It's been too long....

I've been doing a lot of running, but not a lot of rambling over the last year, and there has not been any time to sit down and write, at least, not in depth.  Anyway, I have a wee moment now, and I thought I'd natter about my recent dolly finds!

I decided to get some fresh air recently, so, on my lunch break, I hurried myself over to the nearby thrift shop.  The thinking was that there might be an interesting doll or two in the toy section.

Well, wasn't I in for a surprise!

The first doll I laid eyes on was a 23" My Twinn.  I picked her up, thinking that she was maybe an American Girl or other similar doll, but spied the tag.  I thought I had read something about My Twinn dolls, but couldn't remember accurately, so I put her back and moved on.

Next, was a blonde Barbie with a whole bunch of clothes.  Finding clothes and shoes is rare at this store, and they looked like they were in pretty good shape.  Besides, there are five of us here who would be thrilled with the wardrobe updates and for $3.99, who could complain?  I scooped that one up.

After that (and this may not be in the right order), I found another $3.99 bag containing a naked Cinderella doll and a Mattel Belle with molded-on clothing.  I have a Belle that I'm quite happy with, but I don't have a Cinderella, and there was something about this one that jogged my memory.  What convinced me was that Cinderella had 13 points of articulation.  That bag came with me.

The next find was a couple of blonde dolls....I'm not a fan of blonde fashion dolls, mostly because that was pretty much all there were to choose from in my area when I was growing up.  There was very little diversity. I would have passed them by, but one had an unusual face - she looked like a Takara Jenny.  I assumed she was a knock off, but picked up the bag anyway and looked at the doll's back.  I saw the raised letters TAKARA on her back and did not put it back.

Next, was a bag with TinkerBell, wrapped in some kind of silvery fabric and a Liv Sophie (actually, it was a Liv Sophie from the It's My Nature line).  She had her shirt, skirt and capris from the full outfit, and her wig.  I love Liv dolls - I think they are the perfect play doll.  My hand automatically pulled the bag toward me.

The last bag was a solitary Monster High doll.  She looked like she was in fairly good shape, but hat no shoes, and her price was $7.99.  I was going to leave her, but the lowest price I have seen a new Monster High on sale for is about $15, so I grabbed her too.

I then did a quick search through the rest of the store for 1:6 scale items, but there was nothing to tempt me there (luckily), so I headed for the checkout counters....and remembered the My Twinn..  I don't collect larger dolls, nor am I really interested in American Girl type dolls, probably because most of them have limited articulation, but I really liked the eyes on this doll.  She was marked at $5.99.  I decided to get her.

So, in the 15-20 minutes I was in the store, I spent $30 for 9 dolls. A good day's work, I figured!  And I still had some time outside!

Now that I've had a little time to open the bags and examine my finds, here is what I've discovered:

The My Twinn doll is 23", and as of October 2013 (at least, this is what I've read), the parent company has decided to stop making that size doll and concentrate on 18" dolls.  Interesting!  I need to spend more time getting information on her, but I'm glad I picked her up.  And I had read about this line - the review is here.

It's a little chilly here, so I gave her a couple of warm items.

The Monster High doll is a Skull Shores Lagoona Blue.  She is missing her leg fins, shoes, wrap around skirt and drink, but she is clean and all her joints appear to be fine.  I am not a Monster High collector, but I liked the fact that her eyes bulge a little and she's got cool ears.

Liv Sophie even has her earrings!  Excellent!  Her wig is also in pretty good shape - it just needs a little combing.  TinkerBell is a Jaaks Pacific doll - marked 2010 on her back.  She has six points of articulation.  I have no idea which Tink she is, so I'll have to do some additional research.

The Takara doll came with a a Superstar era Barbie.  Barbie is a full-figured, PTR doll, marked Malaysia.  She came with a necklace, an actual chain necklace, with a blue stone.  The Takara doll, which I assumed was a Jenny, is marked Takara Japan on her back (and has 1981 stamped on the inside of her head), so I'm wondering if she is a Japanese Barbie.  Again, more research is needed!

Belle is a more recent doll, marked 2009.  She has a molded on bodice, in yellow and orange, molded on shoes and a rubbery skirt that is removable.  The skirt reminds me of Polly Pocket clothing.  My guess is that this is a basic doll made for younger children (so that they can't lose the clothes), or a doll made for water play (I have since found out that she is a Bath Beauty Belle and her outfit and/or hair will change colour in cold water).  Cinderella, on the other hand, is a Disney doll.  The reason why she looked so familiar is because of this review here (when I re-read it, I was howling with laughter all over again).  I'll obviously need to find some glass slippers and a gown for her, but, I think I can scrounge up something for her in the meantime.

That's better, although I would prefer a full length gown.

The Barbie in the bag of clothes is a more recent doll (she has a newer body, dated 1999), but has the unfortunate permanently bent left arm.  Her facial screening isn't as scary as some of the more recent dolls, but she is blonde, so she won't be staying with me.  There are, however, some really neat items in the bag of clothes, and some Bratz items that I can pass on to one of the offspring.

I will be trying to photograph all of these finds to add them to this post.  My hope is to have that done by the end of the weekend......

Christmas, 2012

I am so lucky!  I love dolls - I may have mentioned that previously, and here is one of the items (besides chocolate) that I got for Christmas:

It's not the Jake doll, it's the doll sized Beatles drum kit!  I was amazed when I opened that one up.  We had to find a picture of the actual drum kit to make sure it was set up correctly, and then, I had to get through Christmas dinners to get Jake behind it, but I thought he looked pretty good.

Good enough to add a band:

Members of the band, from left to right are Moonlight Dance Sophie, Moonlight Dance Daniela, Making Waves Jake, my custom Tamsyn and School's Out Alexis.  The microphones and stands used by Daniela and Tamsyn, their guitars and amps are courtesy of My Scene Jammin' in Jamaica, and the microphones and stands used by Sophie and Alexis are courtesy of Flavas (I believe the set was Awards Night).

Sophie doesn't only do backup vocals, she also plays horn....

...and Alexis plays violin.  This band is quite diversified!


And now for some close-ups:

Tamsyn usually likes to dress a little more casually, but because this was a holiday performance, she agreed to dress up.  She borrowed the blouse and shoes from a Twist and Dance Hayden, but the remaining pink fur and leopard print ensemble came from a My Scene set.

Sophie about to play....

Daniela sporting a more elegant than usual hairstyle (courtesy of a Liv accessory wig).

Alexis is sporting the Liv Prom Night fashion and the wig from the bonus Liv'n Travel set.

Shortly after these pictures were taken, the band acquired a new guitar and a cello.  One of the ladies can also play flute.  I'll have to catch them in rehearsal and post the pictures.

Not again....

I have really meant to be better at posting things, but family stuff and uncooperative technology has prevented that.  Anyway, an apology for not posting anything at all for months and months and months.

The post to follow is one that I have been wanting to make for over a month now, so I should get to it.

My Frankendolly Project, Part 4

This is the last part.  And the last post for today.

The final doll turned out really well, I thought, and it surprised me how much she's grown on me, because, normally, I'm not big on blonde haired dolls.  The next thing I'll tell you about her is that I named her Tamsyn, which is a variation of the Irish Gaelic Tamsen (meaning twin; sorry, I am fascinated by names).  This is what she looks like:

Tamsyn

I chose this initial picture so that her outfit would be displayed, but it doesn't do justice to her face.  Here is a close up:

Looking out the window

When I look at this doll, I see a fair-haired kindred spirit to Daniela.  She strikes me as a doll who loves music, loves performing and has a unique style.  And it appears that she really likes blue.  And sneakers (trainers).  Like the tenth Doctor's.

Let's see how she looks with purple streaks:

Not bad

I might have to find her some purple outfits too.  She's already snagged the leopard print My Scene coat (with pink woolly tail and matching hat), a snakeskin skirt, a full length leotard (it might look good with the coat) and a purple eyelash tube top (remember, unique style).  The outfit she has on came from a Kira doll (Mattel) that also had a matching vinyl blow up chair (the chair is in storage with the other furniture, but I should get it out for her).

Maybe we can trade outfits...

Now is it me, or does this look like a girl band portrait?  I see these two as ready to rock.  All they need now is a name....

Hey...isn't that Bryan Adams over there?

She looks like a great bandmate for Daniela and an interesting newcomer to the Liv dolls that reside here.  Thanks for taking the time to look at today's rambling!

My Frankendolly Project, Part 3

I wasn't sure which doll to post next, as I really like the way each turned out.  I decided on this one:

Miette Genevieve

The photo really doesn't do her justice.  She is a really pretty doll in person.  And I figured that she would benefit from some classic outfits, like this one that I got years ago from eBay.

Taking a break

There is a nautical Barbie logo on the left leg, which explains the pose.  The top is ever so slightly too big, but the shorts fit perfectly.

Miette, I think, would look right at home at a sidewalk café or on the slopes (all props that I can find).  And even though my youngest keeps calling her "Katie", this doll likes dresses, and would look fabulous in a Dior new look style, with a matching hat and her hair down, of course.  By the way, her name translates to (so I've read) small, sweet or a sweet little bite.

I just keep looking at this doll and her images, so I'm going to post this, and move on to the next.

My Frankendolly Project, Part 2

Waiting for her appointment

So, in my last post, I touched on the fact that I wanted a liv for hair! Katie, and the creation of Katie and Hayden.

Of course, in order to make those two dolls, I would need a few more volunteers.  This doll is one that was created from what was left.

When I looked at the assortment before me, I remembered that I had wondered why Alexis was given hazel eyes, rather than brown, so, I now have a brown-eyed African American doll.  But I didn't think I could call her Alexis...unfortunately, poor Alexis has suffered a bit of identity crisis with all of the skin tone variations she has AND her eyes are hazel.  It was obvious to me that she needed a new name.

Yes, I am Adeola

After some pondering (while deciding which wig, earrings and shoes she was going to have), I thought that Adeola suited her.  Doctor Who fans should recognize that name (Army of Ghosts)...all she needs now is a stylish updo and a smart suit.

Adeola did get Daniela's sandals, and in keeping with the dress theme, I found a little floral number that had a matching shrug from some (old) Mattel items.  Her hair is being held back with a miniature clip, which I think will stay, as I think the wig was in her face too much without it.

SO, what to you think?

Here she is after her appointment.  I have to work fast in this heat to capture the colour change in the wigs, which is why there are stray hairs in the picture.  This wig is stunning when it's fully changed.

I have yet to get a group shot of all six liv for hair! dolls, but I think it will have to wait until the temperature is cooler.

My Frankendolly Project, Part 1

I think I have mentioned somewhere in here that I like dolls, the type you can go to the toy store and buy.  My favourite has been Spin Master's Liv dolls, but the word is that they won't be available any longer.  Unfortunately for me (and the majority of my family who are Liv doll devotees), that leaves us in a bit of a pickle.

Christmas saw a number of liv for hair! spa dolls arrive here, and one of the devotees expressed some disappointment about Katie not being part of the line up.  Now while I understand that Katie is a tomboy and may not necessarily want to be slathered in cosmetics (at least that's the impression I get from the entry in her journal on Livworld), I'm sure she would endure a couple of hours of pampering to hang out with her friends.  After all, you can always wash it off!

Anyway, that thought got shuffled to the background until this spring, when Zeller's, a national retailer that was bought by Target, started their liquidation sales.  I realized that sale priced dolls meant that I could do a little experimenting and perhaps create a liv for hair! Katie and Hayden.

liv for hair! Hayden

liv for hair! Katie

The images show the results of my efforts, with the colour change.  Katie's eyes are a little crossed because the vinyl behind one eye tore a bit.  I think Hayden is going to have to see a stylist for her hair, because it does insist on being poufy.

Hayden is wearing Sophie's sandals and a cute little dress that I think was made by Mattel.  There are no tags in it, unfortunately, so I can't verify that at the moment.

Katie is not a dress girl.  I know she wore one in the dance (but with leggings) and she may have worn one in the school play (but of course, that was just on stage).  In my opinion, Katie isn't really a dress girl.  Yet.  So, she's wearing a cute crop t-shirt and white denim pants with gold thread trim.  She got Alexis' sandals and Daniela's belt, and the overall look is rather racy for Katie, but, she figures it's still better than a dress!

Overall though, for a first attempt at changing eyes, the process didn't go too badly.  I'm looking forward to future projects!