So.. What do you think of our new home?

I'm hoping to get some honest impute on the new Santamakers home, message board & photo gallery. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them! I'm still working on the message forum here so you may see some additions a little later today.

I am hope everyone finds the photogallery easy to use! I had a learning curve in installing and setting it up! Let me know if there are any problems!

I'm hoping someone uploads some photos soon! I haven't made santas in so long that I had to resort to uploading a photo of my dog in order to test the gallery.

Patty

I like this new area. I wasn't able to participate through MSN because it kept locking me and saying I didn't have a account. I ran out of email account to register. Now I can participate again.

Bertha

Hello again Santa Makers!

Patty- so happy to see you!! I have been very busy with other endeavors and not making many Santas- I got only one done this season for my mom (will post photos!) I also was no longer receiving updates or digests from the old site but suddenly began getting them again- just in time to learn of the switch.

I will probably not post often but love the idea of keeping in touch with everyone and knowing that the site will go on!! Great job Patty and thank you for taking it on!! I hope that I will learn to balance some things this year and have a chance to get some more art time back in (have also now taken up quilting! Just what I needed...another expensive hobby!)

Anyway, again with a huge thank you! and looking forward to a wonderful 2009 with you all. Lisa Gapen (formerly Fronek) The Grand Father Claus and Laugh Studios!!

PS- to stay on topic- this is a wonderful new forum!!

I think everyone is busy trying to save their photos on MSN before the door closes.
Me? I'm sitting in the chat room all by myself! I was curious to see if anyone joined in!

Patty, I think you have done a wonderful job on the new site. I was having trouble loading pic's and then I read the instructions, then everything went fine.

It's funny how that works.

Thanks again Patty.

Darel

Thanks darel.
So how about the intructions? Too wordy? Any suggestions?
I put this together rather quickly and right around the holidays too! I'm sure there are things that need edited, cleaned up, etc..

I added ""Other Figuratives" to the photo gallery. (Thanks for the suggestion Daintiest Nick)
I wasn't sure if I should add a seperate category on the forum too? The General Discussion forum is for everything, but I wasn't sure if I should add a section for other figuatives to the Guild shop.


I'm going to be adding a Guild Shop to the photo gallery. Now I'm confused and not sure whether to link the Guild website to the Guild shop photo album or here on the forum.


I'm just thinking out loud, but I really would like everyone 's opinion and suggestions!

I didn't create this thread to boost my ego!
I created this thread to get some honest feedback and suggestions.


Patty

HI Patti,
I planned on coming in to the chat room. But things just got in the way!!..
We have 6 chow puppies right now and I can't seem to be able to put the mop down Im calling one of them puddles..her name speaks for it self,,,
In two weeks all but one will be in there forever homes..and I will have more time for ME.
AnywayI just wanted you to know that I appreciate what you have done for our group.. The site is really great
thanks so much
Sarah

Puppies! I've been there before! Amazing what comes out of those little bodies.

I'll be here if you need help. Remember, if you want to save anything over at the MSN Group, you will need to do so before they slam the door shut in Feb!

Patty, the instructions were fine. I just tried the "guy" thing, you know, when all else fails read the instructions.

I like the "other figuratives" site, because throughout the year we work on other things that aren't santa's and now we can post them and get some crit's on our other work without feeling like we are stepping out of bounds.

I also like the "Guild Shop". If it is seperate from the photo gallery, then you can post just the things you want to sell in the Guild shop. Everything in the photo gallery may not be for sale or already sold.

Those are just some thoughts, that's all, because you have been doing a great job.

Darel

I'll add a Guild Shop Category to the photo gallery in a few hours, where members can upload only the items they have for sale.

I'm debating whether to add two albums to the Guild shop. One album called the Christmas Shop for Christmas & Santa Creations and then another Album for the "Other Figuratives"? Should we offer more than Christmas & Santas for sale?

If I do create an album for the "Other Figuratives for sale" I need to come up with another name for it or people will get the "Other Figuratives" category (not for sale) confused with the "Other Figuratives" (for sale) in the guild shop. Am I making sense?

Hi, I was an active member at the MSN group for a while, but MSN, in it's infinite wisdom, wouldn't allow me access, so I could read and not post. It will be nice to be able to post to this group again. Thank you!
BTW, are there any other carvers in the group?

Marcia

Was a member of this forum long time ago, glad I got the email. It's a little confusing jumping around between galleries and home, but I can get the hang of it. I am impressed with your concept of forumotion. I got so lost in there I finally gave up. Hope you will eventually link to their blog format.
Nice place you got here! Paula

Paula,
Good to see that you made it over. Where did you get lost? On this forum or the one MSN migrated us to (Multiply).

I tried to flow between the Gallery & here but since the forum & Gallery are on different servers there wasn't much of an option. Forumotion offers better security than I could offer installing a forum on my server. It's hard enough securing the photo gallery!

What blog do you want me to link to? Multiply? I'm confused!

Forumotion offers free blogs that you can link to with in this domain. HA HA I was trying to do a forum at forumotion and got so lost I deleted alot of categories. I gave up and deleted all of it. Guess I'm not the patient type lol. I have been wandering around in here testing stuff. So far so good. You did an excellent job.
Coppermine fits right in with the phpbb. It was a great choice and an even better idea.

The link to "create a free blog" is at the bottom right of the forum. I didn't see where I could link to everyone's blogs though.

I've been with Forumotion a long time and I've set up about 5 other forums with it over the years. When MSN closed their doors I decided to move this group to Forumotion too. The Blog thing is fairly new and I never had a use for it. But if there is a way to link to everyone's blog that would be great! I'm just not sure how to do it. I'll check with support.

Patti, whats the chances of adding a Wip category? I looked through here and didn't see any thing on works in progress. Just finished stuff.

psclaus wrote:Patti, whats the chances of adding a Wip category? I looked through here and didn't see any thing on works in progress. Just finished stuff.

Your wish is my command. Added WIP to the Community Center.

patti for some reason i cant use the gallery , when i click on it all i get is a black field with a white opening no drop down or nothing, yeah i logged in.

psclaus wrote:patti for some reason i cant use the gallery , when i click on it all i get is a black field with a white opening no drop down or nothing, yeah i logged in.

Try changing themes. The default theme has a glitch in it when you go to edit photos. The black background makes it hard to see the text. Let me know if changing themes doesn't work for you.

I was trying so hard to pull this together before MSN closed their doors that I haven't had time to really smooth things out. I'd like to eventually make the website, gallery & forum all flow together with the same theme but that's down the road. Right now, I'd be happy to get things looking half way decent.

Patty

Thanks Patti , it was stuck in choose a theme. All fixed now huggs

Patti I may take you up on you kind offer. Thanks

With your permission I would like to add your link to the Ooakguild?

psclaus wrote:Patti I may take you up on you kind offer. Thanks

With your permission I would like to add your link to the Ooakguild?

So what do you think? Should we add "other" links to the individual artist links forum or create another forum for external links? The Ooakguild itself is not a member of Santamakers, but individual artists are.

I feel I'm creating too many sections that may confuse members. Maybe I should just make the Artist Links forum into a forum where members can add their own personal websites or any relevant links? I could change the forum title to "Interesting Links" or Fun Links or something!

I think it would be easier to create another category and keep them all together then if they need to be individualized into there own separate file would be good. Like costuming for one file and armatures for another etc.
What I meant about adding a link from Santamakers to Ooak guild. I know there are a few over there that have taken an interest in Santa sculpts. I am going to post an invite over there to come an have a lookie see.

Well, for now I changed Artist Links to Community Links. That should cover any members links & guild links.
We can see how that works.

We don't get enough posts to separate costuming and armatures (at least for now). Since many Santamakers are really working in mixed media with their creations I created a Santa Stages & Development forum. If it seems that we need to separate into different categories from there then I'll do it.

Right now, everyone needs to have a chance to get used to the new setup which is very different from MSN and not be afraid to post thinking they may be in the wrong area! After all, we don't shoot or whip anyone here!