Some L.O.L Dolls

It is November and I am so surprised how fast time has been flying. It was not long ago when we packed our car and drove the 6 hours to our cottage and looked forward to a wonderful Summer. And now we are back at home. Where did the Spring, Summer and Autumn go? 

I hope that you have had a wonderful time and I am sorry for not being around so much lately. But here I am now and I want to show you my latest little collection. 

A shelf with some trinkets and L.O.L Dolls.

I took a visit to the local toy store near our cottage and I saw some surprise balls with L.O.L Dolls based on Hello Kitty and Friends called Lol Surprise x Hello Kitty and Friends. Could not resist, so I bought one. Later on I went and bought some more and found three on sale from other collectors who had doubles. 

L.O.L Doll My Melody in the sun.

The first one I got was my childhood favourite, My Melody. I remember being in the stores in Finland with my parents or with with grandparents, showing them pens, cute coloring books and note books with My Melody and often having the luck to coming home with new things. 

Pompompurin, a rare one, in the collection Hello Kitty and Friends.

Even Haribo have a collection.
This is the candy version of those bottles that taste like Coca-Cola.

A Crayola L.O.L Doll. One of nine dolls!

Boo! A mummy L.O.L doll, one of two. 
And Bentley taking a nap.
Then you see my husband's leg and shoe.

Pumpkin spice, candy corn and everything nice.

In total this collection has eight dolls. Then there are other collections, too, with several amount of dolls - so you can collect these tiny cuties for a long time. During Halloween there was a collection of two L.O.L Dolls and of course I got those.

Kuromi.

Kuromi on the shelf.

The last L.O.L doll for this post is Kuromi, from the Hello Kitty and Friends series. I ordered it from a private seller and it felt nice to find her to my collection. I squeezed her in between the two Halloween L.O.L Dolls.

These dolls are cute and rather easy to come by. Here you can buy them and the toy store, at the grocery stores that have a section for toys and online. The down side is that you do not know which one you get and there is a risk for getting a doll you already have. Three of the dolls I bought from Tradera (similar to eBay) because the collectors had gotten the dolls twice. At the moment I am looking for the rest of the dolls in the Hello Kitty and Friends series, especially Keroppi, a frog. Have seen her on eBay, but would like to buy her from someone closer to home because of the shipping costs.

Enjoy November! 

Tweedle De De, and no Dumb

Read about the chubby twins here. 

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are two chubby characters in Alice in Wonderland, specially in the original book's sequel. These two are identical twins and appear in both movies about Alice. They are dressed in schoolboy uniforms and wear caps. They are jolly, but at the same time a bit annoying. Because I do fancy Alice in Wonderland, it felt specially fun to find a doll inspired by the movie and not Alice in particular. 

Out of the box, looking a bit grumpy.

"Aah, fresh air!"

The box.

This doll has a long name: Tonner Tweedle De De Re-imagination 16" doll Jon Alice in Wonderland NIB LE-500. You can stumble on shorter names.

I was looking at Tradera, that amazingly enough was a Swedish version of eBay. It was bought by eBay in 2006. Mostly people have been selling clothes, shoes and the dolls did come to this place later on. I have the app and sometimes I go in there and make a search. 

She is stunning and I love the sculpt.

This time a bunch of Tonner dolls appeared and one of them was Tweedle De De, a 16" doll with the Jon head sculpt. With her chic body, mink (thought it was black) with red rooted saran hair and brown painted eyes I just had to have her. So I clicked the "buy now" button and paid her. Some days later she arrived and it was a happy day. 

"Where am I?"

She is in a very good condition, almost as new. She has honey skin tone and her outfit reminds of the newer chubby twins from Alice in Wonderland, which is rather funny. She is limited to 500 and has her own storyline, that I found on the internet. It goes like this: 

The day seemed like any other...

Charlie Dodgson is disillusioned, jaded by the daily grind. He happens upon a trendy new pub called The Looking Glass. Dipping in to erase the day, Charlie cozies up to the bar, and orders a drink. As he takes in his surroundings, Charlie notices a woman to his left. Her beauty assaults his senses - she is swathed in white from head to toe. She notices him staring, and asks, “Excuse me, but do you have the time?”

Bianca Lapin is in a hurry. Her platinum white hair cascades down her back, as she sits inside The Looking Glass, tapping her fingers anxiously against the bar. Noticing a sharply dressed gentleman taking a seat beside her, she quickly averts her eyes and glances, again, at the clock. Asking the man for the time, she begins to panic at his response. “I’m late!” With that, she hops off her stool and darts toward the back of the pub.

“But wait!” she hears as she races off.

Taking a last sip, Charlie’s curiosity gets the better of him. Leaving his stool to keep his scotch company, he follows the mysterious pale beauty. Suddenly, the crowd seems to thicken, and he can’t quite keep her in his line of vision. Finally, the crowd parts, but it’s too late. She has vanished.

Creeping down the long, dim hallway, Charlie notices a door at the end that appears slightly ajar. Racing toward it, his shoe catches on something, catapulting him through the doorway and downward he goes. Laying on the ground for a moment giving his eyes time to adjust to the dark, Charlie hears maniacal laughing.

“How d’ya do?”

"I'm Tweedle De De."

Looking up, he sees a tall, slim, honey-skinned girl with pigtails and stripes reaching a graceful hand down to him. Grateful for the help, he grasps her hand… and she shakes it.

“I’m Tweedle De De - How d’ya do? State your name and business.”

As Charlie brushes off his knees, he begins to explain that he was just following a curious woman in white.

“There she is!” he points as a flash of white rounds the corner.

With that, Charlie and Tweedle De De are off, hot on the tail of the woman in white.

They walk toward a hazy and dimly lit space. Charlie hears more laughter and the sound of clinking glasses. Heading toward the action, he finds himself suddenly at a long table but can’t quite make out who is at the other end.

“May I pour?” a voice asks Charlie.

A slender woman with a large feathered chapeaux looks eagerly at Charlie as he nods.

“Haddy Madigan,” she says as she reaches for his glass...

Tweedle De De and Bentley.

She is really tall with her 16", as seen below compared to a curvy Made to Move Barbie and one of my Sonny Angels. My Barbie Rose got some new clothes from a woman who makes them herself. She has a Flickr account here and an Instagram account here. Bought the outfit as I wanted to spoil Rose with some new stuff.  

Hope the the May 4th was with you!

Rose in her new outfit.

So, this was some dolly news from me. Have an exam to attend and some preparing to do for our travel to the cottage. Enjoy May and the coming weekend. 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is getting very close now and the year 2020, that I thought would be different to what it has been is soon over. I really do not know what to think about this year, but I hope that the next one will be so much better and that the vaccine that is out there will help. Sweden will get the first vaccine after Christmas holidays, but before New Year.

During the quarantine I have been studying, watching movies and series, taken up my crocheting again and trying my best not to go insane. Glad that I can still take a long walk with Bentley and enjoy the nature, even if it has been rainy, foggy and slippery with the leaves. We got some snow the other week but nothing else.

Sindy with protection over the eyes

I bought her from Lucia the Cat on Etsy.

May the Fourth be with you!

BB-8 among Bellis perennis.

Is this a fun day, or what? Celebrating a Star Wars Day, just for fun and giving your Star Wars toys some extra love on this day. I took my Hasbro dolls Leia and Rey out on an adventure together with my youngest daughter and our dog. Needed some extra hands to keep all in some kind of order. Some tiny happenings did occur, but in all it was fun. Borrowed our neighbors fence too. That was okay.

Spring time, odd time

Usually during Spring and Easter week, we pack our car and drive to the cottage. But this year, with borders closed and that it is not allowed to drive between cities, we have stayed at home. Covid-19 has spread a lot and we have had our first case of the virus in our little town. We are still allowed to go out, but we need to keep our distance. Big gatherings are not allowed at all and you can only socialize with them who are healthy and that you usually socialize with during the day. That makes it just down to my family, the rest I keep in touch with in other ways. 

Zipporah on a windy day.

Paper and Vinyl

Inspired by Xanadu’s post about paper dolls, I started to think about dolls in general. I remember my childhood - there was a lot of paper dolls - bought, cut out of magazines and homemade. That was a huge thing during my days as a young girl. I often used magazines with ads as a base for clothes. The clothes in the ads became the base and fabric for the clothes for the paper dolls. Some extra paper glued on, just to make the clothes stronger and more ready for play. 

Ballerina Marie, then probably Lisa and finally a Swedish sportsman as paper dolls.

Two new action dolls

After a meeting at the younger daughter’s school (all is very good, she is behaving) husband and I took a trip to DollarStore, just for fun. Took a peek at the toy section and saw some Star Wars toys and collectibles. Was not sure if I liked the dolls made by Hasbro, with mold on clothes and decided to leave them on the shelf.

How was 2019?

With a distance to the year that went, I wanted to look back to the good moments and see what happened and how my doll collection changed during that year. Had of course some plans for a year ago - but never mind those. I will dust them of and see what I can do this year. Inspired by Xanadu’s post I wanted to share with you some happenings from 2019.

An old photo of Bella.

Who came home? 

In March a Hairdorables: Kat came home with me during a shopping tour in the city. She is a little cutie with a lot of hair, but I was not so pleased with her lips. Had and still have plans to do a repaint. She had a lot of props along in the package. Very nice. Later in the summer I got a gift from my daughters, another Hairdorables: Bella. She is adorable with her gloria and wings.

Warm socks

It has been some rather cold days over here. Windy and rainy too. Do not know if it is the late Autumn storms or the early Spring storms that rage over here. Our lovely Bentley loves the wind, because he can hunt the flying leaves. I do not have the same interest, though. 

Hairdorables: Kat

Late in March I took a trip to a new shopping market called "Eko:-". They have many markets and shops in many places and I have visited one before. This time I wanted to see what they have because I have heard several complains. But as usually, non of these complaints were true. It was a clean, a lovely place och the prices were cheaper compared to toy stores, art stores and other stores. 

Came home with a Disney Princess, Snow White and a Hairdorables, because I was a bit curious about these tiny dolls with big heads and lots of hair. Had seen some cute versions on the net and YouTube, so I hoped for one of those. But those blind packs can be surprises, both a happy one and a disappointment.

Say hello to Aliisa

I am in a progress of giving my Monster High dolls a make over. Going through the bunch I have to see who needs a new repaint and who need a face up in general. I have had this Draculaura that Alasse sent me for a while ago. Had plans for her to look like a walking add for Harajuku Fashion, but it really did not suit her. Then I thought she would be a candy dream (details with candy made from clay and so on), but that sounded too sweet. Well, she is my sleepy head, all in pink. Meet Aliisa.

Project: Doll body

Esther

Gaah, did not really know what I was thinking when the idea of making a jointed body for my Narsha (Esther) head entered my mind. I bought some nice clay and searched for my tools, so that I could work with it. This was a great plan, until it was time to start.

Cold, life goes on and another cutie

February is soon to be March and it is unbelievable how fast this years two months has gone by. The first month of Spring is almost here, even if it does not feel like it. We still have a lot of snow here and it has been very cold the last couple of days. It has been around -16°C and it feels like -25°C, because it is blowing or the high humidity. In the mornings, when the sun is rising, it gets colder and colder for every minute. So, when the kids are of to school, they really have a lot of clothes on. They look like chubby little cuties running to the bus.

Last week we had winter vacation and took a trip to the cottage and mother-in-law’s old apartment. Visited some relatives and planned the coming move of her things and the estate inventory. We even celebrated our oldest daughters birthday, she is an adult now with her 18 years. Time goes by fast. On our way to the southern parts of Sweden, we stopped by at DollarStore. We needed balloons and other fun things for a birthday party. Walking around there, just for fun, while the girls searched for the right balloons I found a cutie. She was for sale for only 80SEK, about 9USD with todays currency. Yay. Otherwise the prices have been around 40USD for this doll, here in Sweden.

Took her to Wämöparken, in Karlskrona.

Used my hubby's new iPhone and the camera in that phone is amazing.

It is a Monster High doll, a Dream Monster Deer. she is a nature ghoul and likes to sit among the fauna and nature, blending right into it. She is a quiet and shy, but she sees herself as a gentle one.  She does not like big crowds at all and just enjoys her nearest and dearest friends. She really is a beautiful cutie and it is almost a way for me to try to feel how it could be with a doll with four legs. You know those fantasy art line dolls that Fairyland or Luts have, as an example. It is far away from quality, style and so - but it gives a hint, how it could be.

Well, her name is Fawntine Fallowheart and it really suits her. Often I do change the names, but this time I’m going to keep it. I may do a new face up on her, because I want some darker colors and a more to the fawn-like face. But that is a step I may take later on. At the moment I just want to introduce her to you. More photos will come later on.

Enjoy the new week that is going on!

PS: Want to read more about Wämöparken? I have a post here.
PS again: Made a thing, just for fun - see here. 

So, why?

Noomi, at the cottage, summer 2017.

”I collect doll, primarily because I have so much joy and passion,” declares a caller to the Home Shopping Network’s Collectors Day program, and continues to say that the dolls remind you of the pretty things in life and that the dolls are always there with you, how ever you feel.

The book ”Life Like Dolls: The Collector Doll Phenomenon and the Lives of the Women Who Love Them” written by A.F. Robertson lifts up interesting questions about collecting and the collectors. The growing business making dolls, especially porcelain collectible dolls, is worth billions. Handcrafted and limited editions of these dolls may have a tag of $500 is said to strike a chord in the hearts of all ladies, mostly older ones. The nurseries, as the writer calls it, may grow up to hundreds of dolls.

Every doll has a name, identity and certification. A.F. Robertson writes about the women, their clubs, fairs, visits their homes and does the best to understand why these dolls are so irresistible. And he stirs up feelings. In the introduction of the book Robertson writes that most of us who see a porcelain doll just think that it is not a toy and nothing one should give a child. Fragile and disturbing. And those who find out about the collectors think that the women have a mental problem, that the dolls are creepy and one person even said that ”they try to capture life, but they are deathly.” The writer wrote that these responses are mild compared to what others had to say about collecting dolls. 

There is even shame and guilt, that some doll collectors feel. Often the collection starts with a doll that had belonged to a older, but nearer relative and this souvenir is a reminder of ones childhood. Dolls are seen as a distinctively, challengingly a female property when it comes to heir. Some collect to save to their own children - it is all about inherit the collection and nothing more. They may add to the collection they got from their mother.

Looking a bit deeper on this subject, I have noticed that many of us collect dolls based on history (Barbie’s in the 1960’s, porcelain dolls from mid 1800’s and so on) and fashion (a doll in a Victorian outfit, as example) - it is something antique. Others use dolls to make clothes and patterns to sell. There is even a bit of nostalgia over collecting dolls and in some points a therapeutic value.

Simply put: Collecting dolls are a hobby of mine. It gives me joy. And you?

'The Uncanny Valley'

Picture from IMDb

"Hah, it's a dolly episode!"

That was what my husband said one evening when we started to watch an episode of Criminal Minds, from 2010. And after the episode he joked and said "Now I know how you are!"

The short version: I am a bit nuts.

Well, this episode is about a lady, who works as a nurse at a center and she has an unusual personal obsession as the show itself describes it. She lost her dolls, when she was young, and tries to re-create these dolls by using petite humans - tiny young women. She uses medications to get the women to sit still as dolls and she has tea parties.

When it comes to the hobby, I'm always interested to see how shows, other people and movies portrait collectors and those who like dolls. So far it has only been scary with dolls, collectors have been crazy and even murderous. Or the dolls have similar characteristics. Nothing so far have showed the opposite, and of course I wonder why.

Do people outside the hobby see us like odd people? What experience have you had? From my point of view, I have not had anyone saying crazy things or been pointing at me as the crazy lady with dolls. I have gotten some gazing, with an associated expression of curiosity. Kids are easygoing and do not mind. They can ask, stand beside or sometimes even just comment something like "I have a doll too" or "I like cars". Or as a little boy said last summer: "Do you like berries, I have some?"

Esther, last summer.

I had Esther along at a sightseeing nearby our cottage and stood there among berries, heather flowers, grass and the Johannishusåsen, with runestones. Took some photos and I think that Esther was a toy and an opener in his eyes. He did not see me as a danger, I felt that he trusted me because I was playing - maybe as his sister, with dolls. The boy was nice and stayed a while, while his family looked at the sights.

Well, I enjoy this hobby and if someone sees me as odd, then I will let them do that. 

Those big dolls

Noomi, just a random picture.

In the early beginning, I blogged about ”Big dolls! Or small ones?” and have ever since had my mind set on those smaller ones that do not have much weight. During summer time and the vacation at our cottage…and carrying around Noomi, with her couple of kg, I started to think about those bigger ones again. 

Before I went to bed, I watched some box openings with dolls that are from 45 cm (17 inch) up to around 70 cm (27 inch, give and take). I have always felt that these are too big for me, but when you see all kinds of beautiful BJD’s being un-boxed, with amazing sculpts and detailed parts - you really feel like hit in the head and that can make you talk and plan ’crazy things’.

Like, how would a bigger doll suit in my crew and were would I find one. Just look at these two, Claus and Nina. And yes, could it not be a little bit fun to have a doll sculpt with that name, haha! And Nina just alone, with the darker skin (Zipporah's mother?)- so beautiful. 

I’m not going to just jump on this train, need to think a bit more. But it has been, honestly, on my mind a lot. Have a little list (in my head) with pros and cons. So, we will see where this will take me. 

Probably nowhere, but it is fun to play with the thought.

Meow!

Hellou and hope that you are doing well! We are doing just fine and this summer has really gone by fast. We are in the beginning of our countdown for a trip back home, to reality, school, work, autumn...but still some weeks to go that we can enjoy. 

Had some plans to post about my newest addition, but life got in the way. My mother in law and her sister ended up in the hospital, on the same day, with just hours apart. What is the odds for this to happen? And it got crazier. Both had pneumonia! Both got penicillin and are home now, doing much much better. What a relief!! The day after, on the 18th July, we celebrated my mother in law's birthday. She is 98 year now. Amazing.

-*-

Suvi on a trip

I am ready, let's go! Made a simple dress the evening before and
the shawl I crocheted in the car, on our way. It is twisted and can be used
in two different ways.

Hellou from the south Öland. Some old houses in the background.

On a sunny day, we - the whole family, took a road trip to the city Kalmar and the island of Öland. I took Suvi along and thought that it would be fun. And it was.

Welcome Suvi

Hellou, I am new here! Suvi is my name!

(Like a crazy stalker) I did a good job following the package from Germany, to Sweden through small towns and to my own door. The postman rang ones and I opened the door fast. I could see on his face that here is someone who really wants her package. He wished me much joy and a happy day.

Opening the package. Very important and very cute.

Top of the box, her extra hands and shoes, hair clip and finally out of the box.

On light feet I walked up stairs and found the smallest scissors (where are my other scissors?) to open the package. She was finally home and what a cutie.

Blue, sweet, tiny and totally different that I thought her body would be. I am amazed by the body, it is as we say ”robust”. You could say solid - in a very good way. Her joints and extra hands work fine and there is nothing to complain about.

More than one thing. She is darn cute and I am hooked. There where a time, when I said that I will just have one doll (Esther), but that did not end well. Then came Monster High, Ever After High, Barbie and now an Azone PureNeemo. So, she needs a friend. Husband said that she will get a friend or even friends, but please, stay put for some days at least. Of course, I said, and some seconds later I showed him some more PureNeemo’s. He could not stop laughing. 

This is a nice place. Fun to be here!

This Sahra’s a la Mode - Twinkle a la Mode - Aquamarine Alisa is something he picked up as his favorite when I showed him some dolls from Azone International, for a long time ago. He said that all were cute and nice looking, but this was his favorite. Yay, and mine. The theme for this series is the sparkle of gems and stars, as said on the details for this doll. Shining moon, twinkling stars, pure aquamarine and calm as the sea. 

Sunshine on her mind!

When I tested her other hands I suddenly missed one of the cuffs and thought that it would be just typical to lose one of these tiny parts. I looked in the bed, where I sat, under the bed, among the package…it was nowhere….until I saw something blue sticking out under her arm, high up in her armpit. ”Oh, you!” was what I said. Mischievous one, no calm as the sea here. Haha!

Suvi and her fishy friend McLovin.

Shall I play something?

She will fit right in here. And her name? Suvi Manner. Suvi is summer and Manner is mainland, in Finnish.