Happy World Doll Day!

Happy World Doll Day!

I have been absent lately, but did want to get some doll photos in of some dolls and teddy bears that I don't usually share here. 

These are some special favorites you don't usually see together, some special bears with my Madame Alexander vintage Cissy doll, one of my American Girl dolls Rebecca, Annabelle and Marie Terese, and two Boyd's Bears, a 25th anniversary bear Sterling and a Friendship Key bear. Here is Rebecca with just the bears. 

I think bears and dolls have a timeless, childlike quality that never leaves us, no matter what your age. I have begun picking up a quantity of fine quality bears and bunnies. I have had these two bears for sale in my Ebay store but will be sad to see them leave me. 

I also took some photos of the 'crew' and redressed some of them. Starlight Poppy is redressed in vintage Barbie, and one of my Barbies, to my delight, was already dressed in patriotic gear to match Aiden. I re-dressed Pillow Talk in a cute Snoopy outfit I had purchased ions ago but never put it on her until today. 

I finally got pics of this little guy! One of the newest Chelsea boys, the blonde headed one. I had purchased him about two weeks ago but never got around to taking pics of him or Skipper's new bicycle from hobby Lobby. 

Also new-  Storybook Kelly Red Riding hood

I already have the Raggedy Ann and Andy that were my mother's, which I intend to keep in the box. I will probably de-box this one. I also wish to collect the others and de-box them as well. My intentions are to create a little storybook dollhouse for them all to reside in. I really want the Goldilocks and the bear one next. I have really fallen for the older Kelly dolls, especially for the storybook ones and want to create a little dollhouse for them. 
This one is really cute, she even has apples in her basket!

And last but not least- it wouldn't be world doll day without Barbie and Ken!

Through the Garden Gate Antiques Open House finds...

I had a great morning antique/yardsaling/thrifting this morning. The hubcap needed to buy some batteries- REALLY expensive batteries for his big worktruck, (not ordinary batteries mind you, since this is a heavy duty worktruck for LeoPaul & Associates and he needed two of them amongst other items. We then had breakfast and were off to the church yard sale which had a slew of stuff and people. Our church has a huge yard sale this time of year for the support of the Haiti people and it takes up several rooms of the church. I found a couple of items. 

First up was this cute little baker's rack for .50 cents. I knew it would work in one of my dioramas, especially with some of my foods on it. 

Next up was this wreath for $5 ...it is a little large for the front door, and in good condition. I might hang it over the fireplace instead as it is a tight fit when we shut the door between the storm door and inside door. Thinking of adding a bow of some sort or maybe some feathers for Thanksgiving. 

Next up was Through the Garden Gate Antiques . I have given the link to their facebook page here. They were having open house today with refreshments. Garden Gate is a conglomerent of shops/booths and one main artist shop and the whole building is owned and operated by either a group or one lady who is a designer, kind of boho. Through the Garden Gate is the main shop where all the action was happening and she was there signing white pumpkins if you purchased one. You don't always see her there. She is known for her what I refer to as 'grunge' boho jewelry and clothing but the shop is just fantastic. The women were fighting over spray painted furniture, skeletons, upcycled clothing, you name it. And elegant-upcycled Halloween always brings out the crazy buyers! LOL..I am one too. lol. Here are some photos of her back room...

This was a cute table, painted white strewn with glitter painted spiders and owls and tea stained books tied with twine...

A side chest also distressed white and done really spooky halloween. 

Two mannequins were dressed in tulle as ghostly witches, everything in the room was white, beige with soft shades of cream and then black.

This was the bed, with backdrops of tree branches nailed up on the wall, and shutters and you can't see it in the photo but angel wings made out of tin roofing and rusted with a heart in the middle . The pillows are made out of burlap! and she sells them. I think these are new ones she just sewed up. It's a hoot how these people from D.C. and Maryland and New Jersey and Charlottesville come to this store and snatch this stuff up. 

This was on one of the night tables..the old photo, crucifix I guess she thought looks creepy, which it does. She tea stained an old lace tablecloth and draped it over the lampshade rim.

I thought it was really cool what she did with these old vintage pics- she photo copied them and then cut the shapes out on wood. They were going for 14.95

I loved this sign, in rust above the antique baby clothes..

The chairs on the walls with the ancient teddy bears and the old dolls were some of my favorites. She doesn't use old dolls much and sometimes when she does she tears them up and uses their body parts in weird ways like using the arms on a piece of jewelry or something. 

So I didn't buy anything in this shop...but I did get something in another booth in the consignment part. I found American Girl Felicty's bed, which had been retired about five or six years ago, and it was cheap!

I remember seeing the lady bring it into her booth about two weeks ago when I had absolutely no money for extra stuff. I thought for sure someone would snatch it up. She had put $75 on it at that time and it was a steal. It has never been played with, of if it has, it might only be missing its tie backs, but I'm not sure. It has its mattress, pillow, the ties on the canopy appear to have its original bows from the factory! Nothing broken or damaged! I was told she came in and marked it down to $65 so I paid $68 when you figure in sales tax. I was so bummed when they retired Felicity I purchased as much as I could of her collection. I could not afford Elizabeth and her garments or the horse or this bed. When I saw it was still there today, I snatched it up. Some other doll furniture I had wanted for Annabelle had already been purchased so I wasn't leaving this lovely. 

I set up a little diorama for her...it looks awesome with my bjd Gracie as well. I know it isn't 1:6 scale, but hey they're dolls. 

And here it is with Gracie...

Since these props are so incredibly big, I keep them stored for obvious reasons and I can't keep my big displays up which hopefully will be rectified when the barn studio is done. Then my big girls will have shelf displays or I hope to have some shelf display in my new doll room. This bed is HUGE. I know now why I lusted after it. The toile and gingham are gorgeous. I would have loved to have had something like this as a little girl, now I can indulge myself as an adult. Gracie looks beautiful beside this bed. Her dress is a little slip shod but this was a quick photo shoot. Right now this was set up on my dining room table which is folded down to its smallest size and I set up my largest foamcore sheeting around it, with my Bespaq pieces. Enjoy!