General Finishes 2016 Design Challenge Categories and Prizes

This years contest features thousands of dollars of prizes! 

This year's contest entries will be accepted between Monday, July 4-25. GF will post a link to the entry page on July 4th. Voting begins Tuesday, July 26 and winners will be announced the first week in August.

Enter to win amazing prizes in any of our 5 exciting contest category themes. This year's popular-vote contest is THE CINDERELLA STORY in which entrants must provide a before-and-after image of a dramatic transformation. The other 4 categories will be judged by industry professionals as merit awards. Two additional best-staged awards will be offered.

You may enter all categories with multiple unique entries but may not submit a project in multiple categories. For example, you can submit 4 pieces of furniture in the Professionals category, but you cannot submit any of those in another category.

Category Themes:

1. CABINETRY - Kitchens, baths etc. (Merit award)

2. CREATIVE - Decoupage, transfers, hand painted, stenciling, embossing, and metallic combos (Merit award)

3. PROFESSIONALS UPCYCLED FURNITURE: Retail stores, active finishing professionals and finishing teachers (Merit award)

4. DIY UPCYCLED FURNITURE - Active DIY; no formal resale business (Merit award)

5. THE CINDERELLA STORY is this years Popular-Vote Award.

In Cinderella's story, a sweet scullery maid with a tragic past was magically and dramatically transformed by her fairy godmother into a dazzling beauty that would one day become queen. Cinderella's tale inspires us to believe that anything is possible with faith and a little bit of magic! We know that somewhere, a once-loved treasure lies in shambles, dreaming of the day it will be beautiful again.  In this contest category, we challenge YOU to be a fairy godmother! Drag that worn and weathered project out of hiding and transform it into a masterpiece! Work your magic! We cant wait to be wow'ed. A few changes we would qualify as a "dramatic transformation:"

-Water and/or heat damage

-Missing or broken drawers

-Cracked or chipped sections of wood

Judging: The Cinderella Story contest category will be judged by a popular vote. Anyone who visits the contest page will have the ability to vote for their favorite before and after picture.

Submission Requirements: Combine before and after picture submissions into one graphic. Please remember that presentation and a quality photograph matters! Project submissions must be refinished using at least one General Finishes product, and a description of the General Finishes products used must be included with your graphic.

GF is advocating a fair playing field. Votes for the CINDERELLA STORY category should be based on the entrant's execution of the project and the natural following of their friends. General Finishes will not accept entries where votes are promoted in exchange for compensation of any kind.

The contest is open to U.S., Canada and mainland United Kingdom/Mainland Ireland.

Any manufacturers' products are welcome as long as ONE General Finishes product is included in the design. (We believe there is room for a variety of beautiful paints and finishes in the marketplace.) Entrants will be asked to provide a photo of their project and list the products and colors used.

FIRST PRIZE FOR ALL 5 CATEGORIES - choice of one of the following:

1.   GF 2016 Flippin' Furniture Expo Oct 30-Nov 1 in Chicago: expo ticket, hotel room for 2 nights and dinner-event.
2.  Two cases GF product in quarts (Pearl Effects/NEW Stain Blocker limited to 2 cans)
3. (Either choice will also receive a gift box containing Scrubby Soap, $70 E-gift certificate from D. Lawless Hardware, Bloxygen, assorted products from EZE solutions, and a signed copy of "Furniture Makes the Room" by Barb Blair)

SECOND PRIZE FOR ALL 5 CATEGORIES - choice of one of the following:

1.  Wagner Home Decor Sprayer
2.  One case GF product in quarts - (Pearl Effects/NEW Stain Blocker limited to 1 can each)

• (Either choice will also receive a gift box containing Scrubby Soap, Bloxygen, SnotTape, assorted products from EZE solutions)

THIRD PRIZE FOR ALL 5 CATEGORIES

One case of GF products in pints- (Pearl Effects/NEW Stain Blocker limited to 1 can each) and a gift box containing, Bloxygen, SnotTape, assorted products from EZE-Solutions)

BEST STAGING PRIZES (for the most beautifully photographed and accessorized images)

2 winners will be selected by the GF team to receive a gift box of assorted products. Judging will be based on size of image, beauty of the image, quality of lighting, and accessories. Merit will be given to images that are at least 1000 pixels wide - the standard for most social medial channels. Boxes to include: Assorted bristle brushes, Bloxygen, stencils, SnotTape and more to come!

EUROPEAN PRIZES

Due to shipping costs, prizes can only awarded in Mainland UK and Mainland Ireland. 

Learn more about our generous sponsors here: https://generalfinishes.com/content/general-finishes-2016-contest/prizes-and-sponsors

Meet the judges for the 2016 Design Challenge!

GF appreciates the following 15 talented artists and entrepreneurs who have graciously agreed to judge the merit contest for 2016 launching July 4th! 

Rachel Gingold - Artistic Home Studio 
Nicole Genz - Rescued Furnishings 
Cait Whitson - Carte Blanche Decorative Painters 
Susan Bowles - Harvest Moon Hill Prims and More 
Cassie Bustamante - Primitive & Proper 
Andrea Mihalik - Wild Chairy 
Cindy Roe Blackenburg - Edith & Evelyn Vintage 
Suzanne Elisabeth Bagheri - The Painted Drawer Collection 
Heather Akers - Artis~Hands Studio 
Kathy Schultz Wear - Artistic Finishes by Kathy 
Connie Loftice Bowman - Angels and Cowboys 
Jennifer Weber Ferguson - Artistic Painting Studio 
Patricia Folts - Adornment 
Cortney Brooke - Heirloom Court  
April L. Hallwood - Hallwood Studio

Learn more about our judging panel here: https://generalfinishes.com/content/general-finishes-2015-contest/judges/list