Blythe #2 Ordered!

I just bought an ADG Roaring Red off eBay! She will be here this week!

I can't wait to get my hands on that hair. I plan to give her a chin length bob, however, I had the same plans for Lounging Lovely, and she kept her locks! But Cecile's personality called for long hair. I think this dark haired beauty will be funky. UNLESS...I give her a mass of curls, borderline 'fro!...hmmm.....

A New Five Dresses, A New Challenge

Today I am playing with natural dyes. I got coffee and beets out of the pantry, and blackberries and dandelion flowers out of the yard. The coffee created a soft almond paste color, but the beets did nothing but dye the tag inside the dress, even after I added powdered GatorAde! I put that dress and one more in the blackberries: one dress came out a lovely lavender, then the other dress I left in the pot and added grenadine--it came out a beautiful cherryish pink. The dandelions turned the dress bright yellow! Gotta try a green--from grass. But I'm out of dresses, since I am doing one in white.
(picture below: coffee, blackberry, dandelion flower, grenadine)

Kelly Collection

I love my Kelly dolls! This cabinet has a glass door, but doesn't hold many dolls. Wish I could find some more of these--got them at Michael's craft store unfinished and painted it.

The top row reminds me of my early childhood in the late 60s--I'll have to post pictures!

The bottom row has four dresses I crocheted--actually fun to do (I love to crochet--I don't knit because I can't remember to count stitches.) There are two little coppertop twins in antique-looking dresses, a brunette in a white ballet dress, and another redhead in a strawberry costume. I made these all just by winging it, no pattern, no counting. I look forward to doing more....so I have a drawerful of Kelly dolls waiting!

The Bratz

I stayed away from Bratz for a long time because of their "mature" makeup and clothing, but I finally held one and love the doll. A Bratz doll has a nice weight to it, and since the body is the same size and other dolls, it would be convenient to buy or make clothing interchangeable in a large crowd. Also, I had tried for years to get Katie to enjoy dolls with me, but nothing "took." Suddenly though she loved Bratz. We have a huge drawerful of Bratz and accessories, and I enjoy customizing them. I wouldn't mind selling some, though. Later project.

Licca by Takara of Japan

The Licca and Jenny dolls are among my favorites. I can't resist those big eyes and anime-style faces.

The blonde on the right was my first doll in my adult years. I bought her off eBay when Katie was an infant. She came with long, kinky hair and a kimono. I cut off the hair and sold the kimono, leaving me with a free doll! She is wearing an outfit from a line of dolls that didn't seem to stick around long, but they had great clothes.

The brunette on the left was a later purchase, because she reminds me of my daughter. She is wearing a Licca brand strawberry dress because Katie adores strawberries!

Funny that I have never named my Liccas or Jennys. I'll have to work on that.

I do have a great pattern book for Licca from the My Favorite Doll series of books. It is about sewing clothing with felt, which I am crazy about. The Licca dolls are the same size as Jin and Yuki, Blythe, and the Bratz, so the patterns are very useful!

Jin and Yuki

When you own dolls, especially when you "make" them as I did these, you can't help but think of personalities in them. Jin strikes me as shy, sweet, deliberate. Yuki, with white hair, is quiet but direct, a little tomboyish, and creative.

It's about time for these two to get a clothing change. Yuki needs an eye/brow repaint. Updates later!

Cecile's Eyes

P.S. Did you see Cecile's eyes?! They are a sparkly lemon-lime green! Now that the Manna Energy project is behind me and I don't need Cecile's "agua blue" eyes all the time, I can enjoy her other eye colors. More photos later!

(I was in a hurry and the photo is not clear enough--I'll take more pics later, no doubt!)