I was browsing through the recently completed Tyler Wentworth Archive today. This has been worth the wait. There are scores of dolls I've never seen including many OOAKs.
Go. Look.
More about → Tyler Wentworth Archive is Complete!
Go. Look.
Barbra Streisand Doll from Mattel
Posted by bayan
From BC.Com:
She's instantly known by only one name: Barbra. Her inimitable style and personality are captured in this wonderful portrait doll, inspired by her early fame. She wears an iconic outfit, a striking re-creation of one she designed herself and wore at Hollywood's Coconut Grove in 1963.
I love Barbra but I don't collect celebrity dolls and I'd have to see it in person to give an accurate appraisal.
Available November 19, 2009 for $53.99.
More about → Barbra Streisand Doll from Mattel
She's instantly known by only one name: Barbra. Her inimitable style and personality are captured in this wonderful portrait doll, inspired by her early fame. She wears an iconic outfit, a striking re-creation of one she designed herself and wore at Hollywood's Coconut Grove in 1963.
I love Barbra but I don't collect celebrity dolls and I'd have to see it in person to give an accurate appraisal.Available November 19, 2009 for $53.99.
A New Doll Discussion Forum - DOLL THERAPY
Posted by bayan
A new forum has been unveiled by Claudia Fowler, the former Admin of SilkSpa. The new forum is called Doll Therapy. I love the name! Although some of us may need therapy due to the stresses of collecting and spending, it's so appropriate to how the majority of us view our dolls.I asked Claudia to talk about SilkSpa, her former doll board and about Doll Therapy, the new one.
TG: When did you start SilkSpa?
CF: All this started off a chat room actually, in 2002 with a few other hell raisers. Such a place was missing at the time and what came out of those chats was so fun and interesting at the same time, that people participating in them were asking for transcripts every time… I emailed out so many that we started talking about looking for a more permanent avenue. The actual forum started on 2003.
TG: How long was SilkSpa in operation?CF: Three and a half very fun years and it was great. I have been posting on bulletin boards since before the internet and what I’ve always found so interesting to me is how people from everywhere and all walks of life can become like your extended family, or at least the bar where everyone knows your name. The community came together and we often wondered how big we should let this become before the Fire Department came over to close us down.
TG: How will Doll Therapy be different? What dolls are welcome? What features will we see?
CF: Doll Therapy is a very simple and seamless platform where everything you want from it is right there. It is purposefully very easy to read and navigate and yet, more powerful and full of features than any Doll Forum out there.
From it you can host your own pictures for free, publish multimedia posts and polls, review and rate, buy-sell-trade, leave auction-styled feedback, share how-to manuals and useful links, flaunt your OOAK’s, have your personal blog, friend your personal network, and of course have a chat room available 24/7, and we’re only scratching the surface.
We’ve been ahead of the curve since SilkSpa’s inception. At the time we were the first Doll site to provide a platform where messages weren’t lost at the end of the day. At the time all this new software either hadn’t been written, wasn’t evolved enough or I didn’t know that I could do this or that it could work so seamlessly, so Doll Therapy is truly it.
All Fashion Dolls are welcome. We will talk/chat/rate dolls we don’t collect ourselves as well... I think that what both newcomers and existing members were most impressed about was that we agreed to disagree, we really spoke our minds and didn’t hold back much, yet respected each other. The building blocks of a great community! …and I’d like to think that we’re just what the doctor ordered.
______
Well girls and boys, doesn't this sound great? I joined.
Check it out at this link and if you join - say Terri sent you! No, I don't get anything ;-)
A Plea from Rudy Teruel of R and D Dolls
Posted by bayan
Rudy posted a call for help on his blog concerning the devastating aftermath of the Typhooon Ondoy in Manila and surrounding areas. Please click this link and read what he has to say.
Please Help!
http://www.rnddolls.com/
More about → A Plea from Rudy Teruel of R and D Dolls
Please Help!
http://www.rnddolls.com/
Picture of the Week Award ~ 9/27/09
Posted by bayan
This week's spotlight goes to Mark Harris for this photograph of his Mdvanii clone dolls made by doll artist Darrell Wallace. Their clothing and jewelry was made by the photographer.The composition, natural lighting, posing and styling all come together to create a photograph with depth and movement.
See more of Mark's creative photography here.
Congratulations, Mark, on the Picture of the Week Award!
Treasured Antoinette wearing Sensual
Posted by bayan
I just wanted to post this picture of my Treasured Antoinette dressed in the outfit from Sensual. It's a winner and I love it!
More about → Treasured Antoinette wearing Sensual
Tonner Doll - Antoinette "Pure"
Posted by bayan
I love the list of names they've come up for Antoinette and her fashions. Look at these: Evocative, Exceptional, Extravagant, Determined, Confidential, Striking, Idyllic, Hypnotic, Symphonic, Obsessed, Dramatic, Sensual, Emphatic, Enlightened, Optimistic, Serene,Influential, Frivolous, Sinuous, Brilliant, Posh and Prim. It's a list of pleasant feeling words to help you develop your emotional literacy! So now, if you are having difficulty describing your feelings you can turn to your Antoinette collection for help. Yay! "Believe in the power of play."
I don't think I've ever felt pure. Pure anger, yes. Pure lust, yes. But just pure, no.
Here's a part definition from Merriam-Webster's OnLine Dictionary:
3 a (1) : free from what vitiates, weakens, or pollutes (2) : containing nothing that does not properly belong b : free from moral fault or guilt c : marked by chastity : continent d (1) : of pure blood and unmixed ancestry (2) : homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters e : ritually clean...
______
The best part of Pure besides her wonderful Antoinette body and pretty face are the boots. But these are not worth $166.
The handbag is stiff and looks awkward on her arm. The shawl is just an edged piece of fabric without a lining or anything. She came with no jewelry.
What was I thinking when I ordered her? I wanted a raven-haired Antoinette.
It's depressing.
It's depressing.
Integrity Toys' "Attention" Avantguard Doll
Posted by bayan
Chelsea's Collector Cottage exclusive Avantguard doll "Attention!" arrived yesterday. She looks exactly like the promotional pictures. The dress is cute.
Her facial screening is immaculate and I love the colors.
The shoes are cute.
The feather hat sheds on everything. (She reminds me of the Statue of Liberty in this picture.)
The wig is not made properly and the stockings had defects in them from where she was tied to the box.
I don't feel the WOW factor with this doll. Something is missing. I think this dress should have been an individually available fashion, not something for a $250. exclusive doll. It's not enough. The earrings are such a waste of time I didn't even bother. Every pair of earrings one inserts into an Avantguard head has to be snipped shorter and after I struggled to get the wig on (sort of) I wasn't about to knock it off to put two little studs into her ears.
___________________________
Every now and then I'll be playing with a doll or photographing one and I begin to wonder why I am collecting dolls. It happened today. It wasn't just about one doll, it was the cumulative effect of poor engineering and/or design of certain aspects of three of my new dolls. Why do I continue to spend hundreds of dollars on dolls whose stands don't support? In two cases, the stand didn't even fit between the doll's legs because the dress was slim-fitting. You can't tell me that this fact is not known by the designers. What do they do, shrug it off? While it's true that I don't use stands when I am photographing my dolls, I do use them to display my dolls.Tonner's saddle stand and Integrity's Avantguard stand add a good amount of thickness to that area of the doll supported by the stand, namely the crotch and the butt. It used to be that one could hide the ugly plastic of a stand when the doll was wearing a gown or a skirt. Now that many of the styles have become short and tight that doesn't work anymore.
Robert Tonner may have been on the right track with the stand that inserted into the crotch area - at least for some dolls.
Gene as "Candied Lavender" W Club Doll
Posted by bayan
The lovely brunette Gene doll, Candied Lavender, arrived this week and she is delightful! Her hair is slick and hard. It doesn't look at all like the promotional — to the dismay of some. Personally, I like hard hair on my Gene dolls.
Her eyeshadow is lavender above the blue/gray of her eyes. All in all, her facial screening is gorgeous.
The dress is a fine example of miniature tailoring with it's lower peplum which ends at the side seams and the upper reverse gathering of fabric over the bust area. The shoes are the same fabric as that of the dress. Her hat is a wonderful little beaded creation with an odd loop of tulle which I have pinned down to create a bow. The jewelry is a very fragile-looking creation of dark-colored rhinestones surrounded by clear beads. I'm not sure of the color of the rhinestones; they might be navy blue or black. The earrings were not engineered properly - the studs are too large for the scale of the doll and stick out too far. An additional piece of jewelry is a large rhinestone pin which I have placed at the center front of the dress.
The long faux leather gloves are useless. I did try to put them on and decided it wasn't worth it. I would have liked a small beaded clutch bag instead. However, the weakest part of the outfit is the cheap-looking stole. It is the worst looking piece of faux fur ever.
Overall the doll is a real keeper.
Her price was $125. plus shipping.
More about → Gene as "Candied Lavender" W Club Doll
Her price was $125. plus shipping.
Barbie Dream Sale!
Posted by bayan
The Barbie Dream Sale started 9/23/09 AM at 12:01 Central Time and will end on 9/29/09 at 11:59 PM Central Time. On the first day, everything in the online shop except club dolls is 25% off - including items that are already on sale. On Thursday and afterward the sales amounts and items change. Good buys are to be had!
Go to Barbiecollector.com to shop.
More about → Barbie Dream Sale!
Go to Barbiecollector.com to shop.
The traveler boy
Posted by bayan
Today I would like to introduce the traveler boy.
The raven on his shirt will remind him to be careful, you can never tell, sometimes journeys might be dangerous.
When The Shoes were on and he was ready to go.
At lunch time he finally met the traveler girl, it was a wonderful afternoon they had spent together.
*This doll is now listed at my etsy doll store.
The travel- photographer doll
Posted by bayan
After all, I did finish stitching my human-figure sock dolls. First I would like to introduce the travel photographer girl.
Wherever she goes, she carries her precious camera with her. Who knows what would happen and what she would see along the way?
The trip is about to begin in one minute.
Soon, her journey companion will join her, and I will be back with updates. *This doll is now listed at my etsy doll store.
Soon, her journey companion will join her, and I will be back with updates. *This doll is now listed at my etsy doll store.
Picture of the Week Award ~ September 20, 2009
Posted by bayan
This striking photograph caught my eye several weeks ago. I like the composition, the use of white with one accent color and, of course, the dolls are gorgeous. I asked Gerri Strawinski (aka Gerri in PA) to tell me and my readers something about it. Following is what Gerri wrote:
I love this photo because it consists of 3 very popular dolls: Antoinette, Sabbatha Sybarite, and Daphne, repainted by Vanessa of Star Studio all dressed in white with white/platinum hair and my favorite ruby red lips. It was a Theme Photo for Prego in which the subject was '3'. Prego members chose 3 of anything they wanted. My pick was to show all white because it was summer and the emphasis was on cool and light.
Regarding the lighting and background: [I] used a white panel background atop a white snack table. [Photo was taken] in natural light and [I] used a side accent light with a 27 Watt Compact Fluorescent Photo Lamp (5500 K, Daylight) 92 + Color.... with just the ideal afternoon sun coming in and the side light, it happened to come together and provide a nice shadow effect behind the dolls as well.
Gerri is a very active member of Prego and feels that the best part of doll collecting is the community of collectors that she's met on-line and at events.
Gerri has two blogs. One deals with all fashion dolls and is called MY PASSION IS DOLLS.
The other is about the Sybarite Dolls. The title is INFIDEL.
Thanks, Gerri, and congratulations on the Picture of the Week Award!
Fashion Fuel - A W Club Exclusive AvantGuard Fashion
Posted by bayan
On 9/14/09 members of the W Club received an announcement of an exclusive Avantguard fashion that is going to be available only to members. It is called Fashion Fuel and the edition size will be according to the number of orders placed.
It comes with a wig, jacket, belt, slip dress, shoes, gloves, fishnet stockings and stud earrings and is priced at $110.
My first impression:
—I like the shoes.
—The mini dress is probably cute but you can be sure that the stand will not fit between the doll's legs in that outfit.
—I'm not a fan of belted jackets but if the jacket were all black, the look might have been less jarring.
—There is too much going on with the jacket: peplum detail, gathered pocket flaps, lace-covered, draped second lapel all squished up with a belt! Perhaps I've been watching too much Project Runway. I don't see this as taking a design risk; I see it as trying to put everything into one piece.
—The wig might be "Old Hollywood" glamorous if it were combed properly.
—The last time an outfit contained faux leather gloves they looked like black potholders. Look at the thumbs and the length of the hands in the picture. The gloves do not fit properly. At least one can be thankful that the doll's hands have not been dipped into black paint.
—The Avantguards, like the Sybarites, do not have attractive joints and the fishnet stockings don't do anything to improve the appearance of the vinyl beneath.
That being said, I'm going to get it anyway.
More about → Fashion Fuel - A W Club Exclusive AvantGuard Fashion
It comes with a wig, jacket, belt, slip dress, shoes, gloves, fishnet stockings and stud earrings and is priced at $110.My first impression:
—I like the shoes.
—The mini dress is probably cute but you can be sure that the stand will not fit between the doll's legs in that outfit.
—I'm not a fan of belted jackets but if the jacket were all black, the look might have been less jarring.
—There is too much going on with the jacket: peplum detail, gathered pocket flaps, lace-covered, draped second lapel all squished up with a belt! Perhaps I've been watching too much Project Runway. I don't see this as taking a design risk; I see it as trying to put everything into one piece.
—The wig might be "Old Hollywood" glamorous if it were combed properly.
—The last time an outfit contained faux leather gloves they looked like black potholders. Look at the thumbs and the length of the hands in the picture. The gloves do not fit properly. At least one can be thankful that the doll's hands have not been dipped into black paint.
—The Avantguards, like the Sybarites, do not have attractive joints and the fishnet stockings don't do anything to improve the appearance of the vinyl beneath.
That being said, I'm going to get it anyway.
Calm creature
Posted by bayan
I left the dolls for a while; sometimes the human-like dolls require so much concentration and patience that I am getting tired of making them.
Monday afternoon, I dug out one piece of sock from a collection of sock scraps that piled up on my desk. At first, I thought it was going to be another bird, but out of stitching and crocheting, this little creature emerged.
Not a bird for sure, just a creature; and a calm one, I assume.
He is now listed on my Etsy doll store.
He is now listed on my Etsy doll store.
Picture of the Week Award ~ September 13, 2009
Posted by bayan
The theme this past week on Prego was "Let's Hear it For the Boys!" The many and varied male dolls posted were hunky and fabulous.
In particular, Dalila's post blew me away. Doll after doll - she posted 16 - was drop dead gorgeous and photographed beautifully. I could not choose a favorite. I picked one. Then I changed my mind. This went on for at least one hour. I just kept looking at the pictures and fell in love with each one. Here's Thor.
Dalila told me that Thor is a former "Cole" ("Super Hero" male body sculpt) that has had an extensive makeover (all done by {her}): re-sculpted cheekbones, full repaint, haircut and style with rooted-in additional hair and "champagne blond" highlights. Loosely inspired by Dolph Lundgren.
Here is the original Aquaman. What a stunning difference.
If you would like to see more of Dalila's wonderful dolls and great pictures of them, click here
and here.
Congratulations, Dalilah!
More about → Picture of the Week Award ~ September 13, 2009
In particular, Dalila's post blew me away. Doll after doll - she posted 16 - was drop dead gorgeous and photographed beautifully. I could not choose a favorite. I picked one. Then I changed my mind. This went on for at least one hour. I just kept looking at the pictures and fell in love with each one. Here's Thor.
Dalila told me that Thor is a former "Cole" ("Super Hero" male body sculpt) that has had an extensive makeover (all done by {her}): re-sculpted cheekbones, full repaint, haircut and style with rooted-in additional hair and "champagne blond" highlights. Loosely inspired by Dolph Lundgren.
Here is the original Aquaman. What a stunning difference.
If you would like to see more of Dalila's wonderful dolls and great pictures of them, click hereand here.
Congratulations, Dalilah!
After a While, They All Start To Look the Same
Posted by bayan
Maybe I'm imagining it.
New Monogram Doll, Blue Chip, celebrates Jeffrey's 10th Anniversary
Posted by bayan
I admit that I didn't know the store called Jeffrey until Jason's Amanda LePore dolls were released. Guessing that I'm not the only challenged fashionista who collects fashion dolls, I will tell a little about Jeffrey's here. First of all it is located on the west side of Manhattan at 44 W. 14th St. near the Hudson River in what is known as the Meatpacking District. In 1900, Gansevoort Market, as it was called, was home to 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants.
Prior to the 1990's, the area contained an unsavory mix of sex clubs, drug dealers and prostitution. Many of the clubs are said to have been Mafia run.
Beginning in the late 1990's the Meatpacking District went through a transformation. High-end boutiques such as Diane von Furstenberg, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Rubin Chapelle, Scoop, Theory, Ed Hardy, Puma Black Store, Moschino, ADAM by Adam Lippes, Jeffrey New York, the Apple Store, and CALYPSO by Christiane Celle, custom home furnishing boutiques such as Establishment, restaurants such as Pastis and Buddha Bar, and nightclubs such as Tenjune, One, G-Spa, Cielo, APT, Level V, and Kiss and Fly, all have recently opened in order to cater to young professionals and hipsters. In 2004, New York magazine called the Meatpacking District "New York’s most fashionable neighborhood".[Wikipedia] In other words - trendy and very expensive.
Jeffrey's is celebrating it's 10th year in business. Here is a link to an article about the origins of the store and some information about Jeffrey Kalinsky himself:
Article from The New York Observer, April 4, 1999
Kalinsky recently sponsored a "fashion-in-miniature" project in which more than 50 designers participated. The dolls used were the Monogram sculpt. They were dressed by the designers and went on display last August. Bidding is going on until September 17th and the proceeds will go to charity.
Patriciann aka The Cottage Couturier, posted this picture of the doll she purchased at Jeffrey's on 9/11. It's a Jason Wu Monogram doll wearing a version of one of his designs. The doll is called Blue Chip.
It seems that the doll's dress could have used better detail in the area of the waistline. At $175 per doll...one expects details like that to be included. To date I think the only Monogram doll that nearly pulls off Jason's 'fashion from the runway look' is the first one that was done for Colette in Paris. http://terrigoldphoto.blogspot.com/search?q=colette.
I have to admit that I ordered this one in spite of my initial feeling to let it go. I'm weak and easily enabled. Now you know.
More about → New Monogram Doll, Blue Chip, celebrates Jeffrey's 10th Anniversary
Prior to the 1990's, the area contained an unsavory mix of sex clubs, drug dealers and prostitution. Many of the clubs are said to have been Mafia run.
Beginning in the late 1990's the Meatpacking District went through a transformation. High-end boutiques such as Diane von Furstenberg, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Rubin Chapelle, Scoop, Theory, Ed Hardy, Puma Black Store, Moschino, ADAM by Adam Lippes, Jeffrey New York, the Apple Store, and CALYPSO by Christiane Celle, custom home furnishing boutiques such as Establishment, restaurants such as Pastis and Buddha Bar, and nightclubs such as Tenjune, One, G-Spa, Cielo, APT, Level V, and Kiss and Fly, all have recently opened in order to cater to young professionals and hipsters. In 2004, New York magazine called the Meatpacking District "New York’s most fashionable neighborhood".[Wikipedia] In other words - trendy and very expensive.
Jeffrey's is celebrating it's 10th year in business. Here is a link to an article about the origins of the store and some information about Jeffrey Kalinsky himself:
Article from The New York Observer, April 4, 1999
Kalinsky recently sponsored a "fashion-in-miniature" project in which more than 50 designers participated. The dolls used were the Monogram sculpt. They were dressed by the designers and went on display last August. Bidding is going on until September 17th and the proceeds will go to charity.
Patriciann aka The Cottage Couturier, posted this picture of the doll she purchased at Jeffrey's on 9/11. It's a Jason Wu Monogram doll wearing a version of one of his designs. The doll is called Blue Chip.
It seems that the doll's dress could have used better detail in the area of the waistline. At $175 per doll...one expects details like that to be included. To date I think the only Monogram doll that nearly pulls off Jason's 'fashion from the runway look' is the first one that was done for Colette in Paris. http://terrigoldphoto.blogspot.com/search?q=colette.
I have to admit that I ordered this one in spite of my initial feeling to let it go. I'm weak and easily enabled. Now you know.
Update on "A Woman of Means" Adrian Fashion
Posted by bayan
I changed the doll wearing the fashion to a full bust Tonner body Mera. She looks much better in this ensemble than Gene did several posts below. The waist of the skirt is still on the loose side, however. Mera looks gorgeous - even with her sea green nails.
More about → Update on "A Woman of Means" Adrian Fashion
A work in progress
Posted by bayan
As you can notice, while I was busy with my life offline, and neglected blogging, the new sock doll has grown up.
During that time, two new siblings popped up as well!
Welcome Puki Puki Madeleine!
Posted by bayan
A new girl has joined the tribe. She is a FairyLand tiny (11cm) BJD. This particular one is called Madeleine. I wanted Lily but I couldn't wait to get one from Korea so I ordered an 'in stock' doll from Denver Doll Emporium.
I was in love the minute I opened her box. The articulation is fantastic and she is very easy to pose. There are fourteen different faces available and they're all precious.
One has a cat face and is called Pukisha.
In the above photo, the doll is wearing a cute wig that I had purchased for my Orientdoll So. Right now it's the only wig I have that fits well. The two smaller poodles are 1/6 scale fuzzy minis purchased on eBay and the larger poodle is a custom-made needle felted item.
Madeleine is checking out the toys in the wagon. I snatched these items from a 1/6 scale room box I made about 30 years ago. I think that room will be her new home.
The dress is a bit of lace pinned in the back and the flower is on a wire stem wrapped around her neck. The original colors of these items were beige but I Photoshopped them.
Denver Doll Emporium deserves very high recommendations on their customer service. They answer emails quickly and ship the same day depending upon the time you pay for your order. They do not overcharge for postage. What else can you ask for from a dealer? They have a limited supply of in-stock items from FairyLand. Most items are pre-order and take about 6-8 weeks to arrive. A deposit of about 30% is required. When you think about the amount of money you save by buying from a company in the US (if you live in the US) it's so worth it to order from them. There appears to be a larger selection from FairyLand but I haven't asked them if everything on the FairyLand website can be ordered even if it's not on the DDE site.
More about → Welcome Puki Puki Madeleine!
I was in love the minute I opened her box. The articulation is fantastic and she is very easy to pose. There are fourteen different faces available and they're all precious.
One has a cat face and is called Pukisha.
This is PongPong:
Here's Sugar:
These dolls are 4.4 inches tall and wear a 3.5-4 size wig. Their feet are really tiny at .59 inch but most of the Mattel Kelly shoes fit well.
Here's my girl:
The chest Madeleine is perched upon is from a Re-ment "Bringing up Baby" set of miniatures. This particular set is scaled perfectly for the Pukis.
______________
Here's my girl:
Madeleine is checking out the toys in the wagon. I snatched these items from a 1/6 scale room box I made about 30 years ago. I think that room will be her new home.
The dress is a bit of lace pinned in the back and the flower is on a wire stem wrapped around her neck. The original colors of these items were beige but I Photoshopped them._______________
Denver Doll Emporium deserves very high recommendations on their customer service. They answer emails quickly and ship the same day depending upon the time you pay for your order. They do not overcharge for postage. What else can you ask for from a dealer? They have a limited supply of in-stock items from FairyLand. Most items are pre-order and take about 6-8 weeks to arrive. A deposit of about 30% is required. When you think about the amount of money you save by buying from a company in the US (if you live in the US) it's so worth it to order from them. There appears to be a larger selection from FairyLand but I haven't asked them if everything on the FairyLand website can be ordered even if it's not on the DDE site.