Anyone else overwhelmed?
 

I'm a long-time SU! customer, and have very recently started purchasing some PTI stuff. Problem is, I'm on an extremely limited budget (as I know many of us are these days!) and I'm feeling very overwhelmed with the sheer number of stamp companies popping up these days - not to mention other online stores that don't even sell their own brand of stamps! It just seems like there's SO MUCH STUFF! It's not even that I necessarily want to BUY all this stuff, just that it can be overwhelming to see it all.

Related to this, and PLEASE no one take any offense - is the fact that it seems like EVERYONE designs for like, half a dozen stamp companies. I know that the incentive of FREE! stamps must be very lucrative, but this is another thing that overwhelms me. Some of my long-time favorite designers no longer create anything that I'm in love with, because they all use stamps that aren't my style at all, and I end up wondering if it's even THEIR style, or if they're just doing it to get free stuff.

Not sure if this makes much sense, but it's something that's been weighing on my mind a LOT lately, and I just wanted to see if anyone else was in the same boat. :)

That's why I've started to limit myself to SU! (and just because I went with them first and I like their stuff). When I used to get stuff from different companies and places I had a lot of stuff that I just didn't use and I spent way too much. I still spend too much (haha) but I figure with just one company I'm limiting myself a little anyway. I also like that the colors are coordinated. When I used to get some paper here and some there I felt I wasted a lot and didn't put it together well. This way I know what goes with what and I only have x amount of choices compared to a billion. There are some really cute things in other companies and if I had all the time and moeny in the world I'd shop till my lil heart was content...and probably have a nervous breakdown from the mess in my craft room, haha. So I totally get what you are saying!

i totally see where you are coming from!


i really like wood mounted rubber stamp sets. so i buy almost exclusively SU!

i do have some stamps that aren't SU! but very few. that's just what i like.


i still get lots of inspiration from stuff that people make using what ever products THEY prefer tho.

i love to see how they use embellishments, layouts, techniques...


everyone is different... do what YOU want, do what YOU like! but mostly HAVE FUN AND ENJOY!!!

I felt the same way you do, but mine started about a year ago. I pretty much stopped reading blogs because it seemed I was being "sold" to all the time. I just didn't like that feeling. It's hard, but I just took myself out of the loop of new releases and such, it works for me.

I totally agree with what you are saying. There is so much stuff out there that it is overwhelming. Where do you even start. Also, so many stamp sets are starting to look similar or have the same theme. Do you get the SU one, or the PTI one or the one that someone has just announced they are releasing next week. I have found that I am sticking pretty much with one stamp company. I have learned what I like and just need to stick to it.

I can't speak for your fave designers, but I can say that styles and trends change and trying to keep up with them is mostly the reason for that-
and peoples styles tend to change over time also...

and I get what you are saying- there is so much eye candy out there- too much temptation!:mrgreen:

Since you mentioned
 

the thing about the DT's. I have noticed that there seems to be a group of about 20-30 people from whom the various DT's are chosen. I think that everything is starting to look the same. I wish they would mix it up a little more. I am with wagleg that I find I am taking myself more "out of the loop" for this reason.
Ang

I hear you! I was feeling the same way four years ago (before PTI started up and things got really bad, LOL!). Back then, I just decided not to buy anything that wasn't SU or Hero Arts...just because both companies have large product lines and nice catalogs for me to study and plan purchases with more restraint. It took 8 months of watching the buzz on PTI before I ordered my first set from them. Now, I limit myself to those three companies almost exclusively. When I buy from other companies, I don't go hog wild like I used to...I have a few Memory Box penguins (one of which I gave them the idea for!), a Bella, and a few other singletons or sets that made sense to me.

It worked for me to place pretty arbitrary limits on my spending, and I don't feel nearly as overwhelmed or pressured as I used to. Life will be even happier when SU goes back to one catty a year. I've bought less from SU with the two-a-year because I started feeling pressure again.

I understand what you're saying. There is some DT craziness lately! There are lots of ladies who genuinely love the companies that they're designing for, but I think there are a fair number who see design team spots and "trophies" to be collected. I think we all love validation, though, so I can't really fault them for that. However, I couldn't join a team if I didn't LOVE the stamps, I just wouldn't feel inspired.

The subject of too much product pushing on blogs has come up before. My opinion is that I'm grateful to them for taking the time to share their creations. I tolerate commercials on cable and in magazines, and I pay for those! A little product advertising in blogs doesn't bother me, it's a small price to pay for the free entertainment and inspiration that they provide. If I don't like what they're peddling, I scroll on. :)

My humble opinions!

I'm on a very limited budget, too, and I've been making a "wish list" to keep myself organized. If I see a stamp I like, I'll check out the rest of the set. If I like it, it goes on my wish list, complete with the link and the price. That way, I know exactly where to find it when I get the money. (And my husband can just "copy and paste" for a gift-giving opportunity. The easier, the better.)

I've also discovered that a lot of the stamps that are coming out aren't my style at all, but that's working in my favor since I can't buy a lot. :) There are two companies that sell stamps that are almost all my style, and I've pretty much stayed with them on my wish list. The obvious benefits are the ability to combine shipping, the higher possiblity of stamp sets "working together", as well as fewer stamps that I "have to" buy.

Does that make any sense?

As far as designers, I currently frequent only two blogs of designers. As they design for companies that aren't my style, I quit following their blog. No offense, I just don't stamp certain styles. I'm okay with that. :)

I used to be exclusively SU. I was a demo for 11 years. I still love them. I don't however buy hardly any. You can only use so much stuff. I have lots and like to use what I have. That said I also design for two companies. I would never have tried to be a designer for either company unless I loved their stuff. I found that staying exclusive with one company actually stiffled my stamping. I love that I can use what I want. I still use SU's colors. It is fun though to play in other "companies" sandbox's as well.

it is hard with so many stamp companies now. wow!!
but i usually do stick with my favorite companies.
Cause I know I will use them.

I'm on ONE design team and have a couple guest spots coming up - BUT, when i am posting my card using the stamps from that company, i will say Elzybells Release (or something) in the title, talk about the card, post the card and a link (or sometimes direct my readers to my side bar) and that's it.. and you know what? I do the same with companies I DON'T design for because readers usually like to know WHERE TO GET THE STAMPS that I have used, so i link it..

i apply for DT positions that I truely love, and I think that the owners can see that, but on the other hand, it seems like some owners only want to hire celebrities because of their blog traffic (which is legitimate) but still... it's a catch 22. you have to be famous to be on a DT, but yet, to get famous you have to be on a DT. :rolleyes:

There are so many companies out there right now and they all have such cute stuff! :) I've been stamping with SU for well over ten years now and I find that I just prefer SU. As an SU demo, it just makes it easier for me to stick with what I truly love. Every time I spend money on non-SU product, the business side of me cringes. lol

Hard to relate to this cause I want it all. Only thing stopping me is a limited budget and running out of room in my house. Storing now in the car. Humm Wonder where I can put the next set. Since discovering stamping up I stick mainly with them. Oh yeah, and my D. Morgan stamps, and Mouse stamps and the cute $1.00 stamps from AC and Michael's . I still like them. Also I like a lot of the clear stamps, but limit myself to what I can 't live without. I am however starting to be much more selective. Well, that's my 2 cents worth. Wow! Give that 2 cents make. I might need it for gas.

I can identify with what Shelby is saying! When I started reading blogs, I put them into two categories - SU Only (since I'm a demo) and everything else. What surprised me is how VERY man SU Only Bloggers are on Design Teams for other companies - and some of these gals are outstanding not only at the stamping, but are moving up the ladder with their SU business as well! But sometimes I have to go down 3,4,5,6 entries to find an SU card! It confuses me how their customers can go on there and see all the non-SU stuff their SU demo is promoting (you can say it's NOT selling, but the promoting/enabling is SO close to selling, in my opinion) and still go on to buy SU stuff from her! It just mystifies me!

And I have to hand it to my very favorite blogger, JanTink, who has pulled OUT of the design team thing, by choice, and has gone back to showing almost all SU stuff now!

Thanks for venting my feelings :) I totally agree with you regarding the ever increasing stamp companies! I read the news which says that the economy is going down and then I come to SCS to find that there's yet another stamp company which has opened up! When I want to buy a stamp I'm always confused, there's always a feeling that what if some other stamp company has a better stamp which I'll never know of coz I just can't afford to search all the products of ALL these companies.

There was a time when I would love to see the new releases from PTI and the projects based on them because they were far and few and at least gave the impression that they'd been designed after much thought and effort. No longer, now there are dime a dozen every month.

Similarly, I became a fan of one of the bloggers because I could identify with her style but soon she became a DT and (I don't know how?!?!) lost that style. That was so disappointing.

Then there's always the case where you get hooked to something and then you find out that that person decided that the something was so popular that it would be worthwhile charging money for it! Where did the love for the art go?

I totally agree that majority of the DTs lose their special touch when they become DTs. I guess everybody needs to pay their monthly bills though when you idolize someone you want to believe that that person belongs to the ideal world and does this for the love of the art.

I feel overwhelmed sometimes too. I've been pretty much exclusively SU for the last six years now, with the occational single stamp from the local store thrown in here and there. However, there's a certain style of stamp that I like that I feel SU is lacking right now, and I've been able to find what I like with Gina K. and LizzieAnne Designs. So I'm limiting myself to those four options. I only buy paper and ink from SU, while I like Papertrey's colors, I just can only have so many options. Even SU's in-color line has started to overwhelm me, LOL.

Another way I've branched out is that I bought a Cuttlebug last year, so I've bought some embossing folders and nestabilities. But I certainly don't need every single one out there.

As the owner/designer of one of those stamp companies popping up, I'd like to address a few of the subjects mentioned here. First of all, I totally get the overwhelming feeling that many of you mentioned, there ARE alot of new companies out there and it can be even more confusing when online stores start carrying each other's stuff.
Personally, my passion is stamps and it always has been. When I was an SU! demo (for 9 years) I found their paper, cardstock and inks to be of super high quality and convenience because they coordinated so well...and I still believe this to this day! The majority of my consumable materials and inks still come from SU. In this way, I limit both my time and spending activities in a way that works for me. Now as I mentioned, stamps are my passion and just one company cannot give me the variety I crave, in fact...that is the very reason I started designing my own images, to create my own variety. If I hadnt gone this route, I'm sure I would be continually on the lookout for that 'perfect image' from any number of companies but as I'd limit myself to looking purely at stamps, it helps with that overwhelming feeling. If you have an obsession with other parts of the hobby, not every tool as a whole, this could give you away to branch out and not feel pressured.
And on the subject of DT members, it is a fine line. Heavy blog traffic from your team is very desirable but then so is 'fit', freshness, talent and enthusiasm. For my first team, none of my members were on more than one team when I picked them up and most were newbies. My current team is a mix, I chose some designers that were more well known but balanced them with those whose designing spoke to me. (Not that the 'famous' gals' stuff didnt speak to me too.) And none of my team was cherry picked, they all applied through DT calls and were not asked to apply. I think that makes a difference as well because if they come to me, they are more likely to be attracted to my style as well.

I am from Britain and until I came on here I did not realise just how many stamp companies you have, my mind is boggling...I am just getting back into stamping so luckily all my old stamps now seem new again :lol: I must say I dont limit myself to one company, I am not often influence by designers, If I see a stamp I like I get it, regardless of who designed it and even better if I can see a stamp that will be suitable for more than one occasion then even better...what I do find myself being influenced by is all the wonderful card that you wonderful ladies produce

so I pose the question- (Not AT you Krystie, just since you mentioned this aspect)
What would you- (or anyone else who feels like chiming in!) consider "advertising" because like Tobi said- I think we ALL post our stuff and share a link of where we get it. If we didn't, it's just like when uploading here and the fields are all left blank- nobody likes that- they want the info- so how much is too much??
Just curious:-D

that's totally crazy- yet true- makes NO sense at all!!

Yes, I said it on another thread...I get very overwhelmed!! And I said I'm staying with SU out of ease. I must admit I'm looking at few stamp sets from Clear Art Stamps, I'm sure I will order some A Muse ribbon...I've been looking every where for it! I'm also interested in some other companies...but I'm VERY loyal to my two SU DEMOS and really don't have the cash to branch out much.....really have stopped buying stamp sets and I'm concentrating on ribbon, paper, etc.

I tried to find the old thread that I saw on this subject, but couldn't.

Here are the specific complaints that I remember from it:

• Every other word being a link to a product or store.
• Excessive promotional language in EVERY post. "You MUST have this...you HAVE to order this, get this TODAY...blah-blah-blah."
• Excessive enthusiasm to the point that it seems insincere.

None of these really bother me, personally. If it's something I like, I'm happy to be enabled. If I don't, I scroll past in Google Reader at 100mph. :)

I totally agree! I'm a very new stamper and I was completely overwhelmed when I first started. I need a lot and I am on a stay-at-home-mom budget and as much as I would love to "have it all" I find myself disappointed in the fact that I can't have everything! lol! I've really had to look at my spending these past couple of months and decide on one style that I really like and stick to it!

I love my SU, but I also like to buy from other online stores as well. The thing that I find works for me is that everytime someone mentions a new store I check it out and if they have more than 7 stamp sets that I might like and there prices and shipping are resonable I bookmark them so that I can go back to them later. If the store dosn't have anything that I would use then I don't go back. Right now there are about 5 online stores that I use the most 2 of these places are for some of the papers and supplies, there stamps aren't bad it's just that they aren't really my style the other 3 stores all have stamps that I really like. As for the blogs I bookmark a blog for the techniques and style that they show not for the stamps that they use, unless it is stamps that I really like, I figure that I can change the stamp image as long as I like the card style. I like going to the SCS gallery and going to the galleries for each company this way I can pick out the companies that I usually use and get ideas from there. I also like the blogs that show what coloring medium they used and the actual colors they used, as well as the techniques that they use for making things other than cards. I usually go through my bookmarked blogs once a month or so and if I find that I am not going to that blog very often I will dump it, it has nothing to do with the work on the blog it has to do with my interest in it.

You don't have to be famous to be on a DT. You just have to have a style that appeals to the person/people making the decisions. I'm not famous, and I don't jump on every trendy bandwagon that comes along. I have my own style, which is constantly changing and evolving. I've been on 2 DTs, one for a stamp company and one for a scrapbooking forum. I'm currently still on the one for a stamp company. The owner chose people who have very different styles and levels of experience. I don't apply for DTs that have demanding blog requirements, because that is too much pressure. The woman who owns Repeat Impressions, for whom I design, is a sweet, low-pressure type woman. I love designing for Wendy and her company. :cool:

I too, began to find the sheer number of companies out there overwhelming. While I do look, I've limited my buying to a small number of companies. The majority of my stamps come from three companies (although there is a fourth I'm drooling over) and I have bought sets from two other companies that I just couldn't find anything comparable anywhere else. I found that by limiting my buying to a few, I am able to enjoy seeing the creations made with all the other stuff but no longer feel so overwhelmed or that I need it all.

I think this debate could go on endlessly, we look to the galleries to enjoy the cards people make and to get inspiration for our own work, well I do anyway and if I see an image i like, I check to see who made that stamp..so can we really have it all ways, without mentioning the supplier, i personally would be floundering as to where i could get it...maybe that is because I am new here, but i think there will be others like me...maybe the mention of suppliers is the small price we pay, for the lovely creations we see in the gallery

I usually buy from SU every month while I am building my supplies. I don't buy their stamps just paper and ink. I limit myself to $25. I now limit myself to a PTI order every other month so I can order enough to get free shipping. I only order the stamp sets that I absolutely cannot live without. I really like their sets but they are a little too pricey for me.
I will order Elzybells from the UK and Amuse paper. Allthatscraps.com gets most of my online orders.

Wow, it's so awesome to know I'm not alone!

Cost of items is HUGE for me when deciding where to purchase. Cost of stamps, shipping to CANADA, our current exchange rate (lately in the pits), and DUTY are big things that make me hesitate... I mean, I *love* PTI stamps and would probably own 80% of them if they had a Canadian company I could purchase from so as to limit shipping/duty charges. I don't think $24 is too expensive for their largest sets (esp. compared to SU!s prices), but again, our exchange rate makes a big difference.

I have to buy ALL the new paper, ink, ribbons etc from Papertrey every month...it is such awesome stuff. I also keep a huge inventory of SU paper and ink...Yikes...Love it all though. Will keep buying as long as I can find room for it all...lol
Blessings.

I had always used SU and last year started branching out. Well because of my tight budget I have decided to stick with only SU. I do love some of the other stuff and so I joined wish RAK to hopefully get some of the things I really like but didn't want to spend the money on.

This is a great thread and I'm glad to read what I've been thinking. I find more and more that I'm being spammed with stamping got-to-haves and I don't quite know what started it. When I first came to SCS, where you got the sales pitch was from just us enablers telling of the latest find. Now it seems there is an awful lot of what I dare call spam here. I'm trying to slow down my buying because I need to use up what I have and it makes it really hard when it seems so many of the posts are tyring to get you buy something.

I don't visit blogs that often because, once again, I feel spammed. The hype of their products gets to be too much. I've seem amazing work by these talented stampers only to be turned-off over the hype. I understand it's their job to get us to buy their products, so I just stay away.

I've never been into the release party atmosphere. I do enjoy when SU! has a new mini or catty, but nothing beyond that.

As for all the new stamp companies and new styles - there is a lot of cute stuff comming out, but I find that I buy more SU!, Inky Antics, G-Rated, Penny Black, Art Impressions, stampscapes, Whipper Snapper, and printworks. I've always loved these companies styles - maybe I'm old school, but so much of the new images seem to all the same.

I totally know where you are coming from. I have spent so much money on stuff I got caught up in the moment. Things I have learned from all this.

I love SU papers, inks and stamp sets. I love working with good rubber and I really love wood mounted.

I am a simple stamper and scrapbooker. I don't need all the extras on my cards and pages.

I am happy with what I have been using for the past couple of years and didn't need to try something new. I also am not very patient and do not like practicing to get it "right".

I have many blogs bookmarked and when they get into a design situation and start getting mundane and not what I liked in the first place I just delete them and move on to another blogger.

This all has to be about enjoying what you are doing. It is so hard not to get caught up in the moment of new and now.

I also recommend that you purge on a regular basis so that your area does not get so overwhelming.

Lorri

I just recently started a new card and invitation business and I have found what works for me is a list of needs and wants. I have a tight budget so the list makes it easier to keep from getting overwhelmed. I have mostly SU, but I have a few Gina K, Clear Artistic Stamps and I just purchased my 1st Bella and PTI stamps. I just got my ATG-50 and hope to have a scor-pal sometime in the near future.

I also get overwhelmed. It was a complete eye-opener almost 2 years ago when I joined SCS to realize that there was more to stamps than SU (which was all I knew besides the single stamps at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.)

I love SU's paper and ink. But I've found that I've started moving away from SU's stamps - they don't interest me as much anymore. My style has changed - it leans closer to MFT and Papertrey.

I too get overwhelmed with all the stamp companies out there. Usually I don't buy it unless I really, really love it. However, I was going a little haywire a few months ago just buying, buying, buying. Then I joined a friend's "30 day no spend challenge". Boy was that tough! It was during SU's new catty, another great PTI release, I discovered Sugar Nellies....It was pure torture not being able to buy anything. But it taught me to really think about what I wanted to spend my money on. After the 30 days was over I looked at my wishlist and was shocked at how much I was able to live without. And I didn't go crazy spending when the 30 days was over, quite the opposite. I picked and chose carefully. Shortly after that one, I did another 30 no spending challenge. Anyway, it was a great learning experience for me. And now I'm less overwhelmed because I am able to sit and think about what my next purchase should be. Or shouldn't be.

On the matter of the blogs, I am getting kind of tired of seeing some of my favorite bloggers showing only the stuff that they are on the DT for. Of course I understand why, but it does seem like they lose their original style or uniqueness. I've deleted many blogs when all they do is push a product that I'm really not interested in. But there are a few bloggers that I just absolutely love and don't care what they are selling.

I, too, have purchased less from SU since the two catalog a year started. It is just so overwhelming!

I am 99.99% SU only. I've got a few $1 stamps and a few clear stamps (finally tried them out--not against them, just prefer SU).

Happy Stampin!

There are a lot of stamp companies popping up. I'm mainly an SU gal, but that doesn't mean I don't love other stamps!! I personally love Verve images, MFT, PTI (but haven't bought any yet due to higher shipping costs and the CDN exchange rate), and so many more ... I have a limited budget, so I spend within that and share the love for the things I love! It does not matter to me where they come from, only that I love what I purchase (and I do!).

I can see your point, though. It can be overwhelming. There are a lot. But, search out what you like and buy what you like!

well, I've been on two DT's and had a couple guest spots and there is no way I'd consider myself "famous" :) So, the statement is not entirely true in my book.