Freebies to start you out.

Ok, we have come to the part where I tell you where to get free stuff. But first, some discussion.

This is not a free hobby.  Seriously.

The thing about freebies is they tend to give us an attitude of entitlement.  It's easy to forget how much hard work designers put in to their kits.

I also need to mention here that just because you get a kit for free, that doesn't mean you can redistribute it to friends.  THE DESIGNER OF A KIT IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DISTRIBUTE IT.  PERIOD.  Please read Bree Clarkson's article, "Why it's not ok to share freebies," over at the Stop Piracy blog.

Freebies, to my thinking, serve 3 purposes:
1.  Freebies offered by designers are a great way to try out a designer's work to get an idea of their style and the quality of their product.  Freebies can also be a good incentive to visit a site or participate in an event.  (Designers: this is a GREAT way to really get people hooked on your work.  While it's true everyone is out to snatch up anything free that they can, it gets your name in our minds and your stuff on our computers and helps us figure out who we really like!)
2.  Freebies are a good way to let people try out digital scrapbooking stress-free.  When you're starting out in digi-scrappin', you don't know what your style is and you need to be able to experiment with different kinds of patterns and elements until you've found your groove.
3. Some designers really just want to create and put freebies out there.  Then again, I think some post freebies to get noticed and build a following, and then they will sell their elements at another site -- but hey, it's all good!

You really don't have to buy kits or elements if you don't want to.  But don't begrudge designers who sell their work.  When a designer has a good, quality product that they have put a lot of time and effort into, they DESERVE to be compensated.  Don't get greedy and expect tons and tons of freebies just because you want them.  Freebies actually cost the designer money, because in addition to the time and energy they have put into them, the bandwidth that all their downloading takes up really adds up.  And honestly?  You will come to a point in your digi-scrappin' life when spending $5 on a kit that you adore is SO worth the money.  (Kind of like growing up you couldn't understand why someone would pay $50 for a great pair of jeans and now you're like "OH!")

If you say to yourself "But I could make something just like that -- for free!  Why buy it?" then by all means, go ahead and try. (But don't blatantly rip-off someone else's designs, 'cause dude that's SO not cool.)  You may decide that you don't need to buy elements, you can just design your own.  But then people may start asking you to share the elements you create, and you'll realize that for all your work and the effort you've put into them, you don't want to just give them away.  So . . . yeah.

Be grateful for freebies.  Be appreciative.  Be nice. Send the designer an e-mail and tell them thank you when they've put up a freebie you enjoy.  When you enjoy a designer's freebies, take a look at their designs for sale if they have them.  But don't feel like they OWE you anything.  Freebies are a gift, not an obligation.

Michelle over at Scrapability has a great blog entry about freebies -- click here to read it.

Digi-scrapping has changed since I first wrote about freebies, and at this point, I'm not sure where to point you to freebies, except for:
1. Shabby Princess
2. Miss Mint has a new free kit at Peppermint Creative every month!
3. Simply Clean Digi-Scraps 
4. TwoPeas in a Bucket
5. Digital Freebies
6. ScrapArtist

--> Many designers and stores include freebies within their newsletters -- so be sure to sign up for the newsletter when you register at a site!

--> DigiShopTalk has an OPEN forum, and several places for designers or creators to announce freebies and samples.  The Member Giveaways forum is for non-designers.   Designers will be posting their freebies in different sections -- If they're just giving something away at a chat or as their monthly sampler or just out of the kindness of their hearts on their blogs (etc...), you may find it in the Digital Store & Designer Announcements forum.  Or (and you'll probably start to see this more often) they may offer you a sample of their new kit and they'll post about that in the New Products section!  So it may take some digging, but at least you know where to go! 

Comments

[Katie Mann]

I just wanted to thank you for what you've written about freebies. It is all so very true. We do put a lot of work and thought into what we'll be giving away. We can't afford for it to be inferior, because then it would drive away potential customers, plus we want it to be something that someone would really use.

[Rose Farver]

I agree with your statements here, thank you for a thoughtful and positive perspective on the issue.

[Betty Jo]

My friend Rose told me about your blog. And she was right--it is neat. I really liked what you have posted on freebies. I'm basically new at designing, started only this past February, and have only one free kit at SBB. But, I am working on others. I would love to be added to your designer list. You can check out my work at either Scrap Outside the Box or at my blog. I'm also fairly new at blogging too. May I please put a link from my blog to yours?

Have a wonderful day!! :0)

[Meredith Fenwick]

So cool to find a blog about digiscrapping, and great info on freebies. :) I really like how you look at it, and that's how I look at it to and always have. Now that I am designing, I think that offering freebies is exactly like you said, a way to find out if you like a designer's work. I have a couple of free kits up at Scrap Outside the Box if you want to check them out :)

[Clara Wallace]

Very well said - thanks for sharing your thoughts and presenting a side that not all people think about. :)

[Katie Nelson]

Nice job with this blog! Great info and very well organized. Thanks!

[Sandi Goosen]

I think it is great to have freebies, without them I would never have gotten up the courage to try a digi-layout. Thanks for all those generous people who share their hard work.

[Kim]

Thanks for the news on freebies. I am new to scrapbooking and have bought kits, cd's and love the freebies too. I think the freebies are what will get people to start digi-scrapping and will keep them checking these sites and finding kits they can't do without. We visit the sites, download the freebies and then make purchases as well. Don't forget the new digi-scrappers who use freebies are also telling their friends and family how awesome and fun this digital scrapbooking is. Freebies are a great way for the designer to market themselves and also get new business and get more interest in digital scrapping. This is also a great way to drive us to these great websites.

Thanks Jen for your site and the links to these other great sites. I am truly addicted to this great hobby that my sister turned me on to, and I in turn have shared with my friends and family too!

[Melinda]

Thank you for what you wrote about freebies! I also visited the links of freebies you suggested and will be letting my friends know to visit your site!!

[Anne]

thank you for direction and kindness in your blog. I appreciate learning where and why these are free. I am new to downloading in general, and try to leave a thank you whenever I download. My pages that for years were just cut and paste graphics and squares and rectangles are amazing to my family now. This is a hobby we all share in. I appreciate the artist that allow their stuff to be downloaded for free! I just have to figure out different ways to use a paperclip...or button..lol

[Janice]

Thanks for the informative blog. I am a newbie in digital scrapping and I admit that I was only able to start making LOs with freebies. Only recently have I purchased my first complete sets of kit and it is really different having the ENTIRE kit goin'. You'll never run out of what to do with it. I am still on the lookout for some more great freebies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those fabulous designers who share samples of their creative genius for free... Thanks and more thanks!

[Lori]

My first visit here, and I really like your blog and couldn't agree more. I am actually a web graphics designer, but also give away freebies for scrapping on my blog, and invite anyone to stop by and grab some printable papers and other things I have.

[Trooper]

Thank you for the freebies. They were very useful for me. The article is wonderful too.
Thanks!

[Vicky Laursen]

I love what you have written about freebies. If you have your own Creative Team and wish to advertise your teams freebies you may do so with my blessing at my site at DigiScrapDepot.com. I hope to see you there today. Have a pleasant day!

[Melissa]

Thank you so much for sharing all this information! I've recently "converted" to digiscraping. My kids are both pretty young and it's impossible to get out all of the required supplies for convential scrapping! Your site's one of the most informative and helpful sites I've come across! Keep up the great work!

[Tess]

Just to let you know I'm really grateful for the generosity of digital scrap artists and they really help someone like me who has to learn everything on my own. No one teaches Adobe PS in English , so I have to learn from tutorials on the web. There are no books in English either , so I am one appreciative blog reader!

[Theresa]

I would have never tried Digital if it weren't for the freebies so thanks to all who give their time to create them and thanks to you Jen for giving us the links and all the great tips.

[ew]

Thanks a lot for the tips on freebies. I am starting out on digital scrapbooking and found your blog to be very helpful.