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Just as many are starting to count down the days until Christmas, I thought I would share some important IADR dates to remember too so that you won't be late...
- December 15th - Deadline to submit your articles or share your photos of your work for the Winter edition of the IADR Magazine.
- December 15th - Also starts our Game on Instagram for the Winter Blues Event. Next week's blog will go into more details on how to play the game. This week's blog is about being a Sponsor for the Game.
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.
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:
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.
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:
- Tutorials don't have be long. Just a short explanation on how to make something.
- Same for the how-to instructions and they don't have to be doll related either. It could be explaining how to make an accessory for a doll. It could be how to make an ornament, a jewelry item, or how to sew or create a costume accent as an example.
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.
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As we are working on the Year End Juried Show Event (Deadline Dec 31st), IADR also decided to start out the year 2024 with a big bang. After all, 2024 isn't the Year of the Dragon for nothing. Right now a few of us are at working on creating a new and exciting first juried show of the year. What does this mean?
January 1st will start our first Juried Show of the year with the theme of The Winter Blues. This first Show will have a twist to it as it involves playing a game.
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.
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It is hard to believe it has now been a year since I assumed the mantle of CDO of IADR. (CDO by the way means Chief Doll Organizer - for who really wants to be a CEO? *smiling*.) It has been a year of some changes and learning curves as I have tried to see what members are wanting out of our organization and I appreciate all of Deb Wood's support during this time frame. I hope you are enjoying the new website and the easier way to find/use the Registry as well as the newly created Artist's Studio pages.
Another of the other changes has been the creation of the IADR Art Doll magazine (which the latest issue has currently been released this week). Thank you to those helping with articles and interviews as a magazine can't be created by just one person. As always, if you would like to see something in the magazine or do an article, drop me a note at IADRegistry@outlook.com.
As a member of IADR - (Member Only) you receive a free copy. Otherwise it is $5.00 per issue. Click the link to access getting a copy of the Fall/October 2023 issue at https://www.international-art-doll-registry.com/art-doll-magazine.html.
There has also been some changes to the juried doll events. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see more of those members that have won past events to enter in the coming year? A new Masters category has been added to the competition (to read more about that - click here)! Not only do the presenters benefit from the shows but we who watch the events are inspired as well.
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!
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I am excited to see the Rainy Days entries showing up soon. How will you see it and what you use for inspiration are all good things to be thinking about when building your creations.
But also keep in mind those thoughts when filling out your submission form when submitting it. Remember to explain how your creation is connected to the theme is very important. Click here if you want to read the blog again on how I explained the scoring in an IADR juried show "Why-is-the-theme-important".
So when you go into to fill out that form where it asks your interpretation and theme, this is one of those times that more is better than less.
If you were inspired by "Dancing in the Rain" with the actor Gene Kelly, say so. Or if a traditional Raindance by a native tribe inspired you... say so. Or another way of filling out this part is when describing your character you can say that they are carrying an umbrella to protect them from the rain. Or the little fairy is hiding under the leaf to protect herself from the wet rain.
If you were inspired by "Dancing in the Rain" with the actor Gene Kelly, say so. Or if a traditional Raindance by a native tribe inspired you... say so. Or another way of filling out this part is when describing your character you can say that they are carrying an umbrella to protect them from the rain. Or the little fairy is hiding under the leaf to protect herself from the wet rain.
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.
Bring on the Rain... we're ready for it.
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Conversation with Dollmaker...
I have traveled to England (via ZOOM) to spend some time with Renata Jansen and her lovely dolls. Then the time flew by while I was in Italy (again via the magic of ZOOM) talking with Adelaide Santini. These conversations have been very interesting to me especially as polymer is a medium I haven't delved in. These ladies make it look easy but then that is the skill of a master - as one knows a lot of work goes into each creation.
Plus I am so excited as I have always wanted to visit Australia which I get to do as Amanda Parkinson is scheduled to talk to me in March.
Plus I am so excited as I have always wanted to visit Australia which I get to do as Amanda Parkinson is scheduled to talk to me in March.
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
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIMbFhVnZWKVDqnevEv3Mbg
Don't have a Clue!!!
Our Zoom meeting will be this Thurs Feb 23rd at 12:30 (Mountain Standard Time) for members of IADR who want to be inspired, maybe learn something new, or just meet another fellow dollmaker who shares our passion.
Keep your eyes open for the link in the IADR Members Only group and don't be a SHY-lock. Come join us *smiling*.
Keep your eyes open for the link in the IADR Members Only group and don't be a SHY-lock. Come join us *smiling*.
Rainy Days...
Just a reminder to mark the date your entry is due for the IADR Jury Show. For rules on the show check out the Juried Show Requirements section on the website. This is also the place for you to enter your submission for the show (form entry is at the bottom of the Juried Show Requirements page). Remember all entries also must be registered before the show.
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A thank you to the Artists that entered the 2022 Fairy Juried Show. All submissions are now available for viewing by clicking this link. Winners will be announced in the December newsletter as well as being placed on the IADR Award Winners page.
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The new list for 2023 Juried Show themes is now available on the Event page for IADR members only to vote on. Why is choosing a good theme so important?
A theme should inspire and allow you to create, to express it in a way that others are taken on your journey. That is one reason why there isn't a lot of actual genre expressed this year. But take for example "Sitting under the Apple tree"... that can be expressed as a little boy fishing under the apple tree, a little girl reading her favorite book there, a faery teaching a flower how to grow or a tree nymph talking to her sister. There is no wrong or right expression of what those words mean other than what they inspire in you to create.
A theme should inspire and allow you to create, to express it in a way that others are taken on your journey. That is one reason why there isn't a lot of actual genre expressed this year. But take for example "Sitting under the Apple tree"... that can be expressed as a little boy fishing under the apple tree, a little girl reading her favorite book there, a faery teaching a flower how to grow or a tree nymph talking to her sister. There is no wrong or right expression of what those words mean other than what they inspire in you to create.
Did you know that a third of the voting for a Jury Show is... Did the artist capture the meaning of the theme? This is where you envision the judges to see what you see by explaining to them your vision. AND... did you know that another third of the judging is... How well did the artist render their interpretation of the theme... overall appearance?
That is 2/3 of the voting on just the theme. The other 1/3 goes toward the level of skill the artist displayed in their creation. Therefore, being clear in your interpretation will be important since it isn't being narrowed down to a type as well as following it through with the visual of your creation showcasing the theme.
So, when voting for a theme, don't look for a specific type like fairies or mermaids or zombies... but look to the theme that challenges you and inspires you. If, like me, doing character type faeries are what you enjoy, then pick a theme and create the character that tells that theme/story. Don't create a character and shove it into a theme, hoping it fits. A theme should bring art to life. The themes listed in the polling for 2023 with the most votes will be the selected ones for our Juried Shows. Click here to go to the Polls.
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We have an upcoming Juried Show that will draw to close the year 2022. With this event I hope to share some of the changes and hopefully inspire the imagination with some new events planned for the 2023 year.
One of the first changes is reluctantly the statuette trophy will no longer be available. With the rising cost for product and shipping, this was no longer viable. So, for the 2022 Juried Show, the new awards will also apply as we move forward. What are they and what's 'new'? Let me tell you!
On the website is the page to our Events for 2023 that will make it also easier to refresh or review as we update the Events information that will be coming up.
One of the first changes is reluctantly the statuette trophy will no longer be available. With the rising cost for product and shipping, this was no longer viable. So, for the 2022 Juried Show, the new awards will also apply as we move forward. What are they and what's 'new'? Let me tell you!
On the website is the page to our Events for 2023 that will make it also easier to refresh or review as we update the Events information that will be coming up.
In the December 2022 newsletter I will send out some show theme ideas for you to vote on as I would like to offer two (2) Juried Shows each year for members only. The first show's deadline will be April 30th, 2023, (theme to be announced after the voting), and the second show's deadline will be August 31st, 2023. There will be four Best of Show award opportunities at each of these two shows. The categories will be Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Professional. When there are two or more entries for a category, then there will be the opportunity for awards. If there is only one entry for any given category, then by definition, no competition exists, and the entry moves to an Honorary Award. All award winners from each of the events will be posted on the IADR Award Winners page on the website also!
What the winners will receive is a choice of: (1) A physical Embossed Award Certificate only (which includes the cost of shipping) sent to them... or (2) A downloadable digital Award Certificate (suitable for framing) with a $75 (USD) cash award placed in a PayPal account... or (3) A downloadable digital Award Certificate with a $75 (USD) gift card at the online store of the winner's choice. Honorary Awards will receive a downloadable digital Award Certificate (suitable for framing) and the judges commentaries with scoring.
Then we will have our third big event for the year! This will be the Public Christmas Event with a deadline of October 1st, 2023. There will be no cash award for this event but that is all explained in an earlier blog (click here to read the blog) This event will be all about who will be the center point of the marketing event through the People's Choice selection. We are planning on expanding the voting pool by setting up a public voting link you can share with family, friends, and even your favorite cousin to encourage them to come vote for their favorite doll. This opportunity will give each entry more exposure if all of the membership will share the voting link! This will also expand the viewing and hopefully encourage those to come to the event. (And to our Judges - this will be an event you can join in as well since the judging on this event will be done by the People's Choice *smiling*). This event will be open to all mediums of dollmaking as long as it is a One-Of-A-Kind and the artist is a member of IADR.
Then to wrap up 2023 will be the final show which will be our End of Year Show. Now this is going to be a little different. This will be scheduled for a December 31st, 2023 deadline with the winners being announced in January, 2024. Since this is a juried show on an artist's accumulated work, the first requirement is that of the three (3) dolls an artist is submitting, one (1) of them has to have been in one of the three previous events announced for the year. Meaning that one of the three submitted dolls has to have been in either in the April show, the August show, or the Public Christmas Event. The other two (2) dolls to showcase the artist's work must have been made in the current year since this is hopefully a YEAR-end type of award. Also, if one of the artdolls is a new piece done for the End of Year award, it will be judged with the accumulated work as the End of Year Show will not have any Best of Show awards.
The End of Year Awards will be awarded in the categories of Best Artist of the Year, Best Doll of the Year, and Rising Star of the Year. Each category winner will receive a downloadable Certificate (suitable for framing) and a cash award of $150.00 (USD) to be placed in a PayPal account or as a Gift Certificate with a online store of the winner's choice. All award winners from each of the events will be posted on the IADR Award Winners page on the website also!
I hope to entice you to join in our events this coming year, but please keep in mind that anyone that enters these events will have the opportunity to have their submission receive the comments and suggestions from the judges. This is a valuable tool to help give the artist a different point of view to grow and learn. IADR is a group of artists who are here to help support and encourage each other to be the best we can be. These shows are just one way of doing that.
