New Fashion Ensembles from Sandra Stillwell

Those of us who attended Every Day's A Holiday last summer in Kansas City were able to pre-order an assortment of individual fashions from prototypes.
I ordered the following two. Descriptions are by Sandra.

AMERICAN BEAUTY

Sophisticated cocktail dress with sculpturally pleated skirt in seven layers of graduating lengths. A sparkling rhinestone buckle is the perfect touch. Accessories include black opera length gloves, shoes, and jewelry.

Inspired by a Roberto Capucci design, circa 1956. 

 

ON THE PLAZA

Gene is "Kansas City chic" in this stunning suit of black and silver tweed. Jacket features decorative tabs and Swarovski crystal buttons. Accessories include a scarlet red wool hat with velvet trim, matching red gloves, jewelry and shoes.

Inspired by a Betty Rose design, circa 1950's.

 

Both fashions are expertly made and fit my models perfectly.  The layers of skirt on American Beauty are not wired. They stay up as a result of their construction. It fascinates me. I think I will add a necklace.
The suit is trimmed with rhinestone buttons. You can't see it in my photos but the fabric has a metallic silver thread running throughout. The shoes are miniature masterpieces of black suede with red trim. They were an unexpected touch.

There may be extra fashions to buy-not just these.
http://sandrastillwellpresents.blogspot.com/p/sales_31.html
You can contact Sandra at dls6643@aol.com.

 

My Little Pony

Go ahead and snicker but some people out there are making art out of these toys. Let's agree that they're not fashion dolls but the way I came across these images is that I was hunting down an original picture of Tonner's Aragorn and found these. The artist Barkingmadd has created many OOAK ponies. The link I provide at the end will take you to them. They are amazing. 

All images are the property of Barkingmadd.
Barkingmadd's deviantart gallery link: http://barkingmadd.deviantart.com/gallery/

Nothing to Buy at Barbie Collector.Com

Three emails arrived from BC.Com yesterday. The first announced a free shipping offer.  The second was also about the free shipping and "Think Spring." The last came in near midnight and offered 20% off on Valentine's Day.  So I go over there, thinking I'll find something on which to spend my first quarterly $20. bonus only to find that the item which has a remotely attractive chance of coming here is a $75, unarticulated Barbie doll wearing a Zuhair Murad gown. $75.00? It's the designer name one is paying for.

I put it in my shopping cart and the $75. goes down to $55. but shipping is additional. WTF? It turns out that one must spend a minimum of $75. to get the free shipping. Isn't that a new thing? 
I did not order it.

I went back again later when I saw there was the new "Fiorella" Silkstone. I apologize to those who like her but this is one of the worst Silkstones ever. Fiorella is the definition of a hot mess. She looks like she got dressed in a thrift store with pieces thrown together from a shower curtain, a Spanish dancer, a street walker and a Cupie doll. What possessed the designer (Robert Best) to top it all  off with two cutesie bows in her hair? He must be losing it.

Her face is boring. That straight hairline is never my favorite and her hairstyle will never arrive like that IRL. This would definitely be throwing away $50. which is her price. Fiorella means little flower in Italian. Big mistake is more like it.

I wanted to spend money. I really did. I could always buy $75 worth of flimsy Barbie t-shirts. Nah.

I just figured out how to get the Zuhair Murad Doll and the free shipping without buying useless stuff. Well, maybe a little  useless. If I order three notecard sets @$15. each,  it brings my order up to $120. After the 20% off and my $20 bonus the total comes to $76.  Much better. I will use the notecards as gifts. It's a set of twelve 4"x6" folded cards with matching envelopes. I can freak out my Sybarite friends.

By my calculations, the Zuhair doll ultimately comes to $44. I'll sell the nude doll for about $15 and I'll  have a lovely gown. I just hope it's not covered in glitter. I'd better go take a look before I press the check out button. Ugh.

Oh crap. Look at this detail. It is glitter. I don't do glitter.

Why do I feel compelled to buy something when there's a sale? I saved money by not buying anything at all.

Happy Valentine's Day

Gene wears "Rendezvous," a Sandra Stillwell Presents creation.

It's also Rudy's 11th birthday. Happy Birthday, Rudy! Wishing you a healthy second decade.

Betcha Can't Buy Just One!

Ai Plum joins Ai Lagrus and a Rudette for a photo op. It doesn't get much cuter.

I haven't put eyelashes on Plum yet but I will get around to it. Neither doll is wearing all the outfit pieces they came with.

Have you gotten one yet?

Nelson Goes Brunette

I've been trying out wigs on Nelson. She looks great in every color but I have such a mish mosh of sizes, not all of them fit properly. Here is a Cheryl Wood wig. I was a bit small so I think it was made for Avantguard Dolls. I put it in my heating pad for a few minutes to soften the glue and it went on beautifully. It's a good technique to reshape your hard cap wigs. Just don't leave it in the pad for too long.

I am having difficulty with her lower leg stability. She's giving me the same instability problem as my Ficons. The knees keep getting into an awkward position. They need an improved design.

Nelson, Domina and Plum

Today is a good day to show you some new additions to my collection.
First up is Kingdom Doll's Nelson. She is the newest 16" resin BJD to hit the doll scene. 
Here are several prelimary (iPhone) images of her. (Actually all the images on this page are iPhone images.)
Nelson is wearing the full length black sequin Sybarite gown from the Basique Black Giftset and a random blonde wig. Neckpiece is a Tonner product. Her ears are pierced but are quite small and the matching earrings do not fit. She has a well-defined sculpt which will photograph beautifully once I get her down into my studio. Her resin feels wonderfully smooth and her joints are neither kicky nor loose. I am going to enjoy this doll for a long time.

My Sybarite "Domina" decided that she wanted to wear "Gateau's fashion. She wears it very well.  So often the Sybarite shoes are a pain to put on, especially over hosiery, but these were made properly to my delight. I love this ensemble.

 In the first photo of Domina, her lovely pink nipple was positioned at the opening of the silver parts of the bodice. Photoshop came to the rescue. Did I ever admit something about my pictures? If you see me using special effects it's most often because the picture sucked. I take a lot of pictures of my subjects from all angles and with the lighting moved around. However, when I use the phone, I have much less control of the results compared to when I use my professional equipment. That's when Photoshops filters other than sharpening and exposure come out to play. Even then, the idea is to make it look as if you meant it to be that way in the first place.
Ahhh, the tricks we evil Photoshoppers play. I prefer to get it right in the camera anyway.

Two adorable vinyl BJDs have come to live here. They are Ai Ball Jointed Dolls from Jun Planning, the same company that makes Pullips.
Here is their description:

Precious and posable, personable and perfectly palm-sized, each 12.5cm (about 5 inches) doll in Jun Planning's Ball Jointed Doll Ai series has been created with care and is exquisitely detailed, complete with wigged hair that can be removed if you choose, and inset eyes that can be repositioned from within using putty.  Packaged in a sturdy gift box designed to keep safe in travels.

 My first was Lagrus.

The left shows how she comes packaged in ther padded box. I added eyelashes and enhanced her coloring a bit.  On the right, she is wearing a short blonde wig. I used different putty than what she came with. Actually I use moldable silicone earplugs that come in a multi-package available at CVS and I'm sure at most other drugstores.

 My second Ai came today. She is "Plum." I haven't taken her out of her package yet.

I think she's even cuter than Lagrus.

These tiny dolls are fun impulse buys and would also make great gifts for doll friends of all ages. Their price ranges from $29 (so I've heard but have never seen) to much higher from the rip-off artists. I paid the normal going rate of about $34.99 with free shipping on eBay. For that price, these are great bargains and a fun introduction to the tiny BJD. The quality is very nice. They pose better than Amelia Thimble. Their vinyl is nicer than her resin! I don't have Amelia anymore so I can't compare their clothes to see if they can share.
Amelia is only 4" tall. A basic doll like this costs $175. You do the math.

Happy Hunting!

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.  

GAGA DOLLS

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

Who Needs New Dolls?

There's always one more temptation as I spend countless hours scouring the doll boards looking at sales and pictures and wanting the next great doll or the one that got away. While I'm doing this, all the (last) great dolls are hanging around in my doll room waiting for someone to play with them. I often wonder WTF I'm doing with all of these dolls. Well, today I followed my own advice and played with the dolls I already have.
First was Heart on My Sleeve, a Tonner reinterpreted Tin Man from Oz. She's been dressed in her adorable, original fashion since I got her. I thought she was so perfect.

She's even more perfect now dressed in the Theatre de la Mode Noir #99 gown sans shrug. This doll uses the Duchess head sculpt on the Antoinette body.

Quite the transformation, right?

I never paid much attention to Hearts Aflame after I got her because the collector that sold her to me under-described the defects on this doll's face. She's got part of an eyebrow sanded off and there are three tiny green spots happening. She has the Queen of Hearts head sculpt, Tyler body. (2006)

 But I needed a full busted Tonner doll to wear Forbidden Forest Winter Stroll and she was it. This is one of those fashions that I had when it first came out, sold it and then bought another one. It's truly one of Tonner's most magnificent creations.

Here it is on Elphaba for whom it was designed way back in 2005.

Going back through my own collection and comparing photographs is so interesting. It's a history of what I've been doing for the past 12 or so years.

Follow your own Yellow Brick Road right into your doll room. Step back from the computer and put that credit card away. Take out a doll and redress it in something wonderful and admire your 'newest' toy. One day at a time.

Society Hound Collection - Greyhound Barbie

Just got this outfit the other day. I've wanted it for a long time. My doll is on a pivotal body which is smaller than the Barbie body the fashion was originally intended for. But it looks pretty cute. I love the dog! A doll with a dog is better than one without.

Unless the doll is in the dog's mouth.

That definitely doesn't work.

What a Difference a Real Doll Makes

When Tonner released his promotional images of the latest two Theatre de la Mode dolls a few months ago, I criticized the one called Elegance #93 for the over-scaled flowers down the side of the dress. As time went by, I kept seeing her face and my 'want' grew. (You know that feeling, I'm sure.) I certainly was not going to pay the ridiculous $225. retail cost. When a favorite dealer offered them for less than half price, I jumped.

I was going to remove the flowers but I have come to like the whole package. This is a gorgeous doll! Besides the Gina sculpt, which is my current favorite Tonner sculpt, the hair, the colors, the styling...is all stunning and she makes a wonderful addition to my collection.

I still want to see a picture of the original TDLM fashion.

More Freyr Pictures

I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. If I were to continue to do faceups, I think I would get good at it. Practice, practice, practice.

Would you believe that these are iPhone pictures? This latest iPhone takes better pictures than a Canon point and shoot. Admittedly, the Canon is a few years old but seriously? I even used the built in flash option.

Kingdom Doll Announces Nelson's Sale Date

Subscribers to the "first to know list" received a newsletter regarding Nelson, the debut doll, with some long awaited news. She will go on sale on Friday 31st January at 18:00 GMT. On the east coast of the US, we are GMT - 5:00, which makes that 3:00 PM (EST) here in PA. 
Look it up.
http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Mean_Time

Nelson is priced at $650. plus shipping. 

An excerpt from the letter:

Please take a moment to look at our store page (link displayed below) for more details about the doll and her outfit. Please also note, the images shown in the store gallery are of an actual production doll and outfit, not prototypes. A link to the terms and conditions of sale are also available on the store page, please do read them.

https://kingdomdoll.co.uk

An excerpt from the website:

Our debut doll Nelson (using the Novantae head sculpt)

Nelson is a 16 inch resin fashion doll, with 22 points of articulation. Her resin, which is of the highest quality, is a classic "English Rose" which was exclusively created for Kingdom Doll. She has pale ice blue eyes and a soft make-up palette of peach, muted gold and grey. Her hair, a hard cap wig, has long soft waves of a variegated pale golden blonde.
Nelson is a dressed doll limited to just 60 pieces world wide. She features a faux leather jacket inspired by the Spencer jackets of the 1790's and a strapless empire line gown made from silk chiffon with beautiful gold braid trimmed bodice. Black calf length square toed boots with gold buckle accents, a pair tap shorts and hose complete the outfit.
A stand and a complimentary pair of pose hands are also included!

Two Daydreamers' Exclusive "Forever Yours Ashleigh"

Bride dolls are usually not amongst my favorites. In fact, I don't think I have any except a Tiny Kitty dressed in a bridal gown and I'm not particularly fond of her.

Two Daydreamers has a new, exclusive Ashleigh. Apparently, she is the start of a coming "Bridal Series."
As far as the gown goes, I would have preferred to see a rhinestone encrusted belt instead of the annoying gray bow. There is a great deal of lovely draping on the body of the gown and the bow interferes with those lines. I'm not sure what is going on at the shoulders. The description says "Icy white tulle softens the shoulders and also explodes into a cascade of tulle ruffles at the skirt bottom."  Exploding cascades? LOL Where is her bouquet? It just seems that accessories and embellishment have cheapened up and/or disappeared. She should have glamorous jewelry, perhaps a tiara. At these prices, I want more and they have to stop sticking bows on to gowns.

Here is the description from the website:

Two Daydreamers' exclusive "Forever Yours Ashleigh" - 1st in the classically romantic Bridal Series - 16" Tyler bending wrist body - Cameo skin tone - Ashleigh sculpt - LE100

Ashleigh's sophisticated snowy white taffeta gown is beautifully engineered and cut to drape over the bust and shoulders. The gown's skirt is elegantly draped across the front and released in concentric circles of gently folded fabric caught in the ingenious seaming. Icy white tulle softens the shoulders and also explodes into a cascade of tulle ruffles at the skirt bottom. A contrasting dove grey bow at the waist and silk flowers strewn at the shoulders add to the overall elegance of this drop-dead design. White knit opera length gloves, white faux leather, high-heeled strappy sandals and sparkling diamond-like studs complete her dreamy bridal ensemble.

Priced at $224.99

Cupid's Kisses Barbie Doll

A new Barbie Fan Club Exclusive becomes available for sale today. She is "Cupid's Kisses Barbie Doll."  This doll sports a true vintage body complete with holes in her feet! I'm wondering if the included stand makes use of the vintage feet.
 Here is the description from the BC site:

 

Gold Label^®

Designed by: Bill Greening

Release Date: 1/22/2014

Product Code: BCR06

No more than 5000 units produced worldwide.

Our festive hostess celebrates Cupid’s favorite day with timeless gifts: a heart-shaped box of “chocolates,” a bottle of “perfume” and a teeny tiny greeting card. Her dress has a red bodice, short white sleeves and a skirt flocked with a design of flying cupids, hearts and bows. Accessories include a golden heart necklace, earrings, pretty white gloves and a red hair bow.

Doll Details
Body Type:	1959 Vintage (holes in the feet) - Vinyl
Skin Tone:	Nostalgic
Facial Sculpt:	Nostalgic Barbie
Fashion Sewn On?:	No
Eyelashes:	Painted

Included with doll:
Doll stand, shoes, golden heart necklace, earrings, white gloves, red hair bow, heart-shaped box of chocolate, perfume, and greeting card

 Price $75.