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What happened??? Why are there so few Challenge submissions?
Hi! I'm just wondering what happend to the daily Challenges? I've noticed a HUGE drop in participation. Is it because all the blog challenges? Is it the "member company" challenges? What?
I'm just nosy...Trying to figure out if there is a reason, other than spring and Spring Break etc....
I stopped posting my artwork here because no one comments on things anymore. I think theres just alot of challenges going around and it hard to keep up.
It's definitely hard to keep up! I used to stress over it...now I just do what I can. I always intend to play along, but sometimes don't always...story of my life. LOL
I stopped posting my artwork here because no one comments on things anymore. I think theres just alot of challenges going around and it hard to keep up.
Well...I can assure you, that if you participated in the daily challenges and posted before 9PM EST, I WOULD COMMENT on your card! I try to comment on EVERY card in the challenges...
I stopped posting my artwork here because no one comments on things anymore. I think theres just alot of challenges going around and it hard to keep up.
I still play when I'm feeling in to the challenge! I agree with sparkplug, though. I have noticed that if I can't get the challenge done until later in the day or later the same week that I get close to no comments, which is kind of discouraging. I mean I hate to sound like the comments drive me, but some days they do! If I can play along in the morning, it seems like more people are apt to pay attention to my stuff. After that it seems like people just move on to the next thing....
Markie, you never fail to comment! Love that! But yeah, I'm still with the challenges! I play in a lot of blog and member co. challenges, too, but I'm not leaving SCS anytime soon! ;)
Well...I can assure you, that if you participated in the daily challenges and posted before 9PM EST, I WOULD COMMENT on your card! I try to comment on EVERY card in the challenges...
I'm a total challenge junkie so I'll keep posting {almost} everyday.
I think this time of the year the participant numbers start to go down a little because the weather is getting nicer and there are more things to do outside.
Today's challenge was pretty low in numbers though. I thought it was fun because I did a technique I haven't done in ages.
Just a time thing for me. I haven't had a chance to play along in one of the challenges in quite a while. I seem to be even more busy lately than usual. I do still upload my cards here, but they haven't been challenge cards lately. I seem to be better at playing along with challenges if I know what they are ahead of time plus I'm on the west coast so that puts me behind anyway with the time the challenges are posted.
I know for me I missed a lot of challenges when I was sick with the flu. I have missed several this week trying to get caught up on my work that I got behind on while I was sick too.
Hi Faith You ARE always faithful (no pun intended) in your commenting. I wish it were that easy for me. Lately when I have tried to comment, the little spinning thing just sits there and my comment never goes through. I get frustrated and say I am going to try again later, but you know how that goes... I get involved in doing something else.
I have also noticed that the number of members online has dropped DRASTICALLY over the last month ( I dare say since the change of format). Whereas there use to be up to 1700 members online in a given afternoon, now there are barely 800-900 members online. That is a HUGE difference.
I still try to play in the daily challenges, though views/comments have dropped dramatically, too. I like playing just to stretch my creativity. I agree though... the later you post, the less likely you are to even get views, let alone comments.
I do see a new trend with the invent of blog challenges. Personally, three of my four design teams require blog challenge participation on a weekly basis and sometimes I don't even post those to the SCS gallery, as they are not likely to even get viewed (being non-SCS challenge cards/projects).
In conclusion, I think times they are a changin. Gone are the days (for me) of 3000+ views on a card. I am happily stamping and sending stuff out though!
I usually participate. Personally, I'm in the middle of moving. My DH is smart. He wanted to make sure that I focus on moving, so he asked me to please pack up my craft stuff first, so I wouldn't get tempted. I can't wait to get into our new home and work on my craft room. I'm gonna be thrilled to start doing the challenges again.
__________________ Member of RAK, BRAK, & Soldiers' Angels (Ladies of Liberty & Cards Plus team) My Blog
Proud Fan Club member
I have also noticed that the number of members online has dropped DRASTICALLY over the last month ( I dare say since the change of format). Whereas there use to be up to 1700 members online in a given afternoon, now there are barely 800-900 members online. That is a HUGE difference.
I've also noticed this - it appears very quiet here these days - I dont know if there is a correlation but I find it very hard to wade and sift through all of the member company feeds to find the general stampin chatter - I know it is controversial but that's just my 2-cents - I prefer when the general stampin talk and the member company forums were separate...
I don't do challenges so there is no change in participation for me but I do see an immense increase in the challenges available now.
The company blogs are always running challenges and often with prizes. Personal blogs are running challenges. Paper Craft Planet and Paper Therapy are always running challenges. Everybody is trying to increase their hits at their sites, and it seems like the current popular thing to do to drive hits is challenges.
I don't even try- with a full time job I do not have the option to "play" on a regular basis. But even if I were home all day, there are just too many out there now.
PCP and PT, as well as Gina K's new site, are probably also a reason for the large drop off in people being online here. I understand people wanting new sites, but enough is enough already!
I still play when I'm feeling in to the challenge! I agree with sparkplug, though. I have noticed that if I can't get the challenge done until later in the day or later the same week that I get close to no comments, which is kind of discouraging. I mean I hate to sound like the comments drive me, but some days they do! If I can play along in the morning, it seems like more people are apt to pay attention to my stuff. After that it seems like people just move on to the next thing....
Markie, you never fail to comment! Love that! But yeah, I'm still with the challenges! I play in a lot of blog and member co. challenges, too, but I'm not leaving SCS anytime soon! ;)
soooo true!!
I still play in the CAS challenge every Monday though-
Just a time thing for me. I haven't had a chance to play along in one of the challenges in quite a while. I seem to be even more busy lately than usual. I do still upload my cards here, but they haven't been challenge cards lately. I seem to be better at playing along with challenges if I know what they are ahead of time plus I'm on the west coast so that puts me behind anyway with the time the challenges are posted.
Agree with the when you work full time out of the home it is difficult to do the challenges...right now, I print off all the card sketch challenges and try to use them when I do swaps----I stand at 33/221---so there is lots of time/space to use.
some days I can't even log on due to work and home committments so a daily challenge is difficult to comprehend....maybe this summer i will give the daily ones a try but i already know there are very few weeks when I will actually be home the entire week. I can't even begin to think how I would try to complete one each day.....
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
I love doing the challenges but have not had the time for almost a month now to do any. I managed to get myself signed up for 5 swaps and had an order for 100 wedding invitations (which I had about 4 weeks to do them in and got them done in 3!!). Now that all the swaps and invitations have been done and sent in I can get back to my usual routine.
I am trying to complete all the old sketch challenges before I do any of the others, but will be doing the color and featured stampers ones next. I always confuse myself (which isn't too difficult to do!) if I try to combine too many challenges at once. I used to try and do some of the blog challenges particularly for stamp companies that I love, but have given up on those as I simply cannot keep up with them all!
I'm not fussed at all about comments - completing the challenges are just that for me -a challenge! If someone else likes my cards and comments then it's appreciated, but if they don't I don't really mind.
Hi Faith, good question. I think it is a combination of things. Spring brings more opportunity to get out and about and everybody starts thinking holidays. I also live in the west, so my posts always go up later in the day. I agree that it can be a little discouraging to receive little in the way of comments. I try to comment as much as I can but usually give up after a while as it takes so long to post each comment. I would love to comment on all the cards but it would take all day to do that. You are amazing with your comments, I don't know how you do it, but be assured they are greatly appreciated. I also agree that there is a huge increase in the number of blogs that can take away peoples time spent here. I just started a blog but will not be holding any challenges. Just want to assure you I still am a faithful follower of SCS and certainly won't be leaving. Thanks for your committment to this community and your wonderful positive and encouraging attitude.
Hugs,
Faith
__________________ QFTD171 Stampin Gramma (Faith W.) Proud Fan Club Member! Member of RAK and BRAK
I've also noticed this - it appears very quiet here these days - I dont know if there is a correlation but I find it very hard to wade and sift through all of the member company feeds to find the general stampin chatter - I know it is controversial but that's just my 2-cents - I prefer when the general stampin talk and the member company forums were separate...
That's the exact reason I seldom visit the General Side...I still don't get why they're not separate.
JMO
I try do do them, at least a few each week. But I have been so buy choosing a Design Team that I haven't had much time recently. Thinks are slowing down a bit, so hopefully I can start playing again soon.
I am sure blog challenges is a part of the decline too. (I am guilty of trying to do those too)
I know for me, I used to try to do every challenge every week. I rarely did all of them, but that was my goal. Now I do one or two a week - if I'm lucky. I think there are just so many other challenges out there - I remember when JulieHRR's blog was the only one I read - LOL!! Now I could spend all day blog hopping instead of stamping.
There are a lot of challenges out there in internet land and so many of them have really great prizes and stuff.
There's also Spring as others mentioned, that always changes traffic in the forums.
Plus everything going on with the economy creates changes in priorities.
and yes also the comments have gone down because it seems like the site has been really slow in this area and it was pretty buggy there for a while.
I have been trying to comment a lot more lately. I really enjoy seeing what everyone has been creating. Also, I did create a Facebook account and found that I spent a ton of time on-line there so I decided I would give that up and just stick to stampin' stuff because I don't have time for both.
[QUOTE=Tracy-Stamper;13551558]There are a lot of challenges out there in internet land and so many of them have really great prizes and stuff.
There's also Spring as others mentioned, that always changes traffic in the forums.
Plus everything going on with the economy creates changes in priorities.
and yes also the comments have gone down because it seems like the site has been really slow in this area and it was pretty buggy there for a while.
I have been trying to comment a lot more lately. I really enjoy seeing what everyone has been creating. Also, I did create a Facebook account and found that I spent a ton of time on-line there so I decided I would give that up and stick to just stampin' stuff because I don't have time for both.[/QUOTE]
Me, too. I check FB briefly every other day or so now, instead of keeping it up all day.
I don't participate in challenges, even though I would like to. There just aren't enough hours in the day! I love looking at the challenge cards, but as other posters have said, there are just so many posted I don't know how anyone could keep up with them all. There are so many cards posted that are in response to non-SCS challenges (challenges sponsored by stamp companies, blogs, etc.). As for comments--I try to comment on cards as often as I can, especially if I have favorited it, unless there are no details. I really don't like it when people post cards and tell me to visit their blog if I want the details. It's rude to use the SCS gallery only as an advertising forum for a blog. (OK--you can flame me on this if you want.)
Also I do agree with Sarah, controversial as it may be--I don't like the member company forum entries integrated with the general stamping talk. I rarely visited the member company forums when they were split out, and just skip over those entries now that they're integrated. I find that I don't even visit the forums as often as I used to, simply because of the integration. I doubt Sarah and I are alone, though, given the drop in members online that has been pointed out here.
Given all of that--SCS is still the best site on the face of this or any other planet, and is my go-to site for information and inspiration.
Finally, I'd just like to say to Faith--you keep responding to those challenges, sweet lady--you are one of the bright spots in my day and I always enjoy seeing your cards in the gallery and on your blog (yours is one of the few that I visit regularly). I don't always comment, but I promise I'll get better at that!
OK--I'm done now. Sorry if I've been too wordy or offended anyone!!! Just voicing an opinion.
I haven't been participating as much lately because of my schedule has somehow gone haywire! I work two part time jobs that normally equal abot 45 hours and since my husband was laid off I have been working as much as possible. I miss doing the challenges though because they normally get my to try something new. Faith, I do appreciate the comments that you have left for my cards, you are very encouraging.
I do try to do as much challenges as I can, but some challenges are stuff I dont have, colors I dont have, and require a little more time, that I haven't been able to do all of them. But I still love them., if I can do it, I will ;)
Plus, I love blogs that have a list of challenges, that way I can go to one place and try to do as many as I can.
I think its the matter of how much time we have, and with kids and school and working, I think its gotten a little hard for the majority of us., but once they are on spring break, yippie!
Well...I can assure you, that if you participated in the daily challenges and posted before 9PM EST, I WOULD COMMENT on your card! I try to comment on EVERY card in the challenges...
Faith,
I always love when you comment on my cards and really appreciate it. I have been trying to comment on at least 20 cards everyday! I have been doing the challenges when I can fit them it!!
I'm just busy. I work full-time at a pretty demanding job and have 3 kids. I'd love to do more challenges and go through spurts with them but time is very limited.
I'm also a West Coaster and by the time I get to the day's challenge (late at night) the new challenge is posted and people have moved on.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
Plus have you noticed that every other siggy has "design team" in it? I'm sure those commitments eat up a lot of time.
Like others have said, I usually end up posting mine at least a day or two later. I do try to comment on at least ten cards that were before my post, but I rarely go back to the challenge after I posted to comment on those.
I have really developed a lot of my skills on the challenges- I am NOWHERE near good, but I try.
I don't post because I didn't feel good enough to in the begining and because when I did post anything in the gallery it was often ignored, either totally or for weeks on end. My weakness is not sharing, and I should share, even if it is to show people what they SHOULD NOT DO!
I don't participate that much as it seems like many of them require materials I don't have to complete them. When a color challenge requires a specific in color or SU color that I don't have or a technique challenge requires something like metal or a unusual material, I skip over it. Or if the sketch seems very complicated with lots of circle cuts or several layers that have to be cut I will skip over it. Lately I find I only do the CAS challenges as they are easier for me to get done.
I had just started doing the challenges a little over a year ago and then I started working a lot so I wasn't really able to participate when they were going on. I do actually do some of them when I need inspiration, but now my problem is that I don't get time to upload the cards before I send them off. (I'm a big procrastinater, I tend to make cards when I need them, rather than ahead of time)
I'm also another West coaster, and most of the people here would already be in bed by the time I got my work uploaded.
__________________ Julie my gallery
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13
I don't participate that much as it seems like many of them require materials I don't have to complete them. When a color challenge requires a specific in color or SU color that I don't have or a technique challenge requires something like metal or a unusual material, I skip over it. Or if the sketch seems very complicated with lots of circle cuts or several layers that have to be cut I will skip over it. Lately I find I only do the CAS challenges as they are easier for me to get done.
I wanted to add that this is another problem I'm having. I made the decision to not get the in colors this year because, quite honestly, I don't like them, especially Kiwi Kiss. That has proved to be a bit of a dilemma for me with the color challenge, since it seems quite a large percent of the color challenges use this color or the other in colors. I know we can always make substitutions, but then I feel like I'm not truly doing the challenge. I really feel like a lot of my favorite colors are being overlooked in the color challenges.
But like I said in my previous post, lack of time is my main obstacle.
__________________ Julie my gallery
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13
I play five days a week, and like Faith I will comment on every single card up until the evening. I did not play today because I am not dragging my iron out for anything not even even card making!
I never can get them done on the day they are posted and when you post something it is to try to help inspire others right?!??!...now I am not a person who really pays much attention to how many comments etc...but I do notice that alot of stuff just doesnt get a "view" after the challenge has been posted for a few days. Again I am not complaining..as there is so much stuff on this wonderful site to look at BUT...if I am taking the time (and it does take time to photograph, edit and post) and nobody is really looking...then I may do a challenge and not post here. I think it all boils down to time in more ways than one...sometimes it is ust the day and time I choose to post and other times it is a matter of how much personal time I have to spend...does that all make any sense?
Things are tough right now for folks and they say that when times get hard people fall back to the essentials and basics in life which is spending more time with family and focusing the really important things (not that stamping doesnt have meaning cause it is my therapy!!!) I think people are doing that...at least I know that I am as well as are a lot of my friends.
Ah yes...and Spring...here in Kansas it has been a very mild winter for the most part...more days to play outside...less energy and time to play inside
The challenges are FABULOUS so those who host them...you need to know you are doing a marvelous job!! Thanks for doing them!
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I've just been super busy with work for the last few weeks, but I sure do miss doing the challenges. I am hoping that in another week or two things will calm down enough that I can participate again. Plus I miss being able to see all the great creations every day.
What happened??? Why are there so few Challenge submissions?
