Judging: Round 1

Judging is serious business. We've even got training to make sure our judges know their duty. They didn't have to raise their right hands, but they did have to read a bunch of paperwork.
Oooh, official.
Then, they signed their lives away, pledging to uphold the rules of the contest and the integrity of the judging criteria. What a bunch of pros.  They handled it with such bravery. 

After all that mumbo jumbo was finished, the real fun began.  The judges looked at all the submissions that had made it past the initial screenings with one purpose in mind: to narrow down a whole load of entries to just fifty.  They knew it would be tough but, whoa.  They had no idea just how difficult it would be to choose only fifty favorites out of so many great submissions.

They divided all the entries into "yes," "maybe," "probably not," and "no" piles. Then, they debated about whether the entries met the judging criteria (red, sendable, unique), whether the designs would look good next to photos (since that's one way they'll be sold during the holidays), etc..

When it got too intense, the judges decided lunch outside by the fountain would be in order.  A little sunshine and fresh air (and eating out) gave them new perspective and energy to keep going in the afternoon.

By the end of the day, they had done it (and boy, were their brains fried).  They picked fifty to move on to the next round of judging.  But that round would have to wait until the next day . . . 

p.s. More pictures of the Bowling Alley coming soon. :)

While Judgy's Away the Elves Will Play

>Speaking of decorating Judgy's booth . . .


You all gave us so many fun, festive ideas that we couldn't resist. We just had to welcome our dear Judgy back with flair. All day long, she was in a winter wonderland, thanks to your quick thinking and the plentiful attic of one Judgeroni Underpants. Teamwork, at its finest.

And a note from Judgy herself...
Thanks, people, for the warm welcome back. And for all of your crafty, clever, conniving ideas to help "decorate" my booth. I didn't realize what a mischievous group you all are. I'm impressed. :) Also, I'm totally going to fork someone's lawn sometime. Soon.

WOW. You guys are GOOD.

I know that Wordy is going to update you with more details soon on how our whole judging process works and is going, but I just wanted to send a little shout out to everybody right now because we just finished looking at everything -- with our celebrity judge from (RED), two other (RED) experts and our Hallmark team and... EVERYONE WAS SOOOO IMPRESSED.

You guys rocked our socks off. It was really, really, truly very hard to land on the top tier and the alternates.

Thank you for such a wonderful problem. Thank you, thank you.

And congratulations on contributing to a great cause, whether or not you wind up being one of the finalists. This all feels so good, don't you think? We hope you feel as good and as proud of yourselves as we do of you.

Your fan,
Judgy

p.s. Nice booth surprise on Monday. Wordy will fill you in on that tomorrow, I think. You all have prankster tendencies of which I was entirely unaware. ;)

Confusion Runs Amok

We've heard from lots of you, and we're glad you're excited for this week.  There's just one thing: this is NOT the week we start revealing finalists.  This IS the week we start judging submissions.  Are we clear? Crystal clear?  Okay.  

This week, we'll all gather in a  room called the "bowling alley," where we'll post the submissions on the wall so we can get a real good look at 'em.  Then, we'll use our judicious powers to narrow down the entries, getting closer and closer to the twenty finalists.  Those finalists will start being revealed on September 8, after all the judging is finished.

Stay tuned for updates.  And stay excited.  

Election Week? Close Enough.

We're not gonna get all political but we will say we need your votes.  Or rather,

the Funny*ness finalists need your votes.  Those card-creating friends of funny have lobbied, campaigned, shaken hands and kissed babies (okay, so we don't have proof).

And this is your last week to elect the funniest of the funny.  Yep.  One week of voting left.

Next Monday (Labor Day), the Grand Prize Winner will be announced (and showered with prizes).

So get to it, pollsters.  Funny*ness depends on you.

A Real Holiday Treat!

As soon as the YourHoliday contest opened on July 28th, submissions started pouring in (okay, most of the pouring happened in the last 24 hours of the contest).  We were checking every day to see if we had more entries to review.  The suspense was  too much for us.  We were like little kids, shaking our holiday presents.  Then, from time to time, when we had a good-sized group of submissions, we'd get together to "oooh" and "ahhh" over them.  We even plugged in our miniature tree for ambiance.

Then, we got down to the holiday business.  We looked at each submission and asked ourselves (and each other) whether it met the judging criteria: Does it include red or (RED)?  Would it make a good holiday card?  Is it unique?  After answering those questions, we decided whether it would pass on to the next round of judging.

Well, we've finally seen all the submissions for the contest.  Next week, it's time for judging and we can't wait!  It's going to be a tough, yet really really fun job.  Are you getting excited?  We'll keep you posted on all the happenings, so we'll see you next week right here.

Closed for Submissions. Open for Fun!

The YourHoliday submission period is over but don't be fooled.  The fun must (and will) go on.

You can still vote for your favorite YourFunny*ness and YourPets finalists

and buy their buzzworthy cards.  (Fun.)  Plus, you can still visit the blog

 to see what's happening behind the scenes and, while you're at it, talk to other blogging buddies.  (Way fun.)

Then, before you know it, the YourHoliday finalists will be announced. (What could be more fun than that?)

Glad you asked.  The finalists will be revealed one at a time, so as to give them each their very own day in the spotlight.  Because 15 minutes of fame just isn't enough, darn it.

Each weekday, a new finalist will be featured, until all twenty are revealed (in no particular order).

All the fun anticipation of the holidays, none of the fruit cake.

Three Day Countdown!

It's getting down to the wire.  You've got until Monday at 8 am

to submit your best card entry, so for those of you who like to live on the edge

(that's code for "procrastinators"), make sure your submission makes it in before that 8 o'clock mark.

Believe you, me, we want your card design.

For those of you who have already submitted your entries,

have a relaxing, feet-up, lemonade kind of weekend.

And for those of you who have a little card-making to do,

have an inspired, creative, sun tea kind of weekend.

What It's Like to Make Cards at Hallmark

Hey everyone, I’m a writing intern at Hallmark, for a little over six weeks. I just wanted to share a little what it feels like to me to make a card here.

It took me a while to get the hang of just what Hallmark looks for to make their cards. They don’t play- they really want to be the very best. Because you care enough to send it, right?

I may submit many ideas, but only a few might make the cut. When I got that first acceptance it was an exhilarating rush. And hey, when that happens, you’re allowed to be a little smug I think. When you and your friends/family happen to be perusing the cards together, you can point and say, “I did that.” And if you happen to catch a stranger buying the card you made… I mean, I haven’t experienced that yet, but I can imagine how great that would be.

Besides the show-off factor though, I always keep in mind that these cards are little pieces of art that people all over can look at and think, “This card expresses for me what I can’t on my own.” So, when someone sends my writing–my card—I could be personally responsible for some possibly very emotionally charged moments of connection.

And that’s what feels really awesome.

(Posted for "Semantically Yours" by Judgy)

The Polls are Open! Hip Hip Hooray!

After a snafu or two (or twelve), we've got the site back under control and ready for your voting pleasure.  So don't waste another minute.  Go vote!  

You've got until the end of this month to vote for your favorite Funny*ness finalist.  Time's a-tickin'.  Spread the word and vote every day (once a day) to make sure your finalist comes out on top as the funniest of the funny.

Tick, tick tick . . . 

Time is of the Essence

According to our calculations, you've got just under two weeks left to submit your card design for the YourHoliday competition.  That's just enough time for some quality brainstorming about the holidays (You may need to stand next to the air conditioning vent to enhance the experience.) and a little time to enter your design (That's the easy part.).  

We're getting more and more into the holiday spirit as we see your submissions roll in, which is a great relief from the soggy heat of summer.  So if you haven't already entered, go for it.  Our holiday spirit depends on it.

Submissions Back Open! (Wahoo!) Voting Still Closed. (Rats.)

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!! We've got things back in order, pieces back in place and most everything all sorted out. Once again, we are excited and able to receive your inc(red)ible card entries for the YourHoliday contest (ends 8/18 at 8 AM).

Due to "technical difficulties", we were unable to accept submissions for a bit there -- if you were disappointed, we know the feeling, possibly even more so. (Did you cry? We cried.)

Said technical difficulties are also causing us to put a hold on the voting and buying of the YourPets and YourFunny*ness cards for now. (Rats!!) We are working our tails off to get all of that back on track, too.

Thanks for your patience on that one. (Again, rats.)
And one more Hooray for the re-opened YourHoliday submissions!!

Judgy

P.S. We are not blaming rats.

Be BO(RED) no more. ENTER the YourHoliday Card Competition.

Today is the first official day that we are officially accepting YourHoliday submissions, officially.

Please read everything on the YourHoliday landing page (hallmark.com/you), get inspired and think (RED) as you submit your one official and wonderful entry.

We can hardly wait to see what you all come up with. Feels a bit like the holidays in July. Which is nice. In this heat. :)

Happy Entering!

Judgy

Some size clarification

Dimensions/Layout (pick one):
*Option A: Vertical holiday card (5 x 7) (note: this is for your design’s printable space – your actual image should be as big as 5.5 x 7.5 to give a little wiggle room for our automated card-cutting machines, so we don’t chop off any of your brilliant concept. This is called the “bleed,” coincidentally.)
*Option B: Horizontal holiday card (7 x 5) (note: this is your design’s printable space – see above for explanation of what the heck that means.)
Click on the picture to get a larger view of the fine print.

YourHoliday Card-Making Tips

Hint #2 is up on the YourHoliday site. Go check 'em out.

And in case you don't have time to jump over there and see all the goodness, here are the basics:

*Create a 5.25" x 7.25" (vertical) or 7.25" x 5.25" (horizontal) design to go on a flat photo card.

*"Design" = anything from the most simple drawing to something more fancy. You can include words in the design or not. We want this to be fun for everyone.

*It must be about the holidays. (You probably figured that.  Smarty.)

*It has to include the color red somewhere in the design.

(How much or how little is your call.)

*Write a little sentiment to go with your design.  Short.  Sweet.  To-the-point.

*Make it your original work.  No cheating.  (Seriously, these are holiday cards.  Why cheat?)

That should get you started.  Go check out the rest of the tips when you get a sec. And look for more hints coming soon. 

Now, go!  Create!

YourHoliday Formats

The real, live page isn't quite built yet. We're still tinkering. So in the meantime, you'll find hints right here... which might actually be better 'cause you can ask any questions you have to ask right away. It's not fancy schmancy. But it's helpful. That counts for something, right?

As you're thinking about your submission for the YourHoliday card competition, one very important thing to consider is the FORMAT of your card.

In this competition, we are asking you to create designs for something different than what you did in the first three competitions. The YourHoliday contest is all about "flat photo cards". (You know, the kind people stick on their fridges around holiday-time.)

* Your challenge is to create a design to go on a such a card. (And to make sure your design will look good beside somebody else's holiday photo.)



* You'll also get to choose whether your design is vertical or horizontal.



So, are you up for the challenge? Do you know what we're talking about? We think it'll be a fun one. And we hope you do, too.

Speaking of Holidays

We'll be unwrapping hints on the YourHoliday contest page until submissions open. Just not today.

We promise we're working hard to bring you the juiciest hints possible.

Still, even worker bees like us need vital time away for fireworks, cookouts, and shenanigans. (Can you blame us for loving parades?)

We hope your weekend gave you a chance for a hot dog or two and some time to play in the sun!

Wordy & Judgy

P.S. What we can do today is post some hints right here on this blog. Later today. So that's something. Something great.

Funny*ness Shameless Self-Promotion #5: Sharon

Some might say I'm funny, others might say I'm funny looking--either way, I'm good.

Please, pleeeaaassee, pah-leez (I'm on my knees now and given my age, that's not an easy place to get up from) vote for me!  My illustrated card deserves to win because it can be used in more ways than one: you can send a chuckle to your weight loss buddies who "get" how hard it is to lose those pounds or you can send this to a friend who you haven't seen in a while.  I would love your vote, so please vote for me!!

Funny*ness Shameless Self-Promotion #4: Mike

Funny*ness Shameless Self-Promotion #3: Sandy

Hi, my name is Sandy Groth,

Shahsam, my horse is named

That word is what I shouted out,

when I saw him his first day.

I'd like for you to vote for us,

In this contest we've tried hard,

to get more people interested,

to vote for all these cards!

I try to bring a little smile,

to all on Hallmark's site,

and share a little of my heart,

to make your days so bright.

Vote for us and I can say,

you really won't regret it,

I'll thank you with a little poem,

that's fun and filled with wit!

Hard at work

Working away night and day
To give you some hints and show you the way.

We know you can't wait to see what's next.
Racking your brains, we're sure you're perplexed.

We're cooking up contests and judges and prizes
And, more than likely, a few surprises.

So take a peek into our shop
And see the work just never stops.

Funny*ness Shameless Self-Promotion #2: Yashira

Hello Fellow Voters!

This is Yashira with an important message: Put those mice to good use and vote for me!

Make sure to click on the card titled "My Crayon Friend."  It's not only funny-it's nostalgic too

(unless you currently draw like that).  So direct that pointer to the funniest card around . . . mine!

And if you are using real mice for the task, remember to pay them in quality Wisconsin cheese

and keep them away from the cords.

Happy voting!

Funny*ness Shameless Self-Promotion #1: Kristi

Hi, I'm Kristi.  Thanks for taking the time to read a little about me! :)  I believe that I've been truly blessed with a  zany and child-like sense of humor that allows me to laugh at myself and find "funny" in the otherwise mundane!  Unflattering self-photos, silly faces, and, ahem . . . noises associated with "bodily functions" always precipitate a good belly laugh!  As you can see, my card design reflects the very foolishness that I find laughable . . . I hope it gives you a smile, too! :)

Chance of Severe Brainstorms

Our job is really, really fun.  And you make it that way.  We get to interact with you, witness your creative genius, and see your cards make a big impact on people all across the country.  And that's just the visible stuff.

Our behind-the-scenes work is full of merriment, too.  Lately, our team has had a lot of meetings in a cozy little room affectionately called the "Think Tank."  As you might expect, these are no ordinary meetings (if you can call them "meetings" at all).  We're mustering all our brain power to bring you the most exciting new contest we can.  The walls of the "tank" are covered with white boards where we scribble ideas, draw diagrams, erase, make connections between all sorts of things, doodle, try our hand at stick figures, etc.  It's sheer craziness sometimes.  But it's also been a great way to visibly track how far our ideas are coming along.  Then, we all throw out a big woo hoo!

So we're curious, how do you and your brain storm when you're coming up with super duper card ideas?  Do you have your very own version of the "Think Tank"?  Do you keep ideas in a journal or sketchbook?  Is your thinking strategically linear or wonderfully chaotic?  We wanna know.

yourFunny*ness Shameless Self-Promotions

It's not just yourPets finalists that enjoy a little time in the blog spotlight.  Everyone deserves some time to shine.  So next week we'll be featuring yourFunny*ness finalists in all their glory/hilarity.  What can we say; we love shameless self-promotions.  And we've got a hunch we're not the only ones.  (Are we the only ones?)

Getting Excited at HQ

You guys made the front page of THE NOON NEWS, our little daily Hallmark newspaper! See how excited we all are for you? We really are.

And we're just plain excited about the whole idea of us all working together to make great cards: Cards that will help people connect in new ways and cards that will keep relationships growing. Cards that, we hope, will make this world of ours a more loving place.

Awesome.

Survey says...

We have a 3 way tie in this week's
Funny, But No Thank You voting :

Couch Cuties
DANIELA CENSOPLANO
Clinton Twp,MI

Moo Said It!
MYK MARTINEZ
Middlebury,VT

Nostrils Revealed
ANNA SEXTON
Dunkirk, NY

The Next Competition...

One of the challenges in planning greeting cards can be planning holiday cards when it's no where near the season the card is celebrating.

How do you get into the mood for Halloween when the first blooms of spring are unfurling? Or get all giddy about bunnies and springtime and the true meaning of Easter when it's time to cook the turkey for Thanksgiving? And how can you get yourself to really feel the holiday spirit when you're sweating bullets at a BBQ in the summer?

We've got our own ways of getting inspired, but here's our question to you: If you were given such a challenge, how might you get yourself in a holiday mood... for a holiday far, far away? Hmmmm??

They're Up! They're Out There! Wahoo!!

I see that some of you have already scoped out your local Hallmark source and found some of our finalists' (or your own) cards there on the shelves. How fun! What was it like for you? Weird? Normal? Wonderful? We'd love to hear.

My mom got to experience something a bit like this, years ago, and the joy she felt continues to inspire my work on this whole greeting card competition project.

Want the story? Read on if you're curious...


Back when I worked on Fresh Ink (the "square cards"), we liked to use "homegrown" photos on our card covers now and then. For various reasons, we often turned to the old photo albums of the writers and artists in our group.

Anyway, a picture of mom, in black-and-white as a seven-year-old Minnesotan, standing in the snow, all bundled up, outside of the family car, holding her Ginny suitcase and just looking ready for anything... became a "Miss You" card. (With her permission, of course.)

She thought it was really neat that her photo was picked from the random assortment of family pictures, but it didn't really hit her how cool it all was until she actually got to see it in the store (or send it to her friends).

It was at my little brother's college bookstore when my unsuspecting mom was browsing the Fresh Ink collection and did a double-take. There she was! In all her seven-year-old glory! She hadn't known it was out yet and was completely shocked when she saw it.

She grabbed one of the cards and probably some of the card shoppers near her, she was so excited. When she went up to the counter to purchase one, she said the check-out clerk treated her like a celebrity. And that everyone in the store was wowed by the whole thing.

I keep that card up by my computer at work. It makes me smile every time I see it.

I sincerely hope that some of you have as happy of an experience as my mom (and I) did. :)

Funny, But No Thank You #7

Revealed by Popular Demand: (some of) the "almosts" and "maybes" and "really?" from YourFunny*ness. (See sidebar on right.) More to come each Monday, for a while.

Couch Cuties

Moo Said It!

Nostrils Revealed

Tweeze and Thanks

Twist 'n Slide

Survey says...

The winner of this week's
Funny, But No Thank You voting is
"Flippy Snippy Blond"

Congratulations!

ELAINE CONDON
Sayville, NY

Shameless Self-Promotion #16: Dan & Lucy

Hi, I'm Dan Pinder, and this is my dog Lucy.

Lucy is a rescued dog. We adopted her last year. Although there are signs that she was abused (a scar across her neck about 5" long), she is a really great dog. She has learned a lot of commands in the last year since she has come to live with us. One thing that I think is unique about Lucy is that she purrs. Yes she does purr. Usually in the evening or late at night when I pet her, she makes a short purring sound.

If we win, I am going to donate $500 to the animal rescue groups in the Delaware/Pennsylvania area.

Shameless Self-Promotion #15: Amy & Jenkins

Hi All! Amy Parrish here, requesting your votes (while Jenkins is begging for them). While normally the life of the party, Jenkins was one party-pooped pooch the day I took this picture. If you would help him roll on over into first place he’d have another chance to celebrate!

Also (here comes the mushy stuff), I'd love to make my mom proud. Entering this contest was her idea to begin with. I love her so very much for always having such confidence in me. Both she and my dad have always let me grow at my own pace and not only experience, but also enjoy, the wonder that is life.

Thanks for reading...vote for Jenkins!

Cards Coming Soon to Stores!!

So, we went over to the Card Factory to see your card "gangs" being "cut" a while ago. The next step for our little team was to see the "ship test" -- an actual (pretend) display of what your Pets cards will look like once they're in the store. Plus, we got to see samples of your cards printed.

We were beyond thrilled. They all look so good. And they look amazing as a big group. You should be proud of yourselves. We sure were. Way to go, you guys.

Funny, But No Thank You #6

Revealed by Popular Demand: (some of) the "almosts" and "maybes" and "really?" from YourFunny*ness. (See sidebar on right.) More to come each Monday, for a while.

2nd Best Medicine

Dog-eared Dandy

Flippy Snippy Blond

Thumb Fun

True Confession

Shameless Self-Promotion #14: Ginny & Nestle

Hi! I am Ginny Carter and this "shiny puppy" is Nestle... yes, like the chocolate.

Nestle, my Niece's dog, is a 2 1/2 year old, 6lb, short haired Chihuahua.

When his mommy comes home he jumps on the couch and wants belly kisses... it's a must, before you even take off your coat.

Nestle was just at his first baseball game, Dog Night at Shea Stadium...PLAY BALL! Also his favorite activity!

Vote for us... everyday, you do and Nestle will be on his back wanting belly kisses!!

Survey says...

The winner of this week's
Funny, But No Thank You voting is
"Snowbuddies"

Congratulations!
TERRY DAY
Pendleton,OR

Shameless Self-Promotion #13: Carol & Tucker

My name is Carol Pohlman and I'd like to thank you for considering Tucker as the grand finalist. His card doesn't give you the whole picture, so I've included it here.

Tucker's blood brother Kalamazoo was very sick and required life-saving surgery. My husband told Kal he needed to get a job to help cover his expenses, but you can see that he clearly wasn't up to it. However, big brother Tucker positioned himself for the challenge.

He's made it to the finalist stage and needs your help now! Please vote for us daily!

Whatever happened to Blogden Nash?

To quash any rumors about my recent blogging absence and to help resolve any abandonment issues among our regulars, here's a quick update.

I'm going to summer school! Hallmark is sending me to my alma mater, the University of Minnesota, where I'll live in the dorm and study web design and guitar. Don't feel like revealing my real age, but the last time I was in school Nixon was president. You do the math.

I'll check in here often to see what the talented card making hordes are up to. You'll be seeing a couple of new avatars in my absence, and the fresh horses should keep things extra lively.

YourPets Puzzlers: #5

More little games. Anyone care to play?
Make a comment to make your guesses known.



1. What a face this critter's got…
    He ruffs you. Or he ruffs you not.

2. Looks like our picture editor
    removed a feline predator.

3. For puzzlers, detail is the thing.
    Can you spot the doggy bling?

Shameless Self-Promotion #12: Susie & Tick Tock

Hi I am Susie Rodriguez from the Sunshine State Miami, Florida.

You should vote for me and my Oh so Photogenic and Colorful Senegal Parrot Tick Tock. Which has been named after one of my Husbands and My favorite Disney beloved Classics Peter Pan. For all of you that don’t remember its the Famous Crocodile that chases Captain Hook . Tick Tock is his name.

We thought of every GREEN thing on the face of this earth and this was really unique.
My parrot is really unique we can lay him down with his legs facing up (look at the photo).

Tick Tock is definitely a Bird-Dog for us, he is not a flyer he is a walker. The minute we say “Sleepy Time” he climbs down from his cage and follows my husband and I . He climbs up his ladder to climb up to the bed to go Night Night., He also loves to go for a ride especially to the drive thru of Burger King, that way he can grab a French fry.

Tick Tock eats dinner with us with his own mini plate his favorite foods and drink are: Spaghetti, Crackers, Cheese and loves Coca-cola (only one sip because that’s bad for him)

Vote For Us the Colorful Duet

Funny, But No Thank You #5

Revealed by Popular Demand: (some of) the "almosts" and "maybes" and "really?" from YourFunny*ness. (See sidebar on right.) More to come each Monday, for a while.

BIRDHOUSE BLVD.

BOOGIE BOY

QUACKY HAT

FELINE FLUFFY

SNOWBUDDIES

Survey says...

The winner of this week's
Funny, But No Thank You voting is
"The Fun Couple"

Congratulations!
LESLIE PRICE
Asheville, NC

Shameless Self-Promotion #11: Dustin & Sophia

Hey everyone!

This is Dustin Miller and my pet is Sophia!

The last month has made Sophia quite the diva - not only is she getting media coverage but she is now larger than her brother, my toy fox terrier Cooper!

Talk about letting a little fame go to her head, she will even grab him by his collar - but its all in play! She knows that she is too cute to get in trouble!

We would love for you to vote for us so that Sophia (and Cooper) can take their show on the road!