Kazue Speaks

Here's her blog entry. http://www.biccoltd.com/blog/
Warning: Mediocre Japanese/imperfect translation alert!

（（　お詫び　））

(( Apology ))

このたびのショップ閉鎖で皆様にご迷惑をおかけしましたことをまずお詫び申し上げます。

I apologize for the trouble caused by the closure of the shop.

経営悪化のため、事業としてショップを継続することができなくなってしまいましたことで、自己中心的な失望感だけで、経営者自らの責任を放置してしまったことを深く反省しております。

Being unable to continue the business due to the economic downturn, I neglected my responsibilities as proprietor out of only a self-centered despair, for which I am deeply regretful.

現在、法的な整理について、弁護士を通じての対処を準備中となっております。整理リスト等の作成のため時間を要しますので次回のご報告まで今しばらくお時間をいただければ幸いです。

Now, we are going through lawyer(s) for setting things in legal order. Putting together the lists will take some time so we would be happy if you could give us some time before we put out the next report.

なお、プレオーダー、特別注文等で、弊社から商品を未受領のお客様につきましては個別にご連絡を必ず差し上げますので、ご連絡をお待ちください。

Regarding customers with preorders, special orders, and (undelivered?) items from our company: we will be sending out individual correspondences. Please wait for them.

具体的なご報告、ご連絡先についてはできる限り早くこちらに掲載させていただきます。

Concrete news, contact information will be posted as quickly as possible here.

皆様へのご連絡、ご報告が遅くなってしまいましたことを重ねてお詫び申し上げます。

I apologize once again for the delay in sending you news and information.

ご期待いただき、信頼いただきましたのにこのような事になってしまいまして申し訳ございませんでした。

I am very sorry that this sort of thing happened despite your trust and expectations.

12年間のお引き立てをいただきましてありがとうございました。

Thank you for your 12 years of patronage.

平成23年5月19日　

Heisei Year 23 (2011) May 19th

有限会社ビーアイシー　

BIC Co. Ltd.

代表　下山一枝

Representative Shimoyama Kazue

Kazue Returns

Denise Travers posted this enigmatic statement:

Fri May 20, 2011 4:51 pm

Kazue is home

Details to come after I speak with her again.
She is trying to see how she can make things right.
I don't mean to be secretive but I want more details.
She deserved our faith in her.
Thank you GOD for bringing Kazue home!
Denise

_______________

Spring Specimen of a Portrait by James Joseph Jacques Tissot

Gorgeous Furniture For Your Dolls by Horseman

Why did I have to look? Sigh. George of Angelic Dreamz is the worst enabler in the world!!!!! I want everything.
Horseman Ltd. has produced even more beautiful doll furniture which George is selling in his store. Although intended for 1/4 scale dolls such as Jamieshow, Tyler, Deva, Gene and Sybs, I have photographed 1/6 scale dolls with these items successfully.

Click on this image to see the rest of the fabulous furniture.

Here are two of last season's chairs. They make perfect seating props for several different scales.

Tonner Con Underway

Most of you are probably aware that the Tonner Convention is underway. Pictures of the new dolls and centerpieces are dribbling onto the web slowly although eBay pictures went up immediately by those who are hoping to sell their dolls.

The first event took place on Thursday night. The new doll is called "Pin Up Basic"  and is on a newly engineered Tyler body. The body will appear on a line of dolls called Tyler's Nu Mood. Pin Up has a sculpt which is somewhat cartoonish and was inspired by Robert Tonner's collection of illustration art. Perhaps a friendlier adjective would be illlustrationish. I wonder if my large Tyler sized wardrobe will be useless?.

Centerpiece image from the Tonner Blog

At first I was reminded of an old Coppertone ad in which a dog is tugging at a child's bikini.

Pin up illustration art is highly sexual.

Where is Robert going with this line? Will we see gorgeous lingerie and upholstered ottomans? I hope so!

Watch a 5 minute video showing the display of dolls called 20 Years of Tonner.

The Friday brunch centerpiece featured Andy, Cami and Jon. The event was called Young New York.

Image from Tonner Blog

A new character in the Cami and Jon line was introduced. She is Gina.

I cannot wait to see what the Shadows Wilde Imagination event doll is because I'm getting it. Woo Hoo!

FR2: Engaging Elise, Rare Appeal Dominique and a Repaint by Vin Trapani

These gals arrived today so I grabbed my point and shoot and clicked away on the deck. The sky was bright but overcast which is perfect lighting for out-of-doors portraits.  I used the close-up setting, ISO 200, and a fairly large aperture. Fill flash helped with the contrast and brought out the details in the images of Elise. The camera was hand held.

 A little surprise is her animal print underpants which match her shoes. Otherwise she is exactly as advertised and that's a good thing. Engaging Elise's vinyl is nearly white.  Her face and body do match. The hat comes with two straight pins. I found they were a little too blunt ended and used fine dressmaker pins with small red tips.
The low cut dress front is not my favorite type of design for a doll with a jointed breast plate. I would normally dress the doll with a necklace that covers that area. It's not pretty.
The dress fits nicely. I love the bag and I hope in the future Integrity does what Ashton Drake used to do with Gene's clutch bags. They attached a heavy thread through which four fingers could fit so the doll could hold the bag in a natural hand position. For now, she will hold it under her arm.
The jewelry is plain black rhinestone studs and a pewter bangle.

I purchased Rare Appeal Dominique basically just for the fashion...(not necessarily the dress, but I think the shoes and earrings are killer!)  Don't tell my husband that I paid $175. plus shipping for doll shoes and earrings. You won't have to, he reads my blog anyway.
Sadly, the shoes are defective.  The heel or something on the left shoe is very crooked and from the back it looks as if her foot is turning under, but it's not, it's the shoe.  

I'm not a fan of the Dominique sculpt and putting her on an FR2 body has not altered my opinion. But that's just my personal taste.  The screening is well done and pretty. I think she needs a different hairstyle.  Wondering if any of my favorite Adeles has the same vinyl color as that of Dominique.

 

 


I have two Always Polished Dasha dolls so I sent one of them to Vin Trapani to center her gaze and to change her pupil and lip colors. He sent me back a gorgeous Dasha. This doll's sculpt is amazing and Vin's talent really enhanced her beauty.  I will restyle her hair eventually.

Below is the original for comparison.

Captain Jack Sparrow and Angelica Dolls from Mattel

Yet another Captain Jack Sparrow doll hits the shelves. This one is from Mattel. At $34.95, the likeness isn't bad at all. I thought Tonner's Capt. Jack was right on the money with their version but of course, the prices can't compare.

Why does he have a shrunken head hanging from his belt?

You might want to give Jack a girlfriend! This is Angelica and she was intended to resemble Penelope Cruz. Hmmmm.  Retail $34.95.

 This is Tonner's amazing Captain Jack Sparrow doll (2007). His retail price was $179.99. After he'd been out for more than two years, his price did not drop below $100 which is unusual for Tonner dolls.  His fashion was fantastic with details galore and you better believe it wasn't sewn on. LOL.
Even my husband (who calls all my dolls Tiny Kitty,) thought this was a great-looking doll.