Monday, March 3, 2008

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?

83 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a hard guess. There are quite a few designers that fall into that category :)

What bothers me is when I see designers asking for CU products or how to do something. That's scary, shouldn't they know how to make paper and/or elements before they start selling?

If you look at a lot of the new designers popping up, they aren't using CU stuff, they are scanning! I would love to know what they are going to do when the real element trend is no longer so trendy.

Are you thinking of Barb Speck?

Anonymous said...

Flergs

Aside from the overuse of glitter, the Monica Larson CU actions are all over her work.

Anonymous said...

Are you thinking of Barb Speck?

March 4, 2008 12:53 AM
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If it is her then she isn't doing anything good with these CU products, more like hacking them. I seriously would love to know who is buying her crap cause her easter kits looked like what my 5 year old can make.

Anonymous said...

You know what bugs me? When theres something in a kit that i really love, use it proudly on a layout or two, and then later realize it was a CU item and start seeing it in kits EVERYWHERE!

The CU ribbons, buttons, and things like that have NEVER made sense to me when I see them for sale tho.

As a scrapper, if I wanted to use the same stuff over and over, I would just buy the CU product to begin with. Why would someone WANT to use these in their kits? I just don't get it. I feel so ripped of when I realize theres a bunch of CU stuff used in my purchases!!!

12:53 -
Scanning doesn't bother me. Also, a LOT of designers aren't scanning. They are taking photographs.. Then they have to extract, and done properly it takes time to do. Designers are following what is popular in digiscrapping. Stock photography has been around for years, and this isn't much different!!! The designer has to have some kind of creative vision to pull the whole kit or pack together. I like this trend much more than the doodley freestyle trend!!!! lol

Anonymous said...

Apparently I am one of the few here that will proudly admit I very much enjoy the scanned, realistic elements.

I don't mind the use of CU stuff so long a kit is not made entirely of CU resources. If a kit is original and fresh, the use of a CU texture or action does not bother me.

What annoys me to tears is so-called designers that have not a single original thought to put to their name. They have kits that are entirely made of recolored CU items. I don't see how they expect anyone to buy that crap.

Anonymous said...

Apparently I am one of the few here that will proudly admit I very much enjoy the scanned, realistic elements.

I don't mind the use of CU stuff so long a kit is not made entirely of CU resources. If a kit is original and fresh, the use of a CU texture or action does not bother me.

What annoys me to tears is so-called designers that have not a single original thought to put to their name. They have kits that are entirely made of recolored CU items. I don't see how they expect anyone to buy that crap.

March 4, 2008 5:15 AM
==============================
I love the scanned, realistic items, as well as Doodles. I hate, detest fake looking computerized stuff.
I want my ribbons, buttons, staples, etc to be real (scanned) not digitally made. I love doodles too as long as they are drawn not from a font or made in PS/PSE/PSP.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, ditto to the doodles. I use doodles on nearly every layout.

Anonymous said...

You know when digital was just starting some 5/6 years ago that is exactly what it was digital. Now with everyone scanning in and extracting elements I don't get why they don't just go paper scrap. Digital elements aren't suppose to necessarily look like you just purchased them from your LSS store. Digital is unique as are the designers who create digital product. I'm much rather buy stuff that I know has been digitally created then buy a kit full of scanned extracted stuff. Maybe the designer is the best at scanning and extracting but it takes a lot more talent to create digital items from scratch. Extracting just takes a lot of time period. If you don't like the computerized stuff then go back to paper. You'll be much happier.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
You know when digital was just starting some 5/6 years ago that is exactly what it was digital. Now with everyone scanning in and extracting elements I don't get why they don't just go paper scrap. Digital elements aren't suppose to necessarily look like you just purchased them from your LSS store. Digital is unique as are the designers who create digital product. I'm much rather buy stuff that I know has been digitally created then buy a kit full of scanned extracted stuff. Maybe the designer is the best at scanning and extracting but it takes a lot more talent to create digital items from scratch. Extracting just takes a lot of time period. If you don't like the computerized stuff then go back to paper. You'll be much happier.

March 4, 2008 6:00 AM
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I prefer the digital side, not the mess. I do hybrid and digital. I won't be much happier to go back to paper. I love digital and enjoy it, so what if I like my elements scanned in, just like you like yours digitally made. That's why there are a VARIETY of designers for all of us. So who the hell are you to tell me to go to paper just because I prefer my elements scanned and real. Why don't you go back to the Computerized Crap place where you came from.

Anonymous said...

6:00 am, you're not getting the point!

Some, not all, scrappers want the dimension, texture, and realism of a traditionally scrapped page (and beyond, in some cases) WITHOUT the bulk, cost, and mess that is involved. There is nothing wrong with designers catering to their needs and wants.

I HAVE NEVER seen a 100% digitally created ribbon that has the exact LOOK as a scanned/photographed ribbon. SHOW ME ONE because I really want to see it!!!

SOME scrappers PREFER a "digital look", but not all.

SOME scrappers PREFER a "realistic look", but not all.

Anonymous said...

March 4, 2008 6:44 AM

Amen Sistah! You said it perfectly

Anonymous said...

I refuse to call CU-users "designers." There are way too many to mention. It's crazy. They recolor a CU bow and call it designing.

digiscrapsmack said...

For those that guessed Barb Speck or Flergs, you are close but no cigar. Barb Speck should not be designing, IMO. I can't stand the blinkie she has that says she's a PS expert. The day I saw that I had a long hard laugh!

There is someone else that is always and I mean always posting new items and they are all CU. Drives me crazy.

I do prefer realistic looking embellies. Honestly, most of the CU junkies I'm talking about use those crap actions that don't look real at all.

Anonymous said...

I do not like designers selling items made with purchased cu items (well maybe one or two to round off a kit would be ok) but what I am liking is all the freebies made with cu items! Really has upped the quality of free items available.
Has anyone else noticed that?

Think a lot of designers got into designing just to say they design and a place to stash their otherwise free kits. Can't picture some kits actually selling.

AnonScrapper said...

Heather Manning or Bunny Cates ?

Anonymous said...

Recoloring CU items pretty much applies to everyone at Elemental Craps. My guess is that it could be anyone from that store.

Anonymous said...

Bwahahahahahahaha Elemental Craps.

I don't know the answer to the question. I avoid the new product section @ DST like the plague.

I'm all about original and realistic. And NO I will not go back to paper and glue dots. Not my cup of tea. I can do things so much faster in PSCS.

Anonymous said...

Melissa Bennett?

The ones you are referring to are not designers. They are DIPS - Digital Image Packagers

Anonymous said...

When I started out designing I used CU stuff, not realizing how many other people used it. And when I realized that what I thought was semi-original ended up in 50 other kits that same week it was an eye opener. I quit purchasing CU items and told myself that if I couldn't make it myself then too bad. I was not going to have kits that were the same as so many others.

I still am learning how to make things look the way I want, it really is a long learning process that evolves as styles change.

I do have to admit that if I have a store requiring a mega kit and I am in a bind I will use that CU stuff. I paid for it, might as well use it. And most mega's are so the store makes money and the designer makes nothing from the sales. So I don't actually feel bad about that. My personal kits get more effort and attention though.

And I am kind of bugged I guess that there is so much CU stuff for sale now. I swear you make way more money selling CU products because so-called designers are shopping for this stuff constantly and you can charge them more. So there seems to have been an explosion in that area. It drives me nuts, but at the same time, maybe my kits will start getting noticed more just because there is no CU in them.

A girl can dream.

Anonymous said...

Is it Jofia or CRD?

Anonymous said...

Jofia does not use CU items. If she does it is so minute, I cannot tell. Definetly NOT Jofia.

My bet is someone like Melissa Bennett, Doreen Stolz, Lindsay Jane, or Traci Reed. All of them are DIPs.

Anonymous said...

I am sick to death of all the CU items in a kit. I don't mind one thing, but usually when you see one, the rest of the elements are CU as well. I'm tired of it and I won't buy a kit like that. If the only talent it takes is to remember to thank so and so for the commercial use of their items, then heck, I should design too.
Ridiculous and annoying.

Anonymous said...

I never said I didn't like the realistic stuff, I was buying Kathryn Balint and Maya stuff before the trend hit. All I said was that some designers seem to rely solely on this trend and when it changes, what are they going to do?

I like doodles and I don't mind digital made goodies either, as long as they are well made. Crappy realistic elements are just as crappy as digital elements, in fact worse, because I can fix the digital one, it's not so easy with the realistic one. If I see one more bow with bad shadowing, I'm going to scream!!!!

Anon 5.02, I'm fully aware of what goes on with extractions, I used the word scanning because it was easier than saying scanning and/or photographing. I figured people would know what I meant when I said realistic elements :)

Anonymous said...

When I started out designing I used CU stuff, not realizing how many other people used it.
-------------------------

Not picking on you, but didn't you think that if you could buy it, so could 50 others?

The whole problem with CU items is that it's making some designers lazy. I use some CU items, but not from the digital community, that would be stupid, because so many people do that already. There are lots of other resources out there. I found a good one yesterday, free quality downloads and commercial use ok! Can't ask for more than that.

The designer you are thinking of is Karenheckyeah?

digiscrapsmack said...

The designer you are thinking of is Karenheckyeah?

Damn! You got it. Did I mention that I had my fingers crossed when I promised that gift card? I didn't? Oops.

:oP

Anonymous said...

digiscrapsmack said...

The designer you are thinking of is Karenheckyeah?

Damn! You got it. Did I mention that I had my fingers crossed when I promised that gift card? I didn't? Oops.

_______________________________


ROFLMAO! You are too funny! I could only WISH I knew you! We would get along great I am thinking!

Anonymous said...

I did wonder how you would get me my gift card seeing as I was anon.

Anonymous said...

If so many "DIPS" (that's funny!) are using CU items, maybe that's the route to take to make some money.

Anonymous said...

o.k. - I'm ignorant....NOT a designer, just a sometime shopper for kits......how do you tell if a kit has CU items? If I wanted to know more about what they are so that I can spot them in a kit - where do I look?

Anonymous said...

If you don't know and you like the kit, does it matter? Umm, no.

Anonymous said...

If you don't know and you like the kit, does it matter? Umm, no.
--------------
I agree. This topic doesn't matter to me as a scrapper. It doesn't matter to me HOW something is made: whether it was created digitally, whether it was created with an action or CU item, whether it was scanned/photographed, or whether it was created in illustrator.

Likewise, the skill/talent/time that it takes doesn't really matter either (I've already seen all the debates about which type of designing takes more time, skill and talent).

All that matters is if the product is visually appealing and attractive to me. And whether it meets my scrapping needs.

Anonymous said...

If you don't know and you like the kit, does it matter? Umm, no.
___________

Maybe not, but my question was more for information....I see this topic discussed lots of places and just trying to know more about it and what's going on. I didn't think asking a question would be such an offensive thing to you!

Anonymous said...

The person who said it does not matter is probably a DIP herself. To me it matters. May not be so for everybody, but for me it is so. I am looking for original ideas and designs. I consider it a waste of money if I buy 4 or 5 kits just to find out the elements are the same, just recolored, the paper texture is the same, just recolored.

Anonymous said...

Maybe not, but my question was more for information....I see this topic discussed lots of places and just trying to know more about it and what's going on. I didn't think asking a question would be such an offensive thing to you!

March 5, 2008 7:13 AM
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I took no offense, but clearly you did. Woah! Slow down.

I stand by what I said, if you like the kit, does it matter? No it doesn't. People like to talk crap because they can, that's why you see this topic all the time.

Seriously, relax, have a cocktail or something.

Anonymous said...

The person who said it does not matter is probably a DIP herself.
-------------------------

You couldn't be more wrong! I don't use CU stuff at all. Sheesh, some people.

Anonymous said...

CU Stuff is suppose to be a tool ! Not just something you recolor with the color scheme of the kit and say your done. CU items are meant to be the base in your design IE: say you have a ribbon that you bought CU , well dont just recolor it and say done. Use it recolor it make a frame , use brushes , styles add your own creativity to the stuff !! When its used correctly it makes the element unique !

Anonymous said...

Maybe not, but my question was more for information....I see this topic discussed lots of places and just trying to know more about it and what's going on. I didn't think asking a question would be such an offensive thing to you!

March 5, 2008 7:13 AM
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I took no offense, but clearly you did. Woah! Slow down.

I stand by what I said, if you like the kit, does it matter? No it doesn't. People like to talk crap because they can, that's why you see this topic all the time.

Seriously, relax, have a cocktail or something.

March 6, 2008 12:59 AM


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Well, the OP will clearly NOT get an answer to the question from you!!

I also agree with the OP - if I like the kit, I'll buy it, but that wasn't the point....was it?

Let's be considerate enough to at least answer the question that was asked....w/o getting your panties bunched.

Anonymous said...

Nobodies panties got bunched. Sheesh. Well, maybe you and the OP, certainly not me.

How do you answer - how can you tell if there are CU items in a kit? I mean really? How do you answer that?

Do you know? I bet not, because you didn't answer it either, and after your talk of consideration too.

Unless you are familiar with CU items, you won't know. You usually can't tell until after you have bought a kit. Then read the TOU and it should probably have a credit, if it requires a credit.

Now, I answered the question. Apologies anyone?

Anonymous said...

Now, I answered the question. Apologies anyone?

__________________________

Ummmm.....no, not today.

Anonymous said...

I am so tired of this CU debate; we go round and round with it. Why? Because some of the established designers don't like the fact that "newbies" can jump into the market so easily. The truth is, all trades have their tools. Is the dressmaker making her own thread, buttons, lace, fabric, etc? No, she goes and buys it - and most often a pattern as well. It is the execution that counts. Does the finished product make you go "WOW?" Is the color scheme great? What their an unusual, new idea?

I agree that many slap on a color and call it good; but we all know that these folks are not designers - so why waste our time? There are plenty of us that use CU as tools - and our designs are creative and styles unique.

Anonymous said...

I have no problem with creative use of CU items.

Anonymous said...

I am so tired of this CU debate; we go round and round with it. Why? Because some of the established designers don't like the fact that "newbies" can jump into the market so easily.
--------------------
I think you hit the nail on the head. It's not the scrappers debating this at all, it's the designers.

It's true that new designers today can produce kits with much less skill and with less of a learning curve. But that's just the way it is and complaining about it isn't going to change it.

And in the end this is a good thing for scrappers. More choices and more competition is good for the consumer.

Anonymous said...

You can tell before you buy a kit. It is glaringly obvious that the ribbon you have in your kit is in everyone else's kit. How is it that consumers have more choices when what they have to choose from is the same paper overlay, same ribbons, same flowers and the same texture is offered in every kit but just in different colors. Honestly, designers are 'more worried' about people who come on the seen and aren't full of commercial use stuff, like Jofia. The rest of you don't scare anyone. That is just a fact.

Take a look at the popular designers. The ones making thousands a month. Then tell me how much commercial stuff they use.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, designers are 'more worried' about people who come on the seen and aren't full of commercial use stuff, like Jofia. The rest of you don't scare anyone. That is just a fact.
-------
I think you hit the nail on the head with this comment and I could not agree more.
When I see how people try to down talk Jofia's or Natali's talents and call them one-trick ponies, it is painfully obvious that they are fearing the competition, the freshness of the designs and the cosumers' readiness for something new.

Anonymous said...

I think you hit the nail on the head with this comment and I could not agree more.
When I see how people try to down talk Jofia's or Natali's talents and call them one-trick ponies, it is painfully obvious that they are fearing the competition,
--------------------------

Rubbish! I like Natali's designs and I don't like Jofia's, so I'm threatened by them, am I? I can't work with Jofia's stuff, it's too specific. Natali's designs are more rounded and much easier to work with.

Maybe some people just don't like it, no hidden agenda.

The Bennett Bunch said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Take a look at the popular designers. The ones making thousands a month. Then tell me how much commercial stuff they use.

March 7, 2008 7:23 AM

Ummm did you just download Shabby Princesse's new kit from her site!?!?! Read her TOU ...scroll clear down to the bottom...she credits 6....YES SIX commercial use designers (products). She is hailed as probably one of the top designers ever all around digi land!

Anonymous said...

Ummm did you just download Shabby Princesse's new kit from her site!?!?! Read her TOU ...scroll clear down to the bottom...she credits 6....YES SIX commercial use designers (products). She is hailed as probably one of the top designers ever all around digi land!

March 10, 2008 10:59 AM

-------
Well, I can only speak for myself, but to me Shabby Princess IS one of the top designers for several reasons. 1) Her kits are always pretty and are always full of things that I can actually use. I don't give a hoot if she uses CU products or not b/c she uses them as a TOOL, but still adds her own touch to things. 2) She conducts herself with class. 3) She is generous to her customers and she actually seems to value them. 4) She has great customer service.

From a customer standpoint, I don't understand all the complaining about CU usage and the endless debates. For customers who aren't designing, what difference should the designer's tools or techniques make? I buy what I like and from stores that I am comfortable doing business with.

Anonymous said...

From a customer standpoint, I don't understand all the complaining about CU usage and the endless debates. For customers who aren't designing, what difference should the designer's tools or techniques make? I buy what I like and from stores that I am comfortable doing business with.

March 10, 2008 2:36 PM
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ITA! I think some customers just like to be know it alls.

Anonymous said...

I think most of the complaining about the overuse of CU products comes directly from designers and not customers. We have all seen how nasty and backstabbing designers can be and if another designer is a "bigger" name than they are they will stop at nothing to bring them down a notch.

Anonymous said...

ITA! I think some customers just like to be know it alls.

-----------
Nice attitude. Just when I thought brains prevail you had to open you stupid mouth and had to say that. You are not doing any designers any favors by saying these things.

Anonymous said...

You are not doing any designers any favors by saying these things.

March 10, 2008 5:18 PM
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I'm not a designer! I'm a customer who is fed up with the customers who have this prevailing sense of entitlement.

Anonymous said...

We have all seen how nasty and backstabbing designers can be and if another designer is a "bigger" name than they are they will stop at nothing to bring them down a notch.


-----------------

Total classic comment. And customers aren't? If I were a designer, I'd be so pissed off right now.

Anonymous said...

Total classic comment. And customers aren't? If I were a designer, I'd be so pissed off right now.

March 11, 2008 3:12 AM
---------------------------------
Do you forget that a CUSTOMER is always right and designers who are business smart know this and they are the ones who have a BIG consumer base. Those who don't bitch about it here.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe that the customer is always right. For example, if one of them deliberately poohs in a store because they are upset with the service, does that make them right?

I'm not a designer and I just really don't understand the customer is always right crap. The customer is not always right and some of us need to understand that. Th customer can be right MOST of the time, but not always.

Anonymous said...

Latest from CRD to her CT-girls:

One of THE hardest things I'll ever have to do...

You guys I need a break from a team for a while.

After spending yet ANOTHER ENTIRE day typing a message to tell you where my head is lately. I've yet again decided againt posting it. I really feel like I am under a miroscope anymore. Anytime, I have put my heart out there it ends up in digiland for people to make fun of me. I can take 30 minutes and type you my life story in my words. I usually then spend the next 5 hours "editing" it to make sure there's nothing that can be twisted and turned to be held against me. I'm SO OVER being someone I'm not. 1/2 the time I don't even understand what I wrote after reading it back to myself because it's not even ME!

When I very first started this everyone liked me for "ME". I was different but that's what they liked. I got together a CT of people I idolized. Many that intimidated me. I didn't feel like I could be myself and eventually that wore on me and all things turned sour. It's probably when alot of opinions were formed. I try to not let those bother me because I KNOW in my heart that I wasn't myself and that the opinions are based on the person I became.

I told myself that I was going to be ME from there on out with my team. That I ONLY wanted people here that liked me for "ME" and who I was. Well we had that. TRULY a "dream team". One that many became to admire. They scrapped ONLY because they liked what I gave them and I created because they inspired me to. It was a win, win and many CLOSE bonds were built on it.

Unfortunately, the jealous people didn't want to believe our team was "REAL". We gained a reputation of a "Cult". We knew what we had was real so this wasn't going to bother the majority of us.

I started getting alot of offers...SA, SUAS, Prima, etc. I didn't have as much time to be here as I had been. I felt like the scrapping slowed down and I wasn't used to that. I was sorta upset that they'd just hault because I was busy doing these other gigs. I LOVED my gals and our bond and I knew I didn't want to get rid of them, obviously. I also knew they had always scrapped their butts off so I had just decided for myself that hey, maybe they want a break. Obviously, I cherished them so I respected that. I didn't even want to bring it up. Soo.. instead I went and had a CT call. I thought I'd get a few guests in here to scrap while they took a good break . Whewww...I made a VERY BAD decision. This really did NOT make them happy. I think they felt REALLY embarked on and you know what I betrayed them. Of course I just shrugged all of this off as this all being childish. I really couldn't get my head around WHY they cared THAT much about some new girls coming in. To be honest I was at first flattered but still very confused. Well as time went on and this place was flooded with unusual faces things were only getting more and more sour each day. Eventually this started to effect most of the guests I brought on. Some are still here now. Well the busier I became the less I created which yall know always effects things. I believe we all became only more bitter! I finally got the guts to come and say how upset I was that they weren't the same and how I thought it was effecting the new gals. It didn't help. As a matter fact it pissed someone off that was on the team OR shall I say someone "NEW", that I had brought on the team. Either way, someone leaked my whining post to the "Bad Blog" and I was PISSED! Unfortunately, I had been irritated so long about it all I was pissed with the team as a whole now. Again, not fair to most .

I really withdrew alot. I also had someone feeding me BS about how childish, jealous and overprotective my team was. I didn't know what to think. So again I haven't made any harsh movements.

But here we are today... I have many new gals that I am really enjoying and want to keep and I have a few bitter ones left. Many of them have recently quit. I don't know what to say...I have obviously hurt alot of you. On one hand I am SOOO sorry for it and on another I can't understand why it bothers you so much that we added people to the team. I feel like a REAL loser even saying this too. Maybe we got too close for comfort, maybe I'm just a heartless BITCH! I TRUTHFULLY don't believe I am though. But I feel like one even questioning it. ..WHY DID THIS BOTHER YOU SO BAD that you let it ruin us? I can't figure it out, I REALLY, REALY CAN'T understand!

Anyway, this has gotten WAY too wordy than I wanted it to and really emotional for me.

All I know is that I can't do hardly anything without this team situation being on my mind. I cryed as I took a bath a minute ago because I was SO STRESSED about what to do. This is obviously a HUGE, HUGE risk that I didn't ever expect I'd take. But I never DREAMED it would affect my whole life either. I can't bring myself to choose you over them and I feel like this is what it's come to with a small group of you. One day I'm SO MAD at you for it and the next I'm flattered and feel like I'm in the wrong. It's just too much right now. I believe in my heart that it's because I care too much but honestly I'm not sure...I'd always wanted a CLOSE, CLOSE team so when we had it why did I go and screw it up? Maybe it's not what I wanted, maybe I feared losing you eventually...I DON'T know?

I hate that it has come to this and will affect all of us now, I really do. Especially all of you that are probably completely blind sighted by it! I have TRIED and TRIED and TRIED to solve it secretely but it's not working. I know that I have 43 folders of designs here and I don't want to stop. I know I am enjoying the time I'm taking to bond with my customers again by email and I know my personal home life couldn't be better so it leaves me here... I really don't know if it's team situations or commitments I'm having trouble with right now but what I do know is I just wanna be ME again! I want only people here that want to be here for who I am and nothing more. I'm NOT PERFECT and I never will be. I've been "professional" so to speak since I was 15 when I started working. I never wanted a newsletter, Shoppe, blog, nothing. I didn't want commitments. I've been there done that and I wanted to "RELAX", be myself and do what I wanted to do, WHEN I wanted to do it. No boss, no one controlling me, no one to answer to...when I had all this everything was PEACHY KING but I'm not feeling that way right now...

Just PLEASE know and BELIEVE me when I say I have TRIED to get us past this without doing this. I've been EXTREEEEEEMELY stressed over it though that too many people are being affected now... I mean LOOK yall I haven't released much in FREAKING MONTHS! I almost closed CRD and kept yall, lol. But I realized tonight that CRD is not causing me this stress, It's actually been the bestr decision I've ever made business wise.

I admire you all for different reasons and there are so many of you that I'd love to hold on to but I don't feel I'm in the position to make a choice right now . I want to be fair more than anything. I'm not quitting designing as a matter fact I can not WAIT to get most of this out. I am still SO passionate about my work, my fans and my customers and I want that to show. I will even be doing more for Prima for this next show and I want to give that the attention it deserves also. But this is keeping me from doing that for some reason. Not YALL just "THIS".

I want to tell you now that I will share my stuff with random fans to scrap with until I decide to have a team again. I plan to keep AA going too. I like doing that kinda stuff, I always have and that's what I miss! If I get up the guts maybe I'll ask some of you. I just didn't want you to take offense is why I'm telling you now. I really just want to start over, do the things I enjoy doing and just let things fall into place. I really hope you'll understand.

I know things always work out for a reason so I'm only hoping some of you will remain fans. I just need to see who that is...

Hugs yall, I'm SO SO SO SO SORRY!

P.S. I'll leave the forum up for a day or two so yall can say goodbye to each other .

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