Photos, illustrations, collages, lettering…and (oh my sides) really great jokes. These people did it all. And they did it all funny-like.
To paraphrase a certain reality show judge, "Check it out, check it out, dawg. These cards are hot." Check it, y’all. Pick your favorites. Get to know these folks and their fantastic work. And start voting!
In the days/weeks ahead, you'll be seeing guest blogs written by the finalists in our contests - we'll give it a go with Pets first. YOU'LL get a peek into their creative processes (please knock first) and THEY'LL get a chance to beg for votes, um, I mean introduce themselves a bit and promote their work!
Check back every day to vote and look around. We keep getting new ideas (many inspired by you and the rockin' feeback you're providing right here on this here blog) and so far nobody's telling us we can't do them so keep 'em comin'! We've got something special up our sleeves for the alternates so be sure to come back and check that out.
Congratulations to the finalists and alternates and to every one of you who had the spunk to bring the funny!
Blogden Nash
Posts
21 comments:
Ok, you know what? I am not even being bitter here (although I feel bitter..LOL), but I am really kind of disappointed in the finalist cards. Some are still pets, and we just did pets. If I thought pets would be so popular again for this contest, I had 7 cats at my disposal and could have had a field day.
Never thinking to do the same thing as last contest, I went more creative and actually took time to draw a really nice card with eye catching colors, adding a very witty and funny caption. Took me hours to do.
I do see one who took my approach, and that one will get my vote. But gosh. Is my funnybone broken? There is one I don't even get, and I see a lot of bad snap shots with not-so-funny captions. I also see one I actually find a bit offensive.
Well, I guess in good sportsmanship I have to give my congrats to all of the finalists, but in all honesty, I do have to state I don't see the "funny" in more than about 3 of them; and I guess in all honesty, my funny bone really must be broken.:(
Good luck to you all regardless, and I hope I haven't offended anyone. I just had this big question mark on my head when I was reading through the cards -- and still do.
Maybe with all of the emails I got from Hallmark stating they did and then didn't, but did and then didn't, receive my entry correctly. Maybe they really didn't after all?
Rose
there are a couple i like...
congratulations to all the finalists!
(!...i think it would be great fun to see the alternates too!...for those extra giggles)
oh, and i see a familiar "laughing kitty"...from the last contest!
How nice to start the work week with 18 smiles and a handful of out-loud laughs! Congrats to all the winners. Great job!
Congrats to the 18 finalists and good luck.
Holy Moly there we are,
Finalists from near and far!
18 names are up in lights,
exhilaration high as kites!
The judges names revealed today
(I guessed a Second City face!!)
I laughed and laughed at all the cards,
The competions' really hard!
I wish the best for all of us,
We all could be Chicago or bust.
It's in the publics' voting hands,
to see who'll get the final grand!
GOOD LUCK TO ALLLLLL!
Let the voting begin.! Thankyou judges for this opportunity...(and for the escape from our everyday, mundane schedules.)!hahahahaha.
I think I will try one of those facelifts...OMG..that was funny.
I said it before!
Again, I say wow!
Then no more
I’ll take my bow
This is for you
All you winners
What a crew
All you ‘penners’
Glad this is done
It was driving me crazy
I can still have fun
But I’ll have time to be lazy
Good for you
All those that’ve won
You’ve done the magic
And could win a ton
I’m looking toward
The next theme, it’s true
You’re looking forward
To the grand that’ll be due
Congrats & best wishes
You deserve the best
All you big fishes
Have a big party fest!
You have GOT to be kidding me, Hallmark.
She's in THIS one, too? Let me guess--she'll oh-so-mysteriously rise to the top within hours, stay at the top the whole time, but someone will get too close to her--THEN Hallmark will say everyone's cheating and make sure she wins anyway?
Did the rest of the cards fall in the toilet or something? Heck--I coulda taken a pic of someone's grubby little hand holding some blue string on top of a used piece of chewing gum and been funnier than THAT. Yep--lost control of the situation, indeed. Incredible.
If she's that good, hire her, and stop insulting the intelligence of everyone else who thinks this is a fair, friendly, and unbiased little contest for fun. I hate to slip into the MTV vernacular, but WHATEVER.
Your slip is showing, Judgey Judgemasters.
i do have to say i was very surprised she was a finalist in this one too...
i'm anxious to see the alternates---!!
lol, I was wondering if we'd hear from you back_to_woodstock. Personally, after what we discovered today, I give up. It's not fun anymore.
Congrats to the rest of the YourFunny*ness finalists, you all did a great job, and I wish you the best of luck!
WHAT? I just read the other comments here and the SAME person was picked from the last contest as THIS one? Ummm, what are the odds of that? The last contest had what? 7,000 entries? And this one had what? Around the same? Something is a bit funny about this, but not ha ha funny; more like "odd" funny. If its not odd to you? Then she certainly should be parked at the nearest 7-11 Store buying them out of their lottery tickets instead of wasting her time behind a veiwfinder!
Now I am more disappointed then before! Pffft.
Yep! Check out Laughing Kitty on the pets contest, then check out Cool Carlo. I read the comment you started with--sounds like you put a lot of effort into it. I know you're bummed; I didn't enter this one, so I'm just shocked rather than bummed. Sorry, Rose.
But I tell ya--it really says a lot about this contest that someone like you with creativity was overlooked and someone who was obviously not following the rules from the beginning on one contest was allowed into the another one. Unless it's just planned that way...
Which when you think about it--the whole "you're a cheater" thing doesn't make sense at all. First it was brought up, then Hallmark says "We're on it."
Then they say they have a fancy new login for voters. Then it says not to talk about the voting, because they haven't caught anything. Then a week or so later--it accuses the contestants of cheating, and takes out votes that "appear duplicative."
Not only that, but they appeared to think that only the contestants are voting....when back where they told everyone to stop talking about it, they said "thousands" of people are voting.
Could not some of those "thousands" have been doing this duplicatory voting themselves? I mean--if only the contestants were voting with their un-duplicative ONE email per day....then wouldn't there be an....ummm...TIE? Soooo, the whole thing sounds more duplicitous than duplicative. And not on the part of the other 66 contestants.
(I'm not a contestant, thank goddess, but I have been keeping up with this for my friend who has our dog in this race. Well, when we thought it would be a race. Now it's just the process of suckin' up the tailwind.)
Regardless, it does appear that the planets have certainly aligned over New York at just the right angle.
And as my Rosy Posy said...it's not even fun anymore. And, I second her emotion on the finalists--congrats to those of you who made it through. There are some funny ones, and to the people who drew stuff--that is some way cool work, guys.
Anyway-- Good luck--you're gonna need it. Don't take however it turns out personally. I guess the only thing worse for you would be if there were a contestant in there whose card consisted of a picture of green bird with some sort of string on ITS head...
Have fun! We're hanging up our spurs too, Rosy.
Hello Everyone,
Boy this sure was fun. Yeah, I was disappointed that I didn't make it to the finals but I will try again and again.
Sometimes what we think is funny isn't funny to others.
Stop worrying about the person who "may" be up to something fishy.
Remember what we see as Art others may not. This is fun and we don't want Hallmark to think we are getting negative. The Judges have worked hard and have criteria to follow. Rose I am sure your card was great, (mine was too ;) ) Rose we will keep trying. For kicks I made my card online with one of the photo places. This way you can send the card to your friends and keep one for yourself. Let's get positve so Hallmark has more contests!
Dune by Frank Herbert: Herbert's massive science-fiction tale was rejected by 13 publishers with comments like "too slow," "confusing and irritating," "too long," and "issues too clear-cut and old fashioned." But the persistence of Herbert and his agent, Lurton Blassingame, finally paid off. Dune won the two highest awards in the science-fiction writing and has sold over 10 million copies. Congrat's to the winners!
Don't we teach our kids to have good attitudes and be good sports? I know a baseball team of 10-11 yr olds who act more mature and sportsmanlike than some of you. I'm embarrassed for you! Like the last writer said, everyone sees art and humor differently. You will almost never have a room full of people who all think the same thing is funny, pretty, creative, etc. Wouldn't the world be a boring place if that were true? I'm sure that it was very difficult/stressful for them to choose 18 out of 7,000 or whatever and who are you to judge them?
And saying some people just went and pulled out some "old photos" is rude and uncalled for.
Why don't you go enter YOUR art in other contests if this one is so messed up....instead of wasting your life being critical of others. There are PLENTY of contests out there. Just remember, negative never wins....
Spiderprincess and Back to Woodstock:
Spiderprincess, for your information, I do sell my cards at other places, and I even have an agent for them. I make two specific designs. One is called "Baby Heads Designs" and one is called "Fat Funnies". If they weren't funny, I wouldn't have had an agent contact me, as I did not seek out the agent. I have also sold several of my greeting cards online. BUT, the cards I make for Hallmark I do not make for my lines so they could be strictly Hallmark if chosen. And finally, we ALL have opinions. Posting mine does not mean I am a bad sport. I just do not agree with most of the cards chosen, but I did give congrads to those that were.
Backtowoodstock, I do think this is somewhat of a travesty to have been chosen for the next consecutive contest. I am a cat fanatic! When I am not taking pictures, I am a cat "breeder" for purebreds. I have to say, I do like the caption that woman gave, but the photo, to me, doesn't really fit the half-fast photo. And yes, I do think mine was funnier. Not because I am bias, but because it is just a fact.
I wish there was a way to share our entries, and then I would gladly welcome the critique of others on my own entry and its "funniness".
In anycase, I am not rushing to this site any longer to see what is new. I only come now if I remember I have it in my fav's. LOL...I voted for the drawing I liked in the mix, and now I am done, till "maybe" the next time, but I am not sure I will put hours into it anymore. Heck, I still don't know if mine was even received in the right format! I got several emails saying I needed to resubmit, and when I tried, it wouldn't let me! Then I got several emails saying "oh, nevermind! We got it!". So what am I supposed to believe? LOL..
Well, later guys, and to those that didn't enter pets again? Good luck to you!
Clearly I say to all winners
Please understand my last note
I was only trying to rhyme things
But maybe the things that I wrote
Caused feelings not intended
Of the meaning I had in mind
Because when I mentioned “fishes”
That’s the only word I could find
You see I love these contests
And never meant to offend
Big fishes to me means the best in the sea
And to this I’ll proclaim amen!
To Rose and everyone here who may be disgusted, please allow me to voice an opinion from someone who knows the long road to minor success, all too well.
I am a writer, by trade; a freelance photographer, by choice. More specifically in regards to my writing, I am a rhyming poet. In this day and age, while everyone loves to sit at home and create little rhymes about this, that, and the other, no one really enjoys sitting down and reading an entire book of rhyming poetry (I know.... I have two books and they don't sell many copies).
I've caught my fair share of miniature breaks in the writing world, have spent time collaborating with well known radio programs in large markets, etc. and I make and sell my own cards. Some of my breaks came by accident, or by chance, but most, if not all, of them took a LONG time to achieve --- much longer than the length of two Hallmark contests --- and involved a tremendous amount of luck, too. For 7,000 entries in the pet contest and who knows how many in this humor contest, a little bit of luck, besides marketable skill, does enter into it.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is while, yes, it is disgusting when we put hard work and effort into something we think is worthy, only to find out that it's not what someone was hoping to find, we should always take each "bump" when we don't get what we want and move on to the next contest or endeavor. We should NEVER give up; only try harder.
If I had to count the rejection letters I've received, over the years, I'd lose my mind; yet, I still continue to write and design for the love of doing so. I hope those who are disgusted, right now, will continue to do so, too.
We never know where our lives may lead, just as we have no way of saying for sure that the next contest may be the one we were meant to win. The artistic world, whether as a designer or a writer (of any style) is difficult and if you think it's easy, you should walk away, because you'll never be thick-skinned enough to take it.
My card did not even make the final 50 and humor is an especially difficult task to tackle, since each individual has their differing opinion of what is or is not funny.
I am not and have never been employed by Hallmark; I'm just a fan of their cards, but having read their explanation about the concerns and knowing how tough and unfair the artistic world can be, I can certainly understand their challenge, just as I can understand all of your frustrations. Over the years, I've learned how to roll with the punches without being too discouraged; life's too short and there are too many possibilities to potentially seize.
I'm ready to move on to the next contest and I'm ready to try again. I hope I'll see all of you there, as well!
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