Crafting CONTEST: And the winners are..... 21-05

Sorry it took a while guys but this was possibly the hardest choice i've had to make as a judge EVER! (and kinda wrote an announcement before but DA ate it -_-')

Making a selection, and then narrowing the top 5 entries down to three really pulled at my heartstrings and my co-judge and friend wolfie1998 felt exactly the same about it. Each participant sent in an amazing entry that a lot of time and effort has been put into so in order to even make a selection we had to be very strict and look at every little detail. (I hate being a nitpicking critique lol). We judged each person on the followin qualities:

Does it fit the theme Animals/creatures 
The winning crafts have to be related to the theme somehow. Sound logical enough, right?

Originality
If there's anything I love about being creative , it's the endless possibilities and different styles that one can create. Not one entry will look the same. I've given the contestants of this contest a lot of artistic freedom to go all out and get a taste of what one's mind can think up in a mere few months. Some even worked with a medium that they're not as practiced with.

Resourcefulness
In the rules of this contest I mentioned that every contestant had a chance to ask me one question. Some made good use of this by asking me simple but effective questions such as: "What is your favorite animal, what is is your favorite color, what do you collect?". Some also took some time to stalk my favorite folder, which is a clever and resourceful way to find out more about what I like. 

Overall skill
Although everyone had an impressive entry, some showed more skill than the other. We looked at how well each entry was made. 

Personal preference
Is it something i'd like and fits my personal preferences? Part of the resourcefulness I mentioned earlier can really help you score on this. My interests vary greatly so this might've actually been quite difficult for some. However, most of you made something that definitely suited my preferences in some way or another. 

Votes
Because I knew the choice would difficult, I let the audience vote and help me make the final decision. I want to thank everyone who voted! Even the majority of participants were being a good sport by voting for a fellow contestant!


Eventually, after going over each craft countless times, there were three entries that really stood out for us, scoring the highest of all.

So without further delay:  THE WINNERS ARE:





# 3RD PLACE goes to  Finished or not,  the moment I laid eyes on this sculpture it stood out for me and my eyes kept drifting toward it. The pose is very creative, elegant and dynamic, plus it just looks very skillfully made. The feather detail is very impressive. Even if the sculpt isn't finished or colored, my co-judge and I decided this winged fox was finished enough to judge properly and totally deserves to rank in the top 3.



 

# 2ND PLACE goes to 
Various people have made an art doll of some kind for this contest but out of all of them, this was my favorite one! I can tell a lot of work went into it. I love how fluffy and soft the little wolf looks, the fur that's been used and all the little accessories and colorful accents it has that gives it an extra touch. The participant definitely kept blue as my favorite color in mind when making this. Thanks to the  originality, resourcefulness and skill put into this little doll it deserves a well-deserved second place.


And finally *drum roll*