I have an idea that would be a really nice way for GCU to show appreciation to the artists here.
 
Each month have a Holiday Card Challenge, and the winner recieves a bonus gift card (Walmart, Target,? or added earnings to their account) of $20.00 USD. Maybe even a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, rewards of $50.00, $30.00, and $20.00. Thats only $1200.00 a year to GCU to reward artists for their amazing talents and create more exposure for artists, which in turn also gets artists to step up their talent.
 
They would be rewarded for design, verse and overall concept of that particular Holiday.  
They would post the link in a forum exclusively for challenges during that month and be rewarded on the 1st day of following month, and perhaps seen on front page for 30 days too.
 
But only employees of GCU vote because in every site where I see reward challenges people cliches tend to vote for friends, which isnt fair.
 
Just a thought to get the creative juices flowing more...

Hi
That`s a great idea, but I`m afraid Walmart/Target etc vouchers would be no use to us in U.K or other places that don`t have these stores. Extra credit to artist`s account is a nicer solution and one I think would work better. Also that way it should be possible to include artists wherever they live... unlike contests in CP for instance where if you don`t live in U.S you can`t enter, which I think is unfair!  
Karen

Contests are fun & nice, but not always fair.  I'm not sure it should be a competition because we all have our own talent, some being fair, good, great, really great.  I have seen alot of feelings get really stomped on, when an artist gives it their all and enters these things, only to be super bummed at not winning or even placing.  Its crushing.  I have experienced it myself and saw alot of it on zazzle.  Might be more fair if it were a random drawing (no competition involved) and then give the winner exposure for their art somewhere on the gcu site.  Like I said there are all types of art and quality out there and I don't think one artist should be awarded over another, because the beauty of the art is in the eye of the beholder.

Yeh don't want a contest because of some things that you guys have said but cause  the artists that sell lots of cards already would prob. win like how they are shown at the top of everything at gcu anyways.  (so it seems).
 
Not trying to diss anybody but didn't know how else to say it.  
 
 
 

You know- there has been lots of discussion about a fair way to showcase the different artists on GCU- well why not have a box on the main page where the picture is at at the top left- like an oversized widget that scrolls all of the artist's greeting cards at random continually- it could run randomly or alphabetically. Have each artist choose a card to be featured and then those cards are what would scroll for the customers to see. That way every artist get to pick and choose their featured card and every artist has a chance to have their work seen. This could easily be incorporated into GCU's format- we could have a place-like where we mark our cards to be featured in our stores that would let us select one card for the main page and we could change it when we have a new card we would like to focus some attention on.

Penny- yes. I really think it would solve a lot of the upset here on GCU over the feelings of unfair exposure. And it would let each artist be in control of the work selected.