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Tatiana Nayara Oliveira A Gift From Me to Me

December 28, 2015, 4:48 am
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Tatiana Nayara Oliveira Dollfriend by Via E

When I preordered Tatiana in the spring of this year, I had no idea she would become a Christmas doll. Having arrived a few days prior to Christmas, I waited to open the shipper until Christmas morning.  It was the first "present" I opened.  I was pleasantly pleased as well as surprised.




Tatiana arrived with an unexpected surprise for me, a beading kit to adorn her mounds upon mounds of curly hair, which can best be styled by finger combing.  Details about hair care are included in the first paragraph of the separate doll care sheet that accompanied Tatiana.

Doll care sheet covers hair care and water play.


Because I was among the first 100 people to preorder, my name appears on the side panel of the box. My niece's name is there as well for the doll I purchased for her.  Reghan remains quite excited about that.

Ellen Callen, Tatiana's creator, also numbered and signed the top of Tatiana's box.  (This was another pleasant surprise.)

Doll Details

Tatiana is 19-inches tall, made of heavy vinyl, with articulated elbows and knees. She has hazel eyes that close when she is supine with upper eyelashes, and a smiling mouth with molded teeth.  


As mentioned previously, she has thick, curly rooted hair.  It is best to finger comb Tatiana's hair and detangle, if necessary, from the ends up.  

 
When she is not being manipulated, I have elected to keep the ends tied together with a satin ribbon or keep the hair under a thick hair net, like this one, to prevent tangles.



Tatiana wears a white blouse with cut-off denim shorts that have a metal snap button closure and multicolored cloth belt.

The denim shorts have two functional front pockets along with the metal snap button closure.



Tatiana's big and second toes are separate to allow wearing thong sandals.  


To prevent them from falling off her feet, Tatiana's sandals also have a clear band in back.  Care should be taken when removing the sandals from her feet to prevent popping the clear band off like I did (because I forgot it was there).  A quick fix was to Velcro it back in place.  



Tatiana also comes with a Qata purse, described in a Via E Facebook status update as "not a traditional purse. Qata is Inca for blanket...that's the closest word in English. It is really a functional woven piece used in many ways in the Inca life of past. A Qata is a blanket, a scarf, a cloth that is tied to carry berries, flowers, or other items gathered. The Qata could be wrapped to form a beach cover, halter top, scarf...or anything else you could imagine. Tatiana wanted to modernize her Qata so she went into her grandmother's sewing kit and added two orange buttons in the shape of flowers and then created six button holes; three on each side so she could attach a strap and then use that strap to make even more use of her Qata."

Tatiana holds her unfolded Qata.  I did not unbutton it for fear that I would not be able to fasten it back correctly.  

Body Construct and Redressing Attempts
Tatiana can stand alone without the assistance of a doll stand.  We know she can wear clothing designed for Alexis, the other Dollfriend by Via E, but we needed to know if she could wear clothing already on hand.  So she undressed to try on three different fashions.



First we tried on an 18-inch My Twinn Friend fashion.  The top and pants are both a little large on Tatiana's more slender frame.  We found the same held true for the next two fashions she tried on.

Tatiana wears an 18-inch Madame Alexander fashion.  The top and shoes fit.

Her slender waist leaves a bit of room in the waist of the pants which will easily fall off.
The tunic and boots of this American Girl fashion also fit Tatiana; however, the waist of the culottes is about an inch and a half too large for her as shown in the next photo.



A quick fix with a jumbo paper clip tapered the waist of the American Girl culottes as shown next.

Before returning her to her box, Tatiana redressed in her original fashion and shoes and protected her hair with the red satin ribbon tied at the ends.

For more information about the Via E Dollfriends, visit their website or Facebook page.  In March of this year, Ellen also introduced readers to Tatiana in a guest post, which can be read here.

Addendum 12/28/2015 11:37 a.m.


I knew I was going to forget something important.  I wanted to include that Tatiana's values are written in her native language, Portuguese, with an English translation for each on the inner lining of her box as illustrated in the above  image.  They are are:

Bondade (Caring)
Chefia (Leadership)
Excelência Excellence)
Alegria (Joy or Fun)
Compaixâo (Compassion)


dbg
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What if all the action heroes were girls? | Girls Action Figure Montage ...

December 30, 2015, 12:25 pm
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Happy New Year!

December 31, 2015, 10:00 pm
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I wish you and your family a blessed, happy, healthy, prosperous New Year, one in which all your needs are met and your hearts are open to help those who are less fortunate.  

May all your dreams, goals, aspirations, and/or desires become your reality.  Do whatever it takes within your power and your means to make it happen!

Peace and love,

dbg

Check out my eBay listings here.
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The Presents in The Box

January 3, 2016, 10:00 pm
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Like a kid on Christmas morning, I am always excited to receive the always beautifully wrapped presents (many of which contain doll-related gifts) that will be in the annual box I receive from my closest out-of-state doll friend, Debra Richardson.  We refer to one another as "bestest" doll friend.


This year's package arrived the week of Christmas and did not disappoint.  From what she has told me, the one I sent her did not either. Like I do for her, Debra probably shops all year for Christmas presents for me.  This package must have weighed 15 pounds!

I will focus only on the doll-related contents, which like a kid (again) are the packages I hunted for first after opening the shipping box on Christmas morning. I selected the ones I thought might contain something doll-related to open first.

Nicole Miller "Take Cover" Barbie-themed, fabric covered, two-doll case
The Nicole Miller Barbie case was one of the first presents I opened.  After unzipping it and saying to myself, "She found one!" I rifled through the contents and I took the following quick photos:

A dress for a one-of-a-kind (OOAK) doll I own, vintage Barbie separates, and a 1970s Barbie clone were inside!  The clone is the "she found one" that caused my excitement.

Here's another quick photo of the Barbie clone, Veronique.  A better photo follows.

Here is another photo of the dress for my OOAK doll that Debra made based on measurements I provided.  The doll models it later.
These are the vintage Barbie mix 'n' match separates that were inside the Barbie case:  red and white check body blouse, which is part of the Barbie picnic set #967 (1959-1961), white cat-eye sunglasses, and vintage Barbie-tagged orange pants from another 1960s Fashion Pak. (The body blouse looks orange and white but it really is red and white as seen here).
Veronique was possibly made for the European market only by Tov Toy.  She wears a navy blue print dress that matches the exterior colors of the Nicole Miller Barbie case.  Black mid-calf boots complete her fashion.  Veronique was offered by an eBay seller from the Netherlands.  I had seen this and other Veroniques on eBay but was not willing to pay the exorbitant shipping.  When Debra asked me for my "wish list" I told her I am always in the market for Black Barbie clones from the '60s and '70s, more specifically, dolls that actually look like #1 Barbie.  Veronique does.  Her legs are made of much thinner plastic than that used by Mattel, but I am thrilled to own her.
Veronique looks very similar to the head sculpt used for the original Barbie as illustrated in this close-up shot.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In one of our November conversations, Debra asked, "Did you ever find the Beyoncé doll you've been wanting?" My answer was, "No." She instructed me to stop looking.  I knew what that meant.

Part of a three-doll set to represent the members of the former singing group, Destiny's Child.  This Beyoncé portrait doll, by Mattel with copyright year of 2005, looks more like the entertainer than any other doll produced to date.  From the three-doll set, I only wanted Beyoncé and now I have her thanks to my "bestest" doll friend, Debra.


A photo of a much younger Beyoncé appears on the back of the box along with a description of Destiny's Child.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


The dress made for my doll, Kizzy (an 8-inch pose-able, hand-carved doll by Kor January), is shown again above and below with the doll wearing it.  I tapered the bodice for a more snug fit and added two buttons to the front. 
Kizzy loves her new dress, which is worn over her original green and tan, sewn-on houndstooth dress.  She sits atop her hand carved stoop holding her two favorite books and her furry companion, Sam.


Here, Kizzy wears her original dress made by the artist which is sewn onto her body
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Because she knows I collect Barbie holiday ornaments, I can count on Debra to always include the current Barbie ornament in my Christmas package.  The 2015 ornament, that I will enjoy on my Barbie ornament Christmas tree next year, is shown above.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Presents for All" 10-inch Santa by Kurt Adler
Not exactly doll-related, but close enough for me to include in this post, is an African American "Presents for All" Santa by Kurt Adler.  Debra and I normally exchange Santa figurines, but this year I had asked that she not send a large Santa (10 inches is large) because I am running out of storage room for my Santa collection.  I believe she had already purchased this one prior to my request, which is the reason she sent him to me.  Just like there is always room for one more doll, I have found a place to store Santa and his box until I have the opportunity to enjoy him with the others I will display for Christmas 2016.

As you can see, I received some very nice doll-related items from my "bestest" doll friend, who is more like a sister than a friend, whose friendship I will forever treasure.  


dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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2015's Last Doll Purchase is 2016's First Doll Arrival

January 5, 2016, 10:00 pm
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Ava DuVernay Barbie, a Platinum Label doll, is limited to 999 dolls worldwide.

In the wee-wee hours (almost 4 a.m. CST to be exact) of December 29, 2015, I decided hesitantly to check personal email on my personal desktop computer before beginning my work day on the company's computer.  I was hesitant because the end of the month is always hectic and I only had one more working day in the year, having scheduled time off for the remaining days of 2015.  Well I threw caution to the wind and I am so-glad-I-did!

As I opened Outlook, an email filtered through from a fellow collector, whom I will refer to as TL. Her email informed that she had just ordered the Ava DuVernay Barbie from Amazon.com and just had to "let another black doll lover know." I am so grateful she chose me!  I could not navigate to Amazon.com fast enough to enter "Ava DuVernay Barbie" in the search box to see if quantities were still available.  There were and I hurriedly one-click shopped, which was followed by a huge sigh of relief.  I kept going back to the "status of your orders" page to double-check that the order had actually been placed.  An email confirmation from Amazon.com followed.  "Yes!"

I am sorry that I could not take the time to post the information about the doll in a blog post, but (as indicated, I needed to begin my work day and I knew by the time I published the blog, the doll might be sold out resulting in unnecessary disappointment for those who desired it but again missed out.   I did share it with a few people in one of my Facebook groups who were as fortunate as I am, (thanks to TL), to successfully place an order.


Thank you, once again TL for the heads up.  By that afternoon, just as I assumed, all dolls had been sold.

I took several pictures of this difficult-to-own, super-limited Platinum Label doll which are shared below.

The first five photos were taken with the doll in the box.

The real Ava has dreadlocks.  The doll has double-strand twists, which extend almost to her waist.  She has beautiful brown eyes and lush, painted-on eyelashes.  Her hint of lip color is lined with a contrasting color.

Side view of the two-strand twists

Another in-the-box photo was taken at an angle to eliminate as much flash as possible.

Close-up in-box photo

Ava DuVernay Barbie comes with a personalized director's chair (lights, camera, sound!), an acrylic doll stand, and...


...a numbered certificate of authenticity, the front of which reads:  This certifies that your Ava DuVernay Barbie® was created through the collaborative efforts of designers and artists at Mattel.

In the next seven photos, the doll, still attached to the box liner, has been gingerly removed from the box to photograph.  The last of these were taken in natural light.



The graphics on the box liner create a perfect director's setting with cameras and lights that appear three-dimensional.

Ava wears a black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt...

...denim pants, and red and white sneakers for comfort.

Almost as stylish as the real Ava DuVernay, on one wrist, the doll wears a copper-tone chain bracelet with one disk-shaped charm.  On the other wrist...

...she wears a faux wood bangle.

Here's another look at the director's chair.

The back of the box has a beautiful portrait of Ava DuVernay and offers a brief bio, which I have copied below.
AVA
D            Nominated for two Academy Awards and four Golden
                Globes, writer/director Ava DuVernay’s most recent film
u             “Selma” chronicled the historic 1965 voting rights
                campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  She won the
V            Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in
                2012 for her acclaimed feature “Middle of Nowhere.”
E             Her previous narrative and documentary work includes
                the feature film “I Will Follow” and the documentaries
R            “Venus vs.,” “My Mic Sounds Nice” and “This is the Life.”
                In 2010, she founded ARRAY, an independent film
N            distribution and resource organization for filmmakers of
                color and women filmmakers.  Prior to her directorial
A            career, DuVernay worked as a film marketer and
                publicist for more than 14 years through her company,
Y             the DuVernay Agency.  She was born, raised and loves

                life in Los Angeles, California.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Shortly after the first dolls sold out at TheBarbieCollector.com, this photo circulated on Facebook of the lovely actress Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), posing with her daughter's Ava DuVernay doll.  I was happy Ms. Davis was able to get one for her daughter.

Marsai Martin and her Ava DuVernay doll
I was also excited to learn that my favorite child star, Marsai Martin, who plays Diane Johnson on Black-ish, snagged one of the first available Ava DuVernay dolls.  Go Diane... I mean Marsai! (I love her character on Black-ish).


Deb and her Ava DuVernay doll
Here I am, happy for myself, to now be the proud owner of an Ava DuVernay doll!


dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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Needs Help Finding a Childhood Doll

January 11, 2016, 10:00 pm
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I offered to post this query from a young woman seeking to find her childhood doll.  In her initial email, she wrote:


I'm sorry for troubling you, and I hope this isn't too bothersome, but I've been trying to find the brand name of a doll I had when I was a little girl, back around 1997-1999-ish (though she may have been older than that, but she was in good condition when I had her). I don't know many doll collectors, but I was recommended to your blog.

To the best of my recollection she had a soft body and feet made of cloth, but wasn't especially floppy; her body was white (the color white, not the race) with different-colored shapes like triangles, squares, and circles all over. (It's been suggested to me that she was supposed to have actual clothes to go over that, but I don't remember her ever having any; I might have gotten her second hand.) She was black, of course, with a plastic head and I think plastic hands, curly hair that I'm pretty sure was in puffy pigtails, and a small roundish nose. I am pretty sure there was also a white variant (really they were just palette swaps of each other) with blond hair, but I never owned it; I think I just saw that one at a Goodwill somewhere, also when I was very young.

If that's not enough to go on I can try drawing a diagram, but my art skills leave much to be desired, haha.

Again, sorry if this is in any way a bother!
I shared the doll's description with other collectors and like me, no one could identify her childhood doll. The following drawing was shared in a subsequent email, which might help others recognize the doll by its distinct cloth body.
About the drawing she wrote: I've taken a shot at drawing it. I was super lazy with the eyes because I don't remember if it had irises or not. I also am not entirely sure if the feet were green or not. 

Readers, if you know the manufacturer of this doll or the doll's name, please post a comment.  Thanks in advance.  



dbg

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Anthony Julian (Julian for Short)

January 13, 2016, 10:00 pm
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Stock Photo
Part of Integrity Toys' (IT) Jem and the Holograms Collection, Anthony Julian was an IT Direct exclusive that sold out immediately when preordering became available in June 2015.  He is now only available on the secondary market, and you know what that means.

This past June, I preordered Anthony Julian from IT Direct before quantities sold out.  His arrival took months and I was just about to inquire about his whereabouts when I received a balance due email from IT Direct last week.  He was well worth the wait!

His official Integrity Toys description reads:

Meet music video director Anthony Julian, friend and collaborator of JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS! Anthony Julian is a fully articulated vinyl figure with sleek rooted curly and flocked hair. The man of the hour comes dressed in one of his key looks from the hit 80's animated TV series. His elaborate layered outfit sends us that "oh so 80s" vibe with his turtleneck, V-neck knit sweater and plaid pants, topped by his signature royal blue driver coat, perfect for those late night takes out by the chilly banks of the Seine river in Paris. Of course, no film director would be complete without his stylish watch, bullhorn (plastic) and movie clap board (cardboard)... Cut! It's a Wrap! For adult collectors ages 15 and up. Figure cannot stand alone; stand included.

Anthony Julian was produced in an ultra limited edition of 500 dolls worldwide.  He stands 12 inches and has a head sculpt that has never been used previously.  He retailed for $130 to the general public with W Club members given advance ordering privileges at a cost of $125.

The following photos provide additional details.

Front of Anthony's personalized box, which is made of heavy cardboard, has a pink removable band of cardstock that contains the Jem and the Holograms logo.

The back of the box has a brief description of Jem and the Holograms.

Closer look at the description -- click, tap or stretch the image to enlarge.

Close-up of the handsome Anthony Julian (I keep wanting to call him Julian and probably will from hereon).

Accessories include doll stand, wristwatch, extra pair of hands, director's cut board, plastic bullhorn, socks, and shoes.

Certificate of authenticity is enclosed in plastic along with an instruction sheet on how to assemble his doll stand and how to remove his hands and feet.  As noted, he comes with an extra pair of  hands.  The feet are removable for ease of removing his pants.

Julian strikes a pose.

He poses with blue jacket removed to illustrate his gray sweater under which is worn a pink turtleneck.

The pullover gray sweater and turtleneck are two separate pieces.  The turtleneck has a hook-and-eye closure in back.  The pleated plaid, dark gray trousers, which have belted sides, also have a front hook-and-eye closure and functional zipper.
Julian has black curly rooted hair on top with flocked sides as illustrated here and in the next two images.



In this height-comparison photo, Julian appears taller than Tobias.

The two are actually about the same height.  It is Julian's hair that makes him appear slightly taller.

Julian takes one final photo.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Anthony Julian is the second dark skinned doll in the Jem and the Holograms Collection by Integrity Toys.  In 2013, IT introduced Shana Elmsford, shown next, with her official description immediately following.

Shana by Integrity Toys introduced in 2013 (stock photo) 
SHANA ELMSFORD is a fully articulated 12-inch vinyl doll with rooted hair and hand applied eyelashes. Always ready for a good jam session, SHANA ELMSFORD comes dressed in her truly outrageous stage costume and includes high-heeled pumps, her signature ultra-detailed bass guitar, complete with realistic miniature strings, whammy bar and plug-in amp cable! It also includes a doll stand and a certificate of authenticity. For adult collectors 14 and up only!

I do not own IT's Shana, but I do own the original Shana and Krissie of the Starlight Girls, made by Hasbro in 1985 and 1987, respectively (shown next).

Jem and the Holograms Krissie Starlight Girl (1987) and Shana (1985) by Hasbro.  Shana is dressed in Smashin' Fashions Winning is Everything outfit.
In the absence of IT's Shana, I wonder if Julian and the original Shana will make a connection (probably not since the original Shana has a more mature face.)

dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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Searching for Black Dolls on Ruby Lane

January 15, 2016, 2:11 am
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RubyLane.com, "the world's largest curated marketplace for vintage and antiques," has published the first of a two-part blog series entitled, Searching for Black Dolls on Ruby Lane.  The first part can be read here.

I hope you enjoy it!

dbg
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The Making of Club Doll Sisters by Kor January

January 18, 2016, 10:00 pm
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In April 2015 my online doll group commissioned doll artist, Kor January, to make our 2015 group doll. Normally, our dolls are identical, but because Kor is a master wood carver who hand carves all his pieces, our dolls are one-of-a-kind with similar faces, dressed identically by the artist.

We were given several head style choices from which to choose, as shown in the first image.  As a group we decided on the shape we wanted for the dolls' face, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth as well as the wood color for the complexion, hair and shoe style.  A survey was created based on the provided choices with the final results of the survey shown next:




Kor began working on our dolls shortly after the above-described features were selected.  During the doll-making process, he kept us updated by sharing photos of the completed steps.  Some of his photos are shown below.


From mahogany wood, he carved the faces and heads.

The heads and cute faces

Face and bodies painted and attached to poplar wood necks, hair of head carved and painted; arms and thighs added

Lower hinged legs added, socks and shoes carved and painted

Another photo of the previous completed process

Side ponytails of three twisted braids added and dresses made but not sewn on yet

The approximately 8-inch girls with hinged arms, hips, and knees are seated on chairs and wooden stoops. After seeing this photo, a couple of group members wanted to know the cost of the chairs and stoops.

With the costs for the chairs and stoops shared, a few of us had Kor make hand-carved stoops, which were offered in two sizes, shown here.
 One of the member's dolls is shown seated on one of the taller carved stoops.
Before the end of December 2015, all members who purchased a club doll had received their dolls and stoops.  In honor of Kor, many members named their dolls using a portion of his name, such as Kora and Korynne.

I named my doll, Kizzy, first shown here modeling a dress my friend made for her for Christmas. Kizzy will formally introduce herself in my next post.


dbg
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Meet Kizzy by Kor January

January 20, 2016, 10:00 pm
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As mentioned in this week's previous post, Kizzy is my 2015 WLBD Anew Club doll by Kor January. It did not take long for me to determine that I wanted an African name for this little one since her artist is from Liberia, a country in West Africa. The name Kizzy was my first and final choice.

The name, Kizzy, became popular in the United States after the TV miniseries based on the book, Roots, aired in 1977 in which the author, the late Alex Haley, traces his roots back to his African ancestor, Kunta Kinte. While enslaved, Kunta and his wife Bell gave birth to one child that he named Kizzy.

In searching for the meaning of Kizzy, I found the following text: Kunta Kinte was born in Gambia and belonged to the Mandinka/Mandinke tribe. The Mandinka language, sometimes referred to as Mandingo, is a Mandé language spoken by millions of Mandinka people in Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Chad; it is the main language of The Gambia… In keeping with family tradition, Kunta Kinte gave his daughter an African "Christian" name, Kizzy (Keisa in Mandinka/ Mandingo), which in Kunta's native tongue means to "stay put."

Kizzy's hand-carved wooden stoop by Kor January

Staying put on her stoop is what Kizzy enjoys doing. She is a thinker who loves to read. She also loves her dog, Sam, and has aspirations of becoming a veterinarian when she grows up.

Kizzy is currently reading the book she holds, Ruby and the Booker Boys by Derrick Barnes. It is about a sweet and sassy yet tough girl named Ruby who is the exact same age as Kizzy, 8. (According to the book, Ruby plans to “become the most famous woman animal doctor on the planet.”) Kizzy also holds a copy of her favorite children’s magazine, Highlights.

I made ribbons for Kizzy’s two ponytails using green braiding cord (the type used to make bracelets).



She wears a wooden beaded bracelet fashioned from an earring. Kizzy took several additional photos and wanted to share them all with you. She hopes you enjoy them.

Kizzy loves the outdoors.  Her trusty dog, Sam, does too and finds comfort in her lap.

Looking in deep thought, Kizzy sits underneath a shade tree, yet still enjoys the rays of the sun.

Her legs bend and twist at the knees and lock in place to hold various poses.

With her toes perpetually pointed downward, when seated as shown here, Kizzy looks very prim and proper.

I love my little girl.

dbg

Check out my eBay listings here.



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Searching for Black Dolls on Ruby Lane Part 2

January 23, 2016, 7:17 am
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Part two of Searching for Black Dollson Ruby Lane, "the world's largest curated marketplace for vintage and antiques," of all kinds, including dolls, has been published and can be read here.

If you missed part one, navigate here.  Thanks and enjoy!

dbg

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Barbie: Tall, Petite, and Curvy

January 28, 2016, 6:54 am
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Barbies to be included in the 2016 line have new body types.

The Barbie news trending currently includes the new body types to be offered in the 2016 line. Some, if not all, dolls are shown above in this Internet-captured photo.  What say you:  Yea or Nay?

The little girls in this video give them a "yea."


Read more, see more here.

Some of the dolls are available to purchase or preorder at Shop.Mattel.com.

dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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Giving Them Life

February 4, 2016, 10:00 pm
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Paris Williams, the center doll in tan jacket, was part of Onlyalisa's recent thrift store haul (Photo courtesy of Onlyalisa)*

A couple of weeks ago after a fellow collector shared her thrift store haul from an East Cost store that included a Madame Alexander Paris doll (what?) in near mint condition for $9.99, I trotted off to my local thrift store to see if I would be as lucky. Nope. No such luck here, but I did find two So In Style dolls and a Fashion Madness Denise. All were in preloved condition at $1.99 each, with one of the SIS girls qualifying for a 50% discount due to her tag color being the "color of the week." So for a little over $5 (including tax) I received an inexpensive doll fix.

So In Style (SIS) Grace, Trichelle, and Fashion Madness Denise are as they were when found in this and the next two photos.


Grace's hair required the least work to tame.  Denise's took lots of elbow grease to restyle.
I soaked the trio in Pine Sol and gave them a good rinse before washing and conditioning their hair.  I used a dab of Elasta QP Liquid Styling Gel to comb through Denise's matted tresses.

After washing, the hair was allowed to air dry.

What a difference!

After returning the SIS girls to their original hairstyles and giving Denise a faux fishtail braid, the girls were dressed in a combination of Sparkle Girlz and Barbie fashions and shoes  Before Denise posed for the above photo, her pale white lips with painted illusion of teeth were enhanced to enlarge the lips and cover the fake teeth.  See before and after photos next.
Denise's thin lips before the enhancement

I used white dimensional paint to both enlarge the size of the upper and lower lips and to add dimension to the painted-teeth area.  See profile photos next (before final color was added).




I mixed a couple of colors of brown, tan, a touch of red, and white acrylic paint to achieve a neutral lip color, shown below in Denise's final photo.



This is the second lip enhancement I have performed on a Fashion Madness Denise.  The result of the first one, seen here, is not as appealing as this one.

*The other dolls in the first photo found by Onlyalisa are an International Fulani Tribal Doll, Naber Kid, Bratz Dylan, Effanbee doll possibly from the Grandes Dames collection, and an 18-inch Our Generation Girl.

I wasn't as lucky as Onlyalisa but I enjoyed giving these three life and Denise more lips.

dbg

Check out my eBay listings here.
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Tall and Curvy - Three On My Want List

February 7, 2016, 10:00 pm
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This tall redhead is on my want list because of her short curly 'fro.  Gotta have her!


This curvy girl, seen here and immediately above, is on my want list solely because of her curves.

The one I desire most of all is this curvy girl with glasses and two extra outfits.  See close-up photos and a 360-degree video of her below.




One of these can be preordered.  The other two are in the "coming soon" status at ShopMattel.com.  I am waiting to order when all are either in the preorder or in-stock status.

dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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Black doll exhibit scheduled in Randallstown

February 9, 2016, 2:26 am
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An array of black cloth dolls in Deborah Johnson’s collection. (article-captured PHOTO)

Black doll exhibit scheduled in Randallstown: Growing up in the Cherry Hill section of Baltimore in the mid-20th century, Deborah Johnson remembers when the local hardware store was transformed during the holidays into a Christmas wonderland.

Deborah and a group of other members of the Charm City Dolling Club will exhibit black dolls from their adult collections.  The exhibit will be Saturday, February 16, 2016, at the Randallstown Library on Liberty Road from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Read the rest of the article here.


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Two Souvenir Dolls from Jamaica

February 10, 2016, 10:00 pm
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Jamaica souvenir dolls

In the summer of 2015, I received the following email from a blog follower:


Hello Debbie,
I have two Caribbean dolls and could freely send them your way if this interests you.  I think that my grandfather who was born in the late 1800's bought these dolls on a trip.  The aprons on the dolls say Jamaica on them.  I have no idea about how old they are.  They seem old to me.
Let me know.  Your blogspot site is amazing.
All the best,
Lesley from Canada

I offered to pay shipping, but Lesley insisted she would send the dolls to me free of charge and she did.  They arrived shortly thereafter.  I believe the two probably date back to the 1940s, possibly earlier.


Almost identical, these approximately 12-inch dolls have hand-painted facial features.  The clothing and bodies are machine sewn.  Faded, but still visible, "Miss Jamaica WI" is written on their aprons. A combination of black twill, muslin, or silk was used for the heads and extremities of both.  It appears their makers used what was available, mixing and matching these black fabrics to create the dolls' complexions.  One wears two gold-tone hoop earrings.  The other wears only one, having lost the other as evidenced by the remaining straight pin that once held the missing earring in place.


They are both well endowed and have baskets of fruit made of ball-shaped materials wrapped with colored corn husks.  One basket also includes multicolored pieces of straw or raffia.

As I prepare dolls for an upcoming event, I have decided these two Miss Jamaica souvenir dolls will be included.

I would like to express a long overdue public thank you to Lesley for sending them to me and making their debut at this event possible.  Thank you, Lesley!

dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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Lammily Photographer Production Images Revealed

February 12, 2016, 2:07 am
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The following is the contents of an email received from Nicolay, Founder of Lammily, dated 02/11/2016.  The email contains images of the final production sample of the Lammily photographer along with additional details.

Meet the NEW Lammily Photographer Doll!

We are super excited! The Lammily family is growing.

Many of you already preordered our new Photographer doll — thank you! Your support helped us bring her to life.

We are now more than happy to share with you the very first photographs of the final production sample that just arrived from our manufacturer.

After months of designing and developing, she is here!


The Photographer doll comes with a vintage camera accessory. From an illustrated booklet, included with the doll's package, you'll learn the story of this camera and how it changed this young woman's life.

We've been working hard to make our new doll unique and truly original. And we are thrilled with results!

Her hair is naturally curvy [sic], with two little clips you so can add more style. A completely new head mold was made from artwork of world renowned sculptor, Susan Wagner, who designed it specially for Lammily!

Read about this amazing behind-the-scenes process in our blog.


Her facial features were designed to match her unique character. She has a kind expression, soft smile, and minimal makeup.

Lammily Photographer's outfit is bright and elegant -- with a snow-white cap-sleeve cardigan and an A-line skirt print-pattern skirt, designed exclusively for Lammily by pattern artist Jane Popovich.

All Lammily Traveler clothes will fit Lammily Photographer as well!

Here are the two besties side by side!


Ariana, whom you may remember from our 2nd Graders React to Lammily video, was the first child to meet our new doll and they became instant friends!


We had a small focus group to see what kids thought about the new doll and we videotaped their responses. Needless to say, they loved her! Stay tuned for the new video we will share with you soon!


You can preorder the brand new Lammily Photographer doll below...
 


We are working with the factory to make sure the production goes smoothly, and we'll update you on the expected shipping date.

Thank you so much for your support to make this new doll part of the Lammily family!
 

Best,

Nickolay

Founder

Lammily

dbg
Check out my eBay listings here.
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Happy Valentine's Day!

February 13, 2016, 10:00 pm
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My Little Sweetheart Wendy by Madame Alexander, a 1992 store exclusive for A Child at Heart; and  Vogue's Ginny both encourage you to:

Live 
well
Laugh 
often
Love 
much


Happy Valentine's Day!

dbg

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Repost: Every Fashion Doll is NOT Barbie and...

February 17, 2016, 2:37 am
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...every doll is not made for children.

This was originally published February 17, 2013, but since I have been on a semi-blog-writing hiatus, I wanted to offer something until writing resumes on a more regular basis.

Do these all look like Barbies to you?  From left-to-right they are, I can be President Barbie; repainted one-of-kind Barbie by Chynadoll Creations (meant for the adult collector); High Brow Adèle by Integrity Toys (an adult collectible doll); and Esmé, a 16-inch fashion doll by Robert Tonner (adult collectible).


I was prompted to sit down and compose this post after reading an article dated February 16, 2013, that refers to an Integrity Toys Adèle from 2004 as a Barbie, designed for child's play.  In the article, entitled,"Image of New Black Barbie Doll Sparks Outrage," the author writes:

An image of a brown Barbie doll has surfaced on the Internet, causing people to question whether or not it is supposed to be the next African-American Barbie. The doll is sporting blonde hair, gold chains, cleavage, and two bags that are strikingly similar to the Louis Vuitton monogram multicolor collection.

The doll and the author's opening statement as well as many of the comments (excluding a few), which were apparently posted by non-collectors, caused me to wonder why the non-collecting community is so misinformed about dolls in general and why every fashion doll is incorrectly identified as Barbie.

First of all, there are many doll categories.  Some of these are listed and defined below:
  • Antique - According to the United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC), a doll of at least 75 years; other authorities define antique dolls as dolls of at least 100 years.
  • Art -  Dolls created by artists and intended as expressive and unique art objects rather than children's toys. 
  • Artist - Dolls made by doll artists, usually in limited editions or as one of a kinds (OOAKs), for adult collectors
  • Collectible - Dolls designed for adults who collect dolls as a hobby.
  • Fashion - Dolls dressed in trendy or haute couture-like fashions, made for children as well as adult collectors.
  • Modern - Dolls made from 1960s through present (this definition can vary).
  • One-of-a-Kind (OOAK):  Dolls made in an edition of 1 by doll artists; can also be an artist or manufactured doll repainted by a repaint artist; in essence only one of the doll in its present state exists.
  • Playline - Dolls fashioned as a child's toy.
  • Reborn - Dolls that originated as baby dolls sculpted by a doll artist which are later fashioned to look like real babies using painting, hair re-rooting, and other techniques developed by reborn artists.
  • Repaints - Artist or manufactured dolls used as a canvas by repaint doll artists who add realism through repainting the facial features and skin tones, and/or changing the hair by re-rooting or re-wigging, resulting in one-of-a-kind dolls because no two will ever look alike.
  • Vintage - Dolls made prior to the 1960s (this definition may vary based on doll type).
For the purpose of this post, I will focus on fashion, collectible, and playline dolls.

While Barbie maintains the highest profile worldwide among fashion dolls, not every fashion doll is a Barbie.  I might also stress that while Mattel (the manufacturer of Barbie and her host of friends) creates dolls for children sold by toy retailers and through their own online website, every Barbie is not designed for child's play.  There are playline Barbies as well as several collectors editions.

For misinformed non-doll collectors and parents who often display a knee-jerk reaction to dolls designed for adults, please relax-relate-release.  Just because you see a fashion doll that you think is a Barbie made for children that portrays an image that you deem inappropriate for a child, in most situations the doll was fashioned for adult collectors by a manufacturer or doll artist other than Mattel.   There is no need to start a campaign against the doll or manufacturer or to create an otherwise pseudo-controversy, as in the case of the Django Unchained movie-memorabilia-action-figures-made-for-adults fiasco.

No, we are not all Barbies and only one of us is a child's toy!

The bottom line is this:  Just because a three-dimensional, inanimate object is defined as a doll does not mean that object was intended for child's play.  If you are not a doll collector and you see a doll that raises your eyebrows or causes you to wonder what the doll maker was thinking, ask an authority on the subject before jumping to an inflammatory (and often incorrect) conclusion.

Click here to view the doll (Perfect Skin Adèle Makéda) designed by Jason Wu for Integrity Toys in 2004 and the article that sparked this post. 


Doll Terminology Resources (other than my own): 
Art Dolls
Doll Glossary: Words About Dolls and Doll Collecting by Shirley E. Childers (Kindle book)
What is an Antique Doll

dbg


Check out my eBay listings here.
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Confessions of a Black-Doll-A-Holic

February 18, 2016, 10:00 pm
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Black doll enthusiast is how I usually label myself as a collector, but I will openly admit that I am truly a black-doll-a-holic.   My name is Debbie Garrett and I love black dolls.  They say the first step to recovery from an addiction is acceptance.   I have accepted the fact that my love for black dolls is intense.  I won't call it an obsession but it's bordering on that.


Seated in a sea of dolls in this cartoonized photo from 2006

What is it about dolls that has me so enthused? The fact that I did not own them as a child is not reason enough for me to desire them as much as I do.  Black dolls are affirmations of black beauty when accurately created to represent the people they portray, is another reason I purchase dolls that are aesthetically appealing to me.  Filling a void and the affirmations of black beauty they provide are the three main reasons I have collected black dolls in all shapes, forms, fashions, media, and complexion hues for the past two and a half decades.

Additional confessions:
  • I spend too much money on dolls.
  • My doll room is crammed packed and I am literally running out of space.
  • I'd rather buy a doll than anything else.
  • I realized the extent of my problem when I recently bid $5700 for a doll (by mistake, the bid was supposed to be $57.00).  I saw the error before I pressed the submit bid button, but knew no one would bid as high.  The auction ended at almost $200 because someone else wanted the doll as badly.  I won the auction, but was graciously allowed by the seller to cancel with no questions asked.  Lesson learned.   Me to self:  Are you crazy?  Don't ever do that!  It's not worth it!  There's another one out there for far less and did you really need that one? Answer to self:  Absolutely not!

In addition to the last confession above, at the end of 2015, after evaluating the total amount of dolls purchased during those 12 months, and looking back on prior years and noting the excessive amounts of dolls purchased in those years confirms the importance of making a conscious effort to control spending.  I can and will admire dolls from afar more than I have done in the past.  For this reason I have established the following goals:
  • I will not add additional dolls to my mental wish list.
  • I will delete most of my saved eBay searches.  Let's face it, I have a couple of hard-to-find dolls in saved searches that I don't want to miss if they show up.  (Don't judge.  I'm taking baby steps here.)
  • I really will not repeat past purchasing behavior. 
  • I will focus on finding new homes for the less desired dolls.
  • I will organize the doll room and 
  • I will reconnect with long forgotten dolls in the process of completing the previous goal and
  • I will enjoy what I have and while doing that I'll blog about it.  So don't think I am abandoning the blog because I am not.  
  • Any additional doll purchases will be well thought out and not impulse buys.  
  • I will try to limit doll purchases to no more than two per month or less.  Seriously.  I will.  I said try.
  • I need a running start for this one:  In April, I will go 21 days without purchasing a doll. (I stopped to scratch my right shoulder with my left hand as I typed this, and as I proofed this post, at this point I scratched the inside of my right leg with my left hand.)  Is that why drug addicts are always scratching themselves?  Well they say you can beat a habit if you can do without it for 21 days, or is that 30 days?  Hmmm... well, 21 is my plan and I'm sticking to it.
I must give myself credit for being more conservative with my 2016 spending thus far.  For January I have four entries on my doll inventory spreadsheet.  Two of the entries are for dolls purchased in 2015 that did not arrive until 2016, so these don't count as 2016 purchases.  One entry is for two separate thrift store doll finds for a total of four dolls (three were purchased during one visit and one during another).  These are counted as two purchases.  There is only one entry for February with no additional plans to purchase dolls this month.

Patting myself on the back:  This past weekend I stopped in Big Lots to see if they had printer paper. They did.  After picking up a package, I found myself walking toward the toy section.  I was on the doll aisle before I realized it and said to myself.  "Get out of here!  You don't need a doll!" So I paid for my two items, the paper and a package of  $1 facial wipes that was left at the counter by another shopper.

I can do this.  I am finally determined.  It's in writing, so I have to follow through for the sake of not adding to an already overpopulation of black dolls.

The question, "What's it all about?" brought the first few lyrics of the song written by Burt Bacharach for Dionne Warrick to my head:   "What's It All About Alfie?"

What's it all about, Alfie
Is it just for the moment we live
What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind, and if...

In the video below, listen as Warrick sings this beautiful song, released in 1967 when I was 12 and still playing with my family of all white dolls.




What are your doll-collecting confessions?  Share them in a comment or just share some words of encouragement for me, please.  Trust me; I will need all the encouragement I can get.


dbg

Check out my eBay listings here.
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