Thursday, October 27th

Ramelle Richardson, Eloquence by Ramelle, Design Challenge Winner, August 2022

Christmas Dolphins Leaping for Joy card

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.
It was a nice surprise to have my entry selected for First Place in the Design Challenge. Thank you! My idea for the card came to me when the Big Stock image of leaping dolphins brought back memories of a beautiful sight I had seen while on a Polynesian cruise.

We were leaving Rangiroa by way of Tiputa Pass, a gap in the atoll which is famous for its raging outgoing current. As the islanders on shore waved goodbye and blew on huge shell trumpets, over a dozen dolphins raced toward our ship, then turned around to ride the surf created by the bow wave. I hung halfway over the railing to catch a glimpse of the dolphins and was astounded by their acrobatics. They were leaping into the air, spinning and playing in the surf with obvious joy. When I saw the stock image of the dolphins, I knew I had to use it for a Christmas card and add text that would allude to the joy one might feel at Christmas time.


What sparked your interest in art? Did you start as a young child?
My interest in art was first sparked as a child of three or four as I sat in front of the TV, watching Popeye cartoons on a local Los Angeles channel hosted by artist Tom Hatten. Tom would draw an abstract figure called a squiggle; on the sketch pads of his young studio guests who would then incorporate that squiggle into a drawing. I did my best to copy the original shape onto my own art paper and then would turn it this way and that, looking for some recognizable form within the abstract lines while asking myself, “What do I see here . . . a dragon . . . a face?”


I not only learned how to accurately copy lines and forms, but this helped me develop creativity and an awareness of negative space. I also acquired an incurable case of Pareidolia from which I hope to never recover.


In Kindergarten, I would spend every recess at a big wooden easel, painting. I loved painting so much that for Christmas, when I was five, my dad and brother built me my own easel. I was given all the necessary supplies to make large watercolor paintings which—believe it or not—are still in existence, thanks to my mom who saved each and every one, thinking I’d be the next Picasso. Ha! I have no idea what to do with those childish paintings, but after hanging onto them for the past 64 years, I’m reluctant to part with them now.


Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU.
As an adult, I have not entered any art contests or competitions. I really can’t say why . . .
I just haven’t given much thought to it. But as a kid obsessed with art, I was determined to enter and win every coloring contest I could get my hands on. I began with two entries I submitted for a national competition, sponsored by Post Cereals and Mattel Toys. For the contest, five different cartoon characters were printed on cereal boxes with no context of the setting or what the character was doing. The challenge was to draw the details surrounding the cartoon character and tell a story with imaginative artwork. Using a Crowquill pen, India ink, and watercolor pencils, I created two entries, each of which had the potential to win a nice selection of toys.

I will never forget the day my mom picked me up from school, brandishing not one—but two registered letters. One letter said that I had won First Place for one of my entries; the other letter announced that of all five categories, my other submission was awarded Grand Prize as the best entry over all. As the National winner, I was given a bicycle and nearly every toy Mattel made. After that confidence-building experience, I kept my eyes open for art contests, both national and local. What followed was a string of first-place wins and by the time I ended my career as the coloring-contest kid, I had won another bike (a gorgeous blue Stingray) and a boat-load of other fun prizes.


As I entered high school, I participated in various art exhibitions, poster contests and competitions, winning several cash prizes. Upon graduation in 1971, I was selected as the recipient of the Bank of America Award in Art.

Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?
Though mostly self-taught, I attended a community college with an extensive art department where I took a smorgasbord of classes: art history, oil painting, life-drawing, sculpture, jewelry design, commercial art, watercolor, even glassblowing. Concurrent with my art instruction, I took an equal amount of theater classes. When I transferred to the University of California Irvine in order to complete my degree, I changed my major from Studio Art to Theater Arts. In 1976 I graduated from UCI with a Bachelor’s degree in Acting.


Have you ever/do you currently have a job other than as an artist?
As soon as I got my acting degree, I joined Lamb’s Players, a Christian drama ministry, and traveled with their Street Theater troupe for the next two years, performing comedy and drama at Renaissance festivals, churches, colleges and other venues throughout the US and into parts of Canada.


After my adventures with Lamb’s Players, I did some freelance graphic-arts work, designing logos and ads for magazines. That was before computers and digital art when all my graphic artwork was freehand and the text had to be done with press-on lettering. I was often commissioned to do pastel portraits as well. For a while I worked at a sign company, creating vinyl signs, but the work was tedious and mind-numbing. The business was in a large unheated building that was so cold that even in SouthernCalifornia it numbed the fingers as well; so I sought a job as a waitress and thoroughly
enjoyed the interaction with the public.


During this time I utilized my theater arts degree by directing church musicals and acting in community theater. (Fun Fact: I played the “Day By Day” girl in a local production of Godspell and had the dubious honor of playing the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.)


My best friend Oscar and I married in 1980 and we had two kids. (We’re now the grandparents of six grandkids.) After quitting my waitress job, I wrote and performed a one-woman dramatic presentation called Through a Mother’s Eyes in which I played the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Using my knowledge of Biblical history and scripture, along with my drama skills (and some maternal humor,) I told the story of Jesus’ childhood and ministry from the perspective of a very human Jewish mother. For the next 19 years, I performed Through a Mother’s Eyes at churches, retreats, women’s prisons and other service organizations.


Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites.
This was my favorite card for the Chinese New Year of the Rooster in 2017 because of its uniqueness. My design is a nod to the famous French poster “Le Chat Noir” (The Black Cat) by Theophile Steinlen. I found a drawing of a rooster’s head that Steinlen had used on a lesser-known cabaret poster and I completed the bottom half of the rooster with my own artwork


My Christmas card featuring inquisitive donkeys and ponies gathered around the Bethlehem manger was inspired by a photo I took of a friend’s baby who was wrapped in a crocheted blanket with only his toes and hands visible. I thought it was a cute photo and wracked my brain to figure out how to use the baby in a Christmas card. This is what I came up with.


This whimsical birthday card was one of the first designs I made with an iPad. Prior to 2022, all of my digital art was drawn with a mouse—a painstaking method and very time-consuming. For this design, I created each of the little critters and the flowers as vectors and also incorporated a photo of “Mr. Snoofles” our neighborhood squirrel who went to his reward years ago (but has found immortality in several of my cards that feature him.


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

I use both methods. I often blend my own digital artwork with my original photos as well as free-commercial-use pictures available online. Lately, I have been scanning or photographing my decades-old paintings and drawings from my college days, and I have been giving them new life with added layers of new artwork and text.


What GCU artist(s) do you admire?
There are so many wonderful artists who contribute to GCU. I admire them all, but I particularly enjoy the art of Betsy Bush (Dragonfire Graphics), Michelle Lanoue, and Cathie Richardson (Country Garden Cards). I especially love Asian art and so the beautifully detailed Chinese and Vietnamese New Year cards by Cisillia Tay are some of my favorites. Cisilla’s work never fails to fill me with wonder, admiration, and a teeny bit of envy.


Doreen Erhardt’s artwork is fantastic, too. Doreen was a great help to me when I first joined GCU in 2011. I had just learned how to use a computer and I needed tons of help to create a card worthy of GCU approval. I appreciated that Doreen always took the time to answer my questions and offer valuable advice.


What would we be surprised to learn about you?
I spend a ridiculous amount of time caring for PidgieWidget, an ornery, bad-tempered rock pigeon that I rescued as a chick over a year ago. “Widgie” has crippled feet and cannot be released into the wild so she lives in an open cage in my living room, scattering feathers everywhere. She is occasionally loveable, and enjoys traveling in the car, hunkered down on my shoulder and watching the scenery as it passes by. My pigeon is featured on only one of my cards so far, but I have plans to use Widgie’s image for some future designs if I can get her to cooperate.


Monday, June 13th

Robin Chaffin of Simpy Put by Robin, Design Challenge Winner, April 2022

 Get Well Soon Baseball Batter Sports card

 

 

Robin Chaffin of Simpy Put by Robin, Design Challenge Winner, April 2022

Get Well Soon Baseball Batter Sports card

 

Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites.

 

Thinking of You Watercolor Sketchy Doodle Yellow Sunflower Flower card

Watercolor Flower I like this one because it represents the current style I’m learning, “sketchy doodle” watercolor.

 Anniversary to Husband Personalize with Name - Why Do I Love You card

 

Why Do I Love You  I chose this one because I believe it has my best front/inside verse. At least the cards using this verse in both my Rycky Creations and Simply Put by Robin stores are popular, so the verse must resonate with buyers.

 

 Hope Encouragement for Cancer Patient card

HOPE I chose this one because John is on the front (see HOPE story below)

Please list any of your professional social media sites.

Simply Robin Creations on Facebook

Simply Robin Creations on Instagram

Simply Robin on Pinterest

Simply Robin Creations website
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.

Since it was a “sports themed” contest using stock cards, I knew I could easily find a suitable card front from Big Stock photos and figure out something to submit. I have a basketball sports themed card in my Rycky Creations store, so my thoughts were to use that as a jumping off point, but to choose a different sport. So I chose baseball since we’re currently in baseball season (Go Braves). I loved that particular Big Stock photo and the rest just fell in place!

 

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

If you’re old enough, you might remember those ads back in the 60’s and 70’s, “Can You Draw This? As a child, I use to see those and drew the examples fairly easily. But I had no confidence I could draw anything without copying someone else’s art, so I dismissed any small bit of talent I had thinking, “anyone can do that.” Later, in my 40’s, I decided to try taking an art class and discovered that I actually had a little bit of talent. Once I started painting, my friends encouraged me to “do something” with my artwork and I found Greeting Card Universe online and the rest is history. Although I did go through a (fairly long) phase of using 3rd party artwork to create cards, I’m again trying to create my own and enjoying the process once again.

 

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

Early on, all my work was done by hand and scanned. Now, I mostly create on an iPad using Procreate and I’m loving it!

 

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

Yes, I’ve always had another job, usually in an office environment. Currently, I work as an Office Administrator for a small construction company.

 

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?

Of course, like most people, Doreen Erhardt and Corrie Kuipers have been an inspiration to me from the very beginning. Some others that I admire: Sue Nollmeyer, Stephie McCarthy, Michelle Lanoue, Teri Nelson Kuster, Gerda Steiner … I could go on and on, and I know I’m going to miss someone! There are a lot of very talented artists at GCU!

 

Can you tell share a bit about your HOPE line of cards for the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation (SBTF)?

Thanks for asking!  The HOPE cards in my Rycky Creations store are near and dear to my heart. A dear friend’s son (John) was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the first card of the HOPE series was created in his honor in 2008. He courageously battled cancer for several years before losing his battle in March of 2012. When I created the first HOPE card, I decided that any commissions earned on that card would be donated to finding a cure for brain cancer. The Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation is a wonderful organization that supports patients with brain tumors. It was through John and his connection with SBTF that I decided to make them the recipient of the donation. Since that first card, several other HOPE cards have been created in honor or memory of others, including my dad, mom and good friend Kim, who all had their own cancer battles. I have committed to donate 100% of all commissions on all of these cards to SBTF. A few years ago, SBTF reached out to me to design cards specifically for their organization. They now sell these cards (along with my HOPE series) in a private store, here at GCU: Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation.

 

Ok, now for the fast five, fun questions …

What’s your dream occupation– the one job you’d love to have if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now? 

It would probably be something in the travel industry; I enjoy visiting new places!

Which is your favorite, puppies or kittens? 

Definitely kittens (there’s a cat in my lap as I type this), but puppies are adorable too

What is the grossest food you ever had to eat to be polite? 

When I first started dating my (now) husband, his parents invited me over for dinner. The meal was great, EXCEPT for the English peas. I hated English peas! But in wanting to make a good first impression, I ate them (yuck), but ended up swallowing each bite whole. I was a (skinny) very picky eater back then … not so much now!

If you could choose your own name, what would it be?  My first name is Cathy, so if I had it to do over again, I’d be called Cat

If your clothes had to be one color forever, what color would you pick? 

My favorite color is blue, but if you looked in my closet, you would think I’d pick gray

 

Thursday, May 19th

Design Challenge Winner, August 2021, Educator Retirement – 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 knew I wanted to do something inspirational for this card. I think educators really do lift us up and help inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves, so I wanted to reflect that in the card. When I started searching for images and found this one, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

 

Stock Card Creations can be tricky and there are so many images to choose from.  What advice do you have for other artists on how to settle on one image?

 

Basically, I usually have a pretty good idea in mind for a card when I am searching for an image. Then it is just a matter of typing in the right keywords.

Some things I usually have in mind when searching are:

What kind of card am I creating?

  • Category

  • Birthday?

  • Holiday?

  • Business?

  • Get Well?

  • Bereavement?

 

Who is the card intended for?

  • Is it for adults, kids?

  • Do I want something that speaks to many age groups or one specific age group?

 

Is this a card for personal use or business?

 

What is the overall tone of the card going to be?

  • Is it funny or serious?

  • Is it heartfelt or sarcastic?

 

Is this something new or different for the category it is intended for? You want to create something that adds to the selection, not repeats what is already there.

 

Holiday card sales are picking up.  Which of your card designs do you predict will be your best seller this year and why?

I think this Dairy Farm Cow Card will do well. People own dairy farms and like farmhouse theme cards, so I think this one will go over well.

 

What is your favorite holiday or occasion to design cards for and why?

I like to make Christmas cards because that is one of my favorite times of the year.

 

You have created some COVID-19 themed cards.  Which is your favorite and why?

One of my favorite Covid-19 related cards is a humorous Cat in Santa Hat Christmas card that I designed just because it brought a little humor to the pandemic.

Ok, now for the fast five, fun questions … 

 

Whom would you call for bail money?

My sister Lola.

What was the worst job you ever had and why?

I worked on an assembly line and built small motors. I hated it because it was so monotonous.

Who was your childhood actor/actress crush?

David Cassidy

What’s the grossest food you ever had to eat to be polite?

Menudo

Pick up pennies or walk past them?

I pick them up if they are heads up – if not I flip them over for someone else to find.

 

Wednesday, June 23rd

Laurie Schneider, Design Challenge Winner, May 2021

 
 

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 and how you chose your 3 items from the list (a remote control – a mirror – a mailbox – an orange – a daisy – a beach towel – a bird – a coffee mug):

My inspiration for this card was the mailbox. It got me thinking about all the people that we are not able to see because of the pandemic. Then came the bird because whenever possible I put living beings into my designs and then last the daisies I thought added a delicate touch.

This is a wonderful Thinking of You card and fitting for the post 2020 pandemic. What did you do to keep some normalcy and positive outlook during this challenging time?  

How I keep some normalcy and a positive outlook during this challenging time is I concentrate on the things I can do instead of what I can’t. I work a lot on my card store, I Facetime with my daughter and granddaughter a lot because Covid ended flying for a time and I spend time with my wonderful husband and other daughter.  2020 was a very bad year for all of us. I hope if nothing else, one good thing comes out of it and that is we all learn to cherish every moment with our loved ones, friends and appreciate the little things in life that mean the most.

 

We believe you may have entered every Design Challenge.  Bravo!  What advice would you give to other artists who are hesitant to enter?

Yes I have entered every month after the first time I gave it a try. My advice to other artists who are hesitant to enter is why not, what do you have to lose.  It encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.  If you do win, great if not that’s great too because you have added a new design to your store and it just might become a great seller. I personally do not enter to win, I just enjoy the monthly challenge. I look forward to seeing what the theme will be for the new month.

 

You’ve been a member of GCU’s artist community since 2014.  How have you seen your card designs evolve or change since the early days?

I have seen my card designs evolve and change drastically. The cards I submitted in 2014 in my opinion were terrible and very embarrassing to me.:) I am so grateful to you and to the review team for allowing me the time to learn and all the help so I could remain a part of GCU.  

 

There are many rewards for the Design Challenge Winner.  Which is your favorite and why?

My favorite reward for winning is the exposure, It brings in a lot of good sales.  

 

Mid-year is a good time to start designing cards for the Winter holidays.  What are your plans?

My plans for the holiday season is to add three or four new card series for each holiday. In my experience, relationship specific cards sell rather well.  

 

They say Christmas in July and we are almost there.  How do you get inspired and in the “merry” mood?  

When it comes to designing Christmas cards I am always in the “merry” mood.  I love designing cards for Christmas so it comes easy especially ones I design for children.

Ok, now for the fast five, fun questions …

 

What’s your dream occupation– the one job you’d love to have if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?

My dream occupation would be a Wildlife Veterinarian. I think that would be an awesome job. I have always been an animal lover but life led me in a different direction. However, I was lucky enough to work with wild animals for the past forty years as a Wildlife Rehabilitator.

 

What one accomplishment are you most proud of?

The accomplishment I am most proud of is all the injured, sick and orphaned animals that I have helped and returned successfully back to the wild.

List something that is on your bucket list.

One thing on my bucket list is to go on an African Safari but the problem is my daughters would be terrified and my husband doesn’t like to travel. Which means I would have to go by myself and that wouldn’t be any fun.

  

If you could choose your own name, what would it be?

If I could choose my own name it would be Roxanne, I have always liked that name. I did name my dog Roxanne and she is very bossy at times, I’m afraid it might have something to do with her name. LOL

  

If your clothes had to be one color forever, what color would you pick?

If my clothes had to be one color I would pick red. I would happily wear it forever  

 

 
Monday, April 26th

Linda Gladman Art, Design Challenge Winner, March 2021

What was your inspiration for your winning card? Please walk us through the process of how this card went from idea to greeting card. 

My inspiration for this design challenge was found while looking at photos of our gardens last year which led to browsing through a seed catalogue.  My favorite color is blue and I was pondering how to add more blue flowers to our gardens so I did a quick sketch on paper before creating the actual design.

 

Those stunning flowers can’t be ignored.  What is your favorite flower?

That’s a tough question because as a gardener, I truly do love all annual and perennial flowers but I especially like sunflowers and ranunculus in a fresh cut bouquet.

 

There are many rewards for the Design Challenge Winner.  Which is your favorite and why? 

My favorite reward would be having my design chosen as a winner because as a designer it confirms your creativity.

  

You have created some COVID-19 themed cards.  Which is your favorite and why

That’s an easy one .. lol

The green “Covid germ guy” is my favorite design for a couple of reasons.

First, it was my top selling card in 2020 and second a shopper messaged me

to let me know they she was sending this card to President Trump at the White House when he contacted Covid19.

 

Ok now for the fast five, fun questions…

  

What did you name your first car? 

Blue not just because I like the color but it was a blue Bobcat.

  

What is your best scar story? 

My aunt and my grandmother were visiting and at the time we lived in an upper apartment above our grandparents duplex and they left the outside door open to the downstairs.  I was nine months old and learning to walk and I tumbled down two flights of metal stairs and had quite a scar that looked like a middle hair part!

 

What was the worst job you ever had and why? 

The worst job I had was picking cherries at 11 years old because we lived half an hour away from the orchard and this old flat bed truck would pick each worker up their home and it seemed like it took a day to get to the orchard!

 

Would you rather be a giant rodent or a tiny elephant? 

Hands down a tiny elephant!

 

Are you a traveler or a homebody? 

I’m actually both!  I go in seasons where I love to travel and love to stay home.

Monday, April 19th

Shoaff Ballanger Studios, Design Challenge Winner, February 2021

 

 

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.
 
We knew we wanted a funny Easter greeting card about bunnies and chocolate. We searched through the stock images and found this one.  It was perfect!  We then had to decide how to incorporate the text on the cover and felt the best way was to fit it inside the handle of the basket with an emphasis on “feel”.  It was just the right place because both the young lady and the earless chocolate bunny could be saying “I feel a little hollow”.  The young lady’s expression of feeling a little hollow or guilty fit perfectly into the concept we were looking for. The dripping and smeared chocolate was a plus!
 
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Meaning did you have the verse and find the stock image to fit it or did you find the image first and the verse followed?
 
The stock image came first. It was our inspiration and then we brainstormed on the text and wording to fit the image.
Your store features many Stock Image Creations.  What tips can you share with other GCU artists on making Stock Card Creations?
 
We always check the current cards available on Greeting Card Universe to make sure ours are different and unique and not more of the same. Don’t choose the first images that appear in your stock image search. Keep looking for the best one that fits with your style. We try to use the text tool in creative ways by maybe adding dashes as an element in the design or using the asterisk key/symbol as a snowflake. Experiment by using the various symbol keys to see how you can use them in your design.   Making sure we use the stock image in a way that accentuates the visual appeal of the finished card is also important. Considerations such as making the image bigger or smaller to fill the whole cover or using background colors to emphasize colors that already exist in the stock image.
 
Let’s talk about Easter.  Can you share a favorite Easter card by another GCU artist?
 
We have always loved this card by Tamara Dawn Adams. It looks so funny and we love cats!
 
Ok, now for the fast five, fun questions …  
 

Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?

Susan likes milk chocolate and Jay likes dark chocolate.

List something that is on your bucket list.

We would both buy an RV and travel south where it is warmer. We would also have Brown Betty and Max, our poodles, in tow.

What was the worst haircut you ever had?

Susan says it was recently when her husband, Jay, cut her hair above her ears and gave her “boy” hair.

 

Who is your celebrity look-a-like?

Susan is Dame Judi Dench and Jay is Orson Welles.

 
If your clothes had to be one color forever, what color would you pick?
Susan’s would be bright red and Jay’s would be bright blue.
Monday, December 7th

Design Challenge Winner, September 2020, Holiday Spirit – 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 just wanted to create a Christmas card that spoke to 2020. I basically imagined Santa
going from house to house this year- and it occurred to me that there is no way he could
ever practice safe social distancing going into hot spots! Lol Then, I thought Nope- he
can skip me this year- I’ll buy my own gift. Then I thought I needed to use a sarcastic or
wisecracking animal and what better animal than a cat to do that. So, I searched for
images of cats in Santa hats and found one immediately and everything just sort of fell
into place.

 

Holiday card sales are picking up.  Which of your card designs do you predict will be
your best seller this year and why?

Well, I think Product ID: 1550210 will probably be one of my best sellers because it’s a
patriotic themed card with a snowy landscape that features a little country snowman, an
old barn, and a red truck. I really like these kinds of cards myself and after the year we
have had, people need something that takes them out of the moment and reminds them
of things that are relaxing and good in life.

Strange year this year with COVID-19.  How has this impacted your work as an artist?
For me, I just tried to concentrate on Covid-19 related cards mostly and thinking of you
cards this year because people were so isolated and they needed relevant cards to
send to friends and loved ones. I think my heart was lent to the families who have lost
loved ones and to the healthcare workers who were putting their lives on the line to take
care of those affected. I just wanted to contribute to people in some way and this was
one way I could do that.

 

You have created some COVID-19 themed cards.  Which is your favorite and why?
I think my favorite Covid-19 related card is Product ID: 1609146 because it features a
a group of cows who look like they are getting ready to walk in a grid across the pasture
to find some form of human life. I have cattle and they do come and look for you if you
are not where you are supposed to be at a certain time of day. Anyone who has cows
could attest to this. I love animals, so this one is just personal and funny to me.

Ok, now for the fast five, fun questions …Sour candy … love it or hate it?
Absolutely, love lemon sours!

What is your best scar story?
I was bitten by a copperhead when I was four and I have a large scar on my foot from
that. We were swimming at a river while vacationing in Missouri when it bit me. We were
50 miles away from a doctor, so my oldest sister had to make a tourniquet and use it on
my foot to keep the venom from spreading very quickly. My Dad threw all the kids in the
station wagon and sped over the hills to the nearest doctor’s office. I think I was in
better shape than my seven siblings by the time we got to the doctor’s office because
they were all car sick from the wild ride.

 

Are you a traveler or a homebody?
I am a homebody. I like to take a two-week vacation about once a year, but aside from
that I stick close to home. I have lots of animals, so I like to be there and take care of
them. I liked to travel all over when I was young, but not so much anymore.

 

What is your greatest irrational fear?
I worry about my kids way too much. My kids say I watch too much Dateline because I
am forever asking them if they have their pepper spray with them or if they are going out
with a group of people and not going places alone. They ridicule me a lot over it, but I
just want them to be safe.

 

If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?
I would be a potato. I’m kind of complex, but stable. People can count on me to be there
and find comfort and support when they need it.

Wednesday, September 23rd

Design Challenge Winner, July 2020, Hair or Hare – Melinda Pritzel of Yowzers

Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU.

I’ve won several slogan contests, a Springbok Puzzle Image contest (Marble Madness is the name of the puzzle I contributed the photograph for)

and I’ve written for Hallmark (A little gift book called Thanks Mom) and Chicken Soup for the Soul, Angels All Around.

Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites.
I think we become attached to each card we create as designers.  There are a few that I’m particularly fond of.
I submitted this image to a Hallmark pet photo contest and it wasn’t a winning entry.  Instead of pouting, I decided to design the card myself and submit it to GCU.  It was, I believe, my first submission and it’s my best selling card.  It has earned far more at GCU than the winnings would have been through the Hallmark contest.

Funny New Mower for Father’s Day Goat Eating Hay card

This was a fun card to write.  My husband is my most serious critic and he loves this card.  He’s a lawnmower connoisseur and over the years, I’ve been subjected to the constant banter of lawnmower terminology.

Funny Cat in Pink Beach Chair with Umbrella Litter Box Encouragement card

My cat, Tahiti, was very cooperative with this idea.  This card won the Best Design Challenge Submission in 2018.  I probably spent more money on props than usual (I usually limit my prop spending to $5 when designing a card) but it was totally worth the effort.

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’m generally an impatient person.  When I have an idea, I get right on it and sometimes, I complete a task only to review it later and ask, “What was I thinking?”  I thought about hair and tried to pair it with cats because I have a million cat photos.  The original design had the phrase, “I heard you had some hairball scheme to retire.”  It should have read, ‘hairbrain scheme’ but for some reason, I had the word ‘hairball’ in my hairbrain and didn’t realize until I actually posted it that it was incorrect.  I had to change the image before it was reviewed so I was in a state of panic.  I’m sure the reviewers think I’m a nut.

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

My dad was an architect and he was an amazing artist.  He used to draw us in caricature form and we loved it.  I found that, although I don’t consider myself an artist, I can accomplish some humorous works of art through the use of photography and photoshop.

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

I took a class in black & white photography when I was in college, just to fill some time in my senior schedule.  I loved it.  I also took an online class in portrait photography through our local community college.  Other than that, I’ve learned through the mentoring of friends and a lot of practice.

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

I’ve done a little work by hand, like when drawing font for a Christmas card, etc.  Most of what I do is in photoshop.

 

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

My degree is in business / legal assistance and I work part-time for a financial advisor, however, I’ve been on the hunt for a job with benefits.  This is a crazy time to job hunt.

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?  

This list is lengthy but the short list would include LisaCrisafi and Kathleen Johnson.

 

Ok, we have to ask.  The cats in your designs, tell us all about them!

Most of the cats in my designs are photos of Tahiti.  She was a rescue cat that my oldest son adopted from a local shelter.  When my son moved into his own home, he said, “She likes you better than she likes me so I’ll leave her here if you want me to.”  I was elated. She became my caregiver during my chemo treatments.

 

The most recent cards contain photos of my son’s kitten.  Once again, he rescued a kitten, this time from the railyard where he works.  This kitten is a little ornery and very curious.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?  

I’m actually quite handy around the house when I need to be.  I’ve replaced a garbage disposal, done some minor plumbing, repaired a washing machine, learned to drywall and installed a couple of light fixtures.

Thursday, September 17th

Design Challenge Winner, June 2020 – Laurie Schneider

Congratulations on first place winner status for June’s design challenge for GCU artist Laurie Schneider.
June Design Challenge – Formula

Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU.

Editors’ Pick on Zazzle for my raccoon calendar and I won Hallmark’s card contests, four times. The best part of winning Hallmark was a lady from Canada purchased the one with Bullwinkle on it and tracked me down through the Wildlife Association. She sent me a letter and we have been corresponding ever since. Like me, she is a Wildlife Rehabilitator and has a passion for raccoons

Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites.
This one is one of my favorites because I love unusual Holidays and I think my little men look adorable
This is a favorite because it is a very good seller and I had lots of fun making it.
This one is a favorite because I created it for my own son-in-law.

Please list any of your professional social media sites.

I have a business page on Facebook and a website for my designs which works pretty well for me.

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.

The inspiration for my winning card was my husband, I have been happily married for 43 years. My love for him makes love and romance verses seem to come easy. Also, I love to challenge myself and the contests give me ideas I normally would not think of. The steps I went through with this card were first I went through the big stock images having to do with formulas, when I came to the couple’s image I knew immediately that was the one and at that point the front message and inside verse just came to me.

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

I have been interested in photography ever since I was really young. and as a result of that, I have tons and tons of photos I’ve collected over the years. I have been privileged enough to have three federally licensed raccoons for fourteen years and they quickly became my main subjects. Thanks to GCU I found a place for their images. Thinking of different designs I could do with their images made me interested in digital art and I have been having fun ever since. I have many subjects now, but my heart will always be with my favorite subjects: my awesome boys (raccoons).

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

I am self-taught mostly but have taken courses online, and purchased and read lots of books. I am always eager to learn different techniques. With the opportunity that GCU provides and their wonderful review team, I have been able to grow and learn over the years. I feel fortunate to be part of this site.

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

Most of my work is done on the computer from my personal photographs downloaded from my camera and other resources.

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

I own and operate Schneider’s Quality Painting for a living as well as buying, renovating, and selling houses. My non-paying job (my passion) is wildlife rehabilitation which I have been doing for thirty years.

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?

The GCU artist I admire is Doreen Erhardt. She is a very talented artist and gives so much of her time to help other GCU artists.

You’ve entered several GCU’s Design Challenges, what advice would you give to other artists who are hesitant to enter?

The advice I would give other artists who hesitate to enter the contests is why not, what do you have to lose? It gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself and forces you to leave your comfort zone. It is not about winning, it’s about growing as an artist but if you do win you get a lot of exposure which is great for your store so why not give it a try?

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

What someone who knows me might be surprised to learn about me is I have a fear of horses. The reason they would be surprised is that I am fearless when it comes to wild animals, insects … I have rescued animals stuck in fences, in attics, under houses, you name it, I’ve done it. Snakes, bats, raccoons, coyotes, beavers, just to name a few of the animals I have rehabbed. I think horses are beautiful, magnificent animals and I have always wanted to be around them more to overcome my fear but I have always been too busy with my wonderful family, work and animals.

Monday, September 14th

Design Challenge Winner, May 2020, Happiness is … – PamJArts

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 wish I had some words of wisdom here but this one was pure luck! I was thinking of creating a new Coronavirus card and up popped this image in the stock card search results. Once I saw the expression on the dog, I knew I wanted to make a card from it. That dog is priceless, he looks like he is evaluating every word the kitten is sharing, maybe a little judgment going on there but obviously coming up with a wise solution as he lends a sympathetic ear. I love images that appear to tell a story and take it from there, hence it seemed a great fit for the challenge and I decided I would enter.  I like to laugh and so do my closest friends, so being true to who I am, the inside verse has a lighter side to it in addition to a sincere thank you.

This isn’t your first GCU’s Design Challenge win.  What advice would you give to other artists who are hesitant to enter?

I would say don’t feel shy about entering, you have nothing to lose and a few goodies and some exposure for your work if you win a place in the challenge. The GCU artist community is very friendly and supportive and it is an opportunity to have a little fun within the GCU community with no pressure. I would wholeheartedly encourage you to take the plunge and enter and join in the fun!

Like this winning card, many of your cards feature funny animals filled with personality.  What is your favorite animal and why?

My favorite animals are small rodents, it’s a thing, ask my family. I don’t have any as pets now, but hamsters, mice, chipmunks, if they are tiny with tiny beady eyes and tiny hands, they just melt my heart. Check out a Sengi Mouse and tell me that is not the cutest thing you have ever seen. That nose!

You’ve been a member of GCU’s artist community since 2008.  How have you seen your card designs evolve or change since the early days?

Yes, I have been here a long time. When I found GCU I thought it would be fun to create cards from my many floral photographs. No idea what I was doing and I was totally new to greeting cards outside of my usual holiday cards that I made for personal use. My daughters were elementary school age at the time and this was my little creative escape. I also at the time had a very early version of Photoshop and was teaching myself how to use it to edit photos and played around with creating all sorts of digital effects that were so overdone. I can honestly say some of those early designs left a lot to be desired and are long gone.

As the years went on I learned more Photoshop skills from practice and online sites (there is so much help out there) and I started to put more thought into creating greeting cards with a purpose and message. I started to appreciate how the use of different fonts and text placement are just as important as the image when creating a greeting card, how all these things working together made it more appealing and professional. More recently I have played with combining Photoshop effects and hand painting and that is what led to some of my funny animal cards. Lately, I have been revamping some of my old photo cards by going back to my original photographs and creating digital paintings through a combination of Photoshop effects and using my pen tablet, essentially hand painting over the image, much as I would if I were doing an oil painting. That way I can bring out what I want in the image and change anything that I did not like in the original photo. I am always trying something new and love any chance I get to create and play.

The Design Challenge was Happiness is …  How would you finish that sentence for yourself?

Happiness is finding anything that was lost.

This was a Stock Card Creation (BigStock) only challenge.  Any tips on finding the perfect stock image?

Outside of a nice sharp image, I would look for one that tells a story like the dog and cat image that I used. Look for images that will catch the eye of the shopper or make them want it because it is cute, dramatic, romantic, silly, etc.

There are many rewards for the Design Challenge Winner.  Which is your favorite and why?

I certainly like the card credits, always helpful, but it is also nice to have some badges to display on my storefront because I started this venture in 2008 knowing nothing and now I can show my family (that thought I was crazy) that I wasn’t crazy after all. Ha!

Mid-year is a good time to start design cards for the Winter holidays.  What are your plans?

I’m thinking about getting a new digital painting underway, maybe a winter floral or maybe a winter scene. I am leaning toward natural, simple designs this year. We shall see what comes forth!

Ok, now for the fast five, fun questions …

  • If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? – The Mastery of Chi
  • What is one thing you miss about being a kid? – Running forever and NEVER getting tired.
  • What makes a good friend? – Courtesy, kindness and honesty.
  • Would you rather be a giant rodent or a tiny elephant? – Tiny Elephant, for sure.
  • What is your favorite scent / smell? – It’s a toss up between bacon or magnolias!
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