We have a WINNER!!!!

[jules92207]

I hear ya newbie. If I hadn't also made 230 cookies this weekend for a friend to give as gifts I would probably try another batch. Obsessed much?!

 

[DWinMadison]

I've got to quit while I'm ahead-ish. I'm entering what I have. Grand opening for a new hospital on Thursday then need to build a doll bed for my niece on Saturday. Christmas is closing in fast!

 

[CaraBou]

Oh, sorry to have mislead ya'll... I'll enter the contest after what newbie said in post 79. I have some decent soaps but they just aren't stunning like I think they should be for this competition. For one thing, they're not a new twist on an old technique, which I think would really help differentiate things. But I just never got a clear vision of how to stand out. That's the way it goes sometimes, but I still had fun!

 

[newbie]

Oh my, the red and green chopstick peacock swirled soap is something. There is no text to go with the soap, which is too bad. I would like to know what they used for scent and for the red. That one will be hard to beat.

 

[newbie]

I was looking through that person's album and she photoshopped the colors in her submitted picture. She shows the bar in a different picture and it's not anywhere near as colorful and she shows a close up but from a drastic angle and there isn't that sort of coloring in that picture either. I think the design looks good but to alter the colors so drastically in the picture (she has two photo shopped pics in the album) isn't kosher, for a contest, or at least that's my gut reaction.

How did this get ahead of lionprincess' reply? I read it before I posted this. This is time stamped an hour before I posted it!

 

[JustBeachy]

I thought about leaving a comment but as someone who is going to enter a soap into the same contest, that just feels wrong. I can't do it. I feel like a snitch but I did email Amy Warden asking if there is a rule about photoshopping an entry. I think that person's soap would look beautiful as is because the fanning effect is very good but I must say that I wouldn't vote for an altered picture.

I agree it wouldn't look right for you to post a public comment. Hopefully the email will catch someones attention.

 

[lionprincess00]

I was going to say something, but was too intimidated to speak :shock:

I just made my final, and will choose when I cut which to submit. They aren't winners, but having made my first soap only in August, I won't complain about not being perfect lol. I am curious about this final one. My youngest decided to wake up and start screaming at me. I had to hold her, let the soap set up real thick, put her down and man she made me pay for that! Hanging onto my leg in my soapy area :sick: I proceeded to swirl without thought and very messily/quickly. Who knows. Probably a muddy mess. If so, I'll just submit my third. My dad gave me a gift, a soap cutter! Wire would've been nice and quick, but it's a slicing guillotine which is MUCH better than my feable prior attempts.

 

[lionprincess00]

Cray zay man! Beachy just made a thread about this!
Yeah, hopefully people click each pic and double check the info ya know???

 

[JustBeachy]

I was looking through that person's album and she photoshopped the colors in her submitted picture. She shows the bar in a different picture and it's not anywhere near as colorful and she shows a close up but from a drastic angle and there isn't that sort of coloring in that picture either. I think the design looks good but to alter the colors so drastically in the picture (she has two photo shopped pics in the album) isn't kosher, for a contest, or at least that's my gut reaction.

How did this get ahead of lionprincess' reply? I read it before I posted this.

There's gotta be some rules about photo shopping the pics. That's just wrong on so many levels. Can people who didn't enter the contest post comments? Maybe I could post something subtle, like..."Wow, the swirl is pretty good, but that's a fantastic job on the photo shopping!"

 

[Soap Techniques]

I was looking through that person's album and she photoshopped the colors in her submitted picture. She shows the bar in a different picture and it's not anywhere near as colorful and she shows a close up but from a drastic angle and there isn't that sort of coloring in that picture either.

Hmmm... :-?

 

[newbie]

I thought about leaving a comment but as someone who is going to enter a soap into the same contest, that just feels wrong. I can't do it. I feel like a snitch but I did email Amy Warden asking if there is a rule about photoshopping an entry. I think that person's soap would look beautiful as is because the fanning effect is very good but I must say that I wouldn't vote for an altered picture.

 

[lionprincess00]

Agree newb, 100%

 

[jules92207]

I am just not feeling it. I am not an aesthetic soaper usually so my soap just looks ridiculous in this line up. And if people are photoshoping too, forget it. I am so out.

Can't wait to vote though!

 

[lionprincess00]

Wait! It's become obvious to me, many still pictures on the submissions may auto correct. Now I've had aqua do this funky thing, like, morph to royal blue. auto correct helps tremendously in this scenario. So there's a fine line between accurate coloring and manipulative coloring...keep that in mind. Look at what you've accomplished and see if it's feasible, or a blatant lie. There's some lovely ones that have popped up. They're rich and envy inducing....but if I've learned anything this far, if these awesome soapers corrected colors manipulative like on all pictures, then they wouldn't be busted...yet would be guilty. And I bet many would be guilty if we truly knew, you know?Just be smart. If I had an aqua pic photoing royal blue (photoing, lol yup....all me there!), and I could correct it more adequately, I would.

But then again, I'd ask you lovely peeps first lol.

Seriously I would.

And I hope this batch cures well enough to cut, post pics to the blog, and submit in time :-/ otherwise I'm going to struggle to post it in within the deadline (or batch 3 curing now) depending....I. am
Stressing. So silly isn't it haha?!?!

 

[lionprincess00]

Thx for the like beachy, I was exhausted last night and had this idea about color help and color manipulation, and rereading couldn't tell if my point conveyed properly lol. Nice pics popping up.
Notice the poor quality on all the pictures on the vote area? You really need a good platform and multiple photos to showcase it well, I think (like on your blog or fb of etc).

 

[jules92207]

Well I got over my insecurities and posted mine finally. I know it's pretty simple but this was fun and I am glad I challenged myself.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement!

 

[CaraBou]

Awesome jules ~ good luck! I haven't linked or written anything for mine yet but hopefully will do so tomorrow before I run out of time!

I agree it is a fine line between reasonably compensating for poor photo quality and artificially enhancing a soaps natural look -- especially when the soap is not in hand for judges to compare. I also agree the cover photo is probably a bit over the edge. It almost looks like it was colored with crayon. The bar should have been allowed to shine on it's own, even if duller, because it demonstrates the technique's potential without supersaturating (or contrasting, or whatever) the colors. While it is the cover photo (which sets the first and possibly only impression), at least there were other photos in the album, and jurors have more pics to go by if they chose to look more closely. The nice patterns and washed out colors are easier to see when the pics are viewed collectively. It actually gives me hope because my best soap is too washed out for my taste -- maybe others will be more forgiving!

When I first learned GCSW Challenge is judged by photos and not in hand, I was surprised. The potential for photoshopping was one reason, but there were others too (is it a one bar fluke? Does the scent match the soap? Does it lather? Does it zap??). However, I also see merits in the system selected (many potential jurors, peer jurors, less pressure on Amy, no need to mail soaps). So I am not critical of how it is set up, which makes me more accepting of the potential for minor photographic adjustments. It is, after all, just a friendly competition. I had to keep reminding myself of that with every batch I made , but it is something to keep in perspective!

 

[jules92207]

Great points, Carabou.

One of my biggest frustrations, and the reason for my previous comment that I wasn't going to even post one, was the challenge of even getting a decent picture. It was so frustrating! I know my colors are a bit muted and my swirls aren't anything spectacular, but at least once I got a decent picture taken I felt a lot better about putting it out there.

I only had a few natural colorants to work with so I don't fault myself for not having "the one", I am just happy I went for it anyway.

Can't wait to see yours!!!

 

[Sonya-m]

Can we see the entries anywhere or is it only entrants that can see? I know we can't vote but just want to look

 

[coffeetime]

Can we see the entries anywhere or is it only entrants that can see? I know we can't vote but just want to look

I tried but I'm pretty sure you have to be registered. But they will post the entries for all to see after the winners are announced.