Is it ok to go against the grain? My scrapbook related ramblings. . .

I know that many believe that the standard in digital scrapbooking is 12x12 inches. I don't disagree, to some degree. I think it has just become accepted. That is ok, it is certainly easy to accept. That said, I know that not everyone scraps at 12x12. I do not scrap at 12x12. As a result of this, many of us smaller size scrappers are being forced to crop and/or reduce the sizes to fit our 8x8 canvases (or 10x10, 6x6, or whatever suits your fancy). I don't think that there is necessarily anything wrong with this persay, but it does add yet another step between me and my finished product. Let's just get it done, already!

As a designer, this got me to thinking. I know, thinking is a bad thing. Sometimes it just hurts when those lightbulbs explode. Sometimes, however, little flickers is all we get. Those aren't so bad. Maybe it was partly caused by the fact that I was trying to dig myself out of a designing slump. I wasn't selling. Well, as of what I know right now, I am still not selling. That is another story by itself. We'll see what Friday's payroll from The Daily Scrap yields. Again, that is another story we won't go into. I wasn't designing much either. I am a busy person. I was having problems (1) finding the motivation to keep turning out stuff that noone buys, (2) finding time, (3) finding the energy, and (4) coming up with fresh, fun ideas. All of those can lead to a major designing slump. Ever heard of "writer's block?" Well I had "designer's block!" Evidently I was suffering from "Scrapper's block," too.

Now the thought that came to me was "why not design at 8x8?" Yeah, why not? I mean, it is natural for me. I scrap that size anyway. So I decided to go back and pick a layout that I had started. I usually design as I scrap. At least that was the way it was before I started selling in a store and the pressure was on. The ideas were right there! I had to embellish and develop and extend what I already had. It was a start though. Sometimes getting started is the hardest step.

I had created my first 8x8 kit. It felt good. I didn't feel pressured to push the limits of my aged computer's dying abilities. I didn't feel pressured to have "enough" to fill a 12x12 page. I didn't feel preasure. That was the good part. So I did another one! Again, it just felt good.

Now I can't tell you if they have sold yet. That is the sad and disappointing part of the whole process. I wish that The Daily Scrap would offer us a 'real time" accounting of what is and is not selling. It would just be nice to know. It would be nice to know when ads are working and which ones are working. Of course, this is another story for another day, perhaps (or perhaps not at all).

So. . . I am a 2 size scrapbook kit designer. I design both 8x8 and 12x12. I know this doesn't solve the problem for those 8x10 and 8.5x11 scrappers out there, but I am trying to do what I can. I am just trying to define my place in the digital scrapbooking world.

On a different note. . .

I applied for another store. I applied to be a designer at One of a Kind Scrapz. It is not that I am not unhappy at The Daily Scrap. I am not UNhappy there, the people are great. However, I am not certain that it will ever be what it has the potential to be. I know and understand all too well that it is a huge undertaking. I get that. I respect that. That is part of the reason that I didn't just start my own store when I got the crazy idea to actually sell my designs.

I didn't even know that I was "interested" in looking at another store. There were a huge number of new Creative Teams being posted at Digi Shop Talk over the past few days, and that was something that I was interested in. I don't want to be on one, persay. I really don't. I just know that as a designer, I will need to extend a call one day soon.

The CT calls are in the same forum area as the Designer and other calls. There was one call posting that just struck me. So I opened it. I stewed on it for a few days. I emailed back and forth with the person that issued the call to get some more details. I wanted to be certain that going into another store would be more than I wanted right now. I just can't handle much more "digital scrapbooking design" responsibility right now. Too much going on.

But I finally took the plunge. I applied yesterday. I am still waiting on a response. We'll see. No big deal if I don't. I'm staying at The Daily Scrap reguardless. Part of my designs would be exclusive to The Daily Scrap as it is one of the few places that actually accepts 8x8 kit designs. Again, we're back to going against the grain. One of a Kind Scrapz only accepts 12x12 kits.