Petite Valentine Swap

I'm in a Petite Swap periodically.  I think this is the 3rd that I've participated in.  The last I was in a rush to get everything sent that I did not take photos and the recipient did not either. Oops.  It's a secret swap, but by now my recipient knows I sent to her since she is the last to receive a package.  I shipped within days of getting her name for fear it would take a really long time for the package to arrive to her in her country.  I'm hoping the package shows up within the next couple of weeks.

I received from Charles, Potatoe-mouse, this time.  He ran with the theme Moulin Rouge (the movie) since it is one of my favorites.  Warning:  Many photos to follow!

Can-can dress with a working corset!

Unmentionables with a Gryffindor scarf

Grande Absente and the Green Fairy

The outfits are adorable!  I actually named Shanghai Season Satine once I saw her in the can-can dress.  I thought Charles used his Shanghai Season as model for the dress since it looks made specifically for her, but I got confirmation that he did not.  I picked Lemon Drop (Little Retro Mama) as model for the green fairy dress because of her green eyes.  Silver Crescent (Sweet Scarlet Spell) is one of my faves so I grabbed her too.  Seems like the same girls get to model just about every time.  Next time I will try to pick new girls for the job.  

I don't think I ever posted photos from the summer swap.  I will try to do that soon.  

One last photo of the green fairy:

The dress matches absinthe pretty perfectly.

Twinkle Princess and Macaroon Q-Tea Party

I keep saying that I will take real comparison photos of all my Middies.  One day that will happen, but this was not that day.

At one time I owned 5 of the 6 new releases.  I have lost count on the most current dolls, but I currently own 8 Middies.  I've only sold one from my collection years ago which was Milk and Honey.  It is interesting looking at the subtle changes that were made from doll to doll-  noses get more defined as well as fingers, eye shape and lashes changes, etc.

Up until recently Macaroon Q-Tea Party has been my most pale complexion doll.  She is an unofficial translucent doll.  You can see that she is different from all of my other dolls including Little Retro Mama petite who was released as a translucent.

Twinkle Princess (Tweedle) and Macaroon Q-Tea Party (Elphie)

Twinkle Princess skin tone is really white with a hint of pink. I don't think quite as dense as Cousin Olivia who has little to no pink tone.  It is always a nice surprise to have a doll that is very different from the others.  Sometimes it gets to feeling like I  have to same doll with only different hair.

Bonus photo: Twinkle Princess and Alicia Cupcake,

released two months apart.  You can really see a difference between skin tone here.

Ashton Drake Galleries Blythe, revisited

My second, third and fourth Blythes were Ashton Drake Galleries (ADG) Blythes, known as the American cousins to the Japanese designed Takara Blythes.  I had this theory when I was first collecting- one in, one out; buy one, sell one.  That's how ADG 1 (Pinafore Purple) and 2 (Pleasant Peasant) left my collection.  The third (Roaring Red) hung around awhile with many faces until I finally sold her.  Now, Pow Wow Poncho has joined my clan.

I've had Kenner fever.  There is no way I can afford a Kenner at the current market prices, so I went the next best thing- ADG Blythe. If I remember right, the ADG face mold was created from a scan of a Kenner (Puchi Collective website with face mold info is on a hiatus or I would check this fact.)  ADG's do not have the correct lip shape or the aged translucent plastic; however, they are delightful dolls in their own way.

How long has it been since you opened up a Takara Blythe with absolutely gorgeous and perfectly styled hair?  Forever? Yeah, me too. Take a look at this:

 My only complaint is a plug that is a little too sparse right at the front.  The hair net flattened it and has made it look worse.

Just about everything about her is better than I remembered.  Her eye shadow is darker, skin tone is pretty (sometimes they have green cast), and her hair is so soft.  I did forget the extreme down cast on the front gazes.  Her eye mech has the soft "pip" sound described of Kenners.  The RBL+ now has the same "pip" as an intentional design feature to replicate the Kenner also.

I have EBL, SBL, RBL, RBL+, and FBL face molds.  I took comparison photos with all, but FBL, which I forgot...Claudia stays in my bedroom.

EBL and ADG

SBL and ADG

RBL and ADG

RBL+ and ADG

The old Barbie collection came in handy:

Not the most picturesque scene.  Wedding day dress reproduction.

LPS Petite Project

I found the car interior paint in my town that I have used for making black Blythes! I was so excited I bought a can.

I sprayed this little girl down.  She was floating around without hair until this weekend.  I finally discovered where I put my easy peasy rerooting tool.  It was in a good spot actually.  I just forgot I put it in my sewing basket.

This is Pilot (the pen company, I believe) Purple to Blue thermal hair.  First thing my daughter singed the hank to make it turn colors up against our heater. It is super heat sensitive and melts quickly.  It changes with the slightest touch now.

purple

blue

I really love the blue with the dark brown skin color.  I wish that I would have bought blue to mix with the thermal.  I was trying to get out of my comfort zone (blue) to wild (purple).

Now to find where I stashed her body!

ETA- Found her body.  Created this collage with hair in transition between colors:

La Tora's make over

Years and years ago (translation: 3 or 4 years ago) I purchased a Blythe clone doll, Basaak, for my daughter.  She was young, too young for a Blythe.  She ended up with 3 customized Basaak dolls.  La Tora is the youngest of the group which I purchased through Blythe Kingdom.

After many years of play La Tora was in bad need of a re-make over and hair treatment.

Left, "quitting while I'm ahead" philtrum, Right, "okay, let's try it" philtrum

I was not overly adventurous with carving.  I am still not overly confident in it.  I took a chance in carving her a more defined nose, philtrum, and lips.  As bizarre as it sounds, I observe the philtrum in actresses and "real life" people to demystify a feature I never thought about prior to Blythe.

Before photos:

After photos:

I kept the make up design basically the same.  The heart was upon request this time.  I couldn't get eye lashes back in to the slot this time.  La Tora got a new body also- an Icy body.

Toysfield Kuma

The last post I composed was supposed to have another post afterwards about my Toysfield Kuma.  A family emergency kept me from posting like I intended.

back together again

I did not take deboxing photos like with Little Grey.  I was so shocked to open Kuma up and discover his head rolling around inside his box.  I hoped that it was an easy fix.  Bah!  He was broken!!

The seller and I were both bummed.  It happened during shipping.  A very sad day.

I had two options- no repairs and have a broken doll, or, try the repairs and have a possible fixed doll.  If it went badly, I would still have a broken doll.  I decided to take a chance.

I seam ripped down the back and found the broken piece.  The neck is a ball and socket (like a hip joint). The socket part broke off during shipping.  I suspect the neck tie was too tight and any impact to the box put pressure on this weak portion of the doll.

neck ball joint

broken neck socket

broken piece

I found epoxy that's good for practically any application.  I rebuilt the neck like making a coil pot while holding the broken portion together.  I had to work fast!  The epoxy started drying in less than 5 minutes.  It was low fume, but I did miss the part about gloves. DOH! Yeah, wear gloves.  Epoxy is apparently poisonous while it is in the putty form.  I am happy to say I am still alive.

This epoxy stuff is incredible!!  It worked!  I was unable to get photos of the process.

My Kuma is back in one piece.  The head is a little shaky, but that's better than broken.

Tico and Kuma 

I hope to take Kuma out on some adventures.  So far all he has done is a truck trip in the woods.  We stayed in the truck since it was raining.  I wanted to see if a real bear happened by so I could try to get a photo of them together.  I then remembered bears are hibernating.  Silly me.