2014: You Lose Some…
Hello losers! And I mean that in the nicest possible way – because after all, it’s the taking part that counts, right? I might have shared 2014’s winning entries with you last week – but there are a bunch of losing entries from last year that I’m proud of, so I’d like to share them too! I have so much fun with this hobby that I never get too disappointed if I don’t win – and of course, some of the photos can be recycled and used for other comps too!
A big thanks to all of you who have commented and emailed about your fabulous and fun creative wins from last year – there’s still time to get in touch, and you could win yourself a £50 Amazon voucher by doing so. Check the details on my You Win Some… post.
Losing it…
In January Currys PC World wanted to know how you used technology to keep fit for their #TechGym comp – you had to enter with a six second video using the Vine app. It took me ages to do this – but no luck with a prize!
Ryland and I constructed a Fairytale Castle in an attempt to win a trip to Disneyand Paris…
And although my Diablo Dog didn’t win a BBQ, it sure was a tasty lunch!
In June the Sun Mousse wanted to see photos of how we kept ourselves from burning in the sun – Ryland took this daft #DodgeTheLobster photo on Brighton Beach!
I’m not much good at baking, but had a go at a #cupcakeselfie for the Country Life cupcake challenge… any excuse to get the superhero fancy dress box out!
Do you remember the World Cup? I was sure that I’d bag a prize with one of our selfies, but no luck with any of the comps! Still – it was lots of fun to do (and may well be recyclable for another England competition!)
Carpetright ran a great photo comp where you had to share your #WeirdestPlaceToSleep. I carted my mum’s duvet down to their local beach in Porthcawl for this shot, much to Ryland’s embarrassment!
M&S ran a couple of #CookStyleSnap competitions to win £1000 vouchers – the winners were chosen at random, and although I didn’t win with my Japanese beef photo, they did share it a lot on Facebook!
I loved the #OpenRoadEssentials competition from Enterprise Car Rental on Instagram, and put some effort in even though it was a random winner. I really enjoyed setting this up!
In August, bloggers could win prizes from AXA by posting photos of their #BusinessPyjamas – here’s a photo that budding photographer Ryland took of me hard at work at my desk…
Despite taking me hours to set up, my ‘festive duo’ themed shot didn’t win me any prizes with Costa Coffee…
Sadly our beautiful toilet roll art didn’t bag us the year’s supply of loo rolls from Andy Loos I was hoping for!
Finally, there’s one thing I couldn’t possibly leave out – losing on Ejector Seat. Here’s the moment I was booted off the show!
…and that was it for my 2014. How about you? Did you spend hours – or even days – on a competition entry that flopped? Share your grumbles below and we can comfort each other!
Don’t forget to enter my prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher – details on my 2014 wins post…
You look fab in them all !
These look fab. What a shame they weren’t winners
I wish I could enthuse my son about comping as well as you enthuse Ryland – please share your tips!
Some fab entries that I assumed were winners for you at the time Di, can’t quite believe you didn’t get more wins, especially the England ones! It just shows that you have to keep trying & you never quite know what the judges are looking for. I think my first two pics were for Paym themes, a jump one that I happened to be in Paris for, I’m determined that will win one day, took me ages! The second was a surf theme, probably my most embarrassing (and cold) but it did make me braver in my entries. My horse head has showed up many times but yet to win – including my husband running around the park for a Covonia video! Last but not least Max’s castle for the same Disneyland Paris comp Ryland entered. He has had a nice few wins though – and encouraged me to be more creative with him. You’ve definitely converted my family to creative comps this year! x
Ha! I love these – horses head is so random!
Like it’s owner 😉
If that Louvre one doesn’t win you something – and more than once! – I will hang up my comping hat!!!
Aw thanks hun, def in for a little recycling, ahem.. I won the trip there with a 9 year old picture so it’s never too late!
Here are a few of my creative ones that didn’t win for me this year . . . had a little sulk and bigged myself up with the other successful ones I won lovely prizes this year. Onwards and upwards for 2015! Good luck everyone!
These are fab, the bottom one must have taken forever (and a few tins!)
Thanks, I actually really love doing stuff like this and my three year old always tries to help. He played with the bean man for ages afterwards! Only probably is I always put too much effort into random draws because I get carried away!
It’s never a waste if you enjoy it, and sometimes I wonder how completely random some draws are, no harm trying if you really want to win 😉
These are wonderful, love the spaghetti letters!
Thanks, it was a tots100 comp and you had to use Heinz Alphabetti to spell out a book quote. It was great fun!
Great photos – at least if you don’t win, you still have fun (and some fun photos to look through). I’m starting to keep a file of my photos (winners and losers – strangely it’s never my fav pics that win!).
I think the countrylife winning entry is shown here on their t and c’s page: http://www.countrylifechallenge.co.uk/terms-and-conditions
I think it is brilliant how you celebrate the ones that didn’t win by showcasing them like this and inspiring others with the entries. Our biggest ‘failure’ last year was blogging non-stop for 6 weeks as Nectar savvy family finalists and not winning. The runner up prize was so naff that in one way it felt like a waste of time, yet in another way I was really proud of what we achieved because we were able to share tons of savings advice and lots of people found it really useful. I’m sure there have been loads of others that I spent hours (even weeks sometimes) on an entry and they don’t win but I try to put them out my mind so I don’t dwell on it.
Loved the castle and the loo roll one also the duvet on the beach. Love the cupcake pic but thought mine was rather good as well !! LOL It was me who sent for the winners’ list. Sometimes very hard to loose when you have put a lot of effort in but here’s to 2015!
Some brilliant entries there, I honestly thought you had the cupcake one on the bag! Like you, I had no luck with M&S #cookstylesnap ( I entered both the Steak & vegan challenges) despite having my photos promoted too. Was lucky on the Costa coffee comp though, well I say me, it was it was my husband & daughter Darcey who won the Festive duo with the 2 elves, Darcey made the gingerbread house & trees & David styled & took the photo ( I was busy doing a VAT return! )
Nice work on Costa – so nice to get the family involved in comping too! Best of luck for 2015 Lisa!
Thanks Di , the best of Luck to you too, lets hope we see lots more creative comps coming our way in 2015.
My kids did the gingerbread house, it came out so badly I’ve taken a pic to use for future 😀
Wow some brilliant entries, I love the castle and I remember seeing your World Cup shots and thinking they were like works of art, can’t believe you didn’t win anything with them – a bit like England at the world cup, total anticlimax!
I’d love to take Ry to see England play at Wembley, so I’m hoping a suitable comp comes up so I can use the photos again – you never know!
As said, can’t understand how these DIDN’T win!! Love the toilet art i am going to do one for my bathroom!
It could be a work in progress – leave some glue and scissors in there! 😀
Di, if you didn’t win with these, then I think I’ll give up now!! I think they’re all brilliant!!
Thanks Denise! I certainly had fun with them!
Brilliant entries. Every one a winner as far as I’m concerned. I wouldn’t dare show you my pathetic efforts. Looks like Ryland is going to be the one to beat in the future! Well done.
Ah, these are the pick of the bunch Chris – I did some really dodgy entries last year too. Blurry photos, fingers in the picture and food photos that looked so bad I had to make them black & white in Instagram! 😉
i loved your cupcake one it should have won and Rylands fairytale castle was great loved his little face bless him
What won the cupcake comp then, when I looked part way yours stood out a mile above the rest ?
Someone sent for a winners list and the only info was “Mrs Stevens from Cheshire”!
I really like your toilet roll art!