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How long before you felt you'd found your own style?
I've been at this for four or five months and it's a gotten little overwhelming, although not in a bad way. There are so many techniques and styles possible, and in order to know if you want to incorporate any one technique that interests you into your personal style you need to 1) get the stuff to do it, 2) learn how to use the stuff and do it, and 3) figure out how (or if) it fits with your personal vision. So while I have made quite a few cards that I am pretty happy with, I feel I'm still developing who I am as a card designer. It's a steep learning curve (and not a cheap one!)
Wondering how others made this journey. Was it an AHA! moment? Or a slower evolution? Do you feel your "style" is going to just keep changing forever? Or do you feel you don't want to have a "style", but would rather make each card in the style that suits the occasion at hand?
Did you find it in a technique? Or looking at someone else's work? So many possibilities...
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Good question! And probably one that has as many answers as there are stampers!
I feel I don't have a single signature style - I'll do CAS, vintage, shabby, collage... I often use my stamps for things other than cards/papercrafts too (with polymer clay or UTEE for example). The one common element for me is the stamps - I can't use DP without suffering brain freeze, I do use die cuts but very much in a supporting role and my use of purchased embellishments is pretty minimal. Pretty much every crafty project I make involves a rubber stamp though.
I'm not sure whether this is reassuring or scary but I've been stamping for a little under five years and I don't feel I have a set style and I'm still learning new stuff! For me though, that's the beauty of a hobby like this - there's always something new to learn and it doesn't always have to involve buying new products. With some imagination you can often improvise with what you have once you have a basic range to choose from. New stuff is nice but it's satisfying to find something you'd forgotten you had and make something lovely with it! (I just read your signature line - fits perfectly!)
This is a fun question. I have been stamping for about 9 years and learned a lot of different techniques and styles over the years. I have many times thought I found my style, but now I realized that at some point I get bored of the same style and start doing different things, and trying to revisit old techniques that I learned and forgot about.
But I always have loved the cute images, and it's what I use about 95% of the time. Sometimes these cards are very busy and sometimes very clean and simple.
Sometimes I want to use a technique....sometimes I want to try a sketch (they rarely end up looking like the orginal sketch but it is a nice start), sometimes I want to use a stamp or punch. I love to look at cards online and blogs. Blogs are a great inspirations! I'm not sure I have a style so to speak but I go with what looks good to my eye!
My style has changed over the years. In the beginning I was new to stamping and so it was very limited. But after visiting and learning from places like here, and other blogs and classes, I just keep incorporating new stuff into my work. I am not sure what my style is, but I love most styles. Not as successful in some, but it is all fun for me. I found my first cards a few weeks ago, and smiled to see how far I have come. Those are so special to me, as they were stamped with joy too.
I am finding it interesting that most claim not to have a "style" and yet when I look at your blogs, you definitely do!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Like Joanne and others, I don't feel I have a set style. Looking at my gallery I don't think I do either! But I think some challenges tend to constrain me in particular ways. I most often use DP when I'm doing a sketch challenge, for example.
There are things I find harder, things I find easier. I don't find CAS easy unless I'm not trying to achieve it, and I wouldn't feel that I find vintage or shabby-chic easy either. At the end of the day I think I'm primarily a technique lover, and not a great user of embellishments. When I started, I certainly didn't "get" distressing at all, but now I certainly do - that was certainly something that grew upon me. And some basic techniques that I'd never have dreamt of trying, like wrinkle free distress, have become a staple in my repertoire.
I came into card making from the digital end of things way, way back, but once I discovered how much I enjoyed stamping and colouring and generally messing around, I've found it hard to embrace the current digital trend. Maybe if I had a laser printer it would be different!! It would be hard to go back to just digital with no hands-on input, though.
I think I have a somewhat CAS style, but I go a little fancy from time to time. It took me a couple of years to get to a steady style as it takes time to collect a large variety of tools and to learn enough techniques. It is a fun journey.
Eight years and yes I do have a style but not one I would choose. It's governed by what comes easily to me, which is usually plain and boring. So I don't have a blog or a website , and I VERY seldom participate in the Challenges, but I do so enjoy watching the Blogs and admiring how much wonderful art there is to see every day. And almost every day I find a card to copy and then laugh at how it always takes me at least 3 tries to get even close to what the artist I'm copying turned out.
I've just recently come across the MASKerade blog and Ardyth, the blog owner, became a member of the Dirty Dozen yesterday, so I've been busy doing cards that are her style (graphic designs) and am cheered that those rarely require any coloring. I MIGHT be having a new style, if I keep following Ardyth and have some success.
Meantime I do so appreciate those of you who have blogs and post your art and teach.....oh my have I learned alot from you!
Great question! In the beginning (8 years ago), I defintely had no style of my own. Whatever set/technique was shown at the workshop that month was exactly what I purchased. Ironically looking back most of it is definitely not my style now. I just didn't have enough creativity on my own to think of anything different. This weekend I was going through a shoebox of sample cards and I found the very first card I made at a SU workshop. Oh how I remember being so proud of it at the time. Then I came across the very first few cards I made on my own. Now those are definitely some sad looking cards. I kept them just to remind myself how far I have come creatively. I think as you go along and your repertoire develops you discover the things you really love. For myself I don't really enjoy coloring in images and/or cutting the images out. Now if there is a matching punch or framelit I am all over it. I do admire the cards that others make with beautifully colored/shaded images and those that have lots cut out layers, but they are just not the type of cards I enjoy making.
One of the main reasons I love SCS is the inspiration I draw from all of the talented ladies who post their pictures. I have learned so many new techniques and ideas from them.
I don't feel overwhelmed by needing certain things to accomplish different styles though. No matter what I have or what products I enjoy, I feel I should be able to use those products to achieve the result I'm after. For example, I don't think I could say, Oh, I need certain stamps or tools just to achieve a CAS style or a collage style. The other day I saw a number of collage/ATC style cards and was pleasantly surprised to see they were all done with SU stamps!
I used to think that I wanted to develop my own personal style that was my "signature look" but now I'm happy that it varies with my mood or the project, and I can stretch myself by trying different things, new techniques, making them my own and seeing what "fits" or what I enjoy doing most on any given day.
What do you think was the thing that caused you to find your niche, Diane?
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I have been stamping for a long time! I got big into card making in 2005, lurked on SCS for a very long time and then finally registered in 2007. I don't think that I have a signature style, but my cards do tend to fall within a certain style range, leaning towards CAS but not really. I do not do fussy cards with tons of layers, frills and baubles, just not me, but boy do I love to admire some of those gorgeous creations in the gallery! One thing that has changed for me is the type of images I am drawn to, I like more realistic images, not the cutesy stuff I used to buy. Also, I don't buy solid image stamps unless it is a silhouette stamp. When I first started stamping I bought lots of solid image stamps because I thought they were easier! I think it just takes time to figure out what it is you really like and what you want to get out of your stamping.
__________________ Proud Member of the Fan Club My Gallery
I don't have a style; it's more like a comfortable rut. Basically, I avoid patterned paper because it makes me heartsick to cut into it, and also, it's already so pretty that my first instinct is just to make the paper THE cardfront. I get much more satisfaction from "improving" solid-coloured cardstock with background stamps, sponging, etc.
I also lean towards outline images and away from solid images because I'm never happy with the impression that I get, whether the stamp is rubber, good photopolymer, or cheap clear. Also I like outline images 'cause I love colouring.
I also LOVE the "busy, fussy" look, but my desire to avoid postal surcharges and my natural laziness almost always keep me from achieving a deeply satisfactory "busy" look.
edited to add: I think I pretty much had this comfortable rut right from the beginning of my stamping days. Now and then I venture out of it, to TRY some patterned paper, or to try some bulkier embellishments but it never stays.
Last edited by SophieLaFontaine; 07-16-2012 at 02:04 PM..
What do you think was the thing that caused you to find your niche, Diane?
Well, that's a really hard question to answer. But I was making things and it was hard for me. I didn't ever feel that "ahhhhh" with what I was making. Occasionally, but not often enough for me. But when the whole Clean and Simple discussion began here in the forums, I realized that all those heavy layered cards just weren't me. I just jumped right in to the simple cards. Don't get me wrong...simple doesn't mean easy! Getting just a few elements just right takes a lot more work! But the CAS style is my main focus. I will do some girly cards...lace and ruffles and floral DP...on occasion, but just for special occasions.
I also find that my more comfortable style with my watercolor painting is the same...neat and clean rather than heavily detailed.
And when I get right down to it, my home decorating would be the same if it were just me in the house! ;)
Eight years later ... I've figured out what my style ISN'T ...
... it's not Vintage.
I might do something simple with a vintage set ... but overall, it's not my style, and even copying a card doesn't work. It's Greek to me.
Great question! I don't feel I have a particular style either. Love trying all sorts of different looks...from shabby chic to CAS...love it all! There are a lot of fabulous stampers on here that have mastered a certain style and I think it's so cool that they are true to one particular style. But I love a lot of different stamp companies and find that my style depends on what company's products I'm using. Have fun finding you style...whatever it may be...enjoy the journey!
Don't know if I will ever find a style...well one consistently. I feel like I could have written Sophie's post.
Also I have to say I have a variety of stamps from 3 steps to coloring in and I am thankful because sometimes I just don't feel it with some versions and I do feel it with others... Does that make sense?
I don't tend to have too many people/animal realistic stamps. My issue is that I am not patient at coloring and I just don't have the patience to color in a realistic stamp.
For example I have cutesy Tiger stamp I just adore. I have been looking for realistic ones that I like. There is always something that just seems a bit off with all the ones I have found. Maybe I'm a picky realist so I just live in a cutesy world.
Interesting question. I'm definitely still at the stage of seeing something interesting (mostly on Splitcoast!) and copying it. I am exploring different techniques as much as stylistic types. I do like to watercolour stamped images so they show up frequently but that would the closest I have to a style yet. That's ok. The journey is a hoot!
Good question. I don't really know if I have a style. Does anybody recognize their own style? I do know that I have spent time watching youtube videos, I've taken a few classes, and spent loads of time on blogs learning as much as I can about cardmaking. About a year ago I started buying the supplies I needed to make projects that I really liked. After I made a copy and learned the technique(s) I needed to, I would take my supplies and tweak it to make cards using elements I liked from the original card/projects.
Once I find something I really love I run with it. One thing I do love is sketches. I've been using sketches in my scrapbooking for a decade, so it makes sense that I would enjoy using them in my cardmaking too.
Perhaps developing a style is just making something you love... over & over again.
I started stamping in 1995 and stopped in 1998. Picked it up again in 2007, almost 10 years later. I only realised my style is call CAS in 2010. So can you say it took me 15 years to know what my style is?
When I started out, like a lot of others, I did a lot of gallery gazing and CASing. Even when we do that, I think we each choose cards to CASE that appeal to us. As time went on, I started doing more of "my own thing." I love to try new techniques and play in the challenges, so if you look at my gallery I think you'd find it hard to pin down a specific style. I do know that I'm drawn to certain types of stamps, and without being pushed or stretched, I'd probably stay with earthy, neutral tones, but I'd be hard pressed to describe my style with a one-word title. I think one of the beauties of this craft is how much fun we can have trying out all sorts of different techniques, styles, tools etc. One way to learn your style is by finding someone who does classes in your area and play around with their "stuff" before you go out and spend a bunch of $$ only to find that it wasn't the thing for you. Good luck exploring, playing and figuring out what floats your boat!
This is such a great question. It's funny - I look at other people and know their style, but I definitely don't look at myself and see that. Maybe that is what keeps us all interested - we are still looking.
I'm with Gail - I think it's easier for me to define what my style is not, not what it is. And I've been stamping for 30 years.
This is such a great question. It's funny - I look at other people and know their style, but I definitely don't look at myself and see that. Maybe that is what keeps us all interested - we are still looking.
I'm with Gail - I think it's easier for me to define what my style is not, not what it is. And I've been stamping for 30 years.
I started stamping occasionally in '92, got serious about it in '98 and my style is still evolving. I know what I can and can not do, technique-wise, colors I favor and stamp styles I gravitate towards. The stuff I make for myself has more clean, graphic lines and edgier motifs and colors. My Stampin' Up! samples are more in line with their style and if someone hired me to do vintage or "pretty" that is what they would get. Any theme or stamp set can be tweaked to fit pretty much any style. It's fun to hit them all!
Mary Beth
For me I think it was less looking at others' work for inspiration and more just playing at the craft table. When you aren't trying to CASE or copy I think you get a more true sense of what you personally like. Do you keep a pinterest or inspiration board? Try looking at the things you favorite the most- that will give you an idea of what you really love. For me its clean and simple.
Good question, very thought provoking & nice to reflect on.
I have been making cards for years now and have acquired many 'supplies'. I have a lot of card making magazines and have occasionally picked up the odd style tip such as swiping the edge of the card with ink or a way to use embellishments. Ultimately though, I get this 'feeling' about what the card should look like. I like to think about the person I am making it for then it flows. I guess the downside is when I've made cards for people I don't know that has made it much harder.
My number one love in paper craft is rubber stamps so I use them a lot of the time. Here & there I like to do some paper tole though, just to mix it up a bit (or when I want to cut something out because it relaxes me).
I hope you will have lots of fun with card making. Perhaps if you end up with supplies you don't think you would use you could sell them on SCS or do a swap.
I'm with Diane....I looked at so many cards and love the ones with all the pretties and the layers but when I made them, I wasn't happy with the results and felt frustrated. Having such limited time in my life to stamp, I started to simplify and then along came the Clean and Simple challenges and the discussions about the 'white space'.....I knew what my style was right away. Loved the simplicity of it all....could really appreciate the freshness and the creativity that was involved with creating a CAS card. When I just recently started my blog, I knew I wanted to keep it clean and simple as well....embracing the white space, as they say. I have enough day to day 'clutter' in my life.........
Great question! I have been papercrafting since 1996. I don't think I found my style until 2010! I used to only use products from "this company" or "that company" and eventually realized something... I don't have similar taste to the majority of what I see out there. I would say that 90% of the collections that I see coming out, I don't like. Once I came to terms with that, I got more comfortable mixing and matching different media, and products, and stamps and paper. Now I know what I really like and will actually use.
I am a whimsical, modern Manga style girl. I like solid line image character stamps, I like coloring in my images, I prefer busy cards to clean and simple, and I like bright, cool, and or pastel colors. I sometimes see things that I like and try to recreate the feel of them like Vintage or Shabby Chic, but for the most part that is a rare for me. If I see a technique, product or paper I like, I try to incorporate it in a way I feel comfortable using it. To me, papercrafting is all about the Journey and not about the Destination. I have more fun making a project then admiring it after it is finished.
What a great question! I have been stamping/cardmaking for a long time. . . almost before I was born!! I like to try a lot of things, started out buying lots of stamps and not many tools to use with them. One year I said enough and stopped buying stamps and concentrated on trying different techniques and fancy folds. I love vintage and all the frills that go with. I enjoy CAS but like many realize how difficult it is to do. . . I have a lot of cards in my FAVs and will peruse it when I need inspiration for a card. Most times I go with who the card is for and try to make a card reflecting their style/interests and the reason for the card (b-day, sympathy, baby, etc.). Like most have said, it's more the journey than the destination. I look at some of the cards I made early on and just want to crawl under a rock. They are OK but nothing like I make now. Enjoy the journey and do try some classes to try techniques and the "toys" before you buy to see if it works for you. . . Better yet, find a group of stampers and have a play date trying each others' things. I learned a lot from playing around with other ladies. They think outside your box and can show you things you would never try.
Have fun and enjoy the process!! It beats therapy!!
I am enjoying reading all of these posts! It makes me feel like I have a long and fun journey ahead of me!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
This has been a great thread! A great question that has plagued me for the last several months...what is my niche or style. All of the remarks are ones that I could have written, pretty much. I love to surf my favorite stamp blogs and do have favorites, but I have noticed lately that with all the embellishments gals are adding to the vintage cards and such, I just can't afford them, card after card. They may not either be able to but because they work for card companies we are seeing them put their best cards forward. I read where one lady said her everyday cards were not like the ones she posted on her site for the companies. That was good to hear and a relief as I just can't put those vintage cards together very easily either like others have said here. I love, love, love them but do better if I just take one of their ideas and run with it or, I hate to have to say this, even copy them. (The creative part in me kinda hates to admit that.) Anyway, I am truly attracted to difficult creations to make. Don't know why other than it is in the description of my temperament! The cards I 95 per cent of the time make are explicitly for members of my family with their particular interest as my focal point. They are delighted and that is what pleases me. My favorites to make though are the girly girl cards...lacey, feminine ones with flowers wonderful dies and such. But, as one gal here said, the postage starts at 90 cents up to 1.97 for a bubble enveloped embellishment creation. Can't do that very often. So, to answer the original question about what my niche is-I haven't found it yet and I started card making 40 years ago when cards were about creativity using "found" things around the home for embellishments. Very simple but heart touching cards. As the stamp companies jumped on the band wagon of this hobby I have watched it go from simple stamping to spending mega bucks for dies, inks, etc. etc. which I have done. Lately though, I have decided to back off with the lustful blog candy and use the plethora of supplies I have and start to get creative. Maybe then I will stumble on a style that is consistent. I know one thing I am not generally attracted to is cutesy cards. Occasionally I make them for my granddaughter but as a whole I prefer the more classical cards.
I have so enjoyed this thread...tremendously. Now we all know what doesn't attract us and do know our love for card making is always evolving with techniques and styles developing wonderful cards that please our little hearts and the hearts of others.
Last edited by dottiejdavis; 07-21-2012 at 10:42 AM..
I must add one thing to clarify what I called "lustful blog eye candy" in the first comment I made above. That is referring to myself as I have thought I needed to have all the "stuff" to make a great card. I realized I have been leaning on the ideas and creativity of others and the desire to "have more" our weighed using and being satisfied with what I already have. Really. So, I am learning about myself these days and will set my eyes more on getting in that art room and getting with it rather than spending so much time ooing and ahhing over other peoples cards. There is a Proverb that says "The eye is never satisfied" and with me it is so true. Can be good in some ways and can be destructive in others.
With rubber stamping and scrapbooking "Style" is doing your cards, etc. the way that pleases you. That's the great thing about this hobby. There is not a right or wrong way to do it. It's your way! My "style" if that's what you want to call it has changed over the years as new products that catch my eye become available. Right now I'm totally into dies (Spellbinders, Memory Box, etc.). At this point I guess I could be called a paper crafter rather than a stamper because I hardly use my stamps these days. Who knows what I'll be doing in the coming years. Depends on what those crafting companies come up with, I guess!
There are many elements and many contributing factors and inspirations to my relatively new, definitely evolving crafting style. One interesting thing I think I can point out is that my craft style is similar to my clothing style. I like relatively simple, not overly embellished clothing, a refined, somewhat elegant or dressy look, it should complement my complexion and figure, but it also needs to have color (black and white are not colors!) and a fun element somewhere. For example, I'm thinking of my cardigan with a floral design (not too busy or boring and the colors aren't too bright or bland), little metallic beads sewn at random in the print on the front, a solid, short skirt with pleats around the bottom and a double-strand link-and-disc necklace (a gift from my sister ). I hope this makes any sense and you can check out my craft blog to see my simple-pretty-fun mo.
It took me quite a few years to "find" my style although I am always open to trying something new and different. Sometimes I try a style of card but then find I don't enjoy the process as much as I thought I would. I have a lot of patience for colouring and absolutely adore colouring with my coloured pencils - either watercolor or the Gamsol Magic technique - but you know, it did take many hours of practice to get a point where I was happy with my finished images - and I find it very relaxing to sit and colour. I love what other people do with lots of layers and plenty of embellishments such as flowers etc. and stitching plus amazing vintage styles with torn and distressed edges - but my brain seems to freeze up when I have tried to emulate that style so I have learned to just be content with my simple styles and layouts. Plus all of my cards have to be mailable so at the end of the day, my style is heavily influenced by practicality. I still use my basic shaped Spellbinder Nesties on many of my cards and still use the same border punches that I bought a few years ago. I have learned through experience (and a lot of $$:eek that I don't have to have the latest and greatest to make a card that I am happy with.
How long before you felt you'd found your own style?
. I've been stamping for 4+ years and it is only now that I can say I like to do CAS. I love all the layered cards people make but neither is it up my sleeve nor it gives me satisfaction. That is not to say that CAS will always be my style - maybe someday it'll change 
