Hello, hello!

It’s Thanh here and before I make the announcement of our New Design Team Members, I wanted to acknowledge ALL the applicants who applied for our last Design Team Call or for those who thought about it and decided “maybe next time.” Trust me when I say that I’ve been in your position; I’ve received my share of – I’m going to use the word – rejection emails. It’s not an easy topic to discuss and it was definitely challenging for Karen and I to choose just TWO designers from all the applicants! We’re so humbled by the love and the growth that you’ve given YNS over these years that we want to ensure you that each application was reviewed carefully and thoroughly. You took the time and effort to send them in to us and Karen made a point of responding to each one – with a discount to the Store!

When I was starting out (been actively in the business since 2008 now), I always used to wonder how companies choose their design team members. I hope that by being transparent about our selection process and giving you tips for next time (to apply for YNS or any other DT out there), this will help you in your future endeavours!

When Karen and I were reviewing the applications, we were looking for/most interested in the following:

1. Photography: how well you photograph your creations. Are your photos showing off your projects in the best way? Are they crisp and clear?
2. Team Player: There is no I in team. You work closely with us and other DT members and we need to have each other’s backs.
3. Social Media and Communication Skills: With the movement of fewer publications and more digital/social mediums, we needed to see how you promote yourself, your blog and how you would be willing to promote YNS. Are you a good writer; do you communicate well and have clear instructions on your projects? Are you active on your social media accounts? Are you enthusiastic about the products you’re using?
4. Readership: Do you have a large readership; what’s your influence on them?
5. Being open to learning, growing and receiving feedback: We love educating our DT members and love seeing them grow with YNS. Are you the type of person who can handle that nudge – sometimes a push – from us?

I hope that this has helped and we encourage you to apply with us next time; continue applying to any DT company that you love. Your passion and enthusiasm will shine through! To summarize, I’ll leave you with a simple yet very true quote:

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky 

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Once again, ya’ll made it so tough on us, but I am so happy to be introducing the following two ladies to our North American DT:

Annette Allen
Blog: My Clever Creations

Sue Taylor-Hill
Blog: Gertsgoods 

You may recognize Sue who was our September Guest Designer. You will learn more about these two ladies in the new year as they create up a storm for YNS! Please help me in welcoming them to our YNS family.

Surprise! We have another exciting announcement to make. I bet you didn’t know that YNS has a large following in Japan! We are so fortunate that our stamps are also well known on the East Coast of the World and that we have some very talented designers working with our images. These two ladies will be joining the Japanese segment of the YNS family. Please also help me in welcoming the following two ladies:

Holiday Snow Globe – Ayako Hama

 Too many YNS products to list :o) – Maki Kubo 

Thank you so much for joining us today and helping us welcoming our new Team Members.

All the best,
Thanh