So what is FR2?
If only I could stop calling it FR two and start calling it FR Squared. The problem is that the numeral 2 is in the numeric form and not the squared form and I hated algebra anyway.
Fashion Royalty times itself. Hmmm...twice as good? Twice as expensive? Twice as hard to get?
I have played with Dasha the FR2 doll from the convention collection and I am very impressed with her body. First of all it's a very pretty body. She's got a lovely chest and graceful limbs. The range of movement is excellent. I don't like her hands. They're a little rubbery and the fingers are spread out. That's useful for putting rings on her fingers but the other hands held things better.
My overall impression is that this body rocks! Congratulations to Integrity Toys for introducing a terrific body for 12 inch dolls. Now let's see the same on the Avantguards.
Dasha's feet are a bit longer which makes many shoes from prior outfits unwearable. What I would do is carve a bit off the back of her heel. If done carefully and sanded smooth, it won't show. Or we could petition IT to tweak the mold and bring the feet back to the prior size. That won't work. On the other hand...all the shoes I have that were too big will now fit. Still, many of our older shoes will fit. The fit of the clothes remains to be seen.
I'm sensing that FR2 is the demarcation between the end of Fashion Royalty as we know it and a reorganization of their lines. And in a way it's an invitation to those of us whose collections are out of hand to back away from continuing to accumulate more and more and just concentrate on the finest dolls (and less of them.) In the last two years since the disappearance of Veronique, we have seen a big change in the FR line besides the introduction of the Monogram dolls. Many of the fashions have been less than what we had come to expect. Jason's absence was palpable in the Fashion Royalty line except in the dolls from the 2009 convention and some exclusives. But the FR2 line seems to be his work. Except for the styling of the centerpiece "Dark Swan" Elyse Jolie FR2 doll, they're all classy and beautifully designed.
These dolls come with an adjustable height stand that supports dolls under their arms. These stands are OK if the fashion is not heavy or doesn't have a large skirt because the vertical support bar is up against the body and pushes the fashion forward from the rear. I'm glad I have dozens of left over stands from earlier dolls.
What do you think of the longer eyelashes, larger feet, flat, spread-fingered hands and the new line in general?
They are not available for purchase yet and we were not told the date upon which they would be released. I don't know how much they will be but I'm quite sure they won't be cheap.
News, reviews and photographs of Modern Fashion Dolls including Kingdom Doll, Fashion Royalty, Sybarite, Tonner Doll, Gene Marshall, Barbie and my own experiences as a doll collector.
11/05/2010
Tonner Announces a Late Fall Release of Dolls
A group of nine dolls was revealed today by the Tonner Doll Company. I was particularly impressed by the creativity and beauty of the following four. Click on the link to see the rest.
A long-awaited one is a 17-inch Dumbledore figure. For the hordes of Harry Potter fans out there, he's sure to be a prized addition to their collection. He is wigged and has the O'Neill body.
Perseus from Clash of the Titans with the likeness of Sam Worthington on the Athletic 17" body with molded hair is an imposing figure. The costume is incredible.
Jacqueline Frost is a new character who may be Santa's assistant. She comes in a basic version clad in a silvery bodysuit. This image shows her in a separately available fashion entitled "Frosty Touch." She is 16 inches tall on the Antoinette body. She reminds me a lot of Glinda.
Flynn from Tron with a Jeff Bridges head sculpt on a 17-inch Matt body looks sleek.
A long-awaited one is a 17-inch Dumbledore figure. For the hordes of Harry Potter fans out there, he's sure to be a prized addition to their collection. He is wigged and has the O'Neill body.
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17" ALBUS DUMBELDORE™, HEADMASTER |
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PERSEUS - CLASH OF THE TITANS |
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Frosty Touch, Jacqueline Frost™ Outfit |
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FLYNN from TRON™ |
11/04/2010
2010 Integrity Toys - Jason Wu Convention The Convention Collection Dolls
The following dolls were available for purchase - one to a customer - in the store during the convention. Everyone received a coupon which entitled him or her to buy one of each doll. At some point after dinner Saturday night, the rule changed, unannounced except to those inside the store. We could buy as many dolls as we wanted - no tickets necessary. PA tax was added to each purchase made in the store.
Fashion Royalty Dolls
"Out of the Blue" Kyori $90.
Mine has already had the bump taken down from her forehead and the glue washed out of her hair. I boiled it straight. Today she will get a trim and be redressed in her fashion. She was a bit too fussy for me to leave this way. After dunking her head in boiled water, I squeezed the sides to make her face less flat. When it looked the way I wanted it to look, I held it under very cold running water until it was cool. Then I let go. Pictures of the redone doll later.
"Night Vision" $90.
If I collected the Homme dolls, I'd have definitely bought him. I love the long coat and the rest of his fashion is cool. This is a good-looking doll.
"Fine Romance" Eugenia $150
I decided not to keep Eugenia. It's a lovely doll but there's no WOW factor. I have Eugenias that are much more gorgeous. She reminded me of Pale Fire Vanessa with that hairstyle.
"Scarlet Woman" Adele $90.
This doll has "Talking Drama" Adele's face almost exactly. IMO the dress did not fit well at the shoulders and neckline. She just wasn't for me...and there's that forehead bump again.
FR2
"Always Polished" Dasha $150.
I loved this doll and her fashion the minute I saw her. Several people commented that she looked like a tranny. I didn't think so at all. She's got attitude! Dasha is definitely eastern European and she's staying.
I love the gown with it's fabulous draping and tiny buttons. This is Jason all the way.
Poppy Parker
"Ask Any Girl" Gift Set $130.
The center front Poppy is the doll included in the gift set. All three outfits come with her. She is wearing an adorable sweater whose buttons made me want to scream. When I finally got them hooked I put a piece of tape over them to keep them closed. I love the shorts!!!
The doll on the left is the workshop Poppy and she is wearing the softest off-white lace gown. I'm wondering if the factory put the sash on upside-down. David, if you're reading this...please tell.
On the right is Reluctant Debutante Poppy wearing a very "Mary Tyler Moore - That Girl" suit and bowler hat. It comes with two tone spectator type shoes. The straps are very difficult to button and one broke. I may remove the straps on those shoes altogether. There is a loden green sleeveless shell under the jacket. The hat which appears to be a type of pressed felt product is not a good quality as it's surface is shreddy-looking. There are also leatherette short gloves with a pearl button at the cuff. Forget putting them on but it's a nice touch. A little matching clutch, earrings and a pendant are also included.
I think it's a very good value for the price.
Nu-Face
"Wild at Heart" Twin Doll Gift Set $175.
This is a wildly popular gift set with two very trendy-looking dolls. Vaughn told us that in order to create the bi-color hairstyles, they had to do the pony tails as attached hairpieces which are not to be removed if the owners want to have this hairstyle.
Did you get any of these dolls? Which ones? What do you like about them?
Fashion Royalty Dolls
"Out of the Blue" Kyori $90.
Mine has already had the bump taken down from her forehead and the glue washed out of her hair. I boiled it straight. Today she will get a trim and be redressed in her fashion. She was a bit too fussy for me to leave this way. After dunking her head in boiled water, I squeezed the sides to make her face less flat. When it looked the way I wanted it to look, I held it under very cold running water until it was cool. Then I let go. Pictures of the redone doll later.
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Integrity Photo |
If I collected the Homme dolls, I'd have definitely bought him. I love the long coat and the rest of his fashion is cool. This is a good-looking doll.
"Fine Romance" Eugenia $150
I decided not to keep Eugenia. It's a lovely doll but there's no WOW factor. I have Eugenias that are much more gorgeous. She reminded me of Pale Fire Vanessa with that hairstyle.
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Integrity Photo |
This doll has "Talking Drama" Adele's face almost exactly. IMO the dress did not fit well at the shoulders and neckline. She just wasn't for me...and there's that forehead bump again.
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Integrity Photo |
"Always Polished" Dasha $150.
I loved this doll and her fashion the minute I saw her. Several people commented that she looked like a tranny. I didn't think so at all. She's got attitude! Dasha is definitely eastern European and she's staying.
I love the gown with it's fabulous draping and tiny buttons. This is Jason all the way.
![]() |
Integrity Photo |
"Ask Any Girl" Gift Set $130.
The center front Poppy is the doll included in the gift set. All three outfits come with her. She is wearing an adorable sweater whose buttons made me want to scream. When I finally got them hooked I put a piece of tape over them to keep them closed. I love the shorts!!!
The doll on the left is the workshop Poppy and she is wearing the softest off-white lace gown. I'm wondering if the factory put the sash on upside-down. David, if you're reading this...please tell.
On the right is Reluctant Debutante Poppy wearing a very "Mary Tyler Moore - That Girl" suit and bowler hat. It comes with two tone spectator type shoes. The straps are very difficult to button and one broke. I may remove the straps on those shoes altogether. There is a loden green sleeveless shell under the jacket. The hat which appears to be a type of pressed felt product is not a good quality as it's surface is shreddy-looking. There are also leatherette short gloves with a pearl button at the cuff. Forget putting them on but it's a nice touch. A little matching clutch, earrings and a pendant are also included.
I think it's a very good value for the price.
Nu-Face
"Wild at Heart" Twin Doll Gift Set $175.
This is a wildly popular gift set with two very trendy-looking dolls. Vaughn told us that in order to create the bi-color hairstyles, they had to do the pony tails as attached hairpieces which are not to be removed if the owners want to have this hairstyle.
![]() |
Integrity Photo |
Did you get any of these dolls? Which ones? What do you like about them?
Convention Dance Party - Part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-9RoF68I4w&hd=1
Part II will be uploaded late tonight for viewing tomorrow.
Part II will be uploaded late tonight for viewing tomorrow.
11/03/2010
The Centerpiece Dolls; Jason's Talk - 2010 Fashion Royalty Integrity Convention
The first centerpiece was at dinner on Thursday night. She is called Smoke Screen Dania Zarr. I thought it was Agnes as her hairstyle and makeup are very much like that of Firefly Agnes.
This doll is styled in a way that's been used often on FR dolls this past year - multi-level, multi shaped and multi-styled pieces in mixed fabrics. It's not my favorite style. I don't see any grace there. I see mix and match and cute but not classy.
The Friday afternoon luncheon saw a lovely Poppy Parker "Shadow of a Smile" as the centerpiece.
I have been told that this gown is a black (dark blue?) version of the beautiful off-white "The Look of Love" fashion currently available at dealers. [Correction: The gown is deep purple and black.] Her adorable red hair and irresistible face made this a delightful centerpiece.
Friday evening we were treated to the sight of a gorgeous doll called "Provocatrice" Anja trapped inside a cage! She is extremely sought after by collectors. I wonder why. Could it be that she looks like a version of Veronique? Hmmm....why fix it if it ain't broke?
We love Veronique and she is going to be relegated to the base of the pyramid of Fashion Royalty. More on that hint from Jason later.
Is this red fabric with black lace the same as was used on the Agnes Giftset? I don't have Agnes here anymore so I can't compare.
Saturday afternoon's W Club Luncheon saw Elyse Jolie "Dark Swan" as the FR2 centerpiece. The last time Elyse was seen was as the convention souvenir doll in 2009. She was such a gorgeous doll, so well dressed that I haven't touched a hair on her head or a thread of her fashion.
That one had the regular Fashion Royalty body. The new one has been moved to the FR2 line. She's wearing a little dress with a skirt which stands out due to a stiff crinoline. Her cropped jacket is double breasted. She comes with lace ankle socks, a brown rectangular handbag and very nice shoes which look better sans socks. All I can say is OY VEY. Did anyone actually look at this doll's ridiculous hairstyle before letting it out of the gate? She sports a long, fat braid with frizzy ends. The top of her hair is center parted with one side out of the braid that's been cut shorter and curled. Did you get that? This character went from sublime to ridiculous. There is no grace or class. How does the train case styled, poopy-brown handbag fit in here? The FR2 have Barbie length eyelashes and underarm gripper stands.
The Saturday night table centerpiece is my pick for the best doll of the lot. She is called "Smoldering" and is a dark-skinned Monogram doll. Her gown is absolutely magnificent and quite obviously designed by someone who knows how to drape fabric. It is two-tone and feels like brushed satin. Just gorgeous!!! This doll is classy and graceful and I'm so happy to have her in my collection.
I wish they would have done something with her hair besides chopping it into a short, style-less do. She definitely needs to be wigged.
Someone had started a thread on the W Club board questioning the absence of a dark-skinned doll from the Monogram line. And now we have one. I wonder if there will ever be a new Monogram sculpt.
Jason's talk on Saturday night was enigmatic, as usual. What I got from what he did say was that there was going to be a restructuring of the Fashion Royalty line. The prices would go down. Veronique will appear in that restructured line. He said they would be "growing the brand," a big marketing expression. Whatever.
He stated that there would be a return to fine-tuned details, great accessories, shoes that look like real shoes, etc. He said this last year related to the Monogram line. Why is it coming back? Where did it go? What exactly do we have now?
Alain pranced around the ballroom with a microphone to get to those who wanted to ask Jason questions.
Drawings were held for those whose winning tickets were pulled. Actually, the drawings were held behind closed doors; the winners were announced. This year the tickets had to have names on them. You couldn't just rely on the anonymous numbers which are printed on the tickets. To avoid the appearance of impropriety in the future, all drawings should be in public in front of those who spent money on chances. This is a pretty serious issue and should be addressed.
This is not to say that the staff has favorites or resentments. Ahem. It just looks bad.
More will be revealed.
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Smoke Screen Dania Zarr 2010 |
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Integrity Photo (Exposure Adjusted by Author) |
The Friday afternoon luncheon saw a lovely Poppy Parker "Shadow of a Smile" as the centerpiece.
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Poppy Parker "Shadow of a Smile" 2010 |
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Integrity Photo (Exposure Adjusted by Author) |
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Integrity Photo |
Friday evening we were treated to the sight of a gorgeous doll called "Provocatrice" Anja trapped inside a cage! She is extremely sought after by collectors. I wonder why. Could it be that she looks like a version of Veronique? Hmmm....why fix it if it ain't broke?
We love Veronique and she is going to be relegated to the base of the pyramid of Fashion Royalty. More on that hint from Jason later.
Is this red fabric with black lace the same as was used on the Agnes Giftset? I don't have Agnes here anymore so I can't compare.
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From Agnes Giftset 2010 |
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Successful Ascension 2009 |
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"Provocatrice" Anja |
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Elyse Jolie "Blue Blood" 2009 Convention Souvenir Doll |
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Dark Swan Elise FR2 |
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Dark Swan Elise FR2 |
The Saturday night table centerpiece is my pick for the best doll of the lot. She is called "Smoldering" and is a dark-skinned Monogram doll. Her gown is absolutely magnificent and quite obviously designed by someone who knows how to drape fabric. It is two-tone and feels like brushed satin. Just gorgeous!!! This doll is classy and graceful and I'm so happy to have her in my collection.
I wish they would have done something with her hair besides chopping it into a short, style-less do. She definitely needs to be wigged.
Someone had started a thread on the W Club board questioning the absence of a dark-skinned doll from the Monogram line. And now we have one. I wonder if there will ever be a new Monogram sculpt.
Jason's talk on Saturday night was enigmatic, as usual. What I got from what he did say was that there was going to be a restructuring of the Fashion Royalty line. The prices would go down. Veronique will appear in that restructured line. He said they would be "growing the brand," a big marketing expression. Whatever.
He stated that there would be a return to fine-tuned details, great accessories, shoes that look like real shoes, etc. He said this last year related to the Monogram line. Why is it coming back? Where did it go? What exactly do we have now?
Alain pranced around the ballroom with a microphone to get to those who wanted to ask Jason questions.
Drawings were held for those whose winning tickets were pulled. Actually, the drawings were held behind closed doors; the winners were announced. This year the tickets had to have names on them. You couldn't just rely on the anonymous numbers which are printed on the tickets. To avoid the appearance of impropriety in the future, all drawings should be in public in front of those who spent money on chances. This is a pretty serious issue and should be addressed.
This is not to say that the staff has favorites or resentments. Ahem. It just looks bad.
More will be revealed.
BarbieCollector.Com "The Big Reveal"
Forget about trying to browse through the newly designed site during your break. The site is crawling and is taking forever to load. I had it up once but it froze. Everyone and his mother is trying to see what the big deal is. It's no big deal at all but there is an extra 25% off on everything until midnight tonight. That's not too shabby. Here's the link and good luck.
http://www.barbiecollector.com/
http://www.barbiecollector.com/
11/02/2010
The Meal Events, the Swag and Halloween at the Convention
The food was so much better than previous years at this Hyatt that I suspect someone else is running the kitchen. The servers were solicitous and well-trained. What a turn-around! I don't remember exactly what we had at each meal but the portions were more than sufficient, the ingredients were identifiable and some of them were actually vegetables! This hotel serves great coffee. We were able to talk to eachother during the meals because there wasn't loud music playing. There was plenty of room between the tables. All in all, the dining was a pleasant experience. I liked the way the centerpieces were displayed with a Halloween theme. The cage, the big hand, the spider web with the skeleton were all very clever and fun to look at.
The find the key "What's behind door Number X" was played at each meal and some of the prizes were really great. From what I heard, people were seen opening cabinets and drawers, looking under furniture and behind panels throughout the lobby and halls of the hotel in search of these keys. It would have been fun to have hidden cameras to see this activity!
On Friday night, Sherrilyn Kenyan, in full costume, took the stage and gave a brief, humorous talk. Then she went into the lobby to sign books and chat with collectors. An impressively bound and boxed edition of one of her books was given to each attendee along with a black plastic chair with a related symbol. I am not familiar with her books but I did chat with her and she's very pleasant.
The costumes worn by guests were amazing. I couldn't believe the lengths some went to to impress. And they certainly did. I did not recognize many people because their costumes were so good. That was really fun. There was also a woman on stilts making balloon sculptures. Very Carnaval.
Bob brought Rudy down and I took him onto the dance floor. The poor thing was scared to death by the music and lights almost immediately. He started to shake. He will not be on Dancing with the Stars any time soon.
We received an generous amount of dolls and gifts at the table. This is definitely the only convention that gives away so much good stuff. The doll gifts were a complete Agnes giftset, a Poppy Parker in an adorable black A-line dress, Kesenia-a new character, and of course, the convention doll, Giselle.
"Hourglass" Kesenia is a Fashion Royalty doll with one of the Brides of Dracula faces sans fangs. I would like her better with a different mouth.
"Tears Go By" Poppy Parker is very cute. She has the popular eye screening and long flippy hair. Her outfit is perfect for her.
The Dark Romance Agnes Giftset was presented one piece at a time. We knew when we got the big empty box in our registration bag that we would be getting a set. That is so much fun. This Agnes looks like the FAO Agnes from the early W Club event. She was very popular and I think this one will be popular as well.
The convention souvenir doll, Dark Romance Giselle was a complete surprise to everyone. We knew from what Jason said that it would not be Veronique and that was sad (although Anja is a good substitute.) Is Giselle considered a Fashion Royalty doll?
I love Giselle's gown. The beaded bodice is stunning and the shredded fabric ball gown skirt is very pretty. Although Giselle is not one of my favored characters, I know that many people love her. I like her smoky eye screening and the color of her lips as well.
Other items received as gifts were the suit from the Deceptively Yours Kyori giftset (without the accessories, ) a black plastic Dark Hunters chair and a beautifully boxed Sherrilyn Kenyon book, Azone sandals and a jewelry set with shoes.
If I left anything out, please email me!
My next post will cover the centerpieces and the convention collection.
The find the key "What's behind door Number X" was played at each meal and some of the prizes were really great. From what I heard, people were seen opening cabinets and drawers, looking under furniture and behind panels throughout the lobby and halls of the hotel in search of these keys. It would have been fun to have hidden cameras to see this activity!
On Friday night, Sherrilyn Kenyan, in full costume, took the stage and gave a brief, humorous talk. Then she went into the lobby to sign books and chat with collectors. An impressively bound and boxed edition of one of her books was given to each attendee along with a black plastic chair with a related symbol. I am not familiar with her books but I did chat with her and she's very pleasant.
The costumes worn by guests were amazing. I couldn't believe the lengths some went to to impress. And they certainly did. I did not recognize many people because their costumes were so good. That was really fun. There was also a woman on stilts making balloon sculptures. Very Carnaval.
Bob brought Rudy down and I took him onto the dance floor. The poor thing was scared to death by the music and lights almost immediately. He started to shake. He will not be on Dancing with the Stars any time soon.
We received an generous amount of dolls and gifts at the table. This is definitely the only convention that gives away so much good stuff. The doll gifts were a complete Agnes giftset, a Poppy Parker in an adorable black A-line dress, Kesenia-a new character, and of course, the convention doll, Giselle.
![]() |
Integrity Photo |
![]() |
Integrity Photo |
![]() |
Integrity Photo |
The convention souvenir doll, Dark Romance Giselle was a complete surprise to everyone. We knew from what Jason said that it would not be Veronique and that was sad (although Anja is a good substitute.) Is Giselle considered a Fashion Royalty doll?
I love Giselle's gown. The beaded bodice is stunning and the shredded fabric ball gown skirt is very pretty. Although Giselle is not one of my favored characters, I know that many people love her. I like her smoky eye screening and the color of her lips as well.
Other items received as gifts were the suit from the Deceptively Yours Kyori giftset (without the accessories, ) a black plastic Dark Hunters chair and a beautifully boxed Sherrilyn Kenyon book, Azone sandals and a jewelry set with shoes.
![]() |
Integrity Photo |
If I left anything out, please email me!
My next post will cover the centerpieces and the convention collection.
11/01/2010
The Day After Pittsburgh and My Workshop Experience
The blog post title sounds like a disaster movie title. It is somewhat appropriate as I haven't even gone near my suitcases except to extract my toothbrush and a doll that was packed. My clothes may remain packed for a week. I'm not kidding. It wasn't that long ago that I finished unpacking from the Nashville event in August.
This morning I've been busy doing sales transactions. I think I may have nipped a scam in the bud. There were two confusing transactions from China with multiple addresses and I couldn't figure out who was who. Last night I refunded one of the payments and today I refunded the other. I feel relieved. I'm not going to name names but be careful if the name on the transaction doesn't match the Paypal name and address...especially if they don't tell you up front so you have time to check. That's a big red flag!
Right now I'm uploading two videos I shot during the dance party on Friday night. You will love them!
Quite by accident, one of the videos has the band performing Jump On It which is the same song I shot two years ago and which is up there to see.
I will of course post links when the uploads are complete.
Update on Video upload - it failed. The thing took more than three hours and then failed. UGH. If anyone knows how to upload a 5 minute recording (.mov) please let me know. I know how to use a camera but this file thing has me stumped.
I know you are all waiting for pictures and reviews. I am dying to get to that. What I've decided to do is to post all my pictures from the entire event at one link. Most of my pictures identify the people shown. If you see yourself or someone's picture and there is no identification, email me with the info. Try to identify the picture by number or grab it and send it to me with the info. I'm confused enough for all of us.
Picture link will be up later. Hang in there peeps.
----------
I signed up for 5 workshops: Rob's Poppy head hair styling, the Design-a-Doll workshop, Alain's fireplace workshop, Steven Fraser's art workshop and Vaughn's out of the box workshop.
Rob was supremely well prepared with a print out and finished samples. He demonstrated carefully. Most of us watched as some worked along with him. There were enough supplies to create the hairstyle on the optional Poppy head which was sold for $25. to those signed up. The Poppy body to match was $25. in the store but $30 before class. Huh? There were loads of them in the store right up to the end of the convention. The heads, however, were only one to a customer. I can't believe the prices that the heads are fetching. It's like what happened with the Madra head from the Gene convention.
The Design A Doll room was arranged like a buffet. When you entered you picked up your nude dolls. There were four available: one AA, one cocoa colored, two white. I chose the darker skinned dolls as I thought they were the prettiest.
Then you could choose two wigs for each doll. There was a good selection of wigs.
Arriving at the clothing selection area was a disappointment. There were a bunch of cheap-looking skirts that could be paired with cute blouses. There were two different colors of hoodies but no jeans to go with them. The clothes were very crappy as were the two optional clothing packs. I've seen much better at lower prices in Fashion Fever items. There were optional wig packs which were nice. I was told that other collectors weren't able to get them because they ran out. I bought one extra nude, rooted doll for $25. When I saw a doll that someone had put together earlier in the day, I couldn't believe the clothes she had gotten. I was very disappointed that the choices varied so much. It was definitely a WTF moment. I asked David Buttry about it later on and he explained that they had to hold back items for other collectors. What am I, chicken soup? What about those of us who had that segment of time? I would never sign up again to do this because it's not fair. David also told me that there were some clothes in the store I could buy. Really? The two crappy clothing packs and the cheap stuff is what was there. The good stuff was for other collectors apparently.
Matt Sutton was available to help put wigs on for us. He combed out the two Afro wigs I chose. That was a nice touch.
Here are the two dolls I put together in the stuff I could scrounge up. The shrug on one of the dolls is from an extra pack. The jeans, handbag and brown shoes also were in that pack with the patterned blouse. They would have been cute in 60's dresses with those Afros.
I'm sure if David Buttry had his way, there would have been enough of the nice stuff for everyone. It's too bad that didn't happen.
Steven Fraser's class was very relaxing and laid back. He talked about how anything could be art. Some of us did little paintings or used colored pencils to draw. We were given a package of die cut paper frames that are often used in scrapbooking.
Alain Tremblay and Jakki Peters held a session in which Alain displayed a stained glass mantel and electrified fire screen that could be ordered for $80 plus shipping. Jakki talked about re-purposing plastic items and remodeling styrofoam for diorama purposes. We were given a set of sturdy templates for building our own mantels from foam board.
The most interesting session was the one with Vaughn. There was an optional doll to purchase which really had nothing at all to do with the session. Vaughn hinted that she was inspired by Lady Gaga. I didn't see it but many did. What do I know?
We got to ask him questions about everything from design to creation to shipping to naming and more.
He is a really a down-to-earth, open man who comes across very honest and sincere.
There's no dog-and-pony show there. He talked about going back and forth to the factory in China to train the workers - over and over again. He talked about how things are interpreted differently and may cause production problems. It was a great session and it made me see certain things in a different light.
Apparently Vaughn was aware of my dislike for unbalanced shoes. They're reading the blog. That's a good thing for the most part, but I do catch hostility. An attitude change from some of the Integrity people was quite obvious to me. Maybe I don't spend enough money buying Integrity products. Hmmmm.
This morning I've been busy doing sales transactions. I think I may have nipped a scam in the bud. There were two confusing transactions from China with multiple addresses and I couldn't figure out who was who. Last night I refunded one of the payments and today I refunded the other. I feel relieved. I'm not going to name names but be careful if the name on the transaction doesn't match the Paypal name and address...especially if they don't tell you up front so you have time to check. That's a big red flag!
Right now I'm uploading two videos I shot during the dance party on Friday night. You will love them!
Quite by accident, one of the videos has the band performing Jump On It which is the same song I shot two years ago and which is up there to see.
I will of course post links when the uploads are complete.
Update on Video upload - it failed. The thing took more than three hours and then failed. UGH. If anyone knows how to upload a 5 minute recording (.mov) please let me know. I know how to use a camera but this file thing has me stumped.
I know you are all waiting for pictures and reviews. I am dying to get to that. What I've decided to do is to post all my pictures from the entire event at one link. Most of my pictures identify the people shown. If you see yourself or someone's picture and there is no identification, email me with the info. Try to identify the picture by number or grab it and send it to me with the info. I'm confused enough for all of us.
Picture link will be up later. Hang in there peeps.
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I signed up for 5 workshops: Rob's Poppy head hair styling, the Design-a-Doll workshop, Alain's fireplace workshop, Steven Fraser's art workshop and Vaughn's out of the box workshop.
Rob was supremely well prepared with a print out and finished samples. He demonstrated carefully. Most of us watched as some worked along with him. There were enough supplies to create the hairstyle on the optional Poppy head which was sold for $25. to those signed up. The Poppy body to match was $25. in the store but $30 before class. Huh? There were loads of them in the store right up to the end of the convention. The heads, however, were only one to a customer. I can't believe the prices that the heads are fetching. It's like what happened with the Madra head from the Gene convention.
The Design A Doll room was arranged like a buffet. When you entered you picked up your nude dolls. There were four available: one AA, one cocoa colored, two white. I chose the darker skinned dolls as I thought they were the prettiest.
Then you could choose two wigs for each doll. There was a good selection of wigs.
Arriving at the clothing selection area was a disappointment. There were a bunch of cheap-looking skirts that could be paired with cute blouses. There were two different colors of hoodies but no jeans to go with them. The clothes were very crappy as were the two optional clothing packs. I've seen much better at lower prices in Fashion Fever items. There were optional wig packs which were nice. I was told that other collectors weren't able to get them because they ran out. I bought one extra nude, rooted doll for $25. When I saw a doll that someone had put together earlier in the day, I couldn't believe the clothes she had gotten. I was very disappointed that the choices varied so much. It was definitely a WTF moment. I asked David Buttry about it later on and he explained that they had to hold back items for other collectors. What am I, chicken soup? What about those of us who had that segment of time? I would never sign up again to do this because it's not fair. David also told me that there were some clothes in the store I could buy. Really? The two crappy clothing packs and the cheap stuff is what was there. The good stuff was for other collectors apparently.
Matt Sutton was available to help put wigs on for us. He combed out the two Afro wigs I chose. That was a nice touch.
Here are the two dolls I put together in the stuff I could scrounge up. The shrug on one of the dolls is from an extra pack. The jeans, handbag and brown shoes also were in that pack with the patterned blouse. They would have been cute in 60's dresses with those Afros.
I'm sure if David Buttry had his way, there would have been enough of the nice stuff for everyone. It's too bad that didn't happen.
Steven Fraser's class was very relaxing and laid back. He talked about how anything could be art. Some of us did little paintings or used colored pencils to draw. We were given a package of die cut paper frames that are often used in scrapbooking.
Alain Tremblay and Jakki Peters held a session in which Alain displayed a stained glass mantel and electrified fire screen that could be ordered for $80 plus shipping. Jakki talked about re-purposing plastic items and remodeling styrofoam for diorama purposes. We were given a set of sturdy templates for building our own mantels from foam board.
The most interesting session was the one with Vaughn. There was an optional doll to purchase which really had nothing at all to do with the session. Vaughn hinted that she was inspired by Lady Gaga. I didn't see it but many did. What do I know?
We got to ask him questions about everything from design to creation to shipping to naming and more.
He is a really a down-to-earth, open man who comes across very honest and sincere.
There's no dog-and-pony show there. He talked about going back and forth to the factory in China to train the workers - over and over again. He talked about how things are interpreted differently and may cause production problems. It was a great session and it made me see certain things in a different light.
Apparently Vaughn was aware of my dislike for unbalanced shoes. They're reading the blog. That's a good thing for the most part, but I do catch hostility. An attitude change from some of the Integrity people was quite obvious to me. Maybe I don't spend enough money buying Integrity products. Hmmmm.
10/31/2010
Home from Pittsburgh
Just got home and I'm trying to find out what is wrong with my laptop. Actually the laptop is fine. Firefox and AppleWorks are screwy. I suspect there is something wrong with my Wacom tablet pen. I just switched to the Wacom mouse and that is working fine. Very strange. Perhaps I don't have to go to the Apple store tomorrow with my computer after all. That would help.
I've been incredibly stressed since this happened as I've gotten so many purchase requests and I can't answer them except with the iPhone. My fingers are falling off from trying to text on the text-unfriendly phone.
But I think we're in business now that I've gotten this working.
Here is a picture of what's on my dining room table at the moment.
Pretty neat, eh?
There was a little more but I haven't unpacked my suitcases yet.
I am in the midst of posting to my Show and Sell pages many items that I got. My collecting is heading in another direction. More will be revealed regarding that fact.
My next blog post will be a recap of the events of the 2010 Integrity Toys Convention.
I've been incredibly stressed since this happened as I've gotten so many purchase requests and I can't answer them except with the iPhone. My fingers are falling off from trying to text on the text-unfriendly phone.
But I think we're in business now that I've gotten this working.
Here is a picture of what's on my dining room table at the moment.
Pretty neat, eh?
There was a little more but I haven't unpacked my suitcases yet.
I am in the midst of posting to my Show and Sell pages many items that I got. My collecting is heading in another direction. More will be revealed regarding that fact.
My next blog post will be a recap of the events of the 2010 Integrity Toys Convention.
10/30/2010
Pittsburgh Convention - Friday
I'm sitting here eating candy corn and trying to decide if I should just go to bed or post because it was such a full day that I'm exhausted. But before I write more about the dolls and workshops, I want to say that my table mates are the best. They have all been generous with the gifts exchanged. I'm so happy to see Teri and Laura again. In addition, it's been so much fun to get to see, in the flesh, the new collector friends I've made this year. Who would have thought that as I get older, my friends are getting younger? They are beautiful, lively and fun people who add a vibrant dimension to my collecting.
A big difference at this convention is the food. It's as someone new has taken over the kitchen or our hosts are paying more for better food and service. The difference is like day and night.
Gotta go to sleep. One picture of my centerpiece from tonight.
A big difference at this convention is the food. It's as someone new has taken over the kitchen or our hosts are paying more for better food and service. The difference is like day and night.
Gotta go to sleep. One picture of my centerpiece from tonight.
Who is this doll?
10/29/2010
Pittsburgh on Thursday - Day 1 Convention - Part 2
There was a violin player and a piano player during the cocktail hour. It was very nice. When the dining room was ready we entered to booming loud music and found our table. The centerpiece at first looked like Agnes but turned out to be Dania with an updo reminiscent of Firefly Agnes.
She was holding a spider web in which a "fashion victim" was caught - apparently some time ago. The skeleton was dressed in RuPaul's jeans and a Kio wig. The shirt is a mystery.
Dania was wearing a very pretty black lacey dress with a shadow striped black fitted jacket which looked great once the big bow belt was removed. Her shoe/boots were pretty cool with a see-through area. Three people got to buy one of the centerpiece dolls. One of them got the skeleton web thingie as well.
The service was excellent with very well trained solicitous staff. I was quite impressed. There was no loud music during dinner so conversation was possible and we were able to meet eachother and have nice chats over dinner.
Spicy pumpkin soup was the appetizer. It was delicious but I couldn't eat it due to the heat of the spices. Dinner itself was two big chicken breasts with a large portobello mushroom cap and squash covered with melted cheese and a little sauce. A big clump of rice was underneath the chicken.
After dinner some of the people who found the hidden keys got to play "What's behind door #X?" Mike Basala won a comped 3 day stay at the hotel. The second person won the 4 original Dressmaker Details outfits and the third person won a snuggie. It was very funny.
We got a doll whose story line is that she is a model. Her name is Kesenia. I do not think she will be very popular with that mouth.
What do you think of her?
We received the first part of our giftset, a lovely piece of lingerie.
And now I must go to bed as I am scheduled for four workshops followed by the Dynamite Girl workshop - all in one day.
Yikes.
She was holding a spider web in which a "fashion victim" was caught - apparently some time ago. The skeleton was dressed in RuPaul's jeans and a Kio wig. The shirt is a mystery.
Dania was wearing a very pretty black lacey dress with a shadow striped black fitted jacket which looked great once the big bow belt was removed. Her shoe/boots were pretty cool with a see-through area. Three people got to buy one of the centerpiece dolls. One of them got the skeleton web thingie as well.
The service was excellent with very well trained solicitous staff. I was quite impressed. There was no loud music during dinner so conversation was possible and we were able to meet eachother and have nice chats over dinner.
Spicy pumpkin soup was the appetizer. It was delicious but I couldn't eat it due to the heat of the spices. Dinner itself was two big chicken breasts with a large portobello mushroom cap and squash covered with melted cheese and a little sauce. A big clump of rice was underneath the chicken.
After dinner some of the people who found the hidden keys got to play "What's behind door #X?" Mike Basala won a comped 3 day stay at the hotel. The second person won the 4 original Dressmaker Details outfits and the third person won a snuggie. It was very funny.
We got a doll whose story line is that she is a model. Her name is Kesenia. I do not think she will be very popular with that mouth.
What do you think of her?
![]() | ||
Hourglass Kesenia |
And now I must go to bed as I am scheduled for four workshops followed by the Dynamite Girl workshop - all in one day.
Yikes.
10/28/2010
Pittsburgh on Thursday - Day 1 Convention
When I go home I'm going to have to go to a rest home.
Registration was a breeze. We got a nice big empty FR box and hopefully it will be finished with the new Veronique. The box does not say FR2. It is a regular FR white box.
Many of us camped in the lobby outside of the salesroom like a bunch of addicts. When they opened the doors a cheer went up which could probably be heard where ever you are. The salesroom had Azone in one corner, MFD and Kio items in another corner, Steven Fraser's Dressmaker Details on a long table on one side and the rest was filled with the new dolls. There were some older dolls being sold but not as many as I expected. The best items were the sealed grab bags which ranged in price from $15 to $60. These were at the register and they were worth more than the price for sure. At the check out counter were tubs of plastic shoes and Barbiesque solid black sunglasses that were free for the taking.
Everyone was wondering what FR2 would be. So far it's a doll whose facial expression says, "No you didn't!" or "You have to be kidding." Kyori is very pretty. The Twin giftset was surprising with the new sculpt. They do not look at all like Lillith and Eden! Their hair is very cute with streaks of color. They will be popular. Poppy's clothes from the giftset are adorable. The new Poppy has the nicer original eye screening. The Count looks like a count - dark and brooding. Adele looks like Adele from the past. Eugenia is pretty in a big purple gown. I will have to examine the dolls better to give a more detailed appraisal. At first glance the collection is OK with something for every taste. There is little ethnic variation. Perhaps the centerpieces will provide the WOW factor. One can hope.
Are we going to get Vanessa? I'm guessing Agnes will make her appearance tonight.
This is the stuff I got today. Picture was taken in the sunlight coming through my window.
This is a mixture of doll items for 1/6 and 1/4 scale. The things in the upper left were registration bag swag items. I traded a nude Monogram doll that I already owned for all of the Kyori giftset clothes - gown, suit and sequin dress. The Flight Kyori and her accessories were a grab bag item for $35. Dressmaker Details 1/4 scale dresses without shoes were $5. Can you believe it? The dresses with shoes were only $10. I paid as much at $7. a pair for the shoes in those bags.
It's difficult to see but on the right is a pair of George's new shoes for the 16 inch gals. Those are going to be fun. The beautiful blue and pink dress in the lower right is also an Angelic Dreamz item from the JamieShow dolls. I was happy to get it separately. I loved it the first time I saw it but it was on a doll. I purchased a Poppy body for $20. There were bargains to be had.
More later. Gotta walk the dog.
Registration was a breeze. We got a nice big empty FR box and hopefully it will be finished with the new Veronique. The box does not say FR2. It is a regular FR white box.
Many of us camped in the lobby outside of the salesroom like a bunch of addicts. When they opened the doors a cheer went up which could probably be heard where ever you are. The salesroom had Azone in one corner, MFD and Kio items in another corner, Steven Fraser's Dressmaker Details on a long table on one side and the rest was filled with the new dolls. There were some older dolls being sold but not as many as I expected. The best items were the sealed grab bags which ranged in price from $15 to $60. These were at the register and they were worth more than the price for sure. At the check out counter were tubs of plastic shoes and Barbiesque solid black sunglasses that were free for the taking.
Everyone was wondering what FR2 would be. So far it's a doll whose facial expression says, "No you didn't!" or "You have to be kidding." Kyori is very pretty. The Twin giftset was surprising with the new sculpt. They do not look at all like Lillith and Eden! Their hair is very cute with streaks of color. They will be popular. Poppy's clothes from the giftset are adorable. The new Poppy has the nicer original eye screening. The Count looks like a count - dark and brooding. Adele looks like Adele from the past. Eugenia is pretty in a big purple gown. I will have to examine the dolls better to give a more detailed appraisal. At first glance the collection is OK with something for every taste. There is little ethnic variation. Perhaps the centerpieces will provide the WOW factor. One can hope.
Are we going to get Vanessa? I'm guessing Agnes will make her appearance tonight.
This is the stuff I got today. Picture was taken in the sunlight coming through my window.
This is a mixture of doll items for 1/6 and 1/4 scale. The things in the upper left were registration bag swag items. I traded a nude Monogram doll that I already owned for all of the Kyori giftset clothes - gown, suit and sequin dress. The Flight Kyori and her accessories were a grab bag item for $35. Dressmaker Details 1/4 scale dresses without shoes were $5. Can you believe it? The dresses with shoes were only $10. I paid as much at $7. a pair for the shoes in those bags.
It's difficult to see but on the right is a pair of George's new shoes for the 16 inch gals. Those are going to be fun. The beautiful blue and pink dress in the lower right is also an Angelic Dreamz item from the JamieShow dolls. I was happy to get it separately. I loved it the first time I saw it but it was on a doll. I purchased a Poppy body for $20. There were bargains to be had.
More later. Gotta walk the dog.
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