2011 North American Exclusive (Gabriela, The Springtime Bunny EAN 681935)

With the very dramatic winter we have all been having, we are sure that most of us are ready for Spring and all its beauty.  Steiff Bears must have had this in mind when they created their adorable 2011 North American Exclusive Bunny, Gabriela.  She is 9 inches tall and comes from a limited edition of only 1500 pieces worldwide. 
Per Steiff’s description: “Like her sister before her, Gabriela has a gift for you.  A beautiful blue needle-felted egg, all tied up with a gorgeous pink bow and nestled in a bed of green-tipped mohair ‘grass’. The popular series of pastel-colored bunnies continues in 2011 with this creamy pink rabbit designed in the classic Steiff style. Using patterns from the 1950′s as their inspiration, Steiff designers created this beautiful bunny to be part of your Easter celebrations – and to display year-round. ”
Gabriela is certainly a very special bunny and we hope that Steiff Bears continues this series for many years to come.
Quote of the Day – “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”  – Anatole France 

2011 Steiff Bears North American Exclusive Bear (Harpo, The Smiling Bear, EAN 681905) 

 We are pleased to announce that Steiff Bears has published their 2011 North American Exclusives Collection.  Each teddybear contained within is quite incredible and as is always the case, has an interesting background to it.
Each day we would like to highlight one of these North American Exclusives to provide a sneak peek to our Steiff Collectors.  It looks like 2011 will be a great year for both Steiff and Steiff Collectors alike.
Harpo, The Smiling Bear (EAN 68905) is an 18 inch tan mohair bear that comes from a limited edition of only 1500 pieces worldwide.  As described by Steiff, “It’s no wonder Harpo is smiling. That’s because he’s based on a Steiff bear that was used as a photographer’s prop in a studio for more than 50 years. The original appeared in hundreds of photographs with delighted children. In honor of his photographic career, Harpo wears a locket around his neck that you can fill with
your favorite photo.”
Sure to be a favorite from this year’s collection.
Quote of the Day – “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino

Charlie Bears Keyrings

We wanted to make all of you aware that we got word that due to production issues, Charlie Bears will not be producing Cheeky Charlie Key Rings any longer.  That is a shame but we are pleased to say that we still have several Charlie Bear Keyrings in stock.  Well, that is all but Chi Chi, the panda keyring. . . Each bear is seated and measures 3 inches.  Additionally, each keyring bear is a replica of their earlier Charlie Bear plush teddy. Those still available to order are:
Andrew Keyring (pictured left)
Daniel Keyring

Who Could Not Possibly Resist a “Charlie Bear”?

 

 

 

One of our very sweet customers has been kind enough to share one of her photos with us of her current Charlie Bear Mohair Collection of bears. 

She is an avid fan of Charlie Bears, and as you can see, is also a very talented photographer as well. We also thought we would share some additional information we received from Lucy, Charlie’s sister (aka Charlotte).  By the way, Charlotte is Lucy’s older sister and William is her brother-in-law.  Lucy lives in Canada and takes care of all of us North American retailers, or as we are often referred to as “stockists”.
Charlote herself has the first edition of every Charlie Bears plush, mohair, minimo (miniature mohair), baby plush, and dollies produced.  Isn’t that something?
Charlie Bears first started out in both the UK and Australia and their enduring popularity is quickly spreading to North America (especially the United States).  We are so proud to be an authorized retailer of Charlie Bears.

Quote of the Day – “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” - Jean Jacques Rousseau

Charlie Bears Shipment Has Arrived

 

 We were very pleased to receive in a small Charlie Bears shipment today which included both mohair and plush teddy bears.  (Most of the mohair bears have already been spoken for but we do have available this adorable mohair bear named Hunter (pictured left).

The Charlie Bears plush teddies included two incredibly large bears named Chumley and Ebony.  Chumley is a 36-inch thick grey plush teddy bear tipped in shades of light grey and cream. Chumley is fully-jointed, has a wobble jointed neck, and cream suede-like bear paws. He wears a large organza bow around his neck.
Ebony is an incredible 28-1/2 inch black teddy bear. Ebony is fully-jointed, has a wobble jointed neck, and black suede-like bear paws. She wears a collar of bells around her neck.
Additionally, 3 other plush Charlie Bears were included in this shipment to include the old time favorite Corey and new bears that included Dorothy, and Tiana.
We have never been disappointed in any Charlie Bear we have ever received and this shipment is no exception.  They are made extraordinarily well and each has the most lovable facial expression.
Quote of the Day – “Stop leaving and you will arrive.  Stop searching and you will see. Stop running away and you will be found.” – Lao Tzu

Jim Shore Figurines Introduces “The Muppets”

Within the last couple of weeks, we received in one of Jim Shore’s  2011 collections – The Muppets.  I guess that we are a bit behind the times because we did not realize that the Walt Disney Company bought out The Muppets but after some research found that the Walt Disney Company bought the rights back in 2004.  Incidentally, the late Jim Henson first introduced the Muppets back in 1956.  Jim coined the phrase “Muppet” by combining both the words “marionette” and “puppet”.  Anyway, Jim Shore’s Muppet Figurines are now marketed by Jim Shore under his “Disney Traditions” Line of figurines.
This Collection currently includes:
Animal
Fozzie Bear
Kermit the Frog
Miss Piggy
A Muppet Show Displayer to display 5 of the Muppet Figurines
Waldorf and Statler (for those of you who do not remember, Waldorf and Statler were the two grumpy old men in the box office that made wise cracks throughout the show)
We expect that Jim Shore Figurines will introduce more of the Muppets as time goes on.
Quote of the Day – “Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.”  - Melba Colgrove 

Brendas Reborn Nursery Now Carries Reborn and Preemie Baby Clothing

are Preemie Size 0 – 3 months and fit reborn baby dolls perfectly.  Most of the outfits are from the exceptional children’s clothing company, Willbeth, but there are also 3 Take Me Home Taggies baby sets.  Each Take Me Home Taggies baby set comes with the famous taggies attached. So if you are looking for a perfect outfit for your reborn baby doll or one for the real thing, we would highly recommend Willbeth baby outfits.
Quote of the Day – ‘Reputation is what men and women think of u

Masterpiece Dolls Latest Collection (May 2011 Collection)

Masterpiece Dolls have just released their latest Collection which consists of 15 incredible dolls.  These dolls are expected to ship in May. 
There is a wide variety of dolls to choose from this collection, in addition to 5 different dolls artists.  Doll artists include the very popular Monika Levenig and Minika Peter-Leicht, as well as Susan Lippl, Regina Swialkowski, and Doris Stannat.
Included in this incredible collection are a fairy doll named Emma (pictured above), Kathryn the Bride, Mariza – a Gypsy doll, Aladdin’s Princess Halima, Sandy (the Flower Girl), Cinderella, a sweet little girl named Kylie who hold her blankie, Pippina (a red-headed beauty), Susanna an adorable dark-haired little girl, Hans a blonde-haired cutie, Summer, Shelly, a set of twimes Amy and Aaron, and Baby Jolie – a little crawler.  Masterpiece Dolls has included a wide array of dolls in this collection and doll collectors are sure to find something that suits their fancy.
Incidentally, we are expecting in the February 2011 Collection of dolls in the next couple of weeks, so please stay tuned.
Quote of the Day – “Many men go fishing all their lives not knowing it is not fish they are after. “  –Henry David Thoreau 

2011 Steiff Bears North American Exclusive (Gatsby, the Trademark Bear EAN 681950)

 Another incredible bear from Steiff Bears 2011 North American Exclusives Lineup is Gatsby, the Trademark Bear (EAN 681950).  This cinnamon colored bear stands at 15 inches and comes from a limited edition of only 1897 pieces.

According to Steiff: “When we announced to collectors that The Trademark Bear series would end last year, they immediately let us know they wanted more. So we decided it was only fitting, if we were going to introduce another bear in the series, that it should be something truly special. Gatsby perfectly fits the bill. He’s made of a rare cinnamon-colored material that Steiff has never used before – a blend of pure silk with a little bit of russet-colored mohair added to the mix. The result is something truly extraordinary.  Around his neck, he wears a genuine leather collar with an elephant trademark button.”
Destined to a favorite this year by Steiff collectors.
Quote of the Day – “The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.” – William James

2011 Marie Osmond Dolls DOTY Winners

 Marie Osmond Dolls (aka Charisma Brands) is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.  To commemorate this special occasion, Marie has come out with an incredible collection of dolls.

An adorable doll featured on the cover of this anniversary catalog is “Love and Laughter Along the Way” who is a 12-inch seated little beauty.  She has warm auburn hair and brown eyes and she is musical.  She wears the prettiest sleeveless gold dress with “lots of pouff” as Marie calls it.  We expect her to ship in March sometime.

Marie’s 4 DOTY (Doll of the Year) winners are as follows:
1. Little Lovey
2.  Journey
3. It’s been a Hoot
4.  Lively Lucy Bitty Mop
We will definitely be carrying all of these dolls.  In addition, Marie has come out with two “Retailer Exclusive” dolls named Delilah Daisies and Amaya Celebrations.  Delilah Daisies was sculpted by the very popular JoAnn Pohlman and comes from a limited edition of 400 collectible dolls.  Amaya Celebrations was sculpted by Sonja Bryer and comes from a limited edition of only 150 pieces. (She is pictured above).
Please stay tuned as we are really looking forward to receiving all dolls from this Anniversary Collection.
Quote of the Day - ”A hug is the one thing you always get back when you give one.”  – Dale Hilding

2011 Snowbunnies (Snowbabies by Department 56)

 

 

This year Department 56 has come out with several new and very adorable Snowbunnies.  In fact, we now have a total of 26 Snowbunnies to choose from.
For those of you who do not know what Snowbunnies are, they are Snowbabies by Department 56 that have little bunny ears instead of hats like regular Snowbabies do.  As is the same with Snowbabies, Kristi Jensen Pierro, designer of Snowbabies by Department 56, has been drawing Snowbunnies and Snowbabies for the past 22 years. She says that she gets her inspiration for these whimsical figurines from her life experiences, photos and stories.
All Snowbunnies have additional color somewhere within the figurine whether it be a milk chocolate covered bunny or possibly a yellow chick.
Our definite favorite is pictured above and is called “Zero Calorie Carrot Cake Snowbunnies” with a SKU of 4020373.  It is such an adorable figurine and is sure to put a smile on any face, young or old.
Quote of the Day – “Into the house where joy lives, happiness will gladly come.” - Japanese Proverb 

2011 Bearington Bears Spring Collection

 The 2011 Bearington Bears  Spring Collection has arrived!  This includes over 40 new teddy bears and bunnies that will want to make you hope for Spring even more. . . vibrant pinks, Spring Green, and lavender are just a few of the color themes in this new collection.

And for those looking for that special Easter bunny, we now have in several new Bearington bunnies.  We especially like Callie (pictured above) and Haylee Hatter who have long curly white plush.  A nice change from the regular plush bunnies.  And for those who want to make a “big” impression, we now have 30-inch Giant Hunnybunny who is as soft and cuddly as can be.
Easter is April 24th this year by the way, so there is still plenty of time before that wonderful holiday is here.
Quote of the Day - ”Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”  - Emily Dickenson

Sneak Peek – Steiff Bears 2011 Worldwide Classics Collection

2011 will be another great year for Steiff Collectors as Steiff  is introducing several excellent pieces.  One of these Steiff Bears that we are particularly fond of is featured on the cover of this year’s first 2011 Steiff Worldwide Classics Collection.  His name is Dante Teddy Bear, Green Tipped (EAN 036965). As perfectly described by Steiff:  “The most important part of any Teddy bear is his mohair. Our artisans at Steiff Schulte are constantly striving to provide us with new fabric choices from which we can make interesting new bears for our collectors around the world. Dante is a perfect example of Steiff Schulte’s innovators at work. His unusual green mohair is a work of art within itself. It’s an extremely short pile dyed using an ancient Indonesian “batik” technique. The result is a random pattern that makes each and every bear unique. But Dante’s mohair is just the beginning of his wonders. He has a classical look, but is yet somehow modern. He bridges the gap between traditional Steiff and today’s artist Teddy bears. He has a shaved muzzle, sparkling black eyes, antiqued paw pads, loosely jointed head, and hand-stitched nose and claws. Around his neck, he wears a patinated bell on a cord for good luck. And any collector would feel lucky to own this exceptional Steiff Teddy bear.Limited Edition. Made of the finest mohair. Synthetic filling material. 5-way jointed; head & limbs loosely attached to body. With growler. With safety eyes. Gold-plated “Button-in-Ear”. Surface washable.”
Incidentally, Dante Teddy Bear (EAN 036965) comes from a limited edition of 1500 pieces and is 12 inches tall.
We can’t wait to see this bear as we are sure that he will look even more fantastic in person than in his photo.
Quote of the Day – “Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”  - Louisa May Alcott


Snow White Masterpiece Doll by Monika Peter-Leicht

Many collectors have told us that they are disappointed with the outfit on the Snow White Masterpiece Doll by renowned doll artist Monika Peter-Leicht.  The original color of the skirt of her dress was yellow (just like the real Walt Disney Snow White), but was later changed to pink as the doll manufacturer told us that the yellow material was no longer available.  Either way, we have found that most probably because of this change, the Masterpiece Doll Snow White has not been very popular. A wonderful customer of ours did forward on some photos of Snow White redressed in other clothes so that you could see what a truly beautiful doll she really is.  Her dark hair and blue eyes are quite striking. . .
Pictured above is how Snow White looks in her original dress, alongside 3 different dresses that she has been redressed in.  I think that you will all agree that the transformation is quite amazing.
Quote of the Day - ”To love and be loved is to feel the sun from bot
h sides.”  - David Viscott

New for 2011 – Jim Shore Disney Traditions Personality Poses Figurines

Late last week we received in a nice selection of Jim Shore Figurines from his Disney Traditions Collection coined “Personality Poses” figurines.  Each Walt Disney figurine are about the same size (usually around 4 inches tall) and are very resonably priced under $20.00 each.  These figurines are smaller in stature and quite popular with Jim Shore collectors. Included in this new line of Personality Poses are:
1.  Alice in Wonderland Jim Shore Figurine 4023527
2. Ariel Jim Shore Figurine 4023530
3. Belle Jim Shore Figurine 4023532
4. Cheshire Cat Jim Shore Figurine 4023528
5. Mad Hatter Jim Shore Figurine 4023529
6. Peter Pan Jim Shore Figurine 4023531
(Incidentally, we are seeing a resurgence in the popularity of Peter Pan this year as an all-new musical production of Peter Pan has been debuted.  Cathy Rigby, a Tony Award nominee, stars as the timeless Peter Pan.)
Quote of the Day – “Every day is my best day; this is my life. I’m not going to have this moment again.” – Bernie Siegel

Masterpiece Dolls February 2011 Arrivals

 Earlier this afternoon, we received in our shipment of Masterpiece Dolls from the February 2011 Collection.  This Collection of dolls is very nice and we were very pleased with the wide variety of dolls contained within this collection.  Masterpiece Dolls never fail to impress us.
Nadya the Gypsy and Rose (pictured left) are two of our favorites but we have not yet opened all of the dolls but hope to by the end of the day.
The little beauties (and guys) from this collection are as follows:
1.  Little Red Riding Hood
2.  Seraphina
3.  The Prince
4.  Rapunzel
5.  Lacey
6.  Spring
7.  Nadya the Gypsy
8. Adriana
9. Rose
10. William
11.  Ruby
12.  Regan
13. Heidi
We expect this Masterpiece Doll Collection to be as popular as all of those in the past.  Please keep in mind that we do offer very flexible layaways so give us a call or email us for futher details if you might be interested.
Quote of the Day - ”Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes.”  – Henry J. Kaiser 

Jim Shore Figurines Cardinal Collection

 Jim Shore’s cardinals have always been very popular amongst collectors and one can certainly see why he has come out with a collection in 2011 that centers around the cardinal bird.

Included in this collection is:
1.  Cardinal Birdhouse (4022463)
2.  Cardinal Candleholder (4022565)
3.  Cardinal Garden Stake (4022564)
4.  Cardinal Windchime (4022734)
All cardinals are made of stone resin to resemble hand-carved wood and are hand-painted.  Additionally, is has been UV protected so that it can be placed outdoors with minimal fading.
Quote of the Day – “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” -  Benjamin Disraeli 

Masterpiece Dolls 2011 DOTY (Doll of the Year)

Five Masterpice Dolls are this year’s 2011 DOTY (Doll of the Year) Industry’s Choice Award Winners.  The DOTY Award is a prestigious award that was organized to celebrate dolls with exceptional design and manufacture.
We, as well as Masterpiece Dolls, are quite thrilled that 5 of these incredibly life-like dolls have received this year’s award.
Photos of these little beauties are posted above and they are as follows:
1.  Summer (by Monika Levenig)
2.  Mariza (by Monika Levenig)
3.  Kathryn the Bride (by Monika Peter-Leicht)
4.  Aladdin’s Princes Halima (by Monika Peter-Leicht)
5.  Amy (by Doris Stannat)
We will be carrying all of these dolls for customers.  All five dolls (Summer, Mariza ,  Kathryn, Princess Halima, and Amy will be arriving in the upcoming collection of Masterpiece Dolls expected to ship in mid-May.)
Additional information on each doll can be viewed at the Masterpiece Dolls website.
Quote of the Day – “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” – Vince Lombardi

JUST A COUPLE OF ALICES

Beloved

story book characters

Alice and her White Rabbit

soft sculpture jointed dolls

with tiny paper clay

rabbit

blue print dresses

and striped tights

white felt granny boots

Just a couple of Alices and their Rabbits

in my shop

Clearance Sale on Cami & Jon Fashions at Cherished Friends

If you have waited for some of the Cami & Jon fashions, they're now on sale at Cherished Friends. This is just a few of what's available.

Silkstone Ekaterina Arrives

So how did Integrity's Black Wednesday go for you? Did you get everything you wanted on pre-order? With 36 dolls to choose from, there must have been something for everyone. Problem is, most everyone wanted the same thing. From what I've heard, the boy dolls disappeared faster than all the rest.

Ekaterina arrived today. She is the Barbie Fan Club first doll for 2011. I thought she was overpriced but that is the direction the Silkstone dolls have taken in the last year. I don't know if I will debox her because I wasn't overwhelmed with joy when I looked inside the box.

Silly me. I was expecting the doll to look like the promo.

I suppose if I take her out and arrange her curls, she will look good. I do love redheads. I was surprised at how much she reminds me of Je Ne Sais Quoi who is actually better looking in person that her promo (and has lots of nice jewelry and a handbag and was more than $20 less.)

Strangely enough I don't have a picture of JNSQ in her own outfit. I do have this one. She's wearing a suit that came on Brilliance Monogram doll. This was the worst piece of sewing ever. Look at the white stitching across the bustline. Ugh. I have since gone over that stitching with indelible black laundry marker.

The good thing is that I learned that Monogram clothing fits Silkies.


Every time I go to the BFC site and see the Tribute Barbie Doll I am reminded that I want her badly.

She will be mine one day!

Sometimes throwing away money on dolls like Twilight Jane and a few Lalaloopsy pieces of junk adds up and could easily buy a doll like Tribute. It's pretty difficult to delay gratification when there are so many adorable dolls just asking to come live here.

This was a waste of $5. but it was irresistible.

One more thing arrived today...a cute folder which contained my BFC membership card and a key chain with a folding picture holder. It's cute. I think it could make a good luggage tag.

WIP SCULPT #3 AND 4

time for drying

and then the sanding and drilling starts!

Will the Real Vanessa Please Stand Up?

The movement is afoot to get Integrity Toys to stop production of the redesigned Vanessa head mold. Hopefully the designers will listen and make collectors happy.

I have decided to join with those petitioning IT. Vanessa is my favorite mold after all and although I didn't see that much difference, I'd rather no changes at all.

There have been 22 versions of Vanessa manufactured since the beginning.  There have been 15 Agnes dolls. Does that mean that Agnes will also get restyled soon? She's wildly popular among collectors as Vanessa has always been.

Restyling a product that is loved 

is not good business. 

All a doll needs is different facial screening, different hair styling and a great outfit to change her appearance.  Make light, medium and dark versions. Discontinue or reduce her production.
You don't change an icon's appearance.  Who is making these decisions?

These are all Vanessa. Most are IT's own promotional photos. Of these, five were not terribly popular but sold out fast nevertheless. All except Aerodynamic are hunted by collectors. The prices for these dolls can be extraordinarily high.

I ought to just dig up my protests against the restyling of Veronique or my comments about the restyling of Natalia. That was ridiculous. It stopped being Natalia. I am quite sure that sales have not improved as a result of these changes. Isn't that why IT is in business? Is someone with an out-of-control ego loose in the boardroom? 

When In Bloom Vanessa, the W Club doll from 2007 was shown there was a very negative reaction to her appearance and it was changed because of that. 

While most unhappy collectors are busy protesting on the W Board and other boards, I have suggested they write directly to the designers at Integrity Toys. At the last convention, Vaughn said he wanted to hear what collectors think. Is he paying attention? Is anyone?