Pad Patter: 1/13 What makes you stay?

I'm very much like you Anne-a site has to feel right for me to dive in especially since I feel like an outsider at times living soooo far away, being far younger & in a different lifestyle (single & studying etc)

 

I think is a combination of factors, not only one thing makes people stay...BUT

in the case of the Pad, I am sure there is one major reason:

The Boss of the Apple Sauce, name it Laura-
She leads this place with so much love, so much talent & intelligence, that that, I think gets through each & everyone of us-

When you come to a restaurant where the owner cooks...is always more delicious and you will get a better treatment...
I think here that is the start of all-

Then you have the designers: I stayed initially because Mirjam was here (I wasn't in her CT then) and each & every designer here are absolutely AWESOME-
I didn't have a scrap home for almost 4 years...until I found the community here...

Everyone is fun, supportive and loving.

I'll quote Laura and tell you, to me, this is why I stay :

where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad you came......

 

mmm I m trying to add the video but isnt happening......

is here

 

hmmm... feeling encouraged, challenged, and finding a few kindred souls.

this is only the second digital home where i have felt truly truly comfortable. the first place was a paper store but it had an amazing online board - even though it has been several years since she closed her doors, i am still online friends with MANY people from there (online and since then in real life too) including the owner. Just like Cynthia said, the owner being a part of the community and actively involved ishuge to me (and besides, Laura is just plain the best!). i have friends here at TLP that i would totally go on a road trip to hang out with!

also, everyone here is 'real'. some places it's just too much frosting for my taste - i have a hard time handling places where it is sooooo shiny and perfect that no one ever has a bad day!

 

I guess I did a lot of "hopping" around for awhile. I stay with digital scrapping because I love it. I stay with Lilypad because everyone is nice, helpful, encouraging, funny, and thoughtful. There is always something fun going on, new people to meet, ideas to exchange. Just makes a body feel at home..

The designers are great, and it really feels like a family run place. Just love it.

 

I've hopped around many places. The things that bring me back are:

1. Being noticed--that can be comments in the gallery or responses in the forum.

2. Not feeling out of place. When my layouts standout in the gallery in a bad way, it is uncomfortable. (For example, creating a clustered layout in a gallery that is almost all clean and simple.)

3. Designs that I like to buy. If I am going to participate in challenges, I need to be able to buy things that work for my style. I love when designers participate in the forums or comment in their galleries.

4. Not too much drama. You all probably know what I mean by that.

5. Fun! Events like MOC.

 

I'm kind of a digital nomad in some ways, but the Lilypad has kind of turned into my home base I come back to again and again.

I originally followed Peppermint here very soon after I started scrapping and she keeps me rooted here since I'm on her team, but I'm also a huge fan of a lot of other designers here like Valorie Wibbens, Paislee Press, and Alison. Since I also design and for a brief period was co-running a store, I've come and gone, but I always seem to end up back here.

Honestly, knowing even a tiny bit of how much work it is to run a digital shop, I am always amazed with the regular flow of ideas and excitement here. There is definitely a special ingredient about it.

 

Challenges. Great products.

 

For me it's the designs that I have to want to buy and scrap with and the people that hang out in the forums. There are 2 more stores I would buy from if it wasn't for the humongous cliques on both where new people aren't even acknowledged. You have cliques everywhere but I find here new people aren't ignored and are just as welcome! And since I am on a budget that makes the choice very simple
P.S. AND I love all the challenges here! Not just MOC but there is a lot of fun activity all the time.

 

I loved another store. But at some point I started feeling like a joke. I called Bingo too early once during a live chat & people were snarky. The final straw was during win lose or draw. There was a glitch & I was given the wrong clue. The moderators couldn't stop laughing at what I'd drawn. I could hear them trying to shush eachother. It was awful. I stuck around a bit more, but the quality of designs kept dwindling. The challenges became strict & they got rid of reward points. It just wasn't worth it anymore.

That's when I came back here. I'd been a member for 2 years, but hadn't really participated. I started with the challenges, collected coupons & chat rewards. Anne & Karen were so welcoming right away. I was drawn to Laurie Ann's & Allison Pennington's designs. I started finding my style again. There are people here who are willing to laugh at themselves, not just at others. I have very little self confidence. It takes a lot of courage for me to say anything online, especially to share my pages. I really care about people & all I really want is to be cared about too. I'm comfortable here & that means so much.

 

Well, I first came around during the first MOC challenges...and I am so stubborn that even though I was studying for my licensing exam (that I took on the day that the last challenge had to be in!!) I just had to finish all of them. During that time I found an amazing support system here...and even though I'm not the chattiest, I find myself wanting to join in on conversations (a big thing for me). Over the last 3 years, I feel that I have opened up a little more, I feel like I know you, and I feel like there are people here that truly care for me.
Then I had the amazing opportunity to be a guest polly for a couple months...and I saw how hard everyone works behind the scenes to make this place a home for so many people...and it truly is amazing!! The organization and commitment it takes to get all of the challenges and chats running smoothly...it completely blew me away.
So, I guess what keeps me at a site...it's the people, both behind the scenes and out in the forefront. How genuine everyone is, how caring and supportive people are. How much time people will take out of their day to comment on your layouts and respond in the forums.
I also happen to LOVE the designers here.
So what I'm saying is that unless someone drags me out of here...I'm staying!!!

 

1) Active gallery, with both new LOs and new comments. I don't want to feel like the gallery only exists as proof we did challenges. I want to use it for inspiration and, hey, who doesn't love getting comments???

2) Active, friendly staff. New products being released, responsive customer service, challenges and events, etc. If I ask a question and no one responds for a week, I feel like that site doesn't even want me as a customer. Not naming any names, but some store owners have been outright RUDE to customers as well. Why would I want to give them my money? Laura can have my money. She's awesome.

3) High-quality products. Awesome people are great, but if I don't actually want any of the stuff in the store, ermm.... Some designers here are more my taste than others, but there isn't a single one here whose designs I wouldn't be happy to use. There have been sites where I win a designer coupon and can't find a single thing to use it on. Definitely not a problem here!

 

Inspiring challenges are the number one draw for me. Also a feeling of connectedness with other members of the forum and gallery. And of course, being able to interact with the designers...

 

Hey I, too, am single so you are not alone!
1935

 

I started at digi-scrap drive in, then just hopped around, never really finding a new home after, When ct'ing for Silva Romeo, took me all over, but nothing stuck.
1 the people i meet
2 being noticed and encouraged
3 products that excite me, as in Kitchen, office supply or vintage

 

Why would I leave?