It’s that time of year again, when FCD will begin it’s search for a new Design Team!! The submissions will open July 15th, and will close Aug.15th. More details will be posted as we get closer to July. So if you are interested, stay tuned! In the mean time, here are a few tips!
These FEW TIPS were put together by members of my DTs. I hope they help for future submissions.
1. Be sure to scan/photograph your art STRAIGHT, and CROP them…a poorly scanned or crooked image will not be viewed with friendly eyes. We want to see your art, not the table, not your pretty wood floor, etc…cropping is important…..
2. If it’s too far away, we won’t be able to SEE the details. If you are taking a photograph, make sure you are close enough that we can see what it is.
3. Watch things like lighting, shadows, glare, and blurry images. FIX these things with your photo software. If you can’t fix it, retake the photo. Blurry images show either you don’t know how to use your software, or you don’t care enough about your work to present it in the BEST way!
4. Focus on STAMPING!! FCD tip: This is a stamping DT, we want to see how you use your stamps, it’s great if you can use patterned papers and put together a card, but this is a stamp team, so you need to showcase the stamps.…not those pretty papers. (you can USE the papers, but be sure to include stamped images, not just die cuts). Good tip here, be sure for what ever team you are trying out for that you pay attention to the products requested.
5. Don’t apply for a team, if you don’t really LOVE their stuff…..if you DO love it, shout it out loud!! Enthusiasm is a key part of any design team!!
6. Design Teams mean COMMITMENT! Pay attention to the length of time the team will run, and what the submission requirements are. If you are spread too thinly, your work will suffer. If you have major events coming up in your life that may prevent you from finishing your DT obligation, .reconsider trying out; or ask to submit for an Artist Spotlite position. (Many vendors, including FCD use Guest Designers for special occasions, spotlite art, etc) We vendors rely on YOU to help us get the word out!!
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tips from Jen:
-create balanced projects, use the “rule of 3″
-make sure all your stamped images are stamped cleanly. if you mis-stamp, try again.
-if you stamp something crooked, start over. don’t try to fix it, don’t leave it, just redo it.
-have a nice sharp blade in your cutter to get crisp cut lines with no cardstock fraying. cut STRAIGHT.
-keep layer borders even and straight (for layers that should be straight!) (I can’t stress this one enough!! If you are submitting for a DT, DO your BEST work!!! and watch for adhesives peaking out behind layers!!-PC)
-SCORE, SCORE, SCORE. especially with SU cardstock, it will crease and crack in the wrong spots if you don’t score it and those flaws are visible.
-make sure your coloring is even and stays inside the lines {unless that’s not what you were going for}
-watch your dirty fingers! adhesive and ink transfer easily onto skin, and back to your card where you don’t want it. {glitter does too, LOL}. pay attention or you may be very upset when you get a big smudge at the end of a 3 hour project.
-sometimes if I’m having trouble making a project end up “just right” I walk away from it - either literally, or I start on something else for awhile. don’t force it. you’ll probably find that you will come back later and know just what you need to make it PERFECT.
-always do your best work. if you wouldn’t be willing to post the card you make for all the world to see, then you probably don’t think you have done your best work and maybe you want to revisit the design process.
-however, don’t feel like every project you make has to be a Picasso, or use a special technique, or whatever. if it is a good project, that will come through no matter how many techniques you use. there are times that less is more. (FCD tip: this is a stamping DT, altho techniques are not required to submit, they do show you are not afraid to get down and dirty…lol-PC)
-also, I got a good tutorial from WAYYYYY back off of Keri Serika’s blog on making your own infinity board for photographing stuff (not like it’s hard, more of the “lightbulb” moment for me). $0.79 and viola, no more background clutter, and no more cardstock-propped-together lines either in your picture backgrounds.
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tips from Brenda:
Whan applying for a design position with a STAMP company:
-USE SOME STAMPS!!!!!!! You might have a good eye for color, and can put designer paper with pretty ribbons. But can you stamp? Just adding a single word or phrase stamp does not show off your stamping skills.
- Try to photograph 3 dimensional items, rather than scan them.
- When photographing try to have things standing rather than laying flat.
-If you can’t get a very close photo with the camera, then do some cropping on the computer. We need to see the item you intend us to see, not the table, desk, etc.
- Keep items in photo to a minimum. Try to photograph things that go together, not a group of the last 20 things you have stamped.
- If you are not using stamps from the company you are applying to, then at least use stamps close to the style of that company. This way we can see that you are able to create with our style of stamps.
- Make sure you photo or scan shows what the item actually is. If I can’t tell from the photo I have to give it a low score.
- If the only place with good lighting is your messy dinner table then lay a white towel or sheet over the dirty dishes. Put your stamped project on top then snap the photo.
Don’t apply for a DT using a project you are already displaying for a stamp company you already design for
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tips from Ursula:
-Don’t apply to a team for a company who’s stuff you don’t really love; enthusiasm is a key part of any design team.
- FCD tip: To keep judging as fair and unbiased as possible, please remove all watermarks from your images, and take down any postings you have on other sites with your submitted images. We should not be able to link to your gallery, and see the same artwork you submitted for the DT. (this is important tip for other teams you apply for too! Be sure you follow the submission guidelines as posted by the vendor! Some don’t mind published works, others want only NEW stuff-PC)
-FCD tip: While using FCD stamps is not an application requirement, it does help since it allows us to see better how your style fits with FCD images.
-Showcase your very best work. FCD tip: Our current DT judges all submissions to produce the top 10 from which Pam will make her final selections. The current DT can be very unforgiving of sloppy, crooked artwork. You will need to send in your very best work to have any chance of making the team.
- FCD tip: Keep in mind Pam’s current DT will have been with FCD almost a year when they judge your work. They are very proud FCD DT members, and want only the very best artists to take over the reigns when they leave. Therefore, be creative & unique. If your work mimics other major stamp company’s art styles, you aren’t likely to impress the current DT; they’re looking for originality. smile
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tips from Vicki:
For people that never seem to make it, I tell them to just KEEP stamping and keep entering because some companies would not like my style and you need to find a company that will fit with your style…I think that will make you as well as the company happy. If you don’t like what they sell, then this would not be a good “fit” for you OR the company…makes sense to me anyway. If you REALLY like the company, then I would just keep trying until you don’t want to try any more or until you finally make it! (Just make sure you FOLLOW the guidelines!) This is a great tip too! Many submissions are thrown out at the very beginning, because they didn’t follow the submission guidelines! Don’t let that happen to YOU!-PC
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tips from Julie:
Practice; take lots of pics until you get good ones. I avoid scanners unless it’s all I have. They really flatten out the work and take away any dimension. Make sure you have good lighting and no distracting backgrounds.
Only two of the DTs I’m on did I submit work. (The other 2, I was asked, so didn’t have to.) So, take a look at what the company’s images are to see if you think you’ll fit. No one will be happy if you can’t work w/ the style of images. But also, don’t be afraid to stretch yourself. I always thought I was terrible w/ cute images. I don’t think I’m quite as bad as I originally thought, and working w/ cute now and then helps me.
Also, if you have some of the images from the company you’re submitting to, then by all means, use them. For the 2 I submitted, I didn’t have any, so I don’t think it’s a real drawback if you don’t. Just make sure you submit your best work. Pick items that really showcase your talents and play up your strengths. Like I’m pretty good w/ water coloring, so I want to include a card that showcases it. But also, pick some that are a little different from each other. Different techniques or compositions. Different coloring methods. You want to show your versatility and creativeness. Don’t rely totally on designer papers to pull you through, but it’s ok to include them on a card or two. Same goes for embellishments. If you’ll notice, I don’t tend to use a lot of these. I have some, I just forget. Then when I remember, I think, hmmm, that would be overkill. Make sure your work can stand on its own. All the wonderful embellishments in the world will not save a mediocre card. Embellishments should enhance, not overwhelm. And maybe it’s just me, but I suggest picking your colors carefully. You want to attract the viewer. If you’re not sure if colors will go, use a color wheel or get inspiration from cards you really like.
Well, that’s all I can think of right now; that’s my philosophy on cards and I’m sticking to it, lol.
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I hope you find these tips useful!! I’ll post the submission guidelines in the next few weeks!
Pamela
