Wanted: New Cards – Name Day on St Patrick’s Day
Every Friday, we showcase a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock).
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with 0 cards is:
Holidays – St. Patrick’s Day – Name Day on St. Patrick’s Day
In some religions like Catholicism, a child is often given a name associated with a saint. The day of that saint according to the religious calendar is the child’s Name Day, which can be considered of more significance than the child’s birthday.
Share this:
Font Frenzy: Bachelor’s Script
Handmade calligraphy fonts are all the rage at the moment, so take advantage of this deal at MyFonts, which is offering Bachelor Script – a family of two fonts, regular and bold – at a limited time discount of 60% off! The lines look great, free flowing yet sharp and crisp. Really terrific for formal occasions or used for emphasis and coupled with a professional sans serif font. Deal ends February 6. Examples below (don’t pay attention to the prices). Have fun!
Share this:
Dash of Inspiration: February Design Challenge
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen February Design Challenge 
Congratulations to our January Winners and to all who participated! Wonderful cards were created and each of you should be proud of where your imagination led you last month. Today we kick off our new challenge for February. This one is very different and hopefully you’ll find it lots of fun!
This challenge should INSPIRE the illustrator and painter to let your imagination take you somewhere you’ve never been before; and the digital artists should push the boundaries of creating digital compositions using a variety of elements, letting your imagination create that which photography alone may not be able to capture. When all else fails, LEARN SOMETHING NEW!
………………………………………………………………
And our 1st Place WINNER is: Barbara Scheiber PID 1359144
Challenge 1st Winner for February 2015
With 2nd Place begin awarded to: Christie Black PID1361518
Challenge 2nd Place for February 2015
There were SO MANY great cards – thank you ALL for participating!
………………………………………………………………
READY, SET? Let’s GO! FEBRUARY Design Challenge – Theme: CURIOSITY Requirements: Your design must include the following elements. You may have as many other elements as you wish, but the finished visual must have these three elements. Look at my example below.
- a Door (any size, any type)
- a Sentient Being (no planetary or species restrictions, and yes I consider animals sentient beings)
- Water (a drop or an ocean from any source)
……………………………………………………………… Entry Deadline: February 23rd, 2015 ………………………………………………………………. How to Enter:
- Post the PID (card number) and the URL (public storefront link, 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.
………………………………………………………………. Category: ANY – Tip suggestions: Humor categories might work well for many occasions/holidays, also Get Well, Hi/Hello, Thinking of You – get the idea? Just remember to tie your image to the verse and to the category. ………………………………………………………………. 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: February 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.
…………………………………………………………………… Judging: Entries will be judged by the GCU Challenge Jury with results posting on the Community Blog the week of February 28th. 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.
…………………………………………………………………… 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 13,000 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 can not be DOD due to GCU Home Page space restrictions.
- The winning card will be added to the Greeting Card Universe Design Challenge Winners Pinterest Board – currently over 800 followers.
- 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).
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 can not be DOD due to GCU Home Page space restrictions.
- Your card will be added to theGreeting Card Universe Design Challenge Winners Pinterest Board.
………………………………………………………………………
Tips:
Check out these tips, tricks, freebies, and tutorials which would all be helpful in this month’s Challenge.
………………………………………………………………………
Let the creativity flow and good luck!
……………………………………………………………………..
This image was created using the Theme and Requirements of the February 2015 Challenge. Sentient beings, a door and the water is the ocean view. Have fun with your creation!
………………………………………………………………
Participants for this challenge in addition to the above 1st and 2nd place were:
Julia Bryant
Share this:
Wanted: New Cards – Law Day Events Invitations
Every Friday from now on, we’ll be showcasing a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock).
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with only 0 cards is:
Invitations – Law Day Events Invitations
Share this:
Wanted: New Cards – Happy Birthday Sperm Donor
Every Friday from now on, we’ll be showcasing a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock).
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with only 2 cards is:
Birthday – For Sperm Donor Birthday Cards
Share this:
Rainbow Connection: Color Palettes Resource
Finding a new color palettes resource is like opening a Christmas present – lots of delicious new tools to incorporate into your designs! Wes Anderson Palettes is pretty bare bones in its presentation. No flash, just lovely palettes to play with in interesting and trendy combinations. See a sample below and have fun!
Share this:
Tips and Tricks: Graphics Bundles
Looking for the latest fonts, textures, Photoshop actions, Photoshop brushes, vectors, cool graphics programs, stock photos and other neat stuff?
Finding free for commercial use graphics isn’t easy, nor are free graphics always of a high quality. When you’re ready to begin investing in your business and want to take your card designing to the next level, there are now companies that provide “graphics brushes” on a regular basis for their customers. Prices will vary, as will the contents of these bundles. Sometimes you’ll get a bunch of fonts, other times a miscellaneous package containing different things. The one thing they have in common is value for money.
For example, just recently we picked up a font bundle – a value of over $500 if purchased individually – for less than $30.
We’ve personally purchased from three companies we can vouch for in terms of quality and service. No viruses or fake files here. And no, we’re not being paid for the endorsements.
One thing you have to watch for is EXTENDED LICENSING, meaning you can use the contents of the package for unlimited personal and commercial projects. The terms will be set out plainly for you to see. It’s up to you to ensure whatever you buy is a good fit for the intended purpose.
Don’t forget to bookmark the page with the bundle and the terms on the website for inclusion in your Notes to Reviewers.
And now here are three providers we can recommend:
Inky Deals: Most often offers limited time mixed bundles like vectors, fonts, textures, etc. Prices can go as high as over $100 for larger bundles, but you can pick up great deals and every Sunday they offer free downloads. Be sure to sign up for special offers by e-mail. Here’s a link to the FAQ. Payment by PayPal or credit card.
Mighty Deals: Offers limited time single element packages (like a font family at a reduced price) or mixed bundles. Like most, the prices are reasonable. Offers freebies. Sign up for email deals. Payment by PayPal, Visa and MasterCard.
Design Cuts: If you really like artistic, hand drawn fonts and graphics, Design Cuts has some of the best deals in town. Most bundles around $29 and certainly give value for money. Active community and Facebook, the administrators are friendly and approachable plus regular freebies. Sign up for email deals and to place an order. Payment by PayPal and credit card.
Save your receipts for tax purposes and have fun!
Share this:
Dash of Inspiration: Marketing Monday
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
Marketing Monday
This year one Monday a month I’ll pass on great marketing tips so you can step up and make 2015 your year to build your greeting card business. Good promotion will bring more views to your cards, more views = more customers = more sales = meeting the threshold = more money in your pocket!
I took the St. George Salon of Art, LLC from a physical gallery to an online only presence in 2009. The first thing I came to realize was an absolute necessity as a one-woman business owner; was that I had to spend more time marketing and promoting those first few years, then I did being an artist creating. To be successful in this business, you simply must wear a variety of hats and ‘the creator’ is only one of many.
Over the years, Print on Demand sites have grown and changed, as have SEO requirements. The challenge for all of us is to keep well enough informed of these changes, and to make the most of the options you have available to you, therefore giving your cards the best possible chance of being found in both on-site GCU customer searches, and on external search engine inquiries.
Today, I’m passing on these great tips for making the most of Pinterest:
11 Tips for Multiplying Your Pinterest Following in 2015 – by Zoe Waldron
How a Pinterest Scheduling Tool Can Save You Time & Improve Your Pinterest Effectiveness by Robovy
Drive More Traffic to Your Website from Pinterest – by Viraltag
Pinterest Account Management Expert Reveals 8 Ways to Sell More With Pinterest by Anna C. Bennett
………………………………………………………
If you missed our first Design Challenge post, be sure to tune in February 2nd for the next challenge and stop by later this week to the blog to find out who won January’s Challenge!
https://gcucommunity.com/2015/01/05/dash-of-inspiration-january-design-challenge/
………………………………………………………
So until next week … Learn … Create … Inspire and PROMOTE
Share this:
Wanted: New Cards – Holidays, Passover, Across the Miles
Every Friday from now on, we’ll be showcasing a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock). You can also choose to create a design using your own graphics, but the stock cards are easy and readily available.
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with only 1 card is:
Holidays = Passover/Pesach – Across the Miles/Far Away
*Passover is a Jewish holiday. When you’re searching for images in the stock cards, avoid inappropriate designs like Easter eggs, Christian Bible of Jesus, bunnies, etc.
Share this:
Throwback Thursday – Nuts and Bolts: Keywords
KEYWORDS ARE THE KEY (TO SUCCESS)
How do people find your greeting cards at Greeting Card Universe? Usually either by doing an on-site search, or using a search engine, which is why your keywords are important.
When a user does a search, they enter words or phrases as their search terms, refining the terms as necessary to refine the results. Here’s an example: a shopper wants to buy a 59th birthday card for their aunt, who is a butterfly collector. They might search for “birthday card for aunt” or “59 birthday card for aunt.” Once they get the results for this search, they may want to refine the results further, such as “butterfly birthday card for 59 year old aunt.”
Are you starting to understand the importance of keywords? If you don’t use the right specific and relevant keywords when submitting your greeting cards to GCU, your cards won’t come up in search results, and you won’t make many sales.
Don’t use fraudulent keywords, though. Not only is it naughty, but I promise you won’t make many sales of misleading cards. GCU reviewers frown on the practice, too. You should be choosing keywords that are relevant to the card.
Do try to find unique keywords to help you stand out from the crowd.
If you’re stuck for keyword ideas, there are other free tools that may help point you in the right direction.
For example, let’s take this card of mine:
The title is very important to search engines, so I’ve titled this card Christmas Tree – Believe – Customizable Photo Card. That should hit some of the right buttons. Next, I need keywords. Obvious choices are snow, Christmas ornament, personalized photo card. Notice I used “customizable” in the title and “personalized” in the keywords? That’s because different people will search for photo cards using different terms. I’m covering my bases.
Now I’ll check to see how I did. Opening a new tab in my browser, I go to Google AdWords: Keyword Tool.
When I plug words and phrases into this tool, it will tell me how many people are searching Google for these terms on a monthly basis, and it may give me ideas on other keywords I can include on my card. For demonstration purposes, I’ll start with just “greeting cards.”
“Christmas photo greeting cards” is on the list of terms people are looking for, so good thing I’ve got that covered in my title. Going further to look at “Christmas cards,” I see “personalized Christmas cards” and “customized Christmas cards” rank high with thousands of monthly searches, so I was right to include both terms in my title and keywords.
I also see “modern Christmas card” and “contemporary Christmas card” are being searched, so I’ll include “modern” and “contemporary” in my keywords, as well as “fashionable” and “trendy.” Not misleading, since the design is everything I say it is. A thesaurus is sometimes an artist’s best friend! To conclude, in my Artist’s Notes section, I’ll write a little blurb and use words like “stylish” and “up to date” to increase the possibility of shoppers finding my card. I could take my searches even further, but for now I’m done.
While valuable, this free service has its limitations. It’s intended to help advertisers placing AdSense ads with Google, but it can be used to assist you in targeting sellers who are looking to buy the kind of greeting card you’re selling.
Another way to get a general idea of keywords other artists are using on cards in the same vein as yours is to enter this into the Google search box:
site:http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com yourkeyword
Your search results will contain every card on GCU containing that keyword. By seeing what terms other artists have used in their keywords, you may get a better sense of what you need to include when uploading your own cards.
Suppose you want to confine your search to just Christmas cards, for example. Your Google search terms will look like this:
site:http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/Holidays-Christmas yourkeyword
Refine it even further to subcategories:
site:http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/Holidays-Christmas-Photo+Cards+Your+Picture+Here yourkeyword
And that’s how you do it. You can easily find out the URL you want to search by going to the GCU homepage, scrolling down the list of categories until you find the one you want, then refining your search to the sub-categories until you get where you want to go. Once you have the unique URL showing all cards in that category or sub-category, you’ll be able to search among those cards for specific keywords by using the Google search trick above.
I can’t emphasize this enough: make sure any keywords you choose are relevant to the card. In other words, don’t put “merry Christmas” in your keywords unless that phrase is on the front of your card or in the inside verse. The rule is to use only those keywords that describe your card AS IT ACTUALLY IS, not what you think it’s suitable for.
Yes, I know there are cards out there that break the rules. Please don’t get upset about what other people have done in the past. There was a time in GCU’s early days when cards weren’t reviewed, and some artists overdid things a little in their enthusiasm. Those days are long gone. It doesn’t really matter what somebody did years ago. What counts is what we’re doing today.
As a final note, just remember that if we, as artists, work hard to reduce the number of errors in our cards (including keyword mistakes and oversights), it will reduce the review times for everyone. You might earn Star Submitter Status, which will also give you expedited reviews. Wouldn’t that be nice?
GCU Community 