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Post by wendifful on Oct 13, 2023 19:16:21 GMT
I thought about this today when I saw a new $16 die from Alex Syberia Designs with the sentiment "your feelings are valid."(It's described as " a standout standalone die crafted with a special emphasis on mental health-themed projects. It's a heartfelt tribute to the importance of your emotions, allowing you to express and celebrate them through your artistry.") SSS also somewhat recently released a "holding space for you" die. I'm no stranger to mental health (depression and anxiety for myself), but I just feel like these are such odd sentiments to PUT ON A CARD. Good for therapy? Yes. Good for self affirmations? Yes. Card sentiment? No. There's other examples too which are less related to mental health. Ex: smile (weirdly patronizing to women especially), oh my gourd, you were right/I was wrong, live in the sunshine, listen to the poem of the sea, take time for yourself, in a world of roses be a sunflower, all of the weird kindness sentiments, and more. (Seriously, these are all pulled from actual stamps and dies I found.) I mean, what do some of these even mean in the context of a sentiment said to another person ("listen to the poem of the sea", wtf)? I've been thinking about this since I saw the thread on the scrapbooking board about SB companies being out of touch with consumers. I think there were some great points brought up there for sure about how companies aim their product to the broadest market possible. If anything, when I analyze it, I think some stamp/die companies have leaned the other way, into sentiments/themes that are WAY too niche. I understand that it can get boring marketing the same old sentiments (happy birthday, thinking of you, etc) but to me, that's where writing skills and typography/design come in to add variety. And really, I think more companies need to step up their typography game. It's crazy to me how many companies put a few sentiments on a stamp in a basic font, in a straight line and just call it done. (Nothing wrong with having some of these basics, just that if you look at some companies, they never do ANYTHING interesting with type. Give me a Geralyn Sy/Kelly Purkey typography vibe any day.) My view on this might be slightly skewed though, because over the last few years, I've slowly stopped making/sending cards to family/friends and instead now concentrate on creating cards for donation, which usually are only wanted in certain traditional themes. I also increasingly have stopped buying stamps/dies with limited themes, since when you think about it on a cost per card basis, the value just isn't there. What are everyone else's thoughts on this? Anyone else frustrated by the nonsensical sentiments and lack of common sense options? |
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Oct 13, 2023 19:48:53 GMT
I totally agree. I make most of my cards for donation. But, I do send birthday, hello, thank you, sympathy/thinking of you, and Christmas/other holiday cards.
I've passed on stamp sets I like because of the sentiments. I'm not telling anyone "you're my favorite" (except maybe DH, and sometimes that's debatable!) or "oh yes, you did!" (what context do you send that), "live life in full bloom" (huh?) "this life is amazing" (again, huh?), "Be kind" (is the recipient a mean girl?) and FTR I don't send "Love you" cards to people I know.
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Post by babylou on Oct 13, 2023 20:13:33 GMT
I agree with a lot that you said. I wouldn't use a lot of those different sentiments because, really, if I need to tell someone that their feelings are valid, or whatever, I would let them know that in my own words. I think having that as a bold sentiment on a card front would almost seem patronizing. But, that's just me.
Some of those sentiments are just weird and hard to use. But, I think some of them are usable. And, it just depends on who you are and what you like. For example-I love the "In a world of roses, be a sunflower." My sister's favorite flower is a sunflower and I feel like using that sentiment for her is appropriate because she likes the flower, and also, I'm saying-be you, and I love you for being you. JMO.
I know that Cards for Kindness by scrapbook.com is often asking for "kindness" cards. So, some of those kindness sentiments may actually be great for donation cards. They are going to so many different places and often what may not seem relevant to you, could actually be useful for them. Just a thought.
Thanks for the interesting question and conversation. I am interested to see what others think.
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Post by Shakti on Oct 13, 2023 22:59:32 GMT
Cards for Cubs accepts two categories: birthday and encouragement. Many of the odd sentiments work for that latter category.
Some work when combined with others, such as "take time for yourself" on the inside of a birthday card or something of that nature.
Some of the sort of non-sentimental sentiments like "listen to the poetry of the ocean" or whatever it was make sense on a blank inside note-type card with a seascape image.
But some, like "your feelings are valid" can't be construed as anything but psychobabble IMO.
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Post by riversong1963 on Oct 13, 2023 23:32:07 GMT
I totally agree about the patronizing sentiments and psycho-babble sayings. I think that some sayings are intended for art journaling or mixed media, though.
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kate
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Post by kate on Oct 14, 2023 0:00:38 GMT
I think that some sayings are intended for art journaling or mixed media, though. I agree. That's the only explanation I can think of, anyway! I'm up for using some out-of-the-box sentiments - "Oh yes you did!" on a graduation card, "With brave wings, she flies" on an encouragement card, etc. - but "Your feelings are valid"?  Even some of the gratitude sentiments are weird - "At attitude of gratitude" or "Be grateful in all things" sounds like I think the *recipient* needs to be grateful! |
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Post by joblackford on Oct 14, 2023 0:55:38 GMT
I agree too! Another card donator here.
Some of those encouraging sentiments are really inappropriate for donation encouragement cards too. Some of them are way too full of toxic positivity and telling people to be happy about being in shitty circumstances. I always try to think of the worst case scenarios like terminal cancer, living in your 5th foster care placement this year, or being so old that everyone you love has died. I’ll send them hello and thinking of you and some vaguely inspirational and cheerful things, but even telling someone to be strong can be inappropriate. I try to go for things that highlight the goodness and strength of the recipient rather than telling them how to be - ‘you are strong’ rather than ‘be strong.’ I don’t like telling anyone how to be! I’d rather go all Mr Rogers on them and celebrate them as they are.
I know that’s not what many card makers are about though. I think there are a LOT who are like the mythical “average scrapper” we talk about who only make basic event cards - birthday, holiday, anniversary, etc and they want clear cut sentiment for those. And there are some who are making cards to make their friends laugh (CZ snark cards, only suitable for certain friends IMO). I do make some random artsy cards from time to time but even “be the change you want to see in the world” sounds like a lot of pressure for some of my friends who are just trying to keep their heads above water. Great for art journaling though.
I would like to see more interesting fonts and typography although sometimes that can go very wrong.
The kindness ones are the worst IMO. I can’t think of any situation where receiving a “be kind” card wouldn’t feel like a slap, unless there was a very clear secondary sentiment that said something about them being grateful that I was kind or something. But at that point don’t out be kind on the card at all. Are those cards just for passive aggressive social media purposes?!
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Post by babylou on Oct 14, 2023 16:58:24 GMT
I never have understood the "Be kind" thing. Cards or scrapping, it just doesn't work.
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Post by kmage on Oct 15, 2023 3:15:56 GMT
What are everyone else's thoughts on this? Anyone else frustrated by the nonsensical sentiments and lack of common sense options? Yes!!! On one of my CTMH stamp sets there is a sentiment that says, "Go Forth and Conquer!" This is a camping stamp set, with nature, trees, canoe, wolf, etc. Conquer what? Nature? The natural world? It actually makes me uncomfortable, because it seems to suggest that we need to either subdue the natural world (when we should be grateful that we can be a small part of it) or  Why not Leave No Trace? Or Natural Wonders? Or something actually related to the stamp set? Ehhhhh....I should just throw that out. I am never going to use it. |
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Post by papersilly on Oct 16, 2023 21:49:39 GMT
yes, they are very much the wood quote signs from Hobby Lobby. LOL
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azcrafty
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Post by azcrafty on Oct 16, 2023 22:49:21 GMT
What are everyone else's thoughts on this? Anyone else frustrated by the nonsensical sentiments and lack of common sense options? Yes!!! On one of my CTMH stamp sets there is a sentiment that says, "Go Forth and Conquer!" This is a camping stamp set, with nature, trees, canoe, wolf, etc. Conquer what? Nature? The natural world? It actually makes me uncomfortable, because it seems to suggest that we need to either subdue the natural world (when we should be grateful that we can be a small part of it) or Why not Leave No Trace? Or Natural Wonders? Or something actually related to the stamp set? Ehhhhh....I should just throw that out. I am never going to use it. What do you think using that phrase for a graduation card? Or encouragement card? |
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Post by Shakti on Oct 17, 2023 0:39:14 GMT
Congrats on a new job card would work, too. But not camping.
One more reason to find a way to index sentiments separately from the images they happen to be packaged with.
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scrapnnana
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Post by scrapnnana on Oct 17, 2023 13:51:52 GMT
I’ve bought a wide variety of stamps over the decades since I started stamping, but I rarely buy just sentiment stamps anymore, because I simply can’t stand a lot of the stamps available today. Too many seem either artificial or just bizarre to me. Even if I see a stamp set that has one or two stamps I’d use, I’m not paying for a majority of phrases that I would never say. I did recently buy one of Queen & Co.’s “Inside Out” sets that has some decent alternatives that I like to just “Thinking of You.” Q&Co. Thinking of You stampsThese days, if I can’t find the right sentiment stamp in my stash, I use my computer to say what I want, in a font that I like. I print it, then use a generic shape or banner die to cut it out. That way, I can say exactly what I feel is appropriate to the situation, and it is a reflection of my personality rather than what someone else might say. I can also add a phrase to the inside of my card base, then decorate the front of my card. I love stamps, but using my computer and printer are a nice alternative, especially with the ridiculous stamp phrases being sold today. |
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Oct 17, 2023 15:33:04 GMT
These days, if I can’t find the right sentiment stamp in my stash, I use my computer to say what I want, in a font that I like. I print it, then use a generic shape or banner die to cut it out. That way, I can say exactly what I feel is appropriate to the situation, and it is a reflection of my personality rather than what someone else might say. I can also add a phrase to the inside of my card base, then decorate the front of my card. I love stamps, but using my computer and printer are a nice alternative, especially with the ridiculous stamp phrases being sold today. I do this, too. I also use alpha stamps or dies to create a sentiment. I have a lot of Lawn Fawn alpha stamps because they are really easy to line up. |
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Post by Shakti on Oct 17, 2023 16:21:11 GMT
I do somehow feel the need to say sometimes they get the encouragement or support sentiments really, really right. SU has a two parter, "There are many ways to feel (or 'you may feel') right now. Alone shouldn't be one of them."
I think that one is truly wonderful. And "we believe in you" sorts of sentiments are great for all kinds of occasions/situations with teen/young adult children.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 17, 2023 17:35:20 GMT
I’ve bought a wide variety of stamps over the decades since I started stamping, but I rarely buy just sentiment stamps anymore, because I simply can’t stand a lot of the stamps available today. Too many seem either artificial or just bizarre to me. Even if I see a stamp set that has one or two stamps I’d use, I’m not paying for a majority of phrases that I would never say. I did recently buy one of Queen & Co.’s “Inside Out” sets that has some decent alternatives that I like to just “Thinking of You.” Q&Co. Thinking of You stampsThese days, if I can’t find the right sentiment stamp in my stash, I use my computer to say what I want, in a font that I like. I print it, then use a generic shape or banner die to cut it out. That way, I can say exactly what I feel is appropriate to the situation, and it is a reflection of my personality rather than what someone else might say. I can also add a phrase to the inside of my card base, then decorate the front of my card. I love stamps, but using my computer and printer are a nice alternative, especially with the ridiculous stamp phrases being sold today. This is a great option, and a habit I need to develop. The stamp set you linked is cool, I like some of the wording, but the fonts are really not appealing to me. No problem if I just make my own versions, maybe tweak the wording or layout a little, change up the font, and I have exactly what I need. There's also a huge advantage if you're either making a one-off card for a rarely used sentiment, or a huge batch of cards using the same sentiment - print one copy of a random pun to work with a die cut, no problem. Or print 60 identical greetings, laid out perfectly to fit the card sketch you're using, and save a whole bunch of stamping. |
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Post by joblackford on Oct 17, 2023 17:57:39 GMT
I thought about this today when I saw a new $16 die from Alex Syberia Designs with the sentiment "your feelings are valid."(It's described as " a standout standalone die crafted with a special emphasis on mental health-themed projects. It's a heartfelt tribute to the importance of your emotions, allowing you to express and celebrate them through your artistry.") SSS also somewhat recently released a "holding space for you" die. I'm no stranger to mental health (depression and anxiety for myself), but I just feel like these are such odd sentiments to PUT ON A CARD. Good for therapy? Yes. Good for self affirmations? Yes. Card sentiment? No. There's other examples too which are less related to mental health. Ex: smile (weirdly patronizing to women especially), oh my gourd, you were right/I was wrong, live in the sunshine, listen to the poem of the sea, take time for yourself, in a world of roses be a sunflower, all of the weird kindness sentiments, and more. (Seriously, these are all pulled from actual stamps and dies I found.) I mean, what do some of these even mean in the context of a sentiment said to another person ("listen to the poem of the sea", wtf)? There are definitely sentiments that are intended for art journaling and the like, which could explain some of them, and I think some of the weird sentiments are about being edgy and original (CZ designs especially comes to mind), but some of them might be more about marketing for the stamp company. It's not necessarily that they expect a lot of people to send anti-racist or anti-bullying cards, for example, but they look good because they're supporting the cause, "raising awareness," and maybe enough people get tricked into buying it to demonstrate their virtue (or assuage their guilt or stand up for their belief) to make it worth the production cost. We care about being anti-racist! We care about your mental health! We care about kindness! It's good for their brand. I also think we forget that the companies don't give a damn whether we use their products, just as long as we buy them. I'd love to know what proportion of some of these odd designs get sent to DTs to promote vs actually purchased vs sitting on the warehouse shelf. ETA: that "I was wrong, so very very wrong" stamp set made me chuckle, but I also noticed that the only DT example that put any effort into it was not using those sentiments at all, just the kids and the speech bubble. And zero reviews. |
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Post by wendifful on Oct 18, 2023 1:18:31 GMT
Sorry to post a question and then not reply right away, had a few busy days and wasn't able to check in. It's so interesting to read everyone's perspectives, it really helped clarify some of my own! I think what I have come away with is that for me personally, I cannot stand to use any sentiments that tell someone what to do, very similar to what joblackford said above. It's just not something I think I will ever feel comfortable with. I realized this when I read this comment from babylou: And, it just depends on who you are and what you like. For example-I love the "In a world of roses, be a sunflower." My sister's favorite flower is a sunflower and I feel like using that sentiment for her is appropriate because she likes the flower, and also, I'm saying-be you, and I love you for being you. JMO. I tried to imagine if I'd feel comfortable sending that sentiment to my sister (if sunflowers were her favorite flower). What I realized is that I could do something like "In a world of roses, you are a sunflower" because it's not a directive, it's my observation/a compliment. I vaguely knew that I didn't use these types of sentiments, but my dislike of them didn't quite crystallize until I imagined that hypothetical. (My one exception is birthday sentiments like "eat cake," "celebrate," "blow out your candles.") I do understand other people's points about some sentiments being good for art journaling, but I specifically chose sentiments from companies/sets that are geared toward cardmakers. Obviously a product can have multiple uses, but to me, if a stamp/die is from an exclusive card making company (e.g., Hero Arts/Mama Elephant/My Favorite Things), all the other images/sentiments on the stamp are for cards, and all the design team samples are cards, then to me, it shows that the company designed the stamp for cards, and therefore the weirder sentiments don't make sense. I wouldn't buy stamps from someone like Dina Wakley and expect them to be geared to cards, and when I look at stamps from scrapbooking companies (Studio Calico, Kelly Purkey, etc) there are many sentiments that CAN work for cards but I don't expect all of them to, because that's not their purpose. I can be a bit of a black & white thinker, so maybe this isn't fair to companies, but I'm also tired of buying whole stamp sets when only some of the stamps are functional for me. |
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Post by kmage on Oct 20, 2023 16:49:25 GMT
I think what I have come away with is that for me personally, I cannot stand to use any sentiments that tell someone what to do, very similar to what joblackford said above I think this is what I find off putting about my "Go forth and conquer!" stamp. It's very agressive and while I can see perhaps using it on a grad card, or a new job it feels like I am telling someone what to do and it makes me kind of uncomfortable. Plus, a lot of grads don't feel like conquering, they are more like, "WTH do I do now with my life?" lol |
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Post by joblackford on Oct 20, 2023 22:49:01 GMT
I think what I have come away with is that for me personally, I cannot stand to use any sentiments that tell someone what to do, very similar to what joblackford said above I think this is what I find off putting about my "Go forth and conquer!" stamp. It's very agressive and while I can see perhaps using it on a grad card, or a new job it feels like I am telling someone what to do and it makes me kind of uncomfortable. Plus, a lot of grads don't feel like conquering, they are more like, "WTH do I do now with my life?" lol I would take it as joking if it were me receiving it - I am not the type to conquer anything. ever. at all. But I guess some Type A people might be empowered by it if they're starting a new chapter. Looking at all the messaging around hustle culture, being a "girl boss," motivational messaging, etc, none of which spoke to me, it obvs spoke to some people. But in the context of the camping set it came with, my only association was with conquering fears, like going off to summer sleep-away camp and doing ropes courses... (more scrapbook related than cardmaking sentiment) or conquering nature, like you took it to mean, which I agree is an odd combo for a grad card unless your grad is going into fossil fuels or mall development - but then they probably don't want a reminder of the natural world they're conquering... lol. |
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Post by marg on Oct 21, 2023 18:57:30 GMT
Totally agree with not using sentiments that tell people what to do. "Be kind" is my personal pet peeve, I have always hated that "sentiment" (handslap, more like). It's the reason I have a problem with "share handmade kindness" because it kind of makes me feel like I'm saying "I'm sending you a card because I'm super kind! Be like me!". Nitpicky, I know. I do think it's nice to send cards, and they can really make a difference in someone's day, but I don't like patting myself on the back about it, I guess. It is extremely rare that I like all of the sentiments included in a stamp set. I really only want ones like "Happy Birthday" or "Thinking of You", but it does get boring so I'm okay with variations on them like "eat cake", as well. Pinkfresh has some nice sentiments that I do use that are a bit different, for instance, from this one I would actually use "you are all kinds of wonderful" on a birthday card for one of my nieces, who I really like (not for the SIL I don't like, though, lol): www.pinkfreshstudio.com/collections/coordinating-stamps-and-dies/products/all-kinds-of-wonderful-stampAlso, what's up with "you are on my heart" - isn't it "in my heart"? I've seen this several places now. I find it very strange - is it a regional thing? www.pinkfreshstudio.com/collections/coordinating-stamps-and-dies/products/handpicked-flowers-stampI think PF does a good job with fonts. Lea has said they are very careful and considerate about the fonts they buy, and it looks like it. I'm not a fan of psycho-babble or corporate speak or any of that, I like classic phrases, so there are a lot of stamp sets I pass on because I'll never use the words on it. |
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Post by joblackford on Oct 21, 2023 21:34:31 GMT
I figured it was a play on 'on my mind' crossed with 'in my heart' but I find it weird and unnatural too. I have heard a lady who often talks about 'having a heart for' x y or z cause/mission, which I also find unfamiliar usage. I attributed that to the influence of her church or something in that context, or maybe a regionalism, so I thought "on my heart" might be similar. But idk. |
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