Dash of Inspiration: October 2016 Design Challenge
With September’s challenge now in the hands of the judging panel, we move into a new Design Challenge for October. If you’ve “Got the music in you”, this one is right up your alley. Once again, we’ll be adding some much needed new designs to various sparsely populated categories in need. So, let’s go …
Theme: Music
Requirements:
- Must be approved for one of the categories listed – all of which are in need of fresh designs.
- Recipient must be ‘general’, in other words; any relation-specific creations should be done after the challenge – not for the challenge.
- Imagery, message and verse must have a strong music theme and be a strong fit for your category choice.
- Blank verse will not be considered for entry in this challenge.
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Entry Deadline: Monday, October 31st
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How to Enter: Post the PID (card number) and the URL (public storefront link – please WAIT for the card to be available in the public marketplace, please DO NOT post a link to your Manage Cards area) as a post in the challenge blog. We’ll forward your entry to the jury.
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Choose ONE Category:
Birthday >> For Teacher >> Music Teacher
Birthday >> Occupation Specific >>Orchestra Conductor / Music Director
Business >>Christmas >> Industry Specific >> Music
Holidays >> Father’s Day >> Music / Instruments
Holidays >> Teacher Appreciation Day >> Music Teacher
Invitations >> Retirement Party >> Occupation Specific >> Music Teacher
Congratulations >> Wedding / Marriage >> Music / Instruments
Congratulations >> Retirement >> Occupation Specific >> Music Teacher
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Rules:
- Submission must meet GCU’s Submission Guidelines and be Approved through the usual Review Cycle– Fast Track your submission with this in the Notes to Reviewer: October Design Challenge Submission here is the link to the blog post: (include THIS blog post URL)
- Only ONE card per artist per challenge.
- Submissions must be NEW, no existing designs.
- Your entry must meet the Challenge Requirements and Theme or it will not be included in the challenge.
- Stock Card Creations entries will not be accepted.
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BLIND Judging: We hope each of you enters every month. Entries are submitted anonymously for judging by the GCU Challenge Jury which means that before and during the challenge, judges do not have any way of knowing what artist is behind each entry. This eliminates any and all concerns with ‘favoritism’. Results will post on the Community Blog. The jury will judge the entries on the following criteria:
- How well the card meets the Challenge Requirements and Theme.
- How well the card speaks to the Category the artist chooses for the card submission.
- Creativity, Execution and Marketability.
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Winners: 1st Place:
- The winning designer’s card and store will be featured on the GCU Public Blog – the blog which customers view and follow.
- As well as featured on the GCU Public Facebook Page – nearly 38,000 followers, now THAT’S exposure!
- The winning card will be Design of the Day following the announcement of the winners (within 48-hours).
EXCEPTION: Horizontal (landscape) cards may not be featured as DOD due to GCU Home Page space restrictions. In these cases, GCU will choose a different vertically oriented card from your store to feature as DOD. Thank you for your understanding and apologies for this limitation.
- The winning card will be added to the Greeting Card Universe Design Challenge Winners Pinterest Board – currently GCU’s Pinterest Page followers: 2K!
- The winning card, should the artist choose, may be referenced in a new series by the winning artist and he/she may Fast Track all cards in the new series (being sure to give the Challenge URL and winning card PID in your Notes to Reviewer for each card in this series).
- Winning card will be included in a marketing email to over 100,000 customers!
- NEW starting this month, GCU will create a Meet the Team board for the winning artist under the Pinterest GCU account where the winning artist will be able to pin and promote her own storefront and all that makes them a unique card designer and one of GCU’s artistic community team member.
2nd Place:
- Your submission will be Design of the Day the following week of announcing the Challenge winners (within 7-days).
EXCEPTION: Horizontal (landscape) cards may not be featured as DOD due to GCU Home Page space restrictions. In these cases, GCU will choose a different vertically oriented card from your store to feature as DOD. Thank you for your understanding and apologies for this limitation.
- Your card will be added to the Greeting Card Universe Design Challenge Winners Pinterest Board.
- Winning card will be included in a marketing email to over 100,000 customers!
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Tips:
Check out these tips, tricks, freebies, and tutorials from our own GCU Community Blog which might be helpful in this month’s Challenge.
- Nuts and Bolts: Homework Always Pays Off
- Nuts and Bolts: Categories
- Nuts and Bolts: How to Write Greeting Card Verse
- Tips and Tricks: Public Domain Quotations
- Dash of Inspiration: DIY Public Domain
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Be inspired to create and learn something new!
Hi Doreen, can you believe it’s October already? I don’t know where the time went! Congrats to the September winners, I haven’t seen them posted yet, but I am sure they’re awesome as always! Here is mine for the month pid#1452760, http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/birthday/occupationspecific/orchestraconductormusicdirector/birthday-to-orchestra-conductor-general-1452760
Good luck to everyone and have a wonderful month! Take care, Laurie
Hi Laurie! I’m in shock right along with you, that fall is already upon us here in California – although it is my favorite time of year 🙂 Entry received, good luck!
Hi Doreen, here’s my entry: PID 1453258 http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/occasions/congratulations/retirement/occupationspecific/musicteacher/cat-on-piano-music-teacher-1453258
Hi Moni! Great to have you join us! Entry received, good luck!
Hi Doreen, here is my entry for the month of October:) Card #1454046
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/occasions/congratulations/retirement/occupationspecific/musicteacher/congratulations-music-teacher-on-your-1454046?aid=276330
Hello Michelle! We have you hooked on these challenges now I can see 🙂 Entry received, good luck!
Lol, yes, you do! I love creating a card from someone’s idea or request! 🙂
Here is my entry for October. Card #1454350. http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/congratulations-cards/wedding-marriage/music-instruments/two-hearts-one-song-wedding-1454350?&aid=154091
Hello, Lisa! Glad to have you join us this month. Entry received and good luck!
Doreen,
Here’s my entry for October:
PID: 1454318
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/congratulations-cards/wedding-marriage/vintage-nostalgia-retro/vintage-congratulations-on-your-wedding-1454318?aid=269112
Good luck, everyone!
Julia
Hi Julia – Nice to have you back for this challenge. Entry received, good luck!
Hi Doreen, Here is my entry:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/birthday/forteacher/musicteacher/happy-birthday-to-a-great-1454718?aid=289338
I love vintage, quotes and impressionist painters 🙂
Good luck to all!
🙂 Barbara
Hi Barbara, entry received. Good luck!
Happy October, Doreen,
Here is my entry for this month’s challenge. Enjoying all of the great designs so far!
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/holiday-cards/teacher-appreciation-day-cards/music-teacher/happy-teacher-appreciation-day-to-1455778?aid=145102
Best of luck to everyone!
Hi Betsy! Entry received, good luck!
Hi, Doreen,
This Design Challenge with a music theme has resulted in some quite clef-er designs; they’re looking really sharp!
Here’s my entry:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/birthday/occupationspecific/orchestraconductormusicdirector/music-director-birthday-directed-1456684?aid=179654
I’d like to say it was no treble at all, but one of my kitties, Sylvester (a kitler tuxedo kinda guy), kept trying to help by walking across the keyboard and the Wacom tablet.
Groaning yet? 😀
~Christi
LOL! Love the fun puns, Christi! Entry received and good luck! – May I also mention that if it were my card, I’d mention the reference to “Liszt” – although the music-minded recipient will get the pun, the giver may not and may wonder if it’s a typo. Just food for thought. 🙂
Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom (just munching down on the food for thought). Thanks for the suggestion!
~Christi =^^=
Hi Doreen – I’m hoping to be able to submit PID 1456894… if it’s approved. I just turned it in a couple hours ago. It’s a variant of one of my other cards, so I’m hoping it makes it through the review process. I will post it here if and when I get a link.
Hi Stacia. Okay, I’ll keep a look out. You have until midnight, California time, so as of this writing another four-hours – fingers crossed!
Thanks! It was approved before midnight (PDT, California time) but the link is not showing yet. I know it takes time. I’ll continue to watch for it.
Here is the link of my submission. So sorry for my lateness in submitting. http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/birthday/forteacher/musicteacher/happy-birthday-music-teacher-sheet-1456894