JR Again

After restyling her beautiful hair and dressing her ready for bed . . .

The joint at the top of the knee rotates and the other bends on a hinge below the knee cap.

The joint above the ankle rotates and the one below bends up and down.

Her wrists work the same way and the elbow has a ball and hinge combined. These are really peculiar joints, but so versatile, I think this gal is going to be a keeper for sure.  I even like her hands!

Her hair is so silky and rooted nicely, so when you put the hair up, it looks very natural, no funny odd bits at the back at all. And wouldn't you know it, (aside from my rotten photography shadows) she photographs quite well. I am really beginning to love her face just as it is . . . there's a special quality about it . . . do you see it too?

Well that's it for me today, enjoy your weekend, I know I will. :)

Big hugs, X

Jolina Riding

After seeing the lovely face-ups that Urszula has done on the 33cm Jolina dolls over on her blog, I though it might be fun to tackle one myself . . . now whether I ever do is something else.

So off to eBay I went, in the hope of finding one at a low enough price, that it wouldn't matter if I stuffed it up. I was surprised to find one in such a reasonably good condition.

Most of the less expensive ones were naked and many had pen/texta marks on, which I wasn't sure could be removed, but this one was clean and had almost all it's original clothing as well. She wasn't a Jolina Ballerina, as most on eBay seemed to be, but a Zapf Jolina in a riding costume (minus her boots and blouse).

Her face had no marks that I could see and her hair was in pretty good condition as well.

To me it felt like I was getting a bargain, so I purchased her and brought her home. On examining her with her garments removed I discovered she had 5 joints in her arm, wrist (2), elbow (a combination of 1 rotational and 1 hinge) and shoulder, 5 joints in her legs, ankle (2), knee (2) and hip, as well as her neck and torseau. The shoulder and hip joints are similar to the elbow, but not exactly the same.

Not quite sure what she's made of, plastic or hard vinyl, she's so unlike any of my other dolls. The hair is rooted so I'd say the head is vinyl, but the body is much firmer and quite shiny. She can stand and pose really well on her own, which I love.

The only negative I could find is that some of her joints are not very elegant to look at and are a tad more robotic when you see then IRL. Also some of her seams are noticable in places. On the other hand, her measurements are great and quite similar to several of my other dolls, so I can see clothes sharing as never being a problem.

I found this photo while browsing, but don't have any idea who's it is.

I had not seen these dolls anywhere, apart from Urszula's blog: I don't think they were ever for sale in Australia, though it appears they were quite popular in Europe. I tried looking for info regarding the Jolina dolls on the internet, and managed to find a couple of  Youtube videos on Jolina Ballerina, but nothing on this riding doll. Then quite by chance, I found these pics on Pinterest.

After more digging, I discovered the Spanish store, Puppentoys.com had stocked a range of Disney Princesses with the Jolina body; Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Snow White and Cinderella, which retailed around £25, however, there aren't any available from the store now.

Actually, none of the Zapf Jolina dolls are at all easy to find, it looks as though they have been discontinued. Urszula thinks these were released around 2010 or 2011. Limited quantities do remain for sale online, but often in used or damaged condition and/or at dramatically marked-up prices. However, if your patient in your search or live in Europe, you may still be lucky to find a doll at a reasonable price, as I did, but that was more a case of being in the right place, at the right time.

If anyone has any further information, I would love to hear from you. :)
Big hugs, X

Hands Full of Dolls

I've been seriously thinking of downsizing my doll collection. I don't necessarily mean selling off all my dolls, but actually culling them to a doll size that I love to hold in my hands. So before going completely crazy, I wanted to see how many dolls would  fit into my favourite size, roughly 11 to 15" (28-38 cm), so I began this journey by listing both my BJD's and play dolls below ~

Vestida de Azul 11" (28 cm)

Spanish made, flange jointed doll which stands alone, has a full vinyl body with inset eyes, fibre eyelashes, rooted textured hair and natural face paint. (If you click on the photo and open in a new window, you will see how beautiful her face is.)

I own Carlota an African Girl.

These dolls come dressed, as was Carlota before I redressed her, or you can purchase them with just a simple pair of undies and dress them yourself.

Which is what I did with my straight red haired Paulina (shown below).

Neo-AngelRegion 3.0 iMda 12" (30.5 cm)

Sculpted by Dong A Lim, distributed by Soom, these lovely limited resin BJD's are really childlike in appearance.

She poses quite well most of the time, but on occasions I have had a problem with the neck. The head is quite heavy and the top of the neck a little large, it bulges a bit where it fits into the head, so the head sometimes falls forward. This could perhaps be adjusted by changing or tightening the elastics inside, but I haven't tried to do that yet.

I have Babette, with face up done by Brisbane face-up artist Mallory (Petitemarine on DoA).

P.S. I also have a 10.25" (26 cm) Colette by the same artists.

Schildkroet-Puppen Wichtel Dolls 12" (30 cm)

Made from German vinyl which is phthalate free and wonderful to touch. The dolls, designed by Rosemarie Muller, have 5 points of articulation, glass eyes and styled wigs, which are glued onto their heads.

Their are only a small selection of Rosemarie's original molds which Schildkroet are licenced to manufacture.

I own Rosi and Lea.

Although the Schildkroet dolls are not as expensive as Rosemarie's exclusive dolls, they are still not very cheap to purchase. They are however, worth every penny! The garments they come with are beautifully made and their little shoes are made of real leather. It's for this reason, I have kept both dolls in their originals clothes.

Paola Reina "Las Amigas" 12.6" (32 cm)

This cherished Spanish brand is entirely hand crafted using only the finest European materials. They are designed with heart and made with the utmost care and attention to details including hand painted facial features, sparkling eyes, lush rooted hair that can be combed, brushed and styled. They come either ready to dress or dressed with accessories.

I own Claire, Cristi, Dasha, Lui, and Nora.

There were only three molds when I purchased mine, but there is a recent addition. Each of these molds are styled differently, either by vinyl, hair or eye colour and if you wish, clothes.

My Nora and Lui are the same mold, Dasha and Cristi are also from the same mold, Claire is ... well look HERE for yourself, there are many!

Vestida de Azul 13" (33 cm)

Another Spanish made, flange jointed doll which stands alone. She is slightly taller than my other VDA, has a full vinyl body with inset eyes, fibre eyelashes, rooted textured hair and natural face paint.

She came to me nude, apart from her nickers, as I wanted to style her hair myself and see what clothes I had made for other dolls, actually fitted her too.

I own a Paulina with red hair and blue eyes.

Liz Frost "Wizworx" 13" (33 cm)

Liz had been collecting and dressing Himstedt dolls when she first discovered BJDs. The fineness and posing ability certainly piqued her interest. The ball joint system and accuracy it took to make it all work fascinated her.

She was very fortunate to meet Kaye Wiggs and her dolls, and Kaye became not only a friend, but a very generous mentor.

Now this wonderful Australian home grown artist is sculpting the most beautiful resin BJD's of her own.

I own Fifi, Mia and Lunette, with Willowmenia on order.

Personally I prefer Liz's dolls to Kaye's, however, she's not so prolific. I guess in a way, that's a good thing ... her dolls become a little more exclusive.

Corolle Les Chéries 13" (33 cm)

Founded in France over 30 years ago, today Corolle are recognised as one of the world's leading manufacturers of quality vinyl dolls.

Their face, arms and legs are made of touchable soft vinyl, delicately vanilla scented. She also has a vinyl body, sleepy eyes and long silky hair that is easily styled.

They come with a very trendy closet full of chic and pretty outfits and accessories that are the height of fashion.

Corolle have discontinued Les Chéries and replaced them with Ma Cherie Creations, which are nowhere near as lovely. These could be styled though, so it's a thought for the future.

I own Camille.

Effner Little Darling 13" (33 cm)

Vinyl dolls produced from original sculptures by American Artist, Dianna Effner. They are hand painted by a group of artists who have been trained by Dianna and authorised to paint her "Little Darlings".

I own a #1 sculpt beautifully hand painted by Joyce Matthews.

As much as I absolutely adore the four face molds being painted by these selected artists, I think they are way overpriced for a vinyl doll which is only 5 way articulated and the waiting list (which in my opinion, is artificially created to encourage demand) is far, far too long.

The hard vinyl has a matt finish and has a slight grey tinge to it, which is very noticeable alongside other dolls, whether vinyl or resin.

P.S. I have a small 8" version of this doll in porcelain, which is also hand painted, that I purchased for $50 at a local doll show and she is just as delightful.

Petitcollin Minouche 13.4" (34 cm)

Designed by Sylvia Natterer, their vinyl body has five points of articulation, with the ability to stand. Their faces are delicately hand painted and their real looking rooted hair, is durable enough for washing, combing and styling.

They are not an inexpensive doll, by any means, but they have the most  appealing faces, which I find very peaceful and calming to look at..

Extra clothes are available to fit Minouche.

I don't own any of these dolls, but I would love Romy.

Playmates Hearts 4 Hearts 14" (35.5 cm)

In 2010 Playmates aimed to "change the world one heart at a time" with Hearts For Hearts Girls, a line of beautiful, multicultural, dolls that delivered an empowering message to girls around the world.

The dolls won a number of industry awards, including a Doll of the Year award from Doll Reader, a coveted Oppenheim Toy Portfolio award and a Ten Best Socially Responsible Products from Dr. Toy.

They have been discontinued and I don't own any of these dolls, but I'm looking for a Lauryce or Dell. (The photo belongs to Once Upon a Doll Collection.)

Kaye Wiggs Mini Dolls 14" (35.5 cm)

Kaye, an Australian doll artist, began by making porcelain reproduction dolls in 1989 and then sculpted her first doll in 1990. Soon after, she began designing dolls for the Australian company "Dolls From Down Under". Kaye also made molds for reproduction mold companies in the USA and later designed dolls for the Home Shopping Network.

Around 2004-5, Kaye began sculpting BJD's, initially making limited edition dolls and which she cast in resin herself. Now, she collaborates with Grace from J-Pop Dolls in the USA to have her resin dolls factory produced for pre-order.

I own a Mini Layla.

I shan't be purchasing more of these dolls as the US shipping, on top of the already pricey doll, makes it too expensive!

D'Nenes Marieta 14.2" (36 cm)

Styled by Carmen Gonzalez, these all vinyl dolls are manufactured in Spain, in the Alicante town of Onil, with the same artisan processes used for the last 30 years.

The vinyl is quite lovely, very smooth and seam free, and although the body is a little chubby, these dolls easily stand on their own. Eyes are fixed acrylic with a realistic patina.

There are three different face molds and they come dressed. Their little shoes fit well, but unfortunately the clothes tend to let them down.

I own two Marietas; an Afro-American and a Peruvian version.

I may purchase another of these down the track as I'd love a little red head. :)

AG Wellie Wishers 14.5" (36.8 cm)

Vinyl dolls produced by American Girl® and made in Indonesia, this doll is sized just right for younger girls (just like me 😊 ) and features five fun loving characters - Ashlyn, Camille, Emerson, Kendall and Willa.

As you are well aware if you actually read my blog, I am passionate about dolls that smile and show their tiny teeth. I think this is very natural thing for little children to do, so why shouldn't the child like dolls do it too.

I think any face that smiles at you has a way of worming their way into your heart and taking you to a happy place, don't you?

I don't own any of these little dolls yet, but I'm looking for a Kendall or perhaps a Willa.

Here are the dolls all lined up in the nuddy, so you can see the shape of each of their bodies.

I do have several other dolls, some childlike, which are smaller, ranging from 4.25 to 10" (11 to 25.5 cm) mainly Fairyland or Iplehouse BJD's. Of course there are others which would also fit into this size category, but they are more mature in body shape. However, as this post is very long, I will leave them for another time.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, I hope you manage to have some quiet dolly time. :)
Big hugs,
X