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Dash of Inspiration: July 2020 Design Challenge

July 2, 2020
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Happy summer, every one! Sorry this is a tad late to post. Our rescue dog had to get her shots a few days ago and as it turns out is one of the rare few that has severe side effects from the Rabies vaccine. She’s fine as of yesterday, but it threw my schedule off a few days playing nurse maid … LOL!

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Theme: Hair or Hare

Requirements:

  • Hair or hare as part of your card design and/or message with supporting imagery and be creative! Don’t tear your hair out over this one, just have fun, after all we won’t split hairs over this one! See the tips section below for some ideas to spark your imagination.
  • Any category which your card speaks to.
  • Blank verse will not be considered for entry in this challenge.

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Entry Deadline: Friday, July 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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Category:

Any category that is well-suited for your Catch of the Day themed design.

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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: July 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.
  • Your designs should differ from those already offered in the category of your choice to offer shoppers a variety of choices, not more of the same.

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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 56,000 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.
  • Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 2,000 followers and counting!
  • 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!
  • Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 2,000 followers and counting!

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Tips:

BE SURE to check that ANY quote or saying you may find and choose to use is in public domain and that you provide that link to the review team in your NTR. Below are for inspiration …

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Be inspired to create and learn something new!

 

18 Comments leave one →
  1. July 6, 2020 8:02 pm

    Hi Doreen,
    I hope your holiday weekend was wonderful!
    I am sending along my entry for the challenge this month below.
    Take care,
    Betsy
    https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/hairdresser-hairstylist-birthday-cards/happy-birthday-to-hair-stylist-1630462?aid=145102

    • July 6, 2020 11:05 pm

      Hi Betsy – thank you! Once we post last month’s winners, I’ll start logging July’s entries.

    • July 9, 2020 2:28 pm

      Hi again, Betsy! Congrats on your 2nd place last month! This month’s entry received and logged, thank you and good luck!

  2. July 9, 2020 3:28 pm

    Thank you so much, Doreen!

  3. Laurie Schneider permalink
    July 9, 2020 8:25 pm

    Hi Doreen, I hope all is well with you! Here is my entry for the month
    https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/birthday/general-birthday/birthday-with-a-hare-wearing-1631214
    Good luck to everyone! Take care, Laurie

    • July 10, 2020 9:49 pm

      Hi Laurie – Entry received, good luck and congratulations on the 1st place win last month!

      • Laurie Schneider permalink
        July 11, 2020 12:24 am

        Thank you so much for the congrats and for the challenges, I would not think of making them otherwise! It was a very nice surprise! 🙂

  4. July 10, 2020 8:09 pm

    Hi Doreen,
    Here is our entry for the month.

    PID 1631204
    https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/getting-older-birthday-cards/funny-birthday-getting-older-little-1631204

    Thanks,
    Jay and Susan

  5. July 14, 2020 7:54 pm

    Hi Doreen,

    Here’s my entry for the challenge this month:

    https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/occasions/encouragement/health/coronavirus-covid19/let-your-hair-down-encouragement-1632034?aid=269112

    PID: 1632034

    Good luck, everyone!
    Julia

  6. Linda permalink
    July 29, 2020 11:23 pm

    Hi Doreen,
    Trusting all is well with you and yours.
    Here is my entry for the July Design Challenge.
    https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/holiday-cards/christmas-cards/coronavirus-covid19/happy-holidays-to-my-hairstylist-1634894

  7. Melinda Pritzel permalink
    July 31, 2020 8:26 pm

    Hi Doreen. Sliding in at the last minute. Here’s my entry for the July challenge. Thank you. https://m.greetingcarduniverse.com/occasions/congratulations/retirement/animalspets/greeting-card-1635312

  8. August 1, 2020 1:53 am

    No problem, Melinda. I’m sure it does react differently from a phone, as the m in front of the link indicates ‘mobile’. No worries, thank you for trying! Good luck!

  9. August 1, 2020 5:03 pm

    Hi everyone – The review team informed me yesterday morning that there was one more entry which made it in time. It’s from Laughing Hippo Studios – new to the challenges – since the card was approved and visible in the public marketplace on the 31st, I’m going to post this entry for Doug: https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/friendship-cards/humor/friendship-card-with-cartoon-woman-1635328

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