Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all my friends and colleagues at Greeting Card Universe
a very happy Thanksgiving tomorrow –
hope you all have fun making heart-warming memories with your loved ones!
There will be no post tomorrow.
The Critique Clinic will be open as usual during the weekend.
Enjoy your holiday and be safe!
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Refresher Round-Up
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Since we have new artists joining GCU all the time, I thought I’d provide links to Nuts & Bolts: GCU How-to & Tips articles we’ve posted in the past on topics that will be helpful to newbies and old-timers alike. Enjoy!
Artist’s Notes and Product Descriptions
How to Write Product Descriptions
Categories
Keywords
And as an added bonus, here’s more advice you can use right now…
73 Ways to Describe a “Widget”
In this article, the author is using the term “widget” as a generic word for any product. Many of the points in this article will be very helpful to you as you formulate product descriptions for your own greeting cards.
How to Make More Sales at Greeting Card Universe
One of the first Squidoo lenses I did to help out other artists with marketing tips
Photography Basics
With GCU’s new marketability standards, it’s getting tougher to get cards approved. This website provides easy-to-understand tips on how to take good photographs.
Font Squirrel
“Only the best commercial use free fonts” – there’s some good, basic fonts here to enhance your collection.
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Dash of Inspiration – November 21, 2011
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
Happy Thanksgiving
I figured most of you are busy this week preparing for the arrival of company, getting ready to travel or concentrating on cooking a feast … so I thought I’d just give you a little feast for your eyes this week with these Fall & Autumn Inspired Illustrations and send my wish to all of you for a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
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Critique Clinic – November 18-20, 2011
How does it work? For three days a week (Friday-Sunday midnight), I will open the clinic to any artist who wants an honest peer review and critique of a card which gets plenty of clicks but no sales, so something’s probably not quite right, or you’ve got a new design you want to test drive, or you’re unsure about the marketability of a card. Or perhaps you’re a newbie who isn’t sure if a recently submitted card is up to a marketable standard. Anyone is welcome to participate. In fact, I encourage everyone to at least look at the cards in question and read the critique comments – you may learn something. The purpose of the clinic is to help artists improve the commercial appeal and marketability of their cards.
THE RULES
- ONE card per artist only.
- Card must be for sale at Greeting Card Universe.
- We will take an unlimited number of artists, including those who have submitted recently, HOWEVER I reserve the right to close a clinic for the day if the submissions become overwhelming. If the clinic has been closed, and you submit a card, your comment will be deleted.
- To submit a card for critique, post a link to the card at GCU in the comments section of this clinic post.
- Any artist is free to comment and/or give a critique of a submitted card. HOWEVER, post-and-run comments like “great card” or “you suck” will not be tolerated, nor will abuse. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive. Play nice or you will be banned.
- I also won’t tolerate temper tantrums if you decide your “artistic integrity” is being stepped on because you asked for a critique, and someone told you the photo you’re using isn’t in focus. If you can’t take honest criticism, don’t submit. Once gets you a warning; twice and you’re banned from submitting in the future.
- Artists who critique may do so by giving their opinion, posting an example of another card, or pointing the submitter to a video, on-line article, or other helpful suggestion.
- Don’t forget that artists who are giving you tips and helpful advice are volunteering their time and trouble. Be nice. A link back to their store on your website or blog is appreciated (but not mandatory).
- You are free not to take any advice offered. There’s no guarantee any card will be a bestseller, so don’t come into the clinic with unrealistic expectations.
- Rules may change as we go along and we see how things turn out, okay?
So without any further ado, I declare this week’s Critique Clinic open!
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Attention All Artists!
Tracie at PhotographyTK Designs has made a wonderful post on her blog which I think every single artist should read because it will benefit you so much: Rejection is NOT Failure.
With the new marketability standards introduced by GCU recently, artists have not only had new designs declined, but the weeding out process has meant that older designs aren’t exempt. Unfortunately, this has created a lot of hurt feelings, anger, and confusion.
I think Tracie’s breakthrough with its essential point will clear up a lot of that confusion for some people.
GO READ IT NOW!
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Design Spotlight: E.R. Miller
Today, our Design Spotlight is shining on artist E.R. Miller (Eileen Rudisill Miller, aka Rudy Miller) – I really like her style, and I’m sure you will, too! This particular design puts me in mind of Mucha.
_________________________
The card I selected is one of my favorite images, a beautiful forest fairy. I’ve always loved the pre-Raphaelite painters and their depiction of subjects from mythology and fairy tales. Though I don’t compare my style to theirs’ I do enjoy exploring those themes in my work. I also love this color palette. For me, a greeting card is not always about the words. I love cards with pretty pictures on them.
I have been making a living as an artist since I graduated from Moore College of Art in 1977. I was trained as a fashion illustrator and worked for department stores illustrating fashion for 10 years. I then transitioned into product design and worked at The Franklin Mint for 14 years designing dolls and figurines. 10 years ago, I started my business, E.R.Miller Designs. I work from my home studio, designing giftware for clients such as Lenox, illustrating children’s activity books and paper doll books for Dover Publications, and creating greeting cards and self-published paper dolls.
You can visit my website at E.R. Miller Designs
Become a fan on Facebook
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Design Contest: Making Merry – the Results
The voting is over and the results are in! Looks like Didou is our winner!
Thanks to everyone who participated. You had fun, yes? We’ll do this again after the New Year, I promise.
In the mean time, hope everyone takes inspiration from our contest!
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Dash of Inspiration – November 14, 2011
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
A Bird in the Hand
Last week while hubby and I prepared the yard for the upcoming winter months by covering the bar with tarps and saying good bye to outdoor entertaining for a few months, we watched a huge flurry of birds come to our bird bath and surrounding trees. As we watched this amazing variety of Bush Tits, Quail, Stellar Jays, Robins and Grosbeaks gather in and under the large pine trees in our yard, I couldn’t help but feel they were celebrating one last day of warm sunshine before the rain and snow is here to stay. So, let’s be birds of a feather and be inspired by these beautiful creatures of the sky …
Start by taking in 40 Beautiful Examples of Bird Photography from our friends at Noupe.com. That might just inspire you to create some cards for those Spring occasions which will be upon us quicker than you think and once you’re inspired go grab some wonderful brushes and tools to work with listed below.
29 Highly Detailed Bird Silhouettes
Feathers Brushes Set by Falln-Stock
Cranes Photoshop brushes by Aikensha at deviantART
Corners with Birds by Lileya at deviantART
Brushes for PS CS and higher, latest versions of GIMP and Paint Shop Pro.
Birds Brushes by webdesignerlab from Brusheezy
While we are on the subject of Birds …
Over 75+ Beautiful Twitter Design Icons from Creative Nerds
These are adorable and why not choose something different for your sites?
May your creativity take flight!
Image by Doreen Erhardt - This was my Nanday Concure named Baxter who loved Christmas. As soon as you hung his stocking he would say Presents? Every time you walked by it! Little Green Men, get it?
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Critique Clinic – November 11-13, 2011
How does it work? For three days a week (Friday-Sunday midnight), I will open the clinic to any artist who wants an honest peer review and critique of a card which gets plenty of clicks but no sales, so something’s probably not quite right, or you’ve got a new design you want to test drive, or you’re unsure about the marketability of a card. Or perhaps you’re a newbie who isn’t sure if a recently submitted card is up to a marketable standard. Anyone is welcome to participate. In fact, I encourage everyone to at least look at the cards in question and read the critique comments – you may learn something. The purpose of the clinic is to help artists improve the commercial appeal and marketability of their cards.
THE RULES
- ONE card per artist only.
- Card must be for sale at Greeting Card Universe.
- We will take an unlimited number of artists, including those who have submitted recently, HOWEVER I reserve the right to close a clinic for the day if the submissions become overwhelming. If the clinic has been closed, and you submit a card, your comment will be deleted.
- To submit a card for critique, post a link to the card at GCU in the comments section of this clinic post.
- Any artist is free to comment and/or give a critique of a submitted card. HOWEVER, post-and-run comments like “great card” or “you suck” will not be tolerated, nor will abuse. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive. Play nice or you will be banned.
- I also won’t tolerate temper tantrums if you decide your “artistic integrity” is being stepped on because you asked for a critique, and someone told you the photo you’re using isn’t in focus. If you can’t take honest criticism, don’t submit. Once gets you a warning; twice and you’re banned from submitting in the future.
- Artists who critique may do so by giving their opinion, posting an example of another card, or pointing the submitter to a video, on-line article, or other helpful suggestion.
- Don’t forget that artists who are giving you tips and helpful advice are volunteering their time and trouble. Be nice. A link back to their store on your website or blog is appreciated (but not mandatory).
- You are free not to take any advice offered. There’s no guarantee any card will be a bestseller, so don’t come into the clinic with unrealistic expectations.
- Rules may change as we go along and we see how things turn out, okay?
So without any further ado, I declare this week’s Critique Clinic open!
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Design Contest: Making Merry – Voting
Don’t forget to vote in our Design Contest: Making Merry!
We’ve got some talented artists and their beautiful holiday designs, so vote for your favorite today.
The voting period ends November 15th. Whoever receives the most votes will win a $15 gift certificate to Amazon.com.
Better get moving, ’cause I hear jingle bells!
GCU Community 