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Nuts and Bolts: Artist Interview Mindy Pierce.

October 9, 2020

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Nuts & Bolts – Artist Interview Mindy Pierce
 
One of the many perks of being a GCU Design Challenge winner is an interview.  These mini-interviews are fun reads and a peek into the makings of the winning card.

Here is August 2020 Design Challenge winner, Mindy Pierce, interview.

Congratulations to Mindy for creating the perfect card for people who are simply nuts about Christmas!

 
 
Read about Mindy’s inspiration for this design and the evolution of her snowmen characters.
 
 
 
 

The difference is made in the details!
 
 
 
 
 
Mindy
GCU Community Manager

Wanted New Cards: Adult Son Proud of You.

October 8, 2020

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Wanted Cards – Adult Son Proud of You
 
A special request from a shopper:
“We are proud of you … for our adult son”  
 
These cards should go here:
 
 
 
 
We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using the Stock Cards function or your own graphic designs.

 

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”.

 

Freebie Wednesday: Grillin.

October 7, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

Grillin is a fun and powerful display font. Whether you want to use it for barbecue or for designs entirely different than this, this font will bring each of your ideas to life! Available for free at Creative Fabrica.

This product comes with a commercial license.

Nuts and Bolts: Artist Interview Laurie Schneider

October 2, 2020

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Nuts & Bolts – Artist Interview Laurie Schneider
 
One of the many perks of being a GCU Design Challenge winner is an interview.  These mini-interviews are fun reads and a peek into the makings of the winning card.

Here is June 2020 Design Challenge winner, Laurie Schneider, interview.

Congratulations to Laurie on her winning formula card.

A great pairing of stock image, cover text, inside verse and occasion!  Here are some tips on Be Choosy & Creative with Stock Card Creations.

The difference is made in the details!

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

Dash of Inspiration: October 2020 Design Challenge

October 1, 2020
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Hard to believe October is already here! Hoping you all are well and safe as we kick off our next Design Challenge.

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Theme: Angels

Requirements:

  • One angel, many angels – your choice. Imagery must support the theme.
  • 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: Saturday, October 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 your Angel themed card fits.

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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: October 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 nearly 56,000 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: 2K!
  • 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!
  • NEW starting this month, 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.
  • Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 2,000 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.

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!
  • Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 2,000 followers and counting!

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Tips:

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Be inspired to create and learn something new!

©Doreen Erhardt

Freebie Wednesday: Charlie.

October 1, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

Charlie is a modern calligraphy font, perfect for branding, logos, wedding invites, and every other design which needs a handwritten romantic touch. Set this decorative, handwritten creative style script font for your new projects. With multi-language support and lots of stylistic alternates. Comes in OTF and TTF Formats!

This beautiful freebie is brought to you by Zainstudio. Only available for a week on the Hungry Jpeg site!

 

 

 

This product comes with a commercial license.

 

Wanted New Cards: Granddaughter Car Christmas

September 30, 2020

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Wanted Cards – Granddaughter Car Christmas

 

A special request from a shopper:
“My Granddaughter is getting her driver’s license this year and I’d like a Christmas card for her with a car on it.”

 

The shopper will find these cards here:
We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using the Stock Cards function or your own graphic designs.

 

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”.

Sounds like this granddaughter is on the Nice list!

Nuts and Bolts: Artist Interview Melinda Pritzel

September 25, 2020

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Nuts & Bolts – Artist Interview Melinda Pritzel
 
One of the many perks of being a GCU Design Challenge winner is an interview.  These mini-interviews are fun reads and a peek into the makings of the winning card.
Be sure to enter September’s Design Challenge.

 

The difference is made in the details!

 

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

Wanted New Cards: Halloween Invitations.

September 24, 2020

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Wanted Cards – Halloween Invitations

 

While we are all scratching our heads about how to adjust our routines this year, how to celebrate Halloween is one of them.  Traditionally a time when keeping your distance and not touching things is far from the norm. Will there be trick or treating?  What will costume parties look like?

 

People have been creative and ingenious coming up with ideas on how to safely celebrate holidays and other important events during COVID’s social distancing conditions. Celebrating Halloween will be no different.

 

Please consider creating cards for these new Halloween Invitation categories:
>> Halloween Parade
>> Trick or Trunk
>> Virtual Halloween Party

These do NOT have to be COVID specific but if they are please choose your second category as the following which serves as a catch-all for all COVID cards:

 

We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using the Stock Cards function or your own graphic designs.

 

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”.

Look on the bright side, it IS the season when wearing a mask is expected!

Freebie Wednesday: My Shine (font)

September 23, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

My Shine is a stunning handwritten font carefully created with a touch of elegance. This font is PUA encoded which means you can access all of the beautiful glyphs and swashes with ease! Avaiable for download on the Creative Fabrica site.

 

 

 

 

This product comes with a commercial license.