Nuts & Bolts – Graduation 2025 to 2026
Nuts & Bolts – Graduation 2025 to 2026
Let’s be ready for graduation card sales for the class of 2026. Many college and high school graduations are in May. There are hundreds of graduation cards on the site dated 2025. This includes Congratulations, Announcements, and Invitations. Not only should card images be updated but also card titles, keywords, and artist’s notes accordingly. This even applies to custom front design to make them more marketable and avoid shopper errors.
Thank you to those artists who have already updated their designs for 2026 – we appreciate you stepping up to the front of the class!
Search results for “Graduation 2025”
Tip: A quick way to pinpoint the bulk of your related cards is within your Manage Store >> Manage Cards and locate cards searching with keywords “graduation 2025”.
While graduation is on your mind, consider adding new designs to the collection to offer fresh choices to shoppers. See here about adding fresh designs to a saturated category.
Please take the time now to update your designs before 3/1/26. After 3/1/26, GCU will take any outdated cards offline.
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
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Wanted Cards – Spring Fling Invitations
Wanted Cards – Spring Fling Invitations
The anticipation and welcoming of spring is as good of an excuse for a party as any. Be it a dance party, school social, garden viewing or any other assembly with a spring theme – the catchy name sure sounds like fun!
Please consider creating new cards for these events. They should go here:
Invitations >> Party by Theme >> Seasonal / Seasons Party >> Spring Fling cid#39574
Note: cid# is the speed entry method of adding a category to your card via category id number (cid#) vs using search terms or click and hunt. See here on the blog:
To expedite the review of these cards, please check Fast Track Review on the card image details page when you create your card and add a Note for Reviewers like “for BLOG– Wanted Cards”.
Consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track. Remember, when you’re submitting your new stock card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers.
Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
Mindy Rosso
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Nuts & Bolts – Custom Front Cards Enabled on Mobile Site
Nuts & Bolts – Custom Front Cards Enabled on Mobile Site
Most of GCU’s shoppers shop via a traditional or desktop computer. However more and more shoppers are buying on the go on their mobile device. GCU has plans to improve our mobile site to attract more of these mobile shoppers’ purchases.
One recent and exciting improvement is that now custom front cards can be customized and purchased from the mobile site. That means photo front cards and custom front text cards. GCU’s custom relationship and name cards are very popular. This is great news and should garners more sales for all of us!
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Nuts & Bolts – December Design Challenge – 2025 Founders’ Choice Awards
Nuts & Bolts – December Design Challenge – 2025 Founders’ Choice Awards
The countdown begins as we’re practically in mid December. With the final month of the year, amid the joyful holiday chaos GCU relishes the time for this annual wrapup – December’s Design Challenge.
Winners to be announced in 2026, it’s the Best of 2025 – GCU’s Founders’ Choice Awards!
This end of year challenge will consider ALL cards created in 2025 – not just from prior design challenge submissions. There will be countless cards recognized! This means all artists and all 2025 card submissions are candidates. Stay tuned in early 2026 for the “best of” 2025 winners. We’re considering a few new category additions to the winning mix.
Winners will receive the same recognition rewards as in prior design challenges (except no card credits), PLUS winners will receive prestigious and coveted Best of 2025 digital awards for their online promotion and bragging rights.
See 2024’s Founders’ Choice Awards Winners
Taking a look back at your creative year is very nostalgic. Take some time to reflect on all of your hard and creative work over the past twelve months. Reflect on a top seller, a popular new series, a design that took you out of your comfort zone, experimenting with a new style or technique, or just the sheer number of new submissions you made. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back! We’ll be doing the same. If you’re not impressed with your year’s work, maybe take this as an opportunity to set a goal for 2026.
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Dancing on Clouds: Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year and How GCU Artists Can Soar with It!
Pantone has crowned Cloud Dancer (11-4201) as the Color of the Year 2026. Picture a snowflake that wandered into a sunbeam, or the quiet pause between two musical notes. Cloud Dancer is that whisper-soft, elegantly bright white with just enough warmth to keep it from feeling sterile. A welcome muse for card designers everywhere.
Below is your little creative weather report on how to bring this airy hue into your GCU designs in ways that feel intentional, contemporary, and beautifully printable on GCU’s classic card stock.
Cloud Dancer: A blank page with opinions
White may seem neutral, but Cloud Dancer has personality. It behaves like a spotlight shaped out of mist. It can soften loud palettes, elevate pastels, sharpen minimalist compositions, and give whimsical illustrations a sense of quiet confidence.
Think of it as the design equivalent of a deep breath.
How to Harness Cloud Dancer in Your Card Designs
1. Let Cloud Dancer become the “hero white.”
When a palette includes multiple whites, Cloud Dancer is the leading lady. Use it for:
- Main backgrounds to create clarity and room to breathe
- Character outlines for soft-edged, storybook charm
- Snow, clouds, cotton, lace, icing, wings, stardust, or halos
- Negative space that feels intentional rather than just “empty”
Because GCU cards don’t offer metallics or specialty papers, Cloud Dancer can mimic luminosity simply through contrast and good composition.
2. Pair it with colors that love to glow against softness.
Cloud Dancer plays beautifully with:
- Muted pastels (sherbet pinks, foggy lavenders, sage greens)
- Cozy neutrals (warm gray, stone, oatmeal, camel)
- Cool metallic illusions (steel blue, graphite, champagne beige)
- Bold accents (cranberry, navy, even sunny marigold) that pop without shouting
These combinations allow your simple card stock to feel elegant and modern without needing special finishes.
3. Lean into texture and detail (printed, not embossed).
Since GCU prints flat ink only:
- Add subtle illustrated texture like linen crosshatching, watercolor bloom, chalky pastels, or paper-cut shadows.
- Use Cloud Dancer as your light source: let it “hit” the edges of objects to create softness or shape.
- Create faux embossing by pairing Cloud Dancer with a slightly darker warm gray as a shadow layer.
4. Go bold with typography.
Cloud Dancer is a stage that loves a strong voice. Try:
- Chunky serif headlines in deep navy or espresso
- Delicate hand-lettering floating on a Cloud Dancer background
- Warm gray drop shadows that create dimension without metallic ink
Cloud Dancer makes text feel crisp but never cold.
5. Make it seasonal: it’s shockingly versatile.
Winter & Christmas
Think frosty cabins, snowy owls, snowflakes, angels, cookies dusted with sugar. Cloud Dancer is built for holiday shimmer—but printable.
Spring
Cherry blossoms, lambs, bunnies, clean-air themes, bridal showers. Pair with soft pinks and greens.
Summer
Ocean foam, linen textures, minimalist nautical vibes, beach weddings.
Autumn
Mushrooms, cozy sweaters, candle smoke, foggy mornings. Cloud Dancer offsets warm earth tones beautifully.
6. Use Cloud Dancer to modernize classics.
Some categories love a refresh:
- Birthdays with bright accent palettes on a Cloud Dancer background
- Wedding & Anniversary cards featuring airy florals
- Sympathy with calming neutrals for gentle emotional space
- Thank You cards with clean, minimal layouts
Cloud Dancer turns classics into quiet luxuries.
7. Think branding: this color trends with you.
A Color of the Year always ripples through fashion, interiors, packaging, and marketing. Incorporating Cloud Dancer now places your shop in that cultural current. Customers feel it even if they don’t know why.
Design Prompts for GCU Artists
A few seeds to plant in your imagination:
- A Cloud Dancer sky with a trail of soft pastel balloons for birthdays
- A minimalist anniversary card: Cloud Dancer background, champagne-beige line art, one bold red heart
- Whimsical animals outlined in Cloud Dancer against jewel-toned backgrounds
- Sympathy cards with watercolor clouds and gentle sage accents
- “Clean slate” New Year’s cards built around Cloud Dancer’s peaceful hush
If you treat Cloud Dancer as more than “white,” it becomes a character in your design—and a very cooperative one. May this airy whisper of a color help your cards float into many happy shopping carts.
Happy Designing!
Corrie
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Wanted Cards – First Easter as a Family / Parents
Wanted Cards – First Easter as a Family / Parents
Special times on a holiday especially while celebrating a new family member that gives so many people new family titles!
Please consider creating new cards for these relationship specific subs for a 1st Easter as …
Holidays >> Easter >> 1st / First Easter >> As a Family / Parents cid#23168
We have also added new relationship sub-categories here for a first Easter as:
>> Mom / Mother
>> Dad / Father
>> Uncle
>> Aunt
>> Grandparents
>> Grandpa / Grandfather
>> Grandma / Grandmother
Note: cid# is the speed entry method of adding a category to your card via category id number (cid#) vs using search terms or click and hunt. See here on the blog:
Be sure to follow the guidelines for superscript ordinal indicators in your cover text (1st).
To expedite the review of these cards, please check Fast Track Review on the card image details page when you create your card and add a Note for Reviewers like “for BLOG– Wanted Cards”.
Consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track. Remember, when you’re submitting your new stock card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers.
Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
Mindy Rosso
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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In a world buzzing with digital notifications, global headlines, and endless to-do lists, who wouldn’t crave a moment of calm? Enter Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, the unexpected yet profoundly fitting Color of the Year for 2026. Announced on December 4, 2025, by the Pantone Color Institute, this billowy white hue marks a historic first: it’s the very first white shade to claim the coveted title in the program’s 26-year history. Far from a stark, clinical white, Cloud Dancer is an airy, balanced neutral that whispers of peace, clarity, and renewal—like a soft cloud drifting across a vast sky.
What Makes Cloud Dancer So Special?
Pantone describes Cloud Dancer as a “lofty white neutral whose aerated presence acts as a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world.” It’s not your grandmother’s pristine white; this shade strikes a perfect equilibrium between warm and cool undertones, making it versatile and inviting. Imagine a fresh snowfall on a crisp morning or the subtle glow of morning mist—ethereal, yet grounded.
According to Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, “At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete hue offering a promise of clarity.” In essence, it’s a visual exhale, symbolizing our collective yearning for simplicity amid chaos. As Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, notes, it’s like a “blank canvas” that sparks creativity and invites fresh starts.
The Inspiration Behind the Choice
Pantone’s annual selection isn’t pulled from thin air—it’s the result of meticulous trend forecasting. The Color Institute scours global influences, from fashion runways in Milan to street art in Tokyo, tech innovations, and even socio-political shifts. For 2026, the zeitgeist points to a backlash against overstimulation: think “quiet luxury,” digital detoxes, and a renaissance of mindfulness practices.
This white hue reflects our desire to strip back the excess—whether it’s decluttering wardrobes overloaded with bold prints or creating serene home sanctuaries. It’s a nod to balance in an era of extremes, bridging our hyper-connected digital lives with a primal need for human connection and reflection. Following 2025’s earthy Mocha Mousse, Cloud Dancer feels like a natural evolution toward lightness and optimism.
How to Incorporate Cloud Dancer into Your Life
The beauty of Cloud Dancer lies in its chameleon-like adaptability. Here are some inspired ways to weave it into your world:
Fashion and Beauty
- Wardrobe Staples: Opt for Cloud Dancer in flowing linen shirts, wide-leg trousers, or oversized coats for an effortless, monochromatic look that layers beautifully under vibrant accents.
- Makeup Magic: A sheer white highlighter or neutral lip in this shade can create a dewy, “no-makeup” glow. Pair it with soft pastels for a fresh-faced vibe.
- Accessories: Think pearl earrings or a minimalist handbag—subtle luxuries that elevate without overwhelming.
Interior Design and Home Decor
- Walls and Fabrics: Paint a living room wall in Cloud Dancer for an instant sense of spaciousness, or choose it for upholstery in tactile weaves like linen or cotton. Brands like Joybird are already rolling out collections featuring this shade in new fabrics such as Soul and Karina, transforming sofas into serene retreats.
- Complementary Pairings: Layer with muted blues (like Pantone’s Aquatic 14-4510) or earthy neutrals for depth. In kitchens, Cloud Dancer cabinetry paired with matte black hardware screams modern minimalism.
- Wellness Spaces: Create a meditation nook with Cloud Dancer cushions and throws—perfect for that post-yoga unwind.
Product Design and Beyond
Expect Cloud Dancer to pop up everywhere: from Motorola’s sleek white smartphones to Command strips and even Play-Doh sets. In graphic design, it’s ideal for logos seeking understated elegance, while in food trends, it could inspire minimalist plating with white ceramics showcasing vibrant ingredients.
Why Cloud Dancer Matters Now
In 2026, as we grapple with AI advancements and climate uncertainties, Cloud Dancer isn’t just a color—it’s a mindset. It encourages us to pause, reflect, and reset. As Pantone puts it, this shade “opens up space for creativity, allowing our imagination to drift so that new insights and bold ideas can emerge.” Whether you’re a designer sketching your next collection or simply someone seeking solace in a hectic day, Cloud Dancer reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful statements are the quietest ones.
What do you think—will you be embracing this cloudy calm in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This post is based on the official Pantone announcement and insights from industry experts. For more on Pantone’s process, visit their site.
Sources and Further Reading
Here are some reliable sites discussing Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year:
- Pantone Chooses White as Color of the Year for the First Time – TIME Magazine
- Pantone chooses white ‘Cloud Dancer’ as its 2026 Color of the Year – NPR
- Joybird Unveils Pantone Color of the Year 2026 Furniture Collection – PR Newswire (focus on home applications)
- Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year Is ‘Cloud Dancer’ – The New York Times
- Pantone Color of the Year 2026: Cloud Dancer (PANTONE 11-4201) – Pantone Colors Blog
- Pantone opts for simplicity with 2026 Color of the Year – ABC News
- Pantone Color of the Year for 2026 Revealed! – People Magazine
- Pantone names Cloud Dancer its Color of the Year 2026 – Designboom
- Pantone’s Color of the Year 2026 is Cloud Dancer – Homes & Gardens
- Pantone Just Revealed Its 2026 Color of the Year – Real Simple
Don’t forget to visit GCU’s Pinterest Pinboard here: https://nl.pinterest.com/gcuniverse/pantone-color-of-the-year-2026-cloud-dancer/
Happy Designing!
Corrie
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Wanted New Cards Extra – 1st / First Christmas as …
🎄 Wanted Cards – 1st / First Christmas As…
Few things light up the holiday season like a new baby in the family. Suddenly, everyday people get an upgrade in status: Mom, Dad, Auntie, Grandpa, Grandma… and they wear those new titles with pride. The first holiday after a baby arrives becomes a milestone — one that begs to be celebrated, documented, and, of course, shared in a greeting card.
GCU is looking for designs that highlight this special “first Christmas with my new title” moment. These cards aren’t for the baby — they’re for the adults excited to step into their new roles!
Think cozy scenes, soft textures, family-oriented imagery, and symbolic touches: baby socks on a mantel, a tiny ornament with a name tag, a grown-up proudly wearing their new title, or a whimsical scene where family roles are depicted through festive icons. Traditional Christmas palettes always work, but modern neutrals and Scandinavian simplicity are equally welcome.
These cards should go in the following categories:
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As a Dad / Father – cid#39516
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As a Mom / Mother – cid#39514
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As Grandparents >> Grandparents – cid#39520
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As Grandparents >> As a Grandma / Grandmother – cid#39522
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As Grandparents >> As a Grandpa / Grandfather – cid#39524
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As an Aunt – cid#39528
- Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As an Uncle – cid#39530
- Other relationships → Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> Other – cid#786
🔔 Design Tips
- Emphasize the honor of the new title — make it the star of the design.
- A tiny hint of the baby is often enough (booties, a rattle, initials, a wrapped present).
- Classic Christmas elements (holly, wreaths, snowflakes, stockings) pair beautifully with sentimental themes.
- Think beyond parents: 1st Christmas as a Godparent, Stepdad, Stepmom, Big Brother, Big Sister, Guardian, etc.
- Keep compositions clean and readable; these cards are often keepsakes.
✨ Card Text Ideas for GCU Artists
1st Christmas as a Mom / Mother
Front: First Christmas as a Mom
Inside: Your heart grew by one… and your Christmas magically doubled. Congratulations on your beautiful new role.
Front: Merry 1st Christmas, Mommy!
Inside: The sweetest gift of all is finally in your arms.
Front: Warm Wishes for Your First Christmas as a Mother
Inside: May your season be filled with tiny giggles, sleepy cuddles, and unforgettable firsts.
1st Christmas as a Dad / Father
Front: First Christmas as a Dad
Inside: A brand-new chapter, a brand-new joy. Wishing you a magical holiday with your little one.
Front: Merry Christmas, New Dad
Inside: The best present under the tree is the one who made you a father.
Front: Celebrating Your First Christmas as a Father
Inside: May your holiday be full of wonder — and maybe a nap or two.
1st Christmas as Grandparents (General)
Front: Our First Christmas as Grandparents
Inside: The traditions grow deeper, the love grows bigger, and the joy becomes impossible to measure.
Front: Merry Christmas to New Grandparents
Inside: What a beautiful upgrade to your title — enjoy every magical moment.
1st Christmas as a Grandma / Grandmother
Front: First Christmas as a Grandma
Inside: Your arms, your heart, your holiday — all a little fuller this year.
Front: Merry Christmas, New Grandma
Inside: Grand-love is the best love. Wishing you the sweetest season yet.
1st Christmas as a Grandpa / Grandfather
Front: First Christmas as a Grandpa
Inside: A new little one… and a whole new world of joy. Merry Christmas!
Front: Merry Christmas, New Grandpa
Inside: May this holiday bring story-time cuddles, warm memories, and lots of reasons to smile.
1st Christmas as an Aunt
Front: First Christmas as an Aunt
Inside: A tiny person just made your heart ten sizes bigger. Enjoy every moment!
Front: Merry Christmas, New Auntie
Inside: You’ve unlocked the best role ever — spoil, snuggle, repeat.
1st Christmas as an Uncle
Front: First Christmas as an Uncle
Inside: Welcome to the coolest job in the family. Wishing you a joyful holiday!
Front: Merry Christmas, New Uncle
Inside: A little one to laugh with, protect, and adore — what a gift.
Other Relationships (For cid#786)
Godparent
Front: First Christmas as a Godparent
Inside: A blessed role, a beautiful bond, and a holiday full of meaning.
Stepmom / Stepdad
Front: First Christmas as Your Stepmom
Inside: So grateful to be part of your world this holiday season.
Guardian
Front: First Christmas as Your Guardian
Inside: Wishing us both a season full of warmth, trust, and new traditions.
Big Brother / Big Sister
Front: First Christmas as a Big Sister
Inside: You already have the most important job — being someone’s hero.
Happy Designing!
Corrie
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Wanted Cards – 1st / First Christmas as …
Wanted Cards – 1st / First Christmas as …
The first baby in the family brings great excitement and new prestigious titles for family members like Mom, Dad, Uncle, Grandpa, etc. What a special time to be addressed by that new title for the first Christmas holiday.
Consider creating new cards for different relationships on a 1st Christmas. They should go here:
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As a Dad / Father cid#39516
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As a Mom / Mother cid#39514
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As Grandparents >> Grandparents cid#39520
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As Grandparents >> As a Grandma / Grandmother cid#39522
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As Grandparents >> As a Grandpa / Grandfather cid#39524
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As an Aunt cid#39528
Holidays >> Christmas >> 1st / First Christmas >> As an Uncle cid#39530
Any other relationships should go in >> Other cid#786
Be sure to follow the guidelines for superscript ordinal indicator in your cover text (1st).
Note: cid# is the speed entry method of adding a category to your card via category id number (cid#) vs using search terms or click and hunt. See here on the blog:
To expedite the review of these cards, please check Fast Track Review on the card image details page when you create your card and add a Note for Reviewers like “for BLOG– Wanted Cards”.
Consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track. Remember, when you’re submitting your new stock card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers.
Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
Mindy Rosso
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Nuts & Bolts – *Additions* Founders’ Choice 2024 – 37th Annual LOUIE Awards
See here for the announcement of the 2024 Founders’ Choice Award winning cards that earned an entry into the 37th annual GCA’s Louie Awards competition.
Congratulations to these additional cards that have earned an entry into the 37th Annual Louie Awards:
Best Overall New Card – Cedar Rue – #1885618
Best Overall New Card – Honorable Mention – Teri Francis of Squirrel Hugger Greetings – #1831316
GCU Choice – Ron Magnes of Creative Greetings – #1681200
We will contact these artists at the end of the year when GCU submits their entries so they can follow along the process. We will also be posting here on how you can follow along too.
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
GCU Community 