Founders’ Choice Awards 2017
In January, GCU proudly announced the Best of 2017 Founders’ Choice Award winners! See all the winners here. This was GCU’s third annual “Best of” awards as part of the monthly Design Challenge series. |
Design Challenge Winner, January 2018, Ultra Violet – Tammy Moody
Design Challenge Winner, January 2018, Ultra Violet – Tammy Moody What was your inspiration for your winning card? Please walk us through the process of how this card went from an idea to a greeting card. I hate to admit it, but the inspiration for this design began when I was flipping through TV channels and heard a girl say, “He was totally checking me out”. At the time, I was sitting there petting my cat, Meeko. Anyhow, I kept flipping through the channels and what that girl said stuck in my head for some reason Then, I looked down at my cat and he was staring at me, so I Click to Read more… |
Lisa Crisafi Design Challenge Winner, November 2017
Congratulations to Lisa Crisafi of Nest to Nest Greetings, Design Challenge Winner, November 2017 Please add any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU. My love for creating greeting cards began when I started entering Hallmark Card contests. Contest entries consisted of uploading a photo and submitting a verse fitting the contest category. More often than not, the contests required a sense of humor and a love for puns. I quickly learned what the contest team was looking for and went on to win 12 of those card contests and a video commercial contest. It was great fun and I met an amazing group of artists and writers from Click to Read more… |
Design Challenge Winner, Julia Bryant October 2017
Congratulations to Julia Bryant, Design Challenge Winner, October 2017 What was your inspiration for your winning card? Please walk us through the process of how this card went from an idea to a greeting card. When I was thinking of what to do for this challenge, I wanted it to be humorous and capture a cat’s attitude. I enjoy cat memes and other stories about cats and their attitudes. I wanted the cat to express his displeasure with its owner for making him wait. I think the frown on the cat says it all. Your winning card perfectly captures a cat’s sassy attitude. What cat experience did you draw from? Click to Read more… |
Finding your Artistic Voice – Olivia K. Kneibler
See Olivia and Company’s greeting cards on Greeting Card Universe What sparked your interest in art? Did you start as a young child? My fascination with my mother’s career is what sparked my interest in art, she was a beautiful portrait artist who worked mostly in oils. When I was a small child I could always tell when she was painting from afar, I could smell the linseed oil and the paint. As soon as I sensed that familiar smell I would stop whatever I was doing and make the fast dash to her because I loved to watch her paint. I truly was fascinated how one small stroke could Click to Read more… |
May Challenge Winner — PamJArt
Congratulations to our May Design Challenge winner, Pamela Jorgensen from PamJArts. Her winning card appears above. Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU. I did win best victoria sandwich cake at a village flower show in England when I was 12 years old. That was a worthy accomplishment in my small village, unrelated to my artistic leanings but totally worth a mention. I previously belonged to a local art society and earned some minor awards for oil paintings and pencil drawings but generally I have not participated in contests. Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites. Cold Get Well Click to Read more… |
March Design Challenge Winner – Tammy Moody
GCU March Design Winner Tammy Moody Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU. Over the years I have won numerous awards (including Best of Show, First, and Second place awards), for my still life, wildlife, and horse art in local art shows. I was also published in Horses in Art Magazine several years back. Then I was honored to be invited to show a collection of art at the Grand National Rodeo Art Show in Los Angeles. I was one of 500 artists worldwide to be invited to the event. Please list your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites. Jesus Click to Read more… |
February Design Challenge Winner — Michelle Lanoue
GCU February Challenge Winner Michelle Lanoue Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU. I was thrilled to have my children’s books published a few years ago after going the self-publishing route. But sadly, the publisher, Crafty Canuck, closed shop. I am back to self-publishing although I have been putting more energy into my GCU greeting cards as of lately. I am always on the lookout for another publisher. You just never know! This is a page from my book, The Dinosaur and Ladybug in Heels Christmas Nativity Story. I have a few more in the series and a few different books other than the series. I have also Click to Read more… |
National Grammar Day – March 4
National Grammar Day, established by Martha Brockenbrough, has been celebrated in the United States since 2008. Ms Brockenbrough is the author of Things That Make Us [Sic] and the founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. In this age of quick, short, electronic communication, grammar seems to have morphed into a new language. And that’s fine, even useful, if you’re speaking with peers. But when speaking with workmates, your boss, or a client, you need to be seen as someone who has command of standard language usage. It makes for effective and professional communication. Proper language usage serves the same purpose as dressing correctly for Click to Read more… |
Julia Bryant – January Design Challenge Winner
BallettElephant with Music Notes and Tutu for Dance Teacher Birthday by Greeting Card Universe artist Julia Bryant Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites. Being ex-military, I wanted a card that would be encouraging to someone about to begin the most exciting and scary part of their life. What were your inspirations for both of your winning cards? Please walk us through the process of how these cards went from ideas to greeting cards. I wanted the dance teacher birthday card to be whimsical. I imagined a little girl or boy wanting to give a special birthday card Click to Read more… |
