Thank you to Alena Cvetkovski for the suggestion of this unique juried show.  The Instagram game has been a good learning curve and it has been great in generating new interest in our shows.  Also a big thank you to our Sponsors who have donated great gifts for prizes and hopefully increased new followers for you too.

This is the only show we will be hosting that will be offering free yearly memberships as awards.  This gives new non-members a chance to try to win a membership with the IADR with only the investment of a $10.00 USD entry fee.  To the IADR members it is a way to win a free year.  Sounds like a win/win situation and this prize is being awarded in each category!

Juried shows are not only a way to win prizes, but they also help give us a perspective in how others see our art.  The critiques are valuable for us that are looking for ways to improve our artwork.  Juried shows are also a way to help the IADR grow in membership as well.  

When you post about a juried show in your social media platforms it gives us a shout-out while creating a possibility that someone else hasn't heard of this great opportunity yet.   Also by joining in the shows whether you are a Novice to a Master - helps create this opportunity so the shows may continue.  So when asking what you can do to help the IADR continue, join in the shows!  That also includes Past Winners - that is why the Master category was created so we can have something to work for and be inspired by.  Also send me your ideas too as I am totally open to anything that helps promote the IADR and dollmaking.  After all - Dollmaking is our Passion!

The IADR thanks those artists that submitted their work and to give us this opportunity to see that AI (artificial intelligence) has nothing on us when we can continue to inspire, create, and add to the beauty of our world with talent that is inspired with our imagination and our own hands.  Thank you again for participating in our event and also I would like to thank those that support our fellow artists with your encouragement and praise.

The Instagram posts started on December 15th to promote this event.  I am scheduling the posts for Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am MST in the USA for those that are helping to get the word out while playing our game *smiling*.  Keep in mind IADR members are also eligible to win the sponsors' gifts with one of them being a wonderful class type tutorial from Deb Woods.

The Winter Blues Juried Show is a special event that offers contestants an IADR Year Membership as the winning prize per each level category along with a beautiful certificate and the judges critiques.  This is also an opportunity for Non-members to try our event at a reduced entry fee of only $10 (USD) to enter. 

So as we are coming down from all the hustle and bustle of the holidays - don't let the winter blues set in - join the fun with our Instagram game and enter the Winter Blues Juried Show Event.  The submission of your doll deadline for this Event is March 1st, 2024.

If you have any questions regarding the Instagram Winter Blues game or the Winter Blues Juried Show Event please either email me at  IADRegistry@outlook.com or instant messenger me in Facebook.

Something different in the Year End Event is that even though an artist may submit to be consideration in all three awards, the artist will only be eligible to win one (1) award per artist. 

​REMEMBER - you need to submit only one photo of each of your dolls being judged for a total of three pictures as you are submitting only three pieces of work to be considered for the year.  These three images can be submitted for each category which are - Rising Star - Best Doll of the Year - and - Best Artist of the Year.  A complete explanation of each category can be above the registration form in the members only section of the IADR website.  If you have any questions contact me at IADRegistry@outlook.com​.

The game will run from December 15th to March 1st, 2024.  But the Deadline to be considered a PLAYER is January 19th, 2024.  So anyone that starts playing the game between December 15th to January 19th will be considered a PLAYER and will be eligible to win the prizes and bonus gifts.  After January 19th, then it will be the accumulation of their activity that will determine who will be a winner.

If you have any questions email me at IADRegistry@outlook.com or Instant Messenger on Facebook.

A sponsor will be any IADR member that would like to offer a bonus gift (prize) to be added to the Game.  A bonus gift can be a tutorial, how-to, or one small handmade gift item that will be mailed to a winner of the Game.

I  am suggesting digital gift items as a preference  - as handmade gifts that require shipping will be with the responsibility of the sponsor to pay for the shipping.  We will attempt to keep handmade gifts to be shipped to a lucky winner within the same area or country as the sponsor to minimize shipping costs.
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​Why be a sponsor?  For anyone that agrees to be a sponsor, their picture and a short post will be placed on the IADR Instagram account as part of this game.  Anyone that is following this event on Instagram will be asked to Subscribe to the Sponsor's account by Following, Like the post, and Share it to their Story timeline if the player wishes to be considered for the opportunity of winning a bonus gift.  This is a Win/Win opportunity for any sponsor and a way to grow your reach on Instagram.

Also Sponsors will be listed in the IADR Winter edition (published January, 2024) Magazine in regard to our Winter Blues Event.

As far as some of the bonus gift items:

​If you need help in coming up with an idea and would like to participate, then just email me at  IADRegistry@outlook.com or Instant Messenger.

Winners of these bonus gifts are determined by their participation and support of the Juried Show game posts.  Sponsors and Players both have the same opportunity to win a bonus gift.​

Another important date --​Dec 31st - Year End Event Deadline:  The submission form is now available for IADR members to submit your Year End information at any time.  Don't let the holiday's hustle and bustle make you miss the deadline.   This Event is for anyone that participated in ONE(1) prior Juried Show OR the People Choice Event.  Keeping in mind that October 2022 is considered part of the year 2023 contest since we didn't do a Year End Event last year.

The other two juried shows scheduled for the 2024 year will remain as we have done them in the past.  In addition, you might notice that in 2024 we have removed the restriction about posting your work prior to the shows.  That is no longer part of the requirements and we encourage our members to share their work in our Facebook Groups.

​What is going to be different for The Winter Blues Event?

1.  We are going to be playing a game on Instagram in regard to this Juried Show Event.  We are asking Non-Members and IADR Members to Play the Game by participating in this event with a Like, Save, Comment, and Repost of our posts about the Event.  The Winners of the Game will receive a Certificate of Support, be featured within The Winter Blues article in the Spring edition of the IADR magazine, and receive a free issue of that same edition of the magazine.  ​

​2. To IADR Members we will be offering a Sponsorship opportunity to this Unique Show.  What is that?  A sponsor will be any IADR member that would like to offer a tutorial, how-to, or one small handmade gift item to be a bonus gift to the winning players of this game. ​

​Why be a sponsor?  For anyone that agrees to be a sponsor, their picture and a short post will be placed on the IADR Instagram account as part of this game.  Anyone that is following this event on Instagram will be asked to Subscribe to the Sponsor's account, Share the post, and Add it to their Story timeline if they wish to be considered for the opportunity of winning a bonus gift.  This is a Win/Win opportunity for any sponsor and a way to grow your reach on Instagram.

Winners of these bonus gifts are determined by their participation and support of the Juried Show.  Sponsors and Players both have the same opportunity to win a bonus gift.  

The Winter Blues Juried Show PRIZES will be different for this first IADR event of 2024.  This is a juried show so there will be five possible winners - as there are five Categories consisting of Novice, Intermediate, Advance, Professional, & Master.  The main prize for this event will be a One Year Membership in the IADR for each category.  If any of the categories do not have the required two people competing, then the honorary prize for the category will be the judges review, a honorary certificate, and a free IADR Magazine issue in which all the entries will be featured.

The Game will begin December 15th, 2023, and run to the end of the Event which will be March 1st, 2024.  To learn more about The Winter Blue Event then click the link.  This is a fun opportunity in with we hope to grow the IADR membership as well as promote our sponsors so they can grow.  Please contact me at  IADRegistry@outlook.com or Instant Messenger on Facebook if you wish to become a Sponsor of the Event.

​Also check out this episode of an IADR Podcast where Bambi and I talk about marketing on Youtube.  Bambi shares her experiences and some great ideas.

We are now reaching the Year End Event which will have a few changes to it too.  For one of them - an Artist can submit for ALL three opportunities for the awards (unless for the Rising Star of 2023, the applicant doesn't meet the qualifications).  That is three opportunities to win one of these large cash awards plus certificate!  Also, if an Artist wins Best Doll of the Year,(as an example), then they are not able to win the other two awards for this year's competition.  Each competitor is only eligible to win one of the three awards.  That means at least three dollmakers will walk away with an award.  This is a great opportunity for past professionals/masters to come back and compete for Year 2023.  Each year past winners may compete again to win that year's awards.  For more information about the Year End requirements check out ​https://www.international-art-doll-registry.com/year-end-2023-submission.html.

Finally, with the new Podcasts, we now have another way to get your images on our Instagram and our Youtube channel.  IADR is all about helping you get seen!  For if you can't be seen you can't make sales or have your dolls enjoyed by others through a gallery.  If you have any other suggestions on how to help IADR grow, I would love to hear them too.  In the meantime, Happy Dollmaking!

It really doesn't take much to connect your creation to the Theme of the Show but it is important to let the judges see into your head as to what inspired you and through your eyes to see how you carried that inspiration into a wonderful piece. 

A reminder to each of you that I do not have anything to do with the judging.  These are only my thoughts and hopefully they can help you to in participating in our new Theme Shows for this year.  

If you have missed these conversations, join me and the IADR Dollmakers either here in the blog or on Youtube.  Here on the website you will see Conversations on the right side of the screen where the past blogs are archived.  To view on Youtube, click the link below:
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIMbFhVnZWKVDqnevEv3Mbg 
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