Competition Guidelines and Categories

INTERNATIONAL DOLL MAKERS ASSOCIATION

COMPETITION

RULES AND GENERAL INFORMATION

The goal of this competition is to provide an educational experience.  The awarding of ribbons, trophies and pins is a visual example of the excellence attained by the individual entrant. The critiques given by the Judges, verbally or in writing, are meant to be tools for the growth of the entrant in doll making.   Not withstanding . . .THE DECISION OF THE JUDGES IS FINAL!

The following rules apply to ALL entries:

1.           Doll Competition entry fees:  $10 per doll.

2.           You MUST be a current/paid member of IDMA to enter competition.

3.           All dolls entered must be 36” in height or less.

4.           All dolls MUST be on sturdy stands.

5.           All dolls must be incised with entrants’ name and year of completion on back of neck.   Name must be covered with opaque tape. Cloth dolls must be marked with permanent ink on head or body.  It is recommended entries be a recent work of the entrant to receive an accurate assessment of workmanship.

6.           All entries into competition are warranted by entrant to be solely and exclusively the entrant’s own work.  Dolls made in seminars/workshops or from purchased kits will not be accepted for judging.

7.           The entrant must designate whether he/she is a PROFESSIONAL (one that teaches doll making and/or makes finished dolls for sale) or a NON-PROFESSIONAL (one who makes dolls as a hobby).

8.           IDMA will not be responsible for damage to dolls. Every effort will be made towards the safe keeping of the dolls entered. IDMA competition personnel will be in the room during opening hours and will provide a secured room.

9.           Each entry will be judged on its own merit. If no other dolls are entered in the category, the sole entry MUST receive 95 points or more to receive a Rosette.

10.         Best of Category Winners will be eligible to compete for TOP AWARD in categories specified.

11.         Any entry considered to be a copyright infringement will be declared ineligible for entry.

12.         If you think there is a TABULATION error on the judging sheet, NOTIFY THE COMPETITION

CHAIRPERSON IMMEDIATELY.

13.         You may ask for permission to reposition your doll when the Competition Room is open, ONLY after judging is completed.  Please speak to Competition Chair before handling your doll.

14.         It is preferred that the entrant make all clothing. When the entrant does not make all the clothing, the entrant must closely supervise the design, choice of fabric and color.  Clothes and accessories must be finished according to the rules of competition. If someone else does your costume, you MUST give credit to the seamstress (Costume Artist). Their name MUST appear on the competition form.

15.         When competing in TOP AWARDS (Jewel Awards), you may enter dolls in more than one category.  After winning a Rosette in a reproduction category, the antique doll entered in the next level of competition must have cut eyes with appropriate glass eyes.  A modern doll can have cut eyes with appropriate glass eyes or painted eyes using advanced eye painting techniques.

16.         If there are one or more entries in a TOP AWARD and neither entry gets 95 points, award will not be given. First, second and third place ribbons will be given per score achieved.

17.         When a Non-Professional wins a Rosette, they will be eligible to compete for TOP AWARDS. When competing for Top Awards, there will be NO DISTINCTION made between Non-Professional and/or Professional.

18.         Critique sheets will be distributed at a time designated by the Competition Chairperson.

19.         Any scheduled Judge’s Panels, or time with the Judges, will be scheduled and announced by the Competition Chairperson.

20.         Competition Chairperson will remove the identification tag from the closed bags and place beside the entry to identify the owner

21.         Top Awards ribbons (i.e., Pearl, Silver, Ruby, etc.) will be placed by winner’s entry at the time designated by Competition Chairperson.  President’s Choice, People’s Choice, My Favorite Doll, Judge’s Choice and any other awards will be announced at the Closing Night Banquet.

AWARD CRITERIA

The criteria for obtaining Awards and Ribbons on the doll that you have entered into competition are listed below.  All entries will be judged on a 100-point count system.

                                           90-100 points                 Blue Ribbon

                                           80 – 89 points                 Red Ribbon

                                           70 – 79 points                 White Ribbon

Best of Category Rosette is awarded to the entry receiving the highest points in a category – minimum of 95 points.  Best of category recipient may enter the Jewel Award Categories.

ENTERING COMPETITION

Entrants should provide a photo of the doll used as reference when creating entry doll if possible.

Entry must include on a 3×5 card who costumed the doll if not made by entrant and should include any information the entrant feels the judges should be aware of, i.e. made shoes, made wig, made accessories, etc.  Please do not put name of entrant on card).

You will be asked to sign an affidavit that the entrant made the doll and did not make it in a seminar, workshop or class.  (It may be fired and/or poured by someone else).

CATEGORIES

ANTIQUE REPRODUCTION

1.           Antique Reproduction Babies

2.           French

3.           German

4.           Lady Doll

5.           All Bisque dolls

MODERN REPRODUCTION

              6.           Modern Babies

              7.           Glass Eyes Modern Dolls

              8.           Painted Eye Modern Dolls

REPRODUCTION WITH A FLAIR

              9.           Reproduction with a Flair

              When entering this category you can use any doll as a canvas upon which you can express your original and creative ideas. Greenware should not be altered to achieve this purpose.  Best Category winner will go to Topaz Category.

COSTUMING AND ACCESSORIES

              10.         Costuming and Accessories made Exclusively by entrant

              Work entered in this category must be EXCLUSIVELY the work of the entrant.  Costume does not have to be displayed on a doll. If displayed on a doll, the doll WILL NOT BE JUDGED. Accessories may be entered by themselves.     

DECORATIVE ARTS

              11.         Decorative Arts

              Figurines, Half Dolls, Doll House Dolls, boxes, eggs, brooches, masks, ornaments, marottes, lace draping, Jack- in-a-Box, shoes and more.  Main part of the item must be porcelain and china painted. Accessories and decorations may be glued on. 

CHINA AND PARIANS

              12.         China and Parians (Glazed or unglazed Porcelain)

REBORN DOLLS

              13.         Reborn Dolls

              For the purpose of definition and clarification, it is logical to say that a REBORN doll is one that has        been completely disassembled or a doll kit that has been colored for realism, hair rooted (preferably micro-rooted, weighted, stuffed, [re]assembled with vinyl or cloth body.  If the doll has not been disassembled then it could be defined as a CUSTOMIZED doll.    A reborn must achieve a high standard of realism, or it is not a reborn.

PORCELAIN ORIGINAL DOLLS

14.         Porcelain Original Dolls

One of a kind – direct sculpture, not cast from mold; limited edition – cast from exhibitor artist’s      original prototype and molds

OVEN CURED – LOW FIRE POLYMER CLAYS (includes but not limited to Sculpey, FIMO, Cernit)

              15.         Polymer Clay Original Doll

One of a kind – direct sculpture not cast from a mold; limited edition – cast from exhibitor artist’s original prototype and molds.

CLOTH

16.         Cloth Original Doll

17.         Cloth Doll Made from Pattern or Adapted from Pattern

The following specifications will apply to both 16 and 17:

Baby, child, adult, male, female, or pairs tableau

Primitive

Play or pose-able, un-armatured dolls

Mask type or face of fabric pressed over hand sculpted original face

May or may not be armatured

Armature or fixed figure

Needle-sculpted

PAPER

18.         Paper/Paperclay Original Doll

              Celluclay, paper clay, Das, Ladoll, or similar, or artist’s own formula; other, such as Japanese three-dimensional figures.

OTHER

19.         Other Original Doll

              Resin dolls made from artist’s own mold

              Hand carved wood

              Wax

              Wax over porcelain, composition or synthetic clay (where wax surface is painted or rendered)

              Composition – latex or commercially available product

              Composition – artist’s formula

              Ceramic/China

DOLLS IN SETTINGS – PAIRS – GROUPS – TABLEAU – ANY MEDIA

20.         Dolls in Scenes

MINIATURES UNDER 6.5” – ONE INCH TO ONE FOOT SCALE

21.         Miniature Doll – under 7”

DESIGNER’S CHALLENGE

              22.         Designers Challenge “Artist’s Interpretation of Convention Theme” – these may be chosen to reflect a particular interest of the show such as a season of the year or geographic region. Possibilities might be Santa or St. Nicholas, Peddler dolls, American West, celebrities, literary or the likes.

 “MY FAVORITE DOLL”

              23.         My Favorite Doll – The doll has to have been made by the entrant. There will be no official judging by our IDMA judges. The convention delegates will vote on their favorite. There is no date limit as to when the doll was made nor does the doll have to be incised.  Most of the work should be done by the entrant or a doll made in a seminar may be entered.  A doll that has been in competition before may be entered. A trophy will be awarded to the doll with the most cast votes.

JEWEL AWARDS – For those previously winning a Best in Category Rosette.

When entering the Jewel Awards, the entrant must also score 95 points or more to receive the named Jewel Award (i.e. Silver Award, Pearl Award etc.)  Only one person, scoring highest point count above 95 points, would receive the top award of each category.  Ribbons will be awarded on the regular point count level, i.e. first, second, third place ribbons.

SILVER–For Original Artists Categories that have won Best of Category Rosettes.

PEARL – For a Best of Category Rosette winner in the Antique Reproduction Category.

SAPPHIRE – For a Best of Category Rosette winner in Costuming. 

AMETHYST– For a Best of Category Rosette winner in Modern Reproduction or Reborn Doll Category.

TOPAZ – You must be a Rosette winner in Decorative Arts Category.

TOP JEWEL AWARDS

GOLD DIAMOND– Must be a Silver Award Winner and this is for Original Doll Category.

EMERALD – Must be a Pearl Award Winner and this is for Antique Reproduction Category.

RUBY – Must be a Sapphire Award Winner and this is for Costuming Category.

AQUAMARINE – Must be an Amethyst Award Winner and this is for a Modern Reproduction artist or Reborn Doll.

ONYX – Must be a Topaz Award Winner to and this is for a Flair Entry.

GARNETT – Must be a Jade Award Winner and this is for the Decorative Art Category.

HIGHEST JEWEL AWARDS

CRYSTAL – It is for anyone who has won the top awards and is no longer eligible to compete.  Anyone who has ever won one of the top awards (Gold Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, Aquamarine, or Onyx) is eligible to compete for the Crystal Award.  There is not a time limitation.  Enter as many times as you like with as many entries as you like. Your entry may be a doll, or accessories, or a costume from any category and not necessarily from the same category in which you won your top award.  Any and all entries in this category with 95 or more points will win a Crystal Award.  Judging will be kept at the highest level with the highest standards. This category will not be for the “faint of heart”. You must be able to handle a very intense critique.  It will not be easy to win a crystal. But when you do, you will know without a doubt, that your entry has met the highest possible standards of doll competition and you should display your award proudly.

SPECIAL AWARDS AND PINS

LELIA PIN – This pin is awarded to a doll artist for winning their first “First Place Ribbon” in competition

JUDGES’ CHOICE – This Rosette is given to the entry voted as the Judges’ favorite entry in the competition.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE – This Rosette is chosen by the members that view the competition exhibit as their favorite entry.  A ballot is given to each member so that they can vote and a trophy is awarded.

PRESIDENT’S CHOICE – This award is chosen by the presiding President as their favorite choice from all entries in competition.

MY FAVORITE DOLL – A ballot is given to each member so that they can vote and a trophy is awarded.

Revised December 2009

January 2022