All of the entries on this page are considered contenders. This means that they could have ranked in the top three but for minor shortcomings, as outlined below. For those of you interested in Placing top three in the future, read carefully; you will find clues as to what earns attention and favor from the judging committee.

1) Cat & Pumpkin, by Bill and Jeanie Kaufman. Very nice execution and technical skill, but perhaps a bit too sterile and overly thematic.

2) Buckwheat, by Eric and Gyselle. Cool use of stick hair, funny face. Its still missing SOMETHING though in terms of being a true winner and also borders on being politically incorrect.

3) Grumpy Old Man, by Milke and Lauren Blumenfeld. Cool use of textures (mottled pumpkin) and other veggies (flaming cucumber nose) but nose would not stay lit.

4) Silly Face, by Sharon Radell. Very cute and well executed. Silly and basic is OK when emotion/expression is successfully communicated.

5) Not Original Entry, by Gay Shapiro. Again we see a cool emotion built from a basic but well executed design. The title is from the contestant, so don't ask the judges to explain.

6) We Have Assumed Control, by Sandor Urban. Another good idea but needed more development and better execution. A tip for the future; arrive on time and you shouldn't have to rush through the carving.