Photoshoot: Marina

This morning I spent a little more time with my pretty Marina and after dressing her and tying her hair back with a ribbon, I thought it was time for a photoshoot ~

As you can see, her hair is absolutely gorgeous, it's very full with just the right amount of wave and a lovely sheen.

I still haven't done anything about her eyebrows, but I think Marina would make a wonderful Snow White given the right costuming.

She has the most beautiful face. When I look at her lips and the way they have been sculpted and painted, I think some of the BJD artists could learn something from her . . . there is absolutely no need for a black line to be painted across these lips!

Well that's it for today . . . hope your weekend is off to a good start too!

Big hugs,

X

Vidal Rogas Mari Dolls

I haven't spoken much about my 16" (41cm) Vidal Rogas Mari Dolls, which arrived with help of my dear friend Sharon, back in October, 2017. So I thought it was about time I did.

Their bodies are naturally proportioned and are made of hard vinyl. When they were new, they smelt of vanilla, but that has completely faded away now.

They are five way jointed and although their heads turn, they do not move up or down. This makes posing them difficult, but they are still stunning to look at. The dolls come complete with undies, socks and shoes, which allows them to stand unaided.

My Cierra has beautiful straight red hair and fixed green eyes, with some very faint freckles sprinked across her very petite nose.

Whilst my Marina has wavy black hair with blue eyes, which I find very striking. I'm not a real fan of their eyebrows, but that could be easily fixed. (The current dolls have different eyebrows.)

Both dolls have hand applied eyelashes, which are very long and may not be to everyone’s liking, but trimming them is definitely an option. I like them just as they are! Their hair is rooted, thick and brushable.

These are really lovely dolls, which are made in Spain and usually sell for 19.95€ each, which in itself is really quite reasonable for a doll of this quality.

It's a little unfortunate for us in the English speaking world that their website is only written in Spanish or French, however, it looks like these dolls maybe going out of production, which is sad, because I wouldn't have minded adding a blonde with curly hair and brown eyes to my collection.

Well that's it for today kiddos.
Big hugs, X

Balenciaga Exhibit

As you know my daughter and I planned to go to Bendigo to see the Balenciaga Exhibition, which we did. We drove up on Sunday, and spent a good deal of the afternoon looking around Bendigo's gardens at the beautiful tulip displays. Then Monday we went to the Art Center to see the fashions.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera as planned and asked my daughter to take photos with her phone. Normally they would have been pretty reasonable to show here, however the lighting in the Art Center was so poor this time round the photos were not that great and even editing didn't help. That was disappointing in itself, but as we wandered through the collection, we noticed ...

there were very few pieces by Balenciaga himself, and that disappointed me the most. Much of what we saw was inspired by him, but produced by his contemporaries. What did impress me however, was the dress on the top right . . . look closely and you'll see it's inside out . . . the workmanship and finish is impeccable. Balenciaga truly was a perfectionist in every sense.

When we were leaving I purchased a copy of the book that accompanies the exhibition, and the introduction read:

"In the world of present-day dressmakers, Balenciaga stands apart . . . If Dior is the Watteau of dressmaking - full of nuances, chic, delicate and timely - then Balenciaga is fashion's Picasso. For like that painter, underneath all of his experiments with the modern, Balenciaga has a deep respect for tradition and a pure classic line."
Cecil Beaton, 1954

You can tell from the many quotations throughout the book, that Beaton was an avid admirer of Balenciaga and his workmanship.

"In his work Balenciaga shows the refinement of France and the strength of Spain. His dresses have elegance and solidity: like their maker, they can mingle with kings and keep the common touch. Balenciaga does not provide any startling changes. His is a slow and carefully worked out development."
Cecil Beaton, 1954

Already in 1954, Cecil Beaton acknowledged presciently the lasting quality of Balenciaga's vision and production. More than 60 years later, his words seem just as valid because the Spanish couturier's name has become a byword for quality among the cognoscenti, and gaining wider cultural currency as a result of the globalisation of the Balenciaga brand and the many exhibitions and publications around Balenciaga himself. In a profession that looks for heroes, and often praises or criticises too easily, Balenciaga stood out - and still stands out - on account of both his personal qualities and the unerringly high standard of his work.

Just two weeks before his death at the age of 77, he was still at work, applying his critical eye to his final invention, and making hands-on interventions. Appropriately this finale was - as in all good fashion shows - a wedding dress, and it was to receive major press coverage. Worn by the Spanish dictator's granddaughter Maria del Carmen Martinez-Bordiu y Franco for her marriage to Alfonso, Duque de Anjou y Cadiz on 8th March 1972.

Closest to Balenciaga in their working practises were his acolyte Hubert de Givenchy (b.1927) and his apprentices Andre Courreges (1924-2016) and Emanuel Ungaro (b. 1933). His successor, Nicolas Ghesquiere (b. 1971) was in contrast to the former, and the ready-to-wear designer to revive the reputation of the house in the late 1990's. Nicolas, who was born just a year before Balenciaga's death, did not know the Master, merely his reputation, and he did not really know the quality of his work until joining the house.

Photo above left: Courreges 1967. Photo above right: Mini-dress, Ghesquiere for Balenciaga 2006. Parallels between the couture production of Balenciaga and the high-end ready-to-wear of Ghesquiere's homage to Balenciaga are evident in the quality of the materials (plain silk and silk brocade) and the embellishment (crystal buttons and embroidery) and in the bouffant effect created by the pleated and flounced quilted skirt that is supported internally with gathered bunches of different fabric.

The house of Balenciaga has gone through many changes of ownership over the past few decades. In 2001 Gucci added Balenciaga to its stable of prize luxury businesses. By then the Kering Group had begun to build up a luxury goods division, initially by buying a minority share in Gucci in 1999 and increasing it until it owned 99.04 per cent in 2004. It now owns Gucci and Balenciaga outright, alongside Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Bucheron, Dodo, Girard-Perregaux, Pomellato, Qeelin and Ulysse Nardin.

I am so sorry, there are not as many photos of his beautiful gowns as I would have like to show you, but these will have to suffice.

Daughter and I wandered over to the Wine Bank afterwards and both found a little solace in this! We ended up polishing off two bottles between us during the rest of the afternoon and our early dinner, fortunately we only had a short walk back to our Motel.

Big hugs,
X

Disney Animator Princesses To Go!

After going crazy sometime back and collecting a whole range of Disney Animator Dolls, I have decided to let them all go to new homes.

I have since spent quite a bit of money re-dressing them all in their new outfits, the yarn I used is in proportion to the size of the doll and both knitting and sewing took many hours of work.  Outfits with three or four pieces sell on Etsy anywhere between $30-100 depending on the quality, so I feel the price I am asking is quite reasonable.

The shoes were certainly not cheap either, the sneakers were around $25 (plus $9 postage) and the little hand made flats were around $20 (plus $10 postage) if you click on the link you will see them both still available on Etsy.

As I intended keep these dolls and simply re-dress them, I discarded their original boxes, so if you should purchase one, please be assured that although it doesn't have it's original box, it will still be shipped securely packed, via Australia Post International with tracking included.

Your doll package includes everything you see them wearing!

I am accepting AU$ 90 including shipping in Australia, or US$75 including shipping to USA, UK, and places in Europe that has tracking all the way. I accept PayPal payments and the dolls will ship to your PayPal address, so please ensure it is correct.

             

16" Disney Shop Animator ~ Anna (Frozen version 2013)

             

16" Disney Shop Animator ~ Tinkerbell 2014

             

16" Disney Shop Animator ~ Aurora 2014

16" Disney Shop Animator ~ Rapunzel 2014

Disney Shop Animator ~ Ariel 2014

16" Disney Shop Animator ~ Jasmin 2014

LEFT CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO SEE DETAILS.

PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE IF YOU WISH TO PURCHASE ONE OF THESE DOLLS.

Questions can be submited via the comments form and I will answer so everyone can see them.

More dolls will be added as I find time, but if you need a particular doll, you only need to ask!

Big hugs, X

Grocery Give Away is All Over Rover!

Well it looks like this idea was a complete flop as only two have actually followed the rules,
so the haul will be divided between the two of them!
Congratulations Rachael and Barb, your parcels are on their way.

-oOo-

I'm looking to pass on some tiny props, so if you have BJD's and would like some grocery/household cleaning items to add to your collection, simply add your name in the comment section at the end of this post, then post an interesting photo of your dolls on your blog, with a link to this post. 

There are three prizes to be won, which will comprise two smaller boxes of items for runners up, as well as a larger box for the best photo. The give away will run for 14 days and winners will be contacted, via their blogs.

PLEASE NOTE: Winners will need to use my "Contact Me" form at the bottom of my side bar to send me their addresses, if I haven't already got them. :)

I've added a photo of my Littlefee and Pukifee, showing some of the goodies, so you will be able to see clearly that the items are not in any particular scale, however, you should be able to use different pieces to suit the various sizes of your doll/s.

Good Luck! Big hugs, X

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