Jan 2017 Blog Train - Comments

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Jan 2017 Blog Train - Comments

Please use this thread for any comments, questions, thanks, etc you have for our designers participating in the blog train. To see the blog train list, visit this post.

Please remember that the blog train does not go live until December 1, so the actual freebie on the blog may not yet be posted.

I just wanted to share something I feel is extremely important in the world today. One of the phrases used in the Jan Blog train (and other kits here) is toxic and here is why. why

No high horse, no ranting or anything. I am simply trying to share change that makes us all better.
Hugs to all!!

I love the Kits in this January Blogtrain beautiful colors and a special shout out to Phyllis Storm of Designs by Magnolia I honestly love those circle frames made out of nails and saw blades very unique and I'm wondering if you will have a how to on making them?

Thank you, Dawn. I posted a small tutorial on my blog and also a link to a YouTube tutorial from Digital Scrapper which probably explains it better. Hope this helps.

LOVE this train with all the boy stuff! Good boy stuff is so hard to find these days! Love the candy bar in the pocket with the tools, it's my favorite so far. @Amanda, love the alpha & boy flairs!

Great train ladies! You all have done a superb job! smiley

@Marisa ~ Great kit! I esp love your foaming beer journal card!
@Melo ~ Love your part - the minimal colors and esp the mustache!
@Kayl ~ Fantastic job! I love all the kits you did! I have plenty of pics of my boys that these will be perfect for!
@Robyn ~ I love that cat!!
@Erin ~ Wonderful Kit! I tried using those darker colors but couldn't make anything great. However you did a fantastic job with them ~ love it all!
@Diane ~ Lovely ~ esp love those beautiful clock hands.
@Sharon Grant ~ Love those dirt elements esp the frame.
@Sunny ~ Great kit! It would be great for camping layouts too.
@Phyllis ~ Wow what a huge kit! Great job!
@Laurel ~ Always can use painty bits and the photo masks look great too.
@Pauline ~ Love those different papers ~ the wavy one is my favorite.
@Brandi ~ Well you did a fantastic job with those papers!
@Dawn ~ Really love that boy fishing & the frog! So sweet!
@Amanda ~ I have a son who LOVES star wars! Wonderful job on those!
@Sharon Gallop ~ Love those embossed papers and the buttons are all fantastic too. They look very realistic!
@Robin ~ LOL! My house was never neat even before I had my boys smiley Love your part!
@Arlene ~ Gorgeous papers!

Looking very forward to seeing your parts Janet & Julie!

Wow its a pretty big train this go around! Looking forward to the 1st! smiley

I am loving all this boy stuff.. I can't wait to see what Janet, Claudia, Cindy...and you other late folks (tehehehe) have for us! smiley Thank you everyone!

Thank you, Everyone, for these amazing kits! Great job!

Thanks Phyllis on my way to check out the tutorials!

Thank you to all for their amazing contributions and thank you for sharing your fabulous talents!

This is my preview for this month's blog train:

[img][/img]

I would like some feedback from all of you -- whether you download my kits or not.

In the interests of not cluttering up the preview, I showed all of the 10 papers, but I didn't show every element. Instead, I showed only ONE example of each TYPE of element. In my preview, I showed: 1 of 2 fish; 1 of 6 flairs; 1 of 8 journal cards; 1 of 3 word art stickers (plus the ruler, of course, but there was only one of it!)

My question is this: If I do a KIT rather than a BUNDLE, what would you prefer to see? ONE preview with only SOME of the elements or MULTIPLE previews to show EVERY element?

Please reply!

You can display all your elements if you wish. You can simply resize them to look less cluttered if you feel that's what it looks like. Instead of 1 of each you can add two of each. I actually didn't realize there were multiple elements in the kit until I came to this thread. Also, try adding drop shadows to your papers as well. It'll make them pop. Hope this helps. smiley

Just wanted to thank all the designers for your lovely work and kits! Thank you for sharing them!

@Robyn, I think one element is enough if its the same but just a different color.

I love this stuff, but, do realize, I'm probably going to discard all of the "boys will be boys" (I understand, Varia), and "it's a man thing" and "that's my boy" "man cave" "mr fix it" stuff and I'll be using all of the tool stuff on me, right? (Also: Elizabeth!!!! YOU HAVE BLUEPRINTS!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!) I really secretly wish that everyone would kinda crawl out of this box of gendering everything to death. It's so pervasive on every scrappy shop I'm on. I know I'm in the minority in my life on that one, especially with my machining job, but, afaik, I think more people would go outside of gender roles the more normalized that becomes to be to do so.

Also, Ajanner (can't remember her username?), I think dropbox is giving a 429 error. Just thought you should know.

Hey Anna! smiley Slowly change is happening, I too long for those days to come!!

And otherwise it is a GREAT blog train, thanks to everyone so much!!!

Thank you so much to all the wonderful designers for these fantastic gifts .. I love them all. Not wishing to start controversy, but a couple of people have raised the gender issue, and I really think this inappropriate. The title of the blogtrain was, quite clearly,"The Guys" .. which certainly implies it is male oriented. If there is word art in kits that is inappropriate for me,i.e. "mom" instead of "mum", I simply make my own titles. Just my 2cents worth smiley Also, a note to Robin of Robin's Kozy Skrap Korner .. when I followed the link provided, it took me to a Wordpress stats page? Would you mind checking it out??? Thanks again!! smiley

@Emmi, I agree with you, entirely inappropriate to bring up issues for "the guys." Wouldn't it be wonderful if people would just let others have their own views? If there is something in the kits you don't like, just don't download it. I think it is ungrateful when someone has made gifts for others & gives freely of their talent to be criticized for doing so. My little ones are 100% boys, and that was very evident from the start, way before they knew there is a difference between boys & girls.

crit·i·cize:
VERB
indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way:
"states criticized the failure to provide an adequate and permanent compensation" ·
synonyms: find fault with · censure · denounce · condemn · attack ·

@Anna, I only have the free account, so if there is a lot of traffic, it shuts down, usually resets in a few days.

Thanks for your 2 cents, Emmi! smiley You're right. It's a free gift. I'm NOT a fan of the shaming that is going on here.

PS. I guess I somehow forgot to link to my blog on the final list...so that has been updated!

I made 2 new previews for my kit, to show ALL of the elements:

[img][/img]

[img] [/img]

Lots of wonderful stuff. Great job. Thanks so much.

YOu ladies have knocked it out of the park this month. I would not have thought a "guy" theme would have lent itself to such beautiful work (handsome maybe;)). It's great to have some stuff to use for the men in my life.

Wow! smiley No one is shaming or criticizing. You guys totally miss the point... Peace.

This train was SUPERB as usual. Thanks so much to all the designers who participated!
smiley I'm pleased that people feel comfortable in stating their opinions for all to see. This year (especially) we need to hear and understand those who feel the need to mention something that's of importance to them. smiley smiley smiley

Thanks to all the designers for a fantastic blog train! Love the fact that there is something for all generations of our guys!

Ah, ladies. The kits are wonderful. You all did a lot of work, and I'm thankful for it!

About the controversy: we all have opinions about things, and it is ok for us to express those opinions.
As long as we respect the opinions of others that don't match our own, we're all good.
If we want things to change for the better, all we can do is BE the change.
That being said, since I haven't designed anything yet (I'm a slow learner, and dealing with a wrist surgery that makes it hard to type or do anything on the computer right now) I don't think my opinion on what has been designed holds much merit----other than to say I appreciate the work that went into everything!
Once I do start designing, if there is a topic I have strong opinions about, I'd be careful to make sure my designs do not go in the direction I am against, in other words, I'd stay true to me.
That's really all we can do, rather than try to change others.
Trust me, I know how difficult it is to hold one's tongue or typing fingers.....ROFL!
Oh, do I ever.
Just ask my family......they are constantly having to reign me in before I go reeling off a cliff verbally.

hahaha, Lisel! I too can get really argumentative when I feel strongly about something. I try to bite my tongue when I can. I'm up for people voicing their opinions. I guess my issue lies in the fact that we've provided something free. It's a gift. I feel it is rude to make negative comments about the quality or content of it. That is how I was raised. If you disagree with something that I've graciously created, then please just move along. There's no need to make negative comments. All it does is discourage designers from creating or the desire to create freely in the future for the fear of offending others.... because we all know how easy it is to do that! smiley

Perhaps as a note for the future... if you foresee an issue with a Boys/Masculine theme or anything else that could be offensive to you, it would be a great idea to post about it in the "working" thread. That way designers can be made aware of issues BEFORE they spend their time making something wonderful!

I also remember that someone commented about the lack of British terms for Autumn. That would be something that would be a great comment in the"working" thread so designers can be aware before they work. As a sheltered, rural American I can be very ignorant about global issues like that. I would appreciate knowing about them before.

Very good point about the working thread, Erin. That is an opportune time to give ideas, and I don't always get a chance to check in on that thread before it's time to upload my files. In fact, I remember a whole blog train we did a couple years back with a color theme around a wedding because one of the active members was working on her wedding album and requested it. You never know what we'll come up with from the working thread! smiley

Yes, and things like offering word arts with the UK spellings like mum and colour. I just sometimes forget about these things! A reminder in the Working thread would be great!

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