Blog Archive January 2016
Into the Year 2016, dollings
2016
Set intentions, possibilities...
Gratitude for all my company here, alive and seem-alives.
And thanks to all my dollhead readers and explorers!
Toy Story reruns were played almost daily! And we watched a movie called Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, with Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman.
A toy store comes alive! Lots of great scenes.
Zoey likes to look ahead.
Xenny wants things to turn out in the end.
All's well that ends well.
Grace!
We got you a doll!
Yes, that's a golden acupuncture doll.
A female.
We got it for Grace, our South Korean Traditional Chinese Acupuncturist and friend.
Before we wrapped this dolly, we all got a good look at her. Little Darling Chantal is fascinated.
G asked if the meridians were correct. Hmmm.
Doesn't matter! But what a bonus it would be, eh?
A couple of friends took Dolltown dolls on holiday road trips! Such good friends!
The dollies love Aunt Jacalyn and Auntie M...adventures!
Can anyone say Calgary hockey game?
Photos coming.
It's a reconnaissance mission. The girls have come out with me to the Doll Studio while I take some photos.
They know it's been snowing again.
They want a Snow Play day.
Is there enough snow? Is there any sign of animals?
Zoey and Scout are impressed with the snow. Not so impressed with the cat tracks Gabby saw.
But it won't stop them!
Tink, Chantal, and the other Little Darlings have heard the go-ahead and are changing into warm clothes. Faith is very excited to play in the snow. We think it's her first time!
The boys, overhearing the Little Darlings, are scrambling for coats and boots. Will they have to take turns with the winter clothes?
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Hi! I'm Faith...
Before our Snow Day, Faith gets to explore the Dolltown environment.
She is a little surprised at the cold, and all the snow.
But we know we have to have our snow play day soon because our weather fluctuates and the snow can disappear in the blink of an eye. Well, overnight sometimes.
Faith gets to know the other girls when they go out to check on snow conditions.
Scout, Pearl, and Faith are deciding on best locations for jumps. Jumps?
Wait a minute!
Little Ones' Snow Day
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Czech Marionette! Don Quixote in Dolltown!
Welcome, Don Quixote!
Here in Dolltown, it was decided that we should have a marionette or two. I love puppets but we only have a few here. We have never had a marionette.
So G and I researched and looked at lots of photos and videos...
The marionette world is very interesting, full of stories and charm! We enjoyed the search!
In the end we made our choices from a site in Czechoslovakia, Czech Marionettes.
They sell a variety of marionettes, created in different materials, and fashioned after a variety of characters.
From their site:
We welcome all
people charmed with magic of marionettes and marionette playing...
We do:
- hand made production of marionettes
- custom orders and art marionettes
- marionettes for film productions
- we have team of puppeteers and actors
- we organize workshops
I posted a photo from the site of a funny guy, Jester Jim, and then fell in love with him and so he is on his way, once he is made! Jester Jim is made of wood and is pretty big.
The marionette here in the photo today is Don Quixote (or "Don Quichotte" at Czech Marionettes).
Don is the main character from the 1600's Spanish book, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (known universally as Don Quixote by Cervantes). It is regarded as a very important literary work.
From Wiki itself...
It follows the adventures of a nameless hidalgo who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his sanity and decides to set out to revive chivalry, undo wrongs, and bring justice to the world, under the name Don Quixote.
He recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, who often employs a unique, earthy wit in dealing with Don Quixote's rhetorical orations on antiquated knighthood. Don Quixote, in the first part of the book, does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story.
So Don Quixote himself, and his sidekick, Sancho, are both sympathetic characters that we already love, but only Don was available as a marionette.
What a great marionette! What a great face!
G is slowly exploring how to manipulate him.... Complex!
We are starting with simple instructions.
How about one string, or two? Check out this 2 minute video:
All About Marionettes: How To Work The Strings Of A Marionette
I am interested in how Don Quixote is going to show up in our stories in Dolltown!
Stay tuned...
And for a little fun with marionettes, watch this! Rick and Doris, an Unconventional Friendship! Amazing!
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Ellowynes in the Ballroom
The Ellowynes, all three sculpts, were invited to do a photo shoot in their best dresses last June.
In the Ballroom, where Dolltown holds its dances, and dance lessons!
While January winter days take their sweet time going by, we revisited the photos. Nice! Sharing...
Oksana came late to the shoot, but got a few photos in on her own.
Bright turquoise eyes!
More photos coming of the individual photos from the Ballroom shoot.
Check on the Start Ups page soon!
Ana asked Noddy what they were up to...
After the Ellowyne's were done, and the Tonner guys had a dance or two with them, the children took over the Ballroom.
Fun! Photo slide story coming soon.
With Lula! Before she left for Australia in November...
Willow here, who scooped the Monique May wig last spring, has passed it on to Little Darling Faith.
We'll see Willow in a short blond wig over on the Gallery...
This is a lovely wig that is not made anymore. Why?
Elena, our Yelena, is our Ellowyne elder.
I understand she was a Basic, made in 2006, the first year the Ellowynes came out, created by Robert Tonner.
She had long dark curly hair which I guess was cut right off. But I love this silky straight black wig on her....
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Getting to know Pearl, and a good app, Book Creator!
A short story...
Haha.
Really short...7 pages.
I am exploring resources for creating kids books again.
I have one story on Amazon, with dolls, about the letters of the alphabet, created with the downloadable Amazon program Kindle Kids' Book Creator, Ana's Alphabet Book A to Z.
Read about that book process here.
This teeny book is created on an app, Book Creator.
The app has several features that help me with my story writing:
-post the photos
-change the order
-add text or draw/print
-change the layout, colors, font...
And you can preview the story in your own iBooks! Fun!
At some point you can sell your book on iBooks too.
When you have a story you want to publish...
For now I am still exploring...
And next time I'll find some props, and make the book a little longer. Pearl is such a great dolly, a good listener! (A good listener, eh?) She deserves more than 7 pages. I know she'd want the hummingbird in there...the hummingbird she found at Aunt Jacalyn's.
And who's giving her popcorn?
Is it that Auntie Jackie again? So-o-o indulgent!
Ana and 25 other dolls introduce the alphabet letters, with their names!
A for Ana
G for Gabby...
This book actually helps kids learn the SOUNDS that the letters make.
Good for little learners!
But the book itself does not make sounds...
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Photos and stories are watermarked with hiyadolly.com
Please contact me if you want to use the photos or stories here for any reason. Thanks!
Most photos are Pinterest enabled...
Meme Dreams
One imagines that an original thought, that creates a good vibration, spreads.
Thank you to family, friends, and associates for the inspiration,
the dollies,
and their accoutrements that make this site possible.
Hiya Dolly Stories
Meaningful, educational, or just for fun stories!
Ana's Aphabet Book
Here's our super cute book! Available on Amazon! It has several Dolltown characters, all helping kids to learn the basic sounds of English. A is for Ana...
Invites, etc
Check out my other site:
Meme Dreams ...for random good ideas that I have run across, or people, links, resources
It's currently under construction, but in action!
And...
Go to Lani's Adventures, my venturous photographer daughter's website of her first trip to Australia and Tasmania
Check out Sol's channel on You Tube, for my son's antics on his Limber, and his YT video favs