Hollywood Dolls

I'm off today and all I really want to do is sleep. I'm a total feline, I can sleep anywhere, any place, any time of day, all day!

But, I can't. So, trying to feel like I've done something productive today, I cleaned my room. Yeah, I feel very accomplished now. =)

My room is a very deep green color, (green is my favorite color) and I have little girly accents that make me feel pretty...



I'm now back in bed watching "Say Yes to the Dress"...(I'm an emotional cutter)

Integrity Toys has come forth with a statement concerning the defective Regal Estate Agnes dolls. If you have a doll that has been affected by the mold issue you must immediately contact PatientCare at patientcare@integritytoys.com. Do not wait. There is a voluntary replacement policy that will expire in May. Alternately, if you have taken care of the mold on your own and can document it, you may be eligible for a $25 gift certificate.

The other good news is that I will be getting the new Vanessa. That will make a total of 22 Vanessas that have been created since the beginning of time. ;-)

Having one of each is an obsession with me.
This is Flame Blue Vanessa a W Club exclusive doll with an ultra limited edition of 300. She is part of the "re-edition" line of dolls that celebrates the best of prior dolls in new editions with similar styles.
Her name is taken from that of "Flame Rouge" Veronique whose gown also consists of a bustier with mermaid skirt plus large train.
I had Flame Rouge for a time and sold her because the dress was just too big. Jason used a similar formula for Lush Life's gown.

I love the new Vanessa's hairdo. It's the type that stays in place forever. No frizzies or uneven ends. Yay!

The doll was by lottery and I'm guessing that pretty much everyone entered. I didn't read a single negative statement about her.

Here's hoping she arrives mold-free and swiftly.

I want to say two things about the fabric. It is about the most perfect match I could have ever found to replicate the dress in the movie and darn-it that I didn't buy more of it!

Several years ago I made three of the costumes in "Rear Window". I will be making them again after I get back from the Gene Convention. I wanted to start my "Rear Window" series by making the dress that I hadn't made before. It is a very simple sleeveless, cotton dress. I think Blue Parasol looks adorable in it.







I have been sewing a lot of cotton lately and it has been a lot of fun. I look forward to making the other "Rear Window" outfits soon.

"In the great tradition of Civil War Romance" -- is the supposedly tagline to Raintree County. Herein, the young  and beautiful Elizabeth Taylor plays a Southern Belle, Susannah Drake. The 1957 film that also stars Montgomery Clift and Eva Marie Saint was, in my opinion, no Gone with the Wind. But heck! GWTW started the Civil War Romance in ways that no other civil war romance could probably achieve after it.  And of course, there is the iconic Scarlett O' Hara.

This gown is one of the dresses worn by Susannah in the film. It has a pale pink bodice adorned with lacey type of collar (also on the sleeves). If the mood and tone of this gown is familiar it is only because it too was designed by Walter Plunkett -- who made those iconic dresses from GWTW.

Incandescent is one of three Monogram dolls released in April by Integrity Toys. Her vinyl is very pale and and her palette is a neutral combination of deep apricot, mauve and brown. She is dressed in an elegant fashion of textured white fabric with pink trim. Under the jacket is a charming fitted dress with 'real' pockets. The dress fits beautifully except the skirt could be a bit less tight at the thighs.This particular facial screening gives the doll a mature look. The hair is short and not styled in any particular way. It's just gelled close to the head. I wasn't disappointed because I can put wigs over her hair.

The jacket has a collar that extends into large lapels. The top hook/eye shows when the jacket is closed. What's up with that? Sure it's an easy fix but why can't it be sewn on in the right place to begin with? The jacket is the right size; it doesn't pull; the hook is sewn in the wrong place. I couldn't even take a decent picture of her with the jacket closed because of the hook showing.The hat...umm...I don't know what to say so I will just describe it: black straw that is gathered at the top in a ball with a black bow attached. Underneath is a formed felt cap that sort of sits on the head.
It's strange but I like it - I think.
Her earrings are pewter color metal with 4 low dome white 'stones.'
The finer details are the tiny buttons on the 3/4 sleeves and the peplum on the jacket. Very nice.
The shoes are a great style. The heels are a bit too high and don't stand properly vertical but they can be filed down. If you look back at the first shot, you will see that the skirt causes the doll to look pigeon-toed because it is tight. Annoying little defects in construction like this are so frustrating. I hate that I paid $150. for a doll that has these problems.

Included with the doll are sunglasses and the ubiquitous, elbow-length, black potholder gloves.

Aren't the Monogram dolls supposed to be the best of Jason's designs?

Tatiana posted this gorgeous shot of Regal Estate Agnes (who appears to be freshly bathed.) ;-D  She's looking stunning in satiny white robe against the black and white of the Fashion Royalty bedding.

Tatiana used a hand held Nikon D90 with it's built-in flash for this photo. Normally when she is shooting her dioramas, she likes to use "angled external flash instead of direct" lighting. She says, "that allows for better color and light distribution throughout the shot. By angling the flash head up and bouncing it off the ceiling, you get a soft diffused light and avoid lens shadows."

A note of caution about bouncing your flash. Make sure you are bouncing the flash off a color that will not affect your photo unless you wish to have a color cast. If you don't have an appropriate ceiling you can bounce your flash off large white poster or foamboard. Most cameras can be fitted with a diffuser for a hot shoe flash as well.

Congratulations, Tatiana, on your Picture of the Week Award!

They were two women, one dead, whose flesh doesn't rotted, completely devoured by the love she felt for her concubine, the other alive, soulless who took pleasure in pain. Their obsession with each other was so strong that they could merge their bodies as they wanted.
Elles étaient deux femmes, l'une morte, dont la chair ne pourrissait pas, complètement dévorée par l'amour qu'elle ressentait pour sa concubine, l'autre, bien vivante, dénuée d'âme qui se complaisait dans la douleur. Leur obsession envers l'une l'autre était si forte qu'elles pouvaient fusionner leurs corps à leur guise.

It's such a beautiful day today!!!

And look...I made the owl bag

More comic relief has been provided by several board members in the form of photos. This one by Karon Montague shows Regal Estate Agnes X 2 being bathed in a mold killing solution along with her suit jacket.The provided caption was "What are you doing here?

Another photo created by Jenn in Florida shows her Regal Estate praying that another collector's Agnes will arrive ASAP.
Collectors are trying to accept the situation and overcome it with humor and I think it's working!

Pour ceux qui aurait deux ou trois petite minutes à me consacrer, j'aurais aimé savoir quel était ou quels sont vos personnages de Lost Amnia favoris et en deux trois mots pourquoi ? C'est pour m'aider à voir comment sont perçus les personnages et ça peut jouer pour l'écriture de la suite qui doit arriver sous peu.
Par avance, merci à ceux qui voudront bien répondre ;)

I LOVE owls!! So much that I had one tattooed on my back...(it's not finished yet) I named him Bubo =)


I've been online doing a little shopping and found so many adorable owls that people have made; paintings, stuffed animals, pillows, necklaces...I'm having a total field day!