Wanted New Cards: Welcome Back from Paternity Leave.
Wanted Cards – Welcome Back from Paternity Leave
Let’s hear it for the dads and welcome them back to work after time off to take care of baby.
Please consider creating new cards for this category. They should go here:
Business > Employee Relations Cards > Welcome Back to Work / Office > After Baby / Paternity Leave cid#25046
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!
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Freebie Wednesday: Free Tiny Love Graphics.
This week’s freebie on the Hungry Jpeg site is Tiny Love Graphics. 35 Jpegs.
Available for free download for the next 7 days, so don’t miss out!
Comes with complete commercial license.
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Rainbow Connection: Peach Fuzz Palette
At the beginning of 2024 Doreen announced in her Dash of Inspiration post the new Design Challenge featuring Pantone Color of the Year 2024 Peach Fuzz in a leading role.
This Rainbow Connection will provide you with some extra info on how to use Peach Fuzz in your designs for this challenge.
Peach Fuzz color hex explained in great detail.
ArtCoast explores the Peach Fuzz Palettes (click here)
The results of Spoonflower‘s design competition (click here).
Fab Mood gives us 10 Peach Wedding Color Palettes to explore (click here).
Paper Heart Design goes to town with a whole bunch of Peach Fuzz Palettes (click here).
Pixlr Blog article exploring Pantone’s Peach Fuzz (click here).
Amadine gives us some snappy Peach Fuzz combos (click here).
Also (if you haven’t already), don’t forget to check out GCU’s special Peach Fuzz Pinterest Mood Board .
I’m sure this will help you on your merry way 🙂 Happy designing!
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Nuts & Bolts: New Year Resolutions
Nuts & Bolts – New Year Resolutions
Welcome to the start of a fresh, shining new year filled with hope and promise to do something better, try something new, right a wrong, learn some new tricks, etc. Hello, 2024!
A few suggestions here to add to your resolution list:
- Enter a GCU Design Challenge – there’s no time like the present, and January’s challenge is perhaps one of the easiest challenges with the Color of the Year. There is absolutely nothing intimidating about Peach Fuzz!
See January 2024’s Design Challenge.
See helpful Design Challenge Tips here from GCU artist Betsy Bush of DragonFire Graphics.
- Give your storefront or low sellers a makeover or do a little housecleaning.
Read GCU artist Trudy Wilkerson’s sage advice here: Be Encouraged, Not Discouraged.
As well as GCU artists Doreen Erhardt’s Storewide Facelift and Stephanie Laird’s Give Your Low to No Sellers a Facelife.
- If the word “challenge” makes you weak in the knees, consider creating new submissions for the Wanted Cards postings on the forum and here on the blog.
Just a few suggestions that are easier than a resolution like “no more snacking after dinner”.
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
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Wanted New Cards: Happy Birthday Hair Removal Technician
Wanted Cards – Happy Birthday Hair Removal Technician
There are many different techniques and skills for hair removal. Consider some specific technicians for birthday cards.
Please consider creating Birthday cards for these specific occupations. Cards should go here:
Birthdays >> Occupation Specific >> Hair Removal Technician / Professional
>> General cid#36514
>> Hair Threading Technician cid#37800
>> Laser Hair Removal Technician cid#36522
>> Waxing Specialist / Waxing Technician cid#36518
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!
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Freebie Wednesday: Free Spring Gnome Stickers
This week’s freebie on the Hungry Jpeg site is Spring Gnomes. 22 PNG stickers.
Available for free download for the next 7 days, so don’t miss out!
Comes with complete commercial license.
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Dash of Inspiration: January 2024 Design Challenge
Happy New Year, fellow artists! We are kicking off the year a new challenge, so let’s get to it …
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Theme: Pantone Color of the Year 2024 – Peach Fuzz
Requirements:
- Create a new design using the 2024 Pantone color: Peach Fuzz
- 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.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do NOT use trademarked terms “Pantone” in your meta-data. You can however use individual terms like: color of the year, etc.
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Entry Deadline: Wednesday, January 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
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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: January 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: 13.34k!
- 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 2024!
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 2024!
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Tips:
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Be inspired to create and learn something new!
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Nuts & Bolts: December Design Challenge – 2023 Founders’ Choice Awards
Nuts & Bolts – December Design Challenge – 2023 Founders’ Choice Awards
As we begin to wrap up another year, GCU looks forward to the well anticipated yearly closure – December’s Design Challenge.
Yes, it’s almost 2024! How did that happen?! It’s time for the Best of 2023 – Founders’ Choice Awards!
This end of year challenge will consider ALL cards created in 2023 – not just from prior design challenge submissions. There will be countless cards recognized! This means all artists and all 2023 card submissions are candidates. Stay tuned in January for the “best of” 2023 winners.
Winners will receive the same recognition rewards as in prior design challenges (except no card credits), PLUS winners will receive prestigious and coveted Best of 2023 digital awards for their online promotion and bragging rights.
See 2022’s Founders’ Choice Awards Winners.
The end of a year can be bitter-sweet. Take some time to reflect on all of your hard and creative work over the past year. Go ahead, get a little nostalgic. We sure do. Be proud of your continued dedication and perseverance; join us in a toast to all of you!
The difference is made in the details!
Mindy
GCU Community Manager
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Wanted New Cards: Valentine’s Like a … to me
Wanted Cards – Valentine’s Like a … to me
Valentine’s Day is not reserved for romantic love but for caring love and appreciation too. Many people have a stand-in figure in their life – someone who is like a mom, dad, aunt, etc. to them.
Please consider creating Valentine’s Day Like a … to Me cards. They should go here accordingly:
Holidays >> Valentine’s Day >> Like a … to Me
>> Brother
>> Dad / Father
>> Daughter
>> Mom / Mother
>> Grandma / Grandmother
>> Grandpa / Grandfather
>> Sister
>> Son
>> Aunt
>> Uncle
>> Other
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!
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Freebie Wednesday: Free Citrus Plant Watercolors
This week’s freebie on the Hungry Jpeg site is the free Citrus Plant Watercolors! 3 high-quality JPEG files featuring watercolor art.
Available for free download.
Comes with complete commercial license.
GCU Community 