Occasionally Thoughtful - The official blog of GreetingCardUniverse.com

National Stepfamily Day – Sept 16

Pattiann on September 16, 2016

National Stepfamily Day, founded by Christy Borgeld in 1997, is observed on September 16 each year and is a day for stepfamilies to recognize and celebrate their unique family structure.

One in 3 Americans is part of a stepfamily, or blended family. It takes time and effort for a stepfamily to come together as a strong family unit. Parenting differences between the two blending families can lead to stress within the marriage. Studies show that it can take, on average, 4 years to build a strong, steady relationship with a stepchild. There will also likely be at least a little bit of jealousy, a feeling that the stepparent is trying to replace a parent, and a sensitivity that some children might be preferred over them. A stepfamily that makes it through these struggles deserves to celebrate their accomplishments.

Some communities and churches hold special National Stepfamily Day events. If your community doesn’t hold an event, here are some ideas for your family to honor your special family. Your National Stepfamily Day celebration doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate, it only has to be something the whole family would enjoy.

Write letters to each other about how special each member is to the whole of the family.

Have a family portrait taken.

Have a family cook out or slumber party.

Make a photo album of the new family.

Have a special family dinner, serving each family member’s favorite dish.

Have a movie night. Netflix recently announced that they will be honoring National Stepfamily Day by offering stepfamily movies on this day.

Greeting Card Universe National Stepfamily Day cards

Greeting Card Universe Making a Stepfamily Work Pinterest Board

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National Read a Book Day – Sept 6

Pattiann on September 6, 2016

National Read a Book Day is celebrated September 6 each year, and encourages book reading by everyone.

Whether you curl up in a comfy chair with your favorite book, read this summer’s romance on the beach, or get in a few minutes of reading during lunch break, reading is an enjoyable activity for many of us. Surprisingly to those who are avid readers, though, is the fact that 28% of Americans have not read a book in the past year. How is it possible that so many people don’t want to learn, grow, or go on adventures?

There are added benefits to reading. Reading reduces stress and improves memory. Books are an inexpensive form of entertainment, they stimulate imaginations, reduce stress, improve memory, expand vocabulary for young and old alike, and improve focus.

Reading books to children at bedtime is a time-honored family bonding time. While parents very soon get tired of reading the same book each evening (and can recite the book even years later), for children this is an important growth activity. It increases activity in the verbal-processing area of the brain, helps build reading and language skills, and teaches them to transition between an active day to restful sleep.

Ways to spread your love of reading:

Make gift certificates to a book store or online book retailer your go-to birthday gift for all age groups.

Form or attend a book club. Check to see if your library or a local bookstore also offers a children’s book club.

Leave books you’ve already read on the bus, at restaurants, in the break room at work with a note to “Read and enjoy!”

Discuss books at the dinner table.

Switch things up a bit and have your child read you a bed time story once in a while.

Make a visit to the library a regular family event.

National Read a Book Day Greeting Cards

Birthday Cards for Book Lovers

Reading Books Expand the Mind Pinterest Board

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Christie Black — GCU June Challenge Winner

Pattiann on August 23, 2016

Christie Black’s Creations from the Heart

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

I really hadn’t entered many contests, but when I was in 7th grade, I won 2nd Place in a contest held by the city with my drawing of a historic building on our Main Street.

In 2001, my design was chosen in a logo contest for a program the city was doing.

I had many of my designs chosen as “Today’s Best Awards” on Zazzle.

Please add the URLs of your favorite cards in your storefront.

My three favorites for now are very recent cards. I think they represent what I like to do as an artist. Be silly, draw animals, inspire and motivate.

Please list any of your professional social media sites:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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.

My inspiration was that as a native Texan there is so much I love about Texas. The word cloud pattern seen in the background covers the many things you will discover in Texas. I have stacks and stacks of papers with my sketches on them and I just knew I had some longhorns and armadillos somewhere. I found the two that I liked and gave them sad faces, placed them in a patch of bluebonnets (because us Texans are known for stopping along the highways to snap a picture of ourselves in the bluebonnets!) and added the rustic TX flag in the background. The inside of the card features some TX slang and the mention of friendship as this is the Friendship State!

You’ve taken 1st and 2nd place in prior GCU’s Design Challenges, what advice would you give to other artists who are hesitant to enter?

I say give it a go, you might be inspired to create something that is out of your element. For someone who has a hard time coming up with ideas, this will give you some guidance. Or, like in my case, I was able to use ideas I already had but give them a purpose.

Clearly you are an animal lover, do you have pets and if so tell us about them and how they inspire your work?

You would be right! I have enjoyed pets for as long as I can remember … dogs, cats, birds, fish, ferrets, gerbils, hamster and guinea pig. Today we have Tigger, our yellow tabby cat; our Cocker Spaniel ,Sassie; our mouse, Mitzi and some fish. I call Tigger my art buddy as he was usually sharing my chair as I worked on my drawings. He can be found in a lot of my work. Now at nearly 18 years old, his health is slowly deteriorating. A few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if he would make it through the weekend so I quickly drew a fond memory of him as he lay on my desk beside me … that’s him in the card above with the waffle because he would attack you for a waffle! The town I live in has the hippo as a mascot, so you will find lots of hippos in my works as well.

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

I always enjoyed being creative and was usually found writing and illustrating my own stories. I had a grandmother that adored my drawings and was my inspiration to keep at it. My husband has happily taken over that role. I am rarely seen without paper and pencil; drawing is my happy addiction!

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

Self-taught, I only took one year of art in high school.

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

All of my older work was drawn and colored by hand and scanned. These days, with my Wacom, I tend to scan in my sketches and do a lot of my coloring on the computer, but I enjoy both.

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

I have a degree in electrical engineering (what was I thinking?) and I worked for Motorola for 10 years. Chronic pain issues made it difficult to work a regular job, so after I had my first child I became a stay-at-home mom. When the internet came about, it opened the door for me to make money with my art.

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?

I really like Gerda Steiner, but I admire anyone who draws animals, or does mixed media and whimsical works!

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

Well, I live in a house full of dyslexics! It is kind of a topsy-turvy world. Even though there are many struggles, I think the best thing about it is the creativity that flows through our family. We’ll be working on book apps to produce the stories I have written and illustrated and the games my son has ideas for. We do woodworking to produce my whimsical characters and mixed media art which we sell on Etsy and local fairs. My older daughter is really becoming a wonderful artist and my youngest daughter draws and has desires to go into the culinary arts. Art has proved to be a much needed outlet for all of us!

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Gorgeous Grandma Day – July 23

Pattiann on July 22, 2016

Gorgeous Grandma Day was invented by author and radio show host Alice Solomon to celebrate women over 50 who have grandchildren and who are growing old gracefully – also known as Glammas.

What is a gorgeous grandma? She’s a grandmother who lives life to the fullest, takes care of herself, is a lifelong learner, is open to new ideas, loves life, shares her enthusiasm for life with those around her,

Examples of gorgeous grandmas:

Idiosyncraticfashionistas — Two grandmothers who describe themselves as style bloggers for women of a certain age. And style they have!

Actress Susan Sullivan — Martha Rodgers on Castle — Actress Susan Sullivan plays Martha Rodgers, a former Broadway actress who is still trying to make it big. Her fashion sense, her open mind, and her hard work at putting together an acting school all make her a Gorgeous Grandma.

Former First Lady Laura Bush

Actress Goldie Hawn

Singer Emmylou Harris

Singer Gladys Knight

How to celebrate your gorgeous grandma:

Treat her to lunch or dinner at a special restaurant.

Tag a photo of her in social media with her name and #gorgeousgrandma

Give her a gift basket of pampering lotions, powders, and perfume in her favorite scent.

Bring the grandchildren to her for a visit.

Send her flowers and a sweet note, telling her how much you appreciate her.

Sign both of you up for a class in painting, ceramics, weaving, etc.

Greeting Card Universe Gorgeous Grandma Day cards

Greeting Card Universe Gorgeous Grandma Day Pinterest board

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French Fries Day — July 13

Pattiann on July 13, 2016

Whether you call them “chips”, as in the UK, “pommes frites” in France, or “patatas fritas” in Spain — it all means the same thing: French fries, that glorious comfort food that can be eaten in many forms: waffled, Cajun-style, or curly, just to name a few.

Belgium and France both claim that French fries originated in their countries. Wherever they come from, French fries are popular, with Americans eating an average of 30 lbs each year.

American president Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing French fries to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1802.

While Americans typically each their fries with ketchup, people around the world have a different take on French fries.

The British use salt and malt vinegar

Mayonnaise is a accompaniment of choice in Belgium. Belgians sometimes crack a raw egg over the fries as they’re taken from the fryer.

In Vietnam they serve their fries with soft butter and a bit of sugar

A popular dish in Canada is poutine, French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds.

In Israel, fries are sometimes accompanied by hummus

Australians sprinkle chicken salt on their fries.

In India, fries are given a bit of a kick with turmeric and chili powder

The Japanese eat their fries with furikake, a mix of seaweed, dried bonito flakes, sesame seeds, and other seasonings

How do you like your French fries?

Greeting Card Universe French Fries Day cards

Greeting Card Universe French Fry Frenzy Pinterest Board

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Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day

Pattiann on July 6, 2016

A webmaster — also referred to as a web developer/architect, website administrator, or website publisher, among other titles — is responsible for the development and maintenance of your website. July 6 is the day designated to show your appreciation to your webmaster by taking them to lunch. What would you do without their magic coding fingers, their dedication to developing and keeping your website up and working, and the long hours they work? Your webmaster is a key player on your team, is available 24/7 in case of a website emergency, and is required to keep up with a constantly-changing industry.

How can you celebrate Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day, other than the obvious lunch? Any of the following gifts would be appreciated by your web master.

Start the day early, with an assortment of gourmet coffees and pastries when they arrive at the office.
A gift certificate to a spa, with lunch included, for them and a friend.
A gift basket with fine coffee, chocolate, a character figurine related to their favorite show, and a gift certificate to their favorite tech store.
If your webmaster isn’t onsite, a gift certificate will be appreciated.
An assortment of craft beer.

Anyway your choose to recognize your webmaster’s dedication and skill will be appreciated. A webmaster is an oft-forgotten team member, toiling in the background. When they do their job well, it’s easy to forget them.

Greeting Card Universe Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day

Greeting Card Universe Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day Pinterest board

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Fourth of July

Pattiann on July 4, 2016

Fireworks, roasted marshmallows, family get-togethers … no holiday is more all-American than the Fourth of July.

A commemoration of our adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Independence Day is celebrated in big towns and small towns all across America with parades, barbeques, red, white, and blue decorations, political speeches, and a patriotic feeling shared by all.

The Declaration of Independence is the document that spells out the thirteen American colonies’ freedom from British rule. Voted on by Congress on July 2 and ratified on July 4, this important document contains, in its second sentence, what is widely regarded as the most meaningful statement on human rights:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

The Fourth of July allows Americans the opportunity to be grateful for our freedom and recognize the richness of our history — all in the company of good friends and family.

While most of us are content with the traditional Fourth of July menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato salad, there are those who enjoy participating in hot dog eating contests. The most famous hot dog eating contest is sponsored by Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog on Coney Island, New York. Held since 1916, the contest pits 20 contestants against each other in a race to see how many hot dogs they can each eat in 12 minutes. The record holder is Joey Chestnut with 69 hot dogs in 2013.

Kid-Safe Activities for Fourth of July

Neighborhood or family bike parade — Kids can decorate their bikes with red, white, and blue streamers, pinwheels, construction paper, or balloons and then have a short parade up and down the block.
Declaration of Independence in kids-friendly words https://quatr.us/northamerica/after1500/government/declaration.htm Help children understand the significance of this important document.
Water balloon dodge ball — Using red, white, and blue balloons (of course!) filled with water, divide the children into two equal groups. The children throw balloons at each other and each child who gets hit is out of the game. A nice game to play to cool down!
Instead of the egg in the Easter Egg game, substitute an ice cube. First child to reach the finish line with the ice cube on the spoon is the winner.
The tried and true watermelon seed spitting contest! Permission to spit — What child doesn’t think this game is the coolest?

The Fourth of July allows Americans the opportunity to be grateful for our freedom and recognize the richness of our history — all in the company of good friends and family.

General Fourth of July cards

Fourth of July Across the Miles

First Fourth of July

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Father’s Day

Pattiann on June 18, 2016

Father’s Day, celebrated this year June 19, is a day to celebrate the man who tells dad jokes, sings along to the radio when your friends are in the car with you, gives threatening looks to your dates — and dries your tears when the boy you like doesn’t give you a second look, surprises you by picking you up after school to bring you for ice cream “just because”, and is the man with whom you compare all other men.

Father’s Day was first celebrate in 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd, after hearing the sermon for Mother’s Day the year before, wanted a day to recognize the importance of fathers. Ms Dodd was aware of how important fathers are in the lives of their children because her father single handedly raised 6 children.

What do you get the man who means so much to you? Most dads would want you to know that they don’t need another tie. But wouldn’t they love a gift from the heart? How about a day with you and dad participating in his favorite hobby, like fishing or gardening? Or a lunch with just you and dad? Make arrangements to pay the waitress beforehand so that dad doesn’t grab the check. And any dad would like a card with your heartfelt thoughts on what he means to you and how much you appreciate how much he’s done for you. Greeting Card Universe allows you to write your own verse on the inside of the card as well as no charge to add a special photo of you and your dad to the inside.

Remember all the father‘s in your life, not just your own dad. Greeting Card Universe has you covered for all relationships.

For Godfather

For Both my Dads/Fathers

For Birth Father

For Estranged Dad/Father

General Father’s Day

Greeting Card Universe Father’s Day Pinterest board

Betsy Bush — GCU May Challenge Winner

Pattiann on June 17, 2016

GCU May 2016 Challenge Winning Card by Betsy Bush

Visit Betsy Bush’s store Dragonfire Graphics

Please add the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront.

Please list any of your professional social media sites:

I have a few social media sites but must confess I don’t pay attention to them the way I should.

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

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 browsed all of the available June International/National days and 2 jumped out at me, National Nature Photography Day and National Cancer Survivors Day. I wrote them both down and had them in front of me for a couple of weeks before I began designing. I did a Nature Photography Day design because I had tons of photographs I had taken over the years to use. That one was ultimately declined for a few photography issues and I am so glad as I initially wanted to address the Cancer Survivors Day because I feel that the people that have been through such a battle deserve to be recognized. I didn’t tackle that one first as I was in the process of planning my daughter’s wedding shower, it was getting very close and I just didn’t feel as if I could do the subject justice at the time. I dove in anyway.

I wanted to create a card that was suitable for men or women to receive, so I chose a pale grey as the background. I went through my graphic design resources to find imagery to convey what I thought would be inspirational and also modern. I love the trendy watercolor look and when I came across the feathers I knew they were going to be the main focus of the design.

When it came time for the words I was brought back to the time spent with a very close friend who sadly lost his battle with cancer. His strength during his illness, his sense of humor and kindness that never faded stuck with me. He was my inspiration.

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

I would love to see every artist on GCU enter the challenges! It is such a wonderful way to learn new things due to the research you may have to do to address the subject of the challenge. I love seeing the other designers take on the subject of the month. And not to mention, of the 14 design challenges I have entered, I have had sales of 11 of those designs! Designs that would have never seen the light of day had the GCU Design Challenge not spurred me to create them!

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

This is an easy question to answer! When I was a little girl my mom went to a weekly craft night with friends and always took me along! I loved it so much. I know this is what made me want to create art. My favorite time of day in school was art class. I still remember the first drawing I ever did that wowed my family. I was 7 and did a drawing of Donald Duck from a Walt Disney magazine.

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

I never had formal training. I started to take a cartooning class in junior high school, but the teacher was not even remotely interested in the subject

matter, I don’t even remember him teaching anything that related to drawing! After 3 classes I gave it up. As for the digital art I discovered 6 years ago, I am entirely self-taught. I can’t say how many YouTube videos I have watched over the years trying to learn Gimp, Photoshop, and other programs.

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

I work entirely on the computer. In the beginning of this adventure I used all of my own digital art, photographs, and some doodles scanned.

Now, I love to scour the design sites for the wonderful offerings I can purchase or even get for free to create with. I always loved jigsaw puzzles and to me finding a way to use these resources to create something new is like putting a puzzle together!

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

I have two other jobs besides my greeting card and design work. I have been a waitress since I graduated high school 37 years ago and I am also a lunch lady at our local intermediate school. I have been doing that for the past 18 years. My dream is to retire from waitressing and focus more on designing. Maybe one day!

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?

Of course I love Corrie Kuiper‘s fun take on the world with her fabulous illustrations. Doreen Erhardt‘s elegant and classy designs are always a favorite. Other artists I admire are Micklyn Le Feuvre for her amazing mandalas, Sharon Fernleaf for her adorable animals, and Sue Nollmeyer for her spectacular sentiments.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

I don’t feel very surprising, but a few facts about me are, I have been married for 35 years, have 2 wonderful daughters (29 and 27), have lived in 5 states (NJ, NY, PA, CA, CO), have horribly frizzy hair, went to school with Jason Alexander (George Constanza on Seinfeld), (disclaimer: we were not closely acquainted), fell out of a moving pickup truck (at only 5 miles an hour fortunately) when I was 20, (never lean on your car door!), and when I was a chambermaid in Aspen, CO in 1986, I cleaned the rooms of Hunter S. Thompson and the whole entourage of the Prince of Saudi Arabia.

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National Best Friend Day June 8

Pattiann on June 7, 2016

A best friend laughs with you (and at you, when you deserve it), shares your moments of sorrow and pain, brings you chocolate when you need it, and doesn’t let you forget how wonderful you are. A best friend can help you handle anxiety, makes you more optimistic, and gives you emotional and physical strength.

If you need to talk to your best friend right away, she’ll drop everything to be with you. If you need someone to serve as a sounding board, your best friend will give you feedback. And, of course, if you need someone to give you unconditional love and support, your best friend is your go-to person. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve known your best friend since childhood or only for few years, one thing is clear: A best friend is essential.

On June 8, we celebrate our best friends, the person who brings balance and sanity to our life. How can we best show our appreciation to our best friend?

Spend some time together at lunch or other activity that allows you to catch up.

Send a card, with your thoughtful words of appreciation.

Give them a small but considerate gift, like a photo of the two of you.

A gift that shows you know them. Is your friend always running out of power on their cell phone? Then they need a portable phone charger. Are they stressed? A day at the spa for the two of you would relax them. Are they a bit bored? Pay for an adult education class for the both of us and learn to paint, use the computer, work with stain glass, or any of the other many offerings.

Greeting Card Universe National Best Friend Day cards

Greeting Card Universe Friends & Friendship Pinterest board