Spook-tacular October....

I did not post much in September.  I was caught up and am still busy with taking care of my father who had triple by pass heart surgery and is 81 years old, and in astonishingly good health for his age to go through this procedure. The whole month has been taken up with taking care of him, now that he's home, been visiting him in ICU with other friends and family, and then rehab, and so on. As well as taking care of two households, and day to day business. 

I thought I might pull out pictures of dolls as I was going through pictures from the archives of a Halloween /spooky nature and start posting them until I can get new ones up. I am in a holiday sort of mood. Just to get the diorama juices flowing. I did not post very much lately, truth to tell, I haven't had much time to even set up or play with my dolls at all. 

I have ordered a small pure neemo articulated body for my Alice Blythe, so I can continue her customization. More on that in another later, post when the body gets here and a review. 

Since Ihaven't been posting much on my blog, I thought I would do posts with some of my best Halloween or spooky photos of the dioramas I have done in the past for the month of October.  I would like to set up the Gothic Mansion again but I honestly do not see myself having the time or energy with my heavy schedule. I have always, always wanted to do a big Halloween party with my dolls. I just don't have the time and energy it takes right now to stage and build and create the props needed right now, with the family health issues going on.  sigh. 

I hope you enjoy the photos, Lisa...

2015 Convention Upgrade Reigning Grace Eugenia has arrived...

This year, non-attendees to the W Club convention who are members of the W Club were given the (rare) oppurtunity to purchase a convention doll. The production was to be determined by the amount of people who pre-ordered the doll. Since the membership is over 1000 now, not so exclusive anymore. But she is one that they hit it out of the park with. 

It might be a little biased on my part. But I think the W club likes the West Coast alot more than they like the East Coast. The dolls they do for those conventions are just astonishing. Last year in 2014 it was 70's, polyester nightmares, and well, scalper hysterics with the dolls being held up in customs, if your sole intention was to go to convention and turn and around sell on ebay as soon as you take a picture in the sales room like I saw last year. Yeah, they do that. By the time I got my registration doll they were up on ebay for $150 and higher. (Ok, convention rant over now. lol) 

But back to this gorgeous, lovely doll. 

About this Exclusive Convention Upgrade Doll

Item # 91385

Reigning Grace

Eugenia Perrin Frost Dressed Doll

The Fashion Royalty® Collection

2015 Cinematic Convention Upgrade

Limited Edition Size: TBA

Delivery Date: Approximately Late October 2015

Special Pricing:

Convention Attendees: $125.00 (pick-up or shipping options will be offered with final payment)*

Non-Attendees (W Club Members only): $150.00 + shipping*

Yes, if you didn't attend convention, the dollies are $25 bucks extra plus shipping. :(

This year's convention is held in Long Beach, California and is called

Cinematic. It was already sold out long before they gave us the oppurtunity to buy the doll in April - I think this convention sold out in four to five hours. I won't be attending, far too expensive on travel fare. 

So onto the photos!

In this black dress, Eugenia reminds me so much of Princess Grace of Monaco it is really unbelievable. That cool Grace Kelly look /style. I know the dolls will just be out of the park. Gloss convention sucked on the 70's - they were still selling convention dolls on the website long after the convention was over with. Some of the centerpiece dolls do not go for retail price from that convention. I really really wish that the W Club would give a non-member attending package of dolls to those that cannot attend the convention. Since we are already paying through the nose $50 PLUS for the registration dolls it would really let them make more money. 

I thought she did elegant Halloween really well in this and it gives me an idea of staging for a grand Halloween party in the haunted mansion once I finish it. Today I purchased spray paint and I am on the fence about how to construct the second floor and the staircase placement. So I am working on those details. I am really taking my time as this has long been a project I have wanted to do so I want to do 'Elegant Halloween' versus tacky Halloween as one of my designer buddies Tony used to call it. He owned the shop next to mine and was always a great ear to bounce ideas off of- and he loved 'Elegant Halloween' versus tacky Halloween' . LOL. ...We both did. He and his cousin owned the shop Feathernesters next to my shop when I had King William Miniatures & Collectibles open to the public. They are closed now too and have moved onto new ventures in the design field as have I in the doll & miniature field. 

So Eugenia embodies the pale, ghostly hostess of a haunted mansion, don't you think? Hiding secrets, or skeletons in the closet, or things that go bump in the night....I really like how this shoot turned out, done so quick. The book and dripping candles are from Haunted Beauty Mistress of the Manor, the bloody Mary glass is from Monaco Vanessa? I think, and the gargoyle statue is from a souvenir shop at the regal estate of Biltmore in Asheville, NC. The table is Bespaq that I repaired and repainted black lacquer and added some halloween spider webbing to. The black Dracula chair is a W Club limited edition chair that my friend Karon Montague gave me as a gift and I treasure so much- I have four of the red ones too. The little pumpkins are from a gourd package from Michael's, and the chandelier is a locker chandelier from Hobby Lobby. 

Enjoy- Lisa