Papyrus Jungle

[Suzan]

I have decided to take my web site in a new direction. I have some ideas, but I would really love here what you guys would like to see in files. As much as I love working on RJ's stuff, it just isn't feasible to work on for either my self or RJ. He is so busy designing sets and painting his art and murals he doesn't have the time to commit and it really takes so long for me to convert his art, test cut and all the other things that you need to do. And honestly everyone loves the work, but they just aren't selling as great as we had hoped. Plus I am so behind on learning new things in the crafting world and even things my cougar can do.

Can you believe I had no clue what so ever a digi stamp was until last weekend.

So here is your chance let me know The sky is the limit as far as I am concerned.

[kathybessey]

I cannot wait to see ideas and suggestions from others. It's a new beginning, so exciting!

[Suzan]

I know I am excited so very excited.

[Angel135612]

I don't have any ideas for you, but I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with for your site next.

[Suzan]

I just love the stuff Kathy showed me last weekend I can't believe some of the stuff being done. I am so far behind in techniques and what our machines can do. I just love the learning part myself.

[janrichards]

I for one would like to see someone design svg's that aren't "cute"!!!!!!! Honestly, doesn't anyone out there besides me do cards for adults? I am sick of big eyes and wagging tongues. I sent an email to LetteringDelights and they said they forwarded it to their designers but I keep checking and there is nothing there but CUTE! I like things in layers but not to the inth degree. If I have to weed and glue for hours to get one thing done I am not interested. You could do them in groups like; The fifties, airplanes (not cute ones), trains (not cute ones), how about a beautiful angel with wings (not a cute one), insects (not cute ones), frogs (not cute ones), medieval designs (ha, like to see you make those cute!) any kind of designs using cool positive and negative shapes. I could go on and on, oops I already did! I just wish I had the knowledge of the software so I could design, but as I have stated before, I don't think I will live long enough to learn it. Good luck on your new venture and if you design something NOT CUTE! I would be interested.
Jan

[kathybessey]

I am smiling as big as I can Jan! Suzan and I talked about this exact thing when she was here. Cute is nice when appropriate but nice, beautiful, realistic, etc is really great to have as well. I like the fifties idea a lot!

[Suzan]

So fifties, 30's I love art deco, If I could have some modern conviences I would love to live back then. Thanks Jan. Certain things i like to make cute but I agree, I am so not foo foo blingy. I really appreciate the wonderful input. Keep it coming, you can never have enough ideas.

[kim]

I don't have any suggestions right at this moment. Mostly I buy supplies. I have been on a paper kick....digital paper. Not all the elements and stuff. I do like cut files and I will echo "not cute". I have plenty of cute ones for the little ones, but I do need some more adult kind, or rather realistic kind. I tried to find one of an airplane and found alot of cartoonish ones and jumbo commercial planes, but couldn't find any little airplanes.

[Suzan]

I will be doing some digi papers. But I have a thought about how I want to do them. Tell me if this makes sense. Bryan for his illustrator class made a violin. He did gradient coloring on it. I thought if you offered the digi paper with the pattern would be awesome but offer it so it could be re-sized just to print out what you need versus a whole sheet. That is a lot of ink and ink isn't cheap for me. I don't have a refill system.

And Kim do you mean like a cessna or bi plane small?

[Angel135612]

Suzan, If you are going to do digital papers, I would love some where you can change the colors of the elements on it independently of each other, rather than just changing the hue or saturation of the entire page. Like if you had flowers on a page of blue, you can change the blue to another color with out changing the colors of the flowers. (maybe this can be done already, and I just don't know how to do it, but all I have been able to do is change the hue or saturation or contrast, not individual colors, and still have it look good)

[Gigi]

Love the digi paper idea that you can resize as so often you don't need an entire sheet - good idea Suzan.

And I echo what others have said. Cute is great but I have TONS of those kind of files and continue to collect them!!! . I feel the same way about digi stamps and regular stamps - there must be twenty different series (at least) of little girls with "stuff" and some little boys. But where are the elegant and/or more realistic digi images. They are few and far between. Maybe you could even do some card sets with the files and paper (like you mentioned I think) but themed for something like a male card. Those are the most challenging for me - so you could have a wood grain digi paper with something that goes with it for an all purpose male card with maybe a variety of greetings and elements??

I am excited for you and know that whatever you come up with will be great!!!

[Suzan]

I am so thankful for all the support. I am actually working on a plane right now. And I am excited. I feel so less stressed and love being able to take my time doing stuff now. Actually I am kind of lost, like where do I start. LOL. I always felt the need and obligation to work on RJ's sketches which I had a least a couple of hundred of them. So I never worked on the things I wanted to make. Well now I am. This was a great learning experience. It forced me to really learn a lot of Illustrator and I actually remember a lot of it. Kathy will text or pm me a question and I can answer. So it was a great learning experience. I made a great couple of friends and now it is time for us to move on. I am going to keep Main Street. But it too is going to go in a whole new direction. But that will be later on next year. I just want to focus on learning and making patterns people really love. Along with my partner in crime and crafting Kathy.

[Trisha]

I wish you well in your new ventures, Suzan!

I agree with the "not cute" sentiment others have expressed. I'd love some grown-up elegant accents for cards, maybe some digi stamps with a mat to go with it. I'm not much on digi paper, but I really like the accents/focals, and pieced things without lots of pieces. Some men's things would be great, and "not cute" pieced things for ladies -- but not so involved that it takes forever to do.

I would also like to see some of these "not cute" designs applied to the various holidays -- Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. I don't do many cards for very young children, so I appreciate more "mature" designs. I like more simple, but still elegant, designs and images. And I love vintage!

Also for things like birthdays, sympathy cards, and the general ones like thinking of you or something similar. Since I send the cards to people for our Bible study class, I would particularly appreciate something like "Praying for You." I know that's pretty specialized, though. Some cards (the base itself) that have unusualshapes, or even have most of the design elements "built in" would be great for cards in a hurry.

That's my four cents! (Inflation, you know!)

Trisha
In God We STILL Trust

[Suzan]

Thank you Trisha, I am so open to everything, and there is nothing wrong with specialized. Just ask if we can do it we will. Could you explain a little more on accents/focals that would be helpful. Just throw suggestions and we will work on it.
And since i am so duhr on digistamps what is a mat to go with it. You mean like a frame you could use with it sort of. I am so loving this. So many ideas and ways to go.

[Gigi]

OH Trisha yes!! You got me to thinking!

Holiday cards for "grownups" - even a basic sort of card where the elements could be switched out and it wouldn't look identical - or with things that you could interchange and use your own creativity- not sure I am making sense.

And thinking of you cards or sympathy cards would be great. I have a beautiful cross or two that I use for a lot of sympathy cards, but there are times when that isn't appropriate. Would love more options and don't always have the time or energy to stamp and color etc.

Am sure we will love whatever you do - what I really love is how excited you are with this new venture! Congrats!!

[kathybessey]

I love seeing all the feedback and seems like you are all in the same boat as me - needing more practical stuff for adult cards.

[LisaH]

Yay for you Suzan! I agree, about the adult styling of things as well, we née more of this kind of thing.

What about, for example, an open rose. Use the outlines for a digi background and also as cut lines so you have the option of using either, or and both. With this you have several options and color variations and this could be on top of a mat that is plain, or maybe a watercolor look, that you have the option of using seperate as well....Not too clear I know but just throwing things out there. Bad thing is, I can so see it in my head, just have a hard time explaining!

[kim]

I've been busy showing my niece MTC and how to do somethings. Finally getting back to the forum. She will be joining us ladies soon on here and the MTC forum. Get prepared for a lot of questions ladies.

Suzan, the airplane is a little plane called a Mooney. It's wings are low, not the high ones above the door. And doesn't fit many people inside. It's a personal plane only made to fit 4 people (really tiny people if you ask me and only if they don't carry any baggage/luggage). Oh, and the prop is on the nose. I would like to make DH some stuff, but can only find cartoonish ones, big jumbo planes or just do a silhouette. Would LOVE a file for that.

I collect everything for "in case", but really have a hard time getting the more realistic or adult themes so that when I want to make "grown up" cards for men especially, or the more mature woman, I just don't have the right stuff.

I like digi papers because it is so hard to find the right color and right pattern for whatever I am working on. The stores around here don't carry much of a selection and ordering paper online just really doesn't show you the correct color. Digi papers make it easier. AND I really do need to get that CIS system and try it out. Ink prices are HORRENDOUS>

[Suzan]

I know I keep saying this is so awesome, but if all of you could have heard the conversations Kathy and I had last weekend, you all have confirmed to me and that the decision I made was the right one. I too loved RJ's sketches, but never could come up with a way to use them. Kathy is so very talented she taught me more in a day than I have learned in so long. And we click really well, and play nice together. So watch out world with what we come up with. And hey we even managed to stay out of jail.