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Back Road BearsI don't know about all of you who have considered entering a contest but I'm finding it absolutely impossible to do at the same time I finish up many fall bear shows and filling orders from shows and holiday requests in addition to christmas shopping, decorating, baking and entertaining. How am I supposed to make, photograph and come up with the money to enter my best work in a contest when life is at its busiest and most stressful time of the year???? Seriously! How do you all do it?
I've never entered a contest before. I'd like to now but there aren't enough hours in the day and if I add one more thing to my list I'll have a nervous break down!
From the emails and phone calls I'm getting from both TB&F and TBR seeking entries in their respective contests I'm guessing I'm not the only one finding it impossible. Though I'm sure timing is not the only reason. Do the holiday time deadlines keep you from entering..... or am I just extremely disorganized with a chronic case of procrastinitis?? :crackup:
If the entry deadlines were later in January would you be more apt to enter?
Plum Cottage BearsDaphne, I see your point. Having deadlines in January would make it much easier to enter. There are so many holiday and related deadlines and pressures near the end of the year.
The teddy bear industry basically up and DIES every year around mid to late summer time, as many of us have noticed -- and commented upon -- for years now. It's a dry time for sales which stings many an artist. I think that dry time might therefore be the best time, in terms of absence-of-other-stress, to get "special" pieces made, photographed, and submitted to contests. The holidays are particularly stressful, for sure, and it's hard to pull everything together as kids are taking finals, vacation days loom, shopping and decorating pressures build, and holiday visitors arrive. I agree with all that completely. I'm practically having a stroke even as I type. Too much to do!!! Aargh!!
On the other hand -- playing devil's advocate here -- the two US photo contests have had deadlines in December/early January for as long as I've been in this industry, so viewed from a certain perspective, we DO have 365 days from the last contest to prepare! It's not like they spring the deadlines on us in November, even if deadlines are finalized at that time.
Back on the first point, though -- un-playing devil's advocate 
-- if the case is, as it seems, that everyone waits until December to get moving on their entries, then the contest sponsors might be advised to look at the REALITY of the situation, rather than at the fact that we all know in advance when deadlines are looming.
Unfortunately for our stress levels, though, they are bound by the timing of certain shows -- IDEX, etc. -- where they historically announce first the nominations, and then, the winners. Plus, to my knowledge, both of these contest sponsors align bear events with similar doll contests whose calendars must for practical reasons be like the bear contest calendars.
Nothing is ever easy, is it? lol...
I'm not entering any contests again this year, because I took most of last year off and don't have any pieces I think are contest-worthy. Nothing more or less interesting than that.
Useless, eh? lol...
Back Road BearsShel - yes, I realize the deadlines have been at the same time since the beginning and I also understand the timing with announcements/shows/other contests. But then.... Christmas has been on the same day every year for... EVER... and look how many people are at the malls with just 2 days to go! Its human nature to wait 'til the last minute! And I think a lot of artists are even more likely to suffer from procrastinitis (I'm liking my made up word! LOL!) than left brain people.
I'm also thinking that with the changes happening within the teddy bear industry that in order to survive and thrive everyone has to be willing to make changes. If the mags are short on entries then maybe its time for a change. Online submissions and lowered entry fees are a great start but still... timing is everything!!
I've been emailing with TBR and have been told they will be extending the deadline to late January because a lot of artists struggle with the date! Yippee!!!
Are the holidays becoming more stressful with each passing year? Does it have to do with getting older or is the world becoming that much more stressful? Or is it just ME?? Could be!!!
Past Time BearsDaphne said: Are the holidays becoming more stressful with each passing year? Does it have to do with getting older or is the world becoming that much more stressful?
All of the above. Also (and these are my own reasons), this will be the second year in a row that I haven't entered any contests - and I started in 1999. The poor economy situation has hit us very hard, so anywhere we can cut expenses, we have and will. Plus, I don't believe I've made anything in the last couple of years that would could come close to competing with the creativity, imagination, and stunning work of current artists. I make rather plain bears that just sit or stand and that won't cut it in today's competitions.
I certainly understand that the magazines are trying to keep from folding and I sincerely hope they can stay afloat during these lean times. In the years that I entered contests for both US mags, I disliked the deadline dates as the holiday season is stressful enough without adding competition pressure. It's very time consuming to go through a whole year of photographs trying to decide which bears might be good enough to enter. Then there is all the paperwork (had to snail mail during those days). Even if one did manage to get everything taken care of by - say - October, what if you happened to make a great bear that would be a good entry after that? I definitely would be in favor of different deadlines for the contests.
HehHeh, Daphners, you make me smile. 
Hey, we're on the same side. I'm DROWNING this holiday season, more than ever before. Why is that? Maybe I'm just less equipped to handle things; entirely possible. Maybe things actually get harder. I dunno. All I know is you're so right; it's a tough, tough time to get something as important and persnickety as a contest application into gear at this time of year. Yer preaching to the choir, girlfriend! LaLaLa!
That's why I was saying, above, that if the REALITY is that artists really struggle with the December/January timeframe, and it seems to be the case this this is at least for some the reality of things, then it would be nice if the contest sponsors could work around that struggle and move the contest deadlines elsewhere. Not just for the artists' benefit, but for their own, too; they'd likely see increased participation, especially after word got out after year one.
I'm just concerned that the complicating factors -- with which I have zero personal experience, mind you; this is all guesswork and conjecture -- make it seem likely that this deadline shift, in a big way (like early summer, versus midwinter) would be very difficult. IDEX, co-existence beside the doll shows, and so on make it important for everything to fit together just so. Unless the sponsors are interested in entirely reinventing that wheel, I'm afraid it might be an uphill battle. I'm not trying to be a party pooper; just aiming for realism.
Sending you some soothing huggles and virtual chocolate for your stress. I'm making some warm chocolate chip cookies tonight, for mine, myself.
Newcastle, OntarioWell. it's 4:00 a.m. here and I'm sitting at the computer with a hot cuppa, trying to get my nose unplugged so I can go back to bed. I have my first official cold this winter (thanks to our germball grandson) and I now have croup. I get it every year.
Daphne, I for one would get down on bended knees, if the deadlines would change for the Toby and Golden contents. It's just to hard for me to get it together, with all the Xmas preparations and then adding a sick child and a horrible cold on top. I wish we could de-stress Xmas somewhat, but it's not possible in our house. A hubby who had two many Xmases in foster care and orphanages, is an "over the top man" to say the least. Add four family members working retail this Xmas managing huge stores, that are now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and all the prep falls on me. I'd be happy to just go to bed until New Years. Do you think they would look at a petition to change the dates? :crackup:
hugs,
Brenda
Daphne, I guess if you were able to be super-organised, you could take pictures throughout the year of what you feel are your best bears. Then, when competition time looms, you can spread out your photos and choose which ones to send. Fortunately, both the US comps allow you to send in pictures of bears that have already sold, so long as they were made in the current year. I have done this a few times and it certainly takes the stress out of the last minute dash for the the post to meet the deadlines... I won't be entering this year, however - like the rest of you, economies have to be made and competition entries are just not top of my list of priorities right now.
But I wish every success to those of you who do enter this year!! 
Hugs,
Christine
I like the end of year deadline, because as Chris suggests, it's a good time to review the year's portfolio of work and select the very best of it to enter. I usually aim to have my entries ready sometime in earlyish November. I don't always enter, but from time to time I do and this is my preferred way of going about it. I like to start each New Year with a sense of new beginnings, so as the year draws to a close, I think the comps are a great way to celebrate what I have achieved with my bear making during the past year.
The only thing I do find extremely frustrating is not being allowed to select bears from the full twelve calendar months of the year ... ie., I think it's the GT's which insist on designs from March 2008 onwards ... which is so annoying because many of my nicest bears have been created Jan to March 08!
Back Road BearsPaula - I know I speak for many when I say that your accute attention to detail and highly organized and disciplined business ethics are greatly envied! If I could only be half as affectively disciplined and organized as you are I'd get soooo much more accomplished. You are certainly an inspiration!
Christine - yes, taking photos throughout the year is certainly the right way to do it! Very efficient!
Brenda - I do hope you feel better soon and can understand your hubby being over the top about Christmas though I can see how exhausting it can be for you!
Ellen - you are right.... I need to take a dose of my own medicine! Thank you for reminding me!!! Hope the shingles pain goes away very soon!
Sue Ann - :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Its official:
I received an email from Melissa Radies this morning confirming the date!
Its not summer but its a start!! LOL!
Newcastle, OntarioDaphne,
YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for that bit of good news Who knows - I might even make it this year :crackup: !
PS I am also green with envy at Paula's discipline and organization. Now, if she could bottle and sell those two skills, she would be a billionaire and could retire from bearmaking! :clap:
hugs,
Brenda
I can never enter for that reason Daphne. I get myself sooooo stressed out this time of year I don't even try anymore. If I was organized I would have my entries done in the summer.... but I am working on my shows then. It just gets to be too much. I have entered once, probably 10 years ago now..lol. I had to decide what was more important... my sanity or entering a contest. I would still LOVE to have the time to enter.
I really don't know how people do it either... work, bears, pets... and people who have kids.. I would crack. 
Hugs,
Melanie
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsThe only thing I do find extremely frustrating is not being allowed to select bears from the full twelve calendar months of the year ... ie., I think it's the GT's which insist on designs from March 2008 onwards ... which is so annoying because many of my nicest bears have been created Jan to March 08!
I was bummed about that too! But it actually reads "introduced after March 1, 2008" so I was able to use two of my favorite bears which I designed in late February because I'm not so effecient about getting them on the website right away! I still think the whole year should count, though.
Daphne, I was better about documenting my bears with photos this year although I still only just now (as in moments ago) sent my entries in! (How come I didn't get that email?) See how much good it did me? Once a procrastinator always a procrastinator! 
Actually I had one more bear to photograph. This is my first year ever entering multiple bears.
Ah Tami, glad it worked out okay for you! My bears are created especially for the Hugglets show which is at the end of Feb, so no such luck for me. I only do two 'real' shows a year and work really hard to create good bears for the show, so it's really frustrating having one set of show bears taken out of the competition equation ... grrrrr!!!!
q.D.paToOtieSJust my opinion but I've always disliked the deadlines for both being around the holidays. Especially now since I have kids, it's hard for me to find time to "squeeze" out a few award winning pieces - LOL!
Also, I totally think the rules should be changed and should be more a mixture of the other award programs out there. There should be a "Masters" class where people who have been nominated in a particular category previously should be required to enter. Also a hobbyist class would be nice (there used to be one when I first started) to encourage people to pursue the art of bearmaking. Finally, the pieces should be sent in for a second panel of judges and all votes should be weighted (the nominating judges, the observing judges who see the piece in person, and the public who votes) to determine the winner.
This is all just in my humble opinion though and I don't mean to ruffle any feathers with it especially at Christmas...
Holly Jolly!
