Nuts and Bolts – IP Theft at Temu.
Nuts & Bolts – IP Theft at Temu
The mission of the Greeting Card Association (GCA) is to promote, represent and celebrate the greeting card industry. One of many valued roles that an industry organization plays is being a collective voice and advocate for their industry.
GCA has recently taken up an effort to report and raise awareness of the image theft and IP infringements happening online at the likes of Temu and Shein.
Here is the GCA’s recent effort:
Are you having your designs ripped off and sold without your permission on Temu and Shein?
Several of our members are experiencing this challenge — and we are building an effort to fight back!
The GCA is preparing to respond to an Executive Order asking for feedback on formal and informal barriers to free and fair trade from other countries. We will be calling out the blind eye the Chinese government has given to copyright and other intellectual property theft. Our hope is to ensure that while tariffs on legitimate products are removed, they remain in place for bad actors.
Here is a link to the request from the office of the US Trade Representative.
Many GCU artists are finding their images illegally used on Temu. See the related forum thread here for more information and how to issue a takedown request.
Although this is a risk of selling online it should not be accepted nor tolerated. GCU will follow the topic and identify where and how to get involved in support of the artist community at large.
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Wanted New Cards Extra – California Admission Day.
California Admission Day, observed annually on September 9, commemorates California’s entry into the Union as the 31st state in 1850. This milestone followed the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War and ceded California and other territories to the United States. The discovery of gold in 1848 spurred a population surge, enabling California to bypass territorial status and directly achieve statehood under the Compromise of 1850 as a free state, prohibiting slavery.
Historical Significance
- Unique Statehood Path: Unlike most states, California became a state without first being an organized territory.
- Cultural Impact: Early celebrations featured parades, pageantry, and historical reenactments. For example, in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge raised California’s Bear Flag over the White House.
- Controversy: Early depictions of California’s “founders” often excluded Indigenous peoples and immigrants, whose contributions and histories were overshadowed by narratives centered on white settlers.
Observance Today
California Admission Day is not a federal or state holiday, meaning schools, businesses, and government offices remain open. Celebrations today are more subdued compared to earlier grand festivities. Events may include historical exhibits, speeches by public officials, and localized activities such as those in Sonoma County, where Admission Day has long been observed.
Key Dates
- Admission Date: September 9, 1850
- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: February 1848
- Gold Rush: Began January 1848
While its prominence has diminished over time, California Admission Day remains an important marker of the state’s rich history and its journey to becoming part of the United States.
Card Text ideas for California Admission Day.
Historical and Celebratory Themes
- “Happy California Admission Day! Celebrating the Golden State’s journey to statehood since 1850. Eureka—We’ve found something to celebrate!”
- “Raise a glass to the 31st state! California Admission Day reminds us of the golden dreams and diverse history that shaped our great state.”
- “On this day in 1850, California joined the Union. Let’s honor the past and celebrate the California Dream today!”
California Pride
- “From its majestic mountains to its golden shores, California shines bright. Happy Admission Day!”
- “Celebrating the land of opportunity, innovation, and natural beauty—Happy California Admission Day!”
- “Eureka! We’ve found a reason to celebrate. Cheers to California’s Admission Day!”
Inclusive and Modern Messages
- “California Admission Day: A time to honor our diverse history and recommit to an inclusive future for all Californians.”
- “Let’s celebrate California’s legacy as a place of dreams, resilience, and welcome on this Admission Day.”
- “Admission Day is a reminder that California belongs to everyone who calls it home. Here’s to unity and progress!”
Playful and Lighthearted
- “Party like it’s 1850! Happy California Admission Day—where the gold rush meets statehood pride.”
- “California: Where gold, sunshine, and dreams come together. Happy Admission Day!”
- “It’s California Admission Day—time to dig for gold (or just enjoy some sunshine)!”
These messages can be paired with imagery of California’s iconic landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite, or the Bear Flag, for added impact.
Happy Designing!
Corrie
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Wanted New Cards – California Admission Day September 9.
Wanted Cards – California Admission Day Sept 9
Please consider creating cards celebrating the day California was admitted as a state to the United States. They should go here:
Holidays >> Admission Day / Statehood Act Day >> California Admission Day / Sept 9 cid#38476
Do a little research on sites like this for California Admission Day.
Note: cid# is the speed entry method of adding a category to your card via category id number (cid#) vs using search terms or click and hunt. See here on the blog:
To expedite the review of these cards, please check Fast Track Review on the card image details page when you create your card and add a Note for Reviewers like “for BLOG– Wanted Cards”.
Consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track. Remember, when you’re submitting your new stock card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers.
Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
Mindy Rosso
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Card Sharp: Your Weekly Cut of Greeting Card Creativity – Design Challenge Sisterhood.
Celebrating Sisterhood: Inspiring Text Ideas for Greeting Card Designers.
Sisterhood is a powerful bond that transcends family ties, cultures, and generations. It’s about the deep connections, mutual support, and shared experiences among women. Whether it’s biological sisters, close friends, or a community of women united by a common cause, sisterhood is a treasure worth celebrating. Here are some fun and heartfelt text ideas for greeting card designers to capture the essence of sisterhood in all its forms.
For Biological Sisters
- Sisterly Love: “To my amazing sister, thanks for being my partner in crime and my forever friend. Happy Birthday!”
- Sisterly Wisdom: “Big sister, little sister, but always equal in love and laughter. Wishing you a year filled with wisdom and joy.”
- Sisterly Bond: “Sisters by blood, friends by choice. Here’s to another year of adventures together!”
For Close Friends
- Friendship Sisterhood: “You’re not just a friend; you’re the sister I never had. Thanks for being my rock and confidant.”
- Sisterhood of Support: “In a world full of strangers, you’re the sister I found in a friend. Thanks for always being there.”
- Sisterly Encouragement: “You’re the sunshine that brightens my day. Keep shining, sis!”
For Community and Global Sisterhood
- Empowerment Through Sisterhood: “Together, we rise. Celebrating the strength and resilience of women everywhere.”
- Unity in Diversity: “Sisterhood knows no borders. Here’s to celebrating our differences and embracing our shared humanity.”
- Sisterhood for Change: “Women supporting women – the most powerful force for change. Let’s lift each other up!”
General Sisterhood Messages
- Sisterhood of Shared Moments: “Life is more beautiful with sisters by your side. Thanks for sharing in the laughter and tears.”
- Sisterly Gratitude: “Grateful for the sisters in my life who make every day brighter. You’re the best!”
- Sisterhood of Empathy: “In a world of differences, sisterhood bridges gaps with empathy and love. Thanks for being a bridge in my life.”
By incorporating these ideas into your greeting card designs, you can help celebrate the beauty and strength of sisterhood in all its forms. Whether it’s a birthday, a special occasion, or just because, these messages will inspire and uplift the recipients, reminding them of the power and love that sisterhood embodies.
Happy Designing!
Corrie
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Dash of Inspiration: March Design Challenge
Happy March, everyone! Let’s get our creative juices flowing!
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Theme: Sisterhood
Requirements:
- Create a new design that celebrates sisterhood in any way you like.
- Any category which your card speaks to.
- No Stock card creations will be accepted.
- Blank verse will not be considered for entry in this challenge.
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Entry Deadline: Monday, March 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:
Occasion >> Anniversary – Friendship / Friendiversary >> Sisterhood Anniversary / Friendship Among Woman cid#38470
OR ANY category which suits your theme/message/recipient
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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: March 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 55,000 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: 14.9k!
- 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.
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Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 10.6k 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.
- 10 free greeting card credits added to your GCU account. Apply them at checkout and they never expire.
- A Design Challenge GCU digital award for 2025!
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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Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 10.6k followers and counting!
- 5 free greeting card credits added to your GCU account. Apply them at checkout and they never expire.
- A Design Challenge GCU digital award for 2025!
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Tips:
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Be inspired to create and learn something new!
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Nut and Bolts – Design Cuts Closure.
Nuts & Bolts – Design Cuts Closure
Apparently a popular source of digital assets, Design Cuts, has closed. Many creators are left wondering where that leaves them re: purchased content and licenses.
Looking here to understand what has transpired, and the purchase by Creative Market (CM) it is unclear how CM will proceed:
https://designworklife.com/designcuts-closes-abruptly-what-this-means-for-customers-sellers/Excerpt here:
Creative Market’s Role
Creative Market’s acquisition of the Design Cuts brand has been met with mixed reactions from the community. While the deal has ensured that sellers will receive their owed payments, questions remain about the handling of existing customer purchases and downloads. Creative Market has stated they are unable to access any historical Design Cuts records or past purchase information.
For GCU artists using Design Cuts, we suggest the following:
Purchased third party digital elements from Design Cuts (now Creative Market) can continue to be used in compositions until further notice from DC/CM. In your submission, please add a Note to Reviewer like: Elements purchased from Design Cuts before their closure. Links to individual elements and TOU are no longer available.” and if possible include a list of digital elements used for example (cat and flowers).
Our intent is to give GCU artists the liberty to continue using the digital assets invested in until CM establishes a policy that dictates differently.
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Wanted New Cards Extra – February 29 Birthdays.
Leap into Joy: Creative Card Text Ideas for February 29th Birthdays.
February 29th, the rarest of birthdays, occurs only once every four years. For those special individuals born on this day, known affectionately as “leaplings,” their birthdays are truly unique celebrations. Whether you’re designing cards for leap year birthdays or finding ways to honor these special individuals on non-leap years, the right message can make all the difference. In this post, we’ll explore creative card text ideas that capture the spirit of this extraordinary day, ensuring that every leapling feels celebrated and cherished.
Humorous
- “Happy Leap Year Birthday! You’re officially younger than everyone else… technically.”
- “Four years in the making! Happy birthday to someone who’s truly one-of-a-kind.”
- “Leap into another year of adventure! (Even if it’s just every four years).”
Sentimental
- “To a rare gem born on a rare day, Happy Leap Year Birthday!”
- “Wishing a happy birthday to someone who shines brighter than any ordinary day.”
- “You may only have a birthday every four years, but you’re celebrated every day.”
Playful
- “You’re not getting older, you’re just leveling up every four years! Happy Leap Year Birthday!”
- “Leap Year Baby: Where birthdays are a rare and special occasion.”
- “Born to leap into life! Happy birthday to our favorite Leapling.”
Inspirational
- “May your life be as extraordinary as your birthday. Happy Leap Year!”
- “You’re a reminder that life’s special moments are worth waiting for. Happy birthday!”
- “Leap into the future with joy and enthusiasm. Wishing you a wonderful birthday!”
These ideas can be adapted to fit various card designs and themes, from funny to heartfelt.
Happy Designing!
Corrie
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Nuts and Bolts – 36th Louie Awards Finalists.
Nuts & Bolts – 36th Louie Awards Finalists
The Louie Award finalists were announced this week. Unfortunately of GCU’s 8 entries, we did not receive any finalist recognition. Disappointing but still fun to participate and put GCU and our artists’ work out there in the industry among so many creative and talented peers.
Overall this year’s Louie Awards had 159 finalists in 53 categories, a total of over 900 entries were submitted representing 213 different companies.
As part of GCU’s Founders’ Choice Awards, we submitted 8 cards to the competition (think the Academy Awards of the greeting card industry).
We are so proud to represent our artists’ work and are even more confident that GCU’s submissions reflect the same level of quality, creativity and professionalism as the finalists.
You can see the finalists from the category tree here (choose the category then scroll down to see the 3 finalist cards).
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Nuts and Bolts – Reminder February 2025 Design Challenge.
Nuts & Bolts – Reminder February 2025 Design Challenge
Friday, February 28th is the last day to submit your entries for February’s Stock Card DesignChallenge.
See February’s 2025 Stock Card Design Challenge here.
Theme: National Social Work Month
Tips:
- Visit all the available tips, tricks and guidelines offered on the Stock Card Creation blog page!
- Please NOTE: Social workers work with people of all ages, from children to seniors. They help clients deal with a variety of challenges, including: illness, addiction, disabilities, inadequate housing, unemployment, substance abuse, and domestic conflicts.
- National Association of Social Workers – visit to learn more
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy Rosso
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
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Wanted New Cards – Friendship Anniversary – Sisterhood.
Wanted Cards – Friendship Anniversary – Sisterhood
A celebration of friendship between or among like minded women can be considered a celebration of their sisterhood.
Please consider creating cards to celebrate a sisterhood anniversary. They should go here:
Occasion >> Anniversary – Friendship / Friendiversary >> Sisterhood Anniversary / Friendship Among Woman cid#38470
Note: cid# is the speed entry method of adding a category to your card via category id number (cid#) vs using search terms or click and hunt. See here on the blog:
To expedite the review of these cards, please check Fast Track Review on the card image details page when you create your card and add a Note for Reviewers like “for BLOG– Wanted Cards”.
Consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track. Remember, when you’re submitting your new stock card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers.
Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
Mindy Rosso
GCU Community Manager
mindy@gcuniverse.com
GCU Community 