Happy New Year Everyone!

We're all going on a summer holiday,

No more working for a week or two.

Fun and laughter on our summer holiday,

No more worries for me or you,

For a week or two.

We're going where the sun shines brightly

We're going where the sea is blue.

We've all seen it on the movies,

Now let's see if it's true.

Everybody has a summer holiday

Doin' things they always wanted to

So we're going on a summer holiday,

To make our dreams come true

For me and you.

For me and you. 

Songwriters: Brian Bennett / Bruce Welch Summer Holiday lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Have a wonderful finish to 2018 . . . see you all again in 2019!

As 2018 Ends

Firstly, I'd like to thank all those who have visited my blog and have taken time out of their busy days to leave comments this year. I have enjoyed sharing the doll hobby with you and getting to know you all a little better. It's comforting to know, that no matter how crazy this world can be at times, there are still people who can enjoy a common bond through their love of dolls, teddy bears and toys.

Now it's time to see who I brought home this year ~

BJD's were way down on last year, but brought my total BJD's to 83.

1. Denise ~ Kaye Wiggs Mini Layla, Fair Skin, Arrived 22nd January 2018
2. Fifi Muffet ~ Liz Frost of Wizworx Mini Fifi, Light Tan Skin, Arrived 27th February 2018
3. Mia Mary ~ Liz Frost Of Wizworx Mini Mia, Light Tan Skin, Arrived 15th March, 2018
4. Lunette ~ Liz Frost of Wizworx Mini Lunette, Fair Skin, Arrived 11th December, 2018

So it seems, were my PLAY DOLLS, bringing them up to 43.

1. Cassandra ~ Dianna Effner Little Darling by Joyce Mathews, Arrived 10th January, 2018

2. Heidi ~ Rosemarie Muller "Wichtel " for Schildkrot-Puppen Lea, Arrived 17th May, 2018
3. Pippy ~ Australian Girl Matilda, Arrived 20th May, 2018
4. Bess ~ Robert Tonner, Tiny Betsy McCall, Arrived 28th December, 2018

FASHION DOLLS were something new for me this year, and eight came home. I think if I add any more dolls to my collection in the future, this maybe where you will see them. 

1. McKeyla ~ Project Mc² doll by MGA (1st release) McKeyla McAlister, Arrived 7th November, 2018
2. Adrienne ~ Project Mc² doll by MGA (1st release) Adrienne Attoms, Arrived 7th November, 2018
3. Bryden ~ Project Mc² doll by MGA (1st release) Bryden Bandweth, Arrived 7th November, 2018
4. Camryn ~ Project Mc² doll by MGA (1st release) Camryn Coyle, Arrived 7th November, 2018
5. Keyla ~ Project Mc² doll by MGA (2nd release) McKeyla McAlister, Arrived 7th November, 2018
6. Hatsuko ~ "Ruruko" CCSgirl 18SS doll by PetWORKs, Arrived 12th November, 2018
7. Holly Golightly ~ "50th Anniversary Commemorative Fashion Collection" (How Do I Look #5 in the series) by Integrity Toys 2011, Arrived 24th December, 2018
8. Alysa ~ Luxe Life Convention Exclusive (nude doll) by Integrity Toys 2011, Arrived 31st December, 2018

The total of sixteen, is just one and a third dolls a month, that may or may not sound like a lot to you, and to be honest it's probably more than I need, especially as space has really become difficult to find here. And so I may will have to curb my desires a little lot in 2019 . . . however, I have learnt from past experience to never say, never. :)

I did manage to complete a few projects this year, even attempted others, which sadly I did not complete, so I am hoping next year I can finish all the projects I have started and begin a few of the others floating around in my noggin.

MY WISH LIST FOR 2019 ~

2017 Industry Come Thru! Tulabelle True™ Dressed Doll ~

Doll Tech Specs:
Head Sculpt: Tulabelle
Hair Colour: Light-Auburn
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-Applied
Body Type: The Industry 1.0
Foot Sculpt: Traditional High-Heeled Feet
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: Japan
Doll Stand : Yes
Limited Edition : 600
Suggested Retail Price: $125.00 US

I fell for this gal hook, liner and sinker, as soon as I saw her gorgeous red hair and I should have bought her then and there. But I didn't, and now I'm afraid I may have missed the boat. I shall have to keep my eyes wide open if I am to own her.

2017 Poppy Parker™ Welcome to Misty Hollows Dressed Doll ~ The Swinging London Collection

W Club Exclusive IT Direct Event ~ she was not available at dealers

Doll Tech Specs:
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Hair Colour: Silver Blond
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Body: Poppy 1.5 (Body disassembles and features newly improved joint stability)
Foot Sculpt: Traditional Poppy feet with articulated ankles
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: Japan
Doll Stand : Yes
Limited Edition : 1390
Suggested Retail Price: $130.00 US

Although I really love this doll, I am not prepared to pay the second hand asking price for her, so I doubt if I will ever bring this doll home . . . but I can wish, can't I? And who really knows what tomorrow may bring?

2018 Poppy Parker™ Chiller Thriller Dressed Doll ~ Integrity Toys Convention Luxe Life Collection

Doll Tech Specs:
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker 1.0

Hair Colour: Black
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Body: 1.0
Foot Sculpt: The Industry High Heeled Feet
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: Japan
Doll Stand : Yes
Edition Size: 600 Dolls

Suggested Retail Price: $150.00 US

I was very lucky recently and spotted this one nude on eBay for a reasonable price and as her hair styling is like Misty Hollows Poppy, decided to bring her home. She should arrive sometime between the 10th and 16th January with any luck.

I'm never too fussed about not having the clothing that comes with the dolls as I really enjoy sewing my own. I'm even considering making some jewelry this year and perhaps some crowns or floral headpieces. I've made these items in the past for brides, so it will interesting and possibly quite challenging to make these items in a size which will fit these dolls.

Now, when I saw this next gorgeous gal, I felt this was one doll, where the elegant gown she is wearing, appealed to me as much as the doll herself. She actually comes with two gowns, but the second one did very little for me.

2017 Erin Salston™ Metamorphosis Dressed Doll Gift Set ~ The Heirloom Collection

W Club Exclusive IT Direct Event ~ she was not available at dealers.

Doll Tech Specs:

Head Sculpt: Erin 2.0

Hair Colour: Midnight Brown

Eyelashes:Yes, Hand-applied

Body: Nu Face 3.0
Foot Sculpt: Traditional High-Heeled Feet
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: Hungarian

Doll Stand : ?

Limited Edition : ?
Suggested Retail Price: $175.00 US

Well that's about all I can foresee for now, but of course, as any doll collector knows, a wish list can change from one day to the next . . . que será, será.

Wishing you all the very best for 2019, may it be a happy and prosperous dolly year for you all!
Big hugs,
X

Tiny Betsy McCall

Betsy is wearing a discontinued Robert Tonner 2004 (No. BC8402) Summer Fields doll outfit designed for the eight inch Tiny Betsy McCall and Dru dolls. This also fits Tiny Anne Estelle and includes a lovely two shades of green striped dress with a green, lavender, yellow and white floral print pinafore. A pretty lavender ribbon bow is tied at the waist. She also wears white-lavender floral clips in her hair, white panties, white socks and white plastic shoes like late 1950's and early 1960's dolls wore.

She is coming to me after Christmas, without her box or COA, which I wouldn't have expected anyway for her bargain price, however, she is stamped with the Tonner name. I really wanted a curly red haired girl. but they are like hens teeth to get hold of, as those on offer will not ship out of the USA. I think a new wig should take care if that though.

A basic 8" Tonner Betsy cost US$39.95 and the Tonner outfits usually sell from US$24.95 for a set like this on their own, so I was really pleased to pay what I did.

Well that's it for today . . . HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Big hugs,
X

EDIT: 28th December.

Tiny Betsy arrived today and I am so pleased I purchased her. Her head moves up and down, as well as side to side, her eyes close, her arms move at the shoulders, but there is no elbow joint. However, her legs have both a hip and knee joint, which will help when posing her.

Betsy is made of hard plastic which has a nice feel in one's hands, it's smooth and not too shiny. She measures 20 cm (7+7/8") tall but her wig gives her just a little additional height making her 20.3 cm (a perfect 8 inch doll).

Her wig, unfortunately is glued on, so it might take some fiddling to replace it. I am having second thoughts about this now, as it's a really nice wig, fine, without fly-aways and combs easily. The little "clips" were not as I expected, so I shall take the flowers off and sew them onto proper clips.

The clothes she is wearing are really well made, with neat finishing, no loose threads and back closures are done with press studs (snaps) and not that yucky Velcro. To be honest, I couldn't have made them any better myself . . . so over all, it's a thumbs up to Tonner!!

Christmas Came Early at Our House

My tiny dolls have very little patience, I think they take after me! LOL! So when some of them saw the presents under the tree this morning, they thought Santa had come early and NOW was the right time for them to open all of their presents. Fortunately, I managed to stop them before they opened the lot. I told them they could each open just one present and the rest will have to stay under the tree until the proper day. :)

From left to right: 8 " porcelain Dianna Effner doll, Fairyland Puki Fee, PetWORKs Ruruko, 7" Helen Kish Riley.

I shall be back before the New Year with this year's roundup. In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas with your families. I hope you all receive what you wished for.

Big hugs,

X

A Girl I Know Named Holly

Now don't be too surprised, but I have finally bought an Integrity Toys doll! Most of the time I find the ones I like are either out of stock or they are so ridiculously overpriced on the secondary market I simply cannot justify spending the money. However, this one was too good to pass on.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the most stylish movies ever captured on film and its chic ingenue, Integrity Toys and Paramount teamed together in 2011 to bring collectors an exquisite "50th Anniversary Commemorative Doll Collection".

I have always loved the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and Audrey Hepburn in particular. She played such a fabulous role in this movie, wearing costuming by Hubert de Givenchy that was to die for. So it wasn't hard for me to part with the cash to bring this one home (and fortunately for me, she was only travelling from interstate, so postage wasn't the killer it usually is).

“How Do I Look” is Holly at her most simple and charming self. A girl has to have her beauty sleep, that is until a tall and handsome gentleman writer with boyish good looks and the deepest blue eyes anyone has ever seen (played by the young Robert Redford) rings her doorbell because he forgot his keys. What follows is a beautiful friendship that reluctantly turns into unbridled passion. This wonderful look above proves that Holly is quirky and charming even when she sleeps!!

She is fifth in the series and has a Loni Lawrence (Poppy's friend) head (which was actually Holly's before it became Loni's) on a 12-inch fully articulated vinyl Poppy Parker body (without articulated ankles). She is a dressed doll with rooted hair and applied eyelashes. Included is a night shirt, bright peach satin robe, sleepy eyes night mask, ear plugs, doll stand and certificate of authenticity ~ Limited Edition of 500.

I shall look forward to making the costumes for this doll!
Hope you all have an enjoyable week ahead of you all, big hugs,
X

Lunette's Arrival

Well after a very long wait, the longest I have ever had (ordered in April), my Lunette from Liz Frost (WizWorx) has finally arrived home!

She stands like a trouper! Actually Liz's dolls stand better than any of my other dolls, possibly because they are so well strung. Here she is before her lovely soft grey blue eyes were inserted.

I am thrilled to bits with her and although I shall give her a nursery rhyme name, I cannot think which until I have decided on the wig she will wear. Though I must admit I'm leaning towards the black one, as I have a blonde and brunette in this trio of dolls already. Let me know your thoughts. 😊

Monique Gold "Roxie" Wig ~ White Blonde

Monique "Shelby" Wig ~ Black

Well not much else to tell you this week, I'll be taking a short break . . . that is, I will after I have caught up on your lovely comments and blog posts.
Hugs,
X

Fitting Ruruko

Since female Ruruko dolls are on the stock Azone PureNeemo XS doll body, Ruruko measurements agree with the figures for those bodies (which is useful when selecting clothing or sewing clothing).

Although I first intended just to look for patterns, I ended up looking at clothes for other similar sized dolls including MGA Moxie Girlz and Bratz, as I thought I may find something suitable . . . I did look, but didn't like the fit or quality of the clothes I saw.

I did find (according to online research) clothing from Barbie’s younger sister Skipper, also typically fits Ruruko dolls quite nicely, and there are many individuals reselling Skipper clothes or advertising patterns (which was more of interest to me as I'm more inclined to sew).

There are also quite a few Etsy sellers who design for Blythe rather than for Ruruko specifically, but much of the clothing works interchangeably, with perhaps adjustment for length. My favourite being HelloCoolCat, they've been around a long time and have an extensive array of products including super duper shoes/boots (all under AU$20 a pair).

Then quite by accident, I came across this site ~ TheHandFlower and she had a few clearance items which were intended for the Azone PureNeemo Small Body, but I bought a set anyway.

Not perfect by any means and there will be Velcro to deal with for sure, but for the price I paid (AU$22.20 including shipping), I figure I can make any necessary adjustments.

Well that's it for me for another week.
Big Hugs to you all,
X

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P.S. I thought you might like to see what the knitted dress I made for the Project Mc² dolls looks like on Ruruko. I almost surprised myself, because it looks much better than I thought it would. It's actually knee length when you look straight at her. I think if I used my pattern but knitted it in a slightly lighter yarn, it would be perfect for this size doll.

Tutorial: Making a Simple Doll Stand

Supplies & tools needed:

Wooden base (I bought mine from Spotlight). You can use any shape you like and you can also find wooden coasters which are suitable for smaller/lighter dolls.

I already had 12 gauge (2mm) aluminium wire (from Over the Rainbow) however, I'm using their 1/8" (3.2mm) Armature or Modelling Wire which is a little more expensive, but will hold most dolls.

Hollow aluminium tubing (the hole should be large enough to insert the wire doubled, I bought 10 x 1mm from Bunnings).

Needle nose pliers and side cutters.

Hack saw to cut the tubing and drill to make a hole in the base (borrowed from hubby's workshop).

Glue and trims (optional) the one I am making here needs just a little batting to create the illusion of snow, but you could use faux grass or carpet depending on where you imagine your doll to be standing.

Firstly take your wire and using the pliers to help you bend it into this shape (left) and bend it over and squeeze it tight, then cut it off a little higher than the bottom of the "U".

Insert the wire you just bent into the tubing (right), which will give your stand stability.

Sit your doll in the "U" saddle (left) and mark the base level, then cut the tube a little higher. To get the exact distance measure the depth of your base.


Now take your base and drill a hole the same size as the tubing, make it slightly off center so you have enough room for your doll's feet to stand. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of this.

Next you simply push the tubing in the hole and if necessary glue the tubing in place. Allow the glue to dry and decorate your stand however you wish. Mine was a tight fit, so I didn't need the glue.

You can also make a different type (as you see in the 1st photo) using dowel, however, this doesn't have a "U" saddle for the doll to sit in, it just runs up the back underneath the dolls clothes. It works quite well with some dolls, but not for those with very loose joints.

I know sometimes dolls don't come with stands, especially if you pick one up on the secondary market, so I hope this tutorial helps in some way and you have fun making a few stands of your own.
Big hugs,
X

Alternative Reality

"Life is full of choices! Having stepped into a mysterious mirror portal, her reflection is caught between two worlds and she must decide to which reality she belongs. Should she enter the hurly-burly of Victorian London street life that feels so familiar to her, and yet so distant? Or perhaps the eerie neglected buildings, which are all that remain of a palace where once she was a princess." ~ Josaphine Wall

I can so relate to this painting . . . I often feel as though I am caught between a rock and a hard place. Like this week, wanting to work on my Nutcracker project on one hand, and catch up with blogging and friends on the other.

However,  having so much to do at home and knowing full well that taking on five dolls at once will need a lot of concentration and considerable effort, I decided to put the Nutcracker project on the back burner until after Christmas (hopefully I'll get them all finished before the following one).

That leaves me free to complete as many of the tasks I really feel like doing, while I'm in the mood to do them (ones that are simple and quick). :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Big hugs,

X

Project Mc² Knitted Clothes 4 Sale

NOTE: A few people who follow/read my blog have mentioned they cannot post comments, this is probably because Blogger no longer supports Open ID and I only allow Google Account users to avoid any spam. If you would like to be more interactive with me, please open a Google Account and this should solve the problem. Thank you!

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Well here's a few photos of the new knitted dresses.

WINE

If you are interested, they are $15 plus Economy Air (no tracking) postage = $3.
If you want tracking, it would have to be sent as a parcel = $21.20.

United Kingdom, United States  approx. 7 days

Rest of the World it takes up to 14 days 

BLUE

Please the contact form at the bottom of this page to send me your email and address, so I can send you a PayPal invoice. Let me know the colour/s and I will ship the first working day after receiving payment.

LILAC ~ GREEN ~ YELLOW SOLD

The dresses were all looking lovely and straight on all the dolls when I began the shoot, but these girls are a real pain in the butt to stand, so hair got in their faces and the dresses twisted around when I handled them. oh BTW they close with two buttons at the back.

Thanks for looking!

Hugs,

X

Project: The Nutcracker

"The Nutcracker" is well loved by many and is perhaps best known as the inspiration for the a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. You may or may not have seen the ballet which is now produced by many ballet companies worldwide, but you would without doubt have heard of the "Nutcracker Suite" composed in 1892 by Pyotr Ilyich (Peter) Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).

Before your time? Well you surely have heard of "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms", a fantasy adventure film recently released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

"The Story of a Nutcracker" by Alexandre Dumas in 1844, was an adaption from "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written in 1816 by Prussian born author E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822).

The unabridged version I own, is simply called "The Nutcracker" and was published by Templar Publishing in 2016. It is beautifully illustrated by Australian graphic designer, illustrator and writer, Robert Ingpen.

Robert's astonishing creative vision has breathed life into more than one hundred books and delighted countless children around the world throughout his remarkable career as an illustrator.

For his "lasting contribution" as a children's illustrator, he received the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1986.

His alluring illustrations have also been the inspiration for a number of my creative endeavours over the years, and in particular, for the five character dolls which I'm currently working on.

Marie: the eldest child of Dr and Mrs Stahlbaum. She is delighted with the shiny wooden Nutcracker doll that her Godfather Drosselmeyer has given her on Christmas Eve. However, once night time falls she finds herself in the middle of an adventure! Saving her doll from the evil Mouse King, Clara then travels to magical new lands.

Mamzell Clara: Marie's new doll which she received for Christmas.

Nutcracker Prince: the nephew of Drosselmeyer who was turned into the Nutcracker by …

Mistress Mousie:  mother of the seven headed Mouse King who leads an army of mice who secretly live in the Stahlbaum’s house.

A Princess: from the Marzipan Palace in the town of Candyburg.

Of course, as I am dressing dolls, I will use a touch of "artistic license" to achieve my own versions of the characters.

Both the story and music has become a wonderful part of our Christmas tradition and I would love to know if or how "The Nutcracker" is part of yours.
Big hugs,
X

Critters!

Last Friday hubby and I took Coco (our fur child) to have him professionally clipped. We were a little anxious, as he can be quite aggressive when he doesn't want to do something. The groomer, Abby, never showed the slightest concern when we told her about his recent antics when we tried to groom him. So we left him in her capable hands while we shopped, waiting all the while for a call to ask us to pick the little biter blighter up.

While shopping we came across these little animals in a gift shop window . . . I couldn't resist bringing them home. They will be just the shot to create a few Christmassy scenes with my dolls.

My PukiFees thought they were simply divine and would make perfect pets for them to play with. :)

We did get a call, much sooner than we expected, but not to say there was a problem, Abby had managed to get him done without a hitch . . . even his feet and bum, which is where I had always had the most problem and had scars to prove it!

Needless to say this little pooch will be visiting Abby on a more frequent basis in the future and we'll put the clippers away until we rescue another dog . . . hopefully one that doesn't bite!!

I know, looking at him in this photo, you would think butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, but this face can change as quickly as his mood. :)

Have a lovely week, big hugs,
X

Unboxing Ruruko

Late, but better late than never! Ruruko arrived Monday 12th November and it was a quick unboxing . . . the thing that took the longest to unwrap was her tightly cling wrapped arms! She was renamed Hatsuko (First Born) long before she arrived, and although I really love her, I can't quite get over how tiny she is.

I couldn't manage to put her shoes on over the stockings, so I replaced them with a pair I already had (borrowed from my PukiFees), and her hair accessory would not stay in place no matter how I tried to tie it. There must be a way for her to wear it, but it wasn't going to work for me today.

Her hair is really fine and a little crooked on the left side of her face, but I will neaten that when I have more time to play with her. The clothes are beautifully made, but still have Velcro . . . my pet hate, so will make her something else to wear down the track.

Have a wonderful dolly weekend.

Big Hugs,

X

Project: Seasonal Greeting Cards

With Christmas almost upon us, I thought it would be fun to make a few Christmas cards in dolly size.

You will need:
 your printer/scanner
card stock (preferably glossy)
rotary cutter or scalpel
metal ruler
cutting matt

 I used a few old Christmas cards that I'd kept, scanned the outside and saved it to my computer, then resized the images. Of course you could use copyright free pictures found on the net if it's easier.

I wanted my cards to be suitable for my larger dolls so all my cards were sized to 95 mm on the longest side when the card was fully opened. I then cut and pasted them to one A4 size sheet, printed them on card (at 72 p/cm or if you prefer inches, 182.88 dpi) and cut each one out.

Finished dimensions of the cards opened flat: 95 x 70 mm (3.75 x 2.75 in) approx.

Sorry about the colour, I know they're looking washed out. In hindsight I think the cards would have looked more vibrant had I used glossy card instead of the matt card.

This size is suitable for 16-18" dolls, as you can see by my little Animator doll.

I have reprinted them on 165 gsm glossy paper so you can see the difference it makes to the colour.

Hope you have fun making some for your dolls.

Big hugs,

X