Deleted
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Jun 18, 2024 12:12:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2016 2:21:02 GMT
What about DT members who are on multiple teams?
To me that is more unfair than needing to be a popular scrapped. That leaves less room for new members, new ideas, new layouts.
I think DTs and companies should be more diverse. It becomes tiring seeing the same style across multiple teams/companies.
Diversity is so important and it really isn't around.
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Post by refugeepea on Aug 14, 2016 2:46:27 GMT
With the huge decrease in the popularity of scrapbooking, I'm curious what the draw is to be on a design team? Free product? Recognition? Help with social media presence for future business opportunities? Decent pay?
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Post by KikiPea on Aug 14, 2016 2:50:20 GMT
You're sweet, thank you.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 14, 2016 3:21:23 GMT
With the huge decrease in the popularity of scrapbooking, I'm curious what the draw is to be on a design team? Free product? Recognition? Help with social media presence for future business opportunities? Decent pay? I would think for some people, being on a DT might help a person get their foot in the door as a designer for one of the manufacturers. Look at how many people have been able to design their own collections/ stamps/ dies etc. after being on one or more DTs and getting noticed. It could lead to future opportunities like teaching online classes, publishing books or other related things.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Aug 14, 2016 4:42:21 GMT
Do people think there's space for some sort of forum where new and upcoming scrapbookers can showcase their work without necessarily catching people's eye by having the whole package on Instagram or being good at self-promotion? In most creative fields, there seems to be a place for a 'fresh talent' type of showcase. I guess these days (man, I sound old) it is all about hashtags and getting noticed that way. I just wonder how the newbies get discovered if the DT places are going to all the ladies with the biggest followings. That said, both the teams I'm on are brilliant at giving newbies a shot - I had next to no following at all when Felicity Jane accepted me. I think that's sort of the purpose (or side effect, maybe???) of the Crafty Maven Gateway on youtube that Hannah Lemiuex (I'm sure I butchered the spelling of her last name) started in an attempt to have an offering like the 2peas of old.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Aug 14, 2016 4:48:10 GMT
What about DT members who are on multiple teams? To me that is more unfair than needing to be a popular scrapped. That leaves less room for new members, new ideas, new layouts. I think DTs and companies should be more diverse. It becomes tiring seeing the same style across multiple teams/companies. Diversity is so important and it really isn't around. This!!! Diversity in the people (so we're not seeing the same faces EVERYWHERE) and diversity in style. The focus seems to be on throwing as much as you can onto a page using a 1in square photo and rather than including that with PL, cards, CAS, OTT, mixed media, planning, etc they just choose a bunch of people who's work you can't distinguish from each other. When you see the same faces everywhere, you're not going to get a vast array of ideas for using something because chances are good that those people have a clear style and you'll just see them using product the same way, just Example A is from one company and Example B from another. For me, DT's don't mean anything unless they have YT. I'm slowly getting into IG, but I'm more apt to follow on YT. I only go to blogs for giveaways unless it's a company I love and want to gush over (which I usually only do for Elle's Studio here lately).
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Aug 14, 2016 9:19:00 GMT
What about DT members who are on multiple teams? To me that is more unfair than needing to be a popular scrapped. That leaves less room for new members, new ideas, new layouts. I think DTs and companies should be more diverse. It becomes tiring seeing the same style across multiple teams/companies. Diversity is so important and it really isn't around. This!!! Diversity in the people (so we're not seeing the same faces EVERYWHERE) and diversity in style. The focus seems to be on throwing as much as you can onto a page using a 1in square photo and rather than including that with PL, cards, CAS, OTT, mixed media, planning, etc they just choose a bunch of people who's work you can't distinguish from each other. When you see the same faces everywhere, you're not going to get a vast array of ideas for using something because chances are good that those people have a clear style and you'll just see them using product the same way, just Example A is from one company and Example B from another. For me, DT's don't mean anything unless they have YT. I'm slowly getting into IG, but I'm more apt to follow on YT. I only go to blogs for giveaways unless it's a company I love and want to gush over (which I usually only do for Elle's Studio here lately). Where are you all finding these "one photo and hundreds of embellishments" pages? I just don't see it. I feel like there is more diversity out there than ever - there are so many products and ways to use them, and you can find everything from art-journal style pages with lots of paint and layers, to clean and simple pages with hardly any embellishments. There is everything! Social media has definitely changed how design teams work. If you are not out there and making yourself visible then no one is going to 'discover' you. At the very least you have to be posting and tagging manufacturers if you want them to see you. And now manufacturers have a choice between using scrapbookers who might be good but have a small following, or going to more popular 'lifestyle bloggers' who have a wider audience that might help them gain new customers. I guess that's down to each company to decide who they want to work with and what they want to get out of it. I've been scrapbooking for a looong time. And I am no longer willing to be paid with products or do things for the prestige. I saw a DT call recently (can't remember which one) and they wanted you to be on every social media outlet and post at least two things a month on their blog. I am that active on social media - but it's because I run my own business (not scrapbooking related at all) and that's just what we have to do. If I am doing that much social media for someone else it is a JOB and they had better be paying me.
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Post by peachiceteas on Aug 14, 2016 12:10:54 GMT
I am not sure where I really stand on the whole: it's a shame that you have to be popular, it needs to be more fair to give more people a chance etc etc.
A company isn't going to give free product to people to create with unless they have some kind of following. If people had to use their own money to pay for the product that they use for the design team every month, I don't think any one would be questioning the morality of how fair it is. It only becomes something to call unfair when less people have a chance of getting stuff for free.
I do think people forget sometimes that design team members are basically in a way - salesmen. You're 'hired' and paid in product to promote a brand. It's not really any different to being a car salesman or being a beauty blogger who gets free product in return for promoting that brand on their blog.
To be successful as one of these salesmen, you need to be utilising everything you can to promote the brand you're working for. That's why the same names pop up over and over, because they're good at selling brands.
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Post by peachiceteas on Aug 14, 2016 12:16:40 GMT
It would be a shame if the day came when two scrapbookers went for a position - one better than the other, but one with a significantly bigger following - and the popular girl got it. [ You have to think realistically though. What's the point in a company giving hundreds (potentially thousands) of dollars worth of free product to someone who has less of a following, where less people will see the product and then subsequently buy the product? For companies, this isn't about rewarding people, it's a business strategy for the business to get more money. To have a following you need to be a good scrapbooker anyway. i personally wouldn't blame any brand for choosing a more popular person over another - it's business.
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Post by pelirroja on Aug 14, 2016 14:14:04 GMT
To the answer the OP: probably. craftykitten as far as the one photo, hundreds of embellies comment: check out the SRM stickers website for August 11 watercoloring entry. Dozens of flowers, badly colored in and then a pic of the products used. Based on the photo, it easily took dozens of sticker packs to produce that watercolored card. Not even a single photo on that one. I'm reasonably certain the artist was just doing what they were assigned or obligated to do on the DT. Maybe that example isn't "hundreds" of embellishments but it is literally and figuratively, dozens of embellishments. Just wanted to show an example of what the previous poster is talking about. It's out there. I cannot imagine why anyone wants to be on a DT to get paid in "free product". I'd much rather buy my own stuff and use it the way I want when I want to use it. And sometimes the free product you're sent is something that you would never in a million years use but there you are, obligated to use it, post it, and hype it as if it is the best. stuff. ever. As far as those scrappers who get their name on a design or collection: check out what happens as had been shown on the American Crafts blog. The so-called sb "celebrity name" peers over the shoulder of a genuine graphic designer, telling them to move icons here or there or adjusting a certain color. No real designing going on other than by the anonymous graphic designer. And there are numerous examples of plagiarism that the scrapworld has experienced. Blatant plagiarism, not even "inspired by" but downright "copied from". I've never had any desire to DT but one of my friends has been on several in the past. Maybe there are companies and manus out there who do not behave the way I've seen sb manu and marketing go down. I appreciate the post from Freckled Fawn and will definitely continue to buy their stuff because of their post here. Pursuing a DT spot is a whole lot of work for next-to-nothing, imho. Also, there have been numerous times in the past where people sold their name on a product, had a falling out with the manu, and then realized they no longer owned their OWN name and had to use a different name if they tried to rise from the ashes of a past fail with a new manu or an independent launch. "Free product" is a great gimmick which gets women to work for very little dollar value. It also makes the potential DT-contestants purchase a lot of their product on the off-chance that maybe they just might get picked. So the manu gains sales from the contest and gets free promotions and publicity in return, no thanks. It seems men are not worried about their social media presence and they sure don't work for free product. So why does it seem that women are willing to settle for less?
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 14, 2016 14:55:06 GMT
It would be a shame if the day came when two scrapbookers went for a position - one better than the other, but one with a significantly bigger following - and the popular girl got it. [ You have to think realistically though. What's the point in a company giving hundreds (potentially thousands) of dollars worth of free product to someone who has less of a following, where less people will see the product and then subsequently buy the product? For companies, this isn't about rewarding people, it's a business strategy for the business to get more money. To have a following you need to be a good scrapbooker anyway. i personally wouldn't blame any brand for choosing a more popular person over another - it's business. True. But shouldn't the company be promoting the work too? I would think that the company's own blog should have way more followers than any one individual blogger would have, so if the person with the smaller following actually does BETTER work with the materials provided it would give the company a wider variety of styles to show and different ideas. When I'm looking for ideas using product from a particular company, I'm going to go to that company's website or blog first and look there because that's what I know. I don't even know who any of their DT people are before that. If anything, I would think being on a company's DT brings more followers to the individual's blog than the other way around. I have to say that it does bug me to a degree to see the same handful of people's work ALL over the place and I would like to see more variety of styles along with more realistic projects. As cute as it might be to spend $100 on paper, stickers, etc. and make a wreath out of them, I don't know anyone in real life that is going to do that because the project won't last more than a couple of seasons before it falls apart, fades and gets thrown away. I get it that these people are the ones constantly putting themselves out there, and by choosing a known entity the company has a better chance that the person won't flake on them.
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Post by peachiceteas on Aug 14, 2016 15:01:18 GMT
[ You have to think realistically though. What's the point in a company giving hundreds (potentially thousands) of dollars worth of free product to someone who has less of a following, where less people will see the product and then subsequently buy the product? For companies, this isn't about rewarding people, it's a business strategy for the business to get more money. To have a following you need to be a good scrapbooker anyway. i personally wouldn't blame any brand for choosing a more popular person over another - it's business. True. But shouldn't the company be promoting the work too? I would think that the company's own blog should have way more followers than any one individual blogger would have, so if the person with the smaller following actually does BETTER work with the materials provided it would give the company a wider variety of styles to show and different ideas. When I'm looking for ideas using product from a particular company, I'm going to go to that company's website or blog first and look there because that's what I know. I don't even know who any of their DT people are before that. If anything, I would think being on a company's DT brings more followers to the individual's blog than the other way around. I have to say that it does bug me to a degree to see the same handful of people's work ALL over the place and I would like to see more variety of styles along with more realistic projects. As cute as it might be to spend $100 on paper, stickers, etc. and make a wreath out of them, I don't know anyone in real life that is going to do that because the project won't last more than a couple of seasons before it falls apart, fades and gets thrown away. I get it that these people are the ones constantly putting themselves out there, and by choosing a known entity the company has a better chance that the person won't flake on them. Completely valid points - there are so many ways to see this. I guess companies are relying on people to do even more of the leg work now - work with the product and promote it. If we take Studio Calico as an example, they dont seem to promote anyone on their DT's work, it's all on the members shoulders to promote it themselves via the message boards and gallery. I guess it saves SC time and time = money.
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JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,835
Location: Indianapolis
Jul 2, 2014 17:12:39 GMT
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Post by JustTricia on Aug 14, 2016 15:21:42 GMT
To the answer the OP: probably. craftykitten as far as the one photo, hundreds of embellies comment: check out the SRM stickers website for August 11 watercoloring entry. Dozens of flowers, badly colored in and then a pic of the products used. Based on the photo, it easily took dozens of sticker packs to produce that watercolored card. Not even a single photo on that one. I'm reasonably certain the artist was just doing what they were assigned or obligated to do on the DT. Maybe that example isn't "hundreds" of embellishments but it is literally and figuratively, dozens of embellishments. Just wanted to show an example of what the previous poster is talking about. It's out there. I cannot imagine why anyone wants to be on a DT to get paid in "free product". I'd much rather buy my own stuff and use it the way I want when I want to use it. And sometimes the free product you're sent is something that you would never in a million years use but there you are, obligated to use it, post it, and hype it as if it is the best. stuff. ever. As far as those scrappers who get their name on a design or collection: check out what happens as had been shown on the American Crafts blog. The so-called sb "celebrity name" peers over the shoulder of a genuine graphic designer, telling them to move icons here or there or adjusting a certain color. No real designing going on other than by the anonymous graphic designer. And there are numerous examples of plagiarism that the scrapworld has experienced. Blatant plagiarism, not even "inspired by" but downright "copied from". I've never had any desire to DT but one of my friends has been on several in the past. Maybe there are companies and manus out there who do not behave the way I've seen sb manu and marketing go down. I appreciate the post from Freckled Fawn and will definitely continue to buy their stuff because of their post here. Pursuing a DT spot is a whole lot of work for next-to-nothing, imho. Also, there have been numerous times in the past where people sold their name on a product, had a falling out with the manu, and then realized they no longer owned their OWN name and had to use a different name if they tried to rise from the ashes of a past fail with a new manu or an independent launch. "Free product" is a great gimmick which gets women to work for very little dollar value. It also makes the potential DT-contestants purchase a lot of their product on the off-chance that maybe they just might get picked. So the manu gains sales from the contest and gets free promotions and publicity in return, no thanks. It seems men are not worried about their social media presence and they sure don't work for free product. So why does it seem that women are willing to settle for less? The post you referred to on SRM Stickers is self described as a combo of bible journaling and coloring page. It's not a scrapbook page so it wouldn't have a photo. Also, it's made using a stamps, so it's not "dozens of sticker packs". Amortized, it probably cost 1/4 of what a traditional scrapbook page costs. If I were to apply to a design team, I would ONLY apply to a company where I loved a vast majority of their products (I stamp, so that's pretty easy) and where they pay in product. I can't afford to buy every product I love from a company; getting on their design team would be GREAT. I can almost always find something I can make, even from the stamps in a set I don't particularly like. I'm not a flower person, but I own quite a few flower stamps. I make cards for others. I may not like flowers, but my mom does. If I make her a card, I put flowers on it. And from what I've noticed on quite a few YouTubers that are on Design Teams, they seem to be free to sell the stamp sets used. I've bought a few sets that way for good prices; only a stamp or two have been used. Probably sets they were sent or required to buy and then choose to sell after they promoted it. Everyone's different. Some people only want the product, some join smaller Design Teams to build a following to then apply for bigger teams, some are attention whores. It's all okay. :-)
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Post by paperpilekitten on Aug 14, 2016 15:27:26 GMT
I do think people forget sometimes that design team members are basically in a way - salesmen. You're 'hired' and paid in product to promote a brand. It's not really any different to being a car salesman or being a beauty blogger who gets free product in return for promoting that brand on their blog. To be successful as one of these salesmen, you need to be utilising everything you can to promote the brand you're working for. That's why the same names pop up over and over, because they're good at selling brands. As a member of a design team, your job is to market and sell the product. Having basic skills in graphic design on top of being creative to use products in new ways, so you can make amazing scrapbook pages, is not enough. You have to be good at displaying and photographing your work, and you get bonus points for being good at making videos (at least Insta videos), talking about the product so people want to buy it, etc. It is a sales position and your job is to make pretty displays and reach as many as you can with those. Some say we shouldn't do it only to get 'free' product in return (it's not really absolutely free since you have to create your assignments with it, and sometimes it's not what you would make if they really were your own supplies) but I never had any regrets when I was on DTs and guest blogging for manus. I was happy to help out and I did it for the fun of it. I also felt that I had the the time to do it. The companies I worked for were wonderful with great business and DT management, generous with product and support, and their product designs were right in my style, and simply gorgeous. I could promote them with my heart in it. So I consider myself very lucky and I'm thankful for the experience. After a couple of years, though, when I didn't have as much spare time for it any longer, I decided that I'd rather earn good money in my original freelance marketing profession and simply buy the things I want. And I'm happy with that, too. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg)
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Post by nicolemann9 on Aug 14, 2016 15:41:06 GMT
Yes, I totally agree with this. To be honest, I more often find people to follow because of the company's design team, not usually the other way around. I'm much more likely to go to the company's page, find out who is on their team, and then follow them to see how products are being used. Obviously, it does go both ways, though. And although companies are using DT members as 'salesmen', it is still the company's job to promote their products.
And I agree, it irks me when it is the same people across a bunch of design teams. I'd like more variety. Everything just gets looking very same-y, and I don't think it benefits the company, to be honest... as everything runs together, and their product doesn't really stick out in my mind.
It always surprises me when I hear how popular YouTube is, and how it is almost becoming a 'requirement'. That would be last on my list in terms of social media I follow. I just find it too time-consuming to sit and watch videos.
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Post by paperpilekitten on Aug 14, 2016 16:12:59 GMT
Uh, lost the quote: "True. But shouldn't the company be promoting the work too? I would think that the company's own blog should have way more followers than any one individual blogger would have, so if the person with the smaller following actually does BETTER work with the materials provided it would give the company a wider variety of styles to show and different ideas. When I'm looking for ideas using product from a particular company, I'm going to go to that company's website or blog first and look there because that's what I know. I don't even know who any of their DT people are before that. If anything, I would think being on a company's DT brings more followers to the individual's blog than the other way around. I have to say that it does bug me to a degree to see the same handful of people's work ALL over the place and I would like to see more variety of styles along with more realistic projects. As cute as it might be to spend $100 on paper, stickers, etc. and make a wreath out of them, I don't know anyone in real life that is going to do that because the project won't last more than a couple of seasons before it falls apart, fades and gets thrown away. I get it that these people are the ones constantly putting themselves out there, and by choosing a known entity the company has a better chance that the person won't flake on them." Of course! And they do! It's a lot cross-linking and reposting going on. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) The manufacturer almost always post all the DT projects on the FB page, blog, Insta and other social media. As for seeing the same DT members everywhere, I agree, it would be nice to see some variety. But I guess it's a 'going in an old familiar circle' thing. Manufacturers know who is good at the DT job and ask the same people rather than take the time to wade through hundreds of applications and trying to decide whether each applicant has what it takes or not. So I think it's mostly out of convenience. Also, if these 'super DT' ladies have gathered a huge following and lots of die hard fans from being on all the popular DT's, it's easy to promote your product through them. And then we're back to the popularity factor, haha.
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Post by QueSeraSera on Aug 14, 2016 17:01:11 GMT
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Post by craftgirl on Aug 14, 2016 17:01:57 GMT
Being in a DT isn't as fun as people seem to think it is. It can be stressful and it takes a lot of fun out of creating. If you don't like the kits, you still have to use them and promote them. If kits get sent late, you have to scramble to put stuff together by the deadline. You also have to be able to handle people critiquing your work and that can be very hard. Unless you're getting paid real money on top of receiving free product, it's not worth it at all.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 14, 2016 18:32:52 GMT
After only reading the OP, and not the following replies, my answer is.....
Absolutely!
Companies have DT to help promote their products. The companies want their products shown in every venue possible, and right now everything is all about social media.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 14, 2016 18:49:25 GMT
I find most of the YouTube people I see are also big into small pictures/1 photo with lots of product. Recently there might be more than one photo, but they are so small that the combination of photos is still smaller than a 4 x 6. There are definitely variations of this, but if you look at product vs photos, the product is much more dominant. Most of the scrappers I see at crops are more photo dominant. I personally like a few photos with lots of pops of color and layering, but the photo is the thing I want to stand out.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2016 20:10:51 GMT
I agree that it would be good to see more faces on the teams (says she, on three... *ahem*)
The whole area of what is considered 'good' is another tricky one... I guess it's down to the manufacturer's taste, but it seems to me that for every ten people who love mixed media and a million layers, there's another ten who love crisp, white minimalism. Seeing a good balance out there for inspiration is a positive - one of the things I love about youtube.
This thread has certainly made me think twice about applying for any more teams just because I have time on my hands and fancy more freebies! That said - as someone already commented - you don't normally have a whole heap of supplies left over, so it really is payment in 'prestige'. For me though, I'm not about that side of things at all (introverts are not so good at getting attention!) but more the fact that I love scrapbooking and I love the 'raising the bar' effect you get when you're part of a group of girls who are all incredibly talented.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 14, 2016 21:30:43 GMT
I agree that it would be good to see more faces on the teams (says she, on three... *ahem*) I know HipKit club has an exclusivity clause, where if you're on that DT, you can't be on another - which is good, I think. I wonder if things might go that way in general in the future? It would certainly give more variety across the teams. And that might mean more variety in styles too. The whole area of what is considered 'good' is another tricky one... I guess it's down to the manufacturer's taste, but it seems to me that for every ten people who love mixed media and a million layers, there's another ten who love crisp, white minimalism. Seeing a good balance out there for inspiration is a positive - one of the things I love about youtube. This thread has certainly made me think twice about applying for any more teams just because I have time on my hands and fancy more freebies! That said - as someone already commented - you don't normally have a whole heap of supplies left over, so it really is payment in 'prestige'. For me though, I'm not about that side of things at all (introverts are not so good at getting attention!) but more the fact that I love scrapbooking and I love the 'raising the bar' effect you get when you're part of a group of girls who are all incredibly talented. I'm all about the "you do you" thing. If you love being on design teams (for whatever reason) and you get something out of it- product, money, fame, creative expression etc. then keep on doing it. We all get one life and you need to make yourself happy with the time you have. The DT companies are going to go with the person who they feel best represents their company/product. If that is you, then go for it!
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Post by darkchami on Aug 14, 2016 22:09:46 GMT
I find most of the YouTube people I see are also big into small pictures/1 photo with lots of product. Recently there might be more than one photo, but they are so small that the combination of photos is still smaller than a 4 x 6. There are definitely variations of this, but if you look at product vs photos, the product is much more dominant. Most of the scrappers I see at crops are more photo dominant. I personally like a few photos with lots of pops of color and layering, but the photo is the thing I want to stand out. Most of the local scrappers definitely use multiple photos on a page. It's common to see layouts that feature 3 or more photos. It's also difficult to find anyone who is even aware of online scrapbooking communities. I honestly don't think that design teams ever reach the average scrapbooker. They reach the crazy people like me, with a stash large enough to fill a room.
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maryjo
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Post by maryjo on Aug 15, 2016 19:33:21 GMT
What was the pub board then? Eek. It does make me wonder why it can't just be about being a good scrapbooker... it's a shame if there's this idea that to do well in this thing you need to look a certain way, buy certain products or have this beautiful lifestyle or whatever. It seems sad to say, but in all honesty, if I were giving advice to a young scrapbooker who wanted to get on a team, 'practising your craft' would come quite a way lower down the list than, 'get out there, present your best you and get yourself noticed.' I guess this is just the way with many things these days though... (sounding old again!) So the old "pub" board was started at 2p's because the regular scrapbookers who weren't into getting published and the whole design team aspect of the industry didn't want the "toots" taking up the general scrapping board. Toots were posts which someone who got published or a dt gig would post to share their news. Such as "Toot, pubbed in Creating Keepsakes." Or "Toot, made the Basic Grey dt" etc... There were so many on the general scrapping board, people complained. So the publication board was born. It was kind of an exciting place and was created for a good reason. Sometimes it could be an extremely supportive place and there were some very nice women there. But honestly, it did become extremely cliquey and there was a lot of jealousy and hard feelings at time. Especially closer to the end. There were so many women going for the same dt spots and pubs so it was pretty competitive even though the environment didn't outwardly proclaim to be. I have mixed feelings about design teams. Design teams in certain can feel very high schoolish at times. The whole attitude of if you are not on the dt here then you just must not be that good of a scrapper prevailed on some sites. And really it was about who you knew sometimes as well. I saw amazing scrapbookers get passed up for teams because friends were chosen instead. Women would post boxes of product they were receiving for free and I know a lot of scrappers who saw that and were like sign me up! I can do that! It all seemed just a little braggy after awhile though But then there were some very super inspiring scrappers that were well placed on design teams and didn't have that braggy attitude. Those are the types of scrapbookers that I respect and admire. I started following the dt and pub world back in 2003 mostly at the pub. For awhile it was my goal to get published in a magazine at least once (thank you Scrapbooks, Etc...) and be on a kit club, store and magazine dt. I met those goals but frankly it was a lot of hard work! Deadlines, taking photos of projects and editing them, blog posts, sometimes creating with product that just wasn't me, in addition to actually creating the projects took a lot of time. The flip side was every design team I was on had amazing women that really made it a lot of fun. Using that product that didn't appeal to me often pushed me out of the box and helped me be more creative. I found myself creating some of my favorite pages while on teams because I wanted to do well. In the end, it was all worth it, but two years ago I walked away from dt commitments and haven't looked back. I think it's a different environment now where you don't "have" to be on a dt to be considered a serious scrapper like the old days. But to answer your original question about great scrapbookers being overlooked and the necessity of having a youtube channel and a large social media following, I think the answer is somewhere in between. I think great scrapbookers have always been overlooked since the early days of dts. It happens all. of. the. time. I just don't think teams are as "important" as they used to be. Look at Studio Calico and Two P's. Soooooo many scrapbookers wanted to be on those dt's to get a leg up in the industry. Now one team no longer exists and the other team is a shadow of it's former self. As for manufacturers, so many have gone out of business or no longer have teams. And American Crafts has control over the dt's for pink paislee, crate paper, Pebbles and their own brand to name a few. I don't think you *have* to have a youtube channel, but a definite presence on social media, especially instagram is desired. Frankly I like my instagram private and didn't want to open that to the public. So that was another big factor in stepping away from dt work. I really and truly don't enjoy self promotion and advertising most of the time and it became a big turn off for me. I think the golden era of the dt is kind of over, but they are still appreciated for inspiration. I know I still buy product occasionally due to a dt project I see on a blog. Save
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Post by LisaDV on Aug 15, 2016 19:34:11 GMT
Is IG more popular than Pinterest with scrapbookers? (I don't have an IG account, so I don't know what I'm missing ) I Pin layouts and inspiration. I will occasionally pin from others pins. But I follow IG accounts of people I like if they don't post too much personal stuff.
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Jun 18, 2024 12:12:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 19:55:46 GMT
Thank you so much, MaryJo (sorry, not worked out how to do the tagging or quoting thing yet) for taking the time to write that reply - it was fascinating. Because I'm so new to this thing, it's a whole side of the thing that I don't have a single clue about... you come in fresh to this activity and know very little of any back-story or ill-feeling. The only bits of news and history I do know are from listening to old episodes of the Paperclipping Roundtable, which has been a really valuable education.
I used to run a scrapbooking facebook group and we'd fairly often get an "Woo hoo, I made X team!"-kind of announcement, but I don't think anyone got upset - at least, I wasn't aware if they did. Of course there's always that sinking, "oh crap"-feeling if it was a team you went for. One I went for I was absolutely convinced that I'd got - probably did me good to have my bubble burst a little when I saw that grid of girls without me on it, ha ha!
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maryjo
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Post by maryjo on Aug 15, 2016 22:10:45 GMT
Thank you so much, MaryJo (sorry, not worked out how to do the tagging or quoting thing yet) for taking the time to write that reply - it was fascinating. Because I'm so new to this thing, it's a whole side of the thing that I don't have a single clue about... you come in fresh to this activity and know very little of any back-story or ill-feeling. The only bits of news and history I do know are from listening to old episodes of the Paperclipping Roundtable, which has been a really valuable education. I used to run a scrapbooking facebook group and we'd fairly often get an "Woo hoo, I made X team!"-kind of announcement, but I don't think anyone got upset - at least, I wasn't aware if they did. Of course there's always that sinking, "oh crap"-feeling if it was a team you went for. One I went for I was absolutely convinced that I'd got - probably did me good to have my bubble burst a little when I saw that grid of girls without me on it, ha ha! And don't get me wrong @susefish Truly, there are so many super wonderful women in the world of scrapbooking and I think the dynamic has totally changed as far as going for teams. The Pub board kind of fed negativity back in the day even though it was helpful at the same time. I learned a lot there! Also, there aren't so many big calls anymore that were literally like cattle calls. Hundreds of women trying to get 5-10 spots. And the whole CK Hall of Fame contest was a whole other beast. I never tried for it but I know a lot of women (and a few men) did. But it all turned out pretty negative in the end with accusations of cheating and rigging...ugh. I must of tried out for dozens of teams before I made my three. And looking back there were many that I just wasn't ready for design wise at the time. But I looked at each rejection (even though it stung a little) as a chance to improve and really worked on my design and photography skills. Eventually it did pay off. But it wasn't an easy road for me, as it sometimes seemed to be for others. And there is a lot of "who you know" in this industry as in any field I am sure. But the payoff just isn't there for me anymore. I have a pretty substantial stash that I really don't need free product for. I'd rather get paid to work these days and my true calling is teaching. So design teams didn't fit for me. I think for me the ship has sailed, but I think there are still lots of great opportunities out there for newer scrapbookers with less of the negativity. Save
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 22:45:32 GMT
Totally hear you, MaryJo - I hope things are changing, or have already changed. Things feel pretty encouraging out there on the whole I think... Which teams were you on, if you don't mind me asking? I'm guessing from the flag behind you that you're based in the States? I think for me, design team work fits in really well because it gives me a focus. I always fancied having an obsession, like my friends who got into languages or fitness or whatever, but nothing I tried really stuck before this. My daughter is out at school all day and I'd get a job in a craft store or coffee shop tomorrow if only I could find hours to fit the school run (I rely on public transport too, so that's another stumbling block)... the only part-time possibilities in my area have seemed to involve weekends too, which isn't great for family time. So not having a job means that in between housework, cooking and making packed lunches, I have a *lot* of free time, so to have a creative focus is really positive for me. I know I'm very lucky to be able to scrapbook so often, but then on the one income we don't really afford holidays or other treats... it's one of those trade-offs, I guess. I've heard of a few of the teams starting to pay though. Though as nice as that is, I think that might change the feel of the thing for me - I quite like the friendly 'I'll do what I can to help you'-feel, rather than a, 'come on - we're paying you for a first rate job here!' That said, perhaps I'd change my tune if I knew how much they were paying... ha ha! ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/OrTI4SBmZ2ZYSFv6ag4f.jpg)
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Post by Ryann on Aug 16, 2016 0:02:03 GMT
I'd like to chime in from the owner, not designer, side of this discussion. A friend and I owned a stamp company for a couple of years. We had some really talented women on our DT during that time and they have had continued success on many high-profile stamp company design teams.
When selecting our DTs, we preferred to have people that had different strengths on our teams. Sometimes that strength was their personality, which translated into a large blog following. Sometimes that strength was the ability to take a themed stamp and use it in a completely non-themed and innovative way - "outside the box" types. Sometimes that strength was professional quality photography skills. Anyone we invited to our DT were talented designers, but in varying degrees specifically related to designing with stamps - some were amazingly talented designers and some were not amazing, but they were still good.
I don't necessarily think it's just the "popular" designers that get all the DT spots. How I see it, It's about being the right combination of whatever is needed for the DT at that moment. That's part of the reason you may try out for a DT one year and not make it, but the next year try out again and do make the team.
I know of a paper crafter that for a couple of years, every time she made layout or card that heavily featured a specific manufacturer, she would post something on their FB page saying "hey, look what I made with XYZ collection." After a time of consistently doing this, she was eventually invited to be a guest designer and after a couple of years she finally made it on to their DT. She wasn't a "popular" designer, but she was talented and worked hard and eventually she got what she wanted.
For those that are discouraged or don't think you're part of the "popular" crowd so will never have a chance at getting on a DT -- if you love a company and want to be on their DT, keep perfecting your craft and keep trying out. At some point you might be exactly what they are looking for.
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Post by maryjo on Aug 16, 2016 0:23:28 GMT
@susefish don't mind at all! I am in the states but one of my teams was actually with the first online scrap magazine in Ireland called Crafting Ireland. It is no longer being published but I loved that team. So much fun to see how the magazine side was run. I have also been on two store teams. Scrapgal which closed (not to be confused with the scrapgals podcast) and the Paper Issues online store which is still up and running and fabulous. Loved both of those teams as well and I *met* so many nice, fun women online and in real life through my work with them. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) My final team was for a kit club called Scrapbooking From the Inside Out which also had monthly blog posts in conjunction with Creating Keepsakes magazine that highlighted our work and the kits. That was some good exposure. But honestly I tend to be more private and it was hard sometimes to promote myself. I was also mostly a stay at home mom due to my husbands work travel schedule which I really enjoy. Totally get what you mean about one income and it being a trade off! But I am starting to fit substitute teaching into my schedule again as my kids get older which works great for us. As a result though, my scrapbooking has significantly dropped and I really need to make it a priority again. Design teams really helped me keep up with my scrapbooking! And I really didn't mind not being paid with money because by trade I am not a graphic designer or anything like that. The dt gigs paid me in supplies that I would have had to spend money on anyway! So it seemed fair to me. Now if I was designing product and doing actual graphic design work, I think that is something that should be paid for in cash.
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