Challenge suggestion

[catrules]

Here is an extreme idea. What if we did away with weekly challenges and just made them monthly challenges with a "challenge team" instead of individual hostesses. Each hostess would still choose her challenge, but she would share it in advance with the other team members and they would all post to all the challenges, not just their individual challenges. Each week a different monthly challenge would be introduced and the entire challenge team could post there projects on the same day. Kind of bombard the gallery with the same challenge on the same day.

So lets say for example:
1st week of the month: color challenge
2nd week of the month: sketch challenge
3rd week of the month: technique challenge
4th week of the month: CASE challenge

Each week the "challenge team" would introduce the new challenge and upload their cards to the gallery and then post them in that particular challenge forum. Am I making any sense at all? I really should go stamp something and quit bugging you guys with my silly notions.

I don't want to do away with Monday's 3D Challenge quite frankly I love doing this every week and it is bottom line what is keeping me stamping right now.

[catrules]

Everyone has good ideas and we've already discussed a lot of these in the past.

I know for a fact the Monday 3D challenges don't seem to get posted on here but I know people are playing along I get emails and I always suggest uploading them to SA why they don't I don't know I can't figure that out.

I agree with Paula I think SA needs to have daily challenges. Keep it new and fresh.

As for picking teams I'm not sure how that would work with Monday's 3D Challenge since I do a video tutorial as well. Unless the Monday 3d Challenges are gotten rid of. Again I would hate to see that happen as that truly is what is keeping me going right now.

I like Krystal's idea of maybe doing buttons for the challenges for people to post on there blogs. That I think would increase traffic to Stampin' Addicts a lot!! I think that is a fantastic idea!!

[scrapshappen]

The challenge hostesses and I have been discussing the whole challenge situation here and we've come up with a few things.

1 - SA will not have a CASE challenge until we get consistent play in all the challenges. I can think of nothing worse than featuring a stamper in a challenge and then get NO players in that challenge that week. I like to think that I'm a pretty humble stamper myself, but I know my ego couldn't take that. The other challenges will remain the same days for now. As a hostess, even if no one plays along in my sketch challenge that week, I know that someone might use that sketch as a jumping off point for a swap or class project in the future so even if no one plays along and posts, I'm ok with that. I think being the featured CASE is a whole other thing.

2 - We are tweaking the Accessory Challenge. It will now be called the "Accessories and More" challenge and will feature any and all things that are in the last section of the catalog. MDS, Big Shot, Punches, etc., etc. Trina and Dixie will be working together on these challenges.

3 - We're not looking at teams at this point at all. None of the hostesses feel like that will help them with their challenges and will actually make things more complicated for them. I appreciate all the hard work they do each week and want to keep it as easy for them as possible.

4 - Hostess will try harder to post the challenges first thing in the morning. We all have lives that get in the way of that sometimes. I'm the worst offender I know but will try harder. But please think of the challenges as weekly thing, not a daily thing. This week's 3D challenge, this week's color challenge, etc, etc.

5 - Oh I know there was something else, but I'm trying to get my kids out the door to school right now.

[Debadoo]

I think getting them posted earlier, or perhaps even the night before would be a great idea. There have been several times that I was looking to stamp, went to the challenge for the day and it wasn't up. I know I could have done an older one, but I was set on the new one.

[Pepesmom]

I think getting them posted earlier, or perhaps even the night before would be a great idea. There have been several times that I was looking to stamp, went to the challenge for the day and it wasn't up. I know I could have done an older one, but I was set on the new one.

I've purposely stayed out of this discussion so that we could get some open, unbiased dialog going. I have been following every word, though.

Deb, I appreciate this comment the most. It's funny that Paula is fine with her sketches being a reference for whenever and I wanted my color challenges to be jumped on and played immediately!

But it's good to hear what the players want from the hostesses so we can plan accordingly. So thanks to everyone for your comments and keep them coming if you have any inspired ideas.

[scrapshappen]

A couple of other things to wet your appetite:

We will be resurrecting the Saturday Scrapbook challenge under the leadership of Holly K (aka CatRules). Watch for more information on this in the near future as the details come together.

And mark your calendars now. Every time there is a fifth Saturday, we are going to have an extra special stamping weekend full of challenges and other fun stuff under the direction of Trina (aka Pepesmom).

[scrapshappen]

The challenge hostesses and I have been discussing the whole challenge situation here and we've come up with a few things.

1 - SA will not have a CASE challenge until we get consistent play in all the challenges. I can think of nothing worse than featuring a stamper in a challenge and then get NO players in that challenge that week. I like to think that I'm a pretty humble stamper myself, but I know my ego couldn't take that. The other challenges will remain the same days for now. As a hostess, even if no one plays along in my sketch challenge that week, I know that someone might use that sketch as a jumping off point for a swap or class project in the future so even if no one plays along and posts, I'm ok with that. I think being the featured CASE is a whole other thing.

2 - We are tweaking the Accessory Challenge. It will now be called the "Accessories and More" challenge and will feature any and all things that are in the last section of the catalog. MDS, Big Shot, Punches, etc., etc. Trina and Dixie will be working together on these challenges.

3 - We're not looking at teams at this point at all. None of the hostesses feel like that will help them with their challenges and will actually make things more complicated for them. I appreciate all the hard work they do each week and want to keep it as easy for them as possible.

4 - Hostess will try harder to post the challenges first thing in the morning. We all have lives that get in the way of that sometimes. I'm the worst offender I know but will try harder. But please think of the challenges as weekly thing, not a daily thing. This week's 3D challenge, this week's color challenge, etc, etc.

5 - Oh I know there was something else, but I'm trying to get my kids out the door to school right now.

Yes I am quoting myself.

I take back what I said about the teams to some extent. We are looking at trying out a team approach to the scrapbook challenge under Holly's leadership. We will provide more details about that soon.

[skdeleeuw]

Sounds like some fun changes!!

Sorry if I stepped on any toes with my soapbox standing. That was not my intention. I guess I just misunderstood the purpose of the challenges.

[scrapshappen]

No worries Krystal. It's been helpful to have the discussion and tweak a thing or two. We're not ruling anything out for the future either. As the site grows and evolves, so will the challenges.

[escape2stamp]

My apologies, too. Anything I mentioned was in the spirit of giving ideas in case they are helpful. I appreciate all of the work that all of you put into these challenges on top of everything else you have going on in your lives. I'll strive to participate more so that you can all SEE how much I appreciate you

[scrapshappen]

There is NO need for anyone to apologize please. I love the feed back, it shows people care about the site and about our challenges. And many of the ideas that you all shared were discussed among the hostesses to see what might be possible now and what might be possible in the future. I didn't make any decisions by myself, but will take the flack for what you don't like too because that's my job until Angie and HSP give it to someone else.

And just so there is no confusion, (because I know what I mean, but sometime I don't communicate that well enough and it was pointed out to me that maybe I wasn't clear), we are looking at a challenge team approach to the Scrapbook challenge, what that looks like isn't entirely clear yet. A Design Team for this site is beyond the scope of my responsibility as the Challenge Master.

[Debadoo]

Thanks Trina! I really need to make more of an effort to do more of the challenges. I think my 3 biggest things I've run into are:

I'm up at 2 am looking for something to get me stamping. Of course, I should probably just decide to try older challenges already posted when the new ones aren't up. Unless hostesses decided to start posting them the night before.

I am very depleted in the new color of CS but I do have the inks. Soon I will be able to order several packs of the new colors of CS, but still don't have in colors, and may not get them, undecided on this one. So my question is this.....would it go against the spirit of a color challenge, for us to play and use colors that are as close as we have if we don't have the actual colors?

I tend to forget about them a lot. I expect I'm not the only one. What do y'all think about having our own challenge contests? Everyone loves a pat on the back, so what if we had a challenge Hall of Fame or something? It might be too much to do, dunno, but perhaps all SA'ers could be encouraged to vote on the offerings say two days before the new one is posted and the winning item is put into a Hall of Fame sticky thread with a link to that particular challenge thread. Folks could leave congrats messages in the challenge thread. We could remind folks to vote, post the winners etc, so it would create a lot more discussion about the challenges thereby reminding folks to do it, along with incentive to participate, but doesn't cost anyone anything but time. I'd be glad to help with this, and those with blogs could occasionally put in a plug for the contests maybe.

I also think it would be great for the color challenges to list the colors in the title like most of the other challenges do. Would make it easier to find a particular challenge, and also pique interest perhaps. We could abbreviate, pear, rzzlbry etc to make them fit.

And I just gotta say.....I LOVE THIS SITE!! I love the spirit of it. The powers that be, always want to know what we'd like to see, always encourage suggestions and ideas, no one is ever made to feel like their idea or suggestion wasn't wanted, and if it can't work now, it's tabled for the future perhaps, and folks take the time to explain why it maybe can't work right now. Although we do need leadership, I love that this is not a place where a handful dictate how things are going to be on the site, according to their vision. Hugs to all who spend so much time and effort making this a great place to be, mods and posters alike!

[skdeleeuw]

I like Deb's idea about somehow keeping the challenges in the forefront. Maybe one easy fix would be to put the Challenge Gallery entries under the Mini Catalog Gallery entries on the Gallery Main page (instead of the Stampin' Events Gallery which currently shows under the Mini Catalog Gallery pics). They would be a little more noticeable, since people would not have to scroll down further to see them.

[scrapshappen]

I like the idea of moving the challenge pictures up above the event pictures. I'll bring that up with James.

Also, I'm not sure I quite get Deb's suggestion. I'm tired, it's been a long week and I have another long week ahead with my parents and in laws visiting and a party for 50 people at my house next Saturday so I think my brain is just fried. I'll try to read it again when my brain is fresher. Are you saying that we pick one winner (participant) for each challenge each week? Or a winner from all the challenges combined? I need to check the numbers again, but we still have weeks no and again where no one plays in any of the challenges so I'm not sure how that would work just yet.

It's kind of a chicken and egg thing we've got going here (you know -- which came first) and we're trying to balance that out.

[Debadoo]

Basically pick a winner from each challenge. Those with blogs who wanted to could sometimes announce the contests/challenges. If no one plays then it's no biggie, there is no winner. I know we don't have a lot playing right now, but I thought this might encourage folks to play. The winners could be announced in a thread kind of like we do the gallery milestones, and all SA'ers could go vote for who they want to win. With posts to remind folks to vote, then more folks might remember to do the challenges. The "prize" is just a pat on the back and 15 seconds of fame, but that's ok. We all like a pat on the back.

[skdeleeuw]

To bounce off of Deb's idea. How about just highlighting ALL (hostesses too!) the SA challenge cards that were uploaded for the week. Someone could post a thread (maybe on Sundays) in the General Stamp forum, that lists the links to all the SA challenge cards that were posted for that week. It would just give the challenge players a little extra special attention. Maybe title the thread the same every week like: SA Challenge Projects for the week ending 3.6.11. Then nobody gets left out and you don't have to worry about how many players there were for a challenge. And people could go to one spot each week and see what the challenges were.

[lilyinkpad]

I'd be willing to do more to make the challenges more successful--even hosting a scrapbook one if you need volunteers.

[res1122]

I would LOVE it if there were stickys at the top of each challenge forum with a master list of everything. I get behind on the challenges and would love one place to look and see what is going on. I like it.