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I finally started a gallery a few months ago after belonging to the board since 2007 (ok I"m a procrastinator sometimes). I'm wondering if more people look at your gallery if you participate in challenges (I don't but I may have more time and inclination to start doing that)...do you get more comments? If you do a challenge do you put the abbreviation of the challenge in the title of your card? I have no idea what is typical for view of cards or comments so I'm just asking. Right now my most viewed card is a sympathy one...not my favorite card, especially since I had to use it recently for a beloved relative. Any comments or suggestions about the gallery for a newbie gallery participant are appreciated.
Definitely participate in challenges and do it within the first day or two. One way to really get people viewing your gallery is to participate in the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges.
Yes, yes, yes! Here's what I think gets more views and more comments.
One...do challenges, and like Brandi says, do them the day of or the day after it posts.
Two...make sure that your uploaded picture is clear and bright. A good thumbnail gives more views.
Three...join in the gallery comment threads of various types. For example, here's one you could hop in on: Comment Round #8 - it's time for a new one! by twinwillowsfarm at Splitcoaststampers
The way this one works is you reply to the thread...like, "going to visit ______ gallery." You visit the gallery of the person who is directly above you and comment on one card (or more if you like). Then the next person comments on yours, and so on. You may jump in as many times as you want.
And PLEASE, for the love of all that is, put info on your card in its description. I normally do not take the time to comment if the poster didn't take the time to tell me what they used. Even an incomplete list is better than nothing - especially if you tell me what stamps you used.
__________________ Diana
*******
Save your drama for your llama.
What will help people find your cards are the keywords you add when posting your card. If you participate in a challenge, list the challenge code (CAS100 for example) as one of your keywords. When I add keywords, I try to include words that I think people will use when searching for cards. I add the stamp company, the main theme of the card (like birthday, masculine, butterfly, sympathy, floral, etc.) and add other keywords that I think might be useful.
When you participate in a challenge, post a link to your card in the challenge thread. That will get you more views and hopefully more comments.
Comment on more cards, mentioning something particular that you like or that caught your eye. When I receive comments like that, I check out the poster's gallery to check out her style and usually end up commenting on several cards that way.
Another thing you can do is participate in the two Favorites threads that are posted on Sundays: one is the CAS (Clean and Simple) Favorites, and the other thread is basically Favorites for all other types of cards which don't fit in the CAS category.
I agree that a good photo of your card is essential; I'm much more likely to click on a thumbnail of a card that catches my eye, and good photography has a lot to do with that. I stage my photos by using 2 sheets of cardstock, one behind the card and one under the card. And I choose cardstock that doesn't distract from my card, but enhances it.
And like Diana says, please include the card information. If the poster didn't bother to include the info, I usually don't bother to comment on the card.
And last, but not least, don't take the lack of comments personally.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
This is something that comes up a couple of times a year, probably . Definitely you will get more comments if you participate in challenges soon after they are posted. Leaving comments generates receiving comments .
Keywords, as mentioned above, are good too. Sometimes people want to browse masculine cards, or vintage, or wedding, and unless those are in the keywords they won't show up in the Occasions galleries or in a search. I often view slideshows of SU sets, and sometimes have to stop the slideshow to leave a comment .
Have you watched this little video about uploading - it's very helpful, and gives some guidance about keywords: Uploading a Card to the Gallery - YouTube ( the permitted upload size is a bit bigger now).
There's no correlation between views and comments, between being favourited and comments. Don't go looking for one, just be appreciative of a view, a comment or being favourited!
Hmm, my only thought on the Dare to Get Dirty challenge is that while I love it and the creative buzz I get from it (not to mention the totally chaotic desk and floor) I'm usually so busy trying to keep up with the challenges that I have far less time for actually looking in the gallery till after it's all over.
Thanks for all the good tips! I have been doing some of the things mentioned but I will definitely participate in some of the challenges (heck it took me long enough to start a gallery!). I'm going to be on vacation during Dare to Get Dirty but I'll keep looking in the Announcements section for similar events. I do like to comment on other people's galleries and usually look at theirs if they comment on mine. And thanks for the tip on Comment Round #8..I did pop over there to join that thread...that's a great idea. I don't take it personally if I don't have a huge about of views but it is fun to get your work noticed..
Please jump in to join us for some of the challenges. Maybe you pick one or two to do each week so you get the hang of it. If you put the name of the challenge in your keywords a picture will show up in that special gallery. That makes it easier for challenge participants to view & comment on your card. Another hint is that if you comment on someone's card, they usually send a comment back to you. SCS etiquette. I'd suggest you try the Tuesday color challenge as it's easy, just use the colors any way you want. The second one is Wednesday sketch challenge. That challenge has made me a much better stamper and Roxi personally helped me learn how to post my cards. She has very detailed directions on the Wednesday sketch forum if you want to look at that. Have fun!
And PLEASE, for the love of all that is, put info on your card in its description. I normally do not take the time to comment if the poster didn't take the time to tell me what they used. Even an incomplete list is better than nothing - especially if you tell me what stamps you used.
I hear you--leave details of your card. Nothing is more annoying than clicking on a card with "more details on my blog" with no deets in the SCS post. I've seen this many times without so much as a stamp company used. I won't visit their blog or leave a comment on those posts.
agreed, no time to display information on card, no time to comment.
When you participate, it states to put your challenge abbreviation, at least , in keywords section, to be viewed with the gallery Have fun adding to that gallery
Originally Posted by weims
And PLEASE, for the love of all that is, put info on your card in its description. I normally do not take the time to comment if the poster didn't take the time to tell me what they used. Even an incomplete list is better than nothing - especially if you tell me what stamps you used.
__________________ Carolyn
my avatar: (such desparation), Dear God, if you can't make me thin; make my
friends fat"
I totally agree that posting on threads and commenting on cards is the way to go.
Participating in challenges and swaps, helps you get to "know" a group of people and is a great way to spread the word about your gallery, too.
May I also point out that Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) is coming up soon??? This is a series of mini-challenges that you "join" by making a project, posting about it on the appropriate challenge thread, and linking to the card in your gallery. This is a super way to put your stuff out there for a lot of people to see.
More info and a link to the Mini VSN supplies list are in my signature...
I hate to say it, but I think waaaay too many people post comments just so they can advertise their blogs, the companies they work for, and their religious beliefs. I wish SCS would not allow all the "extra" verbage. Just make a comment that is relative, constructive, or even offer a suggestion ("I will copy this and add a blue ribbon" , for example), and leave off your advertisements.
And like many of the other suggestions, the poster needs to leave a full description. We want to know what company made that lovely stamp or gorgeous background paper. Whew! Thanks for reading. signed, No Agenda
I have definitely gotten the most views and comments when I participated in the VSNs and remembered to put a link to my card in the challenge thread! I'm so mad I can't participate in the VSN (or even the mini!) this time. Sigh. I am actually terrible about updating my gallery - lately I've only been posting cards during the VSNs. I've got to get better about it.
I hear you--leave details of your card. Nothing is more annoying than clicking on a card with "more details on my blog" with no deets in the SCS post. I've seen this many times without so much as a stamp company used. I won't visit their blog or leave a comment on those posts.
I respectfully disagree and I don't even HAVE a blog for rubber stamped cards. I often visit the blogs of people whose cards I really like. I may even bookmark them to come back later - especially if they have a pattern, tutorial or video that I want to save. I think their blog address really enhances the information - whether it's given on the SCS details or not - and if I like their card, I'm apt to like more of what they've done, as highlighted on their blog.
I too just recently started a gallery. My first creations, I was somewhat discouraged as I got very few if any comments - in fact most of my gallery remains "uncommented on". Some of the cards have had well over 200 views, and some have been marked as favourites, but no comments. In fact, one card has been viewed well over 500 times, favourited 5 times but only has one lonely little comment - and that comment came over a week after the card was posted!
However, I have come to just simply accept the gallery for what it is - my creations that I liked enough to upload, that others may or may not like but are at least being viewed. I did participate in two or three challenges, and found that those cards were commented on much more frequently. But I haven't participated in a few weeks since I have switched my focus the past few weeks from card making to scrapbooking.
Although it is nice to get those comments, as (for me anyway) it validates my work that it is not too bad (my daughter loves my cards, but she is somewhat biased!) and others might actually like it, I stopped getting upset that I wasn't receiving comments. I just keep plugging away and posting my cards and scrapbook pages. Even if they haven't left a comment or made it a favourite, hopefully a few people have enjoyed looking at them and maybe smiled along the way.
And, I do give a complete list of supplies used (right now that is a bit hard to do as I am committing to using up my extensive stash of older products so sometimes don't even know where something came from!). And, I do try to leave comments on others cards as I surf through the gallery - particularly if a card has no comments on it. But I have also favourited without leaving a comment, so cannot fault others for doing the same...
__________________ Elizabeth
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Hand over the chocolate, and no one will get hurt!
I consider being favorited (is that a word??!) to be the best compliment - it means someone liked something about it well enough that they might want to come back to it! YAY! Views are also nice, since that means the thumbnail intrigued someone enough that they wanted to see it in full view. :-)
I hate to say it, but I think waaaay too many people post comments just so they can advertise their blogs, the companies they work for, and their religious beliefs. I wish SCS would not allow all the "extra" verbage. Just make a comment that is relative, constructive, or even offer a suggestion ("I will copy this and add a blue ribbon" , for example), and leave off your advertisements.
And like many of the other suggestions, the poster needs to leave a full description. We want to know what company made that lovely stamp or gorgeous background paper. Whew! Thanks for reading. signed, No Agenda
I respectfully disagree with the first part of your reply. I've discovered some amazing blogs via signatures on comments, and I appreciate that SCS allows us a few lines. If someone posts a link, quotation, or Bible verse, we always have the option of not clicking/reading it. Signatures allow us to express a bit of our personality if we wish to do so. Makes the whole community more human, IMHO. Besides, a lot of the quotations are funny and I do love a good laugh!
Some other forums allow blinkies, photos, and giant fonts in signature lines. I don't visit them more than once. SCS'ers keep their signatures modest by design (can't do too much with limited space).
I do agree that it's polite to at least list the stamp line that was used on a card. Also, posting here just for purposes of driving traffic to a blog seems like poaching. I've seen lots of thoughtful people copy and paste their card supplies from their blog post into the card description here on SCS. Quick and easy, and oh so nice.
I comment on what catches my eye. I don't even read the details 95% of the time. If the person took the time to post it and I like it, I comment on it.
I comment on what catches my eye. I don't even read the details 95% of the time. If the person took the time to post it and I like it, I comment on it.
I found that I was trying to hurry up and finish a challenge card, JUST for the comment! I recently decided that I still love to do them, but not worry about whether others like them or not. What was important, was that I liked what I did, and that my self esteem shouldn't be dictated by them. I love it when someone favorites my card, cause that's what I do most. I love to comment those cards, and let the person know why I favorited it. Make sense? It's been a good move for me.
__________________ Luanne Ford
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of someone else.� Judy Garland
I found that I was trying to hurry up and finish a challenge card, JUST for the comment! I recently decided that I still love to do them, but not worry about whether others like them or not. What was important, was that I liked what I did, and that my self esteem shouldn't be dictated by them. I love it when someone favorites my card, cause that's what I do most. I love to comment those cards, and let the person know why I favorited it. Make sense? It's been a good move for me.
Please add details and or supplies when posting - this is so helpful for those of us who use SCS as a teaching/learning tool.WEIMS and SCRAPBOOK4EVER have it right ! If a card piques my interest and then I find there are no details, just a "visit my blog" , I don't, and I don't leave a comment. Time is precious. I scan SCS stampers because it such a complete experience for my crafting needs and it niggles me that 'posters' are short cutting to get more people to visit their blogs.
If I view the SCS daily gallery entries, I look for what catches my eye and make a quick comment about what I like. I like to enter challenges, because I learn so much but I don't always have much time to do them. I want to make a concentrated effort to get back into a few of these challenges when time allows again. Its nice to get comments, but it's not the reason why I enter things into my gallery. I haven't put much in my gallery lately. I am sort of in a loss of mojo phase, and know it is just a phase. Soon though, I'll be back into it full swing--I feel it! I once went through my gallery to see which of my entries had the most views. Interestingly enough it was a paper project, not one of my cards! I find if your project gets a lot of views, it's catching a lot of eyes! That can be just as rewarding as lots of comments!
PEEPS321 don't be discouraged if people don't leave a comment but favorited your card. That is a compliment. They liked your card enough to send it to their favorites, chances are they are going to case your card or something about your card. Yes I think if people favorite your card it would be nice to leave a comment. I have cards that have no comments but people favorited them. Do you comment on cards? I try to leave a lot of comments.
I have thought about the favoriting thing also. If someone likes a card, or something about it, enough to favorite it, then it would be nice if they took a moment to comment. I have a card in my gallery with almost 2,000 views, a dozen or so favorites and I think 2 comments, go figure. It is not a challenge card and not a "hot" stamp set. Something is catching people's eye to get so many views, but apparently very few like it when they see it up close, haha!
I also really appreciate when people post details on their projects on SCS. I try very hard to post as many details as my old brain can remember when I upload a card, so I know it can be time consuming. I don't even mind if they copy the info from their blog into the
description, but I do like to see the info here on SCS. One thing that
rubs me a bit the wrong way is when they take the time list 27
keywords, but no details, just a blog link. I rarely visit a blog to check
out details of a card, sort of feels like being hijacked. It has to be something pretty spectacular to take me away from SCS, just ask my husband! I love looking at galleries. Often I will see a challenge card I love and check out the poster's gallery. And I always leave at least one comment, usually more. One of my favorite things to do is look back at poster's early cards to see how their style has evolved. I find my favorite cards are not the ones with trendy stamps or techniques, but the classic ones with timeless appeal.
__________________ Proud Member of the Fan Club My Gallery
Please add details and or supplies when posting - this is so helpful for those of us who use SCS as a teaching/learning tool.WEIMS and SCRAPBOOK4EVER have it right ! If a card piques my interest and then I find there are no details, just a "visit my blog" , I don't, and I don't leave a comment. Time is precious. I scan SCS stampers because it such a complete experience for my crafting needs and it niggles me that 'posters' are short cutting to get more people to visit their blogs.
Maybe they just want to share their work and they're not trying to get more people to visit their blogs. I view "see my blog" as an option. I can click on it or not. Personally, I wouldn't base my decision on whether or not to comment on the card just because there weren't enough details to suit my needs.
I don't mean to be rude but this topic always gets to me. I post details sometimes and sometimes I don't. I just don't see how not posting details takes away from the beauty of a card or project. Some days I have time, and some days I don't. I just want to show off the stuff that I'm passionate about. If I get a favourite, a comment or a pm telling me that someone appreciates my card, I'm super stoked. I'd hate to think that someone would deliberately snub my card because I didn't type out the exact shade of red I used.
I'm just happy that when I go to look in the gallery on SCS that there are loads of samples to look at, details or not.
I really don't mean to offend anyone. It's just my point of view.
I'd hate to think that someone would deliberately snub my card because I didn't type out the exact shade of red I used.
I guess my take is this. I often browse the gallery to get inspiration. I rarely CASE a card completely, but I do take a part of it (technique, colors, layout) and use it as a jumping off point in my own creation. Maybe the color combination was the thing that piqued my interest. If I don't know what red (or at least what company) you used, your post wasn't all that useful to me. I may have thought it was lovely, but that's it. I'm not snubbing it, just moving on.
And I do feel like I'm being hijacked if ALL the poster took the time to put is "see my blog" for more details. If I wanted to blog surf, I would. However, I don't and that's why I'm on SCS.
JMH2CW
__________________ Diana
*******
Save your drama for your llama.
I guess my take is this. I often browse the gallery to get inspiration. I rarely CASE a card completely, but I do take a part of it (technique, colors, layout) and use it as a jumping off point in my own creation. Maybe the color combination was the thing that piqued my interest. If I don't know what red (or at least what company) you used, your post wasn't all that useful to me. I may have thought it was lovely, but that's it. I'm not snubbing it, just moving on.
And I do feel like I'm being hijacked if ALL the poster took the time to put is "see my blog" for more details. If I wanted to blog surf, I would. However, I don't and that's why I'm on SCS.
JMH2CW
I can see your point, Diana. I like the "I'm not snubbing it, just moving on". I get that.
ETA: I know this is fairly ironic but...I saw you siggy has a llama in it. I posted about The Adventures of Llorenzo the Llama on my blog recently. LOL!
Gallery Views
. Definitely you will get more comments if you participate in challenges soon after they are posted. Leaving comments generates receiving comments 
