What's the deal with challenge rules?

Someone in the backroom said that MOC7 is 334 days away.

I said the above. Look for the path of the shoe she threw at me!

 

Aaack! Should I start making my 31 blank pages now?

 

@bestcee why do I have the feeling that it's YOUR fault that THESE smilies have been added: And I'm pretty sure that THESE smilies are on fire from being used so much back there: and every time someone mentions a second MoC there's those going please nooooooo.

 

I've refrained from jumping into this conversation (avoid discussions about religion & politics, right? lol...), but I do feel a few things should always be remembered here.

(1) This store is very generous. While yes, it is disappointing that we can't use retired products as part of the 75% requirement during MOC, we CAN use them in every other challenge throughout the year AND with regular gallery postings. That's awesome!
(2) Even though The Pad is our home, and we love it dearly, we shouldn't lose site of the fact that IT IS A BUSINESS and has to be run like one. Laura & our fabulous designers have bills to pay and families to support. They can't do that if they don't sell products. We just get to have an amazing time while they're selling & we're buying!
Just my thoughts. Love you all!

 

Plus the designers were offering FANTASTIC sales during too!! It was a real treat!!!

 

@Serena nah, my most used smiley is this one:

And this one was added for me: ok, ok, this one:
This one might have been added for our dear Julie though.....

 

I didn't do my quoting right, but I completely agree with Londoncuppa.

And to do my part, I spent just over $42 to buy supplies to hopefully earn my $20 certificate.

 

Yup! I followed the rules, but I made a mistake in crediting, too. Although I credited my scrap lift on the thread, I didn't credit the original layout, by mrs2a50, in my gallery post. AAAAHHH! Fortunately, an easy fix.

 

This so much!!

I don't have host comments on all of mine, but I also wasn't expecting too, that's a lot to keep up with, on top of life, work, family, their own creative time...

I don't mind getting PM's, they've always been so nice about me missing the mark on something, and I know how uncomfortable it is for them to be the "bad guy" not knowing how the recipient is going to take it. I also appreciate constructive criticism on my layouts, I still want and need to grow and do better!

 

so, I read through some of the posts and was going to be quoting a lot of you and answer.... BUT THEN.......
I see this from Margaret, which says better than I could what I have been thin king all along....

First , someone said in a post in the previous page I think, it isn't as you can't use retired or other stuff that is not TLP product AT ALL...... you have 25% of product that you can use which does not need to be current or even from the store.
Then.... most of you who have been here for a while know that I keep making a point of pointing at the $20 Gift Certificate EVERYONE who completes the 31 pages gets..... this is not just generous from Laura...is OUT of this World!!!!
Then, like Margaret well said.... the place is amazing, the community is amazing, but, wherever way you look at it :IT IS A BUSINESS.
The industry has lost some big name stores in the past 3 years or so..... stores don't close just because.... a place of the magnitude of The Pad takes not only a lot of work, but money that is spent.
If we don't buy, the business doesn't run...
We have gold, a treasure, a blessing, the way this place is : has the most amazing designers, designers who scrap, who talk to us and love getting to know us and what we want, we have the Pollys, we all try make an effort to think new stuff that will be fun , or educative, both, and more.
There are Pollys behind the scene who do so much, organizing a place like this is not the easiest thing, but it gets done. Excellently.
The offers on sales are amazing.... I spent quiet a long time shopping here and remember also how shocked I was when Krista (Sahlin Studio) was giving away for free a collab called Art & Soul...it was so amazing...huge kit- and it was free. The SOSN ... 50% OFF , half price products and in some cases some Bundles go for 65% OFF or even more....

We have the blessing of Laura's generosity, her passion fr the Pad and all things scrappy.
I wont start naming names because my brain usually doesn't work that well and it would be unfair not to include all the people who work so hard and keep the spirit of the Pad.

Buy using current product and crediting properly we allow our scrappers friends to know what to buy, by buying/shopping, we keep The Pad thriving and keeping making it the best ever scrap home one can hope for...
Now, as it is 04:23 am here in London of Saturday, I will leave you, but please, think about how awesome is what happens here, lets keep it running as we have been all this time.....
Thanks Margaret for having said it a lot easier than I can do-
Love you guys!!!!

 

I love to sleep in on rainy days.

 

Thanks, Cyn! As you said, Laura's generosity of the gift certificates for finishers is no small thing. I don't want to be preachy, but I've thought about the hundreds that finish every year. If I remember correctly, weren't there 290 finishers last year? Multiply 290 by $20 each, and that's almost $6,000 she gave to the community. Wow! Just wow! Man, I love this place.

 

I totally agree @londoncuppa. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out.