I think what you are suggesting makes sense.  
 
One question - who is getting the bigger cut on the custom fees?  Artist 75 and GCU 25?  Or the other way around?
 
I think it seems reasonable if the artist is getting the larger part of the cut.  After all, it is the artist doing the majority of the work to offer customization, especially if the cards happen to be hand worked.  
 
I like to offer the option only because my designs might not exactly meet the needs of the buyer and if it's a matter of tweaking to suit the person's needs or make it more personal for the buyer, then it only seems right.

GOOD plan.  Clears up all the mystery of the now somewhat foggy rules.  As a professional commercial artist, there's not a lot of incentive for me to create a custom piece for mere commission.  I think that would clear it up for both the artist and the customer.

Yes, Nasser, that's correct.  Not a huge money making opportunity, but it is substantially better for the artist than trying to accommodate GCU and the customer with free art/design.

Thank you Mindy and Nassar for listening to our whining and giving us a seemingly sound solution.  I'm all for it and think it may solve some of the commitment issue between shopper and artist.  I've noted a few comments/questions below...
 
3. on a request by request basis artists choose among 5 preset fee charges ($5, $10, $15, $25, $50)
 
I like this idea, my only food for thought is perhaps there should be 6 presets, the first being something like $2.50?  For me, most of my cards can have a name added for example very easily and if the shopper was only going to purchase 1, then that probably would be a no charge for me...However something a bit more extensive would be and I don't think adding $5 to a single card should be the only option.  Just something to think about.
 
4. artists communicate these charges to the requesting shopper which should be done up front (before work is started) once the scope of the request is understood
 
Here is where it still is sticky soup for me.  Somewhere, the customer needs to be notified in LARGE PRINT or with an automated message from GCU that states something like "your custom request will be answered by the artist who created the card you have inquired about.  Please note their name and store.  This email will not have a GCU signature, please look for it in your in-box within 24hours."  
 
Otherwise we still have a monster in the room which is customers expect to be contacted with a GCU signature not agent77@myspace.com  Please consider this as part of the solution.  (I made that email up BTW so sorry if it belongs to anyone  )
 
 
I say yippee for your efforts to improve this process and with some slight fine tuning, I look forward to giving it a try since I am someone who offers my customization on my cards.
 
Thanks again folks!

I find this a very gratifying development, precisely for the obligation to carry through that it will bring. I was also thinking, just as Sandra mentioned, that some standardization and guidelines for the charges would be appropriate.
 
I'd be so happy if we could somehow find a way, at the same time, to do something about the communication problem that was being discussed recently - the difficulties that we encounter when contacting customers (at least initially) independently of GCU.
 
Thank you for your efforts to implement what, to my mind, is a constructive step forward.
 
P.S. Between my starting to write and actually posting, two posts were entered with which I wholeheartedly agree. Thanks again!

I would appreciate this option as opposed to how things are now. I recently received a request to customize a card and took the time to make the alterations immediately after receiving the notice so that I could fast track the card. It has been a couple of weeks now and I still don't know if this will result in a sale.  

I haven't had any request for customization of my cards, but I'd be more than happy to do so if there was some compensation.  
 
The variable fee structure sounds good to me, but seems like it is going to be confusing unless all artists agree on the same schedule, ie, $5 for a simple one or two word text change, $5 for background color, $5 swapping an image available on another card and so on.  Each item is a change, so if a customer wants a different background, change the petunia to the peach rose, and change the birthday name, then that would be three changes and a $15 service charge.  Also the rate would have to apply to each individual design created.  If a buyer is doing a multiple printing of the same card then only one fee would apply for the change to all cards.  Now if say a customer was changing the cards image and background and name of one card and then wanted to send that same card but with different names, then we may want a $5 fee changing 1-5 names, $10 changing 5-10 names, $15 10-20 names and so on.  
 
Another alternative would be to set up these blocks as custome request options, ie A is $5, B is $10, C is $15... and then have each artist deal with the customer and determine the amount of work for the request and the fee, then when the customer submits the order, the agreed upon optional fee will be added to the card total amount.
   
Still not sure how it will all work.  All I can say is that the GCU staff is more daring than I imagined!  lol
 
Randy