Custom Corner: Sandra Rose Designs

There is a link in the email from GCU that says “Click here to access your Custom Card Requests” so that takes me to the location where our emails to each other can be accessed.

I emailed her right back and let her know that I would be happy to help her. I would be able to complete the changes in 2 days. Would that be acceptable to her? I would change the colors on the card for her from the original pink to a green and add some touches of yellow, and add “future daughter-in-law” on the front of the card for her. Was there a particular color of green that she had in mind? (I feel it is important to spell out exactly what we are agreeing on, so that we are on the same page.)

She responded to me (I receive all communication in my regular email, but can access it through the link that is always available to me) that the timeline was fine. This was a wedding shower for her future daughter-in-law, and that her colors were sage green and yellow, and the shower had the theme of umbrellas. She felt that my card with her colors would be perfect. I responded one more time with great – she would hear from me in 2 days with the card link where she could make her purchase.

I added it to my calendar for the appropriate day. When I began working on it, I researched on line the color sage green – in wedding sites to see exactly what she might be referring to. I quickly got the pulse for “sage green” and proceeded to change my color to a sage green. I brightened it up just a bit – because the sage was a bit “heavy” for a card. I liked it better. The spokes on the umbrella were already yellow, and I thought that was enough yellow. I liked the white hearts within the background of the card. I changed the front text to include the relationship. That was a lot more text than the original card, so I resized my umbrella to fit with the added text.

This is the card that resulted.

After I uploaded it, I emailed her back to let her know that the card was finished, and that when reviewed and approved by Greeting Card Universe, I would send her the link.

It was not a “private card” so I just uploaded it in the appropriate category, and within a few hours, it was approved and I sent her the link with instructions that she could make the purchase from this link along with any other card she might find. I also wished her luck with the shower and upcoming wedding and how special she must feel as the Mother of the Groom.

Before the day was through, the email came through that this card had been sold.

The important thing I always try to remember is that to a customer, we are the “face” of this huge universe of cards at GCU. It is a person to person contact, and clarity, friendliness, and professionalism will help to communicate well. I considered what she desired, and using my design skills and eye – work to create a card that suits their needs but also looks good to me, and meets my standards.

Good luck to all of you when you get that email that says: GCU Custom Request # …

Sandra Rose