Blog Archive May 2016
Gabby and the Girls with Asa
Dolltown children!
Well, the girls, now...
They straggled in but ALMOST all of them were there.
Gabby first. Because she likes to be first.
And Priscilla came too!
And Fancy Nancy, little Phoebe, Whoopi and Shasta, Vera, Pam, and Nellie, and Lilac Moon. And Vikka came to keep an eye on all the girls.
They gathered nicely for a group photo.
And things fell apart a little. Children will be children.
Then two surprising things happened.
Asa just raised her hands slightly and all went quiet. The girls regrouped and looked to Asa.
But also...Priscilla! We have never seen Priscilla with such a sweet expression on her face.
What kind of magic does Asa have to change Priscilla so?
The rest of the children were very surprised.
Priscilla is smiling!
Will it last?
What has Asa done to Priscilla?
It's a smile!
Priscilla has been grumping at all of us for months!
About everything!
We are used to having to interpret doll feelings.
I mean, look at Asa!
But Priscilla really took the cake.
She was grumpy even when she HAD cake!
She looks positively angelic!
Just so you can see...
This is what we are used to!
Quick! We MUST get her to the Talking Room.
What happened, Priscilla?
Was it Asa? Did you feel a change inside? Will it last?
Can't wait to talk to her!
As you saw in our last story, all the girls settled under Asa's calm...
They went from rambunctious to quiet when Asa lifted her hands.
But Priscilla? Look at her! What kind of magic is this?
The girls can't believe it! A smile?
Priscilla gazes happily at Asa. What?
The girls look at each other in disbelief. They only know a grumpy looking Priscilla, even when they think she is secretly happy!
Priscilla is the centre of attention!
The children crowd around her. They want to see this little miracle.
All the talk of Asa's magical powers will definitely NOT diminish after her Open House.
Little girls returning from assignments and outings, just in time...
Oiya! Late again! Our little Heidi Pluszcok also missed the girls' group Valentine's photo. She was outside hunting for bird's eggs with Uley.
This time she missed the group photo with Asa while she helped Uley get ready for a roadtrip with Auntie Mischelle.
Oiya and Uley...perhaps a new bond I hadn't noticed? Both active and funlovers...who knows?
Our semi-vintage porcelain, Joy, skirts around the doll children, often joining the fun. She is so happy to have so many friends now.
For several years, she was the only doll around.
The Christmas doll was put away yearly. The attic dolls were neatly tucked in trunks...
Her existence here was just part of the proof that a doll collector was lurking inside me, waiting for the right time....
Oiya and Asa talk about the birds in Dolltown, the crows, ravens, mourning doves, redwinged blackbirds, and Oiya's favorite, the chickadees. Asa tells Oiya about the owls...
What? Owls? Oiya has seen them on TV.
We think there will be a night excursion soon. Maybe when Uley comes back from his trip. I'd better keep an eye out. These dolls have boundaries but....
Maybe Asa and her junior patrol can help. I'll ask them to go on high alert...
Our three Paola Reinas have been off on assignment. They got called away to play in a story. The story was about "differences". Ling is Chinese, and played a girl with no friends. Quilla played a girl with a lot of anxiety who doesn't like to go to school. Undeen played a goth girl and other children are a little scared of her. They get together and form a friendship.
Kind of like they have here in Dolltown!
Welcome back, girls! Hope things went well!
One last change Asa, one last day of visits. You can do it!
Asa takes time for reflection and when she emerges she gathers her family around her.
This is her tribe-bjd's from around the world.
The girls Mercy, Simmin, and Terra. The boys Spiro and Bo. And Airus, our ghostly presence. Or he wishes.
Spiro, Asa, Simmin, Airus, Mercy, and Terra, and Bo
Lee is a support for Asa. The Juniors are smart, and good company.
But she relies on Lee in so many ways.
Here he shares energy with her to help her see this month long Open House to an end.
One more group is coming...
Lee, Asa, Spiro, Simmin, Mercy, Terra, and Bo
Asa and the Community!
Magic Barbie and Asa have a close relationship. MB is like a pretty drone, hovering over Dolltown and letting Asa know what is going on.
The Disney Princesses are asking Asa for missions. They are used to being heroines and saving the day. Dolltown day to day is fun. But isn't there a village or a prince to rescue somewhere? Asa ponders...
No doll expert around here has been able to identify this wonderful dolly from Value Village. She was bought in a bag full of other unnamed dolls (including our Clawdeen). Someday someone will recognize her and tell us who she is. She has no idea herself. We think she might have lost her memory. Maybe PTSD!
Vintage Kimberley and Crissy are happy that Kidz n Cats Hal joined the Dolltown Community. Nice AND cute. And useful, and strong....
Our vintage Becky is so excited to bring her friend, a brand new to Dolltown old doll. It's the first time in her LIFE that she feels she has a special friend just like her!
And he's so cute!
Oh boy! What a Dolltown crew! There's Boneka, hanging on to Asa, and OOAK Sky who looks like a cloud, and Silent Sam who communicates through his mind, and Valentine, our new doll stylist, and very new Bunny, who came for Easter fun and never left...
They all have a great talk!
Vintage Originals Cindy and Darlene, with their gorgeous Ava wigs making them feel as young and beautiful as Asa.
Jade J'Adore, Catrine Demew, and one of the Clawdeens (we think) get to live at Dolltown Abbey, so they see Asa regularly. They have put themselves in charge of the pets and plants... Trading for protection!
And Sophie! Our Dolltown muse...an OOAK from Lithuania. She arrived in Dolltown in her own frame and only once has come down from it.
Sophia, still in her frame, came to acknowledge Asa's unprecedented Open House.
Asa felt honored!
And Sophie was Asa's last visitor.
For now...
Warning! Disembodied doll!
Each of the photos above is a story in itself...
But the photos below deserve their own blog!
Here's the young Terri Lees Tamla and Oralee.
And the vintage Terri Lees...
Terri's limbs hold on with her purple outfit, but blond Queeny is still in pieces, just her head made it out of the bag.
But she was glad to emerge, even for a short time!
And a touch from Asa...bliss!
Stay tuned for more of THIS story!
That's it folks!
Asa's Open House...never happened before and may never happen again!
Dolltown Abbey opened its doors, the Dolltown dolls made their way in groups over several days to Asa's own beautiful room, with its circle window, antiques and orchids.
Asa showed stamina and presence of mind, adjusting to each group that came.
We certainly had some spin offs, with more goings on than we could show here, and all the meeting up at the bridge, before and after the visits.
A wonderful April Event, that spilled into May.
Now what's next in Dolltown?
Stay tuned!
The Grump is Back!
Leaving Asa's Open House, Priscilla was feeling...good!
We all saw it. Sweet and smiling, Priscilla offered her little friend Gabby a ride back to Dolltown.
She wheeled the flower cart, with Gabby in "Princess Gabriella" mode, through the meadow and to the Bridge. By the time they arrived, Priscilla was puffing a little and found herself wondering how she had gotten roped into this good deed.
You offered, Priscilla!
I did not, she humphed.
And with that we knew the Asa effect had worn off.
We loved the idea of an agreeable Priscilla, but it's okay when things get back to normal.
We have our favorite grumpy doll back!
Gabby is asking Priscilla to wheel her to the playground.
No! Priscilla is saying to Gabby. No! No! No!
We love you Priscilla!
Asa takes time for herself to reset...
After her weeks-long Open House Asa needed some time to herself. Time for reflection and ritual...
Asa arrived in Dolltown with two kimonos, given to her by her previous owner, including this beauty. And this beautiful long hair .
So she was quite a sight!
We stored her kimono carefully, wrapped her long wig in a protective net and got her this Yuri wig to wear for "everyday".
She dresses in her brocade kimono for tea ceremonies, visits from otherworldlings, and when she communicates with her ancestors during rituals.
Dolltowners at the Bridge
Who's this with Oiya?
It's Joy!
Joy is definitely a Dolltown original, coming in somewhere between the real vintages, my own childhood dolls, like Becky below, and all the Dolltowners who have arrived since last year.
Joy was sitting on the top shelf of an old fashioned little local variety store. About 20 years ago.
I am not a porcelain doll fan, but this was a sweet happy face.
Her hair was in ringlets and she was garbed in an old fashioned little dress with a pinafore. I brought her home.
Probably my first doll collected as an adult!
When the other dollies started arriving last year, Joy decided to modern up.
So, Joy got my first dolly haircut.
(Unless it was me who chopped off half of Nina the Ballerina's hair, when we were children.
If it was me I have blocked the memory... )
It's the Iplehouse JID girls!
Their sculpt names: Violet, Cordelia, and Tania.
Here in Dolltown we call them Simmin, Terra, and Mercy.
They are dressed in their Pachom day dresses...
Look at these Terri Lees! How cute are they?
The blond is the Princess Ballerina dolly from 2004, called a reproduction. The brunette is an up-to-date "Winter Wonderland", one of four seasons available at the Terri Lee doll site... And they have added dolls since I last visited!
Dolltown Disney Princesses...or heroines!
Rapunzel, Snow White, Ariel, and two Meridas!
There are so many versions of each Disney Princess I suppose it is not surprising we ended up with two of the Brave heroine...
Vintage Becky, a Canadian Dee an Cee vinyl from the 60's, with our new vinyl boy. Someone has passed on this lad and Becky is glad! She likes him! Here she waits for him to change into some current clothes. Looking good laddie. No name yet...
Little Darling Jiyoon...
Jiyoon arrived soon after our four originals...
Here you see her with Zoey, a long time Dolltown resident.
Jiyoon has already made fast friends with Maggie. You can hear them both chatting a mile a minute.
And Birdy welcomes Jiyoon, asking her all about her travels here....
Asa and the Iples welcome Jiyoon, inviting her to stay with them at Dolltown Abbey.
What? How wonderful for Jiyoon, and all the other dollies! Because there is an amazing playroom....
We can't wait!
Jiyoon feels welcome in Dolltown!
We have given her a Korean name approved by Grace, a friend and acupuncturist from South Korea. So her story is...a little South Korean girl, arriving via US.
Probably why she received the invitation to live with our other Korean dolls, the Iplehouse bjd's!
Zoey called all dark haired little darlings for a photo op when Jiyoon arrived! I think we have a majority!
Black hair, brunette. rich brown. From straight to curly! Hey, where's Chantal? And Xennia where's your waist ribbon?
Jiyoon and Rosa had a photo entered in a spring photo contest. Jiyoon is wearing an outfit we won in a draw!
Carolyn Gebert made this little blue tshirt and striped skirt, and added the purse and teddy. How cute is this!
Rosa, you too! Cute! Love your bears!
Jiyoon has found a kindred spirit in Maggie! From climbing trees to talking about Dolltown, the world, and its ways, Maggie and Jiyoon are enjoying each others company. Maggie is happy to show Jiyoon around!
Our Little Darlings on Adventures...First, Tink and Xennia!
It's so nice out!
All our Little Darlings are ready for adventures in the garden!
These girls are wondering, Where are Tink and Xennia?
Tink and Xennia got to go for a day of work to Auntie Mischelle's...
But it wasn't long before they jumped down from the work trailer and headed down to the poppy meadow, the river, and the trees.
I tagged along to take some photos and to be sure they were safe!
Little Darlings Maggie and Jiyoon
Little toffee haired Maggie goes out every day to explore the garden.
She does the rounds of the birdhouses to see if any birds have taken up residence...
Maggie shows Jiyoon the birdhouses.
Maggie is hoping they will see some chickadees.
She thinks they can climb so quietly that birds will not notice.
All the girls want baby birds in Dolltown...
Shhh, Jiyoon!
The Ellowynes...
The Tonner Ellowyne dolls interact with all the other Dolltowners, most of the time...
Here are a few random shots of the Ellowynes with others, over the last year.
Here's Willow wearing a beautiful bright shift that we received as a bonus gift last spring. Eddie and Wiz are obviously impressed!
Priscilla, however, is feeling left out again...
No worries! The boys here grabbed her a newspaper to hold over her head!
You can be sure Priscilla appreciated the gesture.
Maybe...
Coming soon... The Little Darlings have borrowed the Ellowyne fancy dresses for a party! What fun! And how cute to see the little girls playing dress up!
We are working on the photos.
And the Ellowynes themselves are getting dressed for their own photo shoot, coming later in May.
Getting ready is a 2-3 day event!
Little Darling Adventures!
Birdy and Rosa noticed a barbie bike freshly washed and ready for a ride.
Birdy and Rosa head out to the lane. Me first! says Birdy. But she gives Rosa a ride. Good girl, Birdy!
Zoey and Pearl moved to the porch when the sun got too hot. They brought books for an afternoon of reading.
Phoebe shows up to tell them it's time to get dressed for a party.
A party?
Flashback...Boneka arrives in Dolltown
Last year, the dolls were arriving in Dolltown. It was all we could do to keep up with photo records!
Boneka, a bead filled doll from Indonesia, arrived in a batik cloth box in the same design as his cloth body.
Tink was there to greet him as he emerged, then Silent Sam, and also Ana...
Indonesian batik cloths have always been a part of my life...
I remember a two-sided batik cloth hanging in the doorway between the kitchen and living room in my grandparents tiny house in Penticton.
Much like the cloth behind Boneka and Fishing Rabbit. Can you even see Boneka? Or Rabbit?
Little Darlings Dress Up
The Little Darlings were invited to a Facebook Anniversary party. And found there were no Little Darling frilly, smocked, or lace dresses in their cupboard!
Well, not enough to go around...
Ellowynes to the rescue! Willow brought a mound of dresses...and high heeled shoes to match!
The Little Darlings pounced on the pretty dresses. The shoes did NOT fit, much to their disappointment. But the dresses did, almost! A few pins, a hair ribbon and they were ready for the party...
Tink, of course, opted for a silk flower the size of her head. Over the top, Tink. Thank you, she says!
For more photos from this lovely photo shoot, hop over to the Little Darlings page.
The girls didn't want the party to end after the photos were taken! As a matter of fact they are still wearing their fancy dresses...
Birdy got to wear her pretty yellow dress on a trip to Art Knapps, where we got some cute photos! But that's another story...
Willow is flanked here by Xennia in the flouncy fuschia flowered dress and Jiyoon in the black slip dress trimmed with shiny fuchsia ruffle.
Both are part of Willow's Woefully Romantic original outfit. Jiyoon's dress is actually a slip for the flouncy overdress! 2 for 1!
Check out the Ellowyne fashion shoot, Ellowynes In the Ballroom, with the Ellowyne's themselves wearing most of these dresses! All except Zoey's red sequin dress...
Scout all dressed up...
Scout missed the fun Dress Up with the rest of the girls.
She was on assignment, promoting the upcycling trend...
Willow got out Romance and Whipped Cream's dress just for Scout. We think Scout was VERY excited, although it's hard to tell. You look pretty, Scout!
Uh oh...
Is it natural fabric? Scout asks Willow. Was it created without cruelty to animals?
We snapped photos quickly...signalling to Willow not to answer until the shoot was done, just in case.
Scout has her standards...
Pop Up Store!
This Pop Up Store, a two weekend event, was held on our main street, in the great old Armstrong's building,
now the home of the Country Music Capital of Canada display.
Yes, we are in ranch country, and country music is king here...
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