IGCA Competition

CANDLE CLASS CATEGORIES

A. Basic Candles (see Competition Rules #8)

• Plain paraffin or any vegetable wax
• No Scent
• No Coatings
• No Glaze
• No Decorations

Additives to enhance hardness and burning qualities allowed
Plain beeswax or sheets and polymer (gel) wax where applicable
Beeswax candles must contain a minimum of 51% Beeswax
Pillar type candles should be placed on a candle plate provided by exhibitor

Class 1 Candle Made in Metal Mold

Class 2 Candle Made in Rubber Mold

Class 3 Candle Made in Plastic or Acrylic Mold

Class 4 Hand Dipped Tapers (Paraffin, Vegetable Wax OR Beeswax)

Class 5 Molded Tapers (Paraffin, Vegetable Wax OR Beeswax)

Class 6 Sheet Rolled Beeswax Candle

Class 7 Molded Beeswax Candle (Not a Taper)

Class 8 Cut & Curl (There must be one highly contrasting color layer between two layers of white colored wax; the core will be uncolored paraffin wax.

Class 9 Gel in a Container - In a CLEAR GLASS CONTAINER. No color, scent, bubbles or embedment (Clear Gel only). Container must be at least 2 inches in diameter.

Class 10 Free Standing Polymer Gel (no support)
No color, fragrance, bubbles or embedment. Clear GEL only

B. Miscellaneous Styles
May be decorated

Class 11 Sand Cast Candles

Class 12 Candles Made in Hand Formed Molded (not Sand Cast) e.g. Aluminum Foil

Class 13 Free Form & Water Sculpture

Class 14 Decorated Tapers (Molded or Dipped)

Class 15 Floating (Paraffin, Vegetable Wax or Beeswax) Candles

Class 16 Floating Polymer (Gel) Candles
Designed to float and burn on water, competitor must supply water holding container.

Class 17 Container Candles (Paraffin, Vegetable Wax or Beeswax)

Class 18 Container Polymer (gel) Candles
Use of embedment, color, bubbles, glitter, etc. to create a scene or pleasing effect in the GEL inside the container Clear resins, acrylics or materials other than Gel are NOT ACCEPTABLE

Class 19 LOIS TOLLEFSEN AWARD ENTRY
Any style employing a new technique in candle making. (Ribbons are NOT awarded for this class.) A similar entry may be placed in any of the other classes for ribbon competition.

C. Decorated Molded Candles

Class 20 Hurricane Candles (shell must be wax)

Class 21 Internally Decorated Paraffin, Vegetable Wax or Beeswax (NOT an Alcove or Hurricane Style) Decoration must be embedded in the candle.

Class 22 Internally Decorated Polymer (Gel) Candle
FREE STANDING. Use of embedment, color, bubbles, glitter, etc. to create a scene or pleasing effect. Candles MUST be capable of standing free and retain the shape of it¹s mold (i.e. No sagging, leaning, bulging, etc.). Fragrance is NOT a factor in judging.

Class 23 External Decorated

Class 24 Hand Carved
Machine Carved (e.g. Lathe)

Class 25 Lifting
Pinching

D. Other Classes

Class 26 Novelty Candles (2 required)
Refer to "Criteria for Judging" prior to preparing these candles.
Maximum height is 4 inches, diameter 4 inches.

Class 27 Any Article Made of Wax (not a candle)
i.e. Wall Plaques, Statuettes, etc.

Class 28 Pomanders (Smelly Jelly)
Made of any Polymer (GEL), but with more scent or fragrant material such as coffee beans, and NO WICK. In this category, fragrance is a major judging factor. All other factors except the burn apply in this classification.

Class 29 Candles in Arrangements.
Refer to "Criteria For Judging" prior to preparing this entry.

Class 30 Polymer (GEL) Candles in Arrangements
Refer to "Criteria For Judging" prior to preparing this entry.

Class 31 Wedding & Anniversary Candles

Class 32 Special Occasion Candles (including gel)
i.e. Holiday, Birthday, Graduation, etc. (Other than Class 30)

Class 33 Flowers or other material arrangements with Candles.
This class allows for entries emphasizing a medium other than candles as the main theme, but with candle(s) as an enhancement factor.

Class 34 Scented Votive
This category requires a candle of scented wax - color optional - that will fit into a conventional votive glass manufactured for that purpose. THE VOTIVE GLASS MUST ACCOMPANY THE CANDLE
The candle must be loose and removable from the glass.
The candle may be made of any wax formula desired (polymer, GEL, is not allowed) and the wick must be anchored at the bottom by a wick tab.

The votive candle will be of a size as recognized in the industry as being approximately 10 to 15 hour votive.

A "T-LITE" will not be accepted as a votive

A votive candle will not be accepted as a container candle for purposes of competition.

A votive used as the light in a hurricane candle will NOT qualify as a votive under this classification.

The fragrance as well as other criteria used in the judging of candles will apply.

COMPETITION RULES

No member of the Competition Committee, Judging Committee or their immediate family members may enter candles in competition.

NO PREVIOUSLY BURNED CANDLES WILL BE ALLOWED IN COMPETITION

1. Paraffin, Vegetable Wax and Beeswax Candles will be burned for 1hour.

2. Polymer (GEL) candles will be burned for 2 hours. The longer burn time in this category is because of the small flame and slow burn characteristics. It must be burned for two (2) hours to access the burn qualities.

3. A competitor may enter only ONE candle in each class.

4. Competition candles must be made by the competitor, a member in good standing with the IGCA.

5. There must be nothing on competition candles which would identify the maker e.g. trademarks, photos, business stickers, etc.

6. The same type of candle, i.e. Hurricane, Cut & Curl, Taper may be entered in NOT more than two (2) separate classes. The basic candles are not counted for this rule.

7. An entry previously in IGCA competition is not eligible for competition again.

8. ANY VOTIVE used in a competition candle must be made by the competitor.

9. The bottom of a competition candle must be filled and level. This included Cut & Curl. The only exception is when an entry is made to stand in a specially designed holder (i.e. taper candles in ³U² shapes, etc. and in such case the holder must accompany the entry).

10. A candle (or entry) will never be critically judged for lack of glaze. If glaze is used it becomes a factor in judging. Glaze may NOT be used in classes 1 thru 10.

11. Competitors will NOT approach a judge PRIOR to competition concerning any facet of judging. Such action could compromise the anonymity and fairness of the judging procedure. This could be cause enough to disqualify the competitor, the entry or the judge. INQUIRIES ARE TO BE DIRECTED TO THE COMPETITION OR JUDGING CHAIRPERSONS.

12. Judges are NOT to be approached by a competitor to discuss or qualify decisions AFTER scores are finalized. Contact the Competition Chairman who will refer you to the appropriate Judge. Arguments with, or criticism of a Judge not be tolerated. The question to the Judge should be something like this, "How could I have done better?" and allow the Judge to explain.

13. A competitor may withdraw any entry from competition PRIOR to the start of judging by notifying the Competition Chairperson in writing.

14. Factors affecting disqualification of an entry:

1. Entered in wrong class
2. Any label, trademark, or other mark that identifies the competitor
3. Any breach of Rule # 11 above
4. Any breach of Rule # 12 above
5. Refusal to sign or breach of, the affirmation referred to in (15) below.

15. A competitor must have completed the Class Number and Candle Description columns on both of the attached Competitor¹s Entry Forms along with their name. One will be handed to the Competition Chairperson at time of entering candles, the second copy will be retained by the competitor for their recording of placings.

16. A competitor is required to sign an affirmation that every wax or Gel part of the competition entry was made by the Competitor. One signature will pertain to all entries by the Competitor.

E.G. I herby certify that every entry submitted for IGCA Competition by (name) was made by the undersigned.
_______________________________
(Signature)

SCORING

1. Judges will score each entry on an individual score sheet allowing a possible 100 points for a perfect score.

Award ribbons will be designated as follows:

2. The total ribbon values will be the criteria used to establish entrants in
competition (NOT SCORE SHEET TOTALS)

3. If there is a tie for "Best of Class", the tie will be broken by reexamination of the entry as designated by the Judging Chairperson (Score sheet totals may be considered here.)

4. If there is a tie for ³Candle Artisan of the Year², the tie will be broken by reexamination of the 'ribboned' entries of the tied competitors in a manner designated by the Judging Chairperson.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING ENTRIES FOR COMPETITION

In many classes, the identification of the class explains it all e.g. Candle Made in a Rubber mold. Other classes, however raise questions, particularly by new competitors, regarding details of construction and some of the things judges look at.

1. No entry should have embedded dirt. Embedded dirt can cost up to 15 point taking a candle out of ribbon contention. Competition wax should be filtered to offset this possibility and the finished product sealed in a clean plastic bag so it doesn¹t pick up dirt in storage or transit.

2. The competitor must have PERSONALLY done all aspects of their candle: wicked the mold, poured the mold, done any dipping, carving and/or decorating, glazed and cleaned the candle. A competition candle MAY NOT be a group or team effort.

3. TAPERS except where specifically indicated to the contrary (e.g. externally decorated, Cut & Curl) a taper candle must have an even gradual taper from top to bottom with no projections, indentations, etc. It must be round or square in cross-sections anywhere along its length, fit in a standard 7/8 or 3/4 inch taper candle holder, and must be, in the basic class, at least 10 inches in length.

4. Rolled beeswax taper ­ firmness of roll, seamline worked in, and straight good burning qualities.

5. Rolled beeswax cylinders ­ as for tapers ­ uniform diameter top to bottom, except where it may fit into a holder.

6. Votives ­ must be made by the competitor. Does NOT have to conform to the shape of the cup. It will be judged mainly for its surface appearance and burning qualities. The top edge of the cup should be level with the top surface of the candle it is set into unless specifically designed otherwise (e.g. Hurricane, etc.)

7. (A) Tube and Spring inserts ­ Same rules apply as for votives. The insert will be be judged as to how well it harmonizes with and fits into the candle tube. The candle will be judged for its burning qualities only.

(B) OIL LAMP INSERTS are not allowed in competition.

8. NOVELTY CANDLES ­ 2 IDENTICAL ones are required, one for judging burning qualities and one to evaluate other characteristics.

*N.B. ­ a "NOVELTY" is a small manufactured article or trinket, made mainly for decoration or dominant. Maximum height 4 inches, diameter 4 inches.

9. Bottom of entries must be full and level, with no covering. The wick may extend to bottom and may be visible.

10. HURRICANES ­ thickness of wall is not a factor as long as it is consistent, but rather, how it looks when burning. Generally speaking, the thinner the wall, the better the glow.

1. smoothness of walls
2. evenness of walls
3. evenness of top and bottom unless specifically and obviously designed otherwise
4. how well the votive burns
5. votive ­ if attached must be centered

11. SAND CAST

1. wax penetration
2. appearance of outer surface and top
3. burning qualities
4. must NOT burn into sand layer

12. CONTAINER CANDLES ­ Paraffin, Vegetable Wax or beeswax

­ must be poured in the container
­ the container is a factor, but not a major one
­ visual wax surfaces are judged
­ top surface level, centered wick, good burning qualities
­ a votive IS NOT a container candle for the purpose of competition

13. CONTAINER CANDLES ­ Polymer (GEL)
(A) In Basic #9 Category ­ In a CLEAR glass container. No color, scent,
bubbles, or embedments (Clear Gel only). Container must be at least 2 inches in diameter. The Gel line in the container must be level.

(B) In Category #17 ­ Use of embedments, color, bubbles, glitter, etc. to create a scene or pleasing effect in the GEL inside the container. This includes "nested" containers, where the inside container holds the GEL to be burned (the candle) and the GEL in the outside container, which holds the embedments, etc. Clear resins, acrylics, or materials other than GEL are NOT ACCEPTABLE. (Fragrance is NOT a factor in judging.)

14. CUT AND CURL, also known as "Ribbon" and "Dip and Carve". Basic Class #8 is designed to test the expertise of competitors without the benefit of decoration.

Factors to be considered are:
­ degree of difficulty
­ harmony of design
­ continuity
­ evenness of cuts
­ drooping ­ unless intentional
­ layer separation
­ blending
­ burning quality
­ evenness of color layers

Competitors may enter this style in two (2) other classes, where, in addition to those noted, other factors concerning decoration and the message portrayed by the Special Occasion Candle, are considered.

15. CANDLES IN ARRANGEMENTS
75% of the arrangement must be candles and wax. Only 25% of the construction may be other forms of decoration such as cloth, flowers, grasses, etc. which may be used to enhance the arrangement. a major consideration is that decorations must not constitute a fire hazard by igniting as the candles burn. The candles, of course, will be judged on their burning qualities. Harmony and beauty of arrangements are important factors.

16. SCENTED VOTIVES
All the general factors looked for in judging candles apply to scented votives but, because of the inclusion of essential oils, additional factors are looked at such as color dispersion, the liquid wax pool, the separation of oil from the wax, mottling and pitting.

17. CARVED CANDLES
There is a distinction between ³cut -n- curl¹ and Œcarved¹. The designation of carved means taking a prepared block of wax and cutting or chiseling something recognizable out of it much as a sculptor would carve or chisel a statue out of a block of granite.

18. FREE STANDING POLYMER (GEL) CANDLE
Class #22 Candle must be capable of standing free and retain the shape of its mold. There should be not sagging, leaning, bulging, seamlines, etc. The use of embedments, color, bubbles, glitter, to create a scene of pleasing effect is allowed. However, flammable inserts such as botanicals, plastics, etc. which will create a hazard if placed near the wick will receive a reduction in points. Fragrance is not a factor in judging except where it causes cloudiness in the Gel and points will be deducted for this.

19. ALL POLYMER GEL CANDLES EXCEPT CLASS #28
Wax coated wicks may cause cloudiness when the wax melts and also may create bubbles around the wick. Treating the wick before use may eliminate some of these problems. Because of the high burning temperature of Gel, untabbed, low neck wicks are not acceptable in Gel candles. The neck should be at least 9mm or the candle will be disqualified.

SPECIAL AWARDS

CANDLE ARTISAN OF THE YEAR
1. Must enter at least 5 of the 10 Basic Classes and win a ribbon in at least 4 of the classes and earn a minimum of 60 points.

2. Must accumulate the highest total number of points awarded by the Judges, based on ribbon values, i.e.

­ 1 extra point ­ Best of Class
­ 5 points ­ Blue Ribbon
­ 3 points ­ Red Ribbon
­ 1 point ­ White Ribbon

3. A minimum of 60 points is required to qualify for Candle Artisan Of The Year, out of a possible 198 points. If this minimum is not achieved, there will be no award that year. (This rule forces a minimum level of expertise for this prestigious award).

JUDGES CHOICE AWARD
This ENTRY is chosen by the judges from the blue ribbon winner, to be the most exemplary example of the art. This will include Classes #26 and #27.

MEMBERS CHOICE AWARD
This ENTRY is chosen by the votes (one per member) of the IGCA members in good standing at the Convention. ONLY COMPETITION ENTRIES are eligible. This includes classes #26 and #27.

LOIS TOLLEFSEN AWARD
Entries for this award will be entered in Class 18. Entrant must furnish a card along with the candle stating ³NEW TECHNIQUE² with a brief explanation of the method thereon.

This candle IS NOT burned. It is judged solely for its new technique.

This is subject to publication in The Candlelighter. The entrant will also be required to demonstrate the technique as determined by the Competition Chairperson. Demonstration is a requirement set by the donor of the award and the final decision is left to the judges in consultation with consultants they choose.