More is Never Enough

Sometimes I feel that I'm drowning in a sea of dolls. I look to the left of me, to the right of me, behind me and all around and all I see are dolls and doll stuff. Today it feels overwhelming.
Will I continue to collect the 16" dolls? Will I keep the Avantguard from the W Event? Why have I begun to buy Madame Alexander Cissettes? It must be cabin fever. I have never seen more snow in one winter in my adult life. Mountains of white surround my house and it's cold out there.
Moving along to good stuff and ignoring how I feel seems like a good idea right now. So far, from Tonner's new offerings, these are my favorites:

This is "Torch Song Goddess" from the Dick Tracy line.

She has the Breathless sculpt. LE 200. Price $179.99

This is "Heartthrob." Sculpt is Tess. LE 200. Retail Price $189.99

I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them.

Photographs courtesy of the Tonner Doll Company.

Miss Piggy - A Tonner Fashion Doll! *SQUEAL*

Miss Piggy has arrived. She is making an appearance on the websites of doll dealers everywhere as one of the new dolls from the Tonner Doll Company. There will be a basic doll whose picture has not yet been released, two dressed dolls, two separate fashions and two wigs available as accessories.
Text that follows is from the Tonner site:

"Fashion doll creator and aficionado Robert Tonner, crosses new boundaries with his multi-jointed all strung vinyl inspired fashion diva, Miss Piggy. Our beloved piggy stands app. 16" tall with custom-made, changeable wigs and painted facial features. Miss Piggy cannot (and will not) share clothing with other pigs."

Here they are in this order: 

Piggy Takes Manhattan, 

My Fair Piggy, 

Divine Swine (fashion), 

Tango With Kermie (fashion), 

Pretty Piggy (wig), 

Goddess Piggy (wig.)

All photography property of Tonner Doll Company.

Madame Alexander Cissette

January can be a dangerous month. There's a lull between the holidays and Toy Fair during which one has time to browse the offerings of the doll manufacturers not normally part of one's collection. One might just need a dolly fix.
This year, Madame Alexander's 10" Cissette caught my eye and my fancy. It all started when one of the doll dealers posted a picture of A Fashionable Life Cissy, a 21" MA doll whose retail price is close to $600.

Some of the more limited or more elaborate ones cost much more. For example, this 85th Anniversary Cissy is priced at $1699.95 at Angelic Dreamz.

Although the doll has a childlike face, the fashions are anything but childlike. I started browsing; however, I restricted my browsing to new Cissettes as she is affordable, adorable and has more articulation than MA's previously issued 10" dolls.

Widely available at wildly different prices, each doll requires a thorough search for the best price. I ordered two from an eBay dealer whose prices were the best I could find.

The first shown here is Belle Enchantress from The Definitive Collection - The Ingenues. LE 500.

 

"She is part of a new limited edition collection featuring 10" ball jointed dolls with unique expressive hand-painted eyes and exquisite design. The collection is inspired by classic haute couture from years past. She is fully articulated with 10 points of articulation at the neck, waist, hips, knees, shoulders and elbows."

I paid $59. plus shipping for this little gem. She goes for over $100. on many retail sites. The Doll Market has her for $69.97 today.



My second is the Boutique Shadow Cissette Couture Series Doll - Closet Full of Couture. LE 300.
"For daytime elegance, Cissette wears a silver suit trimmed in fur and accented by a fuchsia bow, black handbag and strap heels. For nighttime drama, a second outfit features a beige chiffon dress, a multicolored fur wrap and a magenta wig."
The word "shadow" refers to the fact that each outfit is a recreation of haute couture fashions created for the limited edition Cissy Boutique series.
This Cissette has 'sleep eyes.' I haven't had a doll with sleep eyes since I was 5 years old! No, she does not say Mama.

In the photo below, Belle of the Prom Tiny Kitty is wearing the second outfit. The fit is excellent.

Cissette is the perfect little dolly fix for me as she fits right in with my Tiny Kitty collection as far as size goes. They can share each other's clothes for the most part. Tiny Kitty is a little taller.
There are also wonderful Cissette Trunk sets but the Cissettes with those sets don't have bending arms. The trunks are wonderful, though.

This Boutique Shadow set cost me $89.99 plus shipping. I have seen it being sold at retail for $199. Shop around!

The "Evolution" of Foreign Affair Veronique

Impulse control? I don't have it and if you think that re-working a doll is a way to save money in a tight economy, give it up.

It all started out with a lovely Foreign Affair Veronique, the doll from a Fashion Royalty 2005 gift set.

After having this doll for a few years, I decided to change her hairstyle. What was I thinking? Needless to say, it didn't work out well. I sent the doll to Susan Korba to have her hair re-rooted. The results were stunning.

She remained in this gorgeous condition for about a year until I had the bright idea to fix her eyelashes. That wasn't too destructive but then I decided to do a little enhancing around the lashes. That fed the flames. I went on to change her lip color and it was all downhill from there.
Before quitting for the night, I had removed all her face paint and the new lashes in disgust.


Since I had already invested in the reroot, I couldn't just leave her in my studio with no face, could I?
Off she went to Ohio, to be repainted by Jon Copeland. Here are the results.

Thank You For Your Referrals

Just a note of thanks to all those who put my name in as a referral when they joined the W Club. I was one of the winners! I will be able to choose as a gift one of the coming 2009 Club dolls and I am now a W Club Ambassador. Yeah, I know, whatever.
So if you have any pressing information you'd like to pass along .... you know what to do.

My first Madame Alexander 10" Cissette dolls arrived today. I haven't had time to take any pictures. They are adorable but like all other child faced dolls I've purchased in the past 5 years, they don't stay long.

Michelle Obama wears Jason Wu to the Inaugural Ball

One news reporter said, "now Jason Wu is a household word." He's been a household word in this house for quite a few years. Congratulations, Jason!

On to the dress. Hopefully tomorrow we will get better pictures. According to another reporter it is:

"...a white chiffon one-shoulder gown by Jason Wu. The dress, with a strap across one shoulder, ruched bodice, fluffy appliqués and sparkling beading, will (as tradition dictates) be donated to the Smithsonian."

How does Michelle look in the dress? It's just my opinion that she needs a stylist who knows how to make a woman's figure look it's best. She wears clothing that is unflattering to her body. It's depressing. I guess you can't have it all.

Gene Marshall attends a Presidential Ball

How fortuitous that I just bought this costume from another collector!

Here is the text from the story card. Obviously the costume came on a doll originally.

Invited to join the Governor and his wife to an inaugural ball, Gene is thrilled to discover a new fan: The President! Presidential Ball is a sparkling special occasion gown, circa 1957 - a shimmering cascade of sparkling beadwork from bodice to hemline. Over the top: a floor-length off-white coat lined in pale peach. Includes earrings, beaded clutch, strap sandals with rhinestone trim, hosiery - and an invitation to the ball! Gene stands 15.5 inches tall. New for 2003, Gene's facial paint has been tailored to each doll in the Gene Marshall collection, with vibrant colours and soft shading that give each Gene a beautiful appearance. Individually numbered certificate of authenticity and doll stand included.

__________________________________

Here is my version on Suited to a T Gene. The flag has been added in honor of the inauguration of our new President, Barack Obama.

Goldmine: A New AvantGuard Doll

Here she is in all her glory. I like her. The outfit is fantastic. The wig is mohair. I hope she looks exactly like the picture provided by Integrity!

Handmade Couture for Fashion Royalty

If you buy on eBay you probably have seen hundreds of OOAK and handmade items for your 1/6 scale divas. I'm sure you check feedback before plunking down that Paypal payment. A seller who has many comments about late delivery and a less than stellar record usually does not get my business but I couldn't resist this time. In December I purchased two gowns from Parawatee, formerly TD Fashions. I bought them about two weeks apart. The first, paid for on December 15 has not arrived and I had to file with Paypal to get action. Parawatee does not speak enough English to be able to communicate even in a very simple form. But this woman knows how to sew. Aside from Jason Wu's creations for Fashion Royalty and Gene Marshall, these are the finest items I have ever seen for modern fashion dolls. The detail, the fit and the finish is superb. If this seller could improve her language skills and ability to ship on time, she'd probably be sold out.

Purchase price was $49.99 plus $7. to ship. Gown did not come with any accessories. Most of her gowns run about $69.99. My model is A Fashionable Life Vanessa. Jewelry is by Joy.

BLACK CANARY™: Blonde Bombshell

This doll needs to live here! I could just drive over to the Tonner Company Store and get her but I am so accustomed to getting Tonner dolls at a discount from dealers, that I have resisted since she came out. The retail (that's the only way to get her) price of each doll is $159. plus tax (I live in the tax kingdom of New York). She would cost me about $172.50. They are all limited to 200. Do I wait for a sale? Maybe I'll just go over there and pet her.

The entire line of Women of Power is so appealing. The idea that these gorgeous-looking, beautifully dressed women have superpowers intrigues me.

Below

Kara of Krypton (Supergirl) aka The Girl of Steel and cousin to Kal-El,  Mera, Queen of Atlantis who is married to Oris (aka Aquaman,) Black Canary (The Blonde Bombshell) aka Dinah Lance.

My Discobum Has Arrived!

Although designed for Sybarite dolls, I will be using this with my 12" gals. It makes a perfect couch.
I love it and will be photographing it ALOT.

You can find it at this location http://www.superdollonline.co.uk/acatalog/OUTFITS___Accessories.html

This image is the property of Superfrock.

Confidential: secrets, teasers and hidden faces.

If she looks as good from the front as the side, I might have to have her.

This image is the property of Integrity Toys.

Onyx Veronique

Onyx Veronique was a Wu Convention upgrade doll. I had two of them; I sold them both. I just bought another and I'm glad I did. This doll is just gorgeous. Her skin is very porcelain-like and her hair is silvery - platinum. This is the only Fashion Royalty doll with this color hair that I can think of. Her eye shadow extends far beyond her eyeliner in a wing-like shape. As soon as I saw her, I thought of Oona, the special competition doll from the Gene convention.

 

New Pictures of Body Double Veronique & Blonde Ambition Veronique

She is definitely going to have all her hair removed. For now it's been under this wig. I like it on her. She is really gorgeous.

Blonde Ambition had more hair to work with but I'm not happy with the style.

2008 - My Favorite 12" Dolls from Integrity Toys

I have pulled a few pictures of my favorite 2008 dolls from Integrity Toys.
Up first are the two Australian Agnes Convention Dolls: High Gloss and Firefly. HG is wearing a lovely OOAK dress made by Jan Good (Canada). She calls it "South Seas Adventure." Necklace is a Tonner item. Firefly is wearing her original outfit.

The Eugenias were drop dead gorgeous! The first below is the W Club doll Going Public. She is wearing a dress from the Kyori Atelier giftset. Second is Most Desired Eugenia. She came in a big blue gown. She is wearing a dress by Ovaz. And in the red dress is Fine Jewel Eugenia who was one of the table dolls at the convention. I have heard that she is selling for more than $500. She is an amazing-looking doll.

Three Vanessas were available this year, Color Therapy, Metal Maven and Shirred Not Shaken. The latter, not dressed in her original dress,  did not make the cut although I have restyled her odd hairdo and she is somewhat attractive.
Color Therapy below is wearing a lingerie outfit from the 2005 Toronto convention called My Precious. The shoes, bag and jewelry are from other outfits. She is not a very popular doll probably due to her huge, thick head of red hair and squinty-looking eyes. I think she's dramatic. Metal Maven is wearing one of Natalia's dresses.

There was one Isha release this year and it was a spectacular dressed doll called Purple Pose. In this picture she is seen looking at one of my tiny red poodle figurines.

From the Hollywood Royalty Line I have chosen this Basic Lana doll known as Iconic as my favorite. It was a little hard to get used to her because she does not have an aggressive palette and over the top features like the Fashion Royalty dolls. She is lovely. She is shown wearing an Ovaz gown.

The Muse Adele, available at this past convention, is one of the most beautiful Adeles of all. Her hair is flocked and her screening is perfection. She is wearing Concerto in M Agnes' black gown from the Baltimore convention (with a different belt) and the faux fur shrug, red gloves and earrings from her own outfit. Necklace is from another outfit.

Erin and Colette, the new Nu-Face dolls are just so perfect that I haven't even redressed them. I adore them!

The delicate-looking blonde below is Eden. She is a new character who was introduced as part of a two- doll set along with a character called Lillith. The set was called Elements of Surprise.  I'd love to see more of this pretty doll.

Last, but in no way least, is Kumi. This gift set blows me away every time I look at it. The clothes she came with and her face are amazing.

It's a good thing to love your dolls! Here's to a new year filled with more spectacular little faces and wonderful outfits. Happy New Year to all my readers.