Surprisingly discerning about freebies

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Surprisingly discerning about freebies

Has anyone else noticed they have become more discerning about downloading freebies as time goes by? Last year was my first iNSD and I could not get enough of all the free downloads! I was desperate for materials back then - I had just started doing digital scrap stuff in March, and I didn't want to spend money yet if the habit wasn't going to stick, so this massive windfall of freebies was heaven! I downloaded everything in sight; I'm pretty sure I took each and every piece I came across, because I didn't know yet what my tastes were and what would be useful in the future.

I'm surprised this time around at how many blog trains I've passed up completely, mainly because I don't really love the colors. I already have so many kits I've never used, and while contemplating the GingerScraps blog train palette tonight I went and peeked into my Kits folder to look at all the pretty as-yet-unused kits whose colors I like better. Sometimes there will be a designer here and there who made something really special for their part of the train, but since I'm trying to streamline my Project Life process (so many weeks behind!) I am trying to stick to kits, so I haven't even downloaded those individual nice portions. I've also passed up a ton of templates because again, mostly just doing Project Life, and so all the fun and fancy templates will just take up HD space.

I guess I am developing tastes and preferences in this arena, which is pretty fun to realize! And my internet is pretty slow, so being more discerning is saving me a ton of time and download grief. smiley

Absolutely agree, on all points. I downloaded so much stuff when I first started that I couldn't keep track of it all, so I went back through my stash and culled out a lot. I tend to avoid kits that have a lot of stuff these days, it overwhelms me.

I tend to collect freebies (and pay products too) more than use them so definitely if I don't even like to just look at it I won't download it.

Absolutely!!!

I've definitely changed through the years from the downloading frenzy that is the early stages of digi-scrapping to the fine tuning of my eclectic style of color scheme vs style and usability. smiley Guess that means we're all just growing in our learning of the art vs who we really are inside, each unique in our own way. smiley

I download loads more than I will ever use - I only make cards not lay-outs at the moment. I enjoy travelling a hop and re-visiting sites I have not seen for ages or finding new ones so I will often follow the train even if at the end of it I have very few things I know I will use. iNSD is manic for me LOL

Once a year or perhaps every 2 years I go through and cull the free stuff. Sometimes I just like collecting items because they are beautiful. I am much more picky about my purchases because I feel I should only spend money on what I will use so I try to find those packs that will translate well into card making.

I think that as well as our tastes changing, the skills of the designers is improving from year to year as new techniques and software becomes available. Some kits I have from 4 years ago are so poor compared to what is around today.

Off to see if I can find another train smiley Have fun everyone!

I have tons of Freebies that I keep thinking i will use in the future, the future never seems to come

@Violet, I'm with you. I've passed up a lot of freebies this time around, remembering a discussion we had on this forum about weeding out our freebie stash! haha I have a LOT of great kits - free & purchased - that I haven't even begun to play with yet, so I'm being very picky about the freebies. I'm not picking up a bunch of journal cards simply because they're there.

I'm also being picky for my sanity. I have a lot of grading (and after that, lesson planning) to do this weekend, and I just can't afford to track down ALL the freebies out there. It's a big enough job to narrow down my wishlist to a reasonable budget & take advantage of the best deals! smiley

Yes, I have had similare experience. I am much more choosy now than I was at first. I have so much stuff that I have collected that I will never use in all probability and I really need to get rid of some.

Definitely me too! I also agree about avoiding kits with tons of different bits and pieces because I never ever wind up using everything. Then when I go to clean out my files I have a hard time letting go of things because I "might" need it. Now I just don't bother and pass them by unless there is something really fantastic, or some great colors.

Count me in too smiley In the begining i downloaded EVERYTHING because it was free smiley Now i really take a good look to deside if i'm gonna use it or not... I never tend to download just journalingcards or just papers etc... I only download kits smiley

I'm definitely more discerning because I don't want to fill up my external hard drive! Unless there's a lot I think I can use, I try to pass on it... but every now & then I find myself downloading something for just 1-2 pieces that I feel I must have! LOL So I d/l it the whole thing & delete all but those 1-2 pieces. smiley I think that's one of the reasons I like it here - I can d/l pieces of a kit & not the whole thing... not to mention Marisa & Brooke are good designers. smiley

I do like you Liz! And I begun to be more picky about it when we had that discussion about it last year (which I believe someone mentioned above, but I can´t find now. And unless I love the color palette I don´t download anymore the kind of freebie that don´t have unique themed elements, i.e, the ones that come with 3 papers, 1 frame, 2 ribbons, 1 button and 2 flowers.

But I have to confess: I cant resist to journal cards, I download them all!

I have simply stopped downloading for the most part. I have so much that I don't have time to use right now that I don't even look for that kind of stuff anymore. I do download CU stuff since I've started selling my own kits again, but I'm pretty picky about that too.

Glad to hear I am not the only one. At first I used to download everything, but now I look for certain things and ask if I am going to use. If not I pass. There is so much out there that it is not worth the time to collect something that I do not think I will use. I have also grown in knowledge and understanding of digital scrapbooking, as well as usage of programs and their usage.

I have started to be more picky. I have certain designers and sites that I really enjoy downloading freebies from (and buying from). But I don't download every freebie I come across, like I used to.

Me too, download-addict when I first started out, then came to my senses a while ago, went through all my stuff, deleted half of it and I am now actually scrapping pages with the other half. I still look at freebies - I haven't overcome that addiction yet - but I try to keep this mantra in my head while looking at them; "If I wouldn't pay money for this if it wasn't a freebie, I will very probably never use it" and move on... Although I have to say that this iNSD has given me some trouble not downloading; there is so much cool stuff on offer right now!

I have deleted all my PU freebies and freebies where I had neglected to put any information. I now only download CU freebies and if I have learnt how to do it myself I don't download that type of element. I did read somewhere "Why waste time learning to do things other people have already done, use those elements to create with", but I can't help myself.

downloaded all the freebies at first is like a blood hunger of a new vampire! *if you know what I mean..haha.. well, I couldn't agree more, so now I think I'm more focus on making LOs from what I already have. smiley

I've noticed that my tastes have changed just in the last few weeks that I started getting into this. The first few days I got really into downloading a ton of freebies whenever I could find them. Then just these last few days I've gone through everything I downloaded and did a huge cleaning of stuff I didn't think I would use and whatnot. My computer probably hates me for everything I put it through lately haha! But I've definitely noticed my taste in everything change compared to when I started a few weeks ago to now. I can't imagine how much more it'll change by this time next year!

@Arimbi - I know *exactly* what you mean! Blood hunger of a new vampire, indeed! I remember staying up *all* night downloading freebies towards the beginning. I just couldn't stop myself and go to bed when I knew there were more freebies out there!

@Sharilynn - it's great to hear the perspective of someone who has only been doing this for a few weeks. Fascinating that your tastes have changed so much already. I think I remember that as well. There are certain looks I prefer over others (I like textured, shabby/grungy, realistic designs, and paper elements; I don't really care for cartoony, flat, digital-looking designs, or photorealistic flowers) and I think I developed those tastes pretty fast. Can you share how your tastes have changed over the last few weeks? I'm so curious!

I so admire all of you who have gone through your drives and purged. I did manage to move almost everything to an external hard drive so I have space again on my laptop, but I have *such* a hard time making my mind up about getting rid of something for good that I think it would just take me way to long to look through and decide what to toss. But if my tastes have changed and solidified so much in a year, maybe by next year it will be totally obvious to me which things must go.

When I started I also downloaded EVERYTHING! Now I am a little more discriminating. Now I still download too many freebies but usually there is a limited availability and I figure I can always discard later after having time to really look at them. One thing I am finding is that when I get a kit I want it to be something that I could actually do a full photo book which means that a mini or add on is not sufficient. Now I rarely download a mini or add on unless it goes with a full kit that I like/get. I also many times will download free clusters. frame cluster, border cluster, etc. from a favorite designer that I expect I will get their full kit. I also look at scrapbooking through the eyes of my family's desires as I am becoming the guru of making LOs and scrapping their photobooks....they don't have the patience. So although it is something that is not my preference if I can use it for their photos (let's say something like Soccer) and make photobooks for them!

I too have seen that my preferences have changed since starting late last year. It makes it much easier to pass up a freebie. Now this summer I just have to review and delete a lot of the stuff I got early on.

A big disappointment of mine is when I come across a "freebie" that I just absolutely love, only to find out the link expired. So now I have to purchase it! lol But I guess that is the point of freebies--they bring attention to great designers we would never find out about.

And weeding out all of the stuff once you know your style is another super fun project! (sarcasm, but needed!)

I am pretty selective about what I'll download. I avoid things that are too themed because how often am I really going to use something with spiderwebs and bats all over it really? I look for a certain amount of quality even if it is a freebie because if it's not very good, I'll never use it. I will download kits that I mostly don't like, if there are one or two elements to it that I really love.

Templates in general are pretty hit or miss for me. A lot of times I'll skip them unless there is something really unique about it and even then I'm not afraid to mix and match parts of different templates to come up with a layout I really like. I kind of end up having to tweak them anyway because I like to work 8.5x11 and most of them are 12x12.

I will download pretty much anything with a 365/Project Life kind of theme. You just can't have enough days of the week labels, calendar stamps, and that sort of thing. Oh and washi tape. Just like in real life, I hoard the stuff. I have some great shapes for making my own, but I still love finding it from other designers.

I totally agree... I only download kits or other products that I KNOW I'll use. I have so many "freebies" that I never use, and probably never will!

I think our tastes evolve. I like patterns. Like many of you I used to download everything I could find. Although there have been a few kits I initially thought, "Eh, whatever," when I found them, I eventually found the perfect photo to use for them (granted it may take a little time before that happens). However, I have started to delete papers or embellishments I know I will NEVER use. Sometimes I might literally only like a few papers out of a kit. So why hang on to the rest?

I have to echo what everyone else is saying. Although like Lorien, I have a habit that I just can't kick...freebie CU products. Not that I have actually tried to designed any kits, but I keep thinking...someday smiley

I too mainly make cards. I do also believe that the designers are improving drastically. I am very picky with my purchases and am getting just as picky with freebies. I have upgraded twice to bigger external hard drives. My current one is 3 gb and is almost out of space.

I also used to download absolutely everything. Now I need a free afternoon (or three) to sit and go through all my files and purge them. I like the idea of "if I wouldn't pay for it, don't download it", but sometimes something just catches my eye and my imagination, and I download it even when I am pretty sure I won't ever use it.

I pick and choose what I want to download. And I don't always unzip what I download if I know it's for a later project. I've gone through and either zipped and archived things I haven't used but want to use or use again. I also culled out and deleted items and kits that don't interest me now.

As almost everyone else has already said, my tastes are evolving. I"m no longer the new baby graphics-vampire that I was. I don't need every kit, template, action, script or item that I see. I know more, so I can be more discerning on which freebies I download or items I purchase.

And the designers are growing, and learning new techniques or expanding on existing ones. I know that I'm very sheepish when I look back at some of the things I designed or put together a few years or even a few months ago. I've learned so much since then!