The Spring Capitol Doll Club show & sale

Today hubby & I attended the Capitol Doll club show and sale at the Richmond Raceway complex and it was a really fun show. I was worried I wouldn't be able to attend as for the past two weeks it has been snow and rain, snow and rain and one disaster after another as far as the snow is concerned with the ice damaging the roof and one of the breakers that needed to be fixed. We decided we needed a day out today, so after the doll show, we went out to lunch and also out to some of our favorite antique shops. Being cooped up is bad for the soul. First, a little look-see at my loot.

Yes, be green with envy! That is Midge, in the dreamhouse, for $7 bucks! I was thinking of buying her off evil-bay for $29 plus shipping what was I thinking??? and said no I will wait. I got all of the Clueless outfits for $10 each even though they were marked $12. Not the best deal but I liked them and they were in the box. I could have purchased more from this lady- she is a collector who has gotten heavy into Tonner and Gene and has -over 600+ Barbies in the box! All of her accessories and everything- are in the box. She's at every show. This show was simply awesome because there were alot of great dealers and collectors there. My club members sometimes get a table/booth together and they pool items in their collection and decide what they want to clear out. They are hard core vintage collectors and have incredible collections, if I need to know what a certain type of doll is from a year over 30+ or 20+ I go to them. Here they are-

They are excellent on their booth presentation and organization as you can see. Alot of these ladies attend all of the Barbie conventions, so they have alot that they move along. 
I took alot of pictures for our club President as she forgot her camera. There was alot of beautiful antique Jumeau and Bebe dolls, which I love to lust over. If I ever won the lottery, I know what I would be making a beeline for. 
Like this little number that was snapped up quickly.....

It was beautifully carved and was priced at $295. Exquisite. 

This lovely little lady right here had her own little chair. Her face was so real looking. Alot of people cannot take the eyes on these dolls because they are so real looking. I have always been drawn to them myself which is why I have a reproduction Gaultier 12 inch doll. I have always wanted to know what stories they could tell if they could talk....

These dolls and the one in the antique child's sleigh were from McHugh's antiques here in Richmond, Va. The doll in the blue dress was simply lovely, I can't remember if she was a Simon & Haldig or a Jumeau on her tag.

Then at the front I met the lovely lady who was the United Federation of Doll Collectors representative. These dolls were her Dollmore bjd's. She had set up a cute display with empty wine bottles and these amazing victorian chairs. They are simply ...well huge! I have been thinking of getting a doll that is 58 cm but when I was talking to her I forgot to ask her how large her dolls were, I am guessing they were about 64 or 62 cm, I could be wrong. Big girls. I may have to stick with my 1:6 divas. Tiny girls that can go in my purse and don't make too much of a fuss. These ladies look large and in charge. 

I have alot of pics...that gave me beaucoup diorama ideas....but I've already bombarded you with dolly pics that are not 1:6 ...so more later after my girls get some new duds on and start modeling. Enjoy the photos!

Doll inventory & photo stories...

Been doing some much needed inventory on the dolls for the photostories that I want to do. Boy it is a good thing I did, as some of the dolls I have packed away and I cannot find! Poppy's dad, Roger Sterling, Silkstone Mad Men, is missing as is Mad Men Pete Draper. Cannot find either of those Kens. Anywhere in my doll tubs. This worries me as I have checked all possible places I would have placed them. It is as if those two dolls decided to get up and walk away for an adventure! 

I also decided on looking at Hannah, Ryan and Ricky's sister, to change her to another doll. Here is the doll I previously used for Hannah, some playline doll I used before. 

I originally chose her for what reason I don't know, probably because she looked cheerful, and similar to the original Ryan and Ricky, who was a HIgh School Musical doll. But her head and body are large, she isn't articulated, and clothing choices are limited for her. I have decided that the dolls need to be interchangeable in their clothing and shoes as much as possible. So Spicey in Spain Poppy Parker will be the new Hannah McDonald, Ryan & Ricky's Sister.

I also had some time to look at the dolls for who would be flower girls, ring bearer, etc. I know Poppy's younger sister Skipper will be the flower girl. Which got me to thinking...Why not use the new 50th anniversary Skipper I purchased this past year ?

What my original idea had been to do on the bridesmaids was to use the Silkstone blue dress that came with a dress form. On second thought I thought why not buy a Betty Draper dress and get little pillbox hats with veils in blue( I could probably create these myself) for an elegant 60's look) the little Nellie mini American Girl in the little white dress with blue sash and blue bow in her hair would make an adorable little flower girl and the Tommy in striped overalls I thought might make an adorable ringbearer with a white blouse and straw hat with a sailor theme to accompany Skipper. Poppy's sister would wear Betty's dress, I may not be able to get another one so she may have only one bridesmaid. 

I am currently looking on ebay for her bridal gown and have found a couple I like, though I may end up making one. It is fun to shop for them. 

So the fun part now, since I cannot find Roger Sterling, the doll designated for Poppy's dad, I may be forced to get the Alfred head I wanted off of Ebay and a body for it to be Poppy's dad. More excuses to increase my action figure collection, excuses, excuses!

I hope to have some more pictures up tomorrow of a short photostory of Poppy with her mother and two sisters, Skipper and Patty tomorrow. 

Lisa

Lady of the White Woods has arrived!

My Lady of the White Woods has arrived and she is gorgeous! I would have posted photos yesterday, but had already blogged yesterday. So decided to take a close look of her before posting. 

There is a very good video review of her by Mike N' Elio I highly recommend. They do an indepth review that is critical, but honest. I agree with them on her dress. I haven't deboxed her so I cannot say as of yet on the hem of mine or her sleeves as they vary from doll to doll. My husband enjoyed the details of the review they gave down to the packaging which he felt was important if a person was buying for a collector and was uninformed about collector dolls like himself. Her accessories are lovely but when I saw they were held on by rubber bands- wow. $100 and ...this leaves me speechless. The clothing does come off so you can put this outfit on another doll and Mike n' Elio have shown this outfit and Forest Elf's on Fashion Royalty dolls which makes them look...STUNNING. So just a heads up if you are into redressing. No onto my photos.
I have kept my doll in the box for right now with the dis-array of my doll room and the current extreme kitbash project going on for this doll right now, I don't want her outfit damaged. She is so lovely. Many people have bashed this doll for her eye makeup but don't be put off by her. Her soulful sad look is what attracted me to her. I am so fed up with dolls that look overly joyful and sappy looking that the novelty of realism really grabs me on this one. 

The box is done in a very soft blue color to accent her outfit, if you plan to just display her in the box you will have an excellent display. I am halfway tempted to buy another one with the sale going on but right now funds are tight and I just cannot afford it. One to keep in the box and one to play with, :). 

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NOTES ON PHOTOSTORIES COMING UP!

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Many of you have asked about when I will begin my photostories. They began about June 2012 Here with Poppy and Ryan. When those stories began, Ryan was a Barbie Basics Model Ken with no articulation but I am thinking of switching him over to a Cheerleader Ken with the Harley Ken body for more articulation.  I have more characters, to add to the story, & if you remember, this is where we left off with Popy & Ryan engaged, Poppy thinking of opening a shop with Cindy, and Ryan thinking of turning the McDonald's diner into a 'real' restuarant.  Below are some of the links to the photo stories. 

6am in Barbietown at Mickey D's

Part2 Lunch At McDonald's Broken Promises

Part 3 Lunch at McDonald's broken promises

Poppy & Ryan

Preparations for the First Date

The Big date- part 3

A Phone call to a Friend

Poppy Visits a Friend

I back tracked through four or five years and didn't realized how sporadic I had been. It has taken me a while to realize how much King WIlliam Miniatures & my Ebay store Pumpkin Hill Studios as well as my husband's business LeoPaul and Associates took up so much of my time as well as my charity work with the Shriner's children's hospitals as well as creating the miniatures that I so love to do. Then sleep, eat, wash clothes and all that boring housework stuff. (Maybe that is why my house looks like a cyclone and I live in the garage office and the dollroom, lol) Have internet will travel. I can honestly say since I closed my Ebay store I have had more time to devote to projects that I have long wanted to do for myself. Most weekends were spent with every spare moment packing and processing orders and fitting in going to UPS or USPS with other errands such as grocery shopping, picking up parts for hubby at suppliers, visiting clients, dropping off parts, etc. I was literally running two businesses from a minivan with my cell phone and a laptop. I still do it but now I have devoted myself just to hubby's business, it is alot less hectic without the stress of the Ebay business. Going back through my blog posts made me realize how much I have missed doing my photostories. 

Yesterday I did a wonderful Tag game called 'Dolls in the Snow' and decided to try out Poppy with Cheerleader Ken who will become Ryan McDonald It was snowing and the perfect photo op. So tell me if you think they look good together. 

 The 2nd photo is the one I used in the tag game and is my favorite, they look so good together there. I am beginning to go through clothing and figure out wedding attire and see what type of wedding it would be. I have a pattern that would work for her that I just bought and I think Poppy would want to wear her mother's gown from the 60's. I really wish now I had not sold my vintage fashion shop.  As you can see I already have a ton of ideas floating around in my head for stories. I hope you will follow along and I want to thank everyone for kicking me in the patootie and encouraging me to start them again. The planning is fun & if I take it slow I think I will turn out a good storyline like I did last time. I do know Poppy and Ryan are traditional type of dolls, and they want their family about them. They definitely want a church ceremony with their friends around them. Maybe small, so that might not be what Poppy's mother might like! 

Well, all for now!~Lisa

Tony & Pepper's weekend Retreat...

I haven't paid enough attention to Tony Stark....or my High Visibility Agnes who doubles as Pepper Potts, his girlfriend. So I thought they needed a getaway from saving the world to somewhere sunny and warm...shhh it's top secret and even Tony isn't allowed to say where it is. 

Some fun pics just because before I take this diorama down to make way for some new diorama pieces....

La Patissirie....

We have had sub zero weather here in Virginia. Here where I live, there has been snow and more snow. I could really use sunny weather and the beach and seashells no shoes , and the beach life right now. As you can tell, I am from the South and hate cold weather. I haven't paid much attention to the Patissirie, so I decided to people it and do some scenes with it. There is still some work to be done with it on the window treatments and more foods. I have been busy since business has picked up with LeoPaul & Associates my husband's boiler company, this kind of weather keeps us busy, and me busy as well. In my down time I had a little time to take pics and assess what needed to be done for the dollhouse. Also, Lady of the White Woods has shipped! She should be here soon!