Q. So I want to enter The Softie Awards, but do I have to send you the actual softie?
A. No. Just upload a photo of your softie to The Softie Awards flickr group. See How to Enter post for more information.
Q. What are the judges looking for?
A. Creative concepts, imagination, cute or not, an original vision...fun softies, sweet softies, cool softies, weird softies.
Q. What could I win?
A. The official Softie Awards ribbon! Plus a great prize! And the recognition of your peers!
Q. Can I enter several sofites?
A. You can enter as many softies as you wish but you cannot enter the same softie in two different categories. See Award Categories for more information.
Q. What if I don't have a flickr account, can I still enter?
A. Consider opening a flickr account - it's easy and free. If you really can't, email me a jpeg of your softie. My email is: softiescentral@yahoo.com.
Q. How will I be notified if I win?
A. I'll email you so be sure your email is listed on your flickr profile or there's a link to your blog (assuming there is an 'email me' button on your blog of course).
Q. I'm not sure what category to enter - what should I do?
A. If you've read through the descriptions in the Award Categories section and you're still not sure...maybe your softie belongs in the wildcard category.
Q. I made my softie by hand myself, but I used/adapted someone else's pattern - can I still enter The Softie Awards?
A. No sorry. The Softie Awards are for original designs so although your adaptation may look different, it's not eligible even if it's really cute. We're on the honor system here so please be fair to others and only submit original designs.
Q. When you say 'handmade', does that mean sewn by hand only?
A. Nope, machine-sewn, knitted, crocheted softies are all fine.
Q. Will there be an actual Award ceremony? Should I buy a party dress?
A. Um...no ceremony this year. :-)
Q. Who's behind The Softie Awards and why did you set this up?
A. I'm Therese Laskey, the author of the blog Softies Central (www.softiescentral.typepad.com), and a big fan of all the artists from Austraila to Israel and everywhere inbetween whose original designs make me smile everyday. I hope The Softie Awards brings extra recognition to softie makers around the world. Plus it's fun!
If I still haven't answered your question, feel free to email me at softiescentral@yahoo.com
