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Dash of Inspiration: Big Stock ONLY Design Challenge June 2020

June 1, 2020

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Let’s have a little fun with more play on words for our Stock Card Challenge this month! Let your imagination run wild and formulate a solid idea!

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Theme: Formula

Requirements:

  • ONLY Big Stock cards will be accepted in this challenge.
  • Write your own verse, be creative with a message and/or imagery that clearly includes ‘formula’ in some form and ties the imagery of choice  with the category choice and challenge theme  – this will be extremely important in this challenge.
  • The judges will be looking for professional quality text layout, typography placement and font combinations in addition to a unique and captivating message that tells the story of the stock image you choose. Your added value needs to wow the judges!

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Entry Deadline: Tuesday, June 30th

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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.

NOTE: Submissions will appear immediately in your Private gallery as they await review.  If approved, the reviewer will move them to the public gallery – they will then become ‘live’ in the marketplace within 24-hours or so just like regular submissions. Be patient and wait.
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CATEGORY: Any which suits your message, recipient and imagery.

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Rules:

  • Submission must meet GCU’s Submission Guidelines and be Approved through the usual Review Cycle. Big Stock creations are automatically identified as Fast Track – please add in the Notes to Reviewer: JUNE 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.
  • Big Stock Card Creations ONLY will be accepted.
  • Your designs should differ from those already offered in the categories above to offer shoppers a variety of choices, not more of the same.
  • No BLANK cards will be accepted.

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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. Your overall ‘added value’ determines this.

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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 57,000 followers, now THAT’S exposure!
  • The winning card will be Design of the Day following the announcement of the winners (within 48-hours).
  • The winning card will be added to the Greeting Card Universe Design Challenge Winners Pinterest Board – currently GCU’s Pinterest Page followers: 4K!
  • 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.
  • Winning card will be posted on GCU’s Instagram with 6,800 followers and counting!
  • 10 free greeting card credits added to your GCU account. Apply them at checkout and they never expire.
  • A Design Challenge GCU digital award!

2nd Place:

  • Your submission will be Design of the Day the following week of announcing the Challenge winners (within 7-days).
  • 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 6,800 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!

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Tips:

Nuts and Bolts: May Design Challenge Deadline.

May 29, 2020

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Nuts & Bolts – May Design Challenge Deadline

 

Don’t miss out on entering this month’s design challenge, Theme: Catch of the Day

Submission Deadline is Saturday, May 30th

See May’s Design Challenge details.  We can’t bait, I mean wait, to see all of your submissions.

 

The difference is made in the details!

 

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

Wanted New Cards: New Baby Greetings from Heaven.

May 28, 2020

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Wanted Cards – New Baby Greetings from Heaven
 
The joy of becoming a parent may only be trumped by the joy of becoming a grandparent. For those grandparent(s) who have passed before a grandchild’s birth, a sweet card to the grandbaby is a cherished keepsake.

 

Please consider creating cards for a new baby, perhaps a first grandchild, from the grandparents, grandfather, or grandmother from heaven. Also consider gender specific variations for granddaughter and grandson.

 

These cards should go here, which will service as a catchall for now:

 

Consider custom front designs which will allow the shopper to personalize the relationship.

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.

 

Freebie Wednesday: Big Reputation Font Duo.

May 27, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

Introducing this week’s freebie: Big Reputation Font Duo! Comprises of 2 best selling fonts brought to you by Saridezra. You can create bold designs for logos, t-shirts, labels and more! These fonts contain multilingual support and are fully PUA encoded!

Download now before it’s too late, as it’s only available for a week at The Hungry Jpeg!

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

Nuts and Bolts: Custom Request Design Change.

May 22, 2020

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Nuts & Bolts – Custom Request Design Change

 

With more shoppers finding GCU during this stay at home time in our lives, comes more sales (hooray!), more questions for our support team, and also more custom request design changes for GCU artists.

 

Please be on the lookout for these!  
We are seeing many of them go unanswered by artists.  Since there are often email deliver-ability issues it is wise to check the Manage Custom Requests tool periodically to make sure you have not overlooked any requests.

 

Here is a look back at some good tips to not miss any shopper requests.

 

From a recent shopper:
You all are THE best!  I am absolutely in love with these new cards. They are totally perfect!
Thank you for being not just the best greeting card company but, in my opinion, one of the best companies anywhere.
Your cards are high quality, the prices are fantastic, your website is easy to navigate and your customer service is exemplary. 

 

Many of these are BRAND NEW shoppers to GCU.  Let’s put our best foot forward and really WOW them and secure them as GCU fans!

 

The difference is made in the details!

 

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

Wanted New Cards: Father’s Day Girl Dad / Boy Dad.

May 21, 2020

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Wanted Cards – Father’s Day Girl Dad / Boy Dad
 
Fatherhood is particularly particular when you have a brood of boys or a gaggle of girls.
 
We have two new Father’s Day categories for cards that speak to the special relationship, joys, and challenges of these dads.  Please consider creating new cards for:

 

These cards will go here accordingly:
Holidays >> Father’s Day >> Girl Dad / Dad of Girls
Holidays >> Father’s Day >> Boy Dad / Dad of Boys

 

These are general cards to A dad (not relationspecific like to son, to brother, etc.).

 

Submit these cards for FastTrack review. We’d like you to create at least one card for these categories using your own graphic designs or Stock Card Creations.  Be sure to leave a note in the Note to Reviewers like “requested on the blog”.

 

Be inventive and creative!

Freebie Wednesday: Dark Side Watercolor Clipart.

May 20, 2020

Freebie Wednesday:

 

Dark Side Watercolor Clipart is FREE for download this week! Perfect for mysterious yet feminine designs on invitation cards, banners, prints and more!

You will receive:

  • 20 watercolor elements
  • 8 seamless patterns (JPEG)
  • 4 seamless patterns with transparent background (PNG)
  • 3 watercolor frames
  • 5 bouquets

This beautiful freebie is brought to you by ma_i_vi. Only available on The Hungry Jpeg for a week!

 

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.

 

Nuts and Bolts: Artist Interview Linda Gladman.

May 15, 2020

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Nuts & Bolts – Artist Interview Linda Gladman

 

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 May’s Design Challenge.

 

The difference is made in the details!

 

Mindy
GCU Community Manager

 

Wanted New Cards: Birthday Son Expecting Father

May 14, 2020

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Wanted Cards – Birthday Son Expecting Father 
 
A birthday is doubly exciting when you are also expecting a child, perhaps your first child. Please consider creating birthday cards for a father to be / expecting father.

 

These cards should go here:
Birthdays >> For Family Relation Specific >> For Son >> Other
Birthdays >> Expecting / Pregnant >> Relation Specific
Remember, add a little note in your Notes to Reviewers like “submitting per the Wanted Cards blog posting”.

Freebie Wednesday: Gentle Whisper Floral Font.

May 13, 2020
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Freebie Wednesday:

 

Gentle Whisper Floral is an elegant, decorative, feminine font. Use this font for wedding invitations, branding, packaging, magazines, florist shops, social media, restaurant menus, greeting cards, headers and many more.

You will recieve:

  • Gentle Whisper Floral – OTF, TTF, WOFF
  • Gentle Whisper Regular – OTF, TTF, WOFF
  • BONUS: 15 floral elements (AI, EPS & PNG)

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

 

 

This product comes with a complete commercial license.