Grand Prize Winner

Artist: Shellie Nelson
Title: Canine Christmas

Stamp used: Christmas Doggie Door, Christmas Poodle, Dog Bone Ornament.

This oversized card caught our attention right away because of the many layers, textures, and other details the artist used to create an inviting holiday tableau. The base layer is a corrugated cardstock. On top of that she built several layers (up to eight layers in some spots) of carefully chosen cardstocks. The building facade is painstakingly and cleanly constructed from layers of precisely trimmed textured cardstock - with the brick textured cardstock layered beneath more corroguated stock to frame the door and four layers of raised cardstock cutouts of trees. Almost every detail of the card is painstakingly raised, textured, and affixed with precision down to the pom pom fluff on the poodle's Santa hat and the shimmer mixed into the faux snow on the tree out front. The attention to detail is amazing and the overall affect is a true work of art.

The artist's instructions are available as a PDF.

 5 First Place Winners:
(in no particular order)

Artist: Cathy Dahl
Title: Bacon Obsession

Stamps used: Therapist Dog, Small Pig.

This card is a masterpiece of wit and creativity. The psychiatrist's office is assembled from layers of cardstock. The pig's chair is cut out and assembled from flocked paper - the rug is also cut out and created from flocked paper. The inside of the card reads, "You have to get over this Kevin Bacon obsession." Genius. Everyone loved it.

Artist's instructions:

I made this card using scrapbook paper for a wall, floor and trim. Used a colored pencil for detail on the trim. Keep calm poster I printed on card stock and covered with liquid glass. The chair and rug are cut from flocked paper. I stamped the Dr. Dog and Pig patient, used colored pencils, cut them out and adhered. I added liquid glass to the glass lenses, dog nose and pig's eye.

Artist: Roxanne Marker
Title: Misty Morning Moose In The Marsh

Stamp used: Moose.

This card is a true work of art, suitable for framing and hanging anywhere lovely things are hung. The artist used layering, distressing techniques, embossing, and embellishments to great effect.

Artist's instructions:

I stamped leaf with Versa Mark Ink on linen paper and clear heat embossed it. Took daubers (sponge) and dabbed distress ink, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Ink over image. Heat embossed moose with trees. Stamped the same leaves on the tree and added the marsh grass. I layered with corrugated paper and ribbon candy dots.

Stamp used: Narwhal.

The clever way this artist used layers of blue acetate to create the depths of the ocean worked extremely well. She even layered the starfish so that it appears to be in the foreground as opposed to the plants behind it. Very nicely done. We loved it!

Artist's instruction:

Took white card, glued Narwhals saying onto card and put stickers of the sea plants on the bottom of card. Put bubbles on too. Taped 4 layers of the blue acetate onto card. I made sure each layer had different waves on top. Starfish taped on the bottom of the card on the second layer of acetate Narwhal- Stamped onto white card stock. Colored with gelatos. Cut out shapes and glued to third layer of acetate

Artist: Julie Strache
Title: Love Is... Being A Ferret Mom

Stamp used: Ferret Heart.

Our entire team admired the artfully layered and embellished Valentine featuring two ferrets. The heartshaped cut outs are textured and assembled with polish. The color pallette adds a lovely balance. And despite the number of embellishments and punch outs added, the design avoided looking cluttered. The stamped image is colored beautifully.

Artist's instruction available as PDF.

Artist: Terry Lebioda
Title: Remember Our Heroes

Stamp used: Patriotic Dog.

This lovely Memorial Day card was layered over a nice cloud cardstock and embellished with shiny red, white, and blue stars. The vibrant colors used on the stamped image evoked a powerful feeling of pride and dignity, appropriate to the occasion.

Artist instruction available as PDF.

 2015 Honorable Mentions

Several cards were selected to appear in our honorable mentions gallery located here. You can also view all of this year's entries by clicking here.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our 2015 Greeting Card Contest - receiving all your cards was great fun!

As always, our choice was very difficult. There were many creative, clever, and polished entries and only four prizes available for this round.

We also chose 10 entries for honorable mention - though we would have liked to have chosen many more for recognition.

All card entries have been resized to fit this page; a few have also been cropped or digitally enhanced in other ways - to better suit this page and our purposes. Our judges made their choice based on the original entries as submitted; many factors were considered.

All decisions are final. Prize packages (store credits) will be sent to Grand Prize and First Prize winners by email. Honorable mention card crafters will receive a small gift in the mail from our crew for their amazing contributions to this year's contest. If you are a winner and have not been contacted by August 2015, please email us using our contact form.