Font Frenzy: Chevelle Brush Font
Chevelle is a unique brush font by beeART and comes with a complete Commercial License.
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Rainbow Connection: Pantone Color of the Year 2017
Pantone Color of the Year 2017.
A refreshing and revitalizing shade, Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings.
Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.
Greenery is nature’s neutral. The more submerged people are in modern life, the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world. This shift is reflected by the proliferation of all things expressive of Greenery in daily lives through urban planning, architecture, lifestyle and design choices globally. A constant on the periphery, Greenery is now being pulled to the forefront – it is an omnipresent hue around the world.
A life-affirming shade, Greenery is also emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality.
What is the PANTONE Color of the Year?
A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.
Nature’s neutral, PANTONE Greenery is a versatile “trans-seasonal” shade that lends itself to many color combinations. As displayed in the 10 palettes below, Greenery is paired with neutrals, brights, deeper shades, pastels, metallics and even the enduring presence of PANTONE Color of the Year 2016, Rose Quartz and Serenity. These palettes easily cross over fashion, beauty, product and graphic design applications.
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Nuts and Bolts: Re-gram Getting Social on Instagram
GCU Community Manager
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Wanted New Cards: Get Well / Feel Better – Broken Pelvis / Pelvic Fracture
We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock) 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 inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
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Rainbow Connection: December Inspiration
Here are some December color inspirations I found on the internet this week:
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Font Frenzy: Floral Alphabet
Floral Alphabet (plus numbers and elements) is a cute handdrawn font by Julia Dreams and comes with a complete Commercial License.
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Nuts and Bolts: Holiday Custom Design Requests
Custom design requests provide a wonderful opportunity to delight a shopper! Some requests are a simple color or word change while others are more involved resulting in a new design altogether.
GCU Community Manager
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Dash of Inspiration: Founders’ Choice Awards December 2016
Founders’ Choice Awards for 2016 results are in!
1. Best New Artist: Joy Ellaga joining GCU in April 2016.
Honorable Mentions for Best New Artist are awarded to: Ness Norberg and Lyasya Sinkovski
2. Best Overall New Card: Stephanie Laird – PID 1451206
3. Hottest Seller: Ron Magnes – PID 1456758
4. Best Custom Front card:
a) Custom Text: Sue Cassell Broadwell PID 1436126
b) Custom Photo: Liz Van Steenburgh PID 1457116
c) Business Logo: Penny Cork PID 1453390
5. Funniest Card: Nobleworks PID 1457040
Honorable Mention: Brian McConnell PID 1417240
6. Most Creative Stock Card Creations (BigStock) card: Ginger Yvonn PID 1439878
7. Rising Star card: Cathie Richardson PID 1421146
Honorable Mention: Gerda Steiner PID 1428442
8. Nailed It Wanted Cards Request Card: Stacia Gorge PID 1421734
Honorable Mention: Pamela Jorgensen PID 1439434
9. Best Uncommon Card: Lisa Crisafi PID 1454418
Honorable Mention: Sandra Rose PID 1419152
10. Best Design Challenge Submission: Barbara Schreiber PID 1430324
Honorable Mention: Michelle Lanoue PID 1458070
11. Simply Clever: Ivy M. Brown PID 1458340
Honorable Mention: Colleen Kong-Savage PID 1454016
12. Reviewers’ Choice:
Phoebe Reviewer #443 – Barbara Schreiber PID 1423208
Ella Reviewer #758 – Christie Black PID 1440548
Rebecca Reviewer #619 – MG Doodle Studio PID 1450600
Fiona Reviewer #825 – JJBDesigns PID 1460622
Desiree Reviewer #121 – Carol Kearns PID 1448954
John Reviewer #233 – Doreen Erhardt PID 1436130
WHEW! What a great list! CONGRATULATIONS to all and cheers to a new year of creating cards for the world’s best greeting card store!
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WOW! Where did the year go? Here’s hoping each of you had fun, learned something new and were inspired to step outside your designer’s comfort zone this year. Before we kick off December’s Challenge – let me explain what GCU is doing this year end.
For those of you who were involved with last December’s Dash of Inspiration Challenge, this year will be different. The December 2016 Challenge will be handled as every other month (unlike last year), so it’s your last shot at creating the VERY BEST card you’ve ever created!
GCU is announcing the Best of 2016 Founders’ Choice Awards! The difference being is that our founders; Mindy and Nasser, will be choosing from ALL the cards created in 2016 – not just from challenge submissions – to keep the mystery of this exciting event, none of us know what the specific categories are which they will be giving out awards! Personally, I love the idea and the beauty of having all artists and all 2016 creations being included in Mindy and Nasser’s choices. Winners of the 1st Annual Founders’ Choice Awards is expected mid-January, 2017. For those who won ‘digital awards’ last year, the same type of recognition will happen with these awards – it will simply be a bit more prestigious!
Now for December’s Challenge:
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Theme: Your BEST Design in 2016
Requirements:
- If ever there was a time to put you best foot forward, this is it. Last call for 2016 creations to be considered for a possible Founders’ Choice Award!
- Any category, any subject, any medium.
- Since marketable cards have a message and verse which speak to your imagery, category and recipient – blank cards will not be considered for entry in this challenge.
- Previous challenge cards – whether they won or not – are eligible should you choose to enter one of those cards as your Best of 2016
NOTE: Please understand that your entries for the December Challenge act as a nomination for your Best Card in 2016. There will be no voting or winner for December, but by posting your best will ensure it’s consideration for the 2016 Founder’s Choice Awards!
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Entry Deadline: Saturday, December 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 / Any Occasion
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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: December 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 have been created and approved in 2016.
- Your entry must meet the Challenge Requirements and Theme or it will not be included in the challenge.
- Stock Card Creations entries will be accepted.
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Time to start choosing or creating your most marketable, most creative, most unique creation!
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Wanted New Cards: Thank You Retirement Gift
We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock) 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 inventive, be clever, be creative. Go for it!
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Rainbow Connection: Late Autumn Mood
Here are some Late Autumn Mood color inspirations I found on the internet this week:
GCU Community 