CT's--how many is too many?

How many CTs is too many?

  • 2-3

    Votes: 7 8.0%

  • 4-6

    Votes: 43 49.4%

  • 7+

    Votes: 37 42.5%
  • Total voters
    87
I can handle 4-6 with no problem if one of them isn't a store. I definitely like to give my all to my designers. I adore the designers that I create for, so that makes it SO easy to scrap with their goodies. The requirements for my teams are incredibly easy for me, because I scrap so often too. Scrapping with a product within a week of release is a piece of cake!! It really all depends on who you're creating for and what their requirements are and what your commitments are, I think. Pretty much, I think the same as everyone else. I guess I could have said that and not had to type so much, LOL!!
 
i think that it is silly to be on ct's just for the free goodies although those are fabulous. it is really important to evaluate how much time you can devote, whether you love their products or not and to every so often reevaluate your scrapping situation. for me i think 4-5 is plenty, but then again i am newish and i am not a SAHM. for those that are and can rock em out, i would say if they have 10 and can manage they can manage a few more...no biggie. it's like those ubber-huge families who can manage a grip of kids...ya know. :thumbup:
 
As mentioned, I think it depends on the time you have to devote to the designers and the amount of work each designer puts out - Currently, I only have one designer who designs on a regular basis - Penny (3 to 4 weeks a month), so even though I am on 3 teams, I still have time to take on another 1 or 2 more frequent designers...KWIM?

Interesting poll!!
 
Amber1279 said:
yep it depends on the designers. There are times when my load seems heavy, but there are other times when I am fine. It depends on my family and my deisgners.
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totally agree! Some weeks, I am feelin overwhelmed, but all in a good way (cause it's a challenge to work creatively like that), and other weeks, there is nothing to do, so I go back and play with stuff that maybe is older, or mix and match.
I only work outside the home 4 hours a day (5 days a week), and all but one kiddo is in school full days starting in the fall, and the little guy still naps (which happens to be when I get home, before the others get home from school). And I stay up late to be with hubby, so I have time, that is never an issue for me.
 
lizzyfizzy said:
i think that it is silly to be on ct's just for the free goodies although those are fabulous. it is really important to evaluate how much time you can devote, whether you love their products or not and to every so often reevaluate your scrapping situation. for me i think 4-5 is plenty, but then again i am newish and i am not a SAHM. for those that are and can rock em out, i would say if they have 10 and can manage they can manage a few more...no biggie. it's like those ubber-huge families who can manage a grip of kids...ya know. :thumbup:
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Gotta agree with you here. The CTs that I am on are because I LOVED their products and scrapped with them before I ever applied to their calls.
 
I think it really depends on how much time you have to devote to your CT's as well. I am fortunate to be a SAHM and have a good napper LOL!!!
I am on 4 CT's currently...2 store CT's (Scrap Orchard and Benevolent Boutique), 1 here (Eva Kipler) and 1 that is actually for blinkie/blog design (DigiKeepsakes).
I know that I do a TON of pages a week, even before I was on CT's I was doing a lot, so for me, being on 4-5 CT's works...but for others, it wouldn't, KWIM? It also depends on the requirements for each.
I think each person knows what they can handle and should take that into account. I know it gets exciting to see all the calls and think "oh wow" but then realize you are in over your head or you can't even really use the designers kits like you want to.
 
I currently am on 6 CTs and have applied for a 7th. In my app for this 7th team, I made it very clear that her team would be my last/limit, so there you go. :)

This works well for me as I am kidless and petless and have a boyfriend who works and goes to school FT. To conserve energy as well as expend it the best way possible, I've been focusing on only applying for new CTs here. It is so much easier for me to be able to post the bulk of my CT layouts, be active in the forums/gallery, & keep up with the CT forums at one site, and that's why I'm able to balance 6 total.

2 of the other 3 non-SSD CTs have no official requirements, and while the other is a store CT, it is only a four person store and has a large active store CT.

If any of these factors were different --- a bigger store, stricter reqs, had a husband or kids, or CTs all over the digi world --- it would be far too much for me to keep up with.
 
I think it definitely depends on the person and the requirements of each one. For me 7 or more is too much. Most of mine are SUPER laid back and are kind of like "Just do LO's when you can" without any set requirements. And the ones with set requirements aren't overpowering at all.

I just want everyone to know (well the designers who have CT calls that I applied for), that I would only ever join a CT if I truly loved the community that designer sold at and was a HUGE fan of the designer. For me it is much more than just some free goodies. I have a great relationship with my CT's and joined because I truly wanted to get to know that person and become an active member of the community.

Some people here can tell you that I am everywhere! lol! I am such a people person and I love the whole scrapping community and it is such a joy for me to be with the people that I am. I am a SAHM mom who is a slight insomniac, so I am always up until 3 or so in the morning, so I have no problems meeting any of my requirements so far.

So that's my take, lol! :)

ETA: This is such an interesting thread!! I will also say that the more laid back a designer is the easier it is for me to go overboard with their products. I have had some that required at least 2 LO's with each kit and when I *had* to do that many it was really hard at times. But my CT's that are just like "Do whatever you want...just at least 1 LO" I feel so much more creative!!
 
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I hope that as someone with no CT commitments (not for a lack of trying,lol), I'd still have to say it would really depend on the designers' requirements and how much time you'd have to commit to them.
From someone on the outside looking in, let me tell ya, I see some of you that are on more than 4 or 5 and wonder how you all do it all,lol. It's all a matter of how much you're able to commit to for your designers.
 
This is interesting to read everyone's thoughts on this. I see some of you scrappers popping out amazing page after amazing page, on quite a few cts, and I'm in awe!!! LOL. I know I couldn't manage 5+ myself(shoot, I'd probably draw the line at 3)! I'm only on one right now, not here, but I'd like one here - I've got a few faves who's designs I'm in love with. I think it would be so awesome to 'work' for them...LOL. I've gotta say, that'd be a big thing for me. As someone who occasionally will buy a kit based on one amazing ct LO, I'd love to be able to have a shot at putting my work out there for a designer, ya know?
 
I think I am the only person here that hasn't been on a CT lol! I am a single mom and go to grad school so I think my dream gig would be to find one or two CTs that I liked and commit myself to those. My classes end today (woohoo) so starting tomorrow I am really going to commit myself to scrapping so that I might have a chance to be on a CT even though most of the designers here have already had their calls.
 
Well it totally depends on the person I guess, I'm on 10 teams, the Shabby Princess isn't super busy and Karah is also pretty laid back. I'm dedicated to every designer I ct for, if I weren't I wouldn't do it or step down. Last summer I was on 9 I think when I found out I was pregnant with Cooper and couldn't keep up, so I stepped down. But I think I'm one of those weirdos that Lauren was talking about. I do anywhere betwee 10-15 LO's a week and I also do 2 LO's per kit.
 
I actually do 8 right now, 2 being stores. I have time to scrap though since I only work part-time and like 3 of those are haven't put anything out in months and 1 is closing down now. Only a couple really require a normal out from me.
 
I'm on 2 right now and am loving the "no pressure" each week!!! I find my creativity soars when I'm not under pressure to create. I also work full time so I'm limited to one-two layouts a week.
 
It's been interesting to read what everyone thinks. For myself, I know I can handle 6 teams and no more than that. However, I have decided to only ct for SSD designers right now, so I've been applying to the calls here and not anywhere else. Not that that's gotten me anywhere, but that's life. LOL
 
mommy2aria06 said:
I think I am the only person here that hasn't been on a CT lol! I am a single mom and go to grad school so I think my dream gig would be to find one or two CTs that I liked and commit myself to those. My classes end today (woohoo) so starting tomorrow I am really going to commit myself to scrapping so that I might have a chance to be on a CT even though most of the designers here have already had their calls.
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I'd posted just prior to yours and I'm not, as I said, on any either,lol. Good luck on getting that Master's Degree and being a single mom to boot and doing both!
 
Totally depends on the scrapper. I can handle two, maybe three tops. But I have some fast, amazing scrapper friends who can handle 10. But since it takes me 2-3 days to scrap a page, I'm pretty happy with just one or two teams.
 
Im with Kellie, as much as I want to be on so many teams, I know I could never handle it, so Im pretty much happy with my teams now. There are those who can handle more and they deserve to be on so many teams because they meet the job requirements and more :)
 
When it feels like work, or stresses you out, that's when it's too much. I'm on two designer's CT's right now, and both of them ask for two layouts per kit. And maybe a total of 4 layouts a month then. That's very do-able. I'm open to the idea of another CT. I don't think I'd ever attempt more than 4, personally. I work full-time out of the home, and have 3 young kids (5.5 yrs and under) that I am in charge of every evening while hubby works 2nd shift. So, for me any more would not be very responsible. :)

Melinda
 
mrs_jb said:
I think it all depends on the person and the actual designers they are creating for. I am comfortable where I'm at now with 6, because I was scrapping that much anyway, so CT or not, I'm still scrapping so there was no big difference.

I know that I want to give the teams that I'm on the time and attention that they deserve and if I hit a point where I feel like I can't do that, then I'll know I need to re-evaluate.
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This is exactly how I see it.. Although right now, I'm only on 4 teams (one which is only 1 LO a month), I know I can handle more because I usually create 4 to 5 layouts a week easily, but at the same time I have to factor in the time that I need to spend with my kids and family which is my number one priority. If I don't, then I know that I would have to make some changes.

I'm so glad that this topic was brought up because I was wondering, how do all these ladies handle being on so many teams? And it's so good to see all the different answers which helps me plan ahead and also keep in mind what choices to make in the future. I find that this helps keep our focus on being practical rather than jumping onto every call that comes along. Imagine getting accepted to all of them and being faced with too much to handle... ;)
 
joelsgirl said:
Totally depends on the scrapper. I can handle two, maybe three tops. But I have some fast, amazing scrapper friends who can handle 10. But since it takes me 2-3 days to scrap a page, I'm pretty happy with just one or two teams.
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I have a very good friend like this, and her pages are great too. She cranks out 2-3 pages a day a lot of days. Freaks me out! :blink:
 
Thanks ladies!

Was just curious how y'all felt about it. I was helping a friend choose some new CTs members (nobody I CT for..just a designer friend) and I liked a few people she didn't, yet she was choosing the same names you see all over the place and I got into a convo on if that bothered her having somebody on her CT with 6-7 other CTs..

I think IF I was a designer, that would bother me. I'm sure I'd tend to go for those with 3 or less CTs already so I knew they could dedicate some time to me and not burn out easily on scrapping.
 
really great idea for a poll, meg! i loved hearing others opinions and feedback!more designers can feel free to give us their opinions...i love cc!
 
From a designer who recently held a CT Call... it is definitely a factor when someone who applies has 4 or more current CTs. I am personally comfortable with people having 3, but at 4 I start to wonder how dedicated they would be (and if they truly had time to meet my requirements - which are pretty lax). I also worry about some people who seemingly apply to every CT Call out there. To me this means as soon as something they deem "better" comes along they are out the door. I like to keep my team members as long as possible and have been very fortunate so far. :) I have quite a few members who have been with me 2+ years.

But... if I really like their gallery and their online presence (and they had 4 + current CTs) then I may email them to ask for more information. But with that being said -- when you have a TON of applicants many times it means that they get crossed off my list of possible team members.

Just my 2 cents worth. :)
 
Thanks Eva! I was hoping for some designer opinions on this. I know Traci posted a page or so back about when looking she keeps it like 3 or less which I think is reasonable

Just wasn't sure if at a point your scrapping becomes more for meeting CT requirements or scrapping b/c you really like it and are creating those memories with kits you would choose otherwise.
 
I wouldn't apply for more than I could handle. I love every designer I create for right now. I would love more, but I find myself only staying with designers here, since I don't really venture anywhere else in digi-land.

One of my CT gigs is so laid back, if I feel like doing something, I do it, if not, no biggie - I also help her out with our team blog - but I have also been with her for two years. The rest are super fun to create for, I find it a real joy, not a burden.

I also do a freelance spot for a non-SSD designer (I guess you could call it that - I get all the goodies for free, but only have to make a QP and a newsletter blip every now and then, not monthly, more like quarterly), been with her for over a year now.
 
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Yeah, I really think if I was a designer, I wouldn't want someone on more than 3-4 teams. And if they are the big name scrappers you see everywhere, I guess you are drawn to them, but I don't know. I have a couple teams that have a HUGE variety of kinds of scrappers and I think that's great. I think it could help sell the product when layouts don't look impossible for you to recreate.
 
I think that instead of saying you don't want someone with more than 3 teams or so you should find out what the requirements are. Someone who was on three teams but had to create 4 LO's a month would have more requirements to do than I would with my 5 teams that only require anywhere from 1-3.

Just a thought! :thumbup:
 
Paula said:
Gotta agree with you here. The CTs that I am on are because I LOVED their products and scrapped with them before I ever applied to their calls.
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Oh, same here! I love the teams I'm on! :thumbup:

*if Ms. Lauren Grier would add me to her team, then I could save a TON of money! She seems to get money out of me every week!*
 
I think the more teams you have the more its going to put off the designer, unless they know you can handle the workload.

I was actually really reluctant to apply for Kristin's call because of the amount of teams I have and I will totally understand if that puts off a designer, but I know I would kick myself if I didn't apply.

Being on CT's is more for personal relationships for me now than it was when I first started 2 years ago. Since I'm in the military its hard to keep good friends or even make good friends, but the I've made some online friends that I'm sure I'll have forever, Jac, Jamie and Katrina were all great friends of mine before we were bitten by the scrapping bug.

I know what I can handle and all the designers I CT for know if they're not happy with my work to let me know and I'd totally understand.

But like I said, I scrap a LOT! In March I did 100 pages up to Easter and I still have like 30 more until the end of March. LOL!

Ok, so I'm rambling now, but I understand if a lot of teams put designers off, they just have to trust we wouldn't take on more than we can handle. :)

This is such an awesome topic, I love reading what everyone has to say.
 
CTs motivate me to scrap and I only apply to CTs that I can use products for. I love all of the designers here and I keep applying because I keep getting rejected!! The challenges here make it easy to meet CT requirements with all the inspiration so it only makes sense to want to be on a CT here, to showcase your designer at her "HOME"!:thumbup:
 
Like many others I'm sure, in the beginning I applied for EVERYTHING and ANYTHING just because I wanted to be on a CT. I learned my lesson that first year that's "just no fun" and have since resigned from those teams which didn't make me want to scrap (more like a chore than a hobby).

Now, I only apply for designers that have designs I can and "want" to create with (which just happens to include all the Sweet Shoppe designers).

Unfortunately, without a scrap budget I'm not able to buy a lot of products, so I really rely on CT goodies to scrap, which totally motivates me in return to get pages/projects done...otherwise I might not have much to scrap with.

Meg - Such an awesome topic! Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts/ideas:)
 
Aww Vanessa, we'll always be friends, I'm so glad you guys dragged me into scrapping LOL! I am absolutely loving that we are on so many of the same teams now!

I also agree with what Vanessa said, I can TOTALLY understand how being on a lot of teams might put a designer off, but that said, I think most of us know what we can and can't handle. Let's say I was on 10 teams, but I had no kids, and didn't work, so just the sheer amount of teams might not be a true indicator of what their CT/life workload is really like. I could never do 10 teams LOL

I love the CTs I'm on now, it took me awhile to get to this point, and it's extra rewarding for me. It's because these are ladies I admire, bought a ton of their stuff, and they are CTs I have wanted since I started scrapping a year ago. They are teams that when I started I said "OMG I just wish I was good enough to be there!", and it just makes me feel awesome that they chose me, when I was always such a big fan. Just from this alone, it is easier to scrap, because it is stuff I was always comfortable using. When it's comfortable, it's easier and I am faster scrapping.

I love this discussion, and hope that it continues, I love to hear everyone's point of view!

:thumbup:
 
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I am so loving reading all of these posts! It is so interesting!!! The point of views are so interesting!!

I have to say that I haven't been scrapping very long and all the SSD designers are my dream teams. Melissa Bennett was the very first person that I bought anything from ever, and when I got a guest spot I about peed my pants! lol! :thumbup:
 
This is an awesome topic. As someone dying to be on a CT ;), I have been wondering if this is a factor. I want to be on one partly for experience and I only apply to ones whose designs I love. I am still nervous about posting layouts and don't post all of mine but am loosening up a bit.

I find that challenges that are posted on the forums really help me get motivated and I think being on a CT would as well, plus I would hopefully get to know a few people and get some tips. When I get a new kit I will scrap like mad, pop out anywhere from 1-10+ layouts. I'm someone who could probably handle up to 3 CTs...who knows after a while though! LOL
 
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