Rose Scott-Lee of The Merry Giraffe, Design Challenge Winner January 2026.
One of the many perks of being a GCU Design Challenge winner is an interview. These mini-interviews are fun reads and a peek into the makings of the winning card.
Congratulations to Rosie of The Merry Giraffe!
Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU.
I did win a gold medal in a gymnastics competition when I was 10 but assuming you mean card related – then none!
Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites.
I love this card, I really enjoyed designing it – I get a lot of joy from the colours and the sunset.
I made this card for my eldest daughter one year and so it has some sentimental value. I enjoyed the freedom of creating something where perfection is less important than creating something with love.
This card was one of the very first ones I ever designed. It has been through a few iterations but to start with I only drew giraffe themed cards and so this one always holds a special place in my heart.
What was your inspiration for your winning card? Please walk us through the process of how this card went from an idea to a greeting card.
I saw the blog post about the January competition, I had only just recently joined GCU, but thought it would be fun to enter and get involved as the community looks so lovely and supportive. I am honoured to have been chosen! The brief was to create a card using the colour of the year – Cloud Dancer – and 3 other previous colour of the years. Firstly I researched the previous colours and chose which 3 I liked and then thought it would be fun to incorporate clouds in a card based on Cloud Dancer and a unicorn dancing the clouds idea just came to me so I sketched it out and refined it bit by bit until I was happy.
What sparked your interest in art? Did you start as a young child?
I have always enjoyed being creative and enjoy most types of arts and crafts. I started designing and selling cards about 5 and a half years ago as a way to raise money for two hospital centres that helped me after I had been very unwell with a heart condition. It went really well so I have just kept going and will carry on as long as I can to raise as much money as possible!
Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?
Completely self-taught, I have been painting and drawing for almost 20 years but only started digital design about 6 years ago and learnt the old-fashioned way of try, try and try again!
Is your work done by hand and then scanned or do you work entirely on the computer?
It is entirely digital. I love creating things on my iPad and I love that with the digital brushes and techniques available, I can create digital art in all different styles like gouache painting or watercolour art. I love to experiment with all different styles.
Have you ever/do you currently have a job other than as an artist?
I used to work in HR but now am just focussed on my art and being a mum to my gorgeous girls!
What GCU artist(s) do you admire?
I have just had a look now as I haven’t been with GCU long enough to get familiar with many other artists work but I have spotted two that really stood out to me. I love Molly Harrison, her work is so ethereal and I love her use of colours. I also adore Laura J Holman, her whimsical drawings bring me a lot of joy and make me smile.
What is the story behind your storefront name, The Merry Giraffe?
I love giraffes! Absolutely obsessed with them! The Happy Giraffe was already a business name in the UK so I went for The Merry Giraffe instead.
Not only entering but winning a Design Challenge the same month you joined our community, amazing! What advice do you have for new artists joining our community?
Just give it a go! You have nothing to lose!
What would we be surprised to learn about you?
I am from the UK, although you have probably guessed that from my spelling of certain words! My other favourite craft to do is crochet. I love cosy murder mysteries and like nothing better in the evening then curling up on the sofa with my iPad or crochet, having a cup of tea and watching an episode of Murder, She Wrote or Diagnosis Murder!
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