Melissa and Ru don't design in the same style AT ALL. Comparing the two is silly. Someone who would like Ru's designs would probably never go for the cutesy stuff that other designers at SSD like Melissa make. FTR Melissa is not the only one there who designs like that. Ru kind of is the only one there who designs like Ru, though.
personally i'm excited to get tons of freebies from all my favorite designers. saves me $$$$. i don't know if i would want to 'spread the wealth' with my top competition. i don't get why all the owners are banding together? seems to defeat the purpose of separate stores. not that i'm complaining i'm looking forward to this!!!
3 - I see it differently LOL. I think that most customers who truly shop and buy end up spending most of their time at one site/store. I know I do. Doing something like this will help get customers to check out other stores that they know are good but maybe aren't visiting recently. I think it's really smart, mix things up a bit.
ITA w/ 4. As a former store owner, I can say that once a customer becomes a site-loyal follower they're not going anywhere. They'll be a loyal customer until the designers at that shop leave or until the site closes down. So if I were a store owner, I wouldn't be worried about losing sales, but I would be excited about earning a few sales here and there from other shop's site-loyals when they find a designer at my store they like to buy from on occasion. Even a few extra sales a month make a difference when looked at in bulk terms.
I'm 131 and OF COURSE there's a story behind it. But I don't want to completely out myself. I'm sure the little Piggy already has an idea of who I am. (And, by the way - her design name is Piggy Scraps. It fits her perfectly).
141 gave an excellent summary. Promoting "top" designers and leaving the rest of us alone. I thought I was one of the top designers since I qualified for the higher commission (made over $1,000 in 6 months), but I was still treated like garbage with newsletter ads (or lack of) and just promotion in general.
Hopefully Digilicious will like it at SBG and leave the Studio. She'll get some more of my money at least.
All they ever get is grief. (It's poor quality, it's not big enough, it's ugly colors, it's not original-so and so's part was junk-and so on and so on.) -----
Sadly not enough people will see your rude comment or they will not care because they will be getting something for free. -----
Really? I don't see it as arrogant nor rude and no, for your informatory, I'm not going to download anything from the blog train either. So there you go, it's not just because of something for free.
Like I said, 199, there's no way it's customers or freebie hunters complaining. It's designers who can't get in at top shops and are jealous and pissed - Yep.
If adults designers are MADE to feel inferior by what a few people say on Facebook or a blog then they need to do something different with their time. ----------------
I just dont feel like publicly humiliating people is very good customer service. - Are you kidding? Grow up and get busy if you think you should be acknowledged as a great designer. QUIT WHINING!
I don't like Melissa Bennett's stuff much either and I have had quality probs with her kits that I did buy..bought two during Christmas because I liked the colors. Tracy Reed normally doesn't rock my world at all but that's my taste. My faves at SSD are Ju Kniepp, Jenn Barrett, some KCB (not all by a long shot though), Shawna C. and some Penny Springman. I also like the templates from most of their designers there. Kristin Aagard at SO does delightful work especially for kids' themed pages. SO also has great templates from several different sources.
All they ever get is grief. (It's poor quality, it's not big enough, it's ugly colors, it's not original-so and so's part was junk-and so on and so on.) --OMG, quit whining! If you're a designer and you cannot stand reading or hearing customers say your work is poor quality, etc., go do something else. What's the customer supposed to do? Lie and say we think someone does great work when they don't? You know, when I pay my hard-earned money for a kit, I expect it ALL to be useable at the very least.
HAHA. I learned through this blog how to look for better quality designs and now I'm super picky. Designers I thought were great six mos. ago I don't buy from anymore.
I used to buy from Shabby Miss Jenn all the time and now I can't stand her work because of all the recoloring and duplication. I've deleted 90 per cent of her kits from my stash.
19-No, the poster wasn't a designer--I'm the poster, and I'm a customer. Second of all, I agree IF YOU PAY MONEY FOR A KIT--it should be great. I was specifically talking about freebies.
Well, one would THINK that a designer would want their freebies to be well done. If I don't get a decent freebie from someone, I sure as hell am not going to pay for shoddy work.
"$1000 in 6 months", means less than $200 PER month. That is not really a big seller. And if you say "OVER $1000", it could still be only $1100 in 6 months, which is still less than $200 PER month. Now, if OVER $1000 means you are making $4000, then THAT is different. But really, stating "OVER $1000/6 months" does not seem that much to many readers. I for one, make much more than that in my personal store!
I dare say the majority of designers make $200 or less a month. That's because there are so many of them. At the better stores you get numbers like above. At low and mid tier stores, you will probably have 1-3 designers who bring in 1000 or more per month that keep the store from closing.
^^^ITA I believe the majority of designers make way less than $200 a month. Many probably don't make $50. I think a lot of that has to do with the 3 P's {product, placement & pimpin'} You have to have a decent product, placement (or store) matters a lot, too. Your product might be bomb but if you're in a no traffic store it won't matter. Obviously pimpin' is marketing. Which can get your name out there and possibly get your product in the store you really want to be at.
Willing to bet most of those who make less than $200/mo spend a lot of time bitching about freebies and how they are ruining the business
You guys are just speculating how much a designer makes. Several of the designers I know make quite a lot. One makes about 3,000 a month, and she's only at one store. You probably wouldn't know who she is, as I haven't seen her brought up here at all. Since I ct for her, I won't bring her name up either. I wouldn't want her to get whacked.
You guys are just speculating how much a designer makes. Several of the designers I know make quite a lot. One makes about 3,000 a month, and she's only at one store. You probably wouldn't know who she is, as I haven't seen her brought up here at all. Since I ct for her, I won't bring her name up either. I wouldn't want her to get whacked. - Okay, and...?
38-So when people are saying most designers make less than $200.00 a month, they are probably wrong. I think several of the stores even have a quota higher than that. The designer I was talking about is fairly unknown, and she makes 3,000 a month.
According to a poll last fall in the DCR of DST, 54% of the voters said they make under $300, while 30% make between $300 and $1000, leaving only 16% making above $1000 per month. Those numbers might not be super accurate but we can see that the number of designers making more than $1000 is still a minority.
41 but why would they lie in detriment to themselves. I would think if someone was going to lie, they would say they make more and not less, wouldn't you?
I am a customer, not a designer, and I see other people who are bothered by this who are also not designers.
I do other things professionally where people who were really good at what they did were humble and happy to help me learn so I, too, got better. They didn't try to only go to events where I wasn't participating, too so they didn't have to be 'embarrassed by me.'
Sure, it may be honest to say you are embarrassed by people who aren't as good at your job as you are. It is still arrogant.
Your work and personality would be enough to separate you from the crowd, if you really are that good. You wouldn't need to go around telling people how you should be separated and only participating in things that separate you.
40. Just out of curiosity, to what benefit is there for a highly paid designer to participate in such a poll? To tell everyone that they make a whole bunch more money than the rest is just stupid. These polls are only as good as the people who bother to participate in them and if I were a designer making thousands of dollars a month, I certainly would not be advertising it to the community. I wouldn't be telling anyone for that matter. It seems to me that the people who want to know most are probably those wondering if they are wasting their time or not. I wouldn't see the point in telling them that they are not.
Well, I am a designer and the new blog train bothers me. It's not because I'm not good enough to sell in those shops (I've never wanted to). It's because of the clique mentality and the exclusionary nature of it. There are many really great designers that don't have an opportunity to participate just because they don't sell in one of those five shops. I agree that those five shops are some of the best in the industry, but they do not represent the entirety of "the best." And I do think it's a touch arrogant for them to act as if only those five shops contain designers worth shopping with (or downloading from) as that is simply not true.
The train is a good idea, in theory. But, they should have allowed designers from other stores to submit a sample of their work to "try out" for the train and try to earn a spot. That would have impressed me more than "you sell in one of these stores, therefore you are included." Because, as someone pointed out earlier, even those "elite, top tier stores" have some designers who aren't so great!
The DST train is just sad. I like to participate, but above posters are right. The palettes are often terrible and there is a lot of poor quality product offered through it. I wish there would be some quality standards set for that train.
Sure, it may be honest to say you are embarrassed by people who aren't as good at your job as you are. It is still arrogant. -- Did someone say this? That they were embarrassed by someone's designs?
If you are a designer who doesn't want to sell in those shops and are doing well, why would you even bother with this blog train anyway? Other than to benefit from these stores/designers customer base... which seems a bit entitled.
While I agree the exclusionary aspect of this blog train is a bit elitist, the expectation to be included because you're "just as good a designer" is a bit arrogant, too.
If you aren't on the list of stores, get with some designers from your store to start one. I'm guessing that's basically what happened. Those were probably the stores the people involved are at, rather than a conspiracy to exclude stores they didn't think were good enough. I guess we'll see when the train opens if there's any "better than you" marketing for it.
While I agree the exclusionary aspect of this blog train is a bit elitist, the expectation to be included because you're "just as good a designer" is a bit arrogant, too. -------------------- I never said that. Don't put words in my mouth.
Also, isn't it a bit of an assumption to say that the only reason I'd want to participate in that train would be to "benefit from their customer base"? If someone was a designer worth including in their elite little group, I'd assume they'd bring their own unique customer base to the party, too. And all those other stores would benefit from that, too, right?
Once again, you speak as if those five stores are the only stores/designers who have anything to offer the world. It is patently untrue. And yes, extremely arrogant.
I'm not #7, etc., but I sold at theStudio before and agree with her 100%. I also sold "over $1,000/6 months" for the upped commission. I averaged about $475 per month and was not a "top seller" to get Toiny's preferential treatment. She was a horrible owner and I'd never go back, even if she gave me 95% commission. I am now only at my personal store and make over $400 / month and I'm happy.
I'm guessing that's basically what happened. Those were probably the stores the people involved are at, rather than a conspiracy to exclude stores they didn't think were good enough. ------------
Once again, you speak as if those five stores are the only stores/designers who have anything to offer the world. It is patently untrue. And yes, extremely arrogant. ------
Arrogant of whom? The stores? I don't think so, as they ever said they were the only ones who had anything to offer.
I think it's funny that so many are going on and on about how elitist and cliquey and arrogant those stores are, and how they think they are so superior when all they did was get together to do a blog train. Oh the horror, how awful of them to do that.
For those of you who have your panties in a bunch about it, go and do your own blog train so we can then bitch about how arrogant, elitist and cliquey you are. You'll have 'made' it at last!
And to clarify, I'm not affiliated with any of the stores in question, nor do I even purchase from any of them, but the outrage by some here sure is funny.
Holding tryouts for a blog train would be a logistical nightmare not to mention a time suck of astronomical proportions. And they'd probably still be here complaining that they didn't get accepted.
The train is a good idea, in theory. But, they should have allowed designers from other stores to submit a sample of their work to "try out" for the train and try to earn a spot. -----
Wow, chill out designers! Nowhere does it say that these are the only designers or stores worth buying from or that anyone not included isn't good too. Limiting to designers in particular stores is an easy way to decide who can participate if it's not going to be open to everyone. This is a capitalism and business and no one owes it to anyone else to include them. If it's so important to be in this particular blogtrain then go apply at one of those 5 stores and move there so you can participate. Those that are every bit as good as the designers participating should have no trouble getting in then.
53 said: but the outrage by some here sure is funny.
Yes, I'm laughing too-but this is the way it always is here. You can skip coming here for months and then drop in and find the same thing. Over and over and over again. People with their panties in a wad, people bitching about freebies, people crabbing that the sales weren't good enough, and everything else.
My guess is that it's only going to be a handful of designers from each of the 5 stores anyway. It's still not going to be the most popular designers from those stores. Like a previous poster said I've never felt that designers didn't participate in the DST blog train because they felt they were better than everyone else, I just assumed they were successful/busy enough to not need it. They can post freebies on their sites without having to be a part of a blog train. Or I just figured they didn't hang out at DST. How many of the designers at these five stores are even active design members at DST?
Which is also why an income poll at DST isn't all that reliable. Designers making a steady income from their digital business, at any store, probably aren't sitting around answering income polls at DST. They would have stopped flushing their money down the toilet paying dues at DST a long time ago.
Boo Hoo about the Digiscrap Parade. There will be another one in 3 months. "The Parade has been founded as a way to bring together top designers from the very best digital scrapbooking shops on the web — on a quarterly basis* — in order to offer customers a fun sampling of the best that digital scrapbooking has to offer."
If you are implying that next time it will be different stores involved, you are definitely mistaken. It might be possible that more stores will be added (but I doubt it will ever be more than 1 or 2) but those 5 aren't going away.
Yes, they are calling those 5 "the very best digital scrapbooking shops on the web."
I've never felt that designers didn't participate in the DST blog train because they felt they were better than everyone else
Did you read the comment from the designer on the previous page who said she wasn't participating in DST blog trains because being associated with those designers would embarrass her?
Those were probably the stores the people involved are at, rather than a conspiracy to exclude stores they didn't think were good enough. I guess we'll see when the train opens if there's any "better than you" marketing for it.
There is already 'better than you' marketing for it.
Music festivals ... art shows ... fashion shows ... conventions ... speakers panels ... there are hundreds of ways across many industries that different levels of talent and experience come together. It's part of what keeps the industry growing and interesting, keeps new talent encouraged, gives people who are bored with 'same old' or who think they have seen it all a reason to check it out again. News Flash - new talent is GOOD for every industry.
Oh wait ... except for the digiscrap industry, where the 'established' talent is too embarrassed to be associated with the up-and-coming talent.
Nothing to see here. Just keep scrapping with the same stuff you always scrap with. Wouldn't want to divert any dollars to a new store or designer. Carry on.
The problem with that comparison is that everybody wears clothes, and I'd dare say almost everybody listens to and buys music, an extremely small number comparatively digiscrap. It's much more difficult to get your market share as a designer when there are so many designers and only so much money to go around. It's a highly competitive industry and yes, they want you to spend all your money with them in their store and don't want you to spend it with a new store or designer. No one expects Burger King to give tips to the new burger chain on the block, that's absurd, bad business so why should it be any different for a designer? Designers should do exactly what they think will help them make more money. It's ridiculous to think that they should help other designers or stores who sell competing products or that they are in any way obligated to participate in any given thing or to be fair. Life isn't fair. Business isn't fair. This isn't kindergarten.
having 5 stores come together for anything is an achievement in & of itself. They are the top stores, so they can use the "best" in their marketing/promo. If a store believes that they should be included I'm sure they know who to contact. I have never d/l a thing from the dst train because of the ugly colours/themes. I'm already looking forward to this train just from the sneak peeks. Its going to set a standard that Dst could use to raise there game.
I've just arrived here, so without me having to wind back through all the comments to find the answer, would someone enlighten me as to which 5 stores we are talking about.
I'm a designer and not offended at not being in one of the 'best' stores. They're not my style, and my sales are very good where I am, so why should it bother me? People take offense way to easily in this industry.
45 said - The train is a good idea, in theory. But, they should have allowed designers from other stores to submit a sample of their work to "try out" for the train and try to earn a spot. _____
How do you know that they won't allow that? Did you write them and ask? Were you already turned down? If not, it makes no sense for you to sit around and get all agitated over something when you don't even know the answers to these questions. But oh, you just wanted to publicly bitch about something.
Designers and customers who do NOT want to be selling at those stores are also put off by the self-proclaimed 'very best store' crap.
I'm pretty sure there are sites making as much if not more than those stores. They just don't have to tell everyone about it to feel good about themselves.
I don't care that 5 stores got together to do a blog train. I care that 5 stores are proclaiming themselves 'the very best' and setting up an elitism.
58 said - My guess is that it's only going to be a handful of designers from each of the 5 stores anyway. It's still not going to be the most popular designers from those stores _____
Satisfy my curiosity, please. Who do you believe the most popular designers are at each of the 5 stores? Someone give me your vote for a top 3 at each of those shops, so 15 people total, and then we'll see whether they're included when the train goes live next week.
74, so I suppose they should have instead marketed it as "bringing together a handful of designers from an average assortment of digital shops"? Think about it. If you're marketing something, do you call it average in order not to appear too elite? What did you expect them to say? Marketing school called - it wants to give you your tuition check back.
74, so I suppose they should have instead marketed it as "bringing together a handful of designers from an average assortment of digital shops"? Think about it. If you're marketing something, do you call it average in order not to appear too elite? What did you expect them to say? Marketing school called - it wants to give you your tuition check back.
----------- 'bringing together a group of highly skilled designers'
'bringing together a highly successful group of designers'
'bringing together some of the best designers in the industry'
Any of those would have been positive marketing without sounding like a bunch of arrogant asses. I'm quite sure this bunch of designers could come up with something less asshat-like, but they didn't want to.
79, how in the world does "a quarterly sampling of some of the best designers in digital scrapbooking" (plastered across the top of the web site) differ from "bringing together some of the best designers in the industry"? You're an idiot. It's the same damn thing. You're one of those people whose panties are going to be in a twist no matter what, aren't you, because otherwise life gets boring. Gotta create some drama where there isn't any. SMH
74, let these hags attack you all they want, I agree with you. The reason it's annoying people that these five shops are calling themselves "the very best" is because they DO have arrogant, elitist attitudes about themselves ALL the time. And really, I can pick a handful of really good to great designers in each of those stores, but I could also do the same in a whole bunch of other stores. Conversely, I can pick out some real CRAP in all five of those stores, too. They might be where the self-proclaimed cool kids hang out, but they are not without fault, no matter how much they puff themselves up.
#75 that is going to be very subjective, tastes vary traumatically.
TLP : one little bird, sahlin studio, paisley press SSD : Kirstin Cronin-barrow, Traci reed, Melissa bennet SO : kirstin Aagard, bella gypsy, fiddle dee designs SM : amy stoffel, hGD laurie anne, cluster queen ( pure guess work as I don't shop here) TDC : have no idea.
3 of these stores I don't shop at, perhaps I will get to know some new designers from the blog train.
82 what are you afraid that customers will figure out that it might be true, and that your shop is low level? why do you care how it's marketed?
^^^
If that were true, customers would be smart enough to figure it out on their own. Just like they are smart enough to decide who they think the very best stores are on their own.
I'll bite, 75, but only because I have nothing better to do. Hopefully, you'll follow up with a list of your own.
SO: Kristin Aagard, mleCard, SuzyQ and for templates Little Green Frog (I know you asked for 3, but her templates are awesome, so I'm including her)
SM: KimB, Stolen Moments, River Rose The majority of the rest of them are mediocre, at best. Some downright horrible and I'm shocked they sell there.
SSD: Harder to nail down a top 3 because they only have a few people that I think truly suck. But, going with Zoe Pearn, KCB and Julie Billingsley, with a nod toward Nettio because again, I love her templates. That third kit designer spot could have been shared with a number of others, though.
TDC: I can't even name three I'd buy from. I've not shopped here in ages, evidently. But, I'll give top 2 to Etc. by Danyale and Sherwood Studio. I think Kimeric would almost be #3, except I think her paper textures are a little too heavy-handed, for my taste, and I hate hate hate the way she shadows her previews.
TLP: I have never purchased anything in this store. The style of most designers is very different from what I'd normally use. But, without any claims as to quality (because I've never downloaded anything to check it), I think I could find things I would enjoy working with from Kaye Winiecki, Amy Wolff and One Little Bird.
Music festivals ... art shows ... fashion shows ... conventions ... speakers panels ... there are hundreds of ways across many industries that different levels of talent and experience come together. It's part of what keeps the industry growing and interesting, keeps new talent encouraged, gives people who are bored with 'same old' or who think they have seen it all a reason to check it out again. News Flash - new talent is GOOD for every industry.
Oh wait ... except for the digiscrap industry, where the 'established' talent is too embarrassed to be associated with the up-and-coming talent.
Nothing to see here. Just keep scrapping with the same stuff you always scrap with. Wouldn't want to divert any dollars to a new store or designer. Carry on. -----------
Wait ... What was that sound? Oh, the sound of ignorance and stupidity.
All those industries do exactly the same thing, where they "exclude" people they don't think are good enough.
The reason it's annoying people that these five shops are calling themselves "the very best" is because they DO have arrogant, elitist attitudes about themselves ALL the time. -----------
Proof please. I want to see where they have these attitudes ALL the time. Not just some of the time, but ALL the time.
Let people have pride in their work and in their stores! There is nothing wrong with this. Women putting down women bugs me to no end. I wish we could all be supportive of their success, stand up and applaud. I am looking forward to this blog train.
TLP - Sahlin Studio, Paislee Press, One Little Bird SO - Little Green Frog, Kristin Aagard Designs, Bella Gypsy SSD - Kristin Cronin-Barrow, Traci Reed, Jenn Barrette TDC - Etc by Danyale, Wishing Well Creations, Sherwood Studio SM - KimB's Designs, River~Rose Designs, Stolen Moments
TLP Sahlin Studio, One Little Bird, Kate Hadfield SO Little Green Frog, Kristin Aagard and MLE Card SSD Kristin Cronin-Barrow, Cindy Schneider, Zoe Pearn SM River~Rose, Stolen Moments and KimB
Are we guessing most popular? Highest sales? I think those are often different, depending on the designer. For instance at each of those stores there are designers who release tons of stuff every single week but I doubt they're the most popular or fan favorites or such. There are also designers who release less often but I bet get pounced on when they do.
96 again. I should have been more specific. For instance I think Zoe Pearn would be considered a fan favorite but she doesn't release as often as someone like Traci Reed or KCB. I bet they sell more than she does, but I bet when she does release the customers pounce on it.
I totally agree w/ 94's list except I would put Zoe Pearn in for Jenn Barrette on SSD's list, and Chelle's Creations instead of Kristin Aagard on SO's list, and Kimeric Kreations instead of Sherwood Studio on TDC's list, and I'd just add Down This Road to SM's list because I can't choose. This all has nothing to do with my personal tastes, but is based on who I think sells the most at each store and like 96/97 said, also based on who I think is the most popular or well-known at each store.
Well, as a customer, I would have to agree that these ARE the 5 best shops in digiland right now. That doesn't mean I like everything by everyone, but I can't name a single shop I would put above all of these 5 . . . all the panties-in-a-wad people - who would you list as the top 5 shops?
I like P&Co too, I'd agree with that. I like SBG, but it seems like there's no cohesiveness any more, sort of like OScraps, which has a few designers I really like, but I can't get a feel for the shop or forums.
I agree and I think P&Co or SBG could easily be included as well, but beyond that I can't think of any other shop that I put on the same level as those 5 (or 7 now)
Well I don't care whether these shops are justified in calling themselves "the best" or not, and I don't care to argue the point. All that matters to me is that I am actually looking forward to this blog train and I'm not a designer, I am just a CT for a lot of designers, but this is the first time a blog train has made me want to download things from it in a long while and I've only seen 3 sneaks. They're doing something right if I am already interested in it a week in advance.
Also interesting that all this chatter about it has made me look in each of those 5 stores this week, so you can't say it is dumb on their part.
Well already this is far more organized than anything the DST version has done for years. I recall that when Trish was still in charge of the DST train, people were lucky if she could even get the main post up by the start date each month, let alone ever be bothered to do anything extra. The colours seem to be far superior this time around too.
Those of you that create stuff for a designer - how often do you get paid? I haven't been paid in awhile and am wondering when it is okay to contact the designer about getting my money.
If your pay is three days late and they haven't explained, you should contact them. That goes for both ct not being paid by designers and designers not being paid by stores.
If you go longer than a month without pay {or it happens more than once), then you're being foolish by staying.
If your pay is three days late and they haven't explained, you should contact them. That goes for both ct not being paid by designers and designers not being paid by stores. -------
115 - You need to get over the new and original thing. No one makes anything original. Period. It's like waiting for the lamp genie to come out and give you 3 wishes. Never. Gonna. Happen.
I'm happy with nice colors and items that don't make me look at it and wonder WTF I was thinking when I downloaded it.
115 we've had this conversation over and over and over on this blog. There's almost never anything new and original in the digital scrapping world or the paper scrapping world. It's the same products and ideas, recycled over and over throughout time, with each designer putting her own spin on the idea - and maybe a new color swatch. Expecting anything other than that is futile.
Now with that said, most blog trains I've seen in the past few years have been lowly attempts at copying those trends of the digital/paper scrapping world, by novice designers who don't know what they're doing. To see a blog train on its way by designers who know what they're doing and can create a kit people can actually use? Yes please.
Expecting new and original is just going to get you disappointed IMO. I honestly can't remember the last kit/product I saw that was truly new or original. That hasn't stopped me from buying things though. Think about it.
Maybe 115 feels that the DST blog train has been full of "new and original" designs because nobody else would ever make or sell something so awful in the real scrapping industry? Hence new and original. SMH.
-You need to get over the new and original thing. No one makes anything original. Period. It's like waiting for the lamp genie to come out and give you 3 wishes. Never. Gonna. Happen.
------------
Sorry to disagree, but there are designers who make original items. Even so, there's no need to be quite so unoriginal as what I'm seeing in the sneak peeks.
t's the same products and ideas, recycled over and over throughout time, with each designer putting her own spin on the idea - and maybe a new color swatch. Expecting anything other than that is futile. ------
The so called 'top' stores like TDC, SSD, TLP, SO and SM, yes, they do recycle the same old crap over and over, which is why I don't shop there. But their customers don't seem to mind, so I guess there's no need to change the way they do things.
Maybe 115 feels that the DST blog train has been full of "new and original" designs because nobody else would ever make or sell something so awful in the real scrapping industry? Hence new and original. SMH. ----
WTF are you talking about? I don't do blog trains and I certainly don't think that about the DST blog train. Where the hell did you get that idea from? I think you need to quit shaking your head, it's rattling your brains.
So back to something we haven't discussed in a while: bad customer service. I wrote an email to a designer this Saturday about a coupon that wasn't working (yes I was logged in) and didn't get a response so I decided to try it on Facebook: still no response. More people have had this experience?
123 - Yep. Some designers are horrible and some are amazing. If they give me bad CS, I never shop with them again. Jady Day Studio lost my business a long time ago. I think she's the worst in the business. Mscraps also never gets back to me and I use their Contact Us form. I stopped shopping their ages ago, too.
I had bad customer service from Dido Designs. But I prefer to remember great customer service which was from: Rosey Posey Gina Miller Sahlin Studio Sugary Fancy Little Butterfly Wings Peppermint Creative Wishing Well Creations Vinnie Pearce Nerdy Scrappers Studio Scrapping with Liz (and these are the ones I remember this year)
126 - I can count on one hand the designers I've had to contact over the past FIVE years. I can't even imagine why you would need customer service from TEN designers in a four month period!
Not the OP at #126, but perhaps she's also referring to getting a thank you for your purchase email, which I have received in the past from Gina Miller and Vinnie Pearce.
126 - I can count on one hand the designers I've had to contact over the past FIVE years. I can't even imagine why you would need customer service from TEN designers in a four month period! ---
Designers and customers who do NOT want to be selling at those stores are also put off by the self-proclaimed 'very best store' crap. -----
Speak for yourself. I'm not put off, and I'm only customer but then again, I'm fairly confident about what I do generally, perhaps you are not?
I was speaking for myself. I didn't say ALL designers and customers. I was responding to people who said only designers who wannabe at those stores are complaining - and I am not that.
If I said I was a designer, and that if any of those 5 stores (and a couple of others) approached me and invited me to sell there, I would refuse them, would you all accuse me of lying?
Nothing at all. Her shadows are perfect if you believe that elements float oddly on a page when scrapped. They're too big, and too severe. It makes her products look fuzzy as though there's a quality issue, when in fact I have scrapped with her products before when I got them for free and they are actually rather nice. But you would never know that from the previews. The previews scream rookie designer to me, and I think she is better than that.
If I said I was a designer, and that if any of those 5 stores (and a couple of others) approached me and invited me to sell there, I would refuse them, would you all accuse me of lying? - I'd have my doubts, yes.
If I said I was a designer, and that if any of those 5 stores (and a couple of others) approached me and invited me to sell there, I would refuse them, would you all accuse me of lying? - I'd have my doubts, yes. ------
Would it make you doubt less if I said that I don't want to be that busy?
133 - ITA. Her previews make her product look blurry. I've never purchased because I don't want to spend money on something that the preview doesn't even make look like it's high quality.
#127 I meant I remember this year as in the last 12 months or 15 months tops. With some designers I contacted them because of free gifts I won, others sent me thank you notes, others were responding to questions I had and a few gave me a coupon because I lost the sale they had. Why is so hard for you to imagine why I contacted the designers? There are more designers I didn't mention. These were the ones I could track on facebook through my messages. When you're being nice you usually get a nice response in return.
I am the OP about the bad customer service. It was not about a coupon that the had send me as a 'thank you' but a coupon for not making a CT. I was nice in both messages, not even sarcastic. Something I am a lot!
136, it would make me wonder why you think any of us care about whether you want to sell at one of those shops or not. News flash = we don't care.
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I didn't think you'd care - obviously, or I wouldn't be posting her anonymously. I'm simply just trying to figure out if most people on this blog think it would be a lie to say I don't want to sell there.
Bring your favorite magazines to the i - Phone with an i - Phone app. However there are several troubleshooting steps you need to perform in order to determine the problem. She married singer Mark Anthony in2005 and released her next album called Rebirth.
142 - Why the hell do you care what we think? Nobody here would be able to answer that question anyway unless we knew more about you, where you sell already, that kind of thing. So what use is asking us if we think you're lying? WHO CARES?
Would it make you doubt less if I said that I don't want to be that busy? -- I'd still be doubtful. There's designers at those stores who minimally produce.
Jen Labre is about as batshit crazy as they come as is Jady Day Studio. You'll spend most of your time boosting their egos and reassuring them their products don't suck.
It's actually a pretty reasonable question given that so many have been attacked as 'jealous' when they said they are upset about that blog train.
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You don't want to be at a store where you will be too busy, but you want to be in the blog train and you want to be popular. Or something like that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trade-offs in life. I have to say your opinion of the blog train has less impact now that I know you want to have your cake and eat it, too.
You don't want to be at a store where you will be too busy, but you want to be in the blog train and you want to be popular. Or something like that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trade-offs in life. I have to say your opinion of the blog train has less impact now that I know you want to have your cake and eat it, too. ------- I didn't say I wanted to be in that blog train, either.
Saying I don't like it as it's elitist doesn't imply I want to be on it.
I am a designer, I don't sell at those stores, and I don't like the blog train - therefore by your assumptions, I must actually be jealous, want to be on the blog train, and want to sell at those stores.
Would it make you doubt less if I said that I don't want to be that busy? -- I'd still be doubtful. There's designers at those stores who minimally produce. ------------
Interesting that the DST blog train is put down for being "not as nice as the Parade one". Now, let's suppose that DST decided to pick who would participate in their train, or choose which contributions are accepted or not, I am sure people would scream injustice and call it a new clique. Now, what if all the blog trains were only for the established designers, or the popular ones, or the ones who the organizers like, what would happen to those newer designers? or the less experienced ones? Sure, the palette won't suit everyone. The contributions won't suit every taste and some would be downright worth the recycling bin but some participants are still trying to make it out there, and some are still learning. And maybe some could be new to you and be on their way to greater design. Like one train? Download from it. Don't like one? Don't download from it. Just stop putting any one down.
I really loathe the 'still learning' argument. If you are going put up something for sale, at least know more than the damn basics. When I buy something, I don't want to buy from a learner or beginner. I want to by something that I can't do or make, otherwise, what's the point?
Go suggest a color palette that you like to DST and tell them that they should choose who will participate in their train so that you could find only great products from veteran and well established designers. Maybe you can give them a list of the designers you feel deserve to participate. Then, you will get the blog train that will meet all your requirements (until someone else dissagrees with your choices and suggestions).
And I loathe your argument about not wanting to "buy from a learner or beginner" #165. No one is talking about buying, we are talking about a free blog train, FFS. No one is putting anything "up for sale." And more importantly, no one is forcing you to buy or download. Keep on walking if you don't like what you see!
Did you skip reading comprehension class, or are you just being stupid for the fun of it?
Did you skip reading comprehension class, or are you just being stupid for the fun of it? -------
Did you skip being a human being, or are just being an asshole for the fun of it?
The 'only learning' argument has been made before with SELLING designers, which I assume the ones on the DST blog train are, as they have access to the DCR where they have to have a shop, I do believe.
Next please and do try not to be such a dick next time.
Go suggest a color palette that you like to DST and tell them that they should choose who will participate in their train so that you could find only great products from veteran and well established designers. Maybe you can give them a list of the designers you feel deserve to participate. Then, you will get the blog train that will meet all your requirements (until someone else dissagrees with your choices and suggestions). --------
169, your point still makes ZERO sense. We weren't talking about buying, we were talking about a free blog train.
And yes, all you need is your own personal store to be in the designer forum at DST, and therefore eligible to sign up for the blog train. So, in that blog train you'll get beginners and more experienced designers, alike.
Once again, I'll repeat myself for those who are too thick-headed to catch on quickly: if you don't like what someone is offering, keep on walking. NO ONE is making you buy from a beginner or learner. I haven't changed my mind. Your argument is stupid.
Once again, I'll repeat myself for those who are too thick-headed to catch on quickly: if you don't like what someone is offering, keep on walking. NO ONE is making you buy from a beginner or learner. I haven't changed my mind. Your argument is stupid.
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You completely missed the point, didn't you? Doesn't surprise me, you are so busy being superior you can't see past anything else. You are still being a dick, do try better next time.
Wow, you are a trip. Trust me, I didn't miss any point. I just think your point is stupid.
Everyone is new and learning at some point. You have no right to say they shouldn't try to sell their work. Talk about someone who is too busy being superior!
Why anyone would feel slighted because they don't get to create products to give away for free is beyond me. It's like bitching about how long the line is to get punched in the face.
I'd be far more embarrassed to participate in the 'Parade' and identify myself as an arrogant dick. ------------------- It's lucky then that you don't qualify so you won't be placed in that quandary.
Based on the Parade previews, I won't be downloading. One of the previews prominently displays an item I know is CU because I have it... I was hoping for better.
Obviously SSD SO TLP and SM wouldn't have joined in to the Parade if they felt that TDC was beneath them or something. It's amusing that you assume the only reason TDC is included is because a couple of their designers are allegedly running it. As it's already been stated above, these are the stores I would have thought of first when making a list of top shops anyway, along with maybe SBG (falling downhill fast as of late though) and P&Co.
#146 and #152 - I was on Jenn Labre's CT for over 2 years, and I can say she is NOT bat sh#t crazy at all. She's very easy and pleasant to work for, so if you're interested, go for it. She's actually having a CT call right now.
You can go to http://digiscrapaddicts.com/forum/ and also get to the gallery I see. You just can't go to digiscrapaddicts.com. That is where the error is.
Why anyone would feel slighted because they don't get to create products to give away for free is beyond me. It's like bitching about how long the line is to get punched in the face.
--- ^^^I loved this. And just a tip, I would suggest that you don't pass on the parade blog train. It is huge and gorgeous. Just like my men.
Jen Labre is about as batshit crazy as they come as is Jady Day Studio. --
Both of these designers (they regularly use cu stuff as the bulk of their kits..which anyone could do themselves) think they're a whole lot better than they really are. Additionally, their personalities are tedious, attention-seeking and annoying. The only time I buy either is when they have done a collaboration with someone who is really talented.
As far as CU use, I *could* go spend a lot of money and buy all the CU products used, and then spend a lot of time making the same things - or I can go download it for free on the train and have a huge coordinated kit, ready to scrap with. I'll take the latter, thanks.
I really could care less if anyone uses CU. I rarely mix my kits too so unless it's the same item, unaltered, over and over in different kits, it doesn't bother me. If it's nicely recolored to match the kit then at least it saves me from having to do it myself. I can, but I don't want to. I'd rather have what I need in the kit I buy and spend my time scrapping rather than altering numerous stock items like flowers, buttons, ribbons, etc. to meet my needs, I get more LOs done that way.
Anyone know anything about Scrapyrus from MScraps? She seems to have come out of nowhere, but I think her kits are really cute and she doesn't look like a beginner to me. Is the designer actually someone more well known and just designing under that name?
As far as CU use, I *could* go spend a lot of money and buy all the CU products used, and then spend a lot of time making the same things - or I can go download it for free on the train and have a huge coordinated kit, ready to scrap with. I'll take the latter, thanks. -- This is all fine except you're kinda missing the whole point of the post but..oh, well. I wonder if you're the same person who CONSTANTLY just doesn't seem to get it?
If you are, how many times does it take someone telling you, "You're missing the point," before you sit back, reread something and maybe just try to comprehend what is actually being said?
1043 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 800 of 1043 Newer› Newest»Melissa and Ru don't design in the same style AT ALL. Comparing the two is silly. Someone who would like Ru's designs would probably never go for the cutesy stuff that other designers at SSD like Melissa make. FTR Melissa is not the only one there who designs like that. Ru kind of is the only one there who designs like Ru, though.
personally i'm excited to get tons of freebies from all my favorite designers. saves me $$$$. i don't know if i would want to 'spread the wealth' with my top competition. i don't get why all the owners are banding together? seems to defeat the purpose of separate stores. not that i'm complaining i'm looking forward to this!!!
3 - I see it differently LOL. I think that most customers who truly shop and buy end up spending most of their time at one site/store. I know I do. Doing something like this will help get customers to check out other stores that they know are good but maybe aren't visiting recently. I think it's really smart, mix things up a bit.
ITA w/ 4. As a former store owner, I can say that once a customer becomes a site-loyal follower they're not going anywhere. They'll be a loyal customer until the designers at that shop leave or until the site closes down. So if I were a store owner, I wouldn't be worried about losing sales, but I would be excited about earning a few sales here and there from other shop's site-loyals when they find a designer at my store they like to buy from on occasion. Even a few extra sales a month make a difference when looked at in bulk terms.
I find the most offensive part of that blog train is that SSD and TLP associate themselves with the shit at SO.
I'm 131 and OF COURSE there's a story behind it. But I don't want to completely out myself. I'm sure the little Piggy already has an idea of who I am. (And, by the way - her design name is Piggy Scraps. It fits her perfectly).
141 gave an excellent summary. Promoting "top" designers and leaving the rest of us alone. I thought I was one of the top designers since I qualified for the higher commission (made over $1,000 in 6 months), but I was still treated like garbage with newsletter ads (or lack of) and just promotion in general.
Hopefully Digilicious will like it at SBG and leave the Studio. She'll get some more of my money at least.
6 - There's shit everywhere. Even SSD (just bought from Traci Reed and it had quality issues) and CD Muckosky has had quality issues as well.
#7 - - um. you were a top designer there, and made on $1000 in six months? that's rather sad.
All they ever get is grief. (It's poor quality, it's not big enough, it's ugly colors, it's not original-so and so's part was junk-and so on and so on.)
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Oh, they do not. Stop being a drama llama.
I just dont feel like publicly humiliating people is very good customer service.
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Who is publicly humiliating anyone on that blog train? No one.
If someone is humiliated because they thought they should be included, that's their problem.
Sadly not enough people will see your rude comment or they will not care because they will be getting something for free.
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Really? I don't see it as arrogant nor rude and no, for your informatory, I'm not going to download anything from the blog train either. So there you go, it's not just because of something for free.
Like I said, 199, there's no way it's customers or freebie hunters complaining. It's designers who can't get in at top shops and are jealous and pissed
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Yep.
If adults designers are MADE to feel inferior by what a few people say on Facebook or a blog then they need to do something different with their time.
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Exactly.
I just dont feel like publicly humiliating people is very good customer service.
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Are you kidding? Grow up and get busy if you think you should be acknowledged as a great designer. QUIT WHINING!
*information not *informatory (post #12) - stupid fingers.
How does a blog train humiliate customers? If anything it would humiliate the designers they say aren't good enough to join in.
I don't like Melissa Bennett's stuff much either and I have had quality probs with her kits that I did buy..bought two during Christmas because I liked the colors. Tracy Reed normally doesn't rock my world at all but that's my taste. My faves at SSD are Ju Kniepp, Jenn Barrett, some KCB (not all by a long shot though), Shawna C. and some Penny Springman. I also like the templates from most of their designers there. Kristin Aagard at SO does delightful work especially for kids' themed pages. SO also has great templates from several different sources.
All they ever get is grief. (It's poor quality, it's not big enough, it's ugly colors, it's not original-so and so's part was junk-and so on and so on.)
--OMG, quit whining! If you're a designer and you cannot stand reading or hearing customers say your work is poor quality, etc., go do something else. What's the customer supposed to do? Lie and say we think someone does great work when they don't? You know, when I pay my hard-earned money for a kit, I expect it ALL to be useable at the very least.
How does a blog train humiliate customers? If anything it would humiliate the designers they say aren't good enough to join in.
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You are confusing this original poster with logic and he or she will no doubt take offense.
I find the most offensive part of that blog train is that SSD and TLP associate themselves with the shit at SO.
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I actually mostly agree with this but there are a few at SO that I still like, but, I do get what you're saying.
HAHA. I learned through this blog how to look for better quality designs and now I'm super picky. Designers I thought were great six mos. ago I don't buy from anymore.
I used to buy from Shabby Miss Jenn all the time and now I can't stand her work because of all the recoloring and duplication. I've deleted 90 per cent of her kits from my stash.
#9, did she mean $1000 a month?
19-No, the poster wasn't a designer--I'm the poster, and I'm a customer. Second of all, I agree IF YOU PAY MONEY FOR A KIT--it should be great. I was specifically talking about freebies.
Well, one would THINK that a designer would want their freebies to be well done. If I don't get a decent freebie from someone, I sure as hell am not going to pay for shoddy work.
^^ This.
No, 9 - I said OVER $1,000 / 6 months. Which was the number Piggy required for the commission bump.
Learn to comprehend what you read before being snarky.
I don't think you are being as clear as you think you are. Starting to feel some sympathy for the owner.
so let's see 28. over $1,000/6months reads to me as your TOTAL for 6 months was over $1,000. I agree with 9. Pretty damn sad.
"$1000 in 6 months", means less than $200 PER month. That is not really a big seller. And if you say "OVER $1000", it could still be only $1100 in 6 months, which is still less than $200 PER month. Now, if OVER $1000 means you are making $4000, then THAT is different. But really, stating "OVER $1000/6 months" does not seem that much to many readers. I for one, make much more than that in my personal store!
When my sales hit just over $1,000 in six months, it was the final nail in the coffin for me and I quit designing.
How much can a designer make anyway? It can't be alot of money.
I know one designer who averages 3 - 5k per month. NSD and Black Friday, etc. as much as 10k.
There's a bunch who average between 1500-3k mo.
Most make 500-1000 mo. And they work hard for that.
This is the shop and designers which I'm familiar.
I dare say the majority of designers make $200 or less a month. That's because there are so many of them. At the better stores you get numbers like above. At low and mid tier stores, you will probably have 1-3 designers who bring in 1000 or more per month that keep the store from closing.
^^^ITA
I believe the majority of designers make way less than $200 a month. Many probably don't make $50. I think a lot of that has to do with the 3 P's {product, placement & pimpin'} You have to have a decent product, placement (or store) matters a lot, too. Your product might be bomb but if you're in a no traffic store it won't matter. Obviously pimpin' is marketing. Which can get your name out there and possibly get your product in the store you really want to be at.
Willing to bet most of those who make less than $200/mo spend a lot of time bitching about freebies and how they are ruining the business
You guys are just speculating how much a designer makes. Several of the designers I know make quite a lot. One makes about 3,000 a month, and she's only at one store. You probably wouldn't know who she is, as I haven't seen her brought up here at all. Since I ct for her, I won't bring her name up either. I wouldn't want her to get whacked.
You guys are just speculating how much a designer makes. Several of the designers I know make quite a lot. One makes about 3,000 a month, and she's only at one store. You probably wouldn't know who she is, as I haven't seen her brought up here at all. Since I ct for her, I won't bring her name up either. I wouldn't want her to get whacked.
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Okay, and...?
38-So when people are saying most designers make less than $200.00 a month, they are probably wrong. I think several of the stores even have a quota higher than that. The designer I was talking about is fairly unknown, and she makes 3,000 a month.
According to a poll last fall in the DCR of DST, 54% of the voters said they make under $300, while 30% make between $300 and $1000, leaving only 16% making above $1000 per month. Those numbers might not be super accurate but we can see that the number of designers making more than $1000 is still a minority.
newsflash - people lie, even when anonymous.
41 but why would they lie in detriment to themselves. I would think if someone was going to lie, they would say they make more and not less, wouldn't you?
I am a customer, not a designer, and I see other people who are bothered by this who are also not designers.
I do other things professionally where people who were really good at what they did were humble and happy to help me learn so I, too, got better. They didn't try to only go to events where I wasn't participating, too so they didn't have to be 'embarrassed by me.'
Sure, it may be honest to say you are embarrassed by people who aren't as good at your job as you are. It is still arrogant.
Your work and personality would be enough to separate you from the crowd, if you really are that good. You wouldn't need to go around telling people how you should be separated and only participating in things that separate you.
40. Just out of curiosity, to what benefit is there for a highly paid designer to participate in such a poll? To tell everyone that they make a whole bunch more money than the rest is just stupid. These polls are only as good as the people who bother to participate in them and if I were a designer making thousands of dollars a month, I certainly would not be advertising it to the community. I wouldn't be telling anyone for that matter. It seems to me that the people who want to know most are probably those wondering if they are wasting their time or not. I wouldn't see the point in telling them that they are not.
Well, I am a designer and the new blog train bothers me. It's not because I'm not good enough to sell in those shops (I've never wanted to). It's because of the clique mentality and the exclusionary nature of it. There are many really great designers that don't have an opportunity to participate just because they don't sell in one of those five shops. I agree that those five shops are some of the best in the industry, but they do not represent the entirety of "the best." And I do think it's a touch arrogant for them to act as if only those five shops contain designers worth shopping with (or downloading from) as that is simply not true.
The train is a good idea, in theory. But, they should have allowed designers from other stores to submit a sample of their work to "try out" for the train and try to earn a spot. That would have impressed me more than "you sell in one of these stores, therefore you are included." Because, as someone pointed out earlier, even those "elite, top tier stores" have some designers who aren't so great!
The DST train is just sad. I like to participate, but above posters are right. The palettes are often terrible and there is a lot of poor quality product offered through it. I wish there would be some quality standards set for that train.
Sure, it may be honest to say you are embarrassed by people who aren't as good at your job as you are. It is still arrogant.
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Did someone say this? That they were embarrassed by someone's designs?
If you are a designer who doesn't want to sell in those shops and are doing well, why would you even bother with this blog train anyway? Other than to benefit from these stores/designers customer base... which seems a bit entitled.
While I agree the exclusionary aspect of this blog train is a bit elitist, the expectation to be included because you're "just as good a designer" is a bit arrogant, too.
If you aren't on the list of stores, get with some designers from your store to start one. I'm guessing that's basically what happened. Those were probably the stores the people involved are at, rather than a conspiracy to exclude stores they didn't think were good enough. I guess we'll see when the train opens if there's any "better than you" marketing for it.
While I agree the exclusionary aspect of this blog train is a bit elitist, the expectation to be included because you're "just as good a designer" is a bit arrogant, too.
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I never said that. Don't put words in my mouth.
Also, isn't it a bit of an assumption to say that the only reason I'd want to participate in that train would be to "benefit from their customer base"? If someone was a designer worth including in their elite little group, I'd assume they'd bring their own unique customer base to the party, too. And all those other stores would benefit from that, too, right?
Once again, you speak as if those five stores are the only stores/designers who have anything to offer the world. It is patently untrue. And yes, extremely arrogant.
I'm not #7, etc., but I sold at theStudio before and agree with her 100%. I also sold "over $1,000/6 months" for the upped commission. I averaged about $475 per month and was not a "top seller" to get Toiny's preferential treatment. She was a horrible owner and I'd never go back, even if she gave me 95% commission. I am now only at my personal store and make over $400 / month and I'm happy.
42 - That's what I am getting at. I think way more than 54% make less than $300/mo and far fewer make in the thousands
I'm guessing that's basically what happened. Those were probably the stores the people involved are at, rather than a conspiracy to exclude stores they didn't think were good enough.
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agree with this.
Once again, you speak as if those five stores are the only stores/designers who have anything to offer the world. It is patently untrue. And yes, extremely arrogant.
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Arrogant of whom? The stores? I don't think so, as they ever said they were the only ones who had anything to offer.
I think it's funny that so many are going on and on about how elitist and cliquey and arrogant those stores are, and how they think they are so superior when all they did was get together to do a blog train. Oh the horror, how awful of them to do that.
For those of you who have your panties in a bunch about it, go and do your own blog train so we can then bitch about how arrogant, elitist and cliquey you are. You'll have 'made' it at last!
And to clarify, I'm not affiliated with any of the stores in question, nor do I even purchase from any of them, but the outrage by some here sure is funny.
Holding tryouts for a blog train would be a logistical nightmare not to mention a time suck of astronomical proportions. And they'd probably still be here complaining that they didn't get accepted.
The train is a good idea, in theory. But, they should have allowed designers from other stores to submit a sample of their work to "try out" for the train and try to earn a spot.
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Why should they have? I honestly want to know.
Wow, chill out designers! Nowhere does it say that these are the only designers or stores worth buying from or that anyone not included isn't good too. Limiting to designers in particular stores is an easy way to decide who can participate if it's not going to be open to everyone. This is a capitalism and business and no one owes it to anyone else to include them. If it's so important to be in this particular blogtrain then go apply at one of those 5 stores and move there so you can participate. Those that are every bit as good as the designers participating should have no trouble getting in then.
53 said: but the outrage by some here sure is funny.
Yes, I'm laughing too-but this is the way it always is here. You can skip coming here for months and then drop in and find the same thing. Over and over and over again. People with their panties in a wad, people bitching about freebies, people crabbing that the sales weren't good enough, and everything else.
My guess is that it's only going to be a handful of designers from each of the 5 stores anyway. It's still not going to be the most popular designers from those stores. Like a previous poster said I've never felt that designers didn't participate in the DST blog train because they felt they were better than everyone else, I just assumed they were successful/busy enough to not need it. They can post freebies on their sites without having to be a part of a blog train. Or I just figured they didn't hang out at DST. How many of the designers at these five stores are even active design members at DST?
Which is also why an income poll at DST isn't all that reliable. Designers making a steady income from their digital business, at any store, probably aren't sitting around answering income polls at DST. They would have stopped flushing their money down the toilet paying dues at DST a long time ago.
This is a capitalism and business and no one owes it to anyone else to include them.
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Exactly!
Boo Hoo about the Digiscrap Parade. There will be another one in 3 months.
"The Parade has been founded as a way to bring together top designers from the very best digital scrapbooking shops on the web — on a quarterly basis* — in order to offer customers a fun sampling of the best that digital scrapbooking has to offer."
If you are implying that next time it will be different stores involved, you are definitely mistaken. It might be possible that more stores will be added (but I doubt it will ever be more than 1 or 2) but those 5 aren't going away.
Yes, they are calling those 5 "the very best digital scrapbooking shops on the web."
Let the whining begin....
49 - I'm 47 and if my post was directed at you, I would have stated as such.
I was speaking generally which is why I didn't address any post directly. It was more a summary of all the whining happening pertaining to this topic.
I've never felt that designers didn't participate in the DST blog train because they felt they were better than everyone else
Did you read the comment from the designer on the previous page who said she wasn't participating in DST blog trains because being associated with those designers would embarrass her?
Those were probably the stores the people involved are at, rather than a conspiracy to exclude stores they didn't think were good enough. I guess we'll see when the train opens if there's any "better than you" marketing for it.
There is already 'better than you' marketing for it.
Music festivals ... art shows ... fashion shows ... conventions ... speakers panels ... there are hundreds of ways across many industries that different levels of talent and experience come together. It's part of what keeps the industry growing and interesting, keeps new talent encouraged, gives people who are bored with 'same old' or who think they have seen it all a reason to check it out again. News Flash - new talent is GOOD for every industry.
Oh wait ... except for the digiscrap industry, where the 'established' talent is too embarrassed to be associated with the up-and-coming talent.
Nothing to see here. Just keep scrapping with the same stuff you always scrap with. Wouldn't want to divert any dollars to a new store or designer. Carry on.
I guess you didn't look at the last DST blog train.
The problem with that comparison is that everybody wears clothes, and I'd dare say almost everybody listens to and buys music, an extremely small number comparatively digiscrap. It's much more difficult to get your market share as a designer when there are so many designers and only so much money to go around. It's a highly competitive industry and yes, they want you to spend all your money with them in their store and don't want you to spend it with a new store or designer. No one expects Burger King to give tips to the new burger chain on the block, that's absurd, bad business so why should it be any different for a designer? Designers should do exactly what they think will help them make more money. It's ridiculous to think that they should help other designers or stores who sell competing products or that they are in any way obligated to participate in any given thing or to be fair. Life isn't fair. Business isn't fair. This isn't kindergarten.
You're right 65, they totally should have gotten Harper Finch.
having 5 stores come together for anything is an achievement in & of itself. They are the top stores, so they can use the "best" in their marketing/promo. If a store believes that they should be included I'm sure they know who to contact. I have never d/l a thing from the dst train because of the ugly colours/themes. I'm already looking forward to this train just from the sneak peeks. Its going to set a standard that Dst could use to raise there game.
I've just arrived here, so without me having to wind back through all the comments to find the answer, would someone enlighten me as to which 5 stores we are talking about.
I'm a designer and not offended at not being in one of the 'best' stores. They're not my style, and my sales are very good where I am, so why should it bother me? People take offense way to easily in this industry.
#70 - it's SO, SM, SSD, TLP, TDC
My question, anyone know who started it and who owns the site? Just curious.
45 said - The train is a good idea, in theory. But, they should have allowed designers from other stores to submit a sample of their work to "try out" for the train and try to earn a spot.
_____
How do you know that they won't allow that? Did you write them and ask? Were you already turned down? If not, it makes no sense for you to sit around and get all agitated over something when you don't even know the answers to these questions. But oh, you just wanted to publicly bitch about something.
Designers and customers who do NOT want to be selling at those stores are also put off by the self-proclaimed 'very best store' crap.
I'm pretty sure there are sites making as much if not more than those stores. They just don't have to tell everyone about it to feel good about themselves.
I don't care that 5 stores got together to do a blog train. I care that 5 stores are proclaiming themselves 'the very best' and setting up an elitism.
58 said - My guess is that it's only going to be a handful of designers from each of the 5 stores anyway. It's still not going to be the most popular designers from those stores
_____
Satisfy my curiosity, please. Who do you believe the most popular designers are at each of the 5 stores? Someone give me your vote for a top 3 at each of those shops, so 15 people total, and then we'll see whether they're included when the train goes live next week.
Number 50 comment author, why was Toiny such a bad store owner?
74, so I suppose they should have instead marketed it as "bringing together a handful of designers from an average assortment of digital shops"? Think about it. If you're marketing something, do you call it average in order not to appear too elite? What did you expect them to say? Marketing school called - it wants to give you your tuition check back.
#75- I can't wait to see peoples answers to this.
74, so I suppose they should have instead marketed it as "bringing together a handful of designers from an average assortment of digital shops"? Think about it. If you're marketing something, do you call it average in order not to appear too elite? What did you expect them to say? Marketing school called - it wants to give you your tuition check back.
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'bringing together a group of highly skilled designers'
'bringing together a highly successful group of designers'
'bringing together some of the best designers in the industry'
Any of those would have been positive marketing without sounding like a bunch of arrogant asses. I'm quite sure this bunch of designers could come up with something less asshat-like, but they didn't want to.
79, how in the world does "a quarterly sampling of some of the best designers in digital scrapbooking" (plastered across the top of the web site) differ from "bringing together some of the best designers in the industry"? You're an idiot. It's the same damn thing. You're one of those people whose panties are going to be in a twist no matter what, aren't you, because otherwise life gets boring. Gotta create some drama where there isn't any. SMH
78, answer it then
It also says this:
The Parade has been founded as a way to bring together top designers from the very best digital scrapbooking shops on the web — on a quarterly basis
pick pick pick
82 what are you afraid that customers will figure out that it might be true, and that your shop is low level? why do you care how it's marketed?
74, let these hags attack you all they want, I agree with you. The reason it's annoying people that these five shops are calling themselves "the very best" is because they DO have arrogant, elitist attitudes about themselves ALL the time. And really, I can pick a handful of really good to great designers in each of those stores, but I could also do the same in a whole bunch of other stores. Conversely, I can pick out some real CRAP in all five of those stores, too. They might be where the self-proclaimed cool kids hang out, but they are not without fault, no matter how much they puff themselves up.
#75 that is going to be very subjective, tastes vary traumatically.
TLP : one little bird, sahlin studio, paisley press
SSD : Kirstin Cronin-barrow, Traci reed, Melissa bennet
SO : kirstin Aagard, bella gypsy, fiddle dee designs
SM : amy stoffel, hGD laurie anne, cluster queen ( pure guess work as I don't shop here)
TDC : have no idea.
3 of these stores I don't shop at, perhaps I will get to know some new designers from the blog train.
82 what are you afraid that customers will figure out that it might be true, and that your shop is low level? why do you care how it's marketed?
^^^
If that were true, customers would be smart enough to figure it out on their own. Just like they are smart enough to decide who they think the very best stores are on their own.
I'll bite, 75, but only because I have nothing better to do. Hopefully, you'll follow up with a list of your own.
SO:
Kristin Aagard, mleCard, SuzyQ and for templates Little Green Frog (I know you asked for 3, but her templates are awesome, so I'm including her)
SM:
KimB, Stolen Moments, River Rose
The majority of the rest of them are mediocre, at best. Some downright horrible and I'm shocked they sell there.
SSD:
Harder to nail down a top 3 because they only have a few people that I think truly suck. But, going with Zoe Pearn, KCB and Julie Billingsley, with a nod toward Nettio because again, I love her templates. That third kit designer spot could have been shared with a number of others, though.
TDC:
I can't even name three I'd buy from. I've not shopped here in ages, evidently. But, I'll give top 2 to Etc. by Danyale and Sherwood Studio. I think Kimeric would almost be #3, except I think her paper textures are a little too heavy-handed, for my taste, and I hate hate hate the way she shadows her previews.
TLP:
I have never purchased anything in this store. The style of most designers is very different from what I'd normally use. But, without any claims as to quality (because I've never downloaded anything to check it), I think I could find things I would enjoy working with from Kaye Winiecki, Amy Wolff and One Little Bird.
Music festivals ... art shows ... fashion shows ... conventions ... speakers panels ... there are hundreds of ways across many industries that different levels of talent and experience come together. It's part of what keeps the industry growing and interesting, keeps new talent encouraged, gives people who are bored with 'same old' or who think they have seen it all a reason to check it out again. News Flash - new talent is GOOD for every industry.
Oh wait ... except for the digiscrap industry, where the 'established' talent is too embarrassed to be associated with the up-and-coming talent.
Nothing to see here. Just keep scrapping with the same stuff you always scrap with. Wouldn't want to divert any dollars to a new store or designer. Carry on.
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Wait ... What was that sound? Oh, the sound of ignorance and stupidity.
All those industries do exactly the same thing, where they "exclude" people they don't think are good enough.
Designers and customers who do NOT want to be selling at those stores are also put off by the self-proclaimed 'very best store' crap.
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Speak for yourself. I'm not put off, and I'm only customer but then again, I'm fairly confident about what I do generally, perhaps you are not?
The reason it's annoying people that these five shops are calling themselves "the very best" is because they DO have arrogant, elitist attitudes about themselves ALL the time.
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Proof please. I want to see where they have these attitudes ALL the time. Not just some of the time, but ALL the time.
that is going to be very subjective, tastes vary traumatically.
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I think you mean dramatically, although, judging by some on here, traumatically may be right :)
Let people have pride in their work and in their stores! There is nothing wrong with this. Women putting down women bugs me to no end. I wish we could all be supportive of their success, stand up and applaud. I am looking forward to this blog train.
My top 15 guesses at the most popular:
TLP - Sahlin Studio, Paislee Press, One Little Bird
SO - Little Green Frog, Kristin Aagard Designs, Bella Gypsy
SSD - Kristin Cronin-Barrow, Traci Reed, Jenn Barrette
TDC - Etc by Danyale, Wishing Well Creations, Sherwood Studio
SM - KimB's Designs, River~Rose Designs, Stolen Moments
My top 15 guesses for the most popular would be
TLP Sahlin Studio, One Little Bird, Kate Hadfield
SO Little Green Frog, Kristin Aagard and MLE Card
SSD Kristin Cronin-Barrow, Cindy Schneider, Zoe Pearn
SM River~Rose, Stolen Moments and KimB
Are we guessing most popular? Highest sales? I think those are often different, depending on the designer. For instance at each of those stores there are designers who release tons of stuff every single week but I doubt they're the most popular or fan favorites or such. There are also designers who release less often but I bet get pounced on when they do.
96 again. I should have been more specific. For instance I think Zoe Pearn would be considered a fan favorite but she doesn't release as often as someone like Traci Reed or KCB. I bet they sell more than she does, but I bet when she does release the customers pounce on it.
I totally agree w/ 94's list except I would put Zoe Pearn in for Jenn Barrette on SSD's list, and Chelle's Creations instead of Kristin Aagard on SO's list, and Kimeric Kreations instead of Sherwood Studio on TDC's list, and I'd just add Down This Road to SM's list because I can't choose. This all has nothing to do with my personal tastes, but is based on who I think sells the most at each store and like 96/97 said, also based on who I think is the most popular or well-known at each store.
Well, as a customer, I would have to agree that these ARE the 5 best shops in digiland right now. That doesn't mean I like everything by everyone, but I can't name a single shop I would put above all of these 5 . . . all the panties-in-a-wad people - who would you list as the top 5 shops?
SSD, TLP, SO, SBG, and SM and I think that P&Co is on the rise and right up there with TDC right behind those other 5.
72 - I heard it's someone from TDC but I don't know who
I like P&Co too, I'd agree with that. I like SBG, but it seems like there's no cohesiveness any more, sort of like OScraps, which has a few designers I really like, but I can't get a feel for the shop or forums.
I agree and I think P&Co or SBG could easily be included as well, but beyond that I can't think of any other shop that I put on the same level as those 5 (or 7 now)
Well I don't care whether these shops are justified in calling themselves "the best" or not, and I don't care to argue the point. All that matters to me is that I am actually looking forward to this blog train and I'm not a designer, I am just a CT for a lot of designers, but this is the first time a blog train has made me want to download things from it in a long while and I've only seen 3 sneaks. They're doing something right if I am already interested in it a week in advance.
Also interesting that all this chatter about it has made me look in each of those 5 stores this week, so you can't say it is dumb on their part.
I also can't wait to see and download this blog train! These shops all already have my business, and this is doing nothing to discourage it.
Where can I see sneaks??
if you subscribe to the facebook page they are posting sneak peeks each day until may 1
www.facebook.com/DigiscrapParade
I've seen the sneak peaks and they aren't making me change my mind. So far, it looks the same old same old.
Well already this is far more organized than anything the DST version has done for years. I recall that when Trish was still in charge of the DST train, people were lucky if she could even get the main post up by the start date each month, let alone ever be bothered to do anything extra. The colours seem to be far superior this time around too.
Those of you that create stuff for a designer - how often do you get paid? I haven't been paid in awhile and am wondering when it is okay to contact the designer about getting my money.
It's been a few months.
If your pay is three days late and they haven't explained, you should contact them. That goes for both ct not being paid by designers and designers not being paid by stores.
If you go longer than a month without pay {or it happens more than once), then you're being foolish by staying.
If your pay is three days late and they haven't explained, you should contact them. That goes for both ct not being paid by designers and designers not being paid by stores.
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This.
I don't think the sneak previews look anything special IMO. This whole discussion reminds me a bit of the story of the Emperor's New Clothes!!
The best thing about the sneak previews is that they don't look like complete and utter crap.
^^^^^^
True, but they don't look like anything new and original either
You'd think with the number of designers that bitch about not getting paid that they'd be more careful about paying their people on time.
115 - You need to get over the new and original thing. No one makes anything original. Period. It's like waiting for the lamp genie to come out and give you 3 wishes. Never. Gonna. Happen.
I'm happy with nice colors and items that don't make me look at it and wonder WTF I was thinking when I downloaded it.
115 we've had this conversation over and over and over on this blog. There's almost never anything new and original in the digital scrapping world or the paper scrapping world. It's the same products and ideas, recycled over and over throughout time, with each designer putting her own spin on the idea - and maybe a new color swatch. Expecting anything other than that is futile.
Now with that said, most blog trains I've seen in the past few years have been lowly attempts at copying those trends of the digital/paper scrapping world, by novice designers who don't know what they're doing. To see a blog train on its way by designers who know what they're doing and can create a kit people can actually use? Yes please.
Expecting new and original is just going to get you disappointed IMO. I honestly can't remember the last kit/product I saw that was truly new or original. That hasn't stopped me from buying things though. Think about it.
Maybe 115 feels that the DST blog train has been full of "new and original" designs because nobody else would ever make or sell something so awful in the real scrapping industry? Hence new and original. SMH.
-You need to get over the new and original thing. No one makes anything original. Period. It's like waiting for the lamp genie to come out and give you 3 wishes. Never. Gonna. Happen.
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Sorry to disagree, but there are designers who make original items. Even so, there's no need to be quite so unoriginal as what I'm seeing in the sneak peeks.
t's the same products and ideas, recycled over and over throughout time, with each designer putting her own spin on the idea - and maybe a new color swatch. Expecting anything other than that is futile.
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The so called 'top' stores like TDC, SSD, TLP, SO and SM, yes, they do recycle the same old crap over and over, which is why I don't shop there. But their customers don't seem to mind, so I guess there's no need to change the way they do things.
Maybe 115 feels that the DST blog train has been full of "new and original" designs because nobody else would ever make or sell something so awful in the real scrapping industry? Hence new and original. SMH.
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WTF are you talking about? I don't do blog trains and I certainly don't think that about the DST blog train. Where the hell did you get that idea from? I think you need to quit shaking your head, it's rattling your brains.
So back to something we haven't discussed in a while: bad customer service. I wrote an email to a designer this Saturday about a coupon that wasn't working (yes I was logged in) and didn't get a response so I decided to try it on Facebook: still no response. More people have had this experience?
123 - Yep. Some designers are horrible and some are amazing. If they give me bad CS, I never shop with them again. Jady Day Studio lost my business a long time ago. I think she's the worst in the business. Mscraps also never gets back to me and I use their Contact Us form. I stopped shopping their ages ago, too.
My Top 3 Designers from each shop:
TLP:Sahlin Studio, Little Butterfly Wings, Valorie Wibbens
SSD:Jenn Barrette, Kristin Cronin-Barrow, Erica Zane
SO:Tracie Stroud, Sugary Fancy, Kristin Aagard Designs
TDC:Wishing Well Creations, Etc. by Danyale,
Quirky Twerp
SM:LDrag Designs, Litabell Designs, Amy Stofel
I Have more favorites in TLP and SSD. I chose the designers I have bought most products from.
I had bad customer service from Dido Designs.
But I prefer to remember great customer service which was from:
Rosey Posey
Gina Miller
Sahlin Studio
Sugary Fancy
Little Butterfly Wings
Peppermint Creative
Wishing Well Creations
Vinnie Pearce
Nerdy Scrappers Studio
Scrapping with Liz
(and these are the ones I remember this year)
126 - I can count on one hand the designers I've had to contact over the past FIVE years. I can't even imagine why you would need customer service from TEN designers in a four month period!
Not the OP at #126, but perhaps she's also referring to getting a thank you for your purchase email, which I have received in the past from Gina Miller and Vinnie Pearce.
126 - I can count on one hand the designers I've had to contact over the past FIVE years. I can't even imagine why you would need customer service from TEN designers in a four month period!
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Same here
Designers and customers who do NOT want to be selling at those stores are also put off by the self-proclaimed 'very best store' crap.
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Speak for yourself. I'm not put off, and I'm only customer but then again, I'm fairly confident about what I do generally, perhaps you are not?
I was speaking for myself. I didn't say ALL designers and customers. I was responding to people who said only designers who wannabe at those stores are complaining - and I am not that.
If I said I was a designer, and that if any of those 5 stores (and a couple of others) approached me and invited me to sell there, I would refuse them, would you all accuse me of lying?
I had to go check out Kimeric ... what do you have about her shadows?
Nothing at all. Her shadows are perfect if you believe that elements float oddly on a page when scrapped. They're too big, and too severe. It makes her products look fuzzy as though there's a quality issue, when in fact I have scrapped with her products before when I got them for free and they are actually rather nice. But you would never know that from the previews. The previews scream rookie designer to me, and I think she is better than that.
When is the last time you looked at them? They look fine to me.
If I said I was a designer, and that if any of those 5 stores (and a couple of others) approached me and invited me to sell there, I would refuse them, would you all accuse me of lying?
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I'd have my doubts, yes.
If I said I was a designer, and that if any of those 5 stores (and a couple of others) approached me and invited me to sell there, I would refuse them, would you all accuse me of lying?
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I'd have my doubts, yes.
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Would it make you doubt less if I said that I don't want to be that busy?
133 - ITA. Her previews make her product look blurry. I've never purchased because I don't want to spend money on something that the preview doesn't even make look like it's high quality.
Her shadows are really dark, too .... and not really very varied. Big heavy shadows on things that probably would lay fairly close to the page.
Looking at her CT layouts, I tend to agree with the comment that she's a bit heavy-handed with the texture, too.
#127
I meant I remember this year as in the last 12 months or 15 months tops.
With some designers I contacted them because of free gifts I won, others sent me thank you notes, others were responding to questions I had and a few gave me a coupon because I lost the sale they had.
Why is so hard for you to imagine why I contacted the designers? There are more designers I didn't mention. These were the ones I could track on facebook through my messages.
When you're being nice you usually get a nice response in return.
136, it would make me wonder why you think any of us care about whether you want to sell at one of those shops or not. News flash = we don't care.
I am the OP about the bad customer service. It was not about a coupon that the had send me as a 'thank you' but a coupon for not making a CT. I was nice in both messages, not even sarcastic. Something I am a lot!
136, it would make me wonder why you think any of us care about whether you want to sell at one of those shops or not. News flash = we don't care.
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I didn't think you'd care - obviously, or I wouldn't be posting her anonymously. I'm simply just trying to figure out if most people on this blog think it would be a lie to say I don't want to sell there.
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I love Kimeric's Collections. I've used them for several months now.
Does anyone know if SSD does an annual Babe call? I know last year's was in May, but I've only been digi for about 2 years. Thanks!
I wish there was a place to check and see if a designer is a bear to work for on a CT. I'd like to know if they're batshit crazy before I apply.
146 - Why don't you ask here? Someone might tell you.
142 - Why the hell do you care what we think? Nobody here would be able to answer that question anyway unless we knew more about you, where you sell already, that kind of thing. So what use is asking us if we think you're lying? WHO CARES?
I'd say this is where you'd check.
People ask all sorts of questions here, I'm not sure why mine deserves being shouted at.
I am simply asking if it's ever believable that a designer doesn't want to be at those stores.
It's actually a pretty reasonable question given that so many have been attacked as 'jealous' when they said they are upset about that blog train.
Would it make you doubt less if I said that I don't want to be that busy?
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I'd still be doubtful. There's designers at those stores who minimally produce.
Jen Labre is about as batshit crazy as they come as is Jady Day Studio. You'll spend most of your time boosting their egos and reassuring them their products don't suck.
It's actually a pretty reasonable question given that so many have been attacked as 'jealous' when they said they are upset about that blog train.
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You don't want to be at a store where you will be too busy, but you want to be in the blog train and you want to be popular. Or something like that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trade-offs in life. I have to say your opinion of the blog train has less impact now that I know you want to have your cake and eat it, too.
You don't want to be at a store where you will be too busy, but you want to be in the blog train and you want to be popular. Or something like that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trade-offs in life. I have to say your opinion of the blog train has less impact now that I know you want to have your cake and eat it, too.
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I didn't say I wanted to be in that blog train, either.
Saying I don't like it as it's elitist doesn't imply I want to be on it.
I am a designer, I don't sell at those stores, and I don't like the blog train - therefore by your assumptions, I must actually be jealous, want to be on the blog train, and want to sell at those stores.
Would it make you doubt less if I said that I don't want to be that busy?
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I'd still be doubtful. There's designers at those stores who minimally produce.
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Yep, that was my thought too.
Yep, the DST train sucks as usual.
That is some of the worst eye vomit I've ever seen.
I should know better than to eat and come here to read right after.
It's not a blog train as much as it is a blog train wreck
Palette itself is ugly and doesn't fit the theme
Yep, because green, brown, blue and yellow are never found in nature.
I actually think this color palette is one of the nicer ones they've had in a long while.
I'm not a designer, and I don't like blog trains either.
Interesting that the DST blog train is put down for being "not as nice as the Parade one". Now, let's suppose that DST decided to pick who would participate in their train, or choose which contributions are accepted or not, I am sure people would scream injustice and call it a new clique. Now, what if all the blog trains were only for the established designers, or the popular ones, or the ones who the organizers like, what would happen to those newer designers? or the less experienced ones? Sure, the palette won't suit everyone. The contributions won't suit every taste and some would be downright worth the recycling bin but some participants are still trying to make it out there, and some are still learning. And maybe some could be new to you and be on their way to greater design.
Like one train? Download from it. Don't like one? Don't download from it. Just stop putting any one down.
Anyone else see the announcement from SO that plum perks expire as they change systems next month? So annoying.
I really loathe the 'still learning' argument. If you are going put up something for sale, at least know more than the damn basics. When I buy something, I don't want to buy from a learner or beginner. I want to by something that I can't do or make, otherwise, what's the point?
Just stop putting any one down.
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This is smack blog, not a church social. Although, come to think of it, they are the same thing sometimes.
Go suggest a color palette that you like to DST and tell them that they should choose who will participate in their train so that you could find only great products from veteran and well established designers. Maybe you can give them a list of the designers you feel deserve to participate. Then, you will get the blog train that will meet all your requirements (until someone else dissagrees with your choices and suggestions).
And I loathe your argument about not wanting to "buy from a learner or beginner" #165. No one is talking about buying, we are talking about a free blog train, FFS. No one is putting anything "up for sale." And more importantly, no one is forcing you to buy or download. Keep on walking if you don't like what you see!
Did you skip reading comprehension class, or are you just being stupid for the fun of it?
Did you skip reading comprehension class, or are you just being stupid for the fun of it?
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Did you skip being a human being, or are just being an asshole for the fun of it?
The 'only learning' argument has been made before with SELLING designers, which I assume the ones on the DST blog train are, as they have access to the DCR where they have to have a shop, I do believe.
Next please and do try not to be such a dick next time.
Go suggest a color palette that you like to DST and tell them that they should choose who will participate in their train so that you could find only great products from veteran and well established designers. Maybe you can give them a list of the designers you feel deserve to participate. Then, you will get the blog train that will meet all your requirements (until someone else dissagrees with your choices and suggestions).
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Digiscrap Parade - see, all better.
169, your point still makes ZERO sense. We weren't talking about buying, we were talking about a free blog train.
And yes, all you need is your own personal store to be in the designer forum at DST, and therefore eligible to sign up for the blog train. So, in that blog train you'll get beginners and more experienced designers, alike.
Once again, I'll repeat myself for those who are too thick-headed to catch on quickly: if you don't like what someone is offering, keep on walking. NO ONE is making you buy from a beginner or learner. I haven't changed my mind. Your argument is stupid.
Once again, I'll repeat myself for those who are too thick-headed to catch on quickly: if you don't like what someone is offering, keep on walking. NO ONE is making you buy from a beginner or learner. I haven't changed my mind. Your argument is stupid.
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You completely missed the point, didn't you? Doesn't surprise me, you are so busy being superior you can't see past anything else. You are still being a dick, do try better next time.
If their freebies are crap, then there's a good chance what they are selling is crap.
Wow, you are a trip. Trust me, I didn't miss any point. I just think your point is stupid.
Everyone is new and learning at some point. You have no right to say they shouldn't try to sell their work. Talk about someone who is too busy being superior!
Why anyone would feel slighted because they don't get to create products to give away for free is beyond me. It's like bitching about how long the line is to get punched in the face.
I'd be far more embarrassed to participate in the 'Parade' and identify myself as an arrogant dick.
LOL... yes ^^^
I'd be far more embarrassed to participate in the 'Parade' and identify myself as an arrogant dick.
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It's lucky then that you don't qualify so you won't be placed in that quandary.
Anyone else unable to connect to DSA all week?
I just got in to DSA - it's the first time I've tried in probably a month...
So, 176, you won't be downloading anything?
i keep getting a sql/database error for DSA
Same, database error for DSA.
Based on the Parade previews, I won't be downloading. One of the previews prominently displays an item I know is CU because I have it... I was hoping for better.
Did you figure out who is running the train? If not, its jen balding and wishing well creations. Thats why tdc is in it.
LOL, one preview has one item that's CU so the whole deal is off the table. SMH
so its ok for you to use CU (obviously if you purchased it) but nobody else can. Gotcha
184- what are you talking about? It seems very childish even for a smack blog to say "did you get it yet? Because here it is"
And regardless of what shop the organizers are at- do you think the other shops would agree to TDC if it wasn't a top shop with top designers?
Obviously SSD SO TLP and SM wouldn't have joined in to the Parade if they felt that TDC was beneath them or something. It's amusing that you assume the only reason TDC is included is because a couple of their designers are allegedly running it. As it's already been stated above, these are the stores I would have thought of first when making a list of top shops anyway, along with maybe SBG (falling downhill fast as of late though) and P&Co.
Why do designers post global/public on FB that they have something for their ct to get in the forum? So annoying- either do a list or a private group.
There are a few guilty parties, but today I have officially unlined Jennifer labre. Annoying
183 what item are you referring to that is CU and bothering you so much?
#146 and #152 - I was on Jenn Labre's CT for over 2 years, and I can say she is NOT bat sh#t crazy at all. She's very easy and pleasant to work for, so if you're interested, go for it. She's actually having a CT call right now.
Hi Jenn
You can go to http://digiscrapaddicts.com/forum/ and also get to the gallery I see. You just can't go to digiscrapaddicts.com. That is where the error is.
pretty big error
Why anyone would feel slighted because they don't get to create products to give away for free is beyond me. It's like bitching about how long the line is to get punched in the face.
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^^^I loved this. And just a tip, I would suggest that you don't pass on the parade blog train. It is huge and gorgeous. Just like my men.
Jen Labre is about as batshit crazy as they come as is Jady Day Studio.
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Both of these designers (they regularly use cu stuff as the bulk of their kits..which anyone could do themselves) think they're a whole lot better than they really are. Additionally, their personalities are tedious, attention-seeking and annoying. The only time I buy either is when they have done a collaboration with someone who is really talented.
As far as CU use, I *could* go spend a lot of money and buy all the CU products used, and then spend a lot of time making the same things - or I can go download it for free on the train and have a huge coordinated kit, ready to scrap with. I'll take the latter, thanks.
I really could care less if anyone uses CU. I rarely mix my kits too so unless it's the same item, unaltered, over and over in different kits, it doesn't bother me. If it's nicely recolored to match the kit then at least it saves me from having to do it myself. I can, but I don't want to. I'd rather have what I need in the kit I buy and spend my time scrapping rather than altering numerous stock items like flowers, buttons, ribbons, etc. to meet my needs, I get more LOs done that way.
#192 - Gimme a break. As if NO ONE else in the entire digiscrap universe might actually like her, so it must be her posting.
Anyone know anything about Scrapyrus from MScraps? She seems to have come out of nowhere, but I think her kits are really cute and she doesn't look like a beginner to me. Is the designer actually someone more well known and just designing under that name?
199
She is a CT member for mscraps or scrap flower named Sonia.
As far as CU use, I *could* go spend a lot of money and buy all the CU products used, and then spend a lot of time making the same things - or I can go download it for free on the train and have a huge coordinated kit, ready to scrap with. I'll take the latter, thanks.
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This is all fine except you're kinda missing the whole point of the post but..oh, well. I wonder if you're the same person who CONSTANTLY just doesn't seem to get it?
If you are, how many times does it take someone telling you, "You're missing the point," before you sit back, reread something and maybe just try to comprehend what is actually being said?
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