Sandra Stillwell Presents... The Belle of New Orleans 2016 Event!

Registration is now officially open for Sandra Stillwell Presents: The Belle of New Orleans! 

Here's a brief excerpt from the announcement:

Convention Package –

Your Belle of the New Orleans souvenir package will be an exclusive collection of couture inspired fashions -- with just the perfect twist of elegance, glamour and fun you've come to expect from "Sandra Stillwell Presents”. 

Also included with your registration will be:

• Thursday evening opening dessert reception
• Three breakfast programs
• One Lunch
• Two Dinners
• Table gifts
• Interesting Programs and Speakers
• Movie breaks, surprises, raffles, and lots of fabulously fashionable fun!
• An exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the Louisiana State Museum’s fashion archives with curator talk, a museum tour – and other surprises! (Details to be announced later)

But there’s still more!!

You’ll have first opportunity to purchase or pre-order extremely limited fashions from the Sandra Stillwell Presents: The Belle of New Orleans convention collection, including several made of the finest French fabrics, direct from Paris!

These fashions are designed to fit our favorite 16” star, but some may fit other doll bodies. 

If booked within our Sandra Stillwell Presents group room block and paid in full by cash, check or money order by July 1st, the registration fee is $500. After July 1st, the fee is $550.

An additional $150 will be added to registrations booked outside of the Sandra Stillwell Presents group room block or for guests not staying at the hotel.

A $25 service fee will be added to payments other than cash, check, or money order.

A nonrefundable deposit of $100 will reserve your spot. Payment plans can be arranged on request.

It is important that you RSVP by email if you are planning to join us.

Once you have RSVP’d, your space will be held for 1 week.

For anyone who has not RSVP’d, registrations will be accepted according to postmark.

A $125 cancellation fee applies to all cancellations prior to July 1stth. After that date, no cancellations can be accepted.

Checks or Money Orders for registration should be made payable to Sandra Stillwell, and mailed to:

The Belle of New Orleans

c/o Sandra Stillwell

8305 Blue Lick Rd

Louisville, KY 40219

Companion registrations will be available if purchased with a full registration. Please contact me for details.

Here is the full announcement:
http://sandrastillwellpresents.blogspot.com/

Tenth Anniversary Misaki "Tokyo Here We Go"

I sold my last Misaki doll about two years ago. I was a big fan. They were adorable until they weren't anymore. That's an old story and I moved on from there. 

When I saw The Tenth Anniversary Misaki "Tokyo Here We Go" she sucked me right back in. I was a fan from the start of this outfit, first in white, then black and now in blue.

I had the black one. Look how perfectly adorable her hair is. Everything was done so well.

I never bought the white (Marui) one. Apparently you can still find one for between $600-$700. 

This is not my photo. It is from a Japanese selling site called Buyee. 

The seller is helensstory8 and I'm guessing the picture was taken by her. 

Both of the earlier dolls had finely done, more complicated hairstyles than this anniversary edition whose hair needs some styling.

The dress and boots on the new girl are nicely made. I would have liked if the mesh tights and arm covers were a tighter weave as they had been in the past. 

If you are getting this doll be aware that the necklace is very fragile. A piece fell off of mine as I was attempting gently to put it on. I had to cobble together a new connection with jumprings and hooks from other pieces of older jewelry. Finally, I took off her head using the heating pad method, put the necklace on and then put her head back on. What a fiddly pain. 

This was my last Misaki, Red Rabbit, in an outfit by Louos.

Now THWG2016 is standing next to my one and only Poppy Parker, probably never to be played with and will go down in history as another cute impulse buy.

"In The Mix" Color Infusion Capsule Collection from Integrity Toys

Vaughn Sawyers has designed this collection.

"Composed of a fashionable quintet of sensational music lovers, this cool gang is ready to cause waves and take center stage in your collection!"

"These dolls will be arriving shortly at your favorite dealers! Starting immediately, W Club members can contact their favorite IT Dealers to pre-order these hot music stars today! Hurry before they are released to the general public and they sell out on pre-orders!"

"Get ready to groove, it's all in the mix!"

"Note: The dolls pictured in this release are prototypes. Please note that final fabrics, colors and textures may vary slightly."

It appears that Tenzin Dahkling is the most popular figure of the collection. If I were still adding 12" male dolls to my collection, I'd probably add him.

 

Best Thing Ever

Dree Hill™ Dressed Doll 

Limited Edition Size: 650 Dolls Worldwide

Suggested Retail Price: $110.00

 

 

 

In the House

Tenzin Dahkling™ Dressed Fashion Figure

Limited Edition Size: 750 Figures Worldwide

Suggested Retail Price: $110.00

 

 

 

Problem Child

Jaeme Costas™ Dressed Doll

Limited Edition Size: 650 Dolls Worldwide

Suggested Retail Price: $110.00

 

 

 

Turn it Up!

Callum Windsor™ Dressed Fashion Figure

Limited Edition Size: 650 Figures Worldwide

Suggested Retail Price: $110.00

 

 

 

 

Crushin' It!

Fan Xi™

Limited Edition Size: 650 Dolls Worldwide

Suggested Retail Price: $110.00

 

 

 

Dolls are available for pre-order with an estimated March delivery. 

Here is the link to Integrity Toys authorized dealers.

http://integritytoys.com/authorized-dealers/

Walking the Runway with Kingdom Doll Star and Jamieshow Zita

Every year at this time, collectors get a doll or two ready for the Oscars. This year I have chosen Kingdom Doll Star and Jamieshow Zita as my two representatives to the event.

Star is wearing a gorgeous Tonner fashion, "Venus Rising," a wig by Ilaria (that I wish I had in multiple colors) and silver Sybarite shoes.
The flowing chiffon cape-sleeves of this outfit are separate pieces and have floral embellishments at the shoulder. Unfortunately, Tonner designers thought it would be a good idea to sprinkle glitter (YES, GLITTER) on these flowers, thereby taking the classy level down to 0. In spite of that, it looks beautiful in pictures.
I had to do some temporary stitching to take in the bust and torso area for Star. It takes a little longer than pinning but it's neater and I don't stick myself every time I hold the doll. 
Part of the popular "Gowns by Anne Harper" line, the outfit included rhinestone earrings, bracelet and dark green pumps, retailed for $114.99 and was a limited edition of 100 pieces.

Original Tonner promo photo:

Whoever designed this line and the Hollywood Legends/Glamour Collection through 2009-2011, needs to come back. Overall the fashions were beautifully designed and executed.

See for yourself: http://www.tonnercollectibles.com/aharper.htm

________________________

Jamieshow Zita greets her fans. She is wearing Ashton Drake's "Love in Bloom," designed for Gene Marshall by Regina Ganem in 2001 as a dressed doll.  The retail price was $195.
Opera length gloves and matching clutch purse were included but not shown in my photo.
I adore the ribbon embroidery on the sheath and on the removable train. 
The jewelry is Franklin Mint, shoes are IT Gene and wig is Jamieshow.

 Original Ashton Drake promo photo:

_________________________

Waiting to be interviewed:

REVIEW: The New Articulated Silkstone "Basic Black"

Basic Black is basic as they come and they left out the panties!

The quality of the dress fabric is fair to middling—the type that leaves little pieces of lint on the doll. It's a cute dress and it closes with snaps. I could not remove her boots without having to cut the back part open. I could have warmed them up but I was frustrated and I have better boots for this doll.

Her high pony-tail styled hair is neatly and nicely done and her face painting is carefully but plainly applied.  She looks a lot less sophisticated and somewhat younger than prior Silkstones.

 UPDATE: Mattel's Promo Photo modifies the true doll by changing the elbow and knee joints and making the pony tail perfect. I just read the BC.Com forum and the complaints are the same and worse than mine and it's really a fiasco. I had such high hopes!

Mattel needs to rethink the finishing of the surface areas, the appearance of the elbow joints and the too-youthful appearance of her face. And...she needs earring holes.

If you enlarge several of my photos and look at the seams, you will see how poorly done they are. There are strange protrusions from the elbows. I am concerned about the knee joints as well as they are very stiff and I don't really trust bending them all the way.

On the other hand, she poses very well.

Here she is compared to the original Silkstone body front and back. She is slightly lighter than the original.

I didn't have a problem with redressing in any way. Everything fits perfectly.

The price was very good. On BC.Com, she retailed for $40. I used my $20 quarterly coupon and got her for $20. Dealers are offering her for about $49. I don't think she's worth a whole lot more.  I'll venture to guess that future issues will cost more. They will have to appear to be worth it to get my money.

13" Agatha Primrose from Tonner Doll

New Agatha Primrose Line

Here is the introductory paragraph about Agatha Primrose from the Tonner website:

From the artistic to the technological, from fashion to fiction to science, Agatha Primrose loves the experiences that her life brings. Whether obsessing over Dr. Who’s TARDIS, Hermione’s Time Turner or Doc’s DeLorean, figuring out the recipe for Katniss’ District Four bread, and of course, trying to find a believable female character for her gaming fixation, Agatha is on a fact-finding mission and it’s all for her personal knowledge. You’ll find her wearing the perfect handmade costume at Comic-Con, testing the latest gadgets at the tech store and nose deep in books with places to which she hopes to travel.

 She comes across as a more articulated young Marley who is on the nerdy side.  I do not care for the open mouth. She's been given a bust and fashion feet but wears very child-like clothing.  I guess I'm trying to figure out how old she is.

I love the outfit but something is off here. She's has a gaming fixation? Seriously?

So I like the doll and her outfits but the back story sucks.

Remember this Marley? I loved her hair and face and dress. How does the new one compare?

Another similar looking Marley.

It's all a little too obvious.

An outfit that would have been improved if the doll had flat feet, tighter pants and tall boots.

The link to Tonner's Agatha Primrose dolls:
http://www.tonnerdoll.com/tonner/fashion-dolls/agatha-primrose
If you click on the blonde basic, it says "sold out."  I believe it's just not in stock yet.