Instead of running over to buy COLS wonderful goodies, I downloaded this months Gold member kit. another clunker. 148 MB of crapola in weird colors...and each and every damn element is plain AND shadowed, and get this....ROTATED for my convenience, I'm sure. I've seen it all now. Rotated. What on earth are these people thinking???
December 2, 2010 3:19 PM
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I like the turquoise in there. I've bought a lot of kits lately that have shadowed and non shadowed elements, doesn't bother me. I just delete the shadowed ones. I know some graphics programs out there don't do shadows. I'm guessing the quality is okay, seeing as the only complaints you have are superficial.
They aren't superficial at all. I can put up with shadowed elements being included. But ROTATED? come on!!!!! and every darn element is done in every color. there are 4 of each element, then double that with shadows...and some of the darn things are even rotated. There are frames...then shadowed frames...then rotated frames..then shadowed rotated frames...then all of the aforementioned done in each damn color. come on, gimme a break. superficial? don't think so. quality is ok, yeah. color choice is a matter of opinion. but everything else I've mentioned??? That 148MB would easily be under 100 MB. I'm not talking download times either. It seems like a huge kit, until you unzip the thing...and there are quadruplet elements with and without shadows, rotated.....
^^^ Please. Designers either put in too little or they put in too much. Can you let us know what is exactly the right amount? They add a shadow, and even though the unshadowed item was also there, leaving you the option to delete the shadowed one, it bothers you. This designer rotated an element to the precise angle that sets of your irrational rage response...blah.
No matter what a designer does, it's going to upset someone. I get things in kits I don't want sometimes too. I don't personally need 8 colors or shadowed versions. I recognize some people do want them. I take 30 seconds and delete the things I don't want, and recognize that a the designer is trying to accomodate as many people as possible. It's really not that big of a deal.
Instead of running over to buy COLS wonderful goodies, I downloaded this months Gold member kit. another clunker. 148 MB of crapola in weird colors...and each and every damn element is plain AND shadowed, and get this....ROTATED for my convenience, I'm sure. I've seen it all now. Rotated. What on earth are these people thinking???
^^^ Do you mean from creashens? Sorry - I'm not up to date on who's going the gold kit - call my stupid
They aren't superficial at all. I can put up with shadowed elements being included. But ROTATED? come on!!!!! ------
Sorry, it still sounds superficial to me. You got the damn thing for free and you said yourself that the quality was okay. I'll agree that it can be annoying have a lot of the same thing in a kit, but I wouldn't call it a huge problem or anything but a superficial problem.
LOL I have to admit, that is pretty funny. Here's the horizontal frame, here it is shadowed. Here is the same frame vertically, here it is shadowed. Oh, you want it in a couple more colors? Here you go. All the same frame.
Not everyone has Photoshop and not everyone has a graphics program that can do those things easily. It's easy to be frustrated and annoyed by it when you can do it yourself, on the other hand, it's easy to be frustrated and annoyed by not having them when you can't do it yourself.
I haven't downloaded the kit to see but, a custom shadowed element could not be rotated and still have the shadows cast in the same direction as the rest of the (preshadowed) elements.
That would be the only reason for rotating elements IMO. I would rather think it through and find a happy medium than inundating a kit with duplicates.
Well, obviously, the rotated elements might not be useful for someone who's been scrapbooking for a while but some newbies might like the option. We sometimes forget that some beginners are totally clueless about the most basic technics like rotating an element. I read that on the lilypad blog the other day: http://www.the-lilypad.com/blog/2010/11/04/tips-tricksrotating-elementitem/
not exactly for free. I paid the damn membership, ok? and now there are 3 kits in a row that I won't use. I know, I know, chance I take. wishing now that i hadn't gone for the damn membership, I could have spent that money on something worth it.
Unfortunately, some "designers" are still missing some basic knowledge of their graphic program. But for the rotated elements, it would be for the end users who are scrappers since the kit is not CU.
Not a subscriber, so i haven't see the "rotated items".
I did however include rotated items in a couple of my kits. They had a style & highlights that were obviously directional. If you were to rotate them to the direction you wanted to use them (people would be using them rotated every which way) then your highlights were off. So I included 4 different versions so you could pick the one that fit your light source.
But apparently I'm one of a very few who care if your highlights coordinate with your shadow direction, because in the layouts I saw people just used whichever one was handy.
I remember a post, a long time ago, about someone who used to be annoyed at the fact that the designer included FOUR photo corners instead of one, and only realised after bitching for a while, that the bevelling HAD to be different for all of those corners, so, eventually, she realised that those designers (who annoyed her) were, in fact, smarter designers than others!
I'm really not understanding why rotated and shadowed elements are such a BFD. Just delete them and STFU already. It's the difference between a 200MB kit and a 100MB kit? Seriously? Are you on dial-up? That extra one minute of downloading time is really going to cut into your day, is it?
Sometimes I swear it's just like some of you sit down and look for something to bitch about on any given day.
Oh boo hoo, I get 12 kits a year in a membership I was under no obligation to buy and sometimes the kits have TOO MANY items in them. Wah wah wah.
Oh puhLEEZE don't someone start that 'pot-meet-kettle' shit again! It's been so nice to not have to read it every frickin week.... Don't start it up again PLEEEEZE!
Oh puhLEEZE don't someone start that 'pot-meet-kettle' shit again! It's been so nice to not have to read it every frickin week.... Don't start it up again PLEEEEZE!
December 3, 2010 3:22 PM ---------
Agreed! It's almost as bad as 'if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'. I'm expecting to read that any post now
I dont type here much - but do any of you have a working brain? A life outside the blog? Family, kids to teach - something other than complaining. I am so sick of negative shit put out there. Makes one wonder why would a designer even want to design to whining people who piss on every freebie out there. Wouldnt your life be a better mess not being a negative assohole and having respect for yourself and your fellow humans.
Maybe, like you, they don't type here much either. Did you think about that? Or were you so busy being a pear clutching, superior, generalizing, know it all, bitch you missed it? Hmm?
Honestly, what makes you so much better?
Oh, and thanks for reminding me that I can't have a family. Way to go!!
Think before you type or say anything. I know it's hard, but do try. Maybe someone will actually like you!
No one asks anybody to come here. Don't like the place or the posters here? You can always go respect yourself somewhere else.
And no one begs designers to design. You (I mean any designer) want to do it, do it right. If you don't want people to complain about or discuss the quality of your work (free or not), you should quit already. And if your freebie is shit, why should I trust your other stuff is worth paying for?
Or were you so busy being a pear clutching, superior, generalizing, know it all, bitch you missed it? Hmm? __________________________ I know! I hate pear-clutching bitches. Going around thinking their pears don't stink, all superior with their luscious, tastiness.
I know! I hate pear-clutching bitches. Going around thinking their pears don't stink, all superior with their luscious, tastiness.
December 4, 2010 10:37 AM --------
I knew everyone hated the pearl clutches, but I wondered if anyone disliked the pear clutchers, so I slipped that in there. Good to know I'm not alone.
There goes Hummie on a new crusade again. TOU icons. Someone ought to let her know S4H is under personal use like S4O- not under CU. -------------- Does anyone take her seriously? I saw her "pattern a day" thing in November--total crap. Who wants pixellated overlays/patterns? Not me.
There goes Hummie on a new crusade again. TOU icons. Someone ought to let her know S4H is under personal use like S4O- not under CU. ^^^^^^^^^^ Why do you consider it a cruisade when someone offers a suggestion? Whenever someone offers an idea (new or reworded) they think can help, others look down at them. Come on. If someone has an idea, and you think it needs additional work to it, just post in the thread, state your own suggestions, and see where it goes. Not all ideas posted by this or that person are bad, unless you immediately categorize everything someone says as bad.
Nobody has to agree with everything, but don't scratch everything right from the start.
so what's with all the new , well, not new, but new to the store....designers at SBG??? they kept on Rachness - Studio Doodell or whatever it is...even tho it says she is still a guest, I saw her blog post that said she is now permanent...and Lilleyscrap?
It always been commonly accepted for small home-based businesses. And it's been hashed out to death at DST- search for it. Then look at the stores directories and you will see S4H and S4O listed together and separate from the CU sections.
But each designer is different. Some designers require a CU license for S4H and S4O. It is not an industry standard to have S4h and S4O be PU across the board.
so what's with all the new , well, not new, but new to the store....designers at SBG??? they kept on Rachness - Studio Doodell or whatever it is...even tho it says she is still a guest, I saw her blog post that said she is now permanent...and Lilleyscrap?
December 6, 2010 10:24 AM
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They had a designer call not long ago. They hired a few people. Then, these people have to let their current store owners know they are leaving. Sometimes, you have to give at least 30 days notice. So, that's why all the 'new' designers don't open their shop all at the same time.
I didn't mean there was anything wrong with any of the new ones...just a whole lot of new people, is all - alot more than they have had in the shop in ages.
I'd rather Hummie's crusades than Robyn Gough's god complex of creating everything from scratch.
December 6, 2010 8:45 AM
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I know, it's so annoying. I don't care what people like that think, I use CU and I won't stop. It works for me and obviously, my customers don't care. Could I sell more kits if I'd design everything from scratch? Maybe, but it would take me wayyy longer to come up with a kit. I'm not willing to try.
You read the whole thread or the first post? She practically starts crying that no one is paying attention to her or her layouts.
^^^^^^^^^^^^ Do you have a crystal ball? she is stating a fact, and how she chooses to respond to that fact. That is far from crying about it. In fact, she mentions something unfortunately very true: she has put layouts in designers' gallery and those designers didn't comment. Well, doing that should be to the benefit of the designers but if THEY dont pay attention, why should she keep doing it? I find her current choice simply logical. Why should she make the effort if the designers dont seem to care?
Not for nothing but...yeah...she is kinda whiny. She posted the layouts in a non-descript titled thread and two and half days later wonders why the designers haven't come back to comment on the layouts. She also goes on to state that she used to like to post layouts in a YahooGroup because she'd get a ton of feedback. Seems pretty obvious that because she didn't get the feedback she thought she deserved, she whined and complained about it.
I find it funny that Hummie mentioned how long it took her to figure out how to tuck the star behind the name in one of her layouts. That would take me all of 30 seconds. I see her as some sort of self-proclaimed queen of technique, mainly based on the sheer volume of tutorials she has made, but she struggles with something simple like that? Makes me laugh.
...In fact, she mentions something unfortunately very true: she has put layouts in designers' gallery and those designers didn't comment. Well, doing that should be to the benefit of the designers but if THEY dont pay attention, why should she keep doing it?... ----------------- Is it bad form if designers don't post on layouts in their gallery/galleries? I've always wondered that as a scrapper though never taken it personally if they don't.
Since I don't scrap to impress designers, number one, I don't post on-line but if I did, I sure the hell wouldn't do it to see how many comments I got or from who. I had a gallery once when I was heavier into scrapping but it was mostly for my own viewing, like a collection really and I never cared about comments. If the option was given (I don't know, some places may allow it nowadays) I would have turned off comments.
As far as I know, the option has always been there to turn off comments. I'm not sure when you started to post and stopped, but even way back in 2004, you could turn off comments in all the 'major' galleries. I only mentioned major as I didn't post in the smaller galleries, so I don't know about them.
I find it funny that Hummie mentioned how long it took her to figure out how to tuck the star behind the name in one of her layouts. That would take me all of 30 seconds. ------
Maybe she wanted it to be perfect. Don't you ever do that, fiddle with something forever because it just doesn't look right? It doesn't mean she couldn't do it.
She didn't even have the designers' names in the thread title, how would they have known to read that thread, and then see her layouts to comment on them? Asking a bit much to expect every designer to stay on top of every thread in the forum?
They don't have to keep up with threads in the forum - they can just look in their personal designer galleries. I admit, I rarely receive a comment from a designer when I have used her stuff, even putting it in her gallery at her store. But I do try to comment on other layouts that are in my designer galleries. I guess I'm in the minority.
She didn't put them in the gallery, she put them in the thread (not linked) and then was disappointed when the "thread got buried" and they didn't reply.
1 - If you disagree with her, you are persecuting her (even if it's in a thread that SHE started, she takes at as a personal attack when you go into the thread and disagree.) If you disagree with her on multiple sites, you are actively hunting her down and persecuting her.
2 - If you don't reply to her question or comment on her layouts, you are ignoring her and obviously that is a personal attack.
3 - If you open a site that is in competition with her, or offer training on the same topics she trains on, you are clearly making a personal attack on her, too.
What's worse is she KNOWS she has issues ... she is the first to say she is 'sensitive' and 'takes things personally' but she doesn't stop doing it and she doesn't get help.
Even if it was in the designers gallery, 2 and a half days is not long enough to expect the designers to be in there commenting.
Hummie I know you read this - please get some therapy. I'm sure you are a lovely lady, but you simply must stop being so wounded all the time.
Some people are just addicted to attention. They need it all the time, from anywhere, even if its negative. Being online is very easy and fast way to feed that addiction.
I have to have nicotine and coffee to make it through my day. Some people like cell phones growing from their ears. Others love to eat.
Love that Laitha is complaining at DST about stores "forcing" new release dates, with a sale on the release for a few days. She says she does way better at stores where there is no special release dates or sale to go with. Then she has Valentina chiming in with the same opinion. Both of these gals sell in a min. of 10 stores each at any given time.
Laitha's main point is that, in her words "sells more (extraordinarily so) in the shops with no restrictions". Valentina claims the same, chiming in with "my own personal store sells better all the time".
can't these two figure out that being in 10 stores at a time is going to affect sales in other shops? Traffic to the shop itself has alot to do with it, more than the new release dates. and if you aren't happy with sales in a particular store that has these restrictions, then leave it. after all, you have 9 more stores, and I'm sure you can find another!
LOL if she doesn't like it, she can move on out. Seems like she needs a vacation.
I design for fun and not for the stress working to pay the bills brings on and I have nothing to complain about. Even if I only make a few bucks a week from it, it's money I made from truly having fun. If you're designing to pay your bills, yeah, I can see how that can make some ladies in this industry bitter or unhappy and whiny about stupid things. It's sad.
I guess Laitha likes the stress, as I would imagine selling in so many stores would cause. I also would assume she makes some good money from it, too. I choose my mental health over money. My day job has stripped my mental health away enough. LOL Designing brings it back. Three years ago, I did try selling full time and went into a couple stores. That lasted all of 6 months when I actually cringed at the thought of opening Photoshop and put it off more and more, even though the more often I put stuff in stores for sale, the more money I made. I knew then that designing to make my living was not for me. Making stuff because I want to, not because I have to, is so much better. I hope I never have to design anything ever again.
Do you think a store owner really benefits from having designers who sell in 10+ stores? Is it helping? Is it hurting? or does it mean the store owner simply do not care much one way or the other and just wants to have a long list of designers/products?
I noticed that some designers selling in so many stores, tend to sell in the same 10+ stores, so maybe there is a common point in most of them?
I think selling in 10 stores is ridiculous. Imagine the work that takes! Honestly, I think all stores should be exclusive. It would be so much easier to find designers, keep up with sales, etc.
I might not go as far as suggesting exclusivity for all stores, but i think it would be good to limit somehow. I have seen some designer calls with clause like "sell in no more than 2 other stores", or something like that.
Different stores have different styles, and different customer base so it might be advantageus for a designer to touch more than one customer base. Yet, i agree that 10 stores? sheesh... how much time it takes to only do the upload and setting up in the stores??
10 stores is crazy. I'm in several - and previewing and uploading is a PITA and I plan to downsize in the new year. It is true that different stores have different customers but I see the advantage to going exclusive or maybe just 2.
I can't imagine that many stores...and altho both of their kits aren't to my taste, they are well done, and the quality is good. Seems, tho - that almost everystore I go to has one of those gals in it, either permanently or guesting. and how Laitha keeps up with all of that, PLUS does a collab every 2 weeks with different people is beyond me. She has to have a bank of PC's and someone to help her just to upload it all...LOL
I'm in two stores and if I have more than 3 - 5 products to upload, I will upload them to one and then use the export/import function to upload them to the other store. I don't upload them from scratch twice. It doesn't have to be a lot of work.
As to the amount of work that it takes, if selling your designs is your only source of income and there is no prospect of other work in Italy, then what does it matter? KWIM? If you designs and package for 4 days and uploads on one, how is that different from other daily grinds?
It's no different, really - what I meant was....my god, how on earth does she do it? She has alot of 'output' product wise. and it IS good quality. I'm home all day, but I don't sit here at the pc all the time either. I just can't imagine designing as a "regular" source of income. What I make, and I'm sure its no where near what Laitha does, keeps us in "toys" here....LOL. I do this because its fun, I'm creative, and just plain truly enjoy it. If it were a regular job - all of that would be gone. I admire her ability to do what she does.
Consigning designers who sell in more than 2 stores definitely affects the bottom line contribution they make to a store's commission. Especially when they compete against their own shops - i.e. holding sales in one store and not another, or hosting the same sale in more than one shop but lowering the price even lower in one shop - pulling all the traffic there.
I think that because sales dropped drastically last year designers went into panic mode - only they are ending up with too much exposure and absolutely no personal attachment to where they sell.
Laitha can't possibly give a crap about all the stores she sells in - she is just there, like every other designer in high multiple stores - to earn as much as she can. If a store doesn't manage to sell enough of their diluted products, then they immediately shop for another. They will probably have an initial influx due to a fresh face factor - but a month in they are in the same boat.
Laitha's designs are systematic - like a formula. The color she selects are gorgeous. The content is basically the same.
Her papers are her best work. But I cant find anything original or exciting about her elements. That rolled flower is now in all her kits.
I get really annoyed by designers bragging about how much they sell, how much money they make. Maybe it's jealousy, whatever. I just think people should be humble if they want my money.
But I cant find anything original or exciting about her elements.
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Originality is a recurrent topic. Why on Earth should everyone try to be original all the time? It's so tiring to be original. And don't think I'm saying that because I don't have enough imagination, I do. But every time I came up with something new and 'original' (never been seen in the digi world), someone ripped off my idea in a matter of days. Yes, maybe I'm a bitter designer. I'm a really bad mood tonight, that's why I'm writing here.
I've been in several stores at the same time and I agree, it's a pain in the butt. There was always a dollar day somewhere and a storewide sale somewhere else. In the end, my products were on sale all the time, just in different stores. It was confusing for my customers. So, I think instead of gaining more customers, I lost some.
I want to rant about Barb Speck. Barb, are you kidding me? You are quality checking other designers products but your own are blurry at 100%? And don't say it's art, seriously. And WTF do you have full kits in the CU section of digiscrapwarehouse? I'm so over people who confuse CU with S4H.
QC people, QC teams and QC seals are a joke. Who are these people? Who died and made them queens of quality? How can we be sure they know what they are doing?
I know what you mean. I read a thread on DST where someone said she was part of the QC team for a CU store (I don't remember which one). I looked at her blog and she is a really crappy designer. Her stuff is horrible. How can people are supposed to trust her judgement?
Just a thought....... just because someone isn't good at making quality items doesn't mean they aren't capable of spotting flaws in other people's items. I can't play tennis to save my life but I can pick bad plays in other people's games.
However..... I do understand that people would be unnerved at having the likes of Barf playing critique. Barf thinks she knows all. Notice how she always seems to give her opinion on any and all matters. That woman must be a genius - so "knowledgeable" on anything and everything. :P
Why don't they just skip the formalities and rename SM The Laitha & Connie Shop? The new releases is absolutely flooded with their products. Oh, but they are good quality LMAO.
However..... I do understand that people would be unnerved at having the likes of Barf playing critique. Barf thinks she knows all. Notice how she always seems to give her opinion on any and all matters.
^^^^^^^^^^ And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
That's another peeve of mine. I design (and I mean design, not extract, not throw together on whim, not scribble a brush on a canvas and call it a doodle) one or two things a week. It's all I have time to do. It irks me to see the front page of the stores I sell in completely buried in one designer's crap 2 minutes after I stick something up for sale. Laitha is great for that crap. Look in her stores..she has never ending pages upon pages of product and it all looks the same..hardly anything that stands out against anything else. Her quality may be good but she's just another extraction queen. As for her kits? Same crap, slightly different color. Whatever sells, right? lol I certainly don't admire what she does but I do wish I could have an I-don't-give-a-shit attitude.
Many stores have a minimum number of products to be uploaded per month. I wonder if any store has a MAXIMUM number? This would help get all the designers some exposition, instead of only those who produce tons of stuff. Of course, it might not be easy since one designer might release a kit, but will also release the papers, the elements, the wordarts, the clusters, the alphas, the QPs separately, which does total more products.
I certainly get annoyed myself too, when i go in a store and there is a ton of stuff from one designer, before reaching others' products. I do wonder, however, if any "solution" has ever been offered, or tried. Anyone?
^^^^^^ Maybe someone could post that question in the DST forum. If it irks some here, i am sure others are annoyed by that. Maybe it annoys store owners too? or other designers? I wonder if it can affect their sales? (talk $$ and they might pay attention)
And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic. ___________________________ This is an anon blog, so comments and opinions are given with no credit to be expected. Barb isn't the only one by far but the ones who think they know everything about everything and constantly let everyone in the forums know this that is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I agree, Barb doesn't need to be QC-ing anyone's stuff. If a store is going to have a QC policy in effect, they need to have an outside third party do it and not have other designers from their stores do it or even just other designers, period. That's bad business.
Manufacturers have a whole separate quality control department. They don't pull the workers off the floor or hire employees of their competitors to go do it.
all those QC people just use an action to QC with. nothing special there. what really gets me is this: recently, I put a new kit up, and the QC came back fine at shop #1. Shop#2 came back with 2 errors. Tiny little one pixel that was attached up at the top of a worn paper PNG file. no problem, I didn't catch it - fixed it. Point being - QC is different at each and every shop. and let me tell you this - one of my shops has Barb on the QC team. and she is tough. very tough. argues about "shine" on the ribbons - curled ones, when they should be shiny in some areas or shadowed in others..and she wants this removed. no way to remove it without ruining the element. I've always wanted to say to her...look at your OWN crap - - and you are talking to me about what?????
I didn't even know there was an action. I qc'd for a couple years and did it all the old fashion way. I was surprised at how many designers didn't even stroke to check for strays. And how many didn't check the dpi. Many CU products don't meet the standards. So check before using them.
I use an action because I find that it helps me with certain things - i.e. catching strays, etc. If I use CU it's only from reliable sources. The one thing that gets me is "jaggies" when it comes to doodles, etc. I've run my QC action on some "good designers" doodles (not talking about CU stuff) and there are "jaggies" - but when it comes to putting them on a layout/printing them out I have no issues. The reality is that we're creating stuff in pixels - there ought to be a little leeway when it comes to lines when doodling. It's annoying.
I wonder how a "designer" can know that her stuff is ... hum... not good. Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", i am sure the designer herself sees her stuff as great, while others might feel otherwise, but who is right?
Do designers take the hint that if something barely sells, or does not sell at all, it is not worth being in the store? or any designer can be convinced to "just wait", "you are just new", "people don't know you," etc. I do see stuff that make me cringe, stuff that is sooooooo basic it could only be used by someone unable to use her own graphic program (hint hint), or stuff that i wonder who in the world would ever use that for a layout. Yet, those "designers" keep working at releasing "what-i-consider-useless" stuff. Would a store owner tell them? A customer? a fellow designer? Or then, if they sell that product once or twice, will they assume it is worth it ? I know designers have to start somewhere to improve, and many do, but some, should not have started, and they are still at the same point. humm...
I agree about the over the top QC stuff, which is the number one reason why designers should NOT be QCing other designers' work. I've had really stupid people come back with QC notes about the way something I've made "looks." What? How is your personal opinion of an item any bearing on its quality? If it's not blurry, has no jagged edges, no stray pixels and all that happy crap, STFU.
And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
Boy you got that right but you are talking to vindictive bitches who have a bone to pick with the designers in question so they use this blog as their forum. So sad especially when they talk about all the garbage being posted at DST but they obviously visit often enough themselves to know what's being discussed. Some just need to get a life.
Jaggies... humm... i always wonder what is really expected, since pixels are square. Have you ever tried to make a circle with cubes? or a ball with legos? I heard one person complain about jaggies, but the QC team didn`t want transparent pixels either. How can you make a curve line with pixels, without jaggies or transparent pixels? Please, educate me!
It's possible to NOT have the jaggies or transparent pixels at 100% when working in 300 dpi. You will see them if you zoom in beyond that because the pixel becomes noticable. If you don't want them, work in vectors and not in pixels. Which means get Illustrator.
the kicker for me was getting a QC report back ...everything was fine, but the QC person had a huge problem with how my file was NAMED. needless to say, she is no longer on the store QC team, LOL
It's possible to NOT have the jaggies or transparent pixels at 100% when working in 300 dpi. You will see them if you zoom in beyond that because the pixel becomes noticable. If you don't want them, work in vectors and not in pixels. Which means get Illustrator. ^^^^^^^^ And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator?
And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator? December 10, 2010 2:48 PM
If you work at a higher quality than 300dpi, it should be smooth when viewing it at 100-120%. It will pixelate when you move in. Especially when it comes to extractions. You get jaggies when you don't give the graphic enough pixels. This is also seen often in alphas that use fonts that aren't meant for higher quality work.
Illustrator is best for doodles and hand-drawn graphics. So no, I wouldn't use it for extraction. But if you follow the above advice, you shouldn't have jaggies.
the kicker for me was getting a QC report back ...everything was fine, but the QC person had a huge problem with how my file was NAMED. needless to say, she is no longer on the store QC team, LOL December 10, 2010 2:26 PM ^^^
How did you name the file? I had designers not included their names on the images. That's just stupid. I would also send a message about those and never got fired over it. In fact, I probably saved them a headache later when someone pirated their unnamed files. But I didn't care where they put their name or the kit name.
And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator? December 10, 2010 2:48 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If that's the case, then how come so many designers can get a smooth result? Maybe you need to rethink that one and figure it out! Because that excuse doesn't really work for poor quality!
the files were named with my standard format "xx_xxxx_XXX, initials, main kit name, then ele, papers, glitter, etc. I had a series of CU items, all with the same beginning name, then the individual name after ...lemme see...LOL...like XX_Cereal_cheerios. It was the Cereal part that she didn't like. Couldn't figure out why the main folder that all 12 in the series was in was named XX_Cereal, then each subsequent file named in sequence. Wasn't just me she did this to, was practically everyone. Hope that makes sense.
It's possible to NOT have the jaggies or transparent pixels at 100% when working in 300 dpi. You will see them if you zoom in beyond that because the pixel becomes noticable. If you don't want them, work in vectors and not in pixels. Which means get Illustrator. ^^^^^^^^ And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator?
December 10, 2010 2:48 PM
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You can't extract elements in Illustrator, that is not it's function.
As for the jaggies, if you can't see them on the printed layout, what the heck does it matter?
I used to be anal about jaggies and strays, but if I couldn't pick them up on the printed page, I stopped caring so much. It only made a difference if it could be seen printed.
I'm so over people who don't understand that scrapping for others or hire is a commercial use. You are getting paid for it, hence, it's commercial. Duh!
I used to be anal about jaggies and strays, but if I couldn't pick them up on the printed page, I stopped caring so much. It only made a difference if it could be seen printed.
^^^^^^^^ Agree, but QC teams can be that picky and really cause a headache to a designer if THEY care or even check at 200% (just to make sure!)
she never mentioned what SHE wanted them called...just that she didn't like my format. I told her it was my way of keeping my files organized and in the right place...in the end, it was her "power trip" that got her kicked off the team. When she started telling one designer that she thought one element in particular should be in a different color....LOL...that did it.
I wonder how a "designer" can know that her stuff is ... hum... not good. Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", i am sure the designer herself sees her stuff as great, while others might feel otherwise, but who is right?
-------- Do share. Who is it that you think is crap so that we can all go take a look.
That was a general comment as i have seen so many of those. I am sure others could name some. Anyone has seen some "pretty-useless" CU products/tools or even elements/tools to be used by scrappers?
How about all those copyrighted dollar store finds that so many designers think is fine to photograph and extract? All junk. I wouldn't buy it for my house much less my scrapbook. Not to mention the legality of it.
In the designer forum area, I see that there are two separate threads talking about illegal file sharing. How come it always seems that Sweet Shoppe Designs kits are found on pirate sites? Is their server not very secure or something?
No, it's because there is a pirate group (or more than one) run by a girl named Gina. She and her friends buy all the new releases by SSD and share them with the group. Then, other people share with other groups... Gina has been a big pirate for a long time.
And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
Boy you got that right but you are talking to vindictive bitches who have a bone to pick with the designers in question so they use this blog as their forum. So sad especially when they talk about all the garbage being posted at DST but they obviously visit often enough themselves to know what's being discussed. Some just need to get a life.
December 10, 2010 1:02 PM ^^^^ Seems to me as though you should be grouped in with the need-to-get-a-life-getters.
I was once in a store where a designer/QC person suggested I blow something up to 300% to see a *stray* she saw. I thought that was utterly ridiculous because the whole item looked like a blurry POS blown up like that and I couldn't tell what was right or wrong there. She was also one who *suggested* (very heavily) different colors, textures, etc. To me that's not QC.
That's another peeve of mine. I design (and I mean design, not extract, not throw together on whim, not scribble a brush on a canvas and call it a doodle) one or two things a week. It's all I have time to do. It irks me to see the front page of the stores I sell in completely buried in one designer's crap 2 minutes after I stick something up for sale.
If it bugs your that much, put it up again after they have finished flooding and delete the old product.
I get that Barb Speck's designs suck, but I don't get why some of you don't like that she actually discusses things in the DCR. She doesn't belittle people or call names or anything, she just shares what she knows. I don't understand at all why people who share what they know and share the experience, but do it often, are like 'nails on a chalkboard'? Isn't it better to have discussions than to have a DCR full or nothing bu ISO threads for CU?
I wonder how a "designer" can know that her stuff is ... hum... not good. Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", i am sure the designer herself sees her stuff as great, while others might feel otherwise, but who is right? ____________________________ What? I see shit for sale all the time that is so ugly, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting it. So what? She shouldn't sell it? What a stupid comment.
I think we all need to lay off of Barb. Who cares if you do not like what she makes, that is your personal opinion. Now that you have shared it, shut up! We have all heard it. We know how you feel. Enough already. If I knew who you all were, who is to say I would like your designs? Maybe I should pick on all of you?!?
Wow...had enough caffeine today? Relax honey. It's just people talking. Barb must make money or she wouldn't be doing this. Someone likes her stuff. She will be okay. Now you just go relax and try some herb tea. It will help take the edge off for ya.
What makes Barb an awful person? Other than that she has opinions and experiences and isn't afraid of sharing them I mean. What makes her awful? Does she kick dogs? Take candy from children? Leave bags of burning poop on people's doorsteps?
I am honestly curious why it bothers some of you so much that she participates in conversations.
It's the "air of authority" that bugs people I think but the main thing is that she often seems to manage to turn threads around so they are about her and not the original poster - not always but often enough to be annoying.
Purely a matter of perception. As I've said before, people are often threatened by any sign of intelligence. I remember when they used to go after Debra Tope. Gorgeous person, but oooh, she was intelligent and had no compunction about showing she was intelligent. And why should she? There were and are others too purely picked on because they dared to show they had a modicum of intelligence.
If I knew who you all were, who is to say I would like your designs? _______________________ And what would make you think anyone would care?
If you're (generally speaking) a designer and you don't have thick enough skin to take people "picking" on you, better find something else to do because there is not one designer out there that has made or will ever make something that everyone likes. You will get some that like your stuff and buy it all the time. That's who you create for. Piss on all the rest if they feel the need to bitch about it.
I hate Barb's "I-know-it-all" attitude, because she doesn't know it all, she has been proven wrong many times. Her designs are not my cup of tea, I will never buy anything from her (I think they are ugly and useless, but this is just my opinion). The fact is that long ago I downloaded some freebies of her, and guess what: I deleted everything at once, because everything was blur! I seemed to me like a low resolution image (from web or whatever) with a blur style over it to make it "artistic". Please note that I am not a designer, just a scrapper with a basic PS knownledge, which was even lower at that time. I really can't imagine anyone else other than her CT or herself coming here and defending her.
_______________ Sounds like a personal problem to me. She has no impact on my life whatsoever and I couldn't care any less. Sorry to hear you have such troubles with someone you don't even know.
Surprisingly, they are still listed at SBG, which has a known exclusivity clause. And notice that nobody is listed as "guest" there anymore. December 13, 2010 5:06 AM
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I don't think they are doing a consignment model. They are doing a retail/resale model.
Since quality was brought up...how much leeway should there for someone doing a OKC to let a designer know that the quality of the kit isn't what it should be?
For example, although all the papers are saved at 3600, 300 ppi, the elements are much too small to be really useful (an element labled as a border only being 1,000 pixels at its widest point). Do you just do the best you can with subpar materials or should you say something?
Well, I'm the one who originally posted asking why everyoen had such a problem with Barb - and I'm not Barb (I think she posts here herself) and I'm not on her team. I'm also not really defending Barb, I'm just not sure why it bothers people so much that she knows things (even if she is wrong on some of them - aren't we all wrong sometimes?)
What defines a 'know-it-all' attitude? For me, its when someone is rude or condescending to people who disagree with them,and I've never seen Barb do that. It seems like some people are calling her 'know-it-all' just because she actively participates in many threads.
Basic Grey is not that good. There is a free sample available at A5D (no need to be logged in to download) and it's full of jaggies. I wouldn't buy from them.
I'll put in my $0.02 on Barb: I'm not a fan of her designs. It's not my style at all; can't speak to the quality of them since I've never purchased any of them.
I do think that she has a lot of experience in this industry. What rubs me the wrong way about her is that she can't give a short answer to any question. She writes and writes and write and writes and doesn't know when to stop. I really wish she'd go back and look over what she wrote before she hit the submit button.
The Basic Grey digital stuff sucks. They rock in the paper world, but their digital stuff is elementary and honestly just not the best quality wise or not very unique either. And way too expensive! I've heard it's not selling. Wonder how long they'll be around in these digital stores. They were digital in their own store for about the past year before diving into the digital community stores recently. I wonder why? Cause they don't sell!
Yes, and ... you honestly expect a big retailer like Basic Grey to be held to the same standard as the rest of the designers at SBG? ___________
I expect Basic Grey to think they're above such standards. But I expect a store that tries so hard to portray itself as unique and exclusive to stick to it ... Otherwise they just look hypocritical.
Maybe they didn't know that Basic Grey was going to suck. If a big name in the paper world asked you to sell in your store, you'd consider it. I don't know why you are picking on SBG. Basic Grey is selling in a lot of othey stores. Isn't TDC supposed to be exclusive?
I worked for a paper scrapbook company several years ago. Their stuff was really nice and I still have quite a lot of materials from my days with them. About 2 years ago, they decided to start including digital stuff in their product list. What a mistake! It was horrible. After I stopped working for them, I kept my monthly kit subscription going for a while and I still have the cd they sent me with their digi stuff. It is so laughable, it's not even funny. Not only is it plain and most is no more than a solid color filled shape, but the quality is really bad. The papers are scanned versions of their physical papers, along with some solid-color 12" squares. lol It's a cd that I wouldn't give away.
I think it's quite humourous that these stores would allow Basic Gray to sell their digital stuff because, really, paper companies need to stick with what they know. Digital scrapbooking is only labeled that because you can create pretty layouts. Other than that, the two (paper and digital) are nothing alike.
Maybe they didn't know that Basic Grey was going to suck. ^^^^^^^^^^ But as a store owner, wouldn't you check any potential "designer's" work before you'd allow them in your store? I never bought any of Basic Grey's stuff, but just looking at the previews of their stuff, i am not impressed enough to want to try.
There's a difference between retail and consignment. In this case BG isn't a designer but just a product. I have no doubt that the contract is different because BG isn't going to participate in team kits and all that other stuff designers do to promote themselves. The profit is much higher for the store on the BG sales because of the retail model they are using.
And you all can be all pissy about it but it isn't going to do much good. Designers need to be prepared for the fact that digi has the potential to move out of the cottage industry and into mass marketing. Many are going to be left behind. Especially the whiners who want everything to be fair. Business isn't fair. It's all about negotiations and the bottom line.
But I expect a store that tries so hard to portray itself as unique and exclusive to stick to it ... Otherwise they just look hypocritical. December 14, 2010 1:23 AM
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You know, not everyone follows every move that SBG (or any other store) makes. I didn't know they were exclusive and honestly I could care less. If they have something I like, I buy it. I don't care about unique or exclusive and I'm willing to bet the average customer doesn't care either.
So maybe they are hypocritical but why even bother to care unless you have a vested interest or you just like to bitch about stupid stuff?
If I were a designer and Basic Grey showed up in my store, I would be very agitated. ^^^^^^ Why? Do you feel it seriously competes with your products? It does not seem to be the most common style of digi-goodies so it would not appeal to the same crowd. And if the quality is not that good (from reading here since i never bought any), would they get return customers away from yours?
Whose fault is it? Careless customer or sloppy designer? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I'm going to have to say its the customer's fault if she didn't do any due diligence to make sure what she wanted was part of the kit (ie - read the product description...asked if she wasn't sure instead of assuming). By her own admission (she's going to scrutinize from now on to make sure what she wants is included), she didn't bother to do that.
Two sayings come to mind:
1) Caveat emptor 2) When you assume something, you make and ass out u and me
She also said that the store sent her a gift certificate because of it. What more does she really want?
I also find it rather humerous that TJ933 posted agreeing with her since it wasn't all that long ago she started a thread complaining because she'd been told by one of the designers that she CT's for that she couldn't use outside WA and templates (http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/scrap-talk-65/how-do-you-view-creative-teams-251709/). So, it's ok if she's the one who does it but not ok if another CT does it?
It's still very deceiving to show products on a preview/layout that are not in the kit. If those ct layouts used other products it should have stated so.
I am just an average scrapper, not a designer. I am not active on any CT's, although I have been in the past. I am not active in any "scrapbook community", I don't post on the message boards, and I don't post my layouts online anymore. I read the Digi boards for entertainment, and am constantly amazed at what people share on the internet. I freely admit to reading the scrapbook smack blogs, it is a guilty pleasure.
You can email me at: DSTHallofFame@gmail.com
1,198 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 800 of 1198 Newer› Newest»Instead of running over to buy COLS wonderful goodies, I downloaded this months Gold member kit. another clunker. 148 MB of crapola in weird colors...and each and every damn element is plain AND shadowed, and get this....ROTATED for my convenience, I'm sure. I've seen it all now. Rotated. What on earth are these people thinking???
December 2, 2010 3:19 PM
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I like the turquoise in there. I've bought a lot of kits lately that have shadowed and non shadowed elements, doesn't bother me. I just delete the shadowed ones. I know some graphics programs out there don't do shadows. I'm guessing the quality is okay, seeing as the only complaints you have are superficial.
^^^
It's the Creashens kit right? I don't have a gold membership but I thought it looked like a really cute kit from the pvw.
They aren't superficial at all. I can put up with shadowed elements being included. But ROTATED? come on!!!!! and every darn element is done in every color. there are 4 of each element, then double that with shadows...and some of the darn things are even rotated. There are frames...then shadowed frames...then rotated frames..then shadowed rotated frames...then all of the aforementioned done in each damn color. come on, gimme a break. superficial? don't think so. quality is ok, yeah. color choice is a matter of opinion. but everything else I've mentioned??? That 148MB would easily be under 100 MB. I'm not talking download times either. It seems like a huge kit, until you unzip the thing...and there are quadruplet elements with and without shadows, rotated.....
^^^
Please. Designers either put in too little or they put in too much. Can you let us know what is exactly the right amount? They add a shadow, and even though the unshadowed item was also there, leaving you the option to delete the shadowed one, it bothers you. This designer rotated an element to the precise angle that sets of your irrational rage response...blah.
No matter what a designer does, it's going to upset someone. I get things in kits I don't want sometimes too. I don't personally need 8 colors or shadowed versions. I recognize some people do want them. I take 30 seconds and delete the things I don't want, and recognize that a the designer is trying to accomodate as many people as possible. It's really not that big of a deal.
Instead of running over to buy COLS wonderful goodies, I downloaded this months Gold member kit. another clunker. 148 MB of crapola in weird colors...and each and every damn element is plain AND shadowed, and get this....ROTATED for my convenience, I'm sure. I've seen it all now. Rotated. What on earth are these people thinking???
^^^
Do you mean from creashens? Sorry - I'm not up to date on who's going the gold kit - call my stupid
Yeah, this months kit is from creashens. Its ok I guess. nothing special, thats for sure.
^^^^
The Christmas kits are usually just so-so.
They aren't superficial at all. I can put up with shadowed elements being included. But ROTATED? come on!!!!!
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Sorry, it still sounds superficial to me. You got the damn thing for free and you said yourself that the quality was okay. I'll agree that it can be annoying have a lot of the same thing in a kit, but I wouldn't call it a huge problem or anything but a superficial problem.
LOL I have to admit, that is pretty funny. Here's the horizontal frame, here it is shadowed. Here is the same frame vertically, here it is shadowed. Oh, you want it in a couple more colors? Here you go. All the same frame.
^^^^
Not everyone has Photoshop and not everyone has a graphics program that can do those things easily. It's easy to be frustrated and annoyed by it when you can do it yourself, on the other hand, it's easy to be frustrated and annoyed by not having them when you can't do it yourself.
There's a graphics program where you can't rotate objects?
I haven't downloaded the kit to see but, a custom shadowed element could not be rotated and still have the shadows cast in the same direction as the rest of the (preshadowed) elements.
That would be the only reason for rotating elements IMO. I would rather think it through and find a happy medium than inundating a kit with duplicates.
There's a graphics program where you can't rotate objects?
December 2, 2010 5:54 PM
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I never said that, I said there may be some where it can't be done easily.
Well, obviously, the rotated elements might not be useful for someone who's been scrapbooking for a while but some newbies might like the option. We sometimes forget that some beginners are totally clueless about the most basic technics like rotating an element. I read that on the lilypad blog the other day: http://www.the-lilypad.com/blog/2010/11/04/tips-tricksrotating-elementitem/
If there is a need for a tutorial like that...
not exactly for free. I paid the damn membership, ok? and now there are 3 kits in a row that I won't use. I know, I know, chance I take. wishing now that i hadn't gone for the damn membership, I could have spent that money on something worth it.
Considering the price of the membership and the average price of a kit, you mostly got it for free.
I only had a gold membership the first year and all the kits were crap, deleted the lot! I didn't bother to renew.
Anybody knows who owns ninthandbloom.com?
"some beginners are totally clueless about the most basic technics like rotating an element.
December 2, 2010 8:00 PM"
And you still call them "designers"?
no, scrapbookers.
Unfortunately, some "designers" are still missing some basic knowledge of their graphic program. But for the rotated elements, it would be for the end users who are scrappers since the kit is not CU.
Not a subscriber, so i haven't see the "rotated items".
I did however include rotated items in a couple of my kits. They had a style & highlights that were obviously directional. If you were to rotate them to the direction you wanted to use them (people would be using them rotated every which way) then your highlights were off. So I included 4 different versions so you could pick the one that fit your light source.
But apparently I'm one of a very few who care if your highlights coordinate with your shadow direction, because in the layouts I saw people just used whichever one was handy.
I remember a post, a long time ago, about someone who used to be annoyed at the fact that the designer included FOUR photo corners instead of one, and only realised after bitching for a while, that the bevelling HAD to be different for all of those corners, so, eventually, she realised that those designers (who annoyed her) were, in fact, smarter designers than others!
Anybody knows who owns ninthandbloom.com?
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Holly Griego (Holly Designs)
there aren't any highlights or special bevels to these elements. there is "all around" shadowing on the frames.
I'm really not understanding why rotated and shadowed elements are such a BFD. Just delete them and STFU already. It's the difference between a 200MB kit and a 100MB kit? Seriously? Are you on dial-up? That extra one minute of downloading time is really going to cut into your day, is it?
Sometimes I swear it's just like some of you sit down and look for something to bitch about on any given day.
Oh boo hoo, I get 12 kits a year in a membership I was under no obligation to buy and sometimes the kits have TOO MANY items in them. Wah wah wah.
^^^
Agreed. Bitching just to bitch. You can't make some people happy no matter what you do.
It was only ONE person bitching, not PEOPLE. Geez. Generalizations make you look stupid.
And really? Bitching about bitching? That's a new one.
Sometimes I swear it's just like some of you sit down and look for something to bitch about on any given day.
December 3, 2010 11:18 AM
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^^^
Agreed. Bitching just to bitch. You can't make some people happy no matter what you do.
December 3, 2010 12:08 PM
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Do you realize at all how ironic the two of you being?
Sometimes I swear it's just like some of you sit down and look for something to bitch about on any given day.
December 3, 2010 11:18 AM
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^^^
Agreed. Bitching just to bitch. You can't make some people happy no matter what you do.
December 3, 2010 12:08 PM
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Do you realize at all how ironic the two of you being?
December 3, 2010 1:26 PM
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And yet somehow you are superior in bitching about the irony of it. Pot, meet kettle...
Anybody knows who owns ninthandbloom.com?
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Holly Griego (Holly Designs)
December 3, 2010 11:09 AM
Thanks!
LOLOL! too funny. on to a new subject please.... :)
Oh puhLEEZE don't someone start that 'pot-meet-kettle' shit again! It's been so nice to not have to read it every frickin week.... Don't start it up again PLEEEEZE!
And yet somehow you are superior in bitching about the irony of it. Pot, meet kettle...
December 3, 2010 1:59 PM
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I didn't bitch, I merely pointed out the irony. Big difference. I guess you didn't understand that, as you have to resort to cliches to communicate.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
LOLOL! too funny. on to a new subject please.... :)
December 3, 2010 2:50 PM
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Who's funny? And if it so funny, why change the subject? It's obviously amusing you.
Pot, meet kettle...
December 3, 2010 1:59 PM
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If you can't think of anything original to say, don't say it. Otherwise, you just look stupid.
Oh puhLEEZE don't someone start that 'pot-meet-kettle' shit again! It's been so nice to not have to read it every frickin week.... Don't start it up again PLEEEEZE!
December 3, 2010 3:22 PM
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Agreed! It's almost as bad as 'if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'. I'm expecting to read that any post now
And yet somehow you are superior in bitching about the irony of it. Pot, meet kettle...
December 3, 2010 1:59 PM
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Do you have any clue what you are talking about? Any clue at all?
I dont type here much - but do any of you have a working brain? A life outside the blog? Family, kids to teach - something other than complaining. I am so sick of negative shit put out there. Makes one wonder why would a designer even want to design to whining people who piss on every freebie out there. Wouldnt your life be a better mess not being a negative assohole and having respect for yourself and your fellow humans.
Maybe, like you, they don't type here much either. Did you think about that? Or were you so busy being a pear clutching, superior, generalizing, know it all, bitch you missed it? Hmm?
Honestly, what makes you so much better?
Oh, and thanks for reminding me that I can't have a family. Way to go!!
Think before you type or say anything. I know it's hard, but do try. Maybe someone will actually like you!
No one asks anybody to come here.
Don't like the place or the posters here? You can always go respect yourself somewhere else.
And no one begs designers to design.
You (I mean any designer) want to do it, do it right.
If you don't want people to complain about or discuss the quality of your work (free or not), you should quit already.
And if your freebie is shit, why should I trust your other stuff is worth paying for?
Now this is just getting ridiculous.... anyone have anything else to talk about.... please?!?
Does anyone know who owns Scrap Matters?
Or were you so busy being a pear clutching, superior, generalizing, know it all, bitch you missed it? Hmm?
__________________________
I know! I hate pear-clutching bitches. Going around thinking their pears don't stink, all superior with their luscious, tastiness.
Now this is just getting ridiculous.... anyone have anything else to talk about.... please?!?
Does anyone know who owns Scrap Matters?
December 4, 2010 10:30 AM
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Did you look at all? Wasn't hard to find:
http://www.scrapmatters.com/team/
Although that info is a bit outdated, Andrea is the owner.
Did you look at all? Wasn't hard to find:
http://www.scrapmatters.com/team/
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Just trying to change the subject, but thank you for the needless classlessness.
I know! I hate pear-clutching bitches. Going around thinking their pears don't stink, all superior with their luscious, tastiness.
Good one! LOL
Does anyone know who owns Scrapbook Graphics?
Does anyone know who owns The Digi chick?
The question should be does anyone give a crap who owns what - NOPE
Who is asking all these questions about store owners?
Go and ask them at DST, you'll get a faster response.
BTW, the DigiChick, last I heard, is owned by Nicole Seitler, aka Sugarplum Papiere or however it's spelt.
Just trying to change the subject, but thank you for the needless classlessness.
December 4, 2010 2:35 PM
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How was she classless? Seriously, I want to know.
Oh, and such a fascinating, scintillating change of subject. I'm riveted.
Does anyone know who owns Scrapbook Graphics?
December 4, 2010 5:07 PM
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You are joking, right? Ho ho ho. So funny! NOT!
I know! I hate pear-clutching bitches. Going around thinking their pears don't stink, all superior with their luscious, tastiness.
December 4, 2010 10:37 AM
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I knew everyone hated the pearl clutches, but I wondered if anyone disliked the pear clutchers, so I slipped that in there. Good to know I'm not alone.
where is everyone?
I'm here. It seems that nothing is going on right now.
There goes Hummie on a new crusade again. TOU icons.
Someone ought to let her know S4H is under personal use like S4O- not under CU.
I'd rather Hummie's crusades than Robyn Gough's god complex of creating everything from scratch.
There goes Hummie on a new crusade again. TOU icons.
Someone ought to let her know S4H is under personal use like S4O- not under CU.
--------------
Does anyone take her seriously? I saw her "pattern a day" thing in November--total crap. Who wants pixellated overlays/patterns? Not me.
There goes Hummie on a new crusade again. TOU icons.
Someone ought to let her know S4H is under personal use like S4O- not under CU.
^^^^^^^^^^
Why do you consider it a cruisade when someone offers a suggestion? Whenever someone offers an idea (new or reworded) they think can help, others look down at them. Come on. If someone has an idea, and you think it needs additional work to it, just post in the thread, state your own suggestions, and see where it goes. Not all ideas posted by this or that person are bad, unless you immediately categorize everything someone says as bad.
Nobody has to agree with everything, but don't scratch everything right from the start.
so what's with all the new , well, not new, but new to the store....designers at SBG??? they kept on Rachness - Studio Doodell or whatever it is...even tho it says she is still a guest, I saw her blog post that said she is now permanent...and Lilleyscrap?
I'd rather Hummie's crusades than Robyn Gough's god complex of creating everything from scratch.
December 6, 2010 8:45 AM
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Yes. You win that point, to be sure.
Or Stefstyle's harping on using no products.
And Robyn- DOVER IS CU. Duh
Someone ought to let her know S4H is under personal use like S4O- not under CU.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How is Scrap for Hire under PU? The person is still making money off of the designers kits.... and since when is that an industry standard?
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Or Scrap for Others?
It always been commonly accepted for small home-based businesses. And it's been hashed out to death at DST- search for it.
Then look at the stores directories and you will see S4H and S4O listed together and separate from the CU sections.
But each designer is different. Some designers require a CU license for S4H and S4O. It is not an industry standard to have S4h and S4O be PU across the board.
so what's with all the new , well, not new, but new to the store....designers at SBG??? they kept on Rachness - Studio Doodell or whatever it is...even tho it says she is still a guest, I saw her blog post that said she is now permanent...and Lilleyscrap?
December 6, 2010 10:24 AM
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They had a designer call not long ago. They hired a few people. Then, these people have to let their current store owners know they are leaving. Sometimes, you have to give at least 30 days notice. So, that's why all the 'new' designers don't open their shop all at the same time.
Just checked the new designers at SBG, nothing wrong with them, but nothing unique or innovative either.
I didn't mean there was anything wrong with any of the new ones...just a whole lot of new people, is all - alot more than they have had in the shop in ages.
I'd rather Hummie's crusades than Robyn Gough's god complex of creating everything from scratch.
December 6, 2010 8:45 AM
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I know, it's so annoying. I don't care what people like that think, I use CU and I won't stop. It works for me and obviously, my customers don't care. Could I sell more kits if I'd design everything from scratch? Maybe, but it would take me wayyy longer to come up with a kit. I'm not willing to try.
What happened to Roben-Marie? Why did she retired?
^^^^
Better things to do I guess. She does a lot of hybrid and hands one. Maybe she got bored with digi?
Hummie has got some serious emotional problems.
http://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49095
^^^^^^
Why? I don't see it. Maybe you are just being unnecessarily bitchy. Hummie gets on my wick, but I don't see anything wrong with that thread.
Looks like she is participating in a forum, saying "hi" and sharing her layouts. Not sure where the serious emotional problems are exhibited.
You read the whole thread or the first post? She practically starts crying that no one is paying attention to her or her layouts.
Well, she states that she doesn't like her layouts posted "all over the web" and usually "deletes them after a while"...........
and she wonders why she doesn't get many comments.........
lol lol lol
^^^^
I read the whole thing.
You read the whole thread or the first post? She practically starts crying that no one is paying attention to her or her layouts.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Do you have a crystal ball? she is stating a fact, and how she chooses to respond to that fact. That is far from crying about it. In fact, she mentions something unfortunately very true: she has put layouts in designers' gallery and those designers didn't comment. Well, doing that should be to the benefit of the designers but if THEY dont pay attention, why should she keep doing it? I find her current choice simply logical. Why should she make the effort if the designers dont seem to care?
^^^^^
I would have to agree. Hummie can be annoying, but I honestly don't see anything whiny or wrong with that thread.
Not for nothing but...yeah...she is kinda whiny. She posted the layouts in a non-descript titled thread and two and half days later wonders why the designers haven't come back to comment on the layouts. She also goes on to state that she used to like to post layouts in a YahooGroup because she'd get a ton of feedback. Seems pretty obvious that because she didn't get the feedback she thought she deserved, she whined and complained about it.
I find it funny that Hummie mentioned how long it took her to figure out how to tuck the star behind the name in one of her layouts. That would take me all of 30 seconds. I see her as some sort of self-proclaimed queen of technique, mainly based on the sheer volume of tutorials she has made, but she struggles with something simple like that? Makes me laugh.
...In fact, she mentions something unfortunately very true: she has put layouts in designers' gallery and those designers didn't comment. Well, doing that should be to the benefit of the designers but if THEY dont pay attention, why should she keep doing it?...
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Is it bad form if designers don't post on layouts in their gallery/galleries? I've always wondered that as a scrapper though never taken it personally if they don't.
Since I don't scrap to impress designers, number one, I don't post on-line but if I did, I sure the hell wouldn't do it to see how many comments I got or from who. I had a gallery once when I was heavier into scrapping but it was mostly for my own viewing, like a collection really and I never cared about comments. If the option was given (I don't know, some places may allow it nowadays) I would have turned off comments.
^^^^^
As far as I know, the option has always been there to turn off comments. I'm not sure when you started to post and stopped, but even way back in 2004, you could turn off comments in all the 'major' galleries. I only mentioned major as I didn't post in the smaller galleries, so I don't know about them.
I find it funny that Hummie mentioned how long it took her to figure out how to tuck the star behind the name in one of her layouts. That would take me all of 30 seconds.
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Maybe she wanted it to be perfect. Don't you ever do that, fiddle with something forever because it just doesn't look right? It doesn't mean she couldn't do it.
She didn't even have the designers' names in the thread title, how would they have known to read that thread, and then see her layouts to comment on them? Asking a bit much to expect every designer to stay on top of every thread in the forum?
They don't have to keep up with threads in the forum - they can just look in their personal designer galleries. I admit, I rarely receive a comment from a designer when I have used her stuff, even putting it in her gallery at her store. But I do try to comment on other layouts that are in my designer galleries. I guess I'm in the minority.
She didn't put them in the gallery, she put them in the thread (not linked) and then was disappointed when the "thread got buried" and they didn't reply.
She is just crazy.
Good grief. Yuck.
http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/member-specialties-14/zimule-winter-kit-freebie-263035/
is it just me, or do those devils look a tad out of place in a wintery scene? lol
^^^^
I think they are supposed to be some kind of troll.
that whole kit looks badly put together. Horrible, simply horrible.
Hummie has serious issues:
1 - If you disagree with her, you are persecuting her (even if it's in a thread that SHE started, she takes at as a personal attack when you go into the thread and disagree.) If you disagree with her on multiple sites, you are actively hunting her down and persecuting her.
2 - If you don't reply to her question or comment on her layouts, you are ignoring her and obviously that is a personal attack.
3 - If you open a site that is in competition with her, or offer training on the same topics she trains on, you are clearly making a personal attack on her, too.
What's worse is she KNOWS she has issues ... she is the first to say she is 'sensitive' and 'takes things personally' but she doesn't stop doing it and she doesn't get help.
Even if it was in the designers gallery, 2 and a half days is not long enough to expect the designers to be in there commenting.
Hummie I know you read this - please get some therapy. I'm sure you are a lovely lady, but you simply must stop being so wounded all the time.
Some people are just addicted to attention. They need it all the time, from anywhere, even if its negative. Being online is very easy and fast way to feed that addiction.
I have to have nicotine and coffee to make it through my day. Some people like cell phones growing from their ears. Others love to eat.
She got a comment from one of the designers today. I wonder if that'll make her happy.
Love that Laitha is complaining at DST about stores "forcing" new release dates, with a sale on the release for a few days. She says she does way better at stores where there is no special release dates or sale to go with. Then she has Valentina chiming in with the same opinion. Both of these gals sell in a min. of 10 stores each at any given time.
Laitha's main point is that, in her words "sells more (extraordinarily so) in the shops with no restrictions". Valentina claims the same, chiming in with "my own personal store sells better all the time".
can't these two figure out that being in 10 stores at a time is going to affect sales in other shops? Traffic to the shop itself has alot to do with it, more than the new release dates. and if you aren't happy with sales in a particular store that has these restrictions, then leave it. after all, you have 9 more stores, and I'm sure you can find another!
LOL if she doesn't like it, she can move on out. Seems like she needs a vacation.
I design for fun and not for the stress working to pay the bills brings on and I have nothing to complain about. Even if I only make a few bucks a week from it, it's money I made from truly having fun. If you're designing to pay your bills, yeah, I can see how that can make some ladies in this industry bitter or unhappy and whiny about stupid things. It's sad.
I guess Laitha likes the stress, as I would imagine selling in so many stores would cause. I also would assume she makes some good money from it, too. I choose my mental health over money. My day job has stripped my mental health away enough. LOL Designing brings it back. Three years ago, I did try selling full time and went into a couple stores. That lasted all of 6 months when I actually cringed at the thought of opening Photoshop and put it off more and more, even though the more often I put stuff in stores for sale, the more money I made. I knew then that designing to make my living was not for me. Making stuff because I want to, not because I have to, is so much better. I hope I never have to design anything ever again.
Do you think a store owner really benefits from having designers who sell in 10+ stores? Is it helping? Is it hurting? or does it mean the store owner simply do not care much one way or the other and just wants to have a long list of designers/products?
I noticed that some designers selling in so many stores, tend to sell in the same 10+ stores, so maybe there is a common point in most of them?
I think selling in 10 stores is ridiculous. Imagine the work that takes! Honestly, I think all stores should be exclusive. It would be so much easier to find designers, keep up with sales, etc.
I might not go as far as suggesting exclusivity for all stores, but i think it would be good to limit somehow. I have seen some designer calls with clause like "sell in no more than 2 other stores", or something like that.
Different stores have different styles, and different customer base so it might be advantageus for a designer to touch more than one customer base. Yet, i agree that 10 stores? sheesh... how much time it takes to only do the upload and setting up in the stores??
10 stores is crazy. I'm in several - and previewing and uploading is a PITA and I plan to downsize in the new year. It is true that different stores have different customers but I see the advantage to going exclusive or maybe just 2.
I can't imagine that many stores...and altho both of their kits aren't to my taste, they are well done, and the quality is good. Seems, tho - that almost everystore I go to has one of those gals in it, either permanently or guesting. and how Laitha keeps up with all of that, PLUS does a collab every 2 weeks with different people is beyond me. She has to have a bank of PC's and someone to help her just to upload it all...LOL
I'm in two stores and if I have more than 3 - 5 products to upload, I will upload them to one and then use the export/import function to upload them to the other store. I don't upload them from scratch twice. It doesn't have to be a lot of work.
As to the amount of work that it takes, if selling your designs is your only source of income and there is no prospect of other work in Italy, then what does it matter? KWIM? If you designs and package for 4 days and uploads on one, how is that different from other daily grinds?
It's no different, really - what I meant was....my god, how on earth does she do it? She has alot of 'output' product wise. and it IS good quality. I'm home all day, but I don't sit here at the pc all the time either. I just can't imagine designing as a "regular" source of income. What I make, and I'm sure its no where near what Laitha does, keeps us in "toys" here....LOL. I do this because its fun, I'm creative, and just plain truly enjoy it. If it were a regular job - all of that would be gone. I admire her ability to do what she does.
Consigning designers who sell in more than 2 stores definitely affects the bottom line contribution they make to a store's commission. Especially when they compete against their own shops - i.e. holding sales in one store and not another, or hosting the same sale in more than one shop but lowering the price even lower in one shop - pulling all the traffic there.
I think that because sales dropped drastically last year designers went into panic mode - only they are ending up with too much exposure and absolutely no personal attachment to where they sell.
Laitha can't possibly give a crap about all the stores she sells in - she is just there, like every other designer in high multiple stores - to earn as much as she can. If a store doesn't manage to sell enough of their diluted products, then they immediately shop for another. They will probably have an initial influx due to a fresh face factor - but a month in they are in the same boat.
Laitha's designs are systematic - like a formula. The color she selects are gorgeous. The content is basically the same.
Her papers are her best work. But I cant find anything original or exciting about her elements. That rolled flower is now in all her kits.
I get really annoyed by designers bragging about how much they sell, how much money they make. Maybe it's jealousy, whatever. I just think people should be humble if they want my money.
But I cant find anything original or exciting about her elements.
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Originality is a recurrent topic.
Why on Earth should everyone try to be original all the time? It's so tiring to be original. And don't think I'm saying that because I don't have enough imagination, I do. But every time I came up with something new and 'original' (never been seen in the digi world), someone ripped off my idea in a matter of days. Yes, maybe I'm a bitter designer. I'm a really bad mood tonight, that's why I'm writing here.
I've been in several stores at the same time and I agree, it's a pain in the butt. There was always a dollar day somewhere and a storewide sale somewhere else. In the end, my products were on sale all the time, just in different stores. It was confusing for my customers. So, I think instead of gaining more customers, I lost some.
I want to rant about Barb Speck. Barb, are you kidding me? You are quality checking other designers products but your own are blurry at 100%? And don't say it's art, seriously.
And WTF do you have full kits in the CU section of digiscrapwarehouse? I'm so over people who confuse CU with S4H.
QC people, QC teams and QC seals are a joke. Who are these people? Who died and made them queens of quality? How can we be sure they know what they are doing?
^^
I know what you mean. I read a thread on DST where someone said she was part of the QC team for a CU store (I don't remember which one). I looked at her blog and she is a really crappy designer. Her stuff is horrible. How can people are supposed to trust her judgement?
Just a thought....... just because someone isn't good at making quality items doesn't mean they aren't capable of spotting flaws in other people's items. I can't play tennis to save my life but I can pick bad plays in other people's games.
However..... I do understand that people would be unnerved at having the likes of Barf playing critique. Barf thinks she knows all. Notice how she always seems to give her opinion on any and all matters. That woman must be a genius - so "knowledgeable" on anything and everything. :P
Why don't they just skip the formalities and rename SM The Laitha & Connie Shop? The new releases is absolutely flooded with their products. Oh, but they are good quality LMAO.
However..... I do understand that people would be unnerved at having the likes of Barf playing critique. Barf thinks she knows all. Notice how she always seems to give her opinion on any and all matters.
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And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
That's another peeve of mine. I design (and I mean design, not extract, not throw together on whim, not scribble a brush on a canvas and call it a doodle) one or two things a week. It's all I have time to do. It irks me to see the front page of the stores I sell in completely buried in one designer's crap 2 minutes after I stick something up for sale. Laitha is great for that crap. Look in her stores..she has never ending pages upon pages of product and it all looks the same..hardly anything that stands out against anything else. Her quality may be good but she's just another extraction queen. As for her kits? Same crap, slightly different color. Whatever sells, right? lol I certainly don't admire what she does but I do wish I could have an I-don't-give-a-shit attitude.
Many stores have a minimum number of products to be uploaded per month. I wonder if any store has a MAXIMUM number? This would help get all the designers some exposition, instead of only those who produce tons of stuff. Of course, it might not be easy since one designer might release a kit, but will also release the papers, the elements, the wordarts, the clusters, the alphas, the QPs separately, which does total more products.
I certainly get annoyed myself too, when i go in a store and there is a ton of stuff from one designer, before reaching others' products. I do wonder, however, if any "solution" has ever been offered, or tried. Anyone?
^^^^^^
Maybe someone could post that question in the DST forum. If it irks some here, i am sure others are annoyed by that. Maybe it annoys store owners too? or other designers? I wonder if it can affect their sales? (talk $$ and they might pay attention)
And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
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This is an anon blog, so comments and opinions are given with no credit to be expected. Barb isn't the only one by far but the ones who think they know everything about everything and constantly let everyone in the forums know this that is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I agree, Barb doesn't need to be QC-ing anyone's stuff. If a store is going to have a QC policy in effect, they need to have an outside third party do it and not have other designers from their stores do it or even just other designers, period. That's bad business.
Manufacturers have a whole separate quality control department. They don't pull the workers off the floor or hire employees of their competitors to go do it.
all those QC people just use an action to QC with. nothing special there. what really gets me is this: recently, I put a new kit up, and the QC came back fine at shop #1. Shop#2 came back with 2 errors. Tiny little one pixel that was attached up at the top of a worn paper PNG file. no problem, I didn't catch it - fixed it. Point being - QC is different at each and every shop. and let me tell you this - one of my shops has Barb on the QC team. and she is tough. very tough. argues about "shine" on the ribbons - curled ones, when they should be shiny in some areas or shadowed in others..and she wants this removed. no way to remove it without ruining the element. I've always wanted to say to her...look at your OWN crap - - and you are talking to me about what?????
I didn't even know there was an action. I qc'd for a couple years and did it all the old fashion way. I was surprised at how many designers didn't even stroke to check for strays. And how many didn't check the dpi. Many CU products don't meet the standards. So check before using them.
An action isn't needed.
I use an action because I find that it helps me with certain things - i.e. catching strays, etc. If I use CU it's only from reliable sources. The one thing that gets me is "jaggies" when it comes to doodles, etc. I've run my QC action on some "good designers" doodles (not talking about CU stuff) and there are "jaggies" - but when it comes to putting them on a layout/printing them out I have no issues. The reality is that we're creating stuff in pixels - there ought to be a little leeway when it comes to lines when doodling. It's annoying.
I wonder how a "designer" can know that her stuff is ... hum... not good. Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", i am sure the designer herself sees her stuff as great, while others might feel otherwise, but who is right?
Do designers take the hint that if something barely sells, or does not sell at all, it is not worth being in the store? or any designer can be convinced to "just wait", "you are just new", "people don't know you," etc. I do see stuff that make me cringe, stuff that is sooooooo basic it could only be used by someone unable to use her own graphic program (hint hint), or stuff that i wonder who in the world would ever use that for a layout. Yet, those "designers" keep working at releasing "what-i-consider-useless" stuff. Would a store owner tell them? A customer? a fellow designer? Or then, if they sell that product once or twice, will they assume it is worth it ? I know designers have to start somewhere to improve, and many do, but some, should not have started, and they are still at the same point. humm...
I agree about the over the top QC stuff, which is the number one reason why designers should NOT be QCing other designers' work. I've had really stupid people come back with QC notes about the way something I've made "looks." What? How is your personal opinion of an item any bearing on its quality? If it's not blurry, has no jagged edges, no stray pixels and all that happy crap, STFU.
And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
Boy you got that right but you are talking to vindictive bitches who have a bone to pick with the designers in question so they use this blog as their forum. So sad especially when they talk about all the garbage being posted at DST but they obviously visit often enough themselves to know what's being discussed. Some just need to get a life.
Jaggies... humm... i always wonder what is really expected, since pixels are square. Have you ever tried to make a circle with cubes? or a ball with legos? I heard one person complain about jaggies, but the QC team didn`t want transparent pixels either. How can you make a curve line with pixels, without jaggies or transparent pixels? Please, educate me!
It's possible to NOT have the jaggies or transparent pixels at 100% when working in 300 dpi. You will see them if you zoom in beyond that because the pixel becomes noticable. If you don't want them, work in vectors and not in pixels. Which means get Illustrator.
the kicker for me was getting a QC report back ...everything was fine, but the QC person had a huge problem with how my file was NAMED. needless to say, she is no longer on the store QC team, LOL
It's possible to NOT have the jaggies or transparent pixels at 100% when working in 300 dpi. You will see them if you zoom in beyond that because the pixel becomes noticable. If you don't want them, work in vectors and not in pixels. Which means get Illustrator.
^^^^^^^^
And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator?
And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator?
December 10, 2010 2:48 PM
If you work at a higher quality than 300dpi, it should be smooth when viewing it at 100-120%. It will pixelate when you move in. Especially when it comes to extractions. You get jaggies when you don't give the graphic enough pixels. This is also seen often in alphas that use fonts that aren't meant for higher quality work.
Illustrator is best for doodles and hand-drawn graphics. So no, I wouldn't use it for extraction. But if you follow the above advice, you shouldn't have jaggies.
the kicker for me was getting a QC report back ...everything was fine, but the QC person had a huge problem with how my file was NAMED. needless to say, she is no longer on the store QC team, LOL
December 10, 2010 2:26 PM
^^^
How did you name the file? I had designers not included their names on the images. That's just stupid. I would also send a message about those and never got fired over it. In fact, I probably saved them a headache later when someone pirated their unnamed files. But I didn't care where they put their name or the kit name.
And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator?
December 10, 2010 2:48 PM
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If that's the case, then how come so many designers can get a smooth result? Maybe you need to rethink that one and figure it out! Because that excuse doesn't really work for poor quality!
the files were named with my standard format "xx_xxxx_XXX, initials, main kit name, then ele, papers, glitter, etc. I had a series of CU items, all with the same beginning name, then the individual name after ...lemme see...LOL...like XX_Cereal_cheerios. It was the Cereal part that she didn't like. Couldn't figure out why the main folder that all 12 in the series was in was named XX_Cereal, then each subsequent file named in sequence. Wasn't just me she did this to, was practically everyone. Hope that makes sense.
that was stupid. someone was on a power trip.
It's possible to NOT have the jaggies or transparent pixels at 100% when working in 300 dpi. You will see them if you zoom in beyond that because the pixel becomes noticable. If you don't want them, work in vectors and not in pixels. Which means get Illustrator.
^^^^^^^^
And when you save your element in png format, isn't that just a bunch of square pixels in the end anyways? Do you extract elements in Illustrator?
December 10, 2010 2:48 PM
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You can't extract elements in Illustrator, that is not it's function.
As for the jaggies, if you can't see them on the printed layout, what the heck does it matter?
I used to be anal about jaggies and strays, but if I couldn't pick them up on the printed page, I stopped caring so much. It only made a difference if it could be seen printed.
I'm so over people who confuse CU with S4H.
December 10, 2010 2:35 AM
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I'm so over people who don't understand that scrapping for others or hire is a commercial use. You are getting paid for it, hence, it's commercial. Duh!
I used to be anal about jaggies and strays, but if I couldn't pick them up on the printed page, I stopped caring so much. It only made a difference if it could be seen printed.
^^^^^^^^
Agree, but QC teams can be that picky and really cause a headache to a designer if THEY care or even check at 200% (just to make sure!)
That sounds like pretty typical naming conventions for kits - I'm curious what this person would have preferred for file naming?
she never mentioned what SHE wanted them called...just that she didn't like my format. I told her it was my way of keeping my files organized and in the right place...in the end, it was her "power trip" that got her kicked off the team. When she started telling one designer that she thought one element in particular should be in a different color....LOL...that did it.
I wonder how a "designer" can know that her stuff is ... hum... not good. Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", i am sure the designer herself sees her stuff as great, while others might feel otherwise, but who is right?
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Do share. Who is it that you think is crap so that we can all go take a look.
That was a general comment as i have seen so many of those. I am sure others could name some. Anyone has seen some "pretty-useless" CU products/tools or even elements/tools to be used by scrappers?
How about all those copyrighted dollar store finds that so many designers think is fine to photograph and extract? All junk. I wouldn't buy it for my house much less my scrapbook. Not to mention the legality of it.
In the designer forum area, I see that there are two separate threads talking about illegal file sharing. How come it always seems that Sweet Shoppe Designs kits are found on pirate sites? Is their server not very secure or something?
WV: flamer (awesome!)
No, it's because there is a pirate group (or more than one) run by a girl named Gina. She and her friends buy all the new releases by SSD and share them with the group. Then, other people share with other groups... Gina has been a big pirate for a long time.
And people giving opinions on everything, in this blog is better? What is wrong with having and giving opinions? It is when you start using your opinion as facts that it gets problematic.
Boy you got that right but you are talking to vindictive bitches who have a bone to pick with the designers in question so they use this blog as their forum. So sad especially when they talk about all the garbage being posted at DST but they obviously visit often enough themselves to know what's being discussed. Some just need to get a life.
December 10, 2010 1:02 PM
^^^^
Seems to me as though you should be grouped in with the need-to-get-a-life-getters.
I was once in a store where a designer/QC person suggested I blow something up to 300% to see a *stray* she saw. I thought that was utterly ridiculous because the whole item looked like a blurry POS blown up like that and I couldn't tell what was right or wrong there. She was also one who *suggested* (very heavily) different colors, textures, etc. To me that's not QC.
I'm curious, which stores have these QC people on staff?
That's another peeve of mine. I design (and I mean design, not extract, not throw together on whim, not scribble a brush on a canvas and call it a doodle) one or two things a week. It's all I have time to do. It irks me to see the front page of the stores I sell in completely buried in one designer's crap 2 minutes after I stick something up for sale.
If it bugs your that much, put it up again after they have finished flooding and delete the old product.
Agree, but QC teams can be that picky and really cause a headache to a designer if THEY care or even check at 200% (just to make sure!)
December 10, 2010 5:06 PM
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Not disputing that at all.
I get that Barb Speck's designs suck, but I don't get why some of you don't like that she actually discusses things in the DCR. She doesn't belittle people or call names or anything, she just shares what she knows. I don't understand at all why people who share what they know and share the experience, but do it often, are like 'nails on a chalkboard'? Isn't it better to have discussions than to have a DCR full or nothing bu ISO threads for CU?
^^^^^
Agreed, but some people are threatened by any sign of intelligence or reasonableness.
I've had personal dealings with Barb, and she's lovely. Her designs are pretty awful, but she is not.
I wonder how a "designer" can know that her stuff is ... hum... not good. Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", i am sure the designer herself sees her stuff as great, while others might feel otherwise, but who is right?
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What? I see shit for sale all the time that is so ugly, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting it. So what? She shouldn't sell it? What a stupid comment.
I think we all need to lay off of Barb. Who cares if you do not like what she makes, that is your personal opinion. Now that you have shared it, shut up! We have all heard it. We know how you feel. Enough already. If I knew who you all were, who is to say I would like your designs? Maybe I should pick on all of you?!?
Just shut up already!
Wow...had enough caffeine today? Relax honey. It's just people talking. Barb must make money or she wouldn't be doing this. Someone likes her stuff. She will be okay. Now you just go relax and try some herb tea. It will help take the edge off for ya.
Barb-- Awful person. Awful designs.
What makes Barb an awful person? Other than that she has opinions and experiences and isn't afraid of sharing them I mean. What makes her awful? Does she kick dogs? Take candy from children? Leave bags of burning poop on people's doorsteps?
I am honestly curious why it bothers some of you so much that she participates in conversations.
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I wonder the same.
It's the "air of authority" that bugs people I think but the main thing is that she often seems to manage to turn threads around so they are about her and not the original poster - not always but often enough to be annoying.
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Purely a matter of perception. As I've said before, people are often threatened by any sign of intelligence. I remember when they used to go after Debra Tope. Gorgeous person, but oooh, she was intelligent and had no compunction about showing she was intelligent. And why should she? There were and are others too purely picked on because they dared to show they had a modicum of intelligence.
If I knew who you all were, who is to say I would like your designs?
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And what would make you think anyone would care?
If you're (generally speaking) a designer and you don't have thick enough skin to take people "picking" on you, better find something else to do because there is not one designer out there that has made or will ever make something that everyone likes. You will get some that like your stuff and buy it all the time. That's who you create for. Piss on all the rest if they feel the need to bitch about it.
ok, so anybody heard of this site? I see Royanna is there - but nothing in "her" shop. Not much to look thru at all, says it opened in early November.
http://www.scrapdelicious.com/shoppe/
Judging by the lack of posts in the forum there, it "looks" like you might be trying to advertise it for them LOL
How many store is Basic Grey going to be selling at??
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I don't know at all, but seriously, I doubt they are making much money. Their products are too outdated.
I hate Barb's "I-know-it-all" attitude, because she doesn't know it all, she has been proven wrong many times. Her designs are not my cup of tea, I will never buy anything from her (I think they are ugly and useless, but this is just my opinion). The fact is that long ago I downloaded some freebies of her, and guess what: I deleted everything at once, because everything was blur! I seemed to me like a low resolution image (from web or whatever) with a blur style over it to make it "artistic". Please note that I am not a designer, just a scrapper with a basic PS knownledge, which was even lower at that time.
I really can't imagine anyone else other than her CT or herself coming here and defending her.
How many store is Basic Grey going to be selling at??
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Surprisingly, they are still listed at SBG, which has a known exclusivity clause. And notice that nobody is listed as "guest" there anymore.
I hate Barb...[snip]
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Sounds like a personal problem to me. She has no impact on my life whatsoever and I couldn't care any less. Sorry to hear you have such troubles with someone you don't even know.
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Man, that's some harsh clipping. The OP said she "hates Barb's know it all attitude" not that she 'hates Barb'.
Surprisingly, they are still listed at SBG, which has a known exclusivity clause. And notice that nobody is listed as "guest" there anymore.
December 13, 2010 5:06 AM
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I don't think they are doing a consignment model. They are doing a retail/resale model.
It still does not make their stuff "exclusive" or "only to be found at SBG" anymore.
Where does it say that?
Since quality was brought up...how much leeway should there for someone doing a OKC to let a designer know that the quality of the kit isn't what it should be?
For example, although all the papers are saved at 3600, 300 ppi, the elements are much too small to be really useful (an element labled as a border only being 1,000 pixels at its widest point). Do you just do the best you can with subpar materials or should you say something?
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I think you should say something. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they don't know it's only that wide.
And what's an OKC?
It still does not make their stuff "exclusive" or "only to be found at SBG" anymore.
December 13, 2010 1:06 PM
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Um, Basic Grey and SBG never claimed that the Basic Grey stuff was 'exclusive' and 'only to be found at SBG. At least, not to my knowledge.
I hate Barb's "I-know-it-all" attitude,
I really can't imagine anyone else other than her CT or herself coming here and defending her.
December 13, 2010 1:30 AM
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Seriously How old are you? Five?
You also have a very limited imagination.
It still does not make their stuff "exclusive" or "only to be found at SBG" anymore.
December 13, 2010 1:06 PM
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Um, Basic Grey and SBG never claimed that the Basic Grey stuff was 'exclusive' and 'only to be found at SBG. At least, not to my knowledge.
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SBG is known to be an exclusive store. That's what the issue is.
Well, I'm the one who originally posted asking why everyoen had such a problem with Barb - and I'm not Barb (I think she posts here herself) and I'm not on her team. I'm also not really defending Barb, I'm just not sure why it bothers people so much that she knows things (even if she is wrong on some of them - aren't we all wrong sometimes?)
What defines a 'know-it-all' attitude? For me, its when someone is rude or condescending to people who disagree with them,and I've never seen Barb do that. It seems like some people are calling her 'know-it-all' just because she actively participates in many threads.
And what's an OKC?
December 13, 2010 3:30 PM
OKC = One Kit Call. It's how designers who don't have their own CT find someone to make layouts with their kits.
SBG is known to be an exclusive store. That's what the issue is.
December 13, 2010 3:59 PM
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Yes, and ... you honestly expect a big retailer like Basic Grey to be held to the same standard as the rest of the designers at SBG?
Is 'jouful' a word? Or maybe she meant to write 'joyful'?
How about a huge typo on a paper?
http://kasiadesigns.net/shop/
OKC = One Kit Call. It's how designers who don't have their own CT find someone to make layouts with their kits.
Thanks for the explanation.
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If she has a CT, how come they didn't pick that up?
Basic Grey is not that good. There is a free sample available at A5D (no need to be logged in to download) and it's full of jaggies. I wouldn't buy from them.
I'll put in my $0.02 on Barb: I'm not a fan of her designs. It's not my style at all; can't speak to the quality of them since I've never purchased any of them.
I do think that she has a lot of experience in this industry. What rubs me the wrong way about her is that she can't give a short answer to any question. She writes and writes and write and writes and doesn't know when to stop. I really wish she'd go back and look over what she wrote before she hit the submit button.
The Basic Grey digital stuff sucks. They rock in the paper world, but their digital stuff is elementary and honestly just not the best quality wise or not very unique either. And way too expensive! I've heard it's not selling. Wonder how long they'll be around in these digital stores. They were digital in their own store for about the past year before diving into the digital community stores recently. I wonder why? Cause they don't sell!
SBG is known to be an exclusive store. That's what the issue is.
December 13, 2010 3:59 PM
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Why do you even care?
They aren't exclusive all the way anyway because of guest designers.
Is 'jouful' a word? Or maybe she meant to write 'joyful'?
How about a huge typo on a paper?
http://kasiadesigns.net/shop/
December 13, 2010 5:10 PM
you would think that at least one of her CT would give her the heads up??
That's what I thought. If I was a CT member for a designer I really like, I would tell her for sure.
http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/scrap-talk-65/i-have-never-complained-store-before-today-263265/
Whose fault is it? Careless customer or sloppy designer?
Yes, and ... you honestly expect a big retailer like Basic Grey to be held to the same standard as the rest of the designers at SBG?
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I expect Basic Grey to think they're above such standards. But I expect a store that tries so hard to portray itself as unique and exclusive to stick to it ... Otherwise they just look hypocritical.
Maybe they didn't know that Basic Grey was going to suck.
If a big name in the paper world asked you to sell in your store, you'd consider it.
I don't know why you are picking on SBG. Basic Grey is selling in a lot of othey stores. Isn't TDC supposed to be exclusive?
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No, TDC is not exclusive. Maybe way back in the day, but certainly not now.
I worked for a paper scrapbook company several years ago. Their stuff was really nice and I still have quite a lot of materials from my days with them. About 2 years ago, they decided to start including digital stuff in their product list. What a mistake! It was horrible. After I stopped working for them, I kept my monthly kit subscription going for a while and I still have the cd they sent me with their digi stuff. It is so laughable, it's not even funny. Not only is it plain and most is no more than a solid color filled shape, but the quality is really bad. The papers are scanned versions of their physical papers, along with some solid-color 12" squares. lol It's a cd that I wouldn't give away.
I think it's quite humourous that these stores would allow Basic Gray to sell their digital stuff because, really, paper companies need to stick with what they know. Digital scrapbooking is only labeled that because you can create pretty layouts. Other than that, the two (paper and digital) are nothing alike.
Maybe they didn't know that Basic Grey was going to suck.
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But as a store owner, wouldn't you check any potential "designer's" work before you'd allow them in your store? I never bought any of Basic Grey's stuff, but just looking at the previews of their stuff, i am not impressed enough to want to try.
TDC is exclusive product, not designer.
If I were a designer and Basic Grey showed up in my store, I would be very agitated.
There's a difference between retail and consignment. In this case BG isn't a designer but just a product. I have no doubt that the contract is different because BG isn't going to participate in team kits and all that other stuff designers do to promote themselves. The profit is much higher for the store on the BG sales because of the retail model they are using.
And you all can be all pissy about it but it isn't going to do much good. Designers need to be prepared for the fact that digi has the potential to move out of the cottage industry and into mass marketing. Many are going to be left behind. Especially the whiners who want everything to be fair. Business isn't fair. It's all about negotiations and the bottom line.
But I expect a store that tries so hard to portray itself as unique and exclusive to stick to it ... Otherwise they just look hypocritical.
December 14, 2010 1:23 AM
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You know, not everyone follows every move that SBG (or any other store) makes. I didn't know they were exclusive and honestly I could care less. If they have something I like, I buy it. I don't care about unique or exclusive and I'm willing to bet the average customer doesn't care either.
So maybe they are hypocritical but why even bother to care unless you have a vested interest or you just like to bitch about stupid stuff?
If I were a designer and Basic Grey showed up in my store, I would be very agitated.
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Why? Do you feel it seriously competes with your products? It does not seem to be the most common style of digi-goodies so it would not appeal to the same crowd. And if the quality is not that good (from reading here since i never bought any), would they get return customers away from yours?
http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/scrap-talk-65/i-have-never-complained-store-before-today-263265/
Whose fault is it? Careless customer or sloppy designer?
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I'm going to have to say its the customer's fault if she didn't do any due diligence to make sure what she wanted was part of the kit (ie - read the product description...asked if she wasn't sure instead of assuming). By her own admission (she's going to scrutinize from now on to make sure what she wants is included), she didn't bother to do that.
Two sayings come to mind:
1) Caveat emptor
2) When you assume something, you make and ass out u and me
She also said that the store sent her a gift certificate because of it. What more does she really want?
I also find it rather humerous that TJ933 posted agreeing with her since it wasn't all that long ago she started a thread complaining because she'd been told by one of the designers that she CT's for that she couldn't use outside WA and templates (http://www.digishoptalk.com/boards/scrap-talk-65/how-do-you-view-creative-teams-251709/). So, it's ok if she's the one who does it but not ok if another CT does it?
It's still very deceiving to show products on a preview/layout that are not in the kit. If those ct layouts used other products it should have stated so.
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