Average Time for Designing Cards?

[KGidget]

Maybe I'm just slow or something, but it seems to take me 20-30 minutes to design and complete a new card. If it's one I've already made before, than it doesn't take long to recreate, it's just coming up with new ideas that seems to take the time (good thing for the gallery here to be inspired by). I suppose one can't rush art, however.

How long does it take you to design and create a new card?

KGidget

[Soozie4Him]

It takes me a lot longer than that! Even when using an idea from the SCS Gallery, it often takes me an hour to make a card! Sometimes I'm fiddling with which fiber or cording to use - or deciding about eyelets vs brads, etc. I'm VERY slow, but I'm getting somewhat fast, which is a good thing because I'm a demo!

Susan

[KGidget]

:lol: :lol:

Okay, I don't feel so bad now. I have taken an hour or longer to do some of the cards, especially when I started demoing not quite a year ago. In fact, it hasn't even been a year since I first was introduced to this whole stamping world (after which I quickly signed up to be a demo...and it's been a creative blessing for me).

KGidget

[StampsandMore]

Oh, yeah... over an hour, usually, to come up with a new idea. Be proud of yourself for taking only 1/2 hour!!! This is why I usually case a lot of cards (unless I'm feeling especially creative).

Lauren~

[CreativeDiva]

Oh ladies ladies, you're like superman next to me!! I just got done putting together a birthday card for a 2 yr old's birthday... I started at 9:00 am, it is now 12:15!!!!
(OK, so I went a little crazy and made a 6x6 shaker card and glitter embossed and used ribbon and designer paper and and and...). Still, I find that the designing is the hard part. To recreate only takes a few minutes (In fact, I didn't like my color choices in the end, so I remade the card in 15 minutes using new colors).
If it only takes you 20 minutes to come up with a new design - be happy!

btw, I find that sometimes I just get "inspired" and can come up with a new card in 10 minutes, and other times... well, see above

[look-inkgood]

If I could design a card in 20-30 mins I would be elated! I play with the colors, design elements and accessories for a good hour. Sometimes, I have to put it down and come back with a fresh mindset.

The most frustrating thing is when I'm at work and come up with a great idea...I have to wait until I get home to start putting it together. But if I come up with a card mentally, I can assemble it pretty quickly.

[KGidget]

The last few days I've been waking up at about 5 AM with card ideas, but by the time I actually get up about 7:30, I've forgotten what it was I had dreamt up. Guess I better leave some paper and pen by the bed to jot down my ideas.

I can't believe I'm dreaming cards, and looking at my surroundings and colour coding them according to SU's 48 colours (Oh look honey, that tree is a beautiful combo of Old Olive and Garden Green, with a little bit of More Mustard starting to show up!). Oy!

KGidget

[Motherof6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by look-inkgood

If I could design a card in 20-30 mins I would be elated! .

It takes me that long to decide my colors.

[Sereikastamper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KGidget

The last few days I've been waking up at about 5 AM with card ideas, but by the time I actually get up about 7:30, I've forgotten what it was I had dreamt up. Guess I better leave some paper and pen by the bed to jot down my ideas.

KGidget

I do just that!! LOL and sometimes in the middle of the night I have to just write in the dark and see if I can read it in the morning! LOL

[crazy4stamps]

I guess that I am so use to stamping everyday that it doesn't take me very long most days to come up with an idea for cards. I had a stamp class yesterday and hadn't felt good all week and didn't have any samples made up for the stamp sets we were going to be using. I sat down at the table before they all came in and made up three cards. When they all arrived to stamp then I had the ladies first pick their cardstock just one color and then pick one stamp out of the 5 stamp sets I had out. I had the Hope Is set, they inked the heart stamp with the Pink Passin marker, the Lovely Leaves set, Fall Whimsey, It's Time for Snow from the mini catalog, and Simple Sayings. I took my Late November Spectrum pad for all other stamps and they inked up the stamp they chose and stamped white or vanilla cardstock then layered onto their color of cardstock they first chose. It was a big hit and they all loved the idea to do instant art on the spot. I'm going to try this again next month at my stamp class. We had so much fun to just sit there and stamp and add all kinds of goodies, do some sponging and just let loose. We got a total of 17 cards made in just a short time. Next time I will have to remember to bring the camera.....this was a day that should have had pics to scrap.

[AndyJoe]

It makes me feel good to know it is not just me. It takes me way over hour to design a card and while I am making it, I am constantly adjusting my original design. It never looks like I thought it would. My hope is that the changes are for the better. It really makes me feel good when I upload the card and others think it looks nice. This site is wonderful for ideas, thank goodness I found it.
So as the others are saying, 30 min is great time, you must be a very creative person. I have a sister like that. I see a piece of plastic, she sees a keychain. It just takes me longer to create, but at least I am having a good time trying.
Just have fun with it.

[jdmeeks]

It depends... I have some cards I whip out quickly - under 15 minutes; especially with 2 step stamp sets or bold stamps which do not require coloring. I have other cards (for very special people in my life) I will spend an hour or more designing and making. Being as obesessed as I am with card-making somewhere in my mind's eye I'm almost always thinking of card designs

[Jami]

Occassionally I have an idea all set in my mind and can whip out the card in 15-20 minutes, but usually it takes me over an hour from the time I sit down to the time I finish. Probably more like 2 hours if you count the time I spend trying to decide which stamp set to use. :lol:

[madiegirl]

Well, I'm happy to hear as well that I'm not the only one who takes more than 20-30 minutes ! You are very lucky to create something in that time frame! I'm SO slow but the frustrating part is that what I usually creative I don't end up liking :? LOL

Shelley

[mona]

Only 30 minutes, good for you. If I have an idea in mind, usually 30-45 minutes will do but if it is complex or an original idea, more like an hour or more. None the less because I have all the supplies out, I always make 4-6 of the same, omitting any inside stamping until I know what the card will be used for.

[bluebird1]

I am the slowest stamper alive. It takes me FOREVER to make one card. I think I am getting faster, and that is really sad, because I can start on a card and work very intensely on it, then when I look at the clock an hour, an hour and a half, or sometimes two whole hours have gone by, and I may not even be done! This is especially frustrating because my best friend is an exceptional stamper, talented, creative, not to mention a great demo, and also extremely fast. So when she says "let's get together and stamp" I have to laugh because that means she makes like five cards in the time it takes me to make one. How sad is that?

[mhthorpe]

I got so tickled when you talked about naming the colors you see in nature after the SU! colors. That happened to me! The couple renting from my parents are painting the interior. I said, "Oh, Mother, you should see it. They have Mint Melody on the walls and YoYo Yellow for the woodwork!"
The color names were out before I knew it! Ha! Now, I hope I haven't stepped on anyone's toes about the LR color scheme. Beauty (and art) is in the eyes of the beholder!

[STAMPINSTEL]

I am like bluebird1, when I design a card it takes a long time,sometimes 2 hours or more. I am a perfectionist and it has to be just right or I am not happy and start over, and even then I think it might not look good enough. So if you can do one in 30 minutes, that's awesome !

[KGidget]

Okay, I can't always do it in 30 min, as I've proven today. I even had a couple cards to case, but because they required me making a template, then remaking it because I can't trace straight, I think I took well over an hour (well, waiting for glue and ink on vellum to dry doesn't help either). As I said earlier, can't hurry art!

KGidget

[GavynnsMom]

It takes me about an hour or so. Usually I have a set in mind and colors in mind before I even sit down.

Joy

[Lexie567]

I swore I was the slowest person in the world when it comes to making cards. Everything is still so "new" to me, I like to play with different techniques and such before I actually make the card. I got my heat gun out last night, oh what fun!
Usually about 45 minutes for me for a "wow" card, about 25 or so for a simple card with layers and coloring in..

[Kathy S.]

I can usually only create one card at a sitting. So when I make one I like, I try to make 6-10 at a time. That doesn't take much longer than making just the one, and I can use them for a swap or upcoming occasions. The other day, before I sat down to stamp, I decided I was going to use Petal Prints and pink, black and white cardstock. So the only things I had to make decisions about were layout and technique. I was able to whip out three different cards in one sitting!

[HeatherJ]

I bought my house in an hour, and I know I have spent more time than that making a card. I think the longest time was my first gel card - coluuzle, layering, outlining, embossing and cutting out fish...

If I need one in a pinch, I have made some really cute ones in under 10 minutes. (and some really ugly ones in over an hour :-)

HeatherJ

[mhthorpe]

Heather,
I loved your quote! And I identify with making a cute one in 10 minutes and an ugly one in an hour. I've been there before!

[whichwayisup]

Well I have to say, I only take about 15 min. I just finished making a 6x6 scrapbook for my mom tonight. (about 25 pages) This took me about 4 hours. Yesterday I did a 6x6 scrapbook for my Grandmother with about 25 pages also, It took 4-5 hrs. When I'm not consumed with my children I can come up with plans fairly fast.... It's when I take longer that I get worried.... Good Luck All......S

[melcran]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhthorpe

Heather,
I loved your quote! And I identify with making a cute one in 10 minutes and an ugly one in an hour. I've been there before!

Me, too!! And it makes you hate the ugly one even more when you think about how long you spent on it. My cards always take me long time - but picking out colors always takes the longest. No way I could do a card idea from scratch in 20 minutes!