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Dash of Inspiration: July 2020 Design Challenge

July 2, 2020
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Happy summer, every one! Sorry this is a tad late to post. Our rescue dog had to get her shots a few days ago and as it turns out is one of the rare few that has severe side effects from the Rabies vaccine. She’s fine as of yesterday, but it threw my schedule off a few days playing nurse maid … LOL!

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Theme: Hair or Hare

Requirements:

  • Hair or hare as part of your card design and/or message with supporting imagery and be creative! Don’t tear your hair out over this one, just have fun, after all we won’t split hairs over this one! See the tips section below for some ideas to spark your imagination.
  • Any category which your card speaks to.
  • Blank verse will not be considered for entry in this challenge.

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Entry Deadline: Friday, July 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 that is well-suited for your Catch of the Day themed design.

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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: July 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:

BE SURE to check that ANY quote or saying you may find and choose to use is in public domain and that you provide that link to the review team in your NTR. Below are for inspiration …

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Be inspired to create and learn something new!

 

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from → Community Challenge, Contests, Dash of Inspiration, Design Challenge, Design Contest

Wanted New Cards: Grandparents Day Coping with Coronavirus.

July 2, 2020
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Wanted Cards – Grandparents Day Coping with Coronavirus
 
Well, another month and another holiday.  Here we are still coping with shelter in place, face masks, social distancing, and more.  Although routines are sloooowly returning to quasi-normal, not much as changed for those in the high risk community like seniors.
 
Grandparents will most likely not be able to visit with their grandchildren this Grandparents Day.  If they are lucky, perhaps from a far and through a window.  Many may be technologically challenged and not able to enjoy the zooming many people have been using to virtually get together.  The feelings of isolation and depression as a senior citizen have never been so pronounced.
Let’s really wow the grandparents this year with inspirational and uplifting cards!

 

 

Please consider creating new cards for Grandparents Day under coping with coronavirus conditions. Think of grandparents that are together (couple), a grandparent, in their own home, in group living / care, younger grandparents as well as older grandparents. As we all know, grandparents come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities. Also consider variations on nicknames – mimi, nana, papaw, poppi, etc.

These cards will go here:
Holidays >> Grandparents Day >> Coronavirus / COVID 19

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”.

For standard front designs, consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track.

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Nuts and Bolts: In-Store Pick Up Temporarily Unavailable.

June 26, 2020
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Nuts & Bolts – In-Store Pick Up Temporarily Unavailable

 
GCU’s In-Store pickup option has been a great solution for shoppers who need their cards on the same day or next day.  A great option for last minute shoppers. These orders were printed and picked up in the stores’ photo departments. The majority of GCU’s In-Store pickup locations were Target stores. Unfortunately most Target locations have closed their photo departments.

 

Thus, GCU’s In-Store Pickup option is temporarily unavailable.  We are in the process of building a relationship with another partner to offer this service in the near future.

 

In the interim, shoppers can upgrade their shipping options for cards mailed back to them with blank envelopes.  Cards mailed directly to recipients are not eligible for upgraded shipping.

 

When communicating with shoppers, please do not recommend in-store pickup if they are in a rush but instead expedited shipping. Thank you for your understanding.



The difference is made in the details!

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

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Wanted New Cards: Congratulations Team Signing / Recruited / Drafted.

June 25, 2020
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Wanted Cards – Congratulations Team Signing / Recruited / Drafted

 

Athletes at competitive levels and professional to semi-professional levels deal with the pressure, stress, and joy of trying out for and making the team.

 

Please add to our existing category designs for a higher level of “making the team” along the lines of pro to semi-pro signed, recruited, or drafted.

 

These cards should go in the existing “made the team” sports specific categories found here and differentiate themselves in not only their design and message / verse, but also of course metadata:

Consider custom front text cards allowing the shopper to personalize the team name as well as photo cards.

NOTE: professional and franchised team names, mascots, logos, and even some slogans are not permitted as they are registered trademarks.

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 Forum – Wanted Cards”.

For standard front designs, consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track.

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Freebie Wednesday: Nightfall Feathers Watercolor Collection.

June 24, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

Nightfall Feathers Watercolor Collection is this week’s freebie! Each print has a transparent background, you can simply add a background to your liking. You can create abstract compositions and drawings in a Boho style. Ideal for interior decoration and items. Watercolor textures look great on packaging and gift wrapping: boxes, folders, wrapping paper, and fabric. original wild prints are perfect for goods and events in Boho style. Just put your text or quote.

YOU WILL GET :

12 exotic feathers – PNG, 300dpi, transparent background
12 exotic feathers – PNG, 300dpi, transparent background
3 golden feathers – PNG, 300dpi, transparent background

7 seamless patterns – PNG, 300dpi, transparent background

This beautiful freebie is brought to you by Cat in Colour. Only available for a week on The Hungry Jpeg site!

 

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

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from → Fonts, FREEBIES

Rainbow Connection: Color Inspiration.

June 23, 2020
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Some color inspiration I found on Pinterest this week:

 

 

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from → Rainbow Connection (Colors)

Nuts and Bolts: Dedicate Yourself to the Details.

June 19, 2020
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Nuts & Bolts – Dedicate Yourself to the Details
 
It is often the little details that escape the artist’s eye. It is always a good idea to step away from a design that you have been meticulously working on or ask a brutally honest companion to give it a once over. The review team is certainly a fresh set of eyes and often catches tiny fixes or areas of improvement. GCU is grateful for artists who are open to collaborating with the reviewers on minor adjustments that make a big difference.

 

Observation from the reviewer:

I think with the bucket in his mouth here can pass as a please give me treats look so going to approve but the Christmas version I will return with concerns that it may not fit the occasion as well.

Reviewer’s Request for Edits:

We feel the doggie’s expression is a little sad for this category and would not consider this for a Christmas relationship series. However, with an appropriate verse we could consider this single general submission for this category -Holidays >> Christmas >> Anti Christmas / Bah Humbug if you would like to edit and resubmit.

 

Original Image:

 

 

Resulting Image:

 

 

From the reviewer:

Thank you, Sharon, this is better suited. I guess you have to up the treats quota!
 

Thank you to GCU artist, Sharon Dominick Photography, for her extensive photo collection and collaborating with our review team to create a submission that begs for attention.



The difference is made in the details!

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

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Wanted New Cards: School Leadership Position Thank You 

June 18, 2020
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Wanted Cards – School Leadership Position Thank You 

 

Students in a leadership position have likely dedicated a lot of extra time and effort into their role to make their school and class year run more successfully, smoothly, and fairly.

 

Thank you cards for students serving these positions are in need and should go here:

 

Occasions >> Thank You >> Student Leadership Position …
>> Other
>> General
>> Student Body President
>> Class President
>> Vice President
>> Secretary
>> Treasurer
>> Head Pupil / Head Boy / Head Girl
>> Sports Captain
>> School Captain
>> House Captain


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 Forum – Wanted Cards”.

For standard front designs, consider using Stock Card Creations to create new cards quickly. These cards are automatically set for expedited review so no need to Fast Track.

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Freebie Wednesday: Give it Colors.

June 18, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

Give it colors – set of vector patterns and background. Beautiful seamless wallpaper patterns set in classic style. High detailed and carefully drawn. 100% vector art. Vector versions allows you infinite scaling while preserving the beautiful hand-drawn characteristics. Ideal for wedding decorations, wallpaper, fabric patterns, packaging, cards and much more! Provided in vector and raster formats (Ai, EPS10, JPEG preview). Seamless designs

You will get:

  • 4 Ai file with seamless patterns, 4 EPS10 file, 4 JPEG preview (5000X5000 px),
  • 1 Ai file with floral background, 1 EPS10 file, 1 JPEG preview (5000X5000 px)

Note: mock ups are not included in download

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

 

 

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

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from → Fonts, FREEBIES

Nuts and Bolts: Describe Distressed Effects.

June 12, 2020
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Nuts & Bolts – Describe Distressed Effects

 

We have discussed before the importance of special notes to call attention to any special, unusual, digital effects or elements in a design. Online shoppers looking at a product image can assume and expect all kinds of things. In your metadata and product description (Artist’s Notes) is the place for you to explain to them exactly what the card is (and is not).

 

Here is the overriding guideline on Describing Digital Elements.  We have also included tips for Music related designs.

 

We will now add to the list of design effects that need footnoting; grunge, distressed, aged, worn, etc. GCU has had unhappy shoppers receiving cards that they feel “the printer ran out of ink” or “the mail truck must have run over it”.  We hear the strangest things!

 

When designing cards with any distressed, grunge or aged effects first consider the following. The review team will hold submissions to the following criteria as well:
1. does it look intentional – is it used in a manner that looks like part of the design and not a printing error?
2. does it add value to the design?  does it make sense in the overall subject matter of the design and occasion of the card?

 

Please include appropriate descriptive terms in the metadata (title, keywords) like:
grunge, aged, distressed, industrial, torn,
 
and in the Artist’s Notes (in CAPS) something like:  
THE TEXT ON THE COVER OF THIS CARD IS GRUNGE STYLE THAT INTENTIONALLY LOOKS AGED AND WORN OUT
THE EDGES OF THIS DESIGN ARE INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED WITH DIGITAL EFFECTS TO LOOK WORN AND AGED

 

This can prove to be an issue in the Artist’s Notes with a like image series to still attain the “unique” thumbs up.  So, consider using a thesaurus to help creative different variations of your effects disclosure statement to keep it unique. See Notes Uniqueness Tips here.

 

This is similar to circumstances where shoppers do not like the Papyrus font, of which GCU will be Removing Papyrus.

 

Here is a great example of a design where the distressed look on the cover font was too subtle resulting in a shopper thinking it was a printing error. The artist was asked to either make the effect more obvious or remove it.  Thanks to artist, Judith Gorgone Designs, for the quick edit on this cute design.

 

The difference is made in the nitty, gritty details!

 

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

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