February, 2016 - Occasionally Thoughtful

Jumping for Joy over Leap Year!

Pattiann on February 29, 2016

Leap years are necessary in order to keep our calendar in line with the Earth’s revolutions. Without leap year, we would lose 6 hours every year. Leap Year happens on those years that are evenly divided by 4, but not if the year can be evenly divided by 100.

A person’s whose birthday is on February 29 is called a “leapling”. It’s a special day with opportunities for making it fun and different than other birthdays! Only 1 person in 1,461 is born on leap year, which makes leaplings unique.

Most leap year babies celebrate their birthday on non-leap years on February 28, in order to keep “loyal” to a February birthday, but some celebrate on March 1.

Some businesses have special or free deals for Leap Year babies. All you need to do is show your ID. A list of some of these businesses can be found at Penny Pinchin Mom

Ways to make a Leap Year birthday party special:

Let everyone know about the special day by wearing a t-shirt or hat proclaiming the day!
Have a “Leap” party at a gymnastic center.
Throw a “sLEAPover” party.
Use frogs as a theme. Here’s a starting point for ideas Tip Junkie https://www.tipjunkie.com/post/leap-year-party/
The party guests can make a list of where they hope to be in four years. Have them seal the list in an envelope with “Do not open until Feb 29, 2020” on the front.

Greeting Card Universe has many options for Leap Year birthday cards.

General Leap Year Birthday Cards

Age Specific Birthday Cards

Customize for any Relationship

And many more …

Be sure to check out Greeting Card Universe’s Leap Year Pinterest Board.

For those looking for Leap Year Anniversary Cards, Greeting Card Universe also has you covered!

Ron Magnes, Best of 2015 Winner

Pattiann on February 28, 2016

Ron Magnes’ winning card in Best of 2015 contest

Greeting Card Universe artists were invited to submit their best 2015 work. Ron Magnes is the winner. Congrats to Ron from all of us at Greeting Card Universe!

Please list any of your professional social media sites:

Ron Magnes’ Website

Ron Magnes on Fine Art America

Ron Magnes at Linkedin

Which are your 3 favorite cards?

Your winning card is very funny. What was your inspiration? Please walk us through the process of how this card went from an idea to a greeting card.

“The Ultimate Man Tool” is just a spoof on those type of ads and infomercials that claim, “this is the ultimate tool” or “this tool can do everything”. It was a bit more involved than my usual cards. After completing the knife illustration, which took awhile to get just right, I had to write funny little blurbs for each tool, I must have tweaked the wording on this for days. When I create a new card I always set it aside for a few days, sometimes weeks and then when I revisit it, it’s like having a fresh pair of eyes on it, and if at that point it still seems funny or heartfelt if I’m doing something sentimental then I know I have a winner. When I finished everything I then uploaded and submitted the new card to my GCU shop. It was rejected for looking too much like the Swiss Army knife. The reviewer suggested to maybe change the image a bit and resubmit. I shelved the idea. Months later I revisited the image, I was determined to make this idea work, I had put so much time into it. So, as per the reviewers suggestion I redrew the image, changing the casing shape and color. With this newly revised image, I submitted a new card. This time it was accepted with a comment attached suggesting that I do a series for different recipients and occasions, which I did.

What sparked your interest in art? Did you start as a young child?

My Mother did. As a young child I would often sit and watch as she painted, I found it so fascinating. She had noticed my interest in art, so one day she gifted me, “Animation by Preston Blair, Learn How To Draw Animated Cartoons” . I would sit and draw cartoons from that book for hours, there was a time I didn’t go anywhere without that book. From then on my passion for art just grew.

Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?

I’m a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I also have 20+ years experience working in a graphic arts studio where I honed my typography skills and learned how to create professional looking graphics.

Is your work done by hand and then scanned or do you work entirely on the computer?

All of my cards are done completely digital, from concept through finish.

Have you ever/do you currently have a job other than as an artist?

I worked for a graphics arts studio in the Pittsburgh area for over 20 years. I’ve been on my own for the past 12 years as an independent illustrator. So, I guess, no.

Are you as humorous in real life, such as parties or family get-togethers, or does your humor only come out in your cards?

I’m a bit reserved in large social gatherings, but I’m always observing. I do joke around when I’m with small familiar groups and family. I do prefer visual humor, you don’t have to be spontaneous, you can take your time to work it out just right.

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?

I find some of the NobleWorks artists to be very humorous.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

I was seriously considering culinary school at one point, but later decided art school was probably a better fit.

The Joy of Valentine’s Day

Pattiann on February 14, 2016

Valentine’s Day, that day of love and care, is celebrated February 14. According to the Greeting Card Association, Americans send out 145 million Valentine’s Day cards each year. This doesn’t include the classroom Valentines exchanged in schools.

Originally celebrated as a liturgical celebration of one of the Christian saints named Valentinus, by the 18th-Century, Valentine’s Day had evolved into a day for expressions of love. The oldest paper Valentine’s Day card is from the 1400s and is in the British Museum. Commercially printed Valentine’s Day cards became available in the 1800s. Second only to Christmas cards in the US, Valentine’s Day cards have grown in popularity ever since.

Along with general Valentine’s Day cards and cards for family members, Greeting Card Universe has many options.

Anti-Valentine’s Day Cards For those disinclined to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Greeting Card Universe has an assortment of cards. Don’t be bitter on Vinegar Day! Make it a special day for pampering. There are some ideas to get you started in Getting Through Valentine’s Day Being Single.

Birthday on Valentine’s Day Surely someone born on Valentine’s Day is a love child!

Gay/Lesbian Valentine’s Day cards Greeting Card Universe currently has 532 cards that speak to the gay or lesbian relationships.

Valentine’s Day Photo Cards Photo cards at Greeting Card Universe are very popular. Take advantage of Valentine’s Day to show family and friends your love.

Wedding on Valentine’s Day On average, 2.2 million people get married on Valentine’s Day. What a special day to start your life together! And there’s little chance that your anniversary will be forgotten!

Secret Pal/Admirer on Valentine’s Day A secret admirer can be anyone: a classmate, a colleague, a neighbor … or someone closer to home: Valentine’s Day Secret Admirer Essay