The Art Competition Winners

Earlier this year we had our first ever Art Competition. And wow the response was amazing. There are some truly talented artists out there and I’m over the moon that so many of you entered and shared your beautiful creations with us.

Before I announce the winners , I’d like to say a big  THANK YOU to everyone who entered the competition. We received so many gorgeous entries that it truly was difficult to choose a winner. In fact, the level of talent was so high that I’ve also included some ‘Honorable And Worthy Mentions’ (in no particular order), so that everyone can see the true talent that’s out there…

So without further ado, announcing the fabulous winners of our first ever Art Competition (and worthy mentions)!

Drum roll pleeeeease……

Congraulations everybody! And thanks for making our first Art Competition such an exciting one!

Please do join me to congratulate the winners. Leave your comments below! :)

All the best

Claire

Making-Handmade-Cards.com

Let’s Make Some Cards For Men!

Hi everyone!

Have you noticed that there are two rather big up ‘n’ coming events that are somewhat geared towards the male species? ;0)

Yep! Father’s Day is on 20th June, and the Football World Cup‘ kicks off’ on the 11th!

And as avid card makers, that gives us a brilliant chance to make some handmade cards for men!

Now, let’s face it - making cards for men is not easy. I mean, why are men so difficult to make cards for? :( Well that age-old card making gripe got me thinking. For me, one of the biggest challenges is finding suitable designs - patterns and images that I’d be proud to make a card with.  Call me fussy, but I don’t want to make a ‘good’ card…

… I want to make a stunning one, right? ;)

If I want to make a sporty card, I want to make a trendy sporty card. If I want to make a masculine, vintage card, I want to make a sophisticated one.

One thing’s for sure: Just because a card has a picture of some DIY tools or of a sporty man on it, doesn’t mean it’s a stunning card.  In fact, nine times out of ten, I dare say it probably doesn’t have that ‘WOW’ factor.

So that’s why I went on a mission to design some more ‘masculine’ eKits that would generate that ‘WOW’ reaction. (Call me a show off, but that’s the reaction I want when someone opens one of my cards… don’t you)? ;)

So in celebration of the coming weeks of ‘manly’ fun and mayhem, I’m releasing a bundle of some of my fave eKits to help you make some stunning cards for men!

3dbox-perfect-gentleman-1751. New Perfect Gentleman eKit!

I’m perhaps most excited about the launch of our brand new ‘Perfect Gentleman’ eKit.  I’m a sucker for anything ‘vintage’ and this eKit is perfect for making a sophisticated and witty, masculine vintage card.  Gentlemen in top hats and posh sayings galore in this eKit.

I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!

3dbox-soccer-collection-240px2. Soccer ‘n’ Tech eKit!

The super-trendy ‘Soccer ‘n’ Tech’ eKit is next in this amazing bundle. It’s perfect for this football season and,more importantly, I think it will make creating trendy, sporty cards for men, easy and fun for you!

3. And Accompanying Card Making eBook!

But what if the inspiration just isn’t there?  Ahhh… well I’ve thought of that too!

In the bundle you’lll also get the accompanying ‘Soccer ‘n’ Tech’ eBook. Now this little gem has only ever been released to Club members, so you’re really in for a treat!

You get 20 easy card making projects in this eBook. It’s great for beginners because most of the cards are quick and easy to do, and all you need is some basic card making suppplies!

3dbox-retro-kitsch-1754. Bonus eKit - Retro Kitsch!

And if that wasn’t enough I’ve gone and thrown in the ‘Retro Kitsch’ eKit as an added bonus!

You can find out more about this bundle here…

Hey, I know - some people call me mad for doing these kind of deals but I just think that this is great time to celebrate and hone our skills on making cards for men!

Speaking of which though…

========================================

Warning! This Is A Limited Offer…

========================================

I should also point out that this bundle deal is only on for a limited time. Alas, all good things must come to an end eventually so this is just a ‘heads up’ for you…

if you like the look of this bundle, grab it now because I will be pulling this deal down soon. It will not be around forever!

You can order this special bundle deal here…

I hope you enjoy the bundle, everyone! Happy card making!

Claire

Making-Handmade-Cards.com

Art Competition - Update!

Hi everyone

Well it’s been a while since I launched the art competition and I must apologise for being so quiet since it opened. I’ve not been able to send you reminders or to make sure that all your questions were answered. So to make amends, I’m extending the closing date of the art competition. :)

Yep!

It’s great news if you have yet to enter the art competition, or if you know someone who might wish to.

So here’s the new closing date for entries…

New Closing Date For Entries

Entries must be submitted online via the ticket system by 10th May 2010 at 23:59 (GMT+1).

So you have an extra week to get create something from scratch, or dig up some old artwork, or tell your artistic friends and family to enter! :D

You can find out more (including the prize) watch the video here…

Answers To Your Questions…

Many of you had questions about entering the art competition:

Suzanne Fernandes Says:

What is the cost for entering this competition?
Your video has truly got my creative juices flowing and this competition is extremely unique - very outside the square thinking! Well done Claire.

Suzanne

Suzanne - It’s FREE to enter this competition. No cost. ;)

Michelle Says:

To enter the competition do our works have to be scanned into the computer then sent as an attachment via this ticket system?

Yes please do scan your entries and submit them via the ticket system. When submitting them, please make sure they are in JPG format and that they are as large as possible but no larger than 3MB.

debbie bee Says:

Hi there

if I have previously displayed my work on the web can I still enter it?

You sure can - so long as you own the rights to your work, that’s fine. :0)

Jean Burke Says:

I love making cards but have no artistic talent, but I have a neighbor who paints lovely pictures, she is not on the internet nor will she do so, could she enter your competition using my email ? I would like to know if she is eligible before I tell her about your competition
I have seen some lovely pictures of puppies & cats that she has done and they are adorable.

Oh yes, Jean, your neighbor sounds like a perfect candidate to enter! If she’s ok with that, she’s welcome to enter via your email address but please do ask her to let us know about this arrangement when she makes her entry via the ticket system.

She will need to either scan her artwork or (more likely) take photos of them using a digital camera (so that she can upload them to our ticket system). If she takes photos, please do make sure that the photos are clear and taken in good lighting (so that we can see the artwork clearly).

Barbara Szijarto Says:

I have been working on a complete gnome alphabet where each letter shows a gnome in a different pose. Also done a set of numbers. Would that count as one entry?

Barbara - yes that would be perfect and can count as one entry (since they’re alphas). Sounds interesting!

Sam Says:

Hi Claire,

Is this competition for cards only or any art is ok?

thnx

Sam

Sam - any artwork is fine, so long as you think it would look good on a greeting card. :)

Devangi Says:

HI, Claire..
thanks 4 this great opportunity…
hey i want to ask that i m good in Quilling art…
i m making quilling cards & photo frames & also wall pices
can i take part in this competition?

Devangi - wow your artwork sounds lovely! Alas, I’m afraid that quilling art isn’t really what we’re looking for in this competition. We’re looking for talented people who can produce the type of artwork that can be printed out and stuck onto paper craft projects (greeting cards in particular). So 3D art isn’t what we’re looking for here.

Shirley Says:

Hi Claire,
I know a few who are fantastic artists maybe they’ll enter when I show them this video/competition.
I’m not so sure about myself have to wait and see. A lovelly idea this competition.

Shirley — Oh go on! Enter! I’d love to see what you come up with! And thanks so much for letting your artistic friends know. We want as many artistic people to enter as possible - amateurs and professionals alike. ;)

Another thing I’d like to mention is that if you’re a professional you’re very welcome to enter too - this competition is for amateurs and professionals alike.

So what are you waiting for? Tell your friends and family! Dig up your old artwork! Create something new! And go ahead and enter via our ticket system by 10th May 2010 at 23:59 (GMT+1). You never know… ;)

And to refresh your memory, find out what you win, and to look at our terms of conditions, check out the art competition post here…

I do hope I’ve answered all your questions. Feel free to post your questions and comments via the comments box below if there’s anything else you’d like to know.

Good luck everyone! Get creating! :)

Claire
Making-Handmade-Cards.com

Calling All Artists! Fab New Art Competition!

Ye-hay! How exciting! Here’s my video update that tells you allllll about it…

Click the arrow below, to begin watching the video…

Problems viewing the video? Click here…

Or you can read the TRANSCRIPT here…

Scroll down to read the competition guidelines (and find out how to enter)…

And don’t forget to leave a comment or ask your questions below!

The Competition Guidelines

(Terms And Conditions)

Okay, okay we all know that nobody likes reading the ’small print’ - so we’ve tried to keep our terms and conditions as short as possible. Here are the rules and guidelines for entering our amazing and most fabulous art competition…

You …

  1. Number Of Entries: You can enter anything up to a maximum of 6 pieces of artwork.
  2. Author: You must be the original creator of the artwork you submit and hold the moral and intelluctual property rights in that work.
  3. Location: This is an international competition - you can live anywhere in the world to be eligible to enter!
  4. Age: You must be over 18 years old.

Your Artwork

  1. You can create your original piece of artwork manually or digitally.
  2. The artwork must be your own - you must be its original creator.
  3. Digital artists: If you create your artwork digitally, then any fonts, brushes, textures, patterns and so forth that you use in the artwork must have been created by yourself. If you’re unsure how to create them yourself, you can type in the name of the software you use, ‘brush’ (for example) and then the word ‘tutorial’ into Google. Lots of tutorials will show up that you can refer to.

Your Image

  1. Number Of Images: Only one image of the artwork is permitted, per entry. You can submit up to a maximum of 6 entries.
  2. All entries must be submitted as a digital image. If your artwork is not digital, you can take a photo or scan your artwork. If you take a photo of your artwork, please make sure that your photo is high resolution, clear (not blurry) and taken in good lighting.
  3. Format Of Entries: Your entry must be submitted in digital format.
  4. Format: All images of works must be saved in a JPEG format.
  5. File Size: All images must be saved as large as possible but must be no bigger than 3MB per image.
  6. Filename: The filename of your image (entry) must contain your full name and the number of your submission. For example, ‘joe-bloggs-1.jpg’.
  7. No watermarks: The image should show the artwork in its original state i.e. no watermark should be added.

Submitting Your Entries

  1. You can submit up to 6 entries.
  2. Submit your entries via the ticket system here. Entries that are not submitted via the ticket system will be deemed invalid and will not be considered.
  3. Open one ticket per entry.
  4. When opening the ticket, please select the category ‘Art Competition’.
  5. What to write in your ticket: Your name, email address, country, and that your submission is for the Art Competition. Don’t forget to attach your image!

Miscellaneous

  1. By entering the competition, entrants agree to be bound by these official terms and conditions and by the decisions of Making-Handmade-Cards.com which are final and binding in all respects.
  2. By entering the competition, entrants also give Making-Handmade-Cards.com permission to post their artwork on the site (in recognition of their winning position), in the event that the entrant wins or is a runner up.
  3. Making-Handmade-Cards.com reserves the right to change these terms and conditions or cancel the competition at any time, at its sole discretion.
  4. Choosing The Winners: Winners will be chosen based on the criteria set out in the video above. The decision for choosing the winners will be at Making-Handmade-Cards.com’s sole discretion and the disclosure of the reasons for choosing the winners will not be required.
  5. Entries Must Be Submitted According To The Rules: Artwork must be submitted according to these terms and conditions. Any entries that do not adhere to these terms and conditions will be considered invalid and will not be considered.
  6. All taxes associated with the receipt of any prizes are the sole responsibility of the winner.
  7. Closing date for entries: Entries must be submitted online via the ticket system by 3rd 10th May 2010 at 23:59 GMT+1. Entries received after this will be invalid.

Phew! That’s the competition guidelines out of the way! ;)

So get creating everyone! I’m reeeeally excited about this art competition and I really hope you’ll help to spread the word about it. Go check out those guidelines and good luck! I really look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Claire
Making-Handmade-Cards.com

Art Competition - Video Transcript

If you’re unable to view the art competition video, here’s the video transcript below! :)

Video Transcript

Hi everyone!

In this video you’ll be finding out about our exciting new art competition.

Yes indeed! Making-Handmade-Cards.com are launching an exciting new art competition. Our challenge to you, is to create artwork that would look great on a greeting card.

mhc-examples-1Now, the type of artwork you submit is completely up to you. What’s important to remember though, is that we’re looking for artworknot the final card design.

Think of our own range of eKits for example – these contain artwork for you to print out and use to make your own cards. They aren’t final card designs.

Artwork For Which Element?

So for example, you might create artwork that would look great as the focal point on a card.

focal-pointsFor example, you might create some cute little characters or a beautiful landscape that would be perfect as the focal point for a card.

Or you might prefer to focus on the backing elements…

backing-papersMany card designs need some kind of design in the background, to bring out the focal point. Maybe your talents lie in creating background designs?

Your Style…

Of course there are many different styles of art, and we’re interested in seeing any pieces of art that you think might look great on a card design.

For example, perhaps you have a ‘classic’ artistic style. That’s perfect!

You could submit some still life pieces you might have painted. Maybe you’ve painted some flowers in vase, for example. Or maybe you love to paint landscapes? Maybe you’ve painted a lovely seaside scene, or a countryside view.

And it doesn’t stop there – maybe you painted your pets or a beautiful cottage. Whatever it is – if you think it would look great on a greeting card, enter it into the competition!

Or maybe you’ve got a more modern style?

Maybe the backing paper designs really make your heart sing. This is especially true for many digital artists, who love using brushes, textures, and patterns to make beautiful backing papers. If that’s you, then why not enter? There’s no restriction on style or content – if you think it would look great on a greeting card, whether it’s a backing paper or singular element, enter it into the competition!

Cute characters are a BIG favourite when it comes to card making. So you really won’t go wrong if you submit cute people, animals, aliens and all sorts!Let your imagination run riot!

Cartoon chacters are another popular style that you often see on cards. Have you got any cool cartoon drawings that you think might look great on a greeting card? Why not go ahead and submit it?

And what about funky drawings? The funky style is really on-trend in the paper crafting world at the moment. Have you got flair for making funky drawings? Why not enter the competition to show us some of your creations?

Funky drawings come in all shapes and sizes. Some come in color, while others are simply black and white images. These are often black outlines that have a real ‘chick flick’ appeal. Whatever your preference, if you think funky drawings are your style, why not have a go and enter our competition?

Let’s face it everyone doodles. Do you think YOUR doodles are worth gracing the front of a greeting card? If you do, go on and enter them! You never know…

Those are just a few ideas but I’m sure you can think of more. What about abstract art for example? They can make for great focal points or even as full backing papers!

You can submit up to 6 entries!

What’s great about this competition is that you can enter not one, not two… but up to SIX pieces of art!

This is utterly fab because it of course gives you more chances of winning. You of course don’t have to submit 6 pieces. You can just submit one piece if you prefer. But if you’re a budding artist, I’m sure you can come up with 6 pieces of art in a jiffy!

This is also brilliant if you’ve got more artwork than you can handle and just can’t decide which piece to subimt. So remember – you can submit up to 6 pieces!

You Can Enter The Competition If You…

OK, so who can enter this competition?

Well, first I need to stress  - you really don’t  have to be a crafter to enter! In fact, you don’t even have to have heard of us! Nor do you even have to be a newsletter subscriber.

What we’re looking for is new talent… artists! We’re looking for the new wave of artistic talent that will help to move the paper crafting design world forward into new and exciting realms of creativity.

And you’re welcome to enter, no matter what your level of experience!

Hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right? Even Monet and Picasso were once amateurs! So we’re opening this competition up to everyone – professional and amateur artists and designers alike.

In fact, you’re welcome to enter even if you’re never, ever entered an art competition before. In fact, if you haven’t, then all the better!

Do You Know Someone Who’s Artistic? Encourage Them To Enter!

Now, I also know that many of you will know people who have an artistic flair. I mean – think about it – I’m sure you know at least one person who’s great at drawing, or painting, or designing things. Does anyone pop into your head?

Great! Let them know about this competition! Encourage them to enter! THIS is their chance to SHINE! :)

Wherever You Are Located In The World…

And it doesn’t matter whereabouts in the world you are. Whether you live in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia… this is an international competition, so you are welcome to enter, no matter whereabouts in the world you are!

Anyone over age of 18

If you’re over the age of 18, then you’re eligible to enter! So get creating! ;)

The Prizes!

Okay, okay, so what’s the big prize then?

Well first and foremost I want to make this clear: If you win, or are a runner up – YOU keep the copyright rights to your art. We’re not looking to take that from you.

Why? Because the whole point of this competition is just to highlight the up’n’coming artistic talents in the paper crafting design world. So YOU get to keep your artwork and the copyright rights if you win.

OK, so what about the prizes?

Well if we announce you as the winner (or a runner up) you will have your winning entry posted on our site, with your name and country. And  we’ll also announce you to our list of newsletter subscribers, which, at the time of recording this video, consists of over seventeen and a half thousand people. How’s that for kudos? ;)

  • And if you win first prize then we’ll award you with £200 prize money.
  • If you win second prize we’ll give you a £50 gift voucher that you can use in our eShop.
  • And if you win third prize we’ll give you a £25 gift voucher that you can use in our eShop.

What next?

OK, so how do you go forward from here?

Well first, please remember – this is not a card making competition! So please don’t enter any photos of cards you’ve made. Nor is it a competition for card designs. This competition is about art. We’re looking for pieces of art that would make great focal points or backing designs for greeting cards.

And as you can probably tell, I’m reeeeeally excited about this competition! And I really want you to be too…

Tell your friends!

So please tell your friends! If you know anyone artistic, who loves to design, draw or paint either manually with paints, pens, pencils and so forth or digitally on computer – let them know about this art competition.

This is a fantastic way to show off their talents!

Please do help me to spread the word about this – and help to spread the message so it reaches the ears of all the right people! I’d love it if you could blog about this competition…or Twitter about it…or if you could tell all your friends about it on Facebook!

And if you spend time on any forums that have artists in them, please do make a post to let everyone know.

And spread the word! :)

As I said, if you’re artistic, or you know someone who is, then this is a reeeeally exciting opportunity…

If you’re artistic yourself – this is YOUR chance to show off  your talents!

And if you’re not, but if you know someone who’s really artistic, then let them know! Now’s the time for them to ‘get out there’ and show us what they can do!

Remember - everyone over the age of 18 can enter. And YOU get to keep your artwork and copyright rights to your artwork too. All we ask is that you give us permission to post your artwork on our site, to give you recognition if you win or come as a runner up.

Why? Because we just want to discover what wonderful new talent lies out there. We want to see what you can create. We want to discover YOU as an artist.

Well that wraps up this little video. If you have any questions or comments about this competition, feel free to post a comment here…


Find out more…

And if you want to find out more (which I hope you do), then just click here to read our guidelines for entering the competition. That’s where you find out how to enter, and where to make your submissions…

So get creating everyone! I’m reeeeally excited about this art competition and I really hope you’ll help to spread the word about it. Go check out those guidelines and good luck! I really look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Claire
Making-Handmade-Cards.com

Brand New! ‘Christmas Color Doodles’ Kit & Bella Card Ideas!

Hi everyone, Claire here!

Oooh how exciting… I have two new things for you today. I have a free, new video of card ideas from the popular Bella eKit and I’m also releasing another brand new Christmas eKit (and this one has a bit of history to it)!

So two fab surprises today! Ready?

First, A New Video Of Card Making Ideas…

3dbox-bella-smallOK I have a confession. You haven’t really had any card ideas from us, using the lovely Bella eKit. I hang my head in shame because it’s been available for a while now and many of you have ordered it, just by seeing some sample sheets.

But never fear!

Our Design Elves (well… ok our design team) have been hard at work, swamped in glitter, ribbon and glue, and the result is … a gorgeous set of free card ideas… all on video.

Ready to watch a free new video that shows you lots of divine card ideas using the Bella eKit?  Grab your favorite cuppa, sit back and enjoy!

You can watch the new video of card ideas here…

And you can even get started straight away. You can order the divine ‘Bella’ eKit here and get started within minutes…

Second, The Release Of Another New Christmas eKit…

OK, I’ve kept this one quiet because - well it’s been ‘in the making’ for over a year and I’ve only just got my act together and finished it now! :roll:

3dbox-xmas-doodles-100hOK first a bit of urm… history. ;)

Now, do you remember the ‘Christmas Doodles’ eKit? Hint: Some of the cards in the Bella video (above) used images from the Christmas Doodles kit too.

The Christmas Doodles kit was a raving success when it launched in November 2008, and has been a popular eKit ever since. But many of you have said that sometimes you just don’t want to color things in or don’t have the time. In fact, many of you asked me if I could just do a ‘color’ version of the black and white Christmas Doodles eKit.

Well you know what I’m like. I always try my best to find solutions to your card making problems and wishes!

So today I’m releasing the Christmas Doodle’s sister eKit!

Drum roll please…

3dbox-xmas-color-doodles-249Introducing the ‘Christmas Color Doodles’ eKit!

Now please remember! If you’re wondering why this eKit may look familiar, it’s because this eKit is the new sister to our original black and white ‘Christmas Doodles’ eKit. It includes the same images as in the ‘Christmas Doodles’ eKit but, as the name suggests, in this new eKit, you get those cute ‘n’ gorgeous images in full color.

You told me, and I heard ya! Sometimes you just don’t want to color your images in. Maybe you’re in a rush. Maybe you just aren’t very good at coloring in. Or maybe you prefer the professional finish that our colored images have. Whatever the reason, I’ve made this kit to help you add CUTE to your Christmas cards… all in a matter of seconds. And in full color. No need to lift even one single coloring pencil. ;)

Simply choose your image, print it, cut it out and stick it to your card.

Total festive cuteness… in full color!

What’s more, you can watch a new video that shows you some sample sheets from the new Christmas Pets eKit.

You can watch the video of sample sheets from the ‘Christmas Color Doodles kit’ here…

Sorry guys - no card ideas (yet) for this one as I’ve cut it fine time-wise (doh!) but the original Christmas Doodles video will help to give you inspiration (as well as the Bella video). Just visit the eShop to view the videos.

And you can even get started straight away

If you’re a Club member:
Simply head on over to club portal, login, and use this month’s credit to download the new Christmas Color Doodles eKit!

Not a Club member?
Well you could go ahead and join the Club here and use your first credit on it.

Or if you prefer not to join the Club:
You can order the cute ‘Christmas Color Doodles’ eKit from our eShop here…

Well, that’s it from me!

Don’t forget to leave your comments, feedback, questions below… it’s always great to hear from you!

Happy Christmas card making everyone! :0)

Claire
Making-Handmade-Cards.com

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