Showing posts with label Ficon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ficon. Show all posts

1/21/2016

Brunel: A Most Versatile Kingdom Doll

Brunel is the most photographed Kingdom Doll in my collection. The first photo presents her as she was originally dressed.
Photos show her dressed in fashions by Ficon, Integrity Toys, Tonner, Superdoll and, of course, Kingdom Doll. There is one dress in there by a collector. Wigs by Cheryl Wood and Ilaria.

You can click on individual photos to enlarge them. 
 














5/07/2015

My Ficon Gals and Brunel Visit the Parlor

I finally finished repainting Caroline's Parlor. It was not fun but definitely worth it in the end.
I used two shades of gray matte finish and semi-gloss white paint.
The window seat cushion is just temporarily wrapped in a scrap of upholstery fabric. I need to make a well fitted cover for that. The curtains will have to go as well. I'd like something more formal.
For the picture over the mantel I printed out several Matisse pictures I found on the internet and picked the one that I liked the best to go in this frame. I attached it to the wall using self-stick velcro squares.
My window view is the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. I loved it because of the cherry blossoms in the foreground in spite of the fact that there is no building that would have this view at this scale.

Furniture is Horsman. The fluffy white rugs are an Integrity Toy's product from long ago. 


The big issue with using a set with lots of verticals is perspective distortion. There are tilt-shift lenses that can automatically correct for this. I don't have one so I attempt to do the correction in Photoshop.

http://digital-photography-school.com/correcting-perspective-lens-distortion-in-photoshop/

http://www.photographyblog.com/articles/why_you_dont_need_a_tilt-shift_lens/


Brunel wanted to show off her new Chanel handbag


so she invited the Ficons for a parlor warming party. They don't get along very well.

It's not your turn to hold him yet. Go away.
Where's the food?
They all wanted to play with the dog; he was the hit of the party. No one paid attention to Brunel or the new parlor at all.


They finally left and Brunel got the puppy all to herself.




 The End of a dumb story.





1/11/2015

Brunel and Alejandro




Dress by Ficon
Wig by Cheryl Wood
IT Jewelry (Gene)
IT Purse

Jamieshow Alejandro's wig by Chewin

1/10/2015

Modsdoll Aurum and Kingdom Doll Brunel

I have been playing with two of my new 16" resin dolls. And that's a good thing because I vowed to play more. Less accumulating; more playing. Seriously, it's not hard to sit in front of a computer for hours pining over dolls I don't have when all the while, I have gorgeous dolls upstairs. That's a sickness.

Aurum is growing on me. I almost sold her. She is wearing a Ficon gown and Fashion Royalty earrings.



I love Brunel!
In these photos she is wearing a Sybarite sweater and Ficon jeans which are too large in the hips. The rhinestone belt (Facets) helps to pull them in. The poodle is needle felted from an artist whose name I don't remember. I've had him a long time.  Boots - eBay.



6/15/2014

Ficon Miss G and Sybarite Luggage

Before I even received my gold luggage set, I received an email explaining that the factory had made flawed pieces and that I could have a refund or a replacement. Bummer.  I got the luggage the next day and the gold material on the surfaces of the pieces was, indeed, flawed in several places.
Sad because this item is just adorable. The insides are lined in fabric and have pockets, mirrors, straps and fittings you'd find inside human luggage. The straps and hinges and other metal components on the exterior are perfect. There's an embroidered tag for each piece as well.
I'll be able to use them as a prop even though they are flawed. I wonder what color I'll get for my replacement. I'm hoping it's not green. I would like the black but it's not up to me.


Here is Miss G wearing a wig by Cheryl Wood. Her outfit is a Ficon fashion called "Tree of Joy."
It is still available on the Ficon website.


2/19/2014

Playing Dolls

After a stressful day yesterday, I took some serious doll playtime. I wired a doll for the first time and she's much more pleasant to handle. Three dolls were redressed and rewigged.

These are all iPhone pictures.
 
 Good grief, Sybarite's heads are huge! Geometry looks like an Amazon next to Ms. G and Nelson.

Nelson is gorgeous in her peachy pink wig and pastel Ficon gown. Ms. G, newly wired, is standing nicely for the first time. Now maybe I can start to enjoy her instead of fiddling with her legs all the time.

2/07/2014

Lady Gaga Dolls

There are some pretty awful looking Gaga dolls out there. I'll let you choose which of the following fit that description. These are all on eBay today.

This is a OOAK sculpted head with a piano dress.

OOAK Ficondoll "Gaga" inspired by "Versace Campaign"
Starting bid $800.

Lady Gaga "Grammy Awards 2010" OOAK Doll
Starting Bid $75.

Lady Gaga doll OOAK Custom Barbie #2
Buy It Now $39.99

Lady Gaga Fame Era OOAK Doll
Starting Bid $70.

Voodoo Doll, Lady Gaga, Lucky Charm Key Ring
Buy It Now $9.78
Lady Gaga Art Doll
Buy It Now $160.


Lady Gaga Doll aka Vaughn's Workshop
Buy It Now $600 or Make an Offer

None of these dolls compare to the adorable Gaga Barbies we've seen in the past.
Here's a link to the many Gaga dolls that have been produced over the course of the last few years.  

Of course you will need to waste time and care about this topic.  

12/31/2013

Collection: 2013 in Retrospect

I usually do a "Best-Worst" themed post at year end. This year I'm going to do more of a "Best of My 2013 Collection" post. Going through my 2013 purchase database, I made a list of my favorites. The list revealed that I concentrated, number-wise, on wigs and fashions more than anything else. And, for the first time in a few years, Integrity Toys' dolls scored multiple bests.

Below, left: Lukas Maverick as "Beauty." He was paired with a female doll entitled "Beast," not shown. Right: "Interlude," the last Monogram doll in the line, (supposedly) was a welcome bag doll at the 2013 convention. She is dressed in a fashion called "Completist" which was also a gift to attendees.

The two Integrity dolls below from their last convention are both Elise Jolie. On the left is the convention souvenir, Midnight  Star, and on the right is a workshop doll dressed in the Beast's outfit. These dolls are gorgeous and I love the Elise sculpt as much as I loved the original Vanessa sculpt!

A fashion designed by Chris Stoeckel for the W Club Luncheon for Victoire Roux made my favorites. Chris had previously done this dress for a 15.5" Gene doll (right) in a different colorway. It translates very well to the 12" "Out Sass."
IMO Chris is the most talented designer IT has (if Jason isn't around.)

Mel Odom's beloved Gene Marshall doll made a surprise comeback in 2013 as a resin BJD produced by JamieShow Dolls. It's great fun to have new Gene dolls and it has brought renewed life to so many long-time Gene collections. On the left is J'Adore Gene wearing  a Sybarite fashion and a Cheryl Wood wig. On the right is Phoenix Gene wearing her own gown and a wig by Cheryl Wood.

Speaking of wigs, I added at least one dozen to my collection this past year. My favorites are those made by Ilaria, Patta, Cheryl and Chewin. My dolls have varying sized heads so they need lots of wigs. Below are two from Ilaria aka "Time of Doll."
On the left is Miss G White, a Ficon doll I traded for. Although she debuted in 2012, she is new to my collection. On the right is Inro. She is the first in the Inamorata line produced as a limited edition as opposed to a OOAK by Emilia Nieminen. 

For the first time in ages, I'm paying attention to male dolls again. While the Jamieshow Alejandro below, left and the Tonner Neo Tokyo are not from 2013, their fashions are. These fabulous garments are by the uber-talented Chewin. I also commissioned him to do Alejandro's wig.

 Another Chewin outfit modeled by Tonner's Yoshio, a 2013 16" favorite.

Yian (modsdoll) repainted this Dionysis Sybarite. She's wearing a 2012 Cheryl Wood wig, a gorgeous dress from the 2013 Metrodoll's luncheon entitled "Eventail," and a stunning neckpiece by Asher of New England. I'm sure you can see why she made my favorites list.

Of course I have too many dolls so I buy outfits for them. Early fashions that I couldn't get previously and newly released ones arrived regularly.
Many of the amazing fashions from Sandra Stillwell's Kansas City Every Day's A Holiday event can be seen elsewhere on this blog. Here is one called "Delicate Bloom." The floral motifs are all ribbon embroidery!

V John offers a monthly fashion for either 12" or 16" dolls.

There are always Tonner dressed dolls or fashions that need to come to mama.  Some fashions are offered separately and some are from dressed dolls. Tiny Kitty is older (2005) doll called "Flirtation."  Sometimes it's good to wait because many collectors sell Tonner products for much less than they paid.

Antoinette is wearing a 2012 gown from "Sweeping Antoinette."

This Antoinette fashion is called "Fanciful." It's so Barbie-ish and reminds me of Silkstone Provencale.  "Hypnotic" Antoinette, whom I chose to model the Tonner gown, has the same hairstyle the Silkie (on the right.) Provencale is not a new acquisition.

I was more careful with my purchases but I definitely made a few mistakes. I am happy with my dolls. When I'm not, they go. Some stick around until I'm sure.

My doll collecting resolution is to continue to be careful and focused with what I purchase.  I resolve to re-photograph many of my dolls and photograph all new dolls as they join the tribe.

Do you have any doll-related resolutions for 2013?