CC's Doll Blog

Over Ell's Rainbow OOAK shoes

2011-07-29T13:10:00.002-05:00

I had promised to show photos of the OOAK shoe styles I created for the Over Ell's Rainbow doll retreat last month, and I just now realized that I never did! So here they are - two pairs that were given as a door prize to one lucky winner:

And shown here with the 19 rainbow-hued pairs that all the attendees got as table favors:

That was a fun shot to set up! :p

Finally, here they are being modeled by a couple of my dolls:

There are more pics on my website, on the Shoes page under "One-of-a-kind," and you can also check out the retreat's Facebook page, for photos of the event itself.

Fun Furniture Finds

2011-06-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

Another good place to look for doll-sized furniture and prop items is Goodwill. I was there on Saturday and found two fun new pieces - first there's this great jewelry box:

It's a little small for the 16" crowd, but works well with Tiny Kitty:

The other piece I found is a shelf in the shape of a staircase:

And it is the perfect scale for my 16" dolls!

I'm going to fix it up a bit to make it prettier, and free-standing so it doesn't have to be secured to the wall. Stay tuned for future updates! I also have plans to turn an old broken chair into a doll-sized four-poster bed...

Furniture Favorites

2011-06-10T12:41:00.001-05:00

Wow, two months since I last posted! Sorry for the hiatus, but I had been working on my first real mass-production of shoes, for the "Over Ell's Rainbow" doll retreat next week. I'll share images of the special shoes I created for that event after it's over. But here's what 19 miniature shoe boxes looks like:

It was quite a fun project!

Now, on to the subject of this post. TONNERDirect asked Facebook this morning what types of furniture we like, and where we get our doll furniture. So I decided to dedicate a blog post to answering this question. One of my favorite pieces is a chaise lounge-shaped jewelry box, found at Walmart several years ago. I especially like it because my dolls can stand next to it, unsupported by a stand:

It's also good for sitting:

or lounging:

and it can hold multiple dolls:

(I use it a lot!)

I've also gotten several pieces of unfinished wooden doll-sized furniture at places like Hobby Lobby or Michaels, and I'm lucky enough to have a talented sister who carves, paints/stains, and varnishes them for me!

First there's this great bench that I bought many years ago (before I even collected Tonner dolls!) and had forgotten about:

(I made the cushion for it.) I decided I wanted it a darker, richer color. My sister stained and varnished it, and it's so handsome now:

Once again, more than one doll can sit on it:

The chest that Niobe is sitting on in the above picture is another example of my sister's work. This one she carved, as well:

I requested a dragonfly for the design, and she created the exact look I was hoping for! Here's a close-up of the carving:

Last but not least, she also carved the lotus flowers on the drawers, and stained and varnished this adorable dresser for me:

It is one of my very favorite pieces. Isn't she talented?

Feels like summer!

2011-04-10T15:32:00.000-05:00

I celebrated the warm weather today by doing an outdoor photo shoot of two new styles of shoes I've been working on lately. They're really getting me in a summer mood! Both styles will be available to purchase at my website shortly.

First, we have cork wedges:

Next, espadrilles:

I also have plans for flat styles using cork and rope soles, so stay tuned! Also, summer shoes coming for men!

Thanks for looking!

Make your own doll hangers - Part 2

2011-04-02T15:00:00.004-05:00

Guess what I bought today? Socks! :p Five pairs, to be exact, just so I could get five more of these:

I'm kidding; I actually needed new socks! But I also wanted to expand on my previous post about full-body hangers. So today I'm making my own!

First I traced around one of Tonner's clear plastic hangers:

And then placed two of my homemade hangers over the "shoulders" and "hips" and traced around those:

I've found that 4" at the shoulders and 3" at the hips will keep most garments from slipping off.

I then folded the paper in half and cut out my pattern so it would be even on both sides:

Then I traced around the pattern on my clear plastic and cut out two pieces. I taped them together at the top, to hold the hook in place:

And finally, here it is hanging up! You can see how well it holds even a one-shoulder top and skirt:

As opposed to Tonner's full-body hanger:

:p

Here is my pattern, so you can make your own:

Hope this was useful!

Make your own doll hangers! (Or just fix existing ones)

2011-03-31T14:33:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, Miriam Shepard (of YumYum Couture) posted this ingenious tutorial for fixing Tonner's full-body hangers so they actually hold clothes! I've been using her method with great success. The following is Miriam's original post, complete with photos (used with permission):

Why in the world did Tonner design hangers for his trunks that do not function for 90% of the clothing he makes? I love the look of the plexiglass body hangers but the shoulders won't hold the clothing in place so I figured out a way to make clear plastic shoulders for the hangers that make them work and aren't an eyesore. I wish Tonner would take up my idea and make these himself with cute little TW insignias to fit his hangers. Dream on Miriam.

You will need:

One of those clear plastic boxes that UB Tylers come in. Cut it up along the fold lines.

Strong scissors
An Exacto knife or cutting blade
paper to make a pattern.

Make a pattern from paper. Cut a rectangle that is 2 inches wide and 3 and 5/8s inches wide. Fold it in half lengthwise. Trim the corners on two sides as shown in the picture below.

Use your paper pattern as a guide to cut your plastic. I find it is easiest to cut the plastic box into panels and then cut them into 3 and 5/8s inch sections and then fold the sections lengthwise and trim to 1 inch folded. Finally, trim the "shoulders". After folding and trimming the plastic, use the Xacto knife to cut through the fold so that the body hanger will slip through and the plastic shoulders slide down in place on the "shoulders of the hanger. See the pics: This is a dress falling off the Tonner hanger. Boooooo!

Here are pics of the pattern and of the clear plastic shoulders

More pics of the process:

Finally, the dress is hanging on the new shoulders which look good with the plexiglass hanger.

Brilliant, right? I love it! Of course, I only have six full-body hangers myself, so I can only hang up six outfits, right? Wrong! I modified Miriam's method to make my own hangers, as well! See, I'm a huge packrat. You know those tiny plastic hooks that come on packages of things like socks, tights, or ties so that they hang on the pegs on store shelves? Well, I keep those.

I always knew I would have a use for them! And now I finally do:

They make excellent hangers! The top one, being already over 4" long, is perfect for hanging a top by the straps. Then I made plastic "shoulders" for some, and "hips" for others - these hang skirts or pants. I made my "hips" 3" wide, which worked perfectly:

Now you may be wondering, if this tutorial was posted a month ago, why am I just getting around to making my hangers now? Well, before this week, I didn't really have a place to hang doll clothes. But I came back from a trip to Goodwill with this... well, I'm not entirely sure what it is:

The smaller one is an old candlestick of my mom's. Anyway, they look really good full of doll clothes:

Sayuri browses for an outfit to wear:

Poor girl is still waiting for me to finish her red kimono... one of these days!

More Green Gown

2011-03-25T23:23:00.000-05:00

This girl was meant to wear green! Sofia looked lovely in this gown, but I really wanted Marisol to show it off:

And it has matching shoes:

Thanks for looking!

Spring is coming!

2011-03-24T18:10:00.001-05:00

I like to celebrate the warmer weather with yellow - it's such a nice cheerful color. First, some pics I took last July:

I feel warmer already!

Cecelia:

Rose-Red:

Amaya:

And from last May, some sister pics - both girls have some yellow in their dresses, and Brianna has yellow shoes:

I also found a pretty yellow flower and took a couple portraits:

Green Gown

2011-03-23T17:42:00.002-05:00

I meant to have this done last week for St Patrick's Day, but a slight family crisis called me away to my parents' house for a couple days. I was also going to offer it as the prize for a photo contest I was having on Facebook, but nobody entered. So I guess I get to keep it.

Sofia models:

I'm also working on matching shoes to go with it. I'm thinking about offering this gown for sale in a variety of colors, and with a knee-length skirt option as well.

Who Wears it Best - Swimsuit Edition

2011-02-11T19:52:00.001-06:00

This is our last episode of Who Wears it Best! The drawing is tomorrow, so don't forget to vote!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, we have swimsuits! First is Tonner's ultra basic white swimsuit, modeled by just about everyone!

Milana:

Amyera:

Celeste:

Cecelia:

Rose-Red:

Sunglasses by Tonner.

Amaya:

Sunglasses by Tonner.

And Sofia:

Next we have Jac's basic black swimsuit, also by Tonner.

Nandini:

Sunglasses by Tonner.

Rose-Red (on right):

Ella:

And Charlotte:

Tights by Janette1965, shoes and wrap skirt by Tonner.

Finally, Jane's pink swimsuit by Tonner.

Snow-White (on left):

And Charlotte again:

Tights by Janette1965, shoes and wrap skirt by Tonner.

Thanks for participating! Tune in tomorrow when we draw our winner!

Who Wears it Best - Casual Edition (part 2)

2011-02-10T19:37:00.002-06:00

We continue our Who Wears it Best - Casual Edition with dresses, pants, and skirts! First off, we have a simple sheath dress with ribbon belt, modeled by Djali:

Celeste:

And Sofia:

Next, a summery sundress worn by Brianna:

Milana:

And Sofia again:

In the skirt category, we have a cute beaded number, shown off by Ella:

Nandini:

Cecelia:

And Illeya:

Lastly, for pants, we have a classic pair of jeans - shown on Jordan:

Cecelia:

And Nandini:

(Shoes by Kingstate, horse by American Girl)

Our final edition of Who Wears it Best is tomorrow! Stay tuned, and don't forget to vote!

Who Wears it Best - Casual Edition

2011-02-10T07:30:00.005-06:00

We have a lot of selections for you today! So many, in fact, that we'll be splitting today's episode into two parts - so be sure to come back this evening for the rest!

Starting the casual category with tops, we have Amaya in a blue ribbed top:

Nandini:

Satine:

Illeya:

Next we have a beaded belly-dancer top, modeled first by Nandini:

Next by Brianna:

Djali:

And Sofia:

Next, a versatile wraparound top modeled by Satine:

Brianna:

Jordan:

Nandini:

And Cecelia:

Last of the tops is this gorgeous blouse by Empire, modeled by Nandini:

(Shoes by Kingstate, horse by American Girl)

Amaya:

Cecelia:

And Jordan:

To be continued... (Don't forget to vote!)

Who Wears it Best - Kimono Edition

2011-02-09T12:27:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to Who Wears it Best! Today we have a very special treat for you - a one-of-a-kind kimono modeled by seven lovely ladies! First up is Nandini:

Followed by Rose-Red:

Djali:

Ella:

Milana:

And, not to be left out (just because she's blonde), her twin sister Amyera:

Finally, Sayuri:

This concludes today's episode of Who Wears it Best. Tune in tomorrow for Casual Edition! And don't forget to vote!

Who Wears it Best - Fashion Zombie Edition

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-06:00

It's time again for Who Wears it Best! Today's edition is... Fashion Zombie!

Illeya models her own outfit, Death Becomes Her, by Tonner:

Now Niobe:

And finally, Urkelgrue - the Headless Ballerina:

Don't forget to vote, and tune in next time for Who Wears it Best - Kimono Edition!

Who Wears it Best - Dress Edition

2011-02-07T12:05:00.000-06:00

Not as formal as gowns, but just as fun - presenting Who Wears it Best - Dress Edition! First off we have a sweet and summery dress of my own design, modeled by Amaya:

Milana:

And Sofia:

Next the exquisite Song of the Evening, by Tonner. Satine shows it off first:

Next, Cecelia:

Celeste:

And Brianna:

Hair jewel by Facets by Marcia.

Our final selection is a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind dress by the fabulous GinO - worn by Djali:

Jordan:

And Nandini:

Please vote for your favorites, and tune in next time! Our next episode will be a surprise...

Who Wears it Best - Coats Edition

2011-02-06T12:58:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to Who Wears it Best! Today we're showing off various jackets and coats, for your viewing pleasure. First off we have Ashleigh's white coat by Tonner, modeled by Snow-White:

Amaya:

And Milana:

Next, a very unique patchwork jacket designed by yours truly. Shown on Satine:

Brianna:

Nandini:

Shoes by Kingstate.

And the lovely Jordan:

Last but not least, Stella's fur-trimmed coat, also by Tonner. Worn first by Amaya:

Jordan:

Brianna:

Cecelia:

And finally Amyera:

Don't forget to vote! And tune in tomorrow for Who Wears it Best - Dress Edition!

Who Wears it Best - Gowns Edition

2011-02-05T22:52:00.008-06:00

For your consideration, my lovely ladies model various gowns. First we have Ella (Seventeen), in her very own prom dress by Tonner:

Snow-White:

Brianna:

Next we have Djali wearing Gene's Red Desire gown by Ashton-Drake:

Celeste:

Illeya:

And Rose-Red:

And finally a 1930s-inspired gown I made myself, on Satine:

Nandini:

Rose-Red:

And Jordan:

This concludes Who Wears it Best - Gown Edition. Don't forget to vote, and tune in tomorrow for the next episode - Coats!

Ella in her own gown

2011-02-03T15:27:00.001-06:00

I decided I needed more photos of Ella after her makeover, so I put her in her original gown for the first time since she came back home. For comparison, here is how she originally looked, right out of the box:

The picture quality is not great, but I was using my old camera, poor lighting, and a terrible background choice. Anyway, I took her hair down and attempted to straighten it with hot water, which did not work. So here she is after I tried to recreate her original hairstyle:

Which also did not work. It was clear that she needed a reroot, so I sent her to Karin of Cloud 9, who was nice enough to switch her head to a new body at the same time. From there Ella traveled to Laurie Lenz, who repainted her eyes from blue to green. All in all, I think it was a vast improvement:

She seems much more alive to me now.

A close-up shot of her sweet face:

I really do love this gown.

Niobe gets a new hairdo

2011-01-22T11:55:00.000-06:00

I had painted my Onyx mannequin's face a few months ago, and named her Niobe, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with the job I had done, until I changed her hairstyle. I feel like this one brings out her personality much better:

I still may redo her eyebrows at some point.

New props and furniture

2011-01-15T16:51:00.004-06:00

Sofia shows off my new props - found at Michaels:

Wooden easels with mini stretched canvas - come in packs of two for $5. Brush not included.

Decorative ceramic plates in a variety of designs for $1 each. I chose my three favorite patterns, but there were more. All in brown or green or orange:

I couldn't pass them up! :p

I also want to show off my new (or newly finished) furniture from my very talented sister. First, my two sets of twins show off the bench I purchased at Hobby Lobby several years ago, which has now been stained a deep mahogany, and varnished. Snow-White and Rose-Red are also wearing two of my favorite gowns, by Tonner and Ashton-Drake, respectively:

Amyera and Milana model two of my favorite coats, both by Tonner:

Next, two lovely ladies show off not only my new trunk that my sister carved, painted, and stained, but also two of my favorite factory dresses, which were both gifts from the Prego Secret Swap in the last two years.

Niobe is probably never taking off this dress (by Tonner), from Sue in IN:

And Brianna loves her dress (also by Tonner), from Q:

How about a close-up of my sister's awesome carving skills:

Told you she was talented! She also carved and stained my lotus dresser, you may recall.

And just for fun to show off the inside, Nandini in a gorgeous dress by GinO:

This trunk will also come in quite handy to store all my new props!

Just for fun - skin tone comparisons

2011-01-09T23:29:00.001-06:00

My last post got me thinking about all the different skin tones of dolls I've collected, so I decided to get one of each of them together for a group shot.

I love comparison shots. :p

Here's a closer view:

Left to right: Sayuri (Alabaster), Illeya (Cameo), Milana (Pale), Jordan (Tan)

Left to right: Nandini (Caramel/Honey), Djali (Spice), Amaya (Dark), Niobe (Onyx)

These photos were taken during the day, with flash.

I love variety in the dolls I collect, and I'm glad that Tonner creates so many different kinds of dolls, so almost everyone can find something that they like. And he listens to collectors. People requested an Antoinette doll in the Kagiso (Onyx) skin tone, and he gave us one! How cool is that?

A look back at 2010... plus a bit of rambling

2011-01-07T12:03:00.001-06:00

Once again, in the past year, I've more than doubled my doll collection. At the beginning of 2009, I had three Tonner dolls. At the beginning of 2010, I had a total of nine. In the last year, I've collected eleven more! I got them all together for a group shot, to ring in 2011:

They are quite an eclectic mix, aren't they? From left to right, we have: Cecelia (Central Park Stroll Sydney), Celeste (Ultra Basic Jac), Illeya (Death Becomes Her), Marguerite (Basic DeeAnna 2009), Niobe (Onyx Antoinette mannequin painted by me), Marisol (Snowflake Ballerina), Djali (Emphatic Antoinette), Sofia (Ultra Basic Daphne), Sayuri (Spring Dance Sayuri on all-white body), Amyera (Ultra Basic Golden Stella), and Milana (Ultra Basic Raven Stella).

I've added four new skintones (Alabaster, Cameo, Spice and Onyx) and four new body types (Antoinette, DeeAnna, flat feet and small bust) to my collection this year, so by this time I have one of almost everything Tonner has to offer! I like a wide variety in my dolls. For example, I now have eight different skintones and thirteen different hair colors among my twenty Tonner dolls.

I have also decided that I am sorely lacking in man dolls. I have exactly one, and I never play with him. A) He's awaiting a makeover that I can't afford yet, and B) He has almost no clothes. I can easily fix the latter problem, and I have lots of ideas and fabrics set aside for male clothes. I guess that'll be my New Years resolution. :p

I also realized when setting up this group picture that there are a couple of new dolls on my shelf that kind of stick out like two sore thumbs when they're all grouped together like this. Well, Illeya blends in a little better than I originally thought she would, but Sayuri definitely looks out of place. Thinking about her, and the fact that now I want at least two more geisha dolls, I came upon a happy solution to both of the above problems.

Clearly, I need a Doctor Who/David Tennant doll. And a Tardis. I mean, The Doctor travels through time and space, right? So if I had him, suddenly a geisha doll makes sense in my collection. And I've always wanted to add more historical costumes to my dolls' wardrobe, like Victorian gowns, Medieval and Renaissance dresses, Colonial and Civil War era gowns, etc. I have rather ambitious dreams. And if I had a Doctor doll, I wouldn't need to worry about any part of my collection fitting in with any other part. I can just plug The Doctor into any scene I wish to create, and it'll make sense! He'll be the glue holding it all together. Plus David Tennant is just gorgeous. Ok, time to start saving pennies... :D

Gorgeous Geisha

2011-01-01T13:52:00.002-06:00

My latest girl is the lovely Sayuri, from Tonner's Memoirs of a Geisha collection. She was given an all-white body by her previous owner (thanks Sonya!) which I think is a vast improvement. She also came to me with no lipstick, so I took the liberty of making her lips rounder and poutier than they had been originally. This is the first time I have gotten a doll who will keep her original name, though. Come to think of it, Sayuri is my first Tonner Character Figure!

But enough with the introductions. It's time for pictures! I don't think this girl can take a bad picture (unless it's blurry, but then that's my fault :p).

I love her gloriously long hair!

I love this girl! I think she is one of the most beautiful dolls that Tonner has ever made. Of course, I think that about pretty much every new girl I get. :p

I made the kimono from an old handkerchief, and now I finally have an Asian doll to wear it! I need to get started on a full geisha wardrobe for her. New Year, new projects. I love it!

Introducing Sofia

2010-11-12T22:12:00.000-06:00

This girl was my prize in the Tonner Direct Facebook raffle for the Halloween convention, and I finally got her tonight! (UPS had been trying to deliver her to the wrong building for three days, because the wrong address was on the box! :p) I've named her Sofia, because she vaguely reminds me of Penelope Cruz, so I wanted a Spanish-sounding name.

Here she is, right out of the box:

She requested shoes before we even got around to changing her clothes - my kind of girl!

Then we tried on a few outfits:

I like this one the best:

Just for fun, I put this long skirt on under the short dress:

This outfit came out looking red in all the pics, but it's actually hot pink:

I'm very pleased with her, and I think she looks much better in person than in the picture on the Tonner website. She's really quite a beautiful doll.

Dolls in the fall

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000-06:00

I didn't want to miss out on the gorgeous colors on the trees, and it's been so nice out! So yesterday morning I took half an hour and spent some time with a few of my girls, out-of-doors. I think the results are quite stunning.

Nandini:

Celeste:

Satine:

Illeya:

Thanks for looking!

Queen of Death goes traveling

2010-11-09T22:41:00.001-06:00

Everything she touches dies...

She always travels alone.

It's getting cold.

But she's the Queen! She's independent!

Queens aren't allowed to be lonely.

Illeya as Queen of Death

2010-11-09T21:53:00.001-06:00

I know Halloween is over, but I thought I'd take a few pics of Illeya in her original outfit (Death Becomes Her) before I shipped it off to its new owner. I had immediately undressed her when she arrived, and didn't even put her shoes and jewelry on! But then I put her outfit on two other dolls, so I thought it would be unfair if I didn't put it back on the girl it came with. :p

Anyway, I had fun setting up this little display, and Illeya had fun pretending to be Queen of Death. I purposefully left the white balance setting on my camera at "incandescent" rather than "daylight," for an ethereal effect.

Queen of Death, sitting on her throne:

Be careful; don't make her angry!

Being Queen is exhausting work:

At least she looks good doing it:

It really is a great outfit, and I'm glad it was already sold by the time I took these pictures, or I might have decided to keep it, after all! But I decided I would rather give one of my older girls a new bending wrist body, so it had to go. I'm just glad I took these pictures. :)

About time Illeya got some attention!

2010-11-07T22:44:00.001-06:00

I've had this girl for almost a month, and she's been sadly neglected! So tonight I finally got around to giving her a photoshoot:

I removed the paint splotches from her face, and gave her hair a slight trim.

I wasn't sure how she would look redressed, but I'd say she owns this Gene dress!

Shoes by Tonner

And I think Djali's not the only diva in town, anymore.

Red is definitely her color, but I thought I'd try something else:

She's very different from all my other dolls, with her pale skin tone, haunting makeup, and fierce expression. But I think she's gorgeous, and definitely a keeper!

More pics of Ella's makeover - just because

2010-11-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

I just can't get over the awesome job that Karin and Laurie Lenz did on my Seventeen doll, Ella. Here she is last year at Halloween:

You can see how badly she needed a reroot, although her frizzy hair worked rather well for her costume as a ghost bride:

But after a reroot (by Karin), body swap, and eye enhancement (by Laurie Lenz), you can see how much more alive she looks!

I love this girl! :D

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:49:00.003-05:00

This year I dressed six dolls (well, five and a half :p) in Halloween costumes.

Amaya the spy:

(Sunglasses and coat by Tonner, shoes by Kingstate)

Rose-Red the dominatrix:

(Shoes by Kingstate, necklace and pants by unknown)

Amyera the beautiful bride:

(Bodice by Tonner, necklace and skirt by unknown)

Ella as a Geisha:

Marisol the fairy:

And last but not least, Urklegrue - the headless ballerina:

(Outfit by Tonner)

And a group shot:

Happy Halloween!

New ballet doll - Marisol

2010-10-26T15:14:00.003-05:00

I've actually had her for over a month, but I hadn't taken any pics of her before tonight. For shame! So here is the lovely Marisol:

This outfit was inspired by a dress that I'd seen pictures of the Jamieshow Sun doll wearing. I thought it had a very balletic look.

The mask was just for fun.

She's en pointe without shoes (which I do NOT recommend trying at home! :p) because I haven't made her any yet. That's an upcoming project.

Another new dress for Djali

2010-10-25T15:11:00.001-05:00

This girl is going to send me to the poorhouse! But, knowing how good she looks in red, I couldn't really pass up the red Titanic gown from Franklin Mint's Rose. (Thanks again, Robyn in WA!) And you have to admit she wears it well:

I love what the shadows are doing in this pic.

"Rose who? Honey, this dress was made for me."

It's really hard to argue with her.

She certainly knows she looks good!

A dolly makeover!

2010-10-24T23:08:00.001-05:00

Ella (Seventeen) was only the second big Tonner gal that I ever bought. I sent her out recently to have some work done, and well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Before:

After:

Karin of Cloud 9 did the reroot and body swap for me, and Laurie Lenz did the eye enhancement. Oh! I also have Tex Bex to thank for selling me the new Teen body! One of my favorite dolls now has new life thanks to these three lovely ladies. :)

More pics!

Before:

This is about as tame as I could ever get her hair to be. And it was so thin that I could see through to the scalp in the back. Poor Ella. :(

After:

Now her hair is so long and straight and smooth... I love it!

Before:

I loved her sweet expression and neutral makeup, and I wanted her to retain her youthful look.

After:

I asked Laurie to give her green eyes instead of blue, and this is the result! It was exactly as I had imagined, and she looks so much more alive now!

Before:

It was very difficult to get her to pose naturally.

After:

So much better!

I've been making her do a bunch of poses she couldn't do before - but I don't hear any complaints! In fact, I think she looks more like she's smiling, now. Could be just my imagination... what do you think?

My first ever repaint attempt

2010-10-24T19:57:00.015-05:00

I got an Onyx Antoinette mannequin in order to try my hand at repainting (if she came with no face, I can't screw it up too badly :p), and today I finally reached a point where I'm happy with my work. Presenting Niobe:

I'm not 100% happy with her eyebrows, and may redo them at some point.

I put her in the outfit from Death Becomes Her, which fits the Antoinette body perfectly! I even got the shoes on, without too much trouble.

Do you like her pedestals? Rather grisly, aren't they? :p I got them at Michael's this afternoon, for half off. The taller ones were originally $7, and the shorter ones were $5. I'll probably remove the skulls after Halloween is over.

Thanks for looking!

Girls with curls!

2010-10-10T16:06:00.002-05:00

Amaya:

Necklace by unknown

Sunglasses by Tonner

Top by Empire

Swimsuit by Tonner, jewelry by unknown

Jordan:

Jacket by Tonner

Gloves by Tonner, necklace by unknown

Djali:

Earrings by unknown

Gown by GinO, earrings by unknown

Cecelia:

Dress by Tonner

Swimsuit by Tonner

Dress by unknown

Celeste:

Swimsuit by Tonner

Outfit by Tonner

Gown by Ashton-Drake, earrings by unknown

Marguerite:

Swimsuit by Tonner

Another chapter in the Djali saga...

2010-08-24T16:31:00.001-05:00

The lovely GinO posted this gorgeous dress for sale on Prego, and of course Djali had to have it:

There was no living with her until I bought it. Of course, there's really no living with her now, either:

"Yes, this dress suits my style EXACTLY."

"Finally! You're starting to listen to me!"

So I think this is a winner. (Thanks again, Ginny!)

"Yes, it's very pretty, thank you."

"Now make me some shoes to match. Chop, chop!"

I swear, this chica has more attitude than all my other dolls put together!

Dressing a demanding diva

2010-08-22T16:21:00.005-05:00

Anyone else have a doll who is hard to please? Djali is mine. She's my one and only Antoinette, so we went through quite an odyssey when she first arrived, trying to find clothes she could wear. Finally I made her a dress that fit her, exclusively:

And she was happy for a while... but soon grew bored:

She said the dress was cute and all, but it didn't really express her unique style. She needed drama, she said.

So last night I finally made a dress to suit her personality, and she nearly fainted with delight:

And since I used a stretch fabric, this gown will fit all of my regular Tonner girls as well - maybe even DeeAnna! Djali didn't much like that idea, when I mentioned it to her...

"Over my dead body."

I've never met a doll with so much attitude!

Nandini's Bedlah

2010-08-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

Another case of a OOAK doll outfit paired with the perfect doll is Nandini and this belly-dancing outfit, called a bedlah. I actually started making the outfit long before Nandi came to live with me, but I only completed it after her arrival. And in this case, the doll came specifically for this outfit (and others I plan to make) rather than the other way around. But either way, I think it is a perfect pairing:

Nandini is my Indian princess, and I have lots of saris and bedlahs planned for her. Since she is a Convertible Basic Jac, she came with two sets of feet. I wanted her specifically for this outfit, because belly dancing is done barefoot. So I wanted her to have flat feet, but I love having the option for her to wear heels, too. And in some pictures, you may have noticed, I used one of each foot! :p

Snow-White and Rose-Red

2010-08-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

The first time I saw pictures of Platinum and Raven Jane, I knew I had to have them both. They reminded me of the old fairy tale, Snow-White and Rose-Red. So when I got a chance to own them, back in December, I jumped on it! I had to have both of these dolls. One without the other would have been pointless.

So here they are, in custom made gowns, which I designed to suit both their names and personalities. I had scraps of these sheer fabrics that each had a large rose motif, and I designed the dresses to be alike, but just different enough to highlight Snow's softer side versus Rose's sense of drama:

Snow-White's gown features a shoulder drape that can hang two different ways - to hide the beading or to reveal it:

Rose-Red's gown is sprinkled with beads across the tucks and pleats creating the structured, fitted bodice that flows into the free and fluid skirt:

I love when specific dolls inspire me to create one-of-a-kind outfits for them! These two gowns would never have existed if I hadn't gotten these two lovely ladies.

Meet Marguerite!

2010-08-08T20:41:00.001-05:00

My latest girl, a 2009 Basic DeeAnna, is now named Marguerite. I'm starting to make shoes for her, and I have one pair finished, which is pictured below:

I really love her, especially now that I've washed and combed out her hair. Here are her new pictures:

My collection keeps growing...

2010-07-11T14:58:00.003-05:00

My newest girl, Celeste - UB Jac, models Tonner's Song of the Evening ensemble:

And a sundress and pair of shoes made by me:

I was very proud of the fact that I got her to stand up with no aid!

A pic with the dresser my sister carved and stained for me:

And a couple with an old but newly discovered bench that I originally got for the American Girl dolls:

Everybody wants something from me...

2010-07-08T20:44:00.004-05:00

After last week's post about the kimono, Amyera is justifiably upset.

Amyera: How come only the raven-haired dolls got to try it on? What do you have against us blondes?

Snow-White: You're new here, honey. I've been here a while. Miss CC has an unnatural prejudice against blonde dolls. I think she had too many Barbies as a child. And everyone knows the redheads are her favorites!

Snow-White: Don't you agree, Cecelia?
Cecelia: I'm more concerned about being in the flat-footed minority, personally. Do you realize I can only wear like, three pairs of shoes in this place? I mean, Hello? Miss CC makes shoes!

Djali: You think you've got it rough?
Snow-White: Oh here we go.
Djali: At least you guys can wear all the clothes. I only have this one dress! And I'm lacking in the shoe department, as well!

Hey, at least you all have heads...

*all run screaming*

Kimono and lotus dresser

2010-07-03T23:50:00.004-05:00

I don't have an Asian dolls, but I was inspired last week to make a kimono. It started life as a 20" square handkerchief, and I'm rather pleased with the result.

I got all of my raven-haired dolls to take turns pretending to be Japanese for me. :p Who wears it best?

Nandini - Convertible Basic Jac:

Rose-Red - Raven Jane:

Milana - UB Raven Stella:

or Djali - Emphatic Antoinette:

I'm also taking this opportunity to show off the awesome chest of drawers that my sister carved, stained, and varnished for me. Isn't she talented?

Newest girl - Cecelia

2010-05-17T11:54:00.004-05:00

I've had this girl for two weeks already and before yesterday I had only taken pictures of her feet! This had to be remedied, so here she is:

Dress by me

I love her hair! Dress by Tonner

Blouse by Empire, jeans by me

She is, of course, Central Park Stroll Sydney. She has been a grail of mine for a long time... And now she's finally here! :D

If you'd like to see the pics of her feet, check out my new casual shoes for summer.

For Mother's Day

2010-05-09T15:31:00.005-05:00

I took some photos today of the dolls in my china cabinet, most - if not all - of which were gifts from either my mom or my grandma. In fact, I'm pretty sure my mom is almost entirely responsible for my love of dolls!

And I can't forget my darling Samantha, who remains my first doll love:

Me holding Sam holding her china doll holding her Nutcracker doll:

And finally, Samantha in the hand-smocked dress that my mom gave me for my birthday when I was probably ten or eleven, when it first occurred to me that I could sew clothes for dolls! Prior to this revelation, I did not enjoy sewing. :p But I have loved it ever since:

Thanks Mom!

The most frustrating shopping trip in recent memory

2010-04-29T20:01:00.000-05:00

Well. After staying late after work tonight for two hours of training, during which the video I was supposed to be watching online (streaming) kept pausing every few minutes, and finally refused to go past a certain point, I stopped by Michael's on my way home to pick up some black satin 1/4" ribbon for a shoe order. Now, I had already been on several fruitless errands to find said ribbon, first looking in the Wal-Mart craft section, followed by JoAnn's and Hancock Fabrics and finally a thorough combing of my mom's stash when I was at my parents' house last weekend. I had already looked through my own stash several times, of course. Michael's was my last hope.

You would think, wouldn't you, that black satin 1/4" ribbon would be a fairly standard thing to have in stock? Apparently this is not the case. I was able to find black satin 1/8" and 1/2" ribbon, as well as 1/4" black grosgrain, organza, and velvet ribbon. I looked in the regular sold-by-spool ribbon section, in the clearance section, in the scrapbooking section, in the cut ribbon section... Nothing. Now, it's possible that I had not scoured JoAnn's and/or Hancock's as well as I thought I had, or that on those two separate shopping trips I had forgotten to look for this specific item, as I had other things on my mental list at the time. But I wasn't willing to go back to either place just to be disappointed again.

I looked through all the ribbon sections again. I found black satin 1/4" ribbon with the annoying little loops along the edges, the purpose for which I have always been mystified by. If this were for a project of my own, I would have given up by now and chosen to go a different direction. But it is for an order, and although I did not have the specific ribbon needed to fill the order at the time, I was confident that it would be easy to find. I should have known better. But I refused to give up.

I began scouring the entire store for anything that might have the necessary ribbon on it somehow, whether it was a drawstring bag or small purse that had it as a handle, a teddy bear with it in a bow around his neck, or a box of small candles or soaps with it tied around as decoration. ANYTHING. I was willing to buy a book that had a it as a ribbon bookmark, at this point.

Finally, I found a bundle of fat quarters of fabric that had the exact ribbon I needed! I could hardly believe it, and at first I was afraid that the florescent store lighting was playing tricks on my eyes, and it was actually navy blue pretending to be black. But it was, in fact, the real deal! And as an added bonus, I realized probably a full minute after finding the ribbon that the fabrics it was tied around were ones that would coordinate perfectly with a set of fabrics I already have, that I'm planning to make a collection of Christmas holiday doll outfits from! (And before you ask, it is NEVER too early to start planning for Christmas. :p) Which is good, because the bundle was $8, and although I was desperate and half mad by this point, that wasn't really worth paying for the two feet of ribbon it got me. Especially since I only need about four inches.

So it was a happy ending after all, but I still went straight to the kitchen for an emergency infusion of chocolate, as soon as I got home. If I could take it intravenously at this point, I probably would. :p But all of this is now behind me, and I feel much better after venting. I am going to settle down with my latest Netflix DVD and make doll shoes! :D

Why I collect dolls

2010-04-27T21:41:00.004-05:00

From time to time the question comes up - Why do I collect dolls? For some reason this is a hard thing for many people to understand. I have loved dolls my entire life, or at least as far back as I can remember. I never grew out of them, and for a while people seemed to see that as a negative thing. I was in high school and still playing with dolls - although by that time I probably did more sewing than actual playing, unless my cousin was visiting. My older brother AND my younger sisters made fun of me for playing with dolls. The only defense I had was explaining that I planned to someday make money from selling the clothes I made for them. Then it became OK.

I brought my American Girl doll, Samantha, to college with me, along with a couple of stuffed animals from my childhood. I didn't really care if I got ridiculed. Samantha was one of my oldest friends, and I didn't want to be apart from her. She was also a connection to my cousin, who is also my best friend, as she always understood my love of dolls, and played and sewed with me. My cousin had moved far away, and I missed her incredibly.

I didn't have as much time to sew for (or play with) Samantha in college, but I got really into Star Wars costumes, and decided I wanted a Padmé doll to sew for. I researched and researched and found Laurie Leigh, an extremely talented doll repainter, and I sent my 12" Frankendolly to her for a makeover. She came back an absolute beauty, and I started making costumes for her.

But through Laurie's website, I had found out about Tonner fashion dolls.

My first Tonner was a Tiny Kitty, because I was interested in customized Barbies and Barbie-sized dolls. I loved turning dolls into characters from tv and movies, and one of my favorite shows at the time was Gilmore Girls. I had seen pictures of Tiny Kitty dolls and decided that she had the perfect face to become a Rory for me. I found a nude TK for cheap on ebay, and I originally planned to reroot her to become a brunette:

But then I just couldn't. So I had to find a new Tiny Kitty to become Rory, and I decided that the redhead would be better as Anne of Green Gables. (See my post just prior to this one.) Then I also had to have her friend Diana as a doll, so now I have three total TKs. (Rory's mom and best friend, Lorelai, is represented in my doll world as a Barbie. I don't like my girls to be lonely. :p)

I noticed, however, that more people seemed to collect the 16" Tonner dolls than the Tiny Kitty girls. So I decided I had better get one so I could start making clothes for them, to sell. I found a cheap Brenda on ebay, and although I originally only intended to use her as a model and mannequin for my designs, I fell in love.

Now I own nine 16" Tonner girls (and one boy) with another on the way. :p So I think I can safely say that I collect dolls. Now, for the reasons why.

For me, dolls are primarily about creating. I'm the kind of person who would go crazy if I didn't have a hobby, or a job in which I had a creative outlet. I've sampled several different avenues of self expression - drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpting, quilting, cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, music, dance, fiction writing, poetry, costuming, stage makeup, scrapbooking, jewelry making - and the medium I most enjoy is dolls. I love sewing for them, styling them, posing them, photographing them, making jewelry and shoes for them, playing with them... They are my canvas and my muse. Of all the dolls that I have bought over the years, the vast majority are ones that I got specifically because they gave me a new body type to sew for, or foot size to make shoes. I really only have three dolls that I bought just because I wanted them, but I have a long wish list of others! All my dolls are models, but they are also just beautiful to look at. I like art to have a purpose, which is probably why I enjoyed ceramics so much. My dolls are all useful to me because they help me show off and sell my designs, and more importantly, they inspire me to create.

I can sew things for dolls that I would never have an occasion to wear myself. They give me an escape to a fantasy world where anything is possible. And I can make them into characters from my favorite books and movies, or name them whatever I want and create backstories for them. I think each of my dolls represents a facet of my own personality, so to me they are very personal. But I love to share them with like-minded people!

Which brings me to my last reason, which is that dolls are so versatile. The same doll given to two different people can become vastly different, whether those two people are repainters, rerooters, clothing/accessory/prop makers, or photographers. There are so many dolls that I will probably never add to my own collection, but I can and do appreciate the way other collectors dress and customize and display them. I love to look at the amazing photographs that other doll collectors post on message boards like Prego, and their own websites and blogs. It helps to know I'm not a crazy person all alone. :p

Long story short, I collect dolls because they satisfy me. And to all the haters, I would say "Some people juggle geese!"

My Anne of Green Gables

2010-04-19T18:30:00.001-05:00

My very first Tonner doll was a Dream Girl Tiny Kitty that I bought nude on ebay. She reminded me so much of Anne Shirley that I made her this dress from the description in the first book: A lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pin-tucked in the most fashionable way, with a ruffle of filmy lace at the neck. Long elbow cuffs, and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown silk ribbon.

I don't actually know what kind of fabric "gloria" is, but I think that I got the glossy part right, at least. And anyway, this is just my interpretation.

A hard day's work...

2010-04-18T16:38:00.001-05:00

Djali is such a diva. She thinks this is working hard:

I told her she didn't need to wear that long ballgown to model shoes for my website, but she didn't want to take it off.

"This is so tiresome. Are we done yet?"

Did you ever see such a lazy model?

Laying down on the job!

But she has to admit the payoff is pretty great:

"I get to keep these, right?"

Lucky for her, they don't fit any other dolls in the house. :p

Djali finally finds a gown

2010-04-13T19:27:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I didn't think of this gown before, when Djali first arrived and had nothing to wear! It fits her better than Rose-Red or Amaya, who both love red as much as she does. I did have to pin it, but she finally seems satisfied. I took a few quick pics yesterday in the window, to take advantage of the late afternoon light:

Of course, now she'll really get on my case about making her some shoes! :p

Charlotte the ballerina

2010-04-12T23:24:00.005-05:00

About a month ago, I bought a Dance Class Emilie doll as a birthday gift for my cousin, who is a dancer. She named her Charlotte. This is her first Tonner doll, and she informed me that I had created a monster. :p I plan to make more ballet costumes for her in the future, but first I decided she needed a selection of tights in different colors. I bought a set of four pairs from Janette1965 on etsy, and played around with them and a couple of swimsuits by Tonner, as well as pieces of Emilie's original outfit.

Isn't she beautiful?

And quite flexible!

I'm incredibly impressed with the feet the Tonner sculpted for this doll. I forgot to take bare feet pics before I gave her to my cousin. :p But the shoes are beautiful, too.

I made her some legwarmers and a makeshift skirt:

She is just so much fun to photograph! It was very distracting having her around. :p

I made a quick skirt from a scrap of fabric and some ribbon, and amazingly got her to pose on her stand!

The shoes really are fantastic:

Just a couple more shots.

My new girl - Emphatic Antoinette!

2010-03-19T02:10:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to get this girl for a long time, and now here she is! I've named her Djali, and to me she is a gypsy diva. She certainly has personality! She was most displeased when she discovered that I had no clothing prepared specifically for her. (She doesn't realize she's my first Antoinette.) I let her browse through my other girls' clothes, and she immediately snatched up Rose-Red's gown, declaring red to be HER color. I really can't argue with her on that:

I'm just glad Rose didn't catch her wearing it. :p (It was rather roomy in the chest, but she didn't seem to mind too much.)

Next she chose a couple pieces from my Chocolate Chic collection:

Her posture would do Julie Andrews proud.

I wasn't sure how well I would like her hands, before she arrived. But I love them! So expressive and graceful:

I took some pics of her hairstyle, too. I brightened them slightly, to show the detail:

I picked out this outfit, also from Chocolate Chic separates:

She didn't like it. "These colors don't suit me AT ALL."

She demanded an outfit that didn't have to be pinned in back, but as I've only sewn for the busty Tyler body I didn't have much to offer her:

She seemed slightly happier in this simple elastic-top sheath dress. Of course I have no shoes that fit her feet, either. I expect to be busy working for several days (or weeks) to please this unhappy diva.

Finally I remembered the jewelry stash, and she was immediately comforted by the thought that everything there would fit her, at least:
"I told you red is my color."

"This is all lovely, but I do prefer more color."

"Yes, these will do."

"Perfect! I'll keep these, thank you."

I'm a little afraid to introduce her to the rest of the girls. :p

Oscar night

2010-03-07T22:42:00.003-06:00

My ladies dressed up in their red carpet finery:

My 'new' camera

2010-02-18T23:18:00.005-06:00

Last July I bought a Nikon Coolpix 995 on ebay, to replace my old Kodak EasyShare C310. In order to successfully photograph dolls, I decided, I needed something that actually had a macro setting. I'm still learning to use it, but I am definitely happy with my new camera. To demonstrate the difference, I took pictures on both cameras of the same subject (my February Shoe of the Month) under the same lighting conditions.

At night with incandescent lighting:

C310 with flash:

Daylight:

Needless to say, doll photography with my old camera was frustrating. Now the shots with my new camera are crystal-clear. :D

Late Go Red post

2010-02-07T15:23:00.004-06:00

My girls dressed up in red on Friday to pose for this photo, which I just now got around to retaking in the daylight:

Left to right: Brianna in a dress by me, shoes by Tonner; Snow-White in top and shoes by me, pants by unknown; Amaya in Gene's Red Desire and shoes by me; Rose-Red in gown and shoes by me; Jordan in jacket by Tonner and skirt by me; and Nandini in top and skirt by me.

CC's Doll Boutique on Facebook!

2010-01-13T01:51:00.003-06:00

I now have a Facebook page for my doll business, so head on over and check it out. Become a fan! Tell your friends! I'll be posting announcements there when I have new shoes or clothing lines for sale. This blog is more for my play. :p

Spotlight on Esmé #2

2010-01-08T14:10:00.006-06:00

This is both my final Retrospective on 2009, and the third of three such posts dedicated to a doll I received as a gift last year. I still feel incredibly blessed to have such a good friend, even if it is an anonymous one. :p So here is Amaya, my stunning Amber Glow Esmé, bringing some attitude to my blog! I love how different she is from her sister, Brianna. There is nothing demure about Amaya:

Gown by Ashton-Drake, shoes by Tonner, earrings by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces

Necklace by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces

Top by Empire, skirt by unknown - received as a gift

Sunglasses by Tonner, shoes by Kingstate

Jacket by Tonner

Boots by Kingstate

Unless otherwise noted, all outfits and accessories were made by me.

Spotlight on Jane

2010-01-03T14:55:00.004-06:00

This is the second Retrospective on 2009 to highlight a doll that I received as a gift from an anonymous friend. Jordan, my gorgeous Fashion Jane, arrived in mid-March along with two lovely Esmés, clothing, jewelry, and shoes - a total surprise! I loved them all immediately, but I must admit that redheads hold a special place in my heart. And her hair was curled by her previous owner, which I love:

Necklace by unknown - received as a gift

Necklace by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces, gloves by Tonner

Jacket by Tonner

Shoes by Tonner

Pants and jacket by unknown - received as a gift, shoes by Tonner

Pants by unknown - received as a gift

Hair comb by Facets by Marcia, necklace by unknown - received as a gift

Unless otherwise noted, all outfits and accessories were made by me.

Spotlight on Esmé

2009-12-20T23:20:00.005-06:00

My previous three Retrospectives are on the dolls that I personally have bought for myself. These next three were a gift from an anonymous friend, who sent me several outfits, shoes, and jewelry pieces along with the dolls! I continue to be amazed by this generosity, and I treasure these new girls that this person brought to my life. First up in the spotlight is my Ready-To-Wear Runway Violette Esmé, named Brianna. I love her soft coloring and demure sidelong glance:

Earrings by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces, pants by unknown - received as a gift

Jewelry by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces, jacket and pants by Tonner

Hair clip by Facets by Marcia

Shoes by Kingstate

Pants and shoes by Tonner

Shoes by Tonner

Dress by Tonner

Unless otherwise noted, all outfits and accessories were made by me.

Spotlight on Jac

2009-12-18T21:37:00.006-06:00

Third Retrospective in the series! Today I'm featuring Nandini, who is probably the most versatile of all my dolls. She is a Convertible Basic Jac, and as such she has two sets of feet. I got her in March, so all of her pictures are from 2009! But it was still hard to narrow it down:

Hair clip by Facets by Marcia

Jewelry by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces, pants by unknown - received as a gift, shoes by Kingstate

Shoes by Kingstate

Top by Empire, shoes by Kingstate

Swimsuit, headband, and sunglasses by Tonner

Unless otherwise noted, all outfits and accessories were made by me.

Spotlight on Seventeen

2009-12-11T13:21:00.005-06:00

Another picture-heavy post! This is the second in my series of Retrospectives, featuring my favorite photos of my dolls from the last year. Today I'm focusing on Ella, my 1950's Seventeen doll. Her hair can be a little unmanageable, but she has the sweetest face:

Gloves by Tonner, jewelry by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces

Seventeen's original gown by Tonner

Gown by unknown - received as a gift; belt is a people-sized bracelet :p

Shoes by Tonner

Unless otherwise noted, all outfits and accessories were made by me.

Spotlight on Brenda Starr

2009-12-08T20:43:00.009-06:00

This post is going to be picture-heavy! I am doing a series of Retrospectives, using only photos of my dolls that I have taken in the last year. Today is Satine's turn to shine. She is a Par Excellence Brenda Starr doll - the first 16" Tonner lady I ever owned! I love her, and in my opinion so does the camera:

Jewelry by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various pieces

Hair clip by Facets by Marcia

Hat crocheted by my grandmother, black swimsuit by Tonner

Belt by unknown - purchased secondhand in a large lot of various jewelry pieces

Shoes by Tonner

Shoes by Tonner

Unless otherwise noted, all outfits and accessories were made by me.

Deadlines...

2009-12-06T21:30:00.002-06:00

I think it is clear that I'm not good at sticking to them, even the self-inflicted ones. :p I did fix the broken links on my Sales page, but I'm still not completely happy with it. I want to take better pictures of the shoes I have done, and make more shoes in different colors. So I'm going to work on managing my time better, and to that end I am going to make daily "to do" lists, on the advice of a dear friend. As well as general house-cleaning chores, I plan to get back into my mode of making at least one pair of shoes a day. And I have some secret projects in the work, it being nearly Christmas, of course.

Anyway. Off to make shoes! :D

Nandi shows off a new pair of shoes

2009-11-28T14:03:00.005-06:00

I've changed the design on one of my styles of shoes, which I think makes it look cleaner, and will also make it easier to get them on and off. My lovely Jac doll, Nandini, was kind enough to show them off for me. I think they look as pretty in her hands as on her feet.

Still working on shoes! :D

Argh computer issues!

2009-11-25T18:19:00.001-06:00

:(

So I didn't get the page up and running yet, and now I'm leaving for the weekend. Grr. Well, I guess that makes Monday my new deadline for the Sales page. I just hope my computer wants to work when I get back...

I'll still be updating this blog, and I'm bringing my camera with me so I can upload pictures of any new shoes that I make. Stay tuned!

Goals for Thanksgiving week

2009-11-23T12:57:00.002-06:00

Well, I didn't quite get my Sales room opened this weekend, so my new goal is Wednesday. After that I'll be back home visiting my parents for the holiday, and away from my computer. So I won't be able to update my website until Sunday, but during that time I am going to make more shoes! I have four special holiday edition shoes planned, that will be offered in a very limited quantity. My goal is to debut this special collection on December 1. So stay tuned! :)

I am procrastinating on cleaning...

2009-11-19T22:42:00.006-06:00

I had started to work on doll shoes again tonight (which I've been doing every night for the past four or five days) but I had to stop because I couldn't find my little bag of tiny rubber bands. These are kind of essential for holding the inner sole of a new shoe to the doll's foot while the glue dries so it holds that shape in the finished shoe. So I started looking for the rubber bands, which seem to have disappeared somewhere amid all the various projects on my worktable.

The obvious solution is to clean off my worktable, which I need to do anyway, but I lost steam and decided to sit at the computer for a while. :p Ended up talking to a couple online friends, and decided to update my blog as long as I'm here. I suppose I should post some pictures of what I've been working on.

I made these two pairs on Saturday, and on Sunday I went shopping and bought ten more colors of the narrow ribbon, which added to the spools I already had in my stash makes a total of twenty-one colors that I can make the first pair in, not counting several color combinations that I came up with, too.

Then I made another pair, first taking a picture of the materials and process:

And of course the finished product:

Then on Monday I made another pair:

I plan to offer all of these styles (and several more that I have in my head) for sale on my website. I am hoping to open my Sales page this weekend, so I need to make more of each style in several different colors. Which means I should get off the computer and find those rubber bands. :p

A little history...

2009-11-18T19:45:00.003-06:00

My love of dolls began many years ago with American Girl, then called Pleasant Company. My parents gave me a beautiful Samantha doll as a gift when I was six or seven, and I have loved her ever since. I pored over each new catalog for hours and hours, memorizing every detail of every outfit and accessory, marking the pages with the pieces I hoped to one day own.

My mother taught me to sew when I was nine or ten, but I didn't really like it. She started me on embroidering pillowcases and piecing a simple quilt, both of which were boring and tedious to me at the time. She wanted me to start making my own clothes, too. I reluctantly tried, but there was no joy in it. Somehow it never occurred to me to sew clothes for my beloved doll until I was twelve. Mom gave me a lovely hand-smocked yellow dress for Samantha, and I suddenly realized that I could make her clothes, too!

All of a sudden I loved sewing, and I haven't looked back since. I've definitely improved over the years, and expanded my skills to include crocheting, beadwork, props and furniture making, and more recently, shoes. I now sew for three different sizes of dolls: American Girl, Tonner fashion dolls, and Barbie/Tonner Tiny Kitty.

My introduction to the wonderful world of all things Robert Tonner came about through Star Wars. I saw The Phantom Menace probably six or seven times in theatres (it helped that my parents owned a theatre at the time) and became absolutely enamored of Queen Amidala's wardrobe. I wanted to make a costume from the movie for Halloween that year, but sadly my fourteen-year-old sewing skills were not quite up to the challenge.

When Attack of the Clones came out, I was even more impressed with Padmé's costumes. I distinctly remember watching the teaser trailer and falling instantly in love with this gown:

It is still my favorite movie costume of all time, and someday I will make it for myself... But I'm getting off track. I spent hours and hours on the library computers my freshman year of college, scouring the internet for pictures of Padmé's dresses. I stumbled across padawansguide.com, and it became my daily must-read. From there I found the Costuming & Props boards of theforce.net, learned of an upcoming Star Wars convention called Celebration III - which I eventually attended, and also saw pictures of a custom Padmé doll repainted by Laurie Leigh.

I immediately decided that I wanted my own Padmé doll, and began researching options. Although my version is a Barbie/Maxie hybrid, I did learn of Tonner dolls through Laurie's website. I decided to buy a couple so I could sew for them and sell my creations, since a lot of people seemed to collect them. Well, I bought a nude Par Excellence Brenda Starr, and fell in love. I tend to make characters out of my dolls, and she is going to be my Satine from Moulin Rouge, someday. Right now she and five other ladies are my models and muses. I'll talk a little bit about each girl in later posts. I'm going to wrap this up now as it's gone on a bit longer than I had planned. :p

Long story short: American Girl + Star Wars = my love of dolls. :)