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Hello there, Doll lovers!
Sorry I have been so AWOL.
I'm finally down in the doll room for a bit of time the end of August. I've been gone long enough, so long I need to remember where everything is. Sigh---I lost all of Spring and most of Summer. So, I'll just have to try and catch up.
Stairs are an issue, with three times my max...in a day.
I've been an opportunistic collector---I seldom buy new dolls, unless it's something I need (articulated bodies) or an incredible deal to add to my HFIM family. I've been fortunate to win several dolls online groups and at my Windy City Collectors BDC group.
My plan this year was to diversify my doll 'family' to more reflect the community (Chicago) where they live. I live way out in the burbs...which is a bit boring.
I really appreciate the effort Mattel has made in the last few years to diversify their dolls and make every child able to find a doll which reflects what they see their own mirror. The career dolls for the 60th anniversary have been interesting, but I have managed to pass on them.
NOW, if we could only get Mattel to do a few 'Aged' ones for us old farts...that would be great!
Speaking of which, I plan on aging a few dolls and having them live in a refurbished cottage, a bit of old-fashioned fun. Next year, maybe!Where will I ever put that!
I realize in changing everyone for a swimsuit series, that I need to find a better way to store my dolls' clothes.
I seldom buy new, but I pick up 'lots' or 'bags' of used/vintage clothes. These deals seem to be farther apart now. Three and four years ago I was coming home with bags of clothes, and dolls were being sold nude in thrift stores. NOW, the thrift stores are being lazy and not undressing them, bundling dolls in bags of 3-4, so fewer clothing deals are available.
Here's the girls I still need to assign names, switch bodies, or find homes. Such a dilemma. They were all skipped in the swimsuit shoot.
The boys---are half GI Joes and half Mattel Kens. I have a few Kens in baskets with molded hair, which I really don't like. They have such thick legs which are sticky. Well, the Kens are less varied and until they make articulated Kens worth buying, I probably won't buy any.
Emily on the left, I finally stripped from her sewed on outfit (She's the Greyhound Girl). and she has that really small waist, so dressing her isn't easy to go with her personae. When I have my knee replacement in October, the plan is to have a whole bunch of clothes machine sewn, and then do the handwork while I'm recovering.
The doll in the middle (1992 50's Barbie poodle skirt Repro)
has the disintegrating legs occurring on dolls in the late 80's and early 90's. She had been boxed since the early 90's and was very bad--the oils leached from the plastic all through her socks and underwear, luckily the skirt was fine. I'm trying to find an articulated match for her, reasonable. I think I will name her Sandy (from Grease).
I won this doll as a prize giveaway. I've named her Babs. She is a 1995 Reproduction of a 1962 Titian. I love her bangs and the soft no.2 face. She has really red lipstick and attached Pearl earrings which is nice. Her hair needs a bit of a recurl on the bottom, which shouldn't be an issue.
I'm calling this sweet girl, 'Faizah'. Not sure of her story yet, she is a standard playline and has really silky hair. I'm not sure there is an articulated body out there for her, but maybe sometime in the future. I may retouch some highlights on her face, because with normal light source, she is hard to photograph. I had to use a direct spotlight to get her to show up+the huge overhead LED light system in the craft room.
I picked this pretty gal up for the clothes she was wearing, an adorable Tweety Bird shirt and matching drawstring pants which are in the wash. I've named her Kennedy. Her hair is a bit of a fright, so I'm planning on a shoulder length perm...we will see. she has very pretty green eyes, and that courageous lipstick.
I've named this tiny girl, Nour. She has gray eyes and already has had a haircut, which I just evened out. I haven't tracked her down yet, but she has a petite body or teen Stacie body. I don't know if she started out that way, or has been switched. She will join the teen crew as an exchange student from somewhere exotic.
I want to add this American Indian girl to the HFIM storyline. Her braid was still intact. I'm having a hard time naming her. I found her for $1.00...in a tee-shirt and icky shorts.
She's a 1995 American Indian Barbie. The small baby is 'Blue Feather', her cousin which she cares for. Photo from pinterest, untraceable.
I got very excited to find this small book online(Amazon)sold with all the pages shown---thinking she would be named in it. However, she is only referred to as American Indian Barbie. The photos show painted tee-pee's and designs on her costume as beadwork, typical of the Northern Plains tribes, many of which came from the moved Midwest:Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan tribes. When I figure out her background and story, I'll do a post on it.
Another doll, I haven't dealt with is this Katniss Doll from 'Catching Fire'. She will be Kat or Jennifer---and I'll see what I have after she is removed from the box and de-costumed. I know she is articulated, and has thick hair. I really like her realistic body, I'm hoping she doesn't have flat feet! (Sindy--my chef, is the same face mold, and her hair is a disaster...so we will see if they are related or not?)
Last, I have this exotic girl from the Jazz Baby series. She has three wigs, and the skinniest body and is fully articulated. Totally exotic and a very strong personality--she will need a specially 'designed' wardrobe(home sewn)
Speaking of the hotel, we left the Hotel Project waiting for the exterior window to go behind the stained glass. All the doll story original plans for the Hotel, had to be scrapped and redone---after finding this window intact from 1892 behind a wall.
This was the twist on the story---but then I blew out my knee in early May...and I haven't been able to get back to the project!
Tutorial post Here.
I am going down into the doll room today and try to wrangle the Hotel, and get it ready to paint, so I can move forward
Way back in February we were at this stage
Apartment 1
Apartment 2
Foyer on the first floor
I've seen front doors available, but I'm not willing to pay the price,
so I will be making some.
The new tiles had been installed on the first floor.
I need to get everything painted soon, while the weather is reasonable. Which means taping off all those windows! I'm planning on gray/white on the outside and all white on the inside, keeping the windows, blue. We will see.
The Beauty Salon, Foyer, and Bakery/Coffee Shop need to be finalized and I'll install lighting on the ground floor and the finished two apartments upstairs. later, I'll add the adjacent kitchen,
The Hotel (in my head) will have six floors. LOL. (There will be other residents coming from fictitious 'other' apartments which will be out-of-sight. With lots of tenants, the story possibilities will provide many photo ops.
Side and back walls, will be removable for photos. I will definitely do a post on that.
How are your doll stories,
dioramas, and dolls doing?
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Really cute flipped bangs and glossy red lips! Glad to hear you're able to have some fun with the dolls again-take care:@)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynn, still is really hard to get down there, though. I've been waiting for a really nice redhead, so the repro was a great 'prize' to win!
DeleteEverything beautiful, I really like Jazz Baby. My puppet story is crawling. I don't have a diorama.
ReplyDeleteHi,Zacisze, remember that you might not have to do a complete diorama, sometimes a suggestion in the background is enough. Take a peek at some of my diorama how to's...just search diorama on the search for my posts. Some are simply some paper on a folding foam core.
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