Commercial Use

Alrighty then, this has been something that for some reason or another has started to really grate on my nerves. What is it, you ask? Well, it is the over use of commercial use products. I mean, really, if you have to use 98% of other designers' work to create one freaking kit, is it really worth it?

In my head I am thinking of one particular person. I'll give you a $100.00 gift card to any scrap store if you can tell me who that one person is. She is constantly putting out new products, yet when you look at the descriptions she is always thanking so and so for this, and so and so for that, oh, and don't forget so and so and so and so and so and so! That is just Ridiculous. With a capital R. Puhleeeeeeeze.

Maybe I'm in a shitty mood tonight, but it really is annoying. And, is it me, or has the number of digi designers increased exponentially since the opening of all those commercial use stores? Now you have Jack and Jill designing but are they really? Should they really take the credit if they have to buy so many commercial items to complete their products?

Can you spot the commercial use junkies from a mile away? Do you find yourself avoiding those products or does it matter to you? And, from the designer's perspective, how do you feel about the 1000s of designers that have popped up thanks to commercial use items? A designer friend told me that the DST private designer forum isn't really a good place anymore because of all the new people that have joined since the commercial use boom. Might as well morph it into the rest of the forum since there are already, like, 10,000 people in there.

Thoughts?

Scrapbook Trends

Okay, this was a topic that was emailed in. Let's talk about the trends and phases that we go through as digital scrappers. Who do you think starts the trends? Why do you think certain trends become so popular? What about this new trend of using boxes on layouts? I remember a thread on DST about Mo Jackson and her boxes and then it seems like every designer is coming out with boxes now, like Annie Manning, for example. What is up with that? Do you think that it is okay for designers to take ideas and copy them? Maybe it is okay because they put their own spin on it? I see no problem with it, but I tend to think that if I could design at all, I would probably not want to be viewed as a copier. I think I'd want to be the one starting the trends. Of course, that's easy to say because I have no clue how to design, nor do I have the desire. So, what do you think about all this?