Sunday, February 28, 2010

TEA ROSE QUEENS

The Queens of Faeries in Wonderland
two lovely Tea Rose Faeries
"whispered"
Spring is coming?
or did it just pass by?

These little faeries seemed so sad
I made them some golden crowns

The faeries curtsied and tried to smile
Spring will come, and we will have a Hat Party
won't that be fun!
the faeries whispered
we love the crowns, but we think Kaerie Faerie
is suffering from frozen fairy wings!
trying to keep warm and dancing with the Faeries in Wonderland

These two Tea Rose Queens are in my shop


Picture of the Week Award ~ February 28, 2010

There are no dolls to be seen in this week's Picture of the Week but they may enter at any moment and look fabulous in this 1/6 scale hall/gallery diorama. At first glance, it looked real to me. Then I recognized the acrylic doll stand bases, the Fashion Fever mannequins and the wig stand. What made it look amazingly realistic was the lighting and the reflections on the shiny floor.

This wonderful scene was created by Alejandro Torres. I asked him to describe the picture and here is a summary of his response:

"With one snap of the camera, I justified not throwing away years worth of assorted plastic crap. I think like all of us, I have more Polyvinyl Chloride lying around the house than is probably healthy. I'm minimal about everything in my life except when it comes to my dolls and anything to do with them. When it comes to dioramas, I always see things as what they can potentially be in respect to a doll display. In the picture in question you see Fashion Royalty wig stands, the block bottoms of FR doll stands with Fashion Fever packaging parts in repeating patterns. The large mannequins were purchased for their wigs and then I was able to use them in another way. The walls are foam board and the elevator door was constructed by me."

This is more justification for us pack rats who are buried under stuff!

If you go to Alejandro's Photobucket album you will see not only photos of his dolls but more dioramas with and without dolls and other wonderful photography. I highly recommend taking a look.

Congratulations, Alejandro, on the Picture of the Week Award!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Will there be a W Club camera?

"High Fashion World Inspires New Exclusive Digital Camera Line"
Read about the collaboration between General Imaging Corporation and Jason Wu at this link:
GIC

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Sweetness and Light ~ Puki Ruby in Boneka

It's time for a break from the world of sophisticated fashion dolls. Here's a picture of my tiny bjd, Puki Ruby. She's from Fairyland and joins her sister, Puki Puki. I know; it's such a silly name.
Tiny Puki dolls are just under 4.5 inches - pocket sized. They stand very easily on their own and their articulation is wonderful without kickiness. Ruby's wig is a FairyLand product. (Bobbie/Black/$21)  I've ordered several less expensive tiny wigs and none of them fit as well.
 The dress is felt and is a Boneka product as are the shoes. Denver Doll offers a nice selection of Boneka dresses for these dolls.  Prices range from $17 to $42.

The shoes are handmade leather and certainly worth $18.

Basic (nude) Pukis cost $138. If you purchase directly from FairyLand, you will pay a hefty shipping fee. I buy from Denver Doll Emporium. Their response time is excellent. If an item is in stock, it often ships the same day you order.

Check out FairyLand's website and then go to Denver Doll Emporium to buy.

Brilliance Monogram Doll Pictures

As I photographed her, I began to like her more although this is one Monogram doll who will have her outfit changed along with the wig. She has great potential. I find her to be beautiful but conservative.


The wig fits very well. It's the same style as the recent Avantguard dolls...center part gathered at the nape of the neck.
There are annoying issues with the outfit. The shoes are way too long which is a shame because I love the style. Is this going to be the problem of the year? The skirt is just the right length and the jacket fits properly. In couture dressmaking, lining up stripes and patterns across a seam or jacket front is a sign of fine workmanship. It would have been nearly impossible to do this on a doll fashion that wasn't completely hand made. In addition, the white machine top-stitching on the black fabric of the jacket is out of scale. Sewing machines can make shorter stitches.
I'm not sure how to put the hat on and I didn't want to mess up the wig so I didn't even try.

"Dribbling Information and Internal Misunderstandings"

Members of the W Club were sent an apology for not having been informed that the FR Monogram Brilliance doll is wigged. I'm quite certain it was not anyone's intention to conceal this information.

The excuses? This is the funny part.

1. "dolls have been mistakenly sent to dealers" (To whom were they supposed to be sent?)
2. "accidentally shipped to dealers early due to an internal misunderstanding" (What is an internal misunderstanding? I thought they ship the dolls as soon as they're ready.)
3. "information...dribbled out due to this shipping error" (Dribbling information is not the same as dribbling lack of information.)

So they made a mistake or a few mistakes. Fessing up is good.

I'm glad the doll is wigged. It will be fun to have a wigged doll in this line.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

NEWS FLASH!!! "Brilliance" Monogram Doll is a Wigged Doll!

Was this supposed to be a secret? This fact was never revealed. The doll was shown with her hair and no information about her being wigged.

These are Integrity Toys' images of the doll:


I previously made a comment about the doll's hair looking messy. Who knew?

Monday, February 22, 2010

THE GARDENER TWINS

News travels fast in fairy land
all faeries that past through my yard this Spring
receive hats and a invite to the Alice in Wonderland Hat Party

I had been working on my version of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
hats!

the bright late afternoon sun burst through the clouds
just as these two arrived
Twin Gardeners

they tied the little straw caps on

and fluttered about sprinkling sparkle seeds

a loud crack of thunder, made them jump
I invited them in to meet some of the other girls
and wait out the storm

Twins dressed in cotton pinafores with large seed pockets
and matching clam-diggers
as always click on any photo to enlarge
and these two are in my shop

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Picture of the Week Award ~ February 21, 2010

This week's featured photograph is by Rebecca Ruiz. The doll is an Iplehouse Special Edition Yur in Realskin. She is 65cm (25.6") tall and has the Special Edition face-up from Iplehouse. Mirielle Clemenceau is the doll's name.
Rebecca told me that she prefers outdoor lighting but for this picture she used small photo lights that came in a set that included a light tent. She got the idea for the behind-the-scenes pictures from a huge poster seen recently in Paris subway stations.

I asked Rebecca if she had any suggestions for doll photographers. Here is a summary of her reply:
A good camera is a big help. Buying an SLR is worth putting off the purchase of that next doll. I have a Nikon D50 and a few separate lenses. I especially like my f1.8 50mm lens.

Rebecca looks in magazines, at paintings in books and at movies for ideas and enjoys hunting for props and backgrounds. When shooting out-of-doors she has gotten used to the stares and questions of passersby. Most have been curious and positive.

To see more of her beautiful collection and pictures, click here.

Congratulations, Rebecca, on the Picture of the Week Award.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

The "Big Black Skirt"

I put together a mixture of fashion pieces to create a satisfying look for the black skirt from the Festive Decadence Agnes giftset. My model is a rerooted 'Girl of the Moment' Veronique.

The blouse and boots are from Night Warrior Vanessa, the cinch belt is from the 2009 Aerodynamic Vanessa basic doll, jewelry and skirt from the Agnes giftset.

Friday, February 19, 2010

"Soon there’ll just be feathers and the quiet of the fall " (Icarus Wind)

I didn't think I'd be able to get a picture of No Exaggeration without using her stand. Difficulty with vertical posing is the quality I dislike the most about the Avantguard dolls. But I did manage to get her to balance using a piece of armature wire. I liked the look of the brick wall which I had originally intended to crop. She is wearing the new Avantguard separate outfit called "Fashion Fuel." The beautiful animal print shoes are a mile high. I put them on her feet before the dressing began to see how they fit. I would not have been able to get them on over the included tights easily and I like easy. I didn't want to risk damaging the fishnet tights or the shoes. Underneath the jacket is a LBD. The leatherette gloves are elbow length and go on easily. The suit is nicer in person than in the promo photos. Unfortunately the wig is awful. Integrity must give up making wigs that are not either stick straight or tightly styled and tied. The quality of the saran (I'm assuming it's saran) is over-worked. The wig arrived style-less and/or distorted from packaging. Trying to style it was unsuccessful. I was very careful with the wig and still the results were horrid. The wig she's wearing is not the one from the set.

Icarus On The Runway
I don't understand why one of the new AGs "On Edge" is also sporting a little black dress. Seriously, I do not get this outfit at all. The shoes are the same as the ones we got in the December 2009 wig and shoe set. And what's with the hot pink feather wings?
Image Property of Integrity Toys

How many little black dresses and gigantic black shoes do these dolls need? She reminds me of one of my 10" Cissettes - feathers - black/pink combo - over-the-top, etc.
I need subtle. Enough with the in-your-face stuff. Jason's recent runway collection was subtle and gorgeous. There was no black and pink and no feathers.

The Lament For Icarus, by Herbert James Draper

Wrapped In Decadence ~ W Club Exclusive Fashion

A Fashionable Life Vanessa is my model for the latest W Club exclusive fashion. Wrapped in Decadence is a winner in most every way. The look is beautiful and the fit is very good. It's easy to put on and the construction is excellent. I adore the coat which is completely covered in fabric 'rosettes.' Just take a look.
The only problems I encountered in construction is on the inside of the skirt part of the dress. It may be seen in the photo on the right hip, the seam bulges out in a triangular shape. I don't plan to open up the dress to fix it as she will be wearing the coat most of the time. Someone messed up the sizing on the shoes as they are way too long.
I recommend this fashion and I just happen to have an extra for sale.

I keep saying I don't collect Barbie dolls but...

...every now and then one comes along that is a keeper. This is a first wave Barbie Basic with the Nichelle sculpt. I added the jewelry.
She has the anorexic, twisty model body but I like her anyway.

Did you know that if you click on an image, it will open larger in another window? Try it.

SEED FAERIES

Winter seems to be loosening it grip
my yard is bustling with birds of all kinds
squirrels digging up food
each day a little warmer
Today I ventured out into my small garden
brown and crispy
the Seed Faeries were hovering close to the ground
sprinkling magical seeds

So happy to see these little Spring Time Faeries
I invited them in to try on some hats
I'm continuing with my Alice in Wonderland
inspired bonnets

Door Mouse

Bunny Rabbit

Cat

They sat for a bit, telling me about the neighborhood gardens
then off they fluttered tiny red wings sparkling in the Sun

These three jointed cotton dolls with removable hats, are now in my

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Bottom Line

Every doll manufacturer has their PR or marketing persons who know the collectors and expect praise 100% of the time. The intelligent and mature ones have learned to separate themselves from the commentary and just look at the bottom line. Collectors and bloggers may criticize certain aspects of the product but we spend our money on it just the same. We photograph and publicize it. I've been told over and over again that my photographs sell the product to those on the fence about a purchase.

So what's their problem?

*Separate yourself from the product. It's not about you. Face the fact that nothing is perfect and no one is 100% correct either. Move on.*

Agnes Von Weiss ~ Festive Decadence Mini Gift Set

On Tuesday I received a box of goodies from Integrity Toys. My first review will be of the Agnes W Club Mini Giftset which was priced at $145. and is an edition of 800. This was the second W Club doll for 2009.The contents were the doll, two skirts, belt, one jacket, two tops, one pair of shoes, bracelet, earrings, necklace, handbag, additional hands and doll stand. There was also a story card. As always, the presentation in the box was beautiful but it's so much fun to rip those puppies out (even though ripping is done carefully with a sharp scissors) and get them into my hot little hands.
Since Agnes came dressed in the black skirt and red top, she was first up to be photographed. I thought the shoes would be a nightmare due to the tiny straps but I didn't have to unbuckle them to get them on and although the strap sticks out, they fit well and the doll can stand flat on the ground which is a huge improvement over the past years.The big black skirt is an oddity. it did not sit well with that top which was too short to stay tucked in or the belt which wasn't wide enough to cover the waistband of the skirt and stay put. A big wide waistband on the skirt would have made it so much more useful and user friendly. Soooo, I put the purple jacket over the whole thing and it looked better but definitely not couture.
The red top is too large across the bust and shoulders. The hooks in the back could be moved for a better fit.
The handbag was a surprise because it was so mediocre compared to FR handbags in the past. I like the chain handle which is perfectly scaled to the doll.
I love the jewelry but I don't see it complementing this fashion at all. Additionally, they can keep those crappy little bracelets that never sit well on the wrist. I have bunches of them and never use them.
This is one of the prettier Agnes screenings. She doesn't look as dour as usual. I hate the painted lashes. They are cartoon-like. She does have applied lashes as well. I hope this isn't a trend for 2010. The hair....sigh.....what can I say? It's a puzzle to me-strange style, stiff glued curls...just completely weird. She could be so beautiful if her hair were just pulled back in a simple bun or pony tail. I don't think there has ever been a pony-tailed Agnes. Perhaps she's trying to channel Gene Marshall with the hair rolls.
For the second outfit, I chose True Royalty Vanessa as my model.
The purple skirt is adorable and the bi-colored top looks good with it. The purple jacket that matches the skirt looks cute, too. I added the jewelry.
The construction of this set is very, very high quality. There is great attention to detail. Here's a back view of the above fashion.The fit could have been a bit better on the sleeveless tops and the waist of the black skirt but otherwise, the set is very good.
This Agnes will not make it permanently into my collection but most of her clothing is staying.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

FAERIES IN WONDERLAND

Frosty, cool, crisp, and breezy
doesn't remind me of Florida Weather
but the sunshine is warm today
and the birds are chirping
as I sit bundled up on the terrace
making flowered hats!

Looking out onto the country sides, I see a large flock of red breasted Robins
a sure sign of Spring
I know that the Spring Time Faeries will not be far behind

With a cool breeze, I see them
rosy cheeks and pink noses

they gently flutter in to check out the hats!
Faeries are very curious
and love to play dress up

Every year I try to make something special for all the Faeries
that travel through my yard

five adorable sisters

they so enjoyed trying on hats!


Spring Time is finally here!

a wonderful Hat Party
inspired by Alice in Wonderland

these five Spring Time sisters are now in my shop
soft ball jointed dolls
with fabulous hats!