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Wild Thyme OriginalsOh my... let me tell you... it gets harder and harder every year to do this!!!!! Not only do the bears and friends just get better and better... but as I get to know so many of the nominees in such a friendly way... it's hard to set aside my personal feelings for the individuals, and just try to vote for my favorite BEARS!
So.. just a heads up for my non-subscribing friends out there... be on the lookout when it hits the newstands, so YOU can vote too!
AHHHH... off to mail it out before I change my mind. I've never had such a hard time choosing as THIS year! I can't even bein to imagine the time Mindy & the staff must have had!
My fingers are crossed for EVERYONE! :pray: 
Kim Basta
Wild THyme Originals
Chowlea BearsExcuse my ignorance - but who carries the voting forms? Is it available in the UK? Os it on-line?
Sandra :redface:
I haven't received my issue yet! But I think voting will be very hard!
Sandra,
The voting is in Teddy Bear and Friends magazine. It's an American mag. The ballots are in the magazines. I don't know if you can vote online.
Lisa, you're hysterical!! 
What's even more hysterical is that I can imagine the whole thing as I was reading it!!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
I don't have my issue yet either but am eagerly anticipating a first look at all the nominees. Thanks for the headsup and Lisa, for the cute racing story, which I read in another thread.
Past Time BearsLisa - the race is a hoot! You are really a delightful storyteller, among all your other wonderful talents! What a very creative imagination you have, girly!! Totally awesome!
LuxembearsI sure can scan the pages and post them here Lisa. I have just went to look for my magazine as I had it by the phone yesterday. I had my daughter clean upthe kitchen area last night so she must have put it some where. I'll have to wait unitl she gets home from school. Then I will scan them.
Dolls N DreamsMe too, such cuties to choose from.
I put mine in the mail yesterday.
Good luck to those who are entered!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Blood is boiling here... Judi, I noted your bear's limbs chopped off. And several other infractions. I get so PO'd here because TB&F is such a stickler for their rules, but they don't follow them!
Plain colored backgrounds? Many types 'overlooked'.
ONLY 4" width & 6" height format pics submitted? That counts out a lot of bears that look better in a horizontal format, especially in light of the fact that this year's nominees' pics have been cropped to all different sizes..... so a 6" wide x 4" high would have fit perfectly. What's with this???
I'm about to throw in the towel on participating. Too many of us follow the rules, and then these things show up....
Sorry to vent publicly Mindy, I know everyone dumps it in your lap, and a lot of things do change over the years to accommodate eveyone's wishes, but I think there has to be a basic respect for the rules as you set them up, especially by the judges & photo editors at TB&F.
Past Time BearsThere is another problem with this issue of TB&F - although maybe not as crucial. The label on my mag covered up the date of the issue and I wanted to make sure it was the June one, so looked on the table of contents page. It said March/April 2006. OOPS! I was totally confused then, so tore the label off and it did say June on the cover. I know things are in a slump in all aspects of the bear business, but I really wish the TOBY photos in the mag could have been a little larger and of better quality. Maybe next year.
Gosh, I still don't have my copy! We here in California are the last to get ours, both subscribers, and bookshops. I hope it comes soon. I feel very much in the dark!
I don't remember the rules in their entirety, and am too disorganized (moving furniture around -- again!) to go and look for them right now.
But while I DO remember the "plain background" rule, I remember, too, I think, that no props were allowed UNLESS they are accessories which would be sold along with the bear/bud.
In other words, you can't just create a "scene" using a bunch of creative props for, say, the undressed categories, or the dressed categories, unless those items are actually part of, and sold with, the bear.
Judi, does that explain any of what you saw any better?
I havne't seen but a few of the nominees (mostly those posted here at TT earlier this year) but it occurs to me that if you were to create, say, a chef bear -- and if there IS one of those in the nominee list, I'm NOT talking about you!!! -- you would likely give it a hat, and an apron, and maybe a kitchen towel at the waist, and a cookie tray under its arm, and a tiny eggbeater, etc. Which would, technically, be considered props. Or maybe you'd want to sell it with a tiny vintage doll stove. If it comes with the bear, I'd think it's fair game as part of the nominee photo/entry piece. But maybe I understood this differently than everyone else. ??? This is the way I interpreted the rules when I photographed my own entries, for both the TOBY and Golden Teddy competitions.
My interpretation was:
If it's sold with the critter, it goes in the photo. My pig piece comes with a harp and her own "cloud" to stand on, so those accessories, as well as her costuming and halo and wings, were IN.
And...
If it's not sold with the critter, it does NOT go in the photo. For that reason, I did NOT include the "pearly gates" I had originally envisioned as part of the background when I first imagineered this piece in my mind's eye.
I didn't enter any vignette categories so the idea of otherwise investing time in "scene building" or background setups wasn't factored into the equation for me this year. What to include, and what not to include, seemed pretty clear. Maybe we need clearer rules so it can't be open to even this little bit of interpretation.
???
Anyhoos... Can't wait to check it out for myself. However the nominated pieces are depicted, I'm sure they're just dazzling, and I'm excited to get a view of them -- finally! -- for myself.
Apple Dumpling DesignsShelli,
I got mine today so you should have yours tomorrow I would think since we are both on the same side of the country and I live in a teeny tiny itty bitty town. I, of course, know absolutely nothing about the rules but I agree that the photos are dark and it is difficult to see some of the bears very well...very unfortunate for all who were nominated.
Shantell
I found this at the TB&F website in the ARCHIVE sections. It's a .pdf file and is part of the 2006 TOBY call for entries. There's more, of course, but this is all I could find that addressed either *plain backdrops* or *props/accessories* in the TOBY rules for 2006.
23. Entries should be photographed against a plain, flat, solid colored
background. The bear/"friend" must be the main
focus of the photograph; for this reason, we recommend not
draping background fabrics to form designs and not using
outdoor or faux outdoor setting. Do not include in the photo
anything that is not regularly sold with the entry.
I also remember a comment about "no props" more specifically, tho; maybe it was for the GT's???
Mmm, yeah, found it in the GOLDEN TEDDY guidelines for 2006.
Among other things, the rules read:
"Dressed bears must be costumed by the maker. A bear is considered dressed if it APPEARS to be fully dressed (even if the costume is made as part of the bear) or if the bear is accessorized. Accessories are decorative objects contributing to costume or character and must be attached to the bear/animal. Props, which are items used to create a scene, may be used only in the TABLEAUX category."
According to these rules, (apparently) I inadvertently made a boo boo in including that big ol' puff of polyfil cloud in the photos for my GT entry (but not my TOBY entry) because, while the cloud IS sold with the piece, it's not technically ATTACHED to the piece, like the wings and halo are.
But then, open for interpretation, would be the pig's harp. Which is attached, in the sense that her little porcine paw is sticking thru the harp strings, so she's "holding" it ... but it's definitely also REMOVABLE.
So is that "officially, technically" attached, and legitimate ... or not???
Here's a pic of my entry photo just to illustrate what I'm talking about for those who haven't seen it yet.
Good thing I didn't get a Golden Teddy nomination!!! Wow! Talk about a silver lining!!! And there's that cloud reference again!
Laughing here...
I'm sure the magazines/sponsors do their level best to make things as clear as possible but that, inevitably, people sometimes interpret things differently. I havne't seen the nominated TOBY pieces so I don't know how egregious their departure from the rules may be. I hope not too egregious. I hope it was just a case of a grey area, and the committee deciding IN vs. OUT on an individual case basis.
In any case, it bears remembering for the future, as apparently I made an error in this myself which, this time, didn't trip me up, because I'm a big ol' empty handed Golden Teddy loser in 2006 (not really, but I love a pity party as much as the next un-nominated bearmaker.) For next time: READ THE RULES CLOSELY, Shel! And make note of what's different between contests!
I hope this clears some things up for you all. It sure did for me!
I got my copy today too. I have to say that, I too, was disappointed in the photo quality and size. Let this be a lesson. Notice that the pictures that show up best are on a grey, white or light colored background. It will be interesting to see how the vote shakes out with this in mind. Hmmmm. Although next years pictures could all be too light with those color backgrounds. Perhaps it's a matter to be taken up with the printing company. ???
It's really a shame for everyone involved though. My personal opinion is that the pictures should be larger. That way if they run dark in printing you can at least see the faces and details better.
That's my three and a half cents worth!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
LuxembearsOkay, Here are five pages of the TOBY nomineses. These are the photos that will be the sole basis for voting by the public 
Here's what my entries looked like that I sent in:
There are a few more pages but these ar all the artist nominees.
.
I haven't received my subscription copy yet ... I'll just have to be patient I guess! I'm looking forward to seeing all the bears and want to wish everyone who has been nominated, the very best of luck as they wait for the outcome of this prestigious competition. :clap: :clap: :clap:
I was saddened to read that the photographic entries have not been done justice in the magazine ballot pages. In the past I've entered competitions in the UK where I've been disappointed with the way everyone's work has been displayed and as a result, have not entered competitions since.
I think it's heartbreaking after all the hours and hours of hard work and dedication each artist puts into their entry, for them to be let down in the way their work is presented to the public. These competitive designers put themselves out on a limb to work towards securing the future of teddy bear art and their work should be showcased with respect and admiration.
LuxembearsOh well...either way..it is still a huge honor....and for that I am very thankful.
Wild Thyme OriginalsJudi....
You and everyone else who entered the TOBY'S and the Golden Teddy... first of all, you should be SO proud of yourselves for entering.... it takes time, courage, and faith in yourself just to enter!
And to garner an Industry Choice award.... I do hope that all of you just walk on air for at least the next year!!!!!!!
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
It's so hard to tell what these photos look like based on the tiny scans on my monitor. I'll be delighted to see them in person when my copy of the voting issue arrives.
In the meantime, I agree with Kim, and I'm still absolutely floating about my TOBY nomination this year. In fact, I'm still floating about my GT one last year. I'm pretty sure both "floats" will stay with me forever!
Looks to me like there are some absolutely fabulous pieces in the mix, and some by artists I'm not familiar with, which is always exciting; I love discovering new and interesting work! Now I'm even more excited to see the new issue!
Judi, your work is beautiful no matter how dark or small it may appear in print. :hug: :hug: :hug:
Good luck to everyone that's been nominated!
And may I say, too, that I've noticed the great sensitivity people here at TT have shown, by recognizing that there are a number of TTer's who have been nominated and are "competing against" one another across several of the categories. It's obvious to me that you've realized that public comparison, or posts stating, "I voted for YOU, so-and-so!", might result in hurt feelings. That kind of soul-deep kindness is appreciated by me and, I'm sure, by every other nominee on the list. Thank you.
LuxembearsAnd may I say, too, that I've noticed the great sensitivity people here at TT have shown, by recognizing that there are a number of TTer's who have been nominated and are "competing against" one another across several of the categories. It's obvious to me that you've realized that public comparison, or posts stating, "I voted for YOU, so-and-so!", might result in hurt feelings. That kind of soul-deep kindness is appreciated by me and, I'm sure, by every other nominee on the list. Thank you.
I couldn't agree more :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
I also hope that everyone will carry thier "float", as Shelli said, forever.
Past Time BearsOh, I agree completely! The excitement of getting that call to say you've been nominated is totally thrilling and I get goosebumps just thinking about it. I feel so honored because there is a world of talented people out there who enter these contests. Good luck to all of you - because you all deserve to be honored!
I've just filled out my ballot and have to agree with you gals here........the photos were represented terribly. So hard to see anything! I found myself holding the page up to my face and squinting trying to get a better look. Very disappointing! I also had a very, very, very difficult time voting this year! So many wonderful pieces ! Very tough to decide!!
I want to wish all the TT'ers nominated the best of luck in this leg of the competition!! YOU ROCK!!!
:hug:
Tracy
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I was saddened to read that the photographic entries have not been done justice in the magazine ballot pages.
It's been a 'trend' for a number of years. A number of years ago I was a featured artist in TB&F. It was a Spring issue and I was asked for about 18 bears in pretty pastel colors. I sent in 15 or so and realized that what I'd been seeing for a few years was the photo/editing style of Pammi Shirk. All of my bears had a 'vintage' (nor quite Sepia but heading in that direction) look, which did not suit the style of my work then.
If that 'mood-setting' lighting enhances the style then it complements; otherwise it just looks muddy. I've looked at every issue since then and they are decidedly in the darker, more muted tones. I've seen you gals' work and know how different they look in person!
But, as we submitted our own photos it's in the photo editing process. Even my production printer prints darker than shows on the computer monitor.....so I know the adjustments to make in photoshop. You think they'd have figured that out somewhere along the process.
LuxembearsI think it is really pretty simple: Present the photos as submitted.
Ya think? 
