
Jeanye Labaya- Didn't download. Simple template and looks like it was slapped together as an afterthought.
Zinnias and Swallowtails- Very simple template. Didn't download.
Tickled Pink Studio- Didn't download. A bit too graphic for my taste. Doesn't look to be textured at all.
Snuggle Berry Pie- Didn't download. Lazy paper recolors.
Jen C Designs- Didn't download. Boring solids and boring CU element recolors.
#20 I'm having the same issue
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Finally made it through - great sales from my fav designers.
well in all the freebie craziness this weekend I have encountered two viruses, both from Mediashare. I just went to download the mscraps sunshine blog train and all the links I clicked on were hosted at Mediashare. I decided to skip it, I don't want to deal with another virus. :(
I hope I don't sound "entitled" but the Farmer's Market at SO is great for people who don't shop there regularly, not so much for people like me. Everything in there that I would want, I already have. The rest I'm just not interested in. It's iNSD! How about rewarding their regulars (like me) with a little sale so that we can buy the products we actually want?
SO's birthday sale was just about a month ago, I'm guessing they decided to split the festivities so they'd have the big sale for their birthday and Farmer's Market for iNSD. Maybe next year they'd be better off doing Farmer's Market for their birthday and the sale on iNSD, since that's when people expect a sale.
I don't know this designer, but that picture is creeping me out!
http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/showthread.php?t=302282
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WTF? Not you, the avatar. I do know what that designer looks like, she's been around forever! That is a creepy avatar.
I think it's kinda dull this year, or is it just me?
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The whole iNSD has been full for me for years. It's nothing like it used to be.
*dull not *full!
Can't please them all.
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Sigh, really? Get a new response, thanks.
I was planning on buying Captivated Visions whole Captivating 2012 series, well Jan-Apr anyway. So much for that. Any insider knowledge on when they will have another sale?
Oh, you're just crabby. I'm having a blast and have bought many big orders of around $20.00 at a whole bunch of places I never usually shop - including farmer's market (and yes, that is a wonderful idea #30, about switching out the birthday and the iNSD Farmer's Market for them. I also was surprised the stuff wasn't on sale.
I wish I had a master list of every scrap shop and their web links. Is there anything like that? I know there is more I wanted to get, but I can't remember!
I bought a lot of Kristin Aagard's kits today - 40% off - great deals and I love her work.
Well I spent $106.00 today - I think I'm done. But I got some really cute kits. I probably won't go shopping again until November, lol.
Jen Wilson's back, if anyone still cares. lol
http://www.jenwilsondesigns.com/
Jen Wilson's back, if anyone still cares. lol
http://www.jenwilsondesigns.com/
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I'm sorry, but if your LOGO is crap looking (jagged, etc), I'm not going to buy anything from you.
How were everyone's sales today? Mine didn't start really picking up until this afternoon.
Jen Wilson was pretty rude and never would even answer emails etc and disappeared off the face of the earth before, I'm not sure why anyone would fall for that again.
A question since many of you are designers...
Did Dover change their terms to not be digi friendly or am I just not getting the wording?
The license agreement for a book of Dover clip art says:
"Purchaser is granted a nonexclusive, nontransferable, limited
license to access the images (the “Data”) on this CD-ROM by Dover
Publications, Inc. (”Publisher”). Purchaser may use the Data for personal
use and may incorporate Data into its products for sale to third parties
(such as gift cards or t-shirts) provided that such products are not
exclusively comprised of individual or groups of print or electronic images
and provided that no more than 10 images are used in any product or
project. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Purchaser may not use the Data
to create digital or electronic files or products that are sold, distributed
or shared.
"
So the "10 items or less" thing is not new, but I've never seen the "no digital products allowed" clause... hmmm.
This comes after realizing that Designious changed THEIR terms to also not allow the use of their vectors in any digital scrapbooking kits. Is this the new trend, to just specifically exclude digital scrapbooking?
#42 - because there's a whole generation of scrappers who don't know her from Adam, that's why.
Since when does digital or electronic files solely mean digital scrapbooking?
I know that Designious was very particular about mentioning digital scrapbooking kits, but Dover are not.
Who can blame them considering that so many designers just use the product with little or not change to the original.
#32 I've spend hundreds of $$ previous years on insd weekends, this year I just spend a bit less than $20, but I'm a traditional style scrapper and I personally think the fantasy/tagger weird stuff is taking over and I have to really look for the traditional style, and those traditional designers are getting so cocky thinking they're already there and all that, that their quality is going down the drain, and isn't worth my money anymore.
This comes after realizing that Designious changed THEIR terms to also not allow the use of their vectors in any digital scrapbooking kits. Is this the new trend, to just specifically exclude digital scrapbooking?
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A few designers didn't follow Dover's Terms and were making brushes from their files or putting the exact pic from one of their books in a kit without doing any changing at all. For those few who disregarded the terms, it ruined it for all of us who were following their terms. But that is the case with most things, there are always a few who think they can do anything they want because they paid to purchase the books!
I don't know anything about Designious-never heard of them but there are other sources out there that have changed their terms because of misuse of their product. Well maybe it's forced these designers to learn how to design (not) or go find other sources who still allow their designs to be used for scrapbooking, though a few still continue to use stuff they shouldn't be using.
what is tagger?
I agree about traditional scrapping being fewer and fewer and the quality going down.
The collab between Meghan Mullens and Traci Reed is proof of that.
I don't enjoy the doodle look.
What's left to buy?
#48 taggers are people who are tutorialwriters for psp and use tubes to create siggy's and stuff, all papers and elements are smaller than traditional kits and lower in dpi. If I'm explain this right.
I've stopped shopping at one store cause they've turned from traditional to fantasy, and actually I don't know how those fantasy designers get all their pictures to extract from, I don't think they'll own birdcages and stuff like that to extract. I think personally some of those wouldn't take © infringment that hard either.
I agree. This year just plain sucked. I picked up 1 set of brushes in Farmer's Market and that's it. I'm just not thrilled with what's out there. I did have a bunch of TLP's BYOC in my cart, but after looking at it, it's nothing special.
My sales have been OK, a bit more than last year, but I'm also in a bigger store.
WTF really what's this crap lately?!! I can't call them designers and I can't call it a scrapkit...those kits and stores with undefinable names are popping up more and more. Asking $4 for it, not in 400 years!
http://www.digishoptalk.com/products/showphoto.php?photo=108010&title=spring-27s-arrival&cat=519
http://www.digishoptalk.com/products/showphoto.php?photo=107977&title=pastel-breeze-bundle&cat=519
OMG I hate when people shadow a FONT! If the 2nd kit wasn't bad enough, a "designer" shadowing the font on her preview is reason enough for me to not buy.
it's horrible *brr* this community is going crazy. Isn't there some "police" who can kick stores and "designers" out of this bizz, it's taking my hobby away!
@ 53
I would love to kick a few designers out of a few stores that I frequent. Their designs are not helping the store grow, but causing them to stay a low-level store.
Take for instance, ScrapMatters. It used to have high quality designers such as Jady Day, WM[Squared], Chelle's Creations and many others. Now they've invited low-level designers such as Blue Umbrella Designs, Cluster Queen Creations, Simply Kat and the list goes on and on! If they would get rid of those low-end, flat designers and bring on staff better quality designers with products that are not so flat and fugly, the site could be a better place.
And no, this isn't personal preference as you can see what designers the community is scrapping in their galleries. For the most part, it's the higher end designers products that are being used in the community's layouts!
Scrapping/Designing police, where are you? This store and many other alike could use your help.
#54 I see where you're coming from. There are really great designers out there who aren't well known, but do put out quality stuff, but what sells lately? The name instead of the product IMHO! And I actually hate that mindset.
Store owners should be the digi-police. They should be able to see the quality of a product (as in jaggies, and such), but also in "useability", cohesion, presentation in previews, and worth! It is one thing to pay $10 on an action or an element package that can be stretched and used in many different way, it is another thing to have a set of plain greyscale buttons even for $4.
It is fine to give a chance to newcomers, but store owners should still filter and accept/invite good quality newcomers. Make sure they know their program, they know the basics of color theory, etc. Not all newcomers are equal. Find the good ones, and let the others make blog freebies.
there's a difference between a newcomer, and someone without the feel of designing. Freebies or not, still be horrible.
"Even when a monkey wears a diamond ring, it's still and always will be a fugly thing"
MOST store owners don't bother to check quality.
MOST store owners only see $$$$$$ but if you're allowing to sell crap at your store, it only cost you $$$ a good store can maintain themselves.
There is a different between quality and design ability. I know far too many people who use them interchangeably.
@55, their products might be quality, but if they're not making what people want to buy, who cares? Really. I don't mean that to sound bitchy, but business is business. If I were a store owner, I'd want people in my store who *gasp* actually sold product.
Far too much emphasis is placed on being "unique" and "different" - especially on this blog. In the real world, MOST scrappers just want a reliable product with which they can scrap pictures of their families. I love a good, quirky product, but they're not usually easy to scrap with and can sometimes take focus away from my photos and memories.
It's about scrapability. That's what sells. It doesn't have anything to do with realistic vrs. traditional, "name" vrs. "no name", jaggies vrs. quality. If a scrapper can make a page they're happy with and it prints well (if they print), guess what, they'll come back.
Would any employer in a brick and mortar business hire "just any newcomer to give them a chance" withouth considering their skills? Would that employer only rely on a written document (graduated from X) without testing himself to a certain degree? Would an employer keep an employee's spot if the employee is not doing good work or worse, if the employee is not even showing up?
Strange how many digi store owners will not do like a "real life" employer would do. Digital business or not, it should still be treated like a business, both by the owners and the designers.
#60 my opinion is that there are enough designers who can build up a great customerbase if they were even invited to sell at a well known store, but they don't even get the chance, cause they're not well known designers. What was first the chicken or the egg?
In a well known store the customer base are loving every new well known designers guesting or getting a permanent spot, cause it's a well known store, so the owner should know what they're doing, right? Well I've bought from loads of well know designers in the past, and they are all human too, and have also quality issues now and then. But we forgive well known designer more than new "good" or not so well known designers who can actually pack their bizz bags if they have a slip.
I don't know if store owners from the well known stores ask well known designers for a sample of their work if they're applying. Actually I think when stores put out a call they're waiting for the well known designers to apply first before they're looking at the other applications. Just a guess. I think it's just the mindset. A well known designer in your store automaticly means great business... ??!! well beats me!
You need to work at becoming a well known designer.
ofcourse! but who knows how long the not well know designers already designing?
re: 4shared
Is this a new thing that you are required to sign up 1st before you can download something from there? A few places had their kits hosted there, but I skipped them because I didn't want to register at 4shared. Anyone else feel the same way about 4shared?
yep I skip them even if the thing is to cute and free I don't want to jump through hoops. Even the OSD Blog Train kit is at 4 shared, I thought a store like that could host it on their own server?
#62 - why should a store owner who has a store filled with successful, well-known designers give anyone (known or unknown) a chance? If the current designers are doing well and the store is profitable, why?
IMO, feeling that they should is entitlement...
#64 - if a designer has been around a long time and no one knows who they are, I'd say that's a problem. It might not be with their product, but in all business, it's not just the product that counts. Marketing, social networking, forum participation, good customer service, etc. are all vital in this industry.
You need some hype, honey. That's what it's all about. Like it or not, wrong or right, it's how you get your name out there. How do you think you become "known?"
They don't have to give designers a chance, but maybe it will break open the community and business again?! I don't know, I'm not a store owner or a designer, but I was a well spending customer, but not anymore of the crap even the big designers are selling now. And yes I'm trying "new" designers now, and they are pleasing me a lot more, cause they're fighting hard to get their name out and try to deliver great products, instead of the designers already made it, those are lacking customer service and quality lately.
And who would those new designers be?
She can't tell you. Or she will be accused of being them. ALL of them, LOL.
#70 for me "new" designers, maybe they are around longer than I found them. I like for example the style of some of the kits from Mirelle Candeloro @ FPD. And I shop not for the store or designer, but for the style, when it appeals to me. Even if there's a unknown designer selling at a store nobody ever heard of and I like that style I'd still buy from that designer. Could be a risk, could be the pot with gold at the end of the rainbow.
What do you guys consider a good iNSD sale? I was hoping the sales would be better than they were.
#71 I would not be the first being accused of MPS here ;)
#73 those sales from the past, each year it's getting worse. So you're not alone in this one.
What's up with the flat weird poopy colors lately in kits and element packs?
Example?
73 - I am from a 'big shoppe' that gets smacked on here often. I just checked my weekend and have $1,531.72 in sales. It is down from last year, but I'm ok with that number.
@73 from a designer point of view or customer?
#73 here-
As a customer.
78 - Don't know if that's a heads up or just bragging about your earnings....
81 - someone asked. Certainly not bragging.
#81- LOL
I thought the same thing.
didn't see anyone was asking for numbers...
78 you are an idiot. nobody was asking for your sales figures. they wanted to know what everyone else considered to be a good sale, as in from a shopper's perspective. not how much money you made at sweet shoppe, and yes we did notice that you added the e at the end and no everyone else doesn't write shop that way. idiot.
I thought the best sales were the farmer's market at SO and a few random other deals I found from individual designers at various shops (not shoppes). I didn't find any amazing store-wide sales anywhere this year. I found individual grab bags a few places that were awesome deals, and not much else.
@85 you're buying grab bags? Not sarcasticly meant towards you, but I think they're all the same lately, kit, alpha, clusters and some wordbits, a suprise bundle nothing more to my opinion. But true on the store-wide happenings...pitty
I'm not 85, but I buy grab bags. I'm okay with the kit, alpha, whatever bundle. I like the deal and having it all together.
true 87 :) another way to look at
#41 asked "How were everyone's sales today? Mine didn't start really picking up until this afternoon." I think #85 is looking like an idiot now, maybe 41 didn't specifically ask for numbers, but it obviously wasn't a question from the shopper's perspective.
78 was answering 73 which was from a customer perspective and not reffering to 41 and 85 responded to 78.
So what if she posted her numbers. Just give the thread a few more days and people will be asking how much the designers made this weekend. It's always the same - she just jumped the gun a bit.
Anyway - good for you. I'd venture to guess that most of the thousands of designers out there didn't come close to that amount which just goes to prove that either you have to be in a 'big name store' or you really, really, really have to advertise. And your store has to advertise. And you have to have good product.
to #86, not all grab bags were surprise grab bags. I found a couple of build-your-own bags and they were great deals so I bought those and picked up a few kits that I had wishlisted.
78 was answering 73 which was from a customer perspective and not reffering to 41 and 85 responded to 78.
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even though this comment will probably confuse the majority of the people who read it, LOL, amen. 78 wasn't responding to 41 and to try and make us think that now just makes you look even more idiotic.
here's a direct quote, you idiot:
"73 - I am from a 'big shoppe' that gets smacked on here often. I just checked my weekend and have $1,531.72 in sales. It is down from last year, but I'm ok with that number."
for the record, I also agree that the addition of the 'e' was really dumb.
I'm 78 and I didn't advertise with exception to my normal newsletter and the shoppe's newsletter. Don't be hating.
And if I wanted to "brag", I'd update my sales figure - but I won'd do that. You are all already green enough.
93 - I really do not care if you think it was "really dumb".
Dear 94, I am a customer and I had quite a few items from the "shoppe" in my cart ready to purchase. I'm going to purchase elsewhere instead due to your attitude. I find myself not wanting to contribute to the pocket of anyone so rude.
You DO realize many countries outside the USA spell "shop" as "shoppe" right?
I'm at the sweetest shoppe there is.
Sorry you feel that way, #96.
Making that kind of money? No. I'd place my bets on it being an SSD designer. Plus the english is really good.
You DO realize many countries outside the USA spell "shop" as "shoppe" right?
___________________
Really? which ones? I'm from outside the US and always thought of "Shoppe" as being an old fashioned way to spell it, but not particular to "outside the USA".
Also - I made $1,700 this DSD. Not at a "shoppe" and did LOADS of marketing before hand, because if you're not at a "shoppe" or an SBG, I reckon you need to market the heck out of your products. Good old fashioned hard work.
Ouch! 98, etc. RUDE!
I made around $1100+ so far this weekend and am not at the sweetest shoppe there is. I also didn't advertise beyond my regular newsletter or my store's newsletter. I also am not an asshole like 98/94/78. What a c-word.
So, Catscrap's newsletter advertised their sale but said BIG news is coming next week. Maybe they are closing.
#98 is Traci Reed?
Anyone noticed that Scrapping Fariytales has TOTALLY ripped of Trish H's defunct Enchanted Studio Scraps??
@ 105... how so?
Just curious...those mentioning sales in previous posts...how do you market? Where are the most followers for you? Facebook, newsletter?
@106 The theme and the packaging is very similar, just the over all feel of it!
There are really great designers out there who aren't well known, but do put out quality stuff, but what sells lately? The name instead of the product IMHO! And I actually hate that mindset.
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Lately? It's always been like that I've been around since 2005.
"Even when a monkey wears a diamond ring, it's still and always will be a fugly thing"
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True dat! Diamond rings are mostly fugly.
I market with my newsletter, the store newsletter, facebook, and twitter and that's it. I also make a quality product that's unique enough that people want to buy it. No matter how hard you market, if you don't make something that people want to buy you won't sell a lot. If you sell a lot it's because you're making what people want. Sounds simple but it's true.
Would any employer in a brick and mortar business hire "just any newcomer to give them a chance" withouth considering their skills? Would that employer only rely on a written document (graduated from X) without testing himself to a certain degree?
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Yes. Walmart, McDonald's, KFC, etc. etc. Any of those business that hire teenagers for the summer or as part timers. Most of them will have no experience whatsoever.
Yeah. And they all sell crap.
And you usually get crappy service with the crap they sell.
for the record, I also agree that the addition of the 'e' was really dumb.
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But the addition of the extra 'p' was okay, was it? I see. I'll remember to write shopp in future, as that isn't dumb, but shope is, or was that shoppe? Shop? Shoppeeee?
And I know what the response to this is going to be, so far, responses have been standard. Seen it all before.
You DO realize many countries outside the USA spell "shop" as "shoppe" right?
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Name me one. I don't know any countries that spell shop as shoppe, unless they are being pretentious. And I've been to a few countries and shopped there.
Dear 94, I am a customer and I had quite a few items from the "shoppe" in my cart ready to purchase. I'm going to purchase elsewhere instead due to your attitude. I find myself not wanting to contribute to the pocket of anyone so rude.
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Flounce!
You don't know for sure that it was a designer from SSD, it could be someone stirring the pot and you just feel for it.
I also am not an asshole like 98/94/78. What a c-word.
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Prove it, you sure sounded like like one.
#113 and #114 - you proved a point.
If you (generic you) want quality, you have to pay for it. End of story. But most of you want cheap and quality and we all know that's not the way 'real' businesses work, and you wouldn't expect them to. Yet, for some reason, you do expect digi stores to give quality at cheaper prices. They either behave like a brick and mortar store, or they do not.
For store owners to quality check every single product, that will take time (and money). To make it worthwhile, they will ask for a higher commission fee from their designers. They designers will then charge more for the product. Then, predictably, most of you will bitch about how pricey everything is.
#117, Whoever it was, it was the bragging and shitty attitude not what store they sold at.
#118, They were referring to the person in those posts. Which is the bragger with the shitty attitude.
#120 and yet someone saw fit to not purchase anything from SSD, so no, it wasn't just the so called shitty attitude.
As for the response in #118, I'll stand by my original statement. I don't care who they were referring to, they sounded just the same.
Off-topic, but I have a Facebook question I hope someone could help me with. I recently joined, & while using it the other day, a message popped up saying I must enter a mobile phone number in order to continue with the account.
I don't want to give my phone number to Facebook (do they really need to know every single private detail of my life??), but it won't let me log in further without it. Any way to get around it, or is this just a necessity for signing up at Facebook & this type of website??
It seems nowadays that every single website demands so much personal info about you that doesn't seem necessary. I know that many people may not be concerned about this, but I really try to limit the amount of personal info I put online. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks :)
#121, I can see your point but the poster made it seem like they sold at SSD, which was why that person didn't want to buy anything from there. If they had said a different store I'm sure they wouldn't have bought from there either. That is what I read anyway. Who knows.
and as for poster #102, they also seemed to brag about what they made too. So, I see your point on that too.
122, that sounds really fishy, it might be a spyware pop up window or something like that, I'd do a scan on your computer. Doesn't seem right that they'd force you to give a mobile number, many people don't even have one.
I don't remember ever had to give a cell number to use Facebook...but they have been steadily changing stuff, that I can barely keep up...ergh!
I am 98/94/78, not 118. I am not a c-word, I am successful.
Do you look in the mirror each day and say that? "I'm pretty. I'm successful. I'm worth something." LOL.
127 - No, but my husband tells me that daily.
I've had FB ask me for my cell number, but only for added security reasons. I didn't provide it of course and I can still log in.
I think so many sites ask for all those details because there are so many stupid people out there who don't take enough care and get "hacked". I had to provided extra information for my iTunes account a few days ago. I was pissed, mostly because they were standard security questions which anyone who knows you would be able to answer. I prefer to write my own security questions. That's secure!
I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!
#128, He is supposed to tell you that.
#126 - aw, Snooki's come to visit. Hey Snooki.
#126, do you sell in a top tier store to be making $1100?
#133 - she already said she was at sweet shoppe. Geeze. And you people wonder why you can't make money... you can barely dress yourselves.
#134, this is a totally different poster I am talking about. Her original post was #102.
We all know the snotty one is from SSD.
#134 - and you can barely comprehend what you are reading.
#135 - that's true, we do know the snotty one is from SSD and the asshole is from somewhere else.
Ok so I am a designer and I admit I do use a lot of CU. I am starting to work on learning to extract and create my own stuff. But how do I make it stand out so people (like the ones on here) don't smack me and accuse me of using CU. I mean I use a lot of basic stuff like basic ribbons, bows, fabric flowers but I layer them all instead of just recolor and move on. I can extract a basic fabric flower or button but it will probably look like something that a CU designer sells. With all the designers and kits out there it can be hard to be totally different from the next. Hopefully I explained that right as I hate typing and would rather say it wil real words.
Then, maybe SSD is a good place to sell even if one designer does not have the attitude you like (according to your own assumption of what you see in written posts).
^^^with real words
#138 - if it sells, who cares what the people on this blog say? They are but a blip on the radar.
#122 just give them a bogus number if you're uncomfortable with it.
#133 - I'm the one who posted about $1100+ and I am not #126. I also don't think that just because I called out the supposed sweet shoppe girl for being an ass on here means that I am one, too. As far as my store, I'm not going to comment other than to say that yes it's certainly in the group of stores that most would consider to be top-10 here on this blog. Nobody will ever agree on a rank order, so it's pointless to get into exactly how top-tier it might be.
I am not new to digi...but I only recently started to expand from shopping at just one store. Which stores are considered to be in the top ten??
Glad to see the queen of bitchiness decided to get educational and snotty in the DCR. Not that I don't agree with the point she is making, but snotty much? Jesus.
http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/showthread.php?t=302337
She should try running DSA instead of schooling everyone at DST.
Why is she bitchy? Maybe I am missing a story behind this but I have never really seen her be bitchy. Then again I don't really know her personally.
145 - Give her a break, her husband's dying.
147, she's always bitchy and while I do feel aweful for her and the fact that her husband is sick, it's not an excuse for the way she talks to people all the time. Everyone has their own story and their own background, but not everyone chooses to speak to people the way she does.
145—I don't see that as being bitchy, I do see you as being bitchy though!
I actually think that was she has posted at dot to be helpful...
Dover clipart - I predicted this at least a year ago - when I complained that the wholesale copying and turning Dover into brushes by that chick, Tricia Curtis, was outright theft. (Which it is, even if their TOU didn't directly address selling their clip art that way, which it didn’t – it just said a limit of 10 images per “project”.) I was in the minority on this issue and I let it drop.
How can an unknown designer be that good for a shop owner? By definition, if they're unknown, then people aren't talking about them or buying from them. If I were a shop owner, I'd want some funny chatty people for my forums. I do not want designers addressing customers and hounding them, but I would like to see them in the forums and know what they fixed for dinner, or whatever banal chitchat the question of the day is. I just want to see them around and talking to the gernal group, I don’t want them talking to me.
#54 - I agree with you for the simple reason that you have to make it worth the shopper's while to go to a store. Not to pick on SBB, but I never found even one designer at Scrapbook Bytes that I liked, and I look at the list of designers and think, who are these people? They could have a half dozen fantastic designers there, but I am not on their mailing list, don't recognize any of them from a blog train or DST posts, so how am I to know who suits my style, even if I see an ad for 50% off, it isn't worth my time to stop in and check out a list of 30 designers.
I don't know Jen Wilson, and don't really care because she'll be like another Emily Powers you all were complaining about a few years back. Who?
On the Catscrap news, I have one more little tidbit- Lisa Sisneros newsletter said big news is coming to Catscrap and she was "especially excited" about it. What could be happening that specifically excites Lisa Sisneros?
I bought a nice order from Sweet Shoppe this year for the very first time ever. It wasn't the new designers, it was the freebies that got them on my radar. Plus their new website is more in tune with my computer software & security. I could never see sale prices before.
#138. LOOK at the world around you, and go shopping at some expensive stores that are not online. Look at the textures of the papers and the shine of the glitter and how those ribbons lie when they are tied. Notice the trend is floppy bows with bog knots, not perfect arrow bows. Try to make your stuff less digital looking.
For instance, go to a florist and LOOK at a couple of flowers. Really look at them and you'll see that there are dozens of barely visible lines leading to the center which act as landing lights and stripes for insects. How to the stamens curve? How do the anthers hang? How is the flower attached to the stem? Is there a calyx?
On any daisy-style flower, the disc and ray flowers are separate. LOOK at how the center of a daisy is connected to the rays. It is not just plopped on top, but grounded down in. The ray flowers have veins - look at exactly how those are arranged. If the daisy is at an angle, the disc is at an angle, too. All these little things will make your designs look better, stand out, and look like quality, even if the customer doesn't know a disc from a ray. It isn't any harder and doesn't take any longer than finding the perfect PSstyle to fill your CU shape.
151 - Wow, someone constructive. Thank you! (Seriously)
149 People losing their life partner may not filter everything they say. Anyone in that position needs no excuse. They deserve slack. However the interactions I have had with her have always been pleasant. She has always been generous imo.
150 lol
147- I've never seen her be bitchy... only sweet and she's always been fair at DSA when there have been issues with contests and the like. I'm not sure how you can say she's always bitchy. Care to provide examples?
153- Someone dying is no excuse to be a bitch to people.
151-Catscrap is changing owners.
151: I fell asleep reading that. Oh.My.Hell.
155 when someone you love is dying what people think of your behavior is the last thing on earth you are concerned about. She was really sweet during during CT Appreciation which was on her site. You are entitled to your opinion, but I doubt she cares what you think.
Wow, proof once again it's mostly designers who are the bitches on here, as every single one of you knew what that link and post was talking about.
I can't see it, just a lowly customer.
#152 - this is not the constructive blog, it's a smack blog, so you got lucky. You can that advice anywhere on the net - look outside of your comfort zone every now and again.
I don't know Jen Wilson, and don't really care because she'll be like another Emily Powers you all were complaining about a few years back. Who?
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That sounds like me when most of you talk about new designers. Who? I have no clue.
I can totally see how giving new, yet to be known designers who make quality product can be good for an already well-known store. Obviously that person needs help getting the word out - which a big store can obviously help them with - and there is a chance to have something new and quality for the store's existing customer base. Long-time scrappers are always looking for something new - so the big stores make money by finding that something new for them.
It's two different goals, really - bringing in designers that are already well known has an ultimate goal of bringing in new customers - bringing in new, high quality, as yet unknown designers has an ultimate goal of giving your existing customers something new to spend money on and get excited about.
No one wants to pick apart the DSA train? So far I saw one review, and I agreed with it for the most part.
Wow, proof once again it's mostly designers who are the bitches on here, as every single one of you knew what that link and post was talking about.
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It's always been this way. It was hilarious when these blogs first started, because the designers were all over DST and other forums complaining about the nastiness, and 90% of it is coming from them.
And that designer from the sweetest shoppe on earth? That's the typical attitude at that shop. I haven't shopped there in two or three years.
Regarding the issue of dealing with losing a loved one and whether that gives you the right to be a bitch to everyone else just because you don't have the mental capacity to use a filter when you interact with others. If you're dealing with the loss of a loved one or the impending loss of a loved one, maybe you shouldn't be wasting your time on digiscrap forums teaching others how to save a TIF file. That can't possibly be the most important thing in your world. Also IMO when your interactions with others are on the internet in a world where not everyone knows what is going on in your personal life, you can't assume they do know. Being bitchy just comes across as being bitchy if people don't know your backstory and you can't assume that everyone does know your backstory. Unless you happen to be a narcissistic ass who thinks the world revolves around you.
#163 - I, too, find it shocking when people are online talking and doing the most idiotic things when their husband, no less, is dying. I can understand needed a stress relief and relying on digifriends to chat with or to relax scrapping, but seriously? Answering a thread about saving a Tiff file at DST? I can't see the thread myself, so I can't say if she were bitchy or not, but seriously?
I hate to say something negative about someone going through so much, but damn. Get your priorities straight.
the message
It seems that some people still aren't sure how to save TIF files appropriately. It kind of makes me crazy that there are designers selling in stores that don't know how to save them right. I spent some time today resaving an entire folder of templates that I purchased yesterday and that folder alone went from 1.6 GB to 139 MB. That's a little ridiculous.
If your TIF is bigger than your PSD file.. it's saved wrong.
Here are the correct settings for TIF files to make them smaller.
and than a screenshot...
ok, I'm still not seeing examples of being rude lol! All I've seen is personal opinion with nothing to back it up. I don't personally have a problem with her TIFF files post. Maybe because I already know how to save them lol.
Having dealt with Sara and seen her interactions with others I can say I don't think she is a bitch necessarily, maybe a tad dramatic in how she interacts with others but that seems to be true of most of that group...........
#163 and 164- I have to agree with you. Well said.
I would like to hear what mid-level designers made - ie. not "top tier" store. As a designer and a scrapper I thought this year was blah. Didn't do half the stuff I normally do. I did fine for sales - but I made in a weekend what I normally do in a few weeks.
I did not do great.
I thought Sara's post in the DST was helpful. I know how to save TIFF files so they are smaller than PSD files but am constantly amazed by the number of people who do not. (Sahlin Studio and the ScrapMatters CT come to mind. The TIFFs they include in .zip files are regularly 40-50 MB.)
And no, I am not Sara.
I did not have great sales either.
Add Amy Stoffel and her CT to #171's list of people who don't know how to save TIFF files that are smaller than PSD files.
I downloaded her iNSD template pack. Some TIFF were nearly 50MB.
Disgusting.
I did dreadful, but I'm in a very quickly declining store that is bleeding designers. Turning in my notice this week.
Jeanye Labaya saves them wrong too.
Where did you get your information that her husband is dying? I saw he had cancer, but I think he's doing chemo right? Not dying?
I have to admit, using a tiff file is new to me, let alone the correct way to save them. I don't use them; I delete them as my computer often has corrupt issues with tiff files. The information given above and in the forum is new to me. If I ever make a template or something of the sort, I'll know how to save it correctly. Her tactic was a little in your face, which could have been looked at unacceptable given the fact that everyone in that forum is a designer. If you are trying to educate, you educate with the correct information and not rub in the fact that people are doing it wrong. It all boils down to one's tactics.
How do you perfer that your templates are saved - tif or psd?? Why do you prefer one over the other?
Re the Facebook cell phone number thing - if you look in the teeny tiny print at the bottom of that box, there is a link that says something like, Skip This. Just press that and go on with your FB fun.
Templates - I prefer psd but that's because I use photoshop. I have no use for the tiff files. I suppose those who use other programs need them for something. I just delete them or I don't download them to begin with if I'm able.
#177 Sensitive much?
#180 You can use tiff files in PS and they take up less room than psd. Just curious as to why you don't like them.
@#180- Photoshop supports TIFF files. They take up a lot less room, and they show the preview icon in the file which I find is very helpful. You can use them exactly like a PSD file.
I'm not sure why you'd say you have 'no use' for TIFF files because you use Photoshop. Photoshop reads TIFF files and TIFF files take up far, far less space. They are a compressed layered file (when saved correctly) with no image loss so there is literally zero reason why you would not want to use TIFF files. I use them for all my layouts too. I'd suggest you do this test: create a folder and throw a bunch of templates in it. Now duplicate that folder and re-save all the same templates in the copied fold as TIFF files. Then compare the size of the two folders. I suspect you will be astonished.
Oh & if you use the TIFF as a scrapper just be sure to tick the LZW for image compression and select anything that saves at a smaller file size.
I agree with 177. The info Sara offered was good info, and honestly I also wish more designers would do this correctly. But two things about it. First she didn't have to be so snotty about it, if you're in a DCR with a bunch of designers just say "I wish you would do it this way because here's why it's better" and offer it up to be helpful. She wasn't just being helpful, she was mainly ranting.
"It kind of makes me crazy that there are designers selling in stores that don't know how to save them right."
"That's a little ridiculous."
"If your TIF is bigger than your PSD file.. it's saved wrong."
It wasn't necessary to be bitchy like this about it, when you could just say "I've noticed a problem lately and thought it would be helpful to offer up the following info for everyone." So much nicer, and not rude.
Second thing about it is that even if you do *gasp* get TIFF files from a designer that are saved incorrectly, it's not like you can't save them correctly the first time you open them up to use them. It takes all of 20 seconds per file, if that. She makes it sound like someone ruined her entire day and kept her from spending time with her family. I doubt that's the case unless she bought 50 template packs, all of which were from designers who don't know better. In that case, it's sorta her problem for buying so much from a designer who isn't tried and true.
If it makes her that crazy, don't buy it. It's simple.
Because Sara felt it was OK to educate others about how to do something better, then I am sure she won't mind me trying to educate her about how to do something better, too. I know she reads here, and the TIFF rant has been brought up here numerous times before (and in posts in the SSD forum) by her, so apparently she views it as her mission to correct this issue. More power to her. Meanwhile, Sara, try to be a little less abrasive. I agree with 186 that you can word things differently and get the same point across, without people thinking you're an asshole. I happen to know you're not really an asshole, but the truth is that you do come across as one often.
#174 - Is TDC your store? The one that's bleeding designers.
Thanks for all the advice about tiff files w/Photoshop. I'm clearly ignorant of how to use them but will certainly try them now. I guess I just never even bothered looking at them. I'm a scrapper not a designer or anything. And I always like to learn new things about my program - it cost enough! (I was #180 btw)
I dont use or own any type of Photoshop. The program that I do use often flattens tiff files basically turning them in to a jpg. If I can use a tiff file, after saving the file becomes corrupted. It is very rare for me to be able to use a tiff file, which is why I do not use them and usually delete them. Right now I use psd and png files to scrap.
191 you need to get off the PSP or whatever and get yourself some PS or PSE.
^^^
what program do you use to scrap?
Could someone here please explain (or link to) how to save a tiff file template correctly please?
I can't access the link posted above as I'm not a member.
I always wondered why the tiff files were so big compared to the psd files in some templates, & othertimes were much smaller than the psd files.
Thanks :)
189 - No, somewhere smaller. But it also rather recently changed owners. The new owner has no idea what she's doing. Come to think of it, it's quasi-related to TDC in a round about way.
So when one of Funky Playground's designers turns in her resignation in a week, we'll all know who was posting here on the blog about having shitty sales.
192 are you buying me a new product so I can keep with the times?
193 I use an old version of psp, its what I could afford when I started scrapping and can't afford to upgrade.
I just went to Funky Playground to see who's even selling there and make a guess about who it might be. My first thought was Roseytoes. Clicked on her shop and if that's the correct answer, well here is why your sales are bad. You have 2 kits right at the top of your shop's first page that use the same exact CU leaves and not even recolored or anything. If you're putting the same exact CU items into your kits all of the time, you're boring your customers. Not to say you shouldn't use those leaves, but at least wait a kit or two before recycling them again LMAO.
189, how is TDC bleeding designers? I was surprised to read that and checked their site and they have 22 designers and 8 guests right now. The only designers I can think of that left TDC recently went to SSD and SO, a total of 3 people. Not exactly bleeding in my world.
PSP reads PSD files, so why someone would use PNG in PSP is beyond me.
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