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Freebie Wednesday: Free Window Stories Pack

September 18, 2019
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Freebie Wednesday: Free Windows Stories Pack

 

The Hungry JPEG brings you the Free Windows Stories Pack (characters, elements, seamsless patterns and pre-made designs by Geni Vladi.  Available for 6 days only, so don’t miss out!

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

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from → Fonts, FREEBIES

Nuts and Bolts: Stock Card Creations Unmatched Image.

September 13, 2019
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Nuts & Bolts – Stock Card Creations Unmatched Image


As I continue to update some of my own Stock Card Creation cards that had unmatched images, I’d like to share some before and after images and highlight a note about updating meta-date to reflect the new image.

Don’t be discouraged if at first you do not find a near identical image. If you explore enough and try different search terms you will find an image that will work and may even be a breath of fresh air.
Before:

 

New Stock Image:

Since breed names are key to include because dog lovers are fanatics about their favorite breeds, it was important for me to update the meta-data for this card from “black lab” (Labrador, retriever, and other related variations) to “beagle” accordingly in the card title, keywords as well as Artist’s Notes.

 

NOTE: A few tips to make things easier:

 

– After updating the image and card you are brought back to the Manage Cards page, often not to the card you were working on.  Beforehand, simply write down or paste on a notepad the pid# of the card you’re working on and if you are not brought right back to it in Manage Cards enter the pid# in the “Find Specific Cards by: Product ID” box on the left. This brings you to the card to click the all important orange RESUBMIT button.

– If the stock image you choose is a different orientation than the original image that’s ok.  One little oddity is the inside verse image will show in the old orientation.  Use the orange button “Save and Edit Inside Verse” to correct this, simply click on the inside text image box (as if you’re going to edit the text) and click the orange button “Save” and it will correct itself.

– When updating a series and using the same new stock image, be sure to note the new stock image id.  When updating the image for the balance of the series simply enter this stock image id into the search box to locate the image quickly vs search terms and re-searching for the desired image.

 

– Lastly, I add the following comment at the end of my Notes to Reviewer “updated with new stock image”.

 

Please see this prior post on Unmatched Image Card Tips

 

 

The difference is made in the details!

 

Mindy

GCU Community Manager
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from → Holidays, Nuts & Bolts

Wanted New Cards: National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.

September 12, 2019
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Wanted Cards – National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day 

 

This new category is in need of cards:

 

 

We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using the Stock Cards function or your own graphic designs.  Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers. Be specific, be inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
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from → Wanted: New Cards

Freebie Wednesday: 50 Handcrafted Schooltime Objects.

September 11, 2019
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

Creative Fabrica has a free collection of 50 Handcrafted Schooltime Objects. (over 50 PNG files with black-and-white objects (300 DPI, 2500×2500 px)
30 PNG files with color spots (300 DPI, 2500×2500 px) and 5 JPG pictures with all sets) It’s only avalable for another 2 days so you better make sure you don’t miss out!

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

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from → FREEBIES

Rainbow Connection: Pantone Fashion Colors 2020

September 10, 2019
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The Pantone Color Institute, Pantone’s trend forecasting and color consultancy, the Fashion Color Trend Report is your guide to the season’s most important color trends. This report features the top 12 colors, as well as four classic neutrals, we can expect to see on the New York runway as fashion designers introduce their new spring/summer collections.

 

 

 

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from → Rainbow Connection (Colors)

Nuts and Bolts: Custom Card Requests, Be Holiday Ready.

September 6, 2019
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Nuts & Bolts – Custom Card Requests, Be Holiday Ready 
 
Were you out of town, on vacation or temporarily too busy to accept custom requests? With Summer coming to a close and school back in session, be sure to set shoppers expectations by having your Custom Request setting and message accurately reflect your availability.

 

Holiday card sales are in full swing and we usually see an increase in custom design requests.
Make sure you are ready!  Double check that your setting is YES if you are available for custom requests.  Additionally update your message to shoppers that reflects your turnaround time or holiday deadlines.

 

Setting and message changes are via the Global Preferences page.

 

Please see this related posting for more about Custom Requests.

 

See this prior Custom Card Requests, Holiday Ready post for more tips.

 

TIPS
* There can be up to a 24 hour delay in your updated message displaying on the site.
* Since there are often email deliver-ability issues it is wise to check the Manage Custom Request tool periodically to make sure you have not overlooked any requests.

 

The difference is made in the details!

 

Mindy

GCU Community Manager
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from → Holidays, Nuts & Bolts

Wanted New Cards: Pet Sympathy Euthanasia Cats / Horses.

September 5, 2019
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Wanted Cards – Pet Sympathy Euthanasia Cats / Horses

 

Shoppers turn to cards for many occasions where they are at a loss for words.  A card that resonates with them and shares the sentiment they want to convey and in a verse that they cannot utter themselves.

 

Please consider creating cards for Pet Euthanasia Sympathy cards specifically for Cats and Horses.
These cards will go here:

 

Also consider card submissions for smaller pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, rats, hamsters, reptiles & birds.

 

Please use a caring and tender heart in the images and verses you choose.  These cards are similar to the loss of a pet sympathy cards but more specific in verse as to the difficult decision of euthanasia.
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from → Wanted: New Cards

Freebie Wednesday: Free Cactuses again and again.

September 4, 2019
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

The Hungry JPEG has 65 PNG files (of which 25 are compositions) of Cactuses. Available for 13 days only, so don’t miss out!

 

 

 

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

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from → Fonts, FREEBIES

Rainbow Connection: Honey.

September 3, 2019
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September is National Honey Month. Let’s get inspired!

 

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from → Rainbow Connection (Colors)

Dash of Inspiration: September 2019 Design Challenge

September 2, 2019
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  • DashInspirationBanner_2015

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Any stock cards created for last month’s challenge that have a creation date prior to September 1st, will still be eligible for entry, so we’ll be waiting for the review team to return on September 2nd before sending that challenge out for voting. In the meantime, let’s begin a new challenge …

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Theme: Hand in Hand

Requirements:

  • Create a brand new design Any design with holding “hands” (could be paws, twigs, stems etc.) and any other elements within the design.
  • Write your own verse/message, be creative and write a message that clearly speaks to your imagery, occasion and recipient. Tie in the “hand in hand” theme.
  • Blank verse will not be considered for entry in this challenge.

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Entry Deadline: Monday, September 30th

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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 well-suited to the imagery/occasion/message.

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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: September 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 – over 57,000 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: 4K!
  • 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!
  • 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 6,800 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.
  • NEW! – 10 free greeting card credits added to your GCU account. Apply them at checkout and they never expire.
  • NEW! – A Design Challenge GCU digital award!

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 6,800 followers and counting!
  • NEW! – 5 free greeting card credits added to your GCU account. Apply them at checkout and they never expire.
  • NEW! – A Design Challenge GCU digital award!

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Tips:

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Be inspired to create and learn something new!

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Doreen Erhardt©

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from → Community Challenge, Contests, Dash of Inspiration, Design Challenge, Design Contest
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