Amy I don't know if you misunderstood what I was requesting or if I'm misreading what you are saying. I was hoping to see a Gallery area for us digiscrappers that create everything ourselves. No layouts can be posted there if it contains anything that was created by a commercial designer, not even if it includes a "freebie" given away by a designer.
It would be great to visit that kind of oasis and totally bypass the commerical designs that have overtaken the rest of the Gallery. I wouldn't have to wade through the pages and pages of layouts to find those not so perfect jewels created by digiscrappers that are proud of their blossoming image editing skills. These are the people that inspired me in the past! It's like watching a child takes it's first steps or say it's first words. The excitement of learning how to do something new and sharing it with everyone. You get to "strut" your stuff and feel good about what you have created because you did it yourself.
I understand your bandwidth charges are enornous and one more category in the Gallery would not help matters any, but I would love to see it happen. If not maybe someone would be willing to start a yahoo group? I would, but I don't have the time or energy that it would take to get one going. I don't even have the time to make any chats and I've been dying to participate in one. I thought I was going to get to do one a couple of weeks ago and when I found the time and had myself all worked up over it the whole thing turned out bad. The chat was so overcrowded no one could get in. I spent 90 minutes trying over and over to get in before I gave up. I was so disappointed. I think my new year's resolution will to make 1 chat scrap this year. Isn't that terrible when that's your resolution?

__________________
You can have my mouse when you pry it from my cold dead hand.

Such an interesting thread!! Thanks everyone for being so honest.

Oh Joyce, I hear you!!! I started making my own elements simply because back then I found it harder to keep track of designers than to just make it myself - and besides, who doesn't love to say 'All elements created by ME!' The satisfaction of learning a new 'trick' or technique is what has kept me going. And as it was mentioned, some tricks you just can't give out - well I guess if somebody ever asked nice enough, I can be easily bribed.
The biggest problem I know I had as a newbie was - I wanted to know it all RIGHT NOW and I wanted pages that look like THAT!!
.. you have to learn your program.. no easy shortcuts to that in my opinion.

Yes, I do sell commercially, but I also create freebies for 2 sites as well. My feeling is the same when I see my designs being used - paid for or not - still is a great feeling to see your work actually being used by someone besides yourself.

I do think it would be a really interesting gallery though!!!

__________________
Dani B.

My Gallery!
My little Blog

For me - as a commercial designer - when I create layouts using my own things - I like to STRUT my stuff too! Just so happens that those same things I create often get sold or are a freebie. Does this mean that someone like me couldn't post my own creations in this gallery? Seems you might be missing out on a lot of "not so perfect jewels" creating things too (because afterall - I am NOT perfect).

__________________
*holly*

kristie: if you will remember I could not do the inspiration that day for I could not download
the items:
I ususlly take what I can from the gallery and try to participate from that
but of no use now the site kick me our for complaning:
I had taken my frustration to the customer service, but just got tired of begging
sorry for the inconvenience
everyone.
bye all

writing, i'm surpised that you are still having issues with the chat. I know that you attend my Wenesday on a regular basis and everyone in the chat is extremely helpful and always generious of their time.

I am not sure what specifically you are having issues with. Maybe if you could give us a some idea of what your difficulties have been we can work through it. I haven't heard from any others having difficulties with the chat events.

Please let us know what issues you are having so that we can get your problems resolved and you can enjoy the site along with everyone else.

The best place to get technical help is customer.service@scrapbook-bytes.com and also posting your questions in the forums for others to see who may have eexperienced the same issues and will have some advice.

Sorry, but I have to throw in my two pennies worth in, too.

As far as I understand Joyce she wants a gallery for LOs only done with homemade stuff, because the gallery is "overtaken by commercial designs". Joyce, do you consider every LO not exclusively done with self-made elements, commercial? Most of the LOs that I see in the gallery are by members who just use a designer's elements to create their own LOs, and I belive they do not do that to promote or push that designer's sales, do they? If I upload my LO done with someone else's stuff I don't consider that to be commercial at all. I just liked the page kit or element and I would like to share it with others.

An oasis, as you call it, for the purists is fine with me, but to me going through the gallery is not really such a pain. And, as Holly points out, you can find a lot of not so perfect but still beautiful LOs even when they are done with bought or free elements created by someone else.

__________________
Rikki



My Blog
My website

"Joyce, do you consider every LO not exclusively done with self-made elements, commercial? Most of the LOs that I see in the gallery are by members who just use a designer's elements to create their own LOs, and I belive they do not do that to promote or push that designer's sales, do they? If I upload my LO done with someone else's stuff I don't consider that to be commercial at all"

You betcha! It doesn't matter who posts the layouts with elements "professionally" designed. It is still promoting those works and encouraging viewers to buy instead of taking up the challenge to be creative. There have been many times when I have almost given in and bought a kit or an element because of the way they were shown in the Gallery area. But I held strong because I remembered the reason why I first started digital scrapping. It was because I wanted to take my creativity a step further and challenge myself to see if I could make all of my own elements without it being about making a buck for someone else.

I don't have a problem if someone wants to buy all the digi scrapping designs that they want. I just want a place where those of us that want to get away from it can. Everytime I enter the Gallery area the first thought that enters my mind is the scene from "A Miracle On 34th Street" where Alfred the Macy janitor and Kris Kringle are talking about how many isms are floating around the world. Alfred says: "Yeah, there's a lot of bad 'isms' floatin' around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism. Make a buck, make a buck. Even in Brooklyn it's the same--don't care what Christmas stands for, just make a buck, make a buck."

I know there are people that don't like hearing what I'm saying, but I was raised to say what I feel. I'm a blunt person and have been told I'm too vocal sometimes, but that's who I am.

__________________
You can have my mouse when you pry it from my cold dead hand.

Gosh I never make my own elements - I simply don't have the talent! However I do enjoy using the talents of others. I am not here to promote anyone in particular - I have my favourite designers and I enjoy buying their stuff. They deserve to be compensated for their talents. Should I not get paid for the job I do?

But I do agree that turning the gallery into one big advertisement is horrible and something I actively try to discourage. I am dismayed when I see people posting for only that reason. I even saw designers posting only their elements [no photos!] and one using stock photos [ugh!]. I will never ever buy anything from a designer who takes advantage of the gallery in such a way.

I guess I can see both sides. I have never ever been in this for money. I have a very well paying job. But I still like using designers' elements in my layouts. Does this make me as bad as those who use the gallery solely to promote their businesses? Are my layouts not worth looking at because I used premade elements?

I guess we all get into scrapping for different reasons. For me it is about showacasing my photos and memories. I take pride in my photos. They need nice elements to show them off!

__________________
Jacqueline
Kitty and Baby Mama
My Gallery

Been following this thread and just have one thing to say--

Amen, Jacquel

Well, maybe two things to say. There's room here for all of us, whether we design our own or get help from others. I personally enjoy seeing what others have done with some of the kits I've downloaded or purchased.

Carole

__________________
avatar from www.vanilla-dreams.com