The 1978 Barbie A Frame Dream House

Several years ago, I came across a treasure.  Someone was throwing out a 1978 Barbie A Frame Dream House.  It had been sitting in the sun for what looked like years.  The doors and windows were all missing.  It was just the external shell, faded and filthy.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have the house of my childhood dreams, so I brought it home where it sat….for years.  It is finally getting a makeover.

D2C9FA62-F9D2-49C9-8186-C0B79302FC56

There is still a lot to do, but how about a tour?  Right this way… Continue reading

Advertisement

Flying the friendly skies….vintage doll style

47d38016f21926c448f9fcbdb416a16b

There is a certain romance about air travel ‘back in the day’.  Flying anywhere was a precious experience and passengers dressed with more concern for style and propriety than comfort.  No one took that idea more seriously than the flight crew. Could there have been anyone more glamorous than a stewardess?  I remember my first flight, when I was only four years old.  I can’t confirm any of my memories, but there are some things which left indelible marks on my psyche.  The smell of jet fuel, for one thing, takes me right back. One whiff and I’m four years old ready to embark on a thrilling adventure.  And the smell of the waxy crayons they gave my brother and me to scribble with has been forever linked with a memory of flight.  But one of my best memories is of the absolutely stunning stewardesses.  I had never seen women so beautiful in my short life until then.  For years I would imagine that nothing could be better than to grow up and become one.

Things have changed, obviously.  For one thing, don’t bother to correct me about ‘flight attendant’ being a more appropriate term.  I get it.  But what I have done recently was revived my old fondness for the stewardess of way-back-when and paired it with my passion for vintage dolls.  I hope that you’ll like what you see.   Continue reading

Grannykins by Royal

 

DSCN1225

 

So it may come as no surprise to anyone that has seen my doll collection that I tend to prefer buying ‘fixer-upper-dolls” instead of pristine, NRFB (never-removed-from-box) dolls.  It’s the satisfaction of fixing something up.  Well, I don’t have any before pictures of this Grannykins, so you’ll have to take my word for it.   She was not so nice when she first arrived.  She’s feeling much better now, thank you very much.  She reminds me a bit of the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey…. Continue reading

Lonely Lisa in the Great Woods

Alone in the Great Woods

Alone in the Great Woods

Months ago (has it really been that long?) I started a Lonely Lisa project.  Lisa was a floppy, filthy mess.  She was cleaned up, re-stuffed, accidentally ripped and mended.  Today, she’s a tidy girl, and warmly dressed for woodland adventures….. Continue reading

Throw Back Thursday- Cynthia My Best Friend by Mattel

Image

Vintage Cynthia doll

Thought it would be fun to do a “Throw Back Thursday” entry today.  A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon a Cynthia and her wardrobe box.  Cynthia was made in 1971 and featured little records that could be inserted to allow her to “speak”.  My girl has several records, but I don’t have a battery handy so I can’t test out her mechanism.  She’s just under twenty inches and is a fabulous clothes horse.  Check out her wardrobe! Continue reading

A newly dressed Furga Simona

 

Princess Simona in her evening clothes

Princess Simona in her evening clothes

The last few months have been crazy.  Can anyone else relate?  I haven’t spent as much time in the doll studio as I would like, and that has been a little frustrating.  Yesterday, we in the South were hit by Winter Storm Leon.  It’s nice to find myself snuggled inside, with all my doll work in front of me.  Oh, where to start? Continue reading

The Matilda Pink Dolly Spa

Image

Kenner Love!!!!!

I began collecting Blythe dolls several years ago after reading an article about Squeaky Monkey in a doll magazine.  My collecting focused on Takara Blythes, as the Kenner girls were always just beyond my financial reach.  In all reality, I could have saved my money, foregone all the Takaras, and purchased one perfect Kenner.  But, I’m a doll nut.  And to quote (or misquote) Dolly Parton, “People say less is more.  I say, no, it’s not.  More is more!”  So I’ve been selling off my SBLs, my RBLs, my EBLs, and I’m about to sell off a BL, so that I can finally enjoy the elusive Kenner!  Here she is, soaking off the vintage dirt, in all her glory!

Continue reading

Help! My Furga Girls need new eyelashes!

Image

Here is Sylvie, sans eye lashes (see the sad temporary lashes behind her).

If you like fashion dolls from the sixties, you are probably familiar with Alta Moda S Girls  produced by the Italian company Furga.  These elegant 17-inch tall beauties had fabulous wardrobes and accessories.  Their hair could be coiffed in fun styles and they all had very distinct eye lashes.  Some might find these lashes bizarre, but what ever your feelings about them, they are an important part of their unique charm.  These wonky lashes might have caused some consternation with the original owners of the dolls, because it is common to find a doll today with her lashes cut or removed.  But how do you replace those crazy, long, floss-like lashes? Continue reading