We're Thankful For . . .

Around here, everybody's pretty much cleared out for Thanksgiving weekend. People are passionate about their stuffing and cranberry sauce, lemme tell ya. Our team, though, is passionate about doing these contests with you. We've had lots and lots of fun so far. We are so grateful to you for the whole contest experience, from seeing your submissions for the first time to determining the finalists to talking with you on the blog and on Facebook-- we've got it made. So thanks!

Know what else we're thankful for? We'll let the turkeys do the talking . . .

KC Tbone - In no particular order: bananas, Excel, laughter, elevators that smell like cologne, coupons, Tide to-go, my new hubby, slippers, college basketball, Wheat Thins, road trips, friends and faith

Judgy's Little Elf - I am thankful I have a job where I can work on a blog and Facebook, wear jeans to work and have piercings and tattoos. I am thankful for (prepare for cliche) my two kids who tell me they love me every day and my husband who still tries to smack me on the butt.

Sheriff of Wordingham - I'm thankful for my brand new niece, Elise, a family who loves me even though I went vegan this year (no turkey!), and supah-smart co-workers who make me laugh.



One Man Show - I'm thankful for my family, 2 great boys and my wonderful wife. She's the sole female in a household of 3 boys: not an easy task. I'm thankful for my job, especially in today's economy and outlook. I'm thankful for my health, or feeble attempt at maintaining it. I'm also thankful for Northrend, (now if I could only get 80, and soon)!

Wordy McGee - I am thankful for the coolest, word nerdiest gig ever, friends who make me laugh too loud in public, a rediscovered love of bowling, an unexpected family gathering for Thanksgiving and new songs for the holiday road trip on my ipod.

And these last two turkeys are thankful for some extra time off for Thanksgiving. Less work! More stuffing!

What are YOU thankful for?

Share YOUR Cards

Check it out! The team has made our own yourHoliday card. Have you?

We want to see your bright, smiling faces on these impressive cards.
Go ahead and upload the image of the yourHoliday cards you're sending
to the Fan Photos section of the yourGreeting Card Competition Facebook page.
It'll be like sending holiday cards
to the whole group. How festive.

Holiday Spirit Delivered!

Lookie lookie what Fan Favorite Leah Seydel will have
waiting on her doorstep very soon.



Possibly the season's earliest holiday gift.
Might we also suggest one of the most festive?

Let the yourHoliday Grand Prize Voting Begin!

From now until Dec. 22, vote TWO ways!

1. Vote online once a day for free.
2. Plus every yourHoliday card you buy online counts as a vote and helps people living with AIDS in Africa--talk about a good thing!

Click on the image above to vote, buy and see how much good your purchase can do.

Today's the Day yourParenthood Submissions Open

(Click on the image to go submit!)

It's no ordinary day, folks. Today, you can enter that impressive yourParenthood submission you've been sitting on. We're squealing with delight around here, glad to finally be able to see your entries rolling in. Not quite ready? That's okay. You have until Dec. 7 to hop to it. But hey, the earlier the better.

Congratulations to Leah Seydel, the yourHoliday Fan Favorite!

Warmest wishes and a big woo hoo for Leah Seydel, the yourHoliday Fan Favorite! Her card, "a holiday sweater for the whole world," earned the most votes, proving that voters were feeling the tacky sweater love.



Join us in giving her some Fan Favorite warm fuzzies.

yourHoliday Grand Prize voting starts next week. And you've got TWO ways to do it!

The final countdown begins, folks. Next Monday, November 17 at 8 a.m. CT you'll have your chance to vote for the Grand-Prize-winning yourHoliday card.
And this time you've got twice the voting options you usually do.

Between 8 a.m. CT on November 17
and 8 a.m. on December 22, vote TWO ways:

Vote once per day online for free. (No change there.)

AND

Every card you purchase counts as a vote for that finalist. The proverbial sky's the limit on how many votes you can cast this way. Plus, every card you buy helps eliminate AIDS in Africa. That's one powerful vote.

Ready to exercise your right to vote how you wanna? Excellent. See you next Monday.

Hint #5: Prizes and Timeline

Could we interest you in prizes? We could? Lovely.

The yourParenthood contest is especially interesting (and exciting)
because we will have TWO sets of winners -
one for Mother's Day and one for Father's Day.

We'll also have TWO ways to vote in the Grand Prize contest:
Vote for free online (once a day) and every card purchased also counts as a vote.


For Mother's Day,

16 finalists will each receive $250, their cards produced and sold in stores and online and a $250 donation to a charity in honor of a special mom in their lives.

1 mini contest winner will receive $250 cashola and another $250 donation.

1 Grand Prize Winner will also receive $2500 straight up moolah.

For Father's Day,

12 finalists will each receive $250, their cards produced and sold in stores and online and a $250 donation to a charity in honor of a special dad in their lives.

1 mini contest winner will receive $250 cashola and another $250 donation.

1 Grand Prize Winner will also receive $2500 straight up moolah.


Want to keep track of all the important dates that will help you make these prizes your own? Check out hint 5 for our handy dandy yourParenthood timeline!

Announcing the yourHoliday Fan Favorite!

Nope, not yet. You'll have to hold those horses for one more week.
Monday, Nov. 10 is magic day we'll announce the Fan Favorite!
And you can join us in singing his or her praises.

Fan Favorite voting has come to an end. Don't be too sad. Grand Prize voting is on the way!

We're giving you a break from yourHoliday voting for a bit, just in case you have other voting to do this week. We'll announce the Fan Favorite right quick, though. Maybe not as right quick as the Presidential announcement, but still. Quick.

Then, you'll get to vote for the yourHoliday Grand Prize Winner,
starting at 8 a.m., CT on Nov. 17. Hope you're ready
for a new yourHoliday tradition because this time you've got TWO ways to vote:

1. You can still cast one free vote per day, from Nov. 17 through Dec. 22.

2. You can also cast as many votes as your heart desires by buying yourHoliday cards during the voting period. Each card purchased counts as a vote and also helps eliminate AIDS in Africa. Pretty cool, right?

So, ready to vote? We ho ho hope so. (Sorry. Sometimes the holiday excitement is just too much.)

yourParenthood Hint #4: The Whole Enchilada

You've got your photo in hand (or on computer). You may even have your writing ready to go. But do they mesh? Is it fate? Are they made for each other? Put 'em to the test.
Click the picture above and fill yourself in on hint 4 to make sure your photo and writing combo are the winning sort.

A Very Slight Change of Plans

Recently, we announced that you can now share yourParenthood photos and writing on the Your Greeting Card Competitions Facebook page, to get feedback from other fans. We are so excited to see that people are already taking advantage of that space. Let the sharing begin!

We just have one small change in how you'll share. It looks as though you won't be able to leave comments directly under other fans' photos. Bummer. Sooo, as the next best thing, let's leave our friendly feedback in the Reviews section of the page, instead. Sound good? Good.

One Week Left to Vote for Your Fan Favorite!

It's getting down to the wire, folks, and these votes aren't going to cast themselves. If you haven't already, add "vote for fan favorite" to your daily to-do list from now until November 3.
Want to vote now? Go for it.

We can hardly wait to see whose design is deemed the fave. We are also anxiously awaiting the look on the winner's face when he or she receives the festive prizes we've been cooking up.

*$250 bonus cash to buy an early holiday gift (Perhaps for themselves?)

*$250 match, in his or her name, contributed to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa (Because the winner is also the giving sort.)

*A 25" holiday tree, delivered to the winner's home, decked out in Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments (Because what's a mini contest without a mini tree?)

Make this last week count and vote on every day that ends in "y." It'll keep your clicking finger in shape for Grand Prize voting, which is just around the bend (more specifically, November 17).

yourParenthood Hint #3: Writing

Have you been digging through those photo albums and boxes for the photographic treasure (or treasures) you'll submit to the yourParenthood contest? Once you've got the star photo in hand, use these tips to help stir up some ingenious writing ideas from that noggin of yours:

1. Keep it sendable.

Your card could be sent to any person who's a mom or dad,

not just your mom or dad. Like could someone send it to their
sister (who's a mom) or their uncle (who's a dad) or their friend (who's a mom or dad)?

2. Weigh your options.

You can write on the front of the card AND on the inside,
just on the inside,
or on the front of the card only.

Make sure your card's not blank inside, though. That would just be sad.
If you opt to write only on the front,
make sure there's at least a "Happy Mother's Day" or "Happy Father's Day"-type message inside.
Otherwise, we'll add in that message for you.

3. Know your audience.

*If you're writing a Mother's Day card, don't be afraid to tickle a mom's funny bone.
It's okay if it's sweet and it definitely should be good-spirited but if any job requires a sense of humor, it's being a mom. Go on. Make some moms laugh.

*If you're writing a Father's Day card, keep it all about who a dad is and not what he does. That means even if every dad you know loves golf, the card shouldn't be about a dad's performance on the back nine. It should be more about what a great dad he is. Fewer hobbies. More heart.

Mrs. kc.tbone

Not sure how many of you know it, but our own kc. tbone has been out for a while, due to matrimony. The team just couldn't let such a momentous occasion go by without a mention. Without a party. Without a prank.

Please enjoy the view kc encountered upon her return to Hallmark . . .

Get fan feedback on yourParenthood photos and writing

We've been wanting to offer this opportunity for quite some time--the chance for you to get a second (and third) opinion on your card ideas before submissions start. Well, the time is now! Take advantage.

When you become a fan of the Your Greeting Card Competition page on Facebook, you can upload the photos and writing you're thinking about submitting and get feedback from other fans. Maybe you'd like help narrowing down your top five favorite photos. Maybe you know which photo you'll submit but you can't decide between two pieces of writing. Let the fans help you out. And share your feedback with fellow fans, too. Collaboration . . . we love it. We hope you do, too.

All you need to do to get this party started is click on the Your Greeting Card Competition link above. Once you're on the page, click "Add Photos" (as shown in the picture above). Then, upload the photo(s) you're considering submitting. Type your writing in the caption box below the photo, and voila! Other fans will give you feedback in the reviews section of the page. And you, friend, will have a little help making those tough decisions that come with creating greeting cards. It's good to be connected.

yourParenthood Hint #2: Photos

The YourParenthood contest is your shot to make great cards with those fantastic kid photos you've got in albums. Or in boxes. Or scattered about. Who are we to judge? As you're sorting through your photos, keep these handy tips in mind. They're for your own good, you know.

1. Do your homework!

__ Does it include a child, whippersnapper, baby, toddler, or human half-pint?
If not, save that fab photo for another contest.

__ Make sure you're legal.

-Is this your own photo? The snapshot should have been taken by you, or by a friend who's
given you permission to use the photo.

-Was your photo taken by a professional? Unless that professional is you,
we can not accept studio photos. No school pictures. No Glamour Shots.
Copyright laws--obey 'em

-Do you have permission to submit from the parents/guardians of the featured kid in the photo?
Make sure you've got it. If you're a finalist, we'll have them fill out a fancy schmancy
model release form to give you (and us) official permission.

-Are there any copyrighted materials in the pic?
Like Batman on your kid's t-shirt? Or Barbie in the background?
Crop 'em out or choose another photo.

__ Save your image at 300 dpi. Why? Because we said so.
And because we have to print this sucker.

__ Crop your image to 4 3/4 X 5 1/2. (We can crop it for you as well; just make sure you give us
an image that will look good when cropped to that size.)

__ All photos will be printed in black and white. You can send us a black and white image,
or we can take the color out for you.

2. Go for big impact!

The finalists' cards will be part of our Mother's and Father's Days displays at stores across the country.
Choose a photo with some big-time star power--one that will scream "pick me up!" in the card aisle.

__ Make sure the kid's the center of attention by hitting ZOOM!

__ Choose a photo that tells an immediate story (you "get it" right away).

__ Photos that are unique, unusual, or have a definite personality
(Remember, we're not looking for annoying child-model perfection. We're looking for something
authentic that will make a mom or dad smile because it reminds them of their real life.)

3. Think warm

These cards will be selling in the spring and summer. For some reason, people don't buy a lot of cards
with snow or dead leaves on them when it's all bright and sunny out. So save your holiday snapshots
for a colder-weather contest!

If you have any questions, don't be shy. Leave your comments after the beep (or in the comments section) and we'll get right back atcha.

To All Our Friends . . . Wanna Be Facebook Friends?

Although we love talking with you here on the blogosphere, we'd love to talk to you elsewhere, too. And since you might get kinda creeped out if we started "coincidentally" bumping into you at the grocery store, we thought, why not Facebook. Judgy and I wanted to let you know that we started a new Page there called "Your Greeting Card Competition."

Become a Fan of "Your Greeting Card Competition" and you'll get updates on new contests, voting, buying, etc. Plus (and we think this is the coolest part), you can write on the Wall or have discussions with us and with other Fans. Right now, it's in its rawest state but as we all pitch in, it'll become more vibrant and lively. Perhaps you have a discussion topic in mind? Or maybe a friend you'd like to invite to become a Fan. We're good with all of that. See you there!

And the Next Contest Is . . . yourParenthood!

Today, we're serving up the first hint in the YourParenthood contest, and it's all about the theme. The task, if you choose to take it on (and why wouldn't you), is to create a card for Mother's Day or Father's Day that will make moms and dads smile. Or laugh. Or both.

*Plus, for the very first time, you'll be able to submit a Mother's Day entry AND a Father's Day entry (if you wanna). It's two, two, two contests in one!

Starting in mid-November,
here's how you'll do it:

1. You'll submit a fun photo of a kid you know (and have permission to photograph)

2. You'll include writing that goes perfectly with your photo and also makes a Mother's Day or Father's Day card that any mom or dad would be oh-so-happy to receive.

As soon as we get those marvelous Mother's Day and Father's Day photos and writing, we'll be judging on three criteria:

1. Sendability - Your card could be sent to any person who's a mom or dad, not just your mom or dad. Like, could someone send it to their sister (who's a mom) or their uncle (who's a dad) or their friend (who's a mom or dad)?

2. Cohesiveness - Your photo and writing are a match made in card heaven.

3. Authenticity - Your card expresses the real experience - the joy, the frustrations, the humor - of parenthood.

Keep checking back for more hints in the coming weeks. In the meantime, dig out those old photo albums and boxes and find your most charming kid photos. We can't wait to see 'em.

Hark! Fan Favorite Voting is Here!

Today's the day to scoot on over to the finalists page and vote for your most beloved holiday design in the Fan Favorite mini-contest, sponsored by Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. In fact, every day between now and November 3 at 8 AM CDT is a good day to vote for your fave. Still undecided on which design catches your fancy? Keep these things in mind when deciding which is most worthy:

1. Does it feel like (RED) or have red in it?
2. Could it be sent by lots of different people this holiday season?
3. Is it unique?

Now, get to voting. Once today. Once tomorrow. Once the next day. (You get the idea.) Your daily vote is important. It will determine the winner of the following festive prizes:

*$250 for holiday shopping money, and the like
*$250 donated to the Global Fund, to help people living with AIDS in Africa
*A petite (25") holiday tree decked out in Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments