Chewin's Website

Those of you who are fans of Chewin's work, as I am, may already know that he has a website which showcases his fashion and wig offerings.

The work ranges from underwear to historical to sportswear to formal wear to shoes. Doll sizes range from 1/6 scale Fashion Royalty to 1/3 scale dolls.  The prices and the quality are excellent.
His hard cap wigs are stunning and he will use your preference in colors if you don't want the one shown.

On Prego today he posted a beautiful OOAK bridal fashion for an EID size doll.

Here are a few more items currently available on his site.

Go see for yourself!   http://www.chewingallapa.com/

Shantommo Couture: Dark Fantasy Collection for 12" Dolls

In the endless pursuit for edgy and fashionable and affordable fashions for my dolls, I have become enchanted by Ryan Liang's creations. This is his latest collection called Dark Fantasy Collection 2015.

Description (each dress is pictured two times in the photo above.)

Raven Rouge: A one-piece bell-shaped high neck dress.

The Paris Affair: A two-piece outfit. Peplum top and pencil skirt.

Midnight Tangle: A one-piece dress and leather belt.

Dark black fabric with shiny faux fur. Accessories are not included.

Each fashion is $58. plus $8. postage.

Visit the Shantommo website to see many photos of his stunning work. 

http://www.shantommo.com/

Superdoll's Happy Holiday Fashion Offering

Today Superdoll Collectables offered four fashions for sale. Each was 120. British Pounds or $188.63 US except for Bitter Pill which was 140. British Pounds or $220.07 US. Postage from the UK to the US added another $25.42.

Of course, I'd like to have all of them and although I was not planning to purchase anymore doll stuff through the end of the year, I did order Bitter Pill. It's quite beautiful.

Dreamscape looks appealingly frothy, sparkly and princess-like.

I'd need to see Emerald Oyster in person to appreciate it fully. The photos of all the black dresses were very dark. I adjusted the lightness and contrast in an attempt to bring out the details.

Etoile is even harder to evaluate due to the lack of visible detail. It looks interesting but what is going on around the neck and on the bodice? We'll have to wait and see for the buyers to post pictures.

Link to website:  http://www.superdollonline.co.uk/acatalog/SPECIAL-ITEMS.html

Play with those dolls!

This is a post I found which was never published. It is obviously from a few years ago.

I've been giving advice and not often following it myself. This week I'm being good. I've been redressing dolls and photographing them. It feels like I have some new dolls. I love it.
Most recently the Nu Face dolls got attention. I sold off most of these little beauties so there weren't that many to be redressed. Here are Eden and Nadia. Nadja was "The Illusionist." I unwrapped the braid around the headpiece and underneath was a heavily glued stalk of hair. I washed it several times but the glue would not even soften so I just cut off as much as I could. I may rewrap the tiny braided hair, retrieved from the thing atop her head, around the nub that's left. But for now, this is what she looks like. It made her into a much more useful doll.Here she is with Eden, my favorite of all the NuFace dolls. Yes, it is difficult to photograph such different skin tones next to eachother. I lit the scene as much as possible. I think because Nadja is wearing a bright red she comes forward in the mind's eye whereas if she wore a recessive color, the bright skin and hair on Eden would overpower the photo. The lighting could still be improved.
The biggest problem I have with this color vinyl is that he texture of the vinyl shows all the tiny pits unevenness every vinyl body has. I this photo I have softened the skin contrast with a tool in Photoshop.
I have just decided to sell Erin. I never even redressed her! I took these pictures today. She's just so perfect in the microsequin dress.

A Very Brief "Toast of Manhattan" Convention Post

Returned home Monday, unpacked, did laundry...looked at dolls, dressed dolls and took a few quickie iPad and iPhone pictures. I have no time as we're about to leave town to join our family for a holiday and a reunion. When I return I'll be busy for a few days getting a piece ready for the next issue of FDQ. When that's done...I'll post my recap of the convention.

What I've posted here are some very quick iPad shots of the 6 fashion ensembles we received as part of the convention package.  Some of the accessories have been changed by me or left out entirely. I just don't have patience for putting gloves on dolls.

The last photo is my travel doll wearing a Retros sweater I got in a room sale.  She's carrying some of the little goodies we received as table favors. A doll has to shop!

Here is a link to the nearly 200 iPhone photos I have uploaded to Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.842777405740687.1073741827.148849285133506&type=1

For more information on the names of the fashions, you can check Sandra Stillwell's blog where the fashions and names are listed with photos by Jeff Lega. In addition, fashions that may still be available will be posted there along with fashions available to pre-order (just in case you don't have enough clothes for your dolls. Heh.)

Tom Tierney, Paper Doll Artist, Dies at 85

I'll venture to guess that every one of us has owned or at least seen some of Tom Tierney's paper doll books in our lives. Just looking back at them now, I want so many.

 From the mid-1970s until his death, Mr. Tierney reigned as “the undisputed king” of the international paper-doll world, as The New York Times wrote in 1999 — a milieu that comprises thousands of collectors in the United States alone. Over the years, he created more than 400 paper-dolls books, most issued by Dover Publications.

A message from Dover Publishers:

"Everyone at Dover—and his legion of fans—is deeply saddened by the passing of Tom Tierney on July 12, 2014. One of our most beloved authors, Mr. Tierney created over 275 books for Dover, including dozens of bestselling paper dolls, with subjects ranging from U.S. presidents to popular movie stars. As one of America's foremost authorities on fashion history, Tom's books are famous for being meticulously researched and beautifully rendered and his works are prized by designers, collectors, and paper doll lovers around the world. We've put together a collection of books by the King of Paper Dolls to help you celebrate his life and work. For, as he once said, "My books can be a way to discover things that you weren't taught in school. And I like to think that they bring their subjects to life for readers, just the way they do for me when I work on them." For more about Mr. Tierney, use this link to read the exclusive interview "For My Work Is My Pleasure: A Talk with Tom Tierney." 

A page from Dover's Tierney offerings.

Tom illustrated the unsual (for a) paper doll:

Historical:

Pop culture:

 

Fashion:

Official web site of paper doll artist Tom Tierney

Dover still offers more than 125 of Tom's books for sale here:

http://doverpublications.ecomm-search.com/search?keywords=Tom+Tierney&sort_by_field=Popularity

Cho:lo Doll Couture Spring/ Summer Collection 2014: "Sheer Madness"

Always highly anticipated and never disappointing, Cholo Ayuyao has released the images of his new collection entitled Sheer Madness. The collection consists of 10 OOAK magnificent fashions which are now open for silent bidding.

Im so excited to announce that the Spring Summer '14 Collection "Sheer Madness" will be out this July 19, 2014, Saturday 9:00PM, Philippine Standard Time. There will be ten looks up for silent bidding after the online presentation via my Flickr account (just click my flickr account icon on your right side) and further information regarding how to bid will be posted here on my blog also. Since we all come from different parts of the world, hence different times, there will be a 24 hour bidding time, so everyone gets a chance.

Sheer Madness came from this idea while I was competing for the Couture Doll Design Challenge, CDDC, Years back during one challenge. A famous fashion forward actress was so into herself and her fashion to the point of being admitted to a mental institution from too much fabulosity. Even in her lockdown, she imagined herself in sheer embellished straight jackets and gowns, her mind twisting and turning with the ideas of grandeur and opulence. I thought this year will be a great opportunity to do that idea and actually expand it into 10 looks. I made one single pattern for every look, but different treatments in terms of embellishments. all looks are made of layered tulle, corset back for versatile fit. Five looks are fitted on Numina body, which could also fit Inamorata dolls, JS and Deva and similar size dolls, and the other five, fitted for sybs, which could also fit JS and RDG dolls. Embellishments are translation of the fashionista's crazy mind. its opulent, there's movement, intersecting, parallel lines of twinkling beads and finished off with textures of florets, tulles amd embossed fabric flowers. Instead of wigs, I opted for a lace headgear with a gag mask. The dolls are all barefoot this season though.

(You may click on the photos to bring them to full size.)

 Cholo told me that "since darker colored dolls are close to my heart, I've added 3 looks specially for aa skin toned dolls."

These are his favorites of the collection.

 See more photos on Cholo's Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/becholo/

Bidding information:

Thank you once again for joining me in celebrating doll couture madness. To bid for one or many of the ten looks presented, pretty much its the same drill as before. Email me at d_jeweler@yahoo.com. Written on the title is the look that you want (ex "Look 9")and in your email, write down you bid for the look you want starting at 200USD, that includes international shipping already, and your shipping details (name, address and one working phone number)

Ill get back to you as soon as ive read your emails for confirmation and we would all have to wait 24 hours before the offers stop and would email back if the offers won you the look or looks and should pay promptly. Payments through Paypal Only. Thank you once again for watching the show here's to anticipating the next collection for fall/ winter 2014, "Santita"

Enclosure Royale Fashion from Superdoll Collectibles

I knew something new was going to pop up on their site today and I went there several times, refreshing each time. It wasn't until I dug through posts at Syb Monde that I found the link to the listing.

Here's the description from the Superdoll site:

ENCLOSURE ROYALE SYB/756

A highlight of the social calendar, ASCOT, where the stakes are high, and thoroughbreds as good as the champagne.

Off to the races she goes, wearing double neck cravat under the ultimate in miniaturised silk houndstooth weave...
a tailored sleeveless jacket with yellow insert piping detail.
This goes over the yellow ruffled petticoat that pushes the gathered houndstooth silk skirt to it's perfect silhouette as she holds her breath... the racers approach the halfway mark.
With the odds in her favour, white hold up hose and suspender belt complete the inner workings of this winning ensemble.
Accessories include a gloss PVC tricorn hat trimmed in yellow binding and fierce black netting, a skull top walking cane and yellow courts bearing post heels in perspex. A black gloss PVC belt and as a finishing touch, a lace edged kerchief to wave the jockeys on their way..

It's in the detail.

Fancy a flutter? this one is the bookies' favourite!

OUTFIT ONLY

Item in stock and ready to ship.

Price: £185.42

That's $311.36 in US dollars. 
Happily for my dolly fund, it's not for me.

Tonner's Shipboard Wedding Fashion and Herve Leger Fashion

I don't do bride dolls but when I saw this pretty bridal dress in the LE50 version, I jumped on it. It also comes in a dressed doll version called Shipboard Wedding. Sadly, I just realized that it does not come with the cool faux diamond ring or necklace.

Marilyn

I didn't like the stiffness of Tyler in my first pictures of her. They reminded me of old fashioned wedding photos where the couple would stand perfectly still (like dolls.)

So I colorized the full length image to go with that vintage feel. Still doesn't really work - but that's the way it goes.
The background is annoying.
I'm lazy.

More modern fashion awaits with the Herve Leger bandaid dress on Lingerie 3 Silkstone.
The clutch is too large for a 12" doll. I like large bags but they have to have straps. This one would work with a 16" doll so I'm keeping it - for now. I love the dress.
Speaking of stiff and rigid, Silkstone dolls are the epitome of mannequin stiff in my collection and yet I like them.
I like too many things.

 

I know. I have to get rid of that freaky backdrop. Ignore it.

Pictures from Every Day's A Holiday - Kansas City - Part V

Pictures from Every Day's A Holiday - Kansas City - Part V:  Toy and Miniature Museum; Union Station; Kansas City Museum
I have about 300 photos to upload so I am going to do them in segments. I'm uploading here in small size. If you want to see enlarged images, just click on the image you want to see. 
The Toy and Miniature Museum was beyond belief. I can't begin to express to you the quality and quantity of miniatures contained therein. I could have spent two days there. At every turn in the glorious former mansion were rooms filled with the finest displays you can imagine. If you ever get the chance, you must visit.

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Yes, this is a Charles James

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WWI Museum - We did not visit. This is across from Union Station

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