I know this will probably come off as sounding whiney, but can we have a new Gallery area for those of us that like to make our layouts and elements ourselves? I appreciate the hard work the commercial designers put into making their designs, but it seems like the only layouts I see anymore are those made with layouts and elements designed by commercial sellers.
I miss the good old days when everyone was doing their own layouts and element designs and showing off their skills. I haven't bought any designs or elements because I'll get lazy and won't practice or experiment to improve my PSP skills. I guess you could call me a design snob or a purist. Is there anyone else out there that feels the same way? I'm tired of seeing nothing but commercial designs everywhere in the Gallery!

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

I feel your pain and I certainly understand. I was astonished and a little annoyed by the same thing today. It's insane.

I wonder if this is a trend out there- are there many of us who design all our own elements? and/or never pay for elements?

The only element I've ever paid for were some Paisley amd toile brushes (avail here) because I don't think I'll ever have the skill (or time) to recreate them. I've downloaded lots of free things but have just about never used them.

But other than that, I design all my own elements. (I guess I'm snobby that way- I don't want to give others credit.)I do offer some of them for download on my website but I don't advertise them via the gallery.

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Amy

Some of my layouts

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I'd love to see an area for original creations like you mean! I wouldn't be able to contribute, being as I'm creatively challenged, but I'd love to see what others can do! I love seeing LOs using designers' kits, but the designers are usually graphic artists and are extremely creative. I can't do a LO without them so I don't want to sound like I'm unhappy with them, but I agree with what you're trying to work towards. I think it would help others regain or find their creative sense if they had a place to exhibit purely original work. Great idea!
Daisy

Your aren't whining at all as this is something that we, as owners, have found quite forthright as you are feeling... we feel that up until now and still that most of the site is free and at quite the expense to ourselves and do not feel that commercial designers should ONLY be posting here to promote themselves; it's like free advertising at our expense; and certainly not fair to those that DO pay for advertising. This is hardly "sharing"' in the true sense of the word with other members here.... We will take into consideration the suggestion of the commercial area but that will not alleviate what is going on here... it will actually probably worsen it - this being that it would not take those layouts from the gallery if you view the last day or last 7 days... see? And then it's mearly "permission" given to post layouts in that format by creating this category. Right now we have a featured product category which is for commercial projects who either have permission to have an area for their items in the gallery or we have reviewed. We do not encourage this type of posting; but many who post in this manner scrap when creating their "elements" or kits" and it's their way of sharing it as well and it happens to be from a commercial piece as well. So there is a "gray" area or "fine line" for us to determine and quite frankly as site owner; I'd rather just view the layouts and enjoy the ones that are truly sharing and not just promoting than spending my entire evening reprimanding those that are posting just for promotion. Selfish on my part maybe; but I enjoy having time to visit the gallery at all; b/c sometimes I only get to visit every 2-3 days. On the other hand it's not fair to penalize the people that do create commercial elements to feel they can't post a layout that happens to have used all their own items... it happens... though I do admit to seeing quite a few that DO post only when they have new items for sale....

to me what is most frustrating is all the commercial linking.... but we try to stay on top of that by contacting the member directly and privately.

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~ SBB Owner/Founder ~
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why you keep missing them? I have heard you were in chats recently so why you are "missing" them with scheduling I'm not sure - have you tried using the calendar feature to see what is scheduled? The "we are working on it" I have no idea which or what you are referring to.... aside from that this post is irrelavent to this this thread.. please direct this to the proper source - either customer.service@scrapbook-bytes.com or start a new thread -thanks.

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~ SBB Owner/Founder ~
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Just to play "devil's advocate" here and chime in on other things as well....several things to remember and think about.


If and when someone paper scrapped, they never made their own paper or elements. They bought the pieces from the store. Visit the major paper scrapping sites and MOST are owned by a store that sells those items created by some manufacturer. While they are getting some advertising out of it, I look at it as "OH WOW...GOTTA HAVE THAT because it would be PERFECT with this photo, blah blah blah". I may pay for that item, but I GAIN the best part - a BEAUTIFUL layout.

Now, I design digital kits myself, commercially - and do so because I like to create them, however, I cannot justify giving away EVERY single thing I make. I created things in the past for my own personal use and someone else wanted a piece of what I made and then another and so on. When more than a couple of people love your style, or design work I look at it as I've put a LOT of time into my designs and I should sell some (Mary Englebriet doesn't give it away). I have a HUGE creative team and do give away items to them for free because 1) I don't need the money (my full time job pays plenty) and 2) because these are people I've followed on the net and have admired their work. I want to "share" my work for free with them because I know they like what I do, they are appreciative of it and they'll use it. Sure, because they post their work my things get seen. So would it if I was a designer for Making Memories or Chatterbox.

Again - not to ruffle feathers, but to bring up a mere point about the other side of this.

I TOTALLY encourage designing your own elements, etc. But, remember, not everyone has the time to do that or the skills set. I've been trying to teach my mother how to resize a picture for over a year now, and no luck - she's better at just using my kits!

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*holly*

Right... I for one b/c I have so limited time with SBB; rarely create my own and at times admit that I find things I like by viewing other's layouts in the gallery; or just the ease of being able to purchase from another site or designer; honestly without the premades that are downloadable or sold I'd have very little scrapped to date b/c of the little time I have. I do know how to create elements to a point but -- when I have to weight - shoud I take a half an hour to make paper or just buy it and use it again later - purchasing usually wins for me.

I can see both sides to this; but at this point in time don't feel it requires new regulations or "guidelines" set forth as far as asking the commercial designers to only post their "previews" in a seperated gallery; I think this creates a little seperation to them that may make them feel their work (if a layout was done with their own stuff, but genuinely posted to share; and remember this is really not for us to judge... how are we to know the difference really???) is not as valuable than others that post... or create a "sense" of their work being posted ONLY for that reason and I do know that though we see some doing it in this manner; not all do.... I for one.. .when I create a kit - CANNOT do it without seeing it in use; ie: I do layouts as I do my kits and then extract the pieces seperately... but it doesn't mean my layout should have any less "share" value than others b/c that is just how I create my kits... I'm very visual with that kind of thing and have to see it used as I make it.

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~ SBB Owner/Founder ~
Visit my blog!

Interesting thread, I appreciate it. I too, awhile ago, thought ohh nooo, we have to weed through 15 posts of a designer's new kit. On the other hand, when it fits "my style" I love to see the many different ways a kit or an element is used and I certainly get inspired . For those of us creatively challenged. I can appreciate the grey area, like Amy said, how are you to determine when someone is taking advantage of SBB's huge exposure (do these designers participate in the forums and give newbies encouragement etc?) All said, we'll leave it to Amy and Kristie to figure it all out I can feel Joyce's frustration, as I've felt it too at times, and I can also feel Holly's point, and I, for one, have great appreciation for others who design, I just dont' have the time right now, and I can certainly understand how a designer wants to sell their creative stuff. I just hate to see the same photo with three different kits, clearly just trying to sell their kit. (really just annoying when it's not my style and of no help to me LOL) For now, just part of this whole industry. Overall, I still think this is the friendliest place to learn the art - when you really dig in and try to LEARN something (your program, your camera, resources) this site can't be beat. I've never had a rude reply to anything. Hopefully someday I'll start scrapbooking and quit admiring and putting things in my "favorites". GREAT THREAD!

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