Some of my favorite non-finalists

Running the Softie Awards was fun, especially getting to see all the wonderful, creative softies. But with over 2500 entries, some of my favorites didn't make it into the top 5.

So over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to feature some of the non-finalist, but fabulous toys that I think deserve some extra face time! If you want to pick ONE of your favorites from the 2500 on the flickr group that didn't make the finals, include a link in the Comments and tell me why you like it - and I'll try and feature it in an upcoming post. Please suggest one other than your own. :-)

From the Functional category:

This is an animal jigsaw puzzle - a kangaroo with her joey, a koala, wombat, penguin, chick, platypus and echidna (that's a spiny anteater), emu and possum.

 

And here are all the pieces and the 'board' they fit together on. Isn't this a great idea?! It's by Little Miss Scruffy.

This is a simple amigurumi, but I love the green hair and the photo set up...like he works at Home Depot. Let's give him a big hand for taking time off to enter the Softie Awards...by kpwerker

Well this is amazing....these steaks glow governed by an 'arduino board running pulse with moderation software'....or so says the creator Bekathwia. I don't know how that works, but I think this is a very cool mash up of softie + technology. Entered in the Food category.

This designer was a Softie Award Winner with a long-legged bird, but I also love this guy - Humpty Dumpty by abbyjane. He was entered in the Wilcard category.

As you can see, this is a really simply bear pattern, but the detail is what makes him so special - the look in his face is so wistful and I love the body fabric and the tinsel around his muzzle - I haven't seen tinsel used much like this and a little unexpected sparkle is always nice...by Sweet Pea Illustrations.

What are your favorite non-finalists? Please feel free to leave a comment.

Comments

[Kim]

Hey, thanks for including Dylan in your list! That crafty bugger simply lurves Home Depot.

[cruststation]

I love the animal jigsaw!

[Maritza]

I'm surprised this one by gnip was not one of the top 5 for amigurumi:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnip/149098336/in/pool-69953377@N00/
I also like this one by sweetnellie:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30257398@N00/283905528/in/pool-69953377@N00/
And Franz the Bavarian Goat by Thistletown is another one of my favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thistletown/349360778/in/pool-69953377@N00/

[teresa]

wow, there are soooo many entries!! here are a few i love:

herzensart doll no. 12 - Rosi
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20754337@N00/418983879/
big red bird
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38236840@N00/369497371/
Joshua the Sock Giraffe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28232617@N00/404709501/
Mr. & Mrs. Cactus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anapaulaoli/390200624/

those judges had such a huge task!!

p.s. you might want to allow html, i tried to clean up my comment by linking to the images, but it told me i couldn't...

[Alicia Kachmar]

I LOVE the animal jigsaw puzzle too! I also liked the cubular pincushion http://flickr.com/photos/missmeshell/248937624/ and the amigurumi nintendo mushroom http://flickr.com/photos/t0fugurl/201130953/

[hilde]

And another favorite of mine was the halloween haunted house of Bella Dia: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bella_dia/284398372/
I just don't understand how this one didn't make it to the finalists!(although all the finalists were great too!) it is just too beautiful to see! it's like watching a movie, all those little details!

[hilde]

my favorite were the pigeons from tigertea: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigertea/274134307/ it seems a very simple pattern, but the idea is great! I love the use of the fabric, the ribbons, the buttons, AND the fact that they are with many sitting there, as if they were real!

[miss scruffy]

Thanks for the kind words. The Softie Awards were lots of fun and I'll be definitely entering again next year!