Musings on Design Teams

So, I have been asked some questions lately about design teams - the two biggies are where does one hear about open design team calls for papercrafting, and how do you get onto the team?

Well, I kinda feel like I am not really qualified to try to answer this question - there are so many uber-talented ladies out there with high-traffic blogs, who are published *regularly* (I have not even tried submitting yet!), AND on like 50 DT's at a time, LOL! But I will give it my best shot and let you know what worked for me in my successes (and failures, I applied for probably 7 other calls that I was not chosen for, plus I let a lot of calls go without applying due to lack of time or not seeing the right "fit" for my style).

There are several ways to hear about calls for DTs/magazine submissions/etc. One is Splitcoast Stampers! Keep an eye on the Announcements forum and you'll see people post design team calls once in awhile. Another, and probably your best bet overall, is the PubCalls Blog. They post several times a week with various calls for design teams from stamp and scrapbook companies, online and fixed location retail stores, and magazines too. I think they seem to be more geared toward scrapbooking but still, it's a fabulous resource. Lastly, you can go right to the source! Frequent the websites of some of these awesome independent stamp companies. It's a great way to learn not only about calls for submissions and DT calls, but also sales, new products, special events and new gallery postings for inspiration! That's how I came across the Prickley Pear call - I was shopping on their site! Plus, if you don't mind getting e-mails, sign up for the newsletters at these companies. You'll get lots of benefits there - insider info on company news, sales, products, etc. There may be other ways, but that is what I have been doing.

As far as how to get selected, this is tough to give specifics. Really, I don't even know, LOL! A few things that certainly can't hurt - check out the style of the company and see if you will be a good fit for their products and that you will have FUN working on their team. As I said earlier, I have applied for other calls in the past 6 months and not gotten in, but I have also specifically *not* applied for calls if I didn't feel I would really enjoy working with the images/products for that company with my personal stamping "style", or if I felt that I would not do them justice. Another thing is to really look at the DT requirements. They are all different. Do you have the time to devote to making projects and other duties each month? Will you be able to and happy with creating projects using only that company's products?

If you think it'll be a good opportunity for you to be on that company's team, go for it! Create and submit your best work - no blurry or mis-stamped images, nice straight layers, neat coloring, etc. Some companies require you to use their stamps in your application, some don't, so pay attention to that. Don't get discouraged. The companies are often judging hundreds of applicants trying to find a good variety of styles to showcase their stamps and other products. Keep trying if you don't get selected right away!

That's really all there is to it - it's a lot of luck I think! I worked hard on my projects and I truly hoped I would make it onto these teams; but I was still absolutely and completely shocked when I did! There are so many amazing companies and stamp designers out there, I'm sure you'll all find a great fit for yourself if design teams are something you're interested in. I hope this is of some help - best of luck!