Exciting New Contest Starts Today!

Since things have been rather dormant for the past month, I thought I would spice things up with a new contest. While previous competitions around here have been fairly simple things (name a doll, etc.), this one will be more challenging and exciting.

The prize:

From top to bottom: MyAG 59 and 60, Meatloaf the dog, the Mix and Match set (complete with the purse and sunglasses), the Tropical Bloom outfit, the Purple Peacock pajamas, the Talent Show set, the basketball set, the science lab, the Stackable Lunch set, the breakfast set, the locker, and the snack cart. The winner will get this, fully colored, as a PDF via email. 

To enter this contest, you need to design and create your own paper doll collection. Think of the way American Girl creates its historical and Girl of the Year characters. Your doll and items can be based on actual items, but don't replicate real doll things in paper form. For example, don't draw Saige and her collection and enter that. The doll and its things don't have to be modern, but keep a consistent theme - don't put a space suit and Regency dress together in one collection. The more complex and detailed the collection is, the better!

This contest is open to anyone, and each participant is limited to one entry. The entry should include:

1. Your inspiration. This can be a Polyvore set, a sketch, a scanned image, or whatever works for you. Write out exactly what you're planning to create, the more precisely the better.

2. A paper doll. This can be any size, and can be based on an actual doll or person, but it doesn't have to be. Just don't make it an exact replica - for example, a paper doll version of Ellowyne Dark Days would not be accepted, but a paper doll with Dark Days' hair, Gilded Gloom's eyes, and Grand Despair's hairstyle would be fine. You can also create a doll based on a book character.

3. 3 outfits with a central theme, such as steampunk or Colonial period wear. Get really creative here! Again, don't copy something exactly, but go beyond and make it better. Describe your outfits in a few sentences - would they be silky or heavy? What would they feel like? Would they be loose or skin-tight? Anything goes!

4. Accessories. Make a few items that really show the doll's personality.  They don't have to be big and extravagant, but they should be items that the character might use or interact with every day. They also don't have to be inanimate - pets are fine, as long as you create some other items too. 

5. A backstory. Describe your character - is s/he cautious? Daring? Telepathic? What is their talent, and what do they want most? What is their biggest fear? Write a few sentences about your character, and make sure that the collection makes sense in the context of the backstory. 

6. An email address that I can reach you at, so I can send you the prize if you win. 

Send in these items as photographs (the more realistic and well-taken, the better) and text. All entries will be featured as guest posts on Paper Doll World. For those of you with blogs, consider this a shout-out for your site.  I'll judge the items on creativity and artistic merit. If you want to be a guest judge, let me know, but you can't be both a judge and a contestant. 

The deadline for the entries is July 31. Good luck, and have fun!