Who Came Home in 2019?

There were very few additions to my collection of BJD's and play dolls in 2019.

Only two BJD's ~ Lucy Locket (Liz Frost Willowmenia arrived in Nov.) and Buttons the Tailor (Fairyland Pukifee Jude arrived in Dec.), which you have seen recently, bringing my total BJD collection to 85.

And just three play dolls ~ Annie Rose (a Vestida de Azul Paulina), JR (a Zapf Jolina) who is fully articulated but not actually a BJD and Camille (Corolle Les Cheries). These all arrived in September, which meant the playdolls rose to 45. Hopefully, this will be narrowed down quite a bit this year, as I plan to keep mostly the smaller sizes . . . 14" and under.

I want to sell all of my 16" Disney Animator dolls, unfortunately I'll probably have to let them go for much less than I paid for them, which is a disappointment, especially as I went to the trouble of knitting them all new outfits (although I did sell one doll last year, it wasn't an Animator).

However, my fashion doll collection had a huge influx from Integrity Toys. Between January and October there were ten arrivals, four of which were Poppy Parkers, bringing the IT total to 12. I also pre-ordered a two doll gift set which will arrive in April this year, so I'm not sure if that counts as a 2019 or a 2020 purchase.

Of course there have been some clothing changes with this lot, which I might add, will change again in the not too distant future . . . well at least I have plans, but right at this moment very little motivation. Nevertheless, as soon as I can get my butt into gear and begin sewing again, I promise the changes will be awesome.

As my grand total has reached 142 (which is far more dolls than I thought I would ever own), I have no plans for any additions this year (apart from those on pre-order) and I shall endeavour to reduce this amount down to 130 by the end of 2020. Wish me luck! I think I'm going to need it. :)

Lucy Locket

After spending the last few days with her, and in keeping with the Nursery Rhyme theme I used for my previous three Liz Frost (Wizworx) dolls, Willowmenia has chosen the name Lucy Locket as hers. But of course she couldn't possibly be Lucy Locket without a "pocket" of her own, so I made her one.

Do any of you remember this singing this nursery rhyme when you were a child?

Lucy Locket lost her pocket,

Kitty Fisher found it;

Not a penny was there in it,

Only ribbon round it.

Historically, the term "pocket" referred to a pouch worn around the waist by women in the 17th to 19th centuries in which they would keep their small belongings. Skirts or dresses of the time had a slit at the waistline to allow access to the pocket which hung around the woman's waist by a ribbon. They were a pre-cursor to the 19th century handbag and the pocket that we now find in our skirts and trousers.

Willowmenia Needs a Name

I took a few photos of Willowmenia today and although she has my full attention at present, she still hasn't revealed her personality. I really don't want to keep the name given to her by Liz (it's a bit of a mouthful), but this darling doll is not opening up to me in any way. How do you find a name for a doll who keeps secrets?

When I have more time, I will have to do something about her eyelashes (at least the ones on her left eye or right when you look at her) as they became detached when I was inserting her very stubborn eyes. I did try putting them back on, but without a great deal of success . . . they are on, but they are not sitting as they should.

I thought yellow would be a complimentary colour for her beautiful chocolate resin and when I found a pair of MimiWoo yellow and white shoes amongst my stash which fitted her to perfection, I assumed I was on the right track.

Her outfit was designed by me, made without a pattern and stitched completely by hand. The eight piece outfit is comprised of a 100% Cotton (quilting weight) dress & matching hair band, Cotton Tana Lawn bloomers and over skirt, Supersoft Cotton Interlock arm and leg warmers.

Willowmenia is wearing an Off Black Monique Gold Geneva wig and has brown glass eyes.

Plans Gone Awry

I had been planning to share photos of Willowmenia (my Liz Frost doll) this week, but unfortunately her shipping has been delayed due to the fires throughout the north east coast of Australia. There are fires burning from The Sunshine Coast through to Canberra. You can see the extent of them here.

PHOTO: Brittany Daly

These fires are horrendous and so many people have lost their homes (577 in the last two weeks) and all their belongings. The homes can always be rebuilt and furniture can be replaced. However, you cannot replace photographs or personal items that have special memories attached to them.

Over a million hectares (2.5 million acres) have now been razed across New South Wales since the start of this year's unprecedented bushfire season. People have been killed and there has been so much destruction on the state's mid-north coast and northwest where bushfires ravaged regional towns. The rail between Brisbane and Sydney has been shut down, as the the lines have been warped by the fire.

Liz is right in the thick of this, at present she's okay, but it must be scary to have these fires so close to home. Being right on the coast, I think Liz should remain safe, however, the highway is closed and not knowing which way the fire will head next, my doll will remain with her until Liz knows it's safe to send her.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those in the fire zone as things have been predicted to worsen. With forecasts of a heatwave later this week and temperatures expected to climb past 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, I am really dreading the outcome.

PHOTO: ABC

Sydney has been covered in smoke haze, South Australia has also had fires with 111 schools closed due to temperatures of 42C. Now fires are out of control in Western Australia.  What makes me really sick to my stomach is that some of these fires have been deliberately lit by teenagers . . . I don't know what goes on in those people's heads.

Meanwhile, the northern part of Victoria faces scorching days as northerly winds will leave temperatures well over 40C both today and tomorrow, which has prompted the CFA to declare a total fire ban for the Mallee region.

Melbourne was expected to heat up today before hitting one of its hottest November days ever, as temperatures are forecast to hit 39C tomorrow, so I'm going to take my doggy for his walk now before it gets too hot and I'll be back in a few days, hopefully with something more positive to talk about.

Project: Diorama for Mia Mary

For some time now, Mia Mary (Liz Frost's 14" Mia) has been wanting of a room of her own. So it was up to me to provide one for her . . . we can't have unhappy dolls living in this house. :) The diorama is the largest I have done so far . . . measuring 80cm/31.5" wide x 50cm/19.75" deep x 50cm/19.75" high.

This chair, footstool and table was purchased as a raw flat-pack from Le Quak on Etsy, then I assembled, painted and upholstered it all myself.

As this was a bedroom, Mia needed an outfit to sleep in and so I knitted her a set of baby doll pyjamas. They were designed by Jacqueline Gibb of Jacknitss and the pattern is available on Ravelry.

Hubby had made and painted a bed for her some time ago, but I only finished the duvet (using the same fabric as the upholstered chair) just recently. BTW do you remember me showing you these fabrics? Then I made cushions and knitted the throw to co-ordinate.

Had I known when hubby made the bed, that I was going to paint the chair this pretty Spring White (which is really a very pale shade of aqua), I would have told him not to paint it, so all her furniture would be the same colour. But I guess the white bed doesn't look too much out of place, seeing that the pot that the plant is in, is also white.

The fireplace, which you have seen before, also has the mantel painted Spring White. The blue wall and green flooring is fabric stuck to foam-core board. However, I am thinking of re-doing the floor with wood planks and adding a rug to give the room more texture.

I also need to do something about providing a window for her to look out and finish her standard lamp which I am currently working on. The little tea-set is miniature bone china by Wedgwood.

Well that's it for today. Hope your weekend is happy and creative!

Big hugs,

A Stunner On Order

It's been a long, long time between BJD's and I almost had reached the point where I thought I wouldn't ever order another one. Then out of the blue I received an email from Liz Frost with a photo of this little lass. Her name is Willowmenia.

Isn't she just about the sweetest little girl you have ever seen? It was love at first sight for me, but then I have always had a soft spot for Liz's dolls. I already own three of her little ladies, Fifi, Mia and Lunette who have been named and dressed as Miss Muffet, Mary Quite Contrary and Little Bo Peep. 

I shall be ordering Willowmenia in chocolate resin as my other girls are in light tan and fair. She is 13" tall, my perfect size for BJD's and with the most beautifully formed hands that I adore.

Here she is in tan skin (left) and fair skin (right), and below in a gorgeous red wig that suits her so well. I think if I'd had the money, I would have ordered this version too (you all know my weakness for red haired little girls).

Willowmenia is on pre-order until the end of May, with a payment plan of 50% now, balance and shipping when ready for delivery, which will probably be around six months, so that leaves plenty of time to save. :)

Let me know what you think . . . does she steal your heart too?   CLICK HERE TO ORDER ONE NOW or to see more photos of these gorgeous dolls.
Big hugs,
X

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!

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

Making it a Trio

I've a little dolly news for you . . . Liz Frost of Wizworx has these darling dolls up for pre-order today. Lunette and Lukas are smaller versions of Liz's Luna, and the same size as my Mia Mary and Fifi Muffet. They will be available in Fair Skin and Light Tan and you'll find them HERE!

PHOTOS POSTED WITH PERMISSION from LIZ FROST
WHO RETAINS the COPYRIGHT.

After bringing home my gorgeous light tan girls and being absolutely thrilled with the quality of Liz's dolls, I have decided to add a fair skin Lunette to my collection. Lunette will make a wonderful sibling for Fifi and Mia, bringing my Liz Frost dolls up to three (I dislike even numbers).

Here are a few close up variations of the fair skin Lunette, however there are more gorgeous photos on Liz's website, so please pop on over.

I quite like the dark haired girl the most, though they are all beautiful. As I have Fifi as a redhead and Mia as a brunette, I really would like my lovely Lunette to be a blonde this time . . . but we will see when she arrives. :)

Waiting is going to be the hardest, as it could be as long as six months before she arrives home, and you know how impatient I get waiting for a doll to arrive. Boy am I going to be antsy around October this year! GULP!

Well I have much more to attend to today, so I'll catch up with all your blogs on the weekend.

Hope you all have a great one!

Hugs,

X

Another New Arrival

Mia Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

I have sweet pea and anemone,

And sunflowers all in a row.

I finished her pretty pink dress last weekend, but had to wait until today for Mia to arrive, before I could take these photos.

 

Mia was also sculpted by Australian doll artist, Liz Frost (Wizworx). Both Fifi Muffet and Mia Mary are 13" tall, have simply the best posing abilities and are probably at this stage of my collecting, the most loved of all my BJD's.

I find them a good size to handle and dress, beyond easy to pose and wonderfully photogenic to boot!

Miss Fifi Muffet

My sweet Fifi Muffet,
Sat on her tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey,
When along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And asked "Are you having a good day?"

Fifi replied: "Yes, do you like my pantaloons?"

Fifi: "I ate my curds and whey, then the spider ran away!"

Sorry guys, I haven't finished making the backdrop for Fifi yet, but it's coming along nicely. :)

I'm Here!

Haven't got a lot of time today, but had to share Fifi's arrival. :)

Trying on a wig for size, but I rather like it on her.

She stands and poses really well.

Coming Soon!

I accidently came across a little cutie the other day and although it was love at first sight, my purse was relieved that this one's pre-order date had been and gone.

Then out of the blue one became available on the USA secondary market, but the lass had not received the doll as yet. I made enquiries and with her help we arranged for the doll to come to me straight from the artist Liz Frost of Wizworx (whom I paid, then Liz refunded the original payment back to the lass who had previously paid for the doll).

Of course the doll (which could easily be a boy or a girl, hence the names Finn or Fifi) will come to me quite naked, but with eyes and face up.

I was thinking this cheeky little face would make a perfect Miss Muffet, who would sit prettily on a tuffet ~ which for those who don't know, is a foot stool or low seat i.e. a pouffe, and something I could easily make myself.

My imagination has already painted a picture in my mind, and I can see her in a pretty bonnet, wearing a dress of white broderie anglaise, with bloomers peeking below.

I am extremely happy about supporting Australian BJD artists, and overjoyed to have finally discovered some "home grown" talent.

Both recent doll purchases, are the size I love best of all (around 13-14" tall) ~ so I have a feeling there will be many more Liz Frost and Kaye Wiggs dolls arriving in my studio in the not too distant future . . . so much for saying no more dolls!! :)