Who Came Home In 2020

I sort of went a little crazy with the dolls in 2020, especially Tonner . . . I managed to bring home quite a haul ~

Tonner:
Patricia and Lacey (both Patsy's)
Kitty and Gale (both Tiny Kitty Collier's)
Sindy (Bridal Bliss)
Agatha Primrose (Want To Dance)
Tyler Wentworth (Party of the Season)

Betsy McCall 14" (Welcome Back C1996)

Ellowyne Wilde

Lizette Dionne (Ellowyne Wilde)
Penn (Ellowyne Wilde)

Prudence Moody (Ellowyne Wilde)

Amber Stanhope (Ellowyne Wilde)

Evangeline Ghastly

Angelique (Evangeline Ghastly)
Parnilla Ghastly (Evangeline Ghastly)
Mortimer Mort (Evangeline Ghastly)

Madame Alexander:
Cissy (21" Cissy)
Milly (10" Cissette)
Elisabeth Rose (13" Renoir Pink)
Alice Delphine (13" Renoir Blue)

Integrity Toys:
Poppy Parker and Ginger Gilroy

Mixed Play Dolls;
Evie and Mal (Disney Decendants)
Suzanne (Minouche)
Willa and Kendall (Wellie Wishers)
Naomi, Caroline, Lucy, Barbara (Paola Reina Las Amigas)
DeeDee Garnet (1997 Dolly Dingle Garnet by Karen Kennedy for Goebel)
April (12" Pretty as Can Be Key to my Heart by The Doll Maker)

Lauryce (Hearts 4 Hearts)

Finally, there was an assortment of cute Asian dolls:
Petunia (Faux Holala)
Violetta (Ixdoll Mui-Chan Hachichi)
Snowdrop (Monst)
and two blank Faux Holala dolls for me to customise.

Total = 40 new arrivals.

I had hoped to add Rufus Rutter to my Ellowyne Wilde family of dolls before the end of the year, but I kept getting pipped at the post with my bidding on eBay. I consoled myself by purchasing Kitty and Patience instead . . . giving myself a nice start to 2021!

Still, I really need to move some of the dolls that need love and attention on to new homes, so I may concentrate on listing those before I even think of looking at adding any more. I have updated my wish list though. :)

I will also have my new kitchen cupboards and appliances (Christmas pressies from hubby) to assemble and paint, so I can create my kitchen diorama. I had so much fun building dioramas this past year and it made staying at home so much more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been.

What about you? Do you have your eye on a particular doll or any other special dolly plans in the works for 2021?

I Need Patience

What or who is Patience, you ask? She’s a little girl just filled with curiosity, apparent in her eager eyes. Patience is a doll like no other . . . she’s 14” tall with attitude as big as her head (meaning her head is delightfully . . . full!) and eyes that move from side to side as she contemplates her next adventure.

The graceful and gentle Wilde Imagination, Robert Tonner sculpted Patience doll is a character that has always stood for the wholesomeness of youth.

The 2018 Phyn & Aero Just Have Patience remains very much the same, she is still a testament to wide-eyed childhood innocence and imagination. Her eyes are as before . . . huge and “flirty,” with applied eyelashes and she still featured 12 points of articulation. This doll was the very last version of a beloved Tonner classic, limited to just 225 pieces and originally priced at US$175.

I thought about purchasing her for quite some time, before I made the decision to bring home this little one instead, the deciding factor being the colour of her eyes and lips. She's my last doll purchase for 2020, but she's not expected to arrive much before Valentine's day, 2021.

Springtime Patience was produced by Wilde Imagination in 2015 as a limited edition of 300. She features the Patience head, Harry Potter body, with grey-green eyes, pale coral lips and wigged brown hair. She is articulated at the elbow, wrist, knee and ankle as well as having a rotating hip.

I also want to mention, she can share clothes and shoes with Marley Wentworth and Tonner's 12" Harry Potter dolls. 

All Patience dolls pay tribute to the sweetness of little girls. She is a doll who will surely test my patience as she throws my dolly world into disarray!

Kitty Collier's coming in 2021

Yesterday I felt the need to indulge in a little dolly shopping on eBay. I found a 2000 version of the 18" Kitty listed by a dealer (not a doll collector), so I made a ridiculous offer (mainly to compensate for the shipping costs) and much to my surprise, it was accepted. She has the KC head and body, with the most beautifully styled rooted blonde hair, pretty blue inset eyes and a stunning gown.

As you may already be aware I have two Tiny Kitty Colliers, one redhead (2004 Basic), one blonde (Evening Gala) and a beautiful brunette Tonner Sindy (Bridal Bliss) who all arrived mid 2020. So it should come as no surprise that I would also purchase this 18" version, especially being a bride. Although I would have preferred a red haired gal, it's a pleasant change.

  

"In a make-believe time and place, Kitty opens up her dress shop, which boasts the most beautiful clothing and accessories. Always the height of elegance, Kitty wears her highly detailed ensembles with great feminine flair. In 2000, Kitty Collier™ made her debut, marching onto the fashion doll scene as an unprecedented 18” full vinyl fashion doll with a vintage touch, bringing a breath of fresh air to collectors everywhere. All Kitty Collier™ dolls have rooted hair and high quality inset eyes. Since 2003, Kitty Collier™ has had bent knees, swivel waist and rotational hip joints making her ever so poseable."

As you can see from the photos, she looks like she's in excellent condition, so I am feeling pretty pleased with myself and my purchase. I probably should not have purchased any more dolls until I made more room, but who can resist a pretty doll at Christmas?

Demi Longueur

The English translation of the French words "demi longueur" is half length, it's a term which was popular in the mid-century salons and runways of Paris.

One of the many introductions in the 1950's fashion parade was the ballerina length dresses and gowns that Dior made famous. Dior specifically used the phrase "Demi Longueur" to refer to this longer hem line.

Madam Alexander was quick to incorporate this length into her costuming for Cissy, as shown in this article written by Bruce Allen de Armond.

There are several other terms used for this signature length and there are slight differences in the term of “tea-gown,” “3/4 length” and “ballerina length” . . .  however, overall, "demi longueur" is the one featured in the numerous dresses and gowns made for “Cissy” from 1955 to 1962 by Madame A. 

However, I have wondered if Madame A may have initially been inspired by this beautiful, feminine gown made by Dior in 1947, as she used often tulle to make Cissy's dresses.

Now, do you remember this post, well her hair kept getting tangled and her boots fell apart, so I decided to take a leaf out of Madam A's book and make my Cissy a new outfit . . . my own version of the "demi longueur".

This dress is completely handsewn, including the top stitching on the collar . . .

 

and the pin tucking on the skirt.

I also changed her wig, to a Monique Gold with beautiful ringlet curls. It's still fine hair, but it's more manageable than the one she came with, and as luck would have it, I had a pair of shoes that matched this outfit and which fitted her perfectly.

Sometimes things simply fall into place and now she's redressed, I feel she deserves to keep her original name . . . Cissy!

Finished!

 This may well be the last post I'll be making before Christmas, but I thought I should let you see the diorama of the Paris studio apartment finished.

Well as finished as it's going to be at the moment . . . I'm still undecided about the pulls for the blinds and I need some miniature pampas grass or something similar to go in my large black urn . . . maybe I'll end up just finding something in my garden.

I hope all of my readers have a Happy Christmas despite the current pandemic . . . stay safe and well until my return and if you need something to occupy time in lockdown, check out this link to the artist who drew this Christmas card!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM DOWN UNDER!

A Small Insight

For the past few days I have been working on a new diorama (using the kit room) . . . my "Paris Studio Apartment" . . . and I have almost completed the Holland Blinds for the two windows. I still need to add either a ring or tassel to the bottom of the blind . . . however, I haven't made up my mind which will look better.

Of course no studio apartment would be complete without a number of cushions for added comfort. Quite a bit of sewing needed here, but these are now finished and ready to go.

It also required a bookshelf . . . so I used the plastic one from my IKEA Huset set and glued on a painted Crocodile board back panel to give it a fresh look.

Next I made some canvases to hang on the walls (using pictures found on Pinterest) which reflect the colours used throughout this diorama.

I'm still painting new furniture and sourcing final bits 'n' pieces, but it shouldn't be long before I can show you the completed diorama. I hope you like what I've shown you so far.

Just in case you're wondering, the room colours are based on the triadic scheme used in the fabric which I chose to use for the blinds.

A Hint of Colour

I'm still up to my eyeballs with making/painting my own diorama furniture, so I have been too busy to take photos this week. However, I have this post which I hope will help my fellow diorama enthusiasts who may be struggling with colour.

Colour plays an important role when it comes to decorating a diorama and the use of a colour wheel is really beneficial to develop colour schemes with these key approaches.

Monochromatic 

Three shades, tones or tints of one base colour. This variation of a single colour creates schemes which are serene and relaxing. Light tones create a relaxed delicate feel, whereas dark tones can feel moody and dramatic. Mixing light and dark tones is easy to apply to design projects for a harmonious look.

Complementary

These colours can be found on the opposite sides of the colour wheel, such as lime and hot pink or blue and orange. Used together, the colours will appear brighter and more prominent.

Contrasting

Colours which are not in the same colour “family” or that aren’t exactly harmonious can work very well together. By using a bold or deep colour from one area of the colour spectrum and using a lighter colour from a different family, the overall impact can be quite striking, like lemon yellow and royal blue.

Aside from those above, there are other combinations, such as Triadic and Split Complimentary, but for the purpose of making dioramas, they are not really necessary. As the saying goes "less is more" and it's easy to complicate a room by introducing too many variations of colour into such a small space.

I hope this post helps those aspiring diorama builders out there in the dolly world, colour is a great inspiration to me and so much fun to experiment with and I do love having fun . . .  don't you?

NOTE; PHOTOS WERE SOURCED FROM PINTEREST

Quick Note & A Belated Happy Halloween

Some of you have already picked up on this, but just to bring you up to date . . . I recently changed the title of A Little Dolly Toybox to The Little Dolly Toybox, so you may want to change any links you have to it.

An oldie but a goodie :)

I'm still working on my diorama, but should have some new photos for you soon. Things have been kinda hectic here lately as Victoria has finally come out of stage 4 lockdown and we can now travel up to 25 kilometres from home, shops and food outlets are open again too. So after 112 days of total hibernation, I have managed to have my nails done and actually have a proper lunch with my daughter and dine at a restaurant with my hubby . . . feels sooooo good!

I know things are not going well in the northern hemisphere and I hope and pray you all stay safe and healthy. Keep safe distancing and WEAR YOUR MASKS!!! I know they can be horribly annoying, but believe me it helps.

Diorama Progress

It's been a little while since I last posted and I am aware I have been slack in replying to all your comments, for this I apologise. At this late stage I probably won't get round to it, but I thank you for them and for continuing to drop by.

I have finally found a few moments to take photos of my diorama progress so far, though they are not the best. However, they will give you an idea of what I have been doing so far . . . and there's so much more to come.

This is the gold room, with a salmon coloured carpet which I have decided to use with another room in future. I am also working on a small half round side table with a pink marble top to go under the back window.

I'm happier with this carpet, though it's only made of paper as a test run. I will re-print it on fabric at a later date.

I still need to re-paint the skirting boards so they are nice and white like the window frames. I am really happy with the marble floor though. The gold and grey furniture is available in raw form from Fairy Meadow Miniatures.

With the room box walls reversed and the grey furniture which will eventually be used in my Fleur & Ruben diorama. The ice mint furniture below, was made from kits I purchased from Etsy (sorry I cannot remember the name of the store). The carpet is also made of paper, and which I will re-print on fabric.

You can see more clearly the garden scenes I have used outside the windows. I made these by using photos of gardens I found on the internet, printing them out on A4 paper then gluing it to crocodile board. Hubby made me wooden stands to slot them in, which is great, because I can change them as I need.

My models were my Kurhn Fashion Week Sweet Lolita and my Integrity Toys Poppy Parker™ Gardens of Versailles. Well that's it for today my lovelies.

Keeping Wall Art in 1:6 Scale

When selecting wall art for your diorama, size is nearly as important as the composition of the piece. An improperly sized picture can either overwhelm a room or allow the room to overwhelm it, neither of which is aesthetically pleasing.

Tall, narrow walls will work best with art of a similar shape, created in a portrait, or vertical orientation, while horizontal wall spaces like a hallway, work best with landscape oriented artwork. 

As a general rule, for a wall with no furniture the art (including the frame width if it has one) should take up approx. 66% of the space. This will prevent it from looking lost and allow the remaining area of wall to frame the piece nicely.

When hanging over furniture like a sofa, table, etc. the art should be 75% the width of the furniture. Over the fireplace mantle, it's best not to extend wider than the width of the fireplace opening.

To determine what the height of a piece to choose for a bare wall, keep in mind it should be hung with the center point at the eye-level of your doll . . . don't hang it too high or too low!

If you find several pieces within the same color palette or story which you particularly like, or to display your own mini photography in frames, you can group together those which are all the same size, or create real visual interest by grouping together pieces of varying sizes.

Music is the story behind this gallery composition.

Tip:

If you choose to do a gallery wall, lay the pieces out on the floor first, allowing the same separation between each one, then measure the total groupings height and width and make sure it follows the same guidelines above for filling up your space.

NOTE: All photos were sourced from Pinterest.

Think Outside the Box

Many of us would like to have a room in the perfect scale to suit all our dolls, but not many of us have homes large enough to house them all. Personally I find dioramas in the 1:6 scale work best for me. But no matter what size you want to create, here are a few things that I have found make creating a room a bit easier.

Before beginning a diorama, I like to browse interior decorating magazines, paint booklets and home furnishing catalogues like IKEA publishes. I cut pictures out of the rooms I'd like to make and keep them in a folder to use for future reference. These help figure out furniture layouts and suitable colour combinations for my dioramas.

I've been working on a new diorama using a kit from Fairy Meadows, where the walls can be reversed and also separated for easy storage. I'm creating two rooms using different colour palettes, one cool, one warm. 

I've painted a faux marble floor, it's a neutral colour and compliments my two palettes, but contact paper is another simple option . . . there are some great patterns available which are suitable for both hardwood floors or tiles, the final choice will depend on which room needs decorating.

As my kit room came with a rear wall and two sides, I'm decorating all three walls in individual colours, then by placing alternate pieces of furniture and taking photos from two separate angles, I am able to make my photos look like they were taken in two different rooms.

For cutting the skirting boards at a 45° angle, I use my hubby's mitre box, but you can find reasonably priced small ones at Bunnings and Hobby Tools has a great little mitre set here. It's also useful when making architraves, cornices and picture frames. This tool helps achieve a more profession finish on all the corners. 

When attaching wall art and other items like mirrors, I use a low tack painter's tape which can be removed without damaging wall surfaces (also available at Bunnings).

Suggestions:

Think about simple things that will create an interesting interior design i.e. I found some perspex jewellery risers which I previously used as tables in an earlier mid century diorama. Train yourself to look at things you find in your daily life, to see how they could be used in a way other than for what was intended, i.e. place-mats can be used as rugs, an egg cup could be up turned to create a table base. The $2 shops are a great place to look for items that which can easily be utilised in this way.

When it comes to soft furnishings like curtains, bed linen or pillows, Spotlight has fat quarters of quilting fabric for a couple of dollars each. Many of these have tiny prints and they are usually arranged in blocks of colour, which makes it easy to select co-ordinating fabrics for each room.

When pulling it all together, make the room appear lived in and select items which compliment the story you are trying to tell with your dolls i.e. a small child's room may have toys on the floor, a bean bag in a corner, stuffed animals on the bed, a colourful bunting hanging on the wall or all four. Depending on the child your portraying, the room could be ultra tidy or completely messy.

The room above is a good example of a lived in lounge room, see the cardigan on the back of the chair, items on the coffee table, goblets on the side table and throw on the sofa.

And don't forget lighting, it plays an important roll when it comes to photographing your room/s. IKEA and Bunnings sell all kinds of LED lights that put off very little heat and can be used to great effect as concealed ceiling lights.

I'm, still working on mine, but I will show photos when it's completed. In the meantime, I hope this post helps when and if you want to make a diorama of your own. 

Zombie Prom

Zombie Prom Amber is a doll from the Ellowyne Wilde line. She was produced by Wilde Imagination in 2013 as a limited edition of 150 for the Wilde Halloween Convention and retailed at US$199.

This doll features the Amber Stanhope head with an Ellowyne body in a pale skin tone. She has inset hazel eyes with applied eyelashes, wigged raven hair, articulated elbows, wrists and knees.

Her outfit comprises a tiara (which is attached to the wig), a dress with a glittery black bodice, ruffled black and grey chiffon skirt, black net gauntlets and a “Prom Queen” sash. Underneath she wears tights and black glittery platform shoes.

She's not from the USA this time round, nor Australia, but from New Zealand. Her parcel shipped to day so hopefully the trip won't take too long, but knowing how impatient I become, it will still not be quick enough.

TONNER STOCK PHOTOS

Something about her beautiful face reminds me of Snow White, but hubby sees her as an Evil Queen. :) How do you see her?