Doing Science!

Got my claws on the latest Monster High classroom 2 packs. I know a lot of folk are mostly into the Heath/Abbey pack (coming soon), but as a school chemistry nerd, not to mention hardcore Ghoulia fan (with a PhD chemistry nerd for a sister). The mad science pack was the first box I ripped into!

I love this set. Classic Ghoulia with the best headband yet, and Cleo has a nice splash of color with a  glammed up lab coat (of course). One of the most fun details in the pack was the beakers. At first I was sad the lockers didn't make a come back in this round, but the props made up for that. Lids come off, tubes can be used to combine pieces or left aside for separates, even the main beaker has a removable explosion for before and after disaster!

I fixed up a background from an old turn of the century science lab (creepy) and snapped a small photo set with 2 of my favorite ghouls mixing up trouble. Reminded me of the time a girl in my high school science class unleashed a cloud of concentrated acid vapors into to the lab. Mr Hackington would have been proud!

 

Full photo set over on the Dolly Daydream site!

Phantom of the Ballet

Ballet Sindy from 1985

I love ballet dolls, as a little girl my all time favorite doll was a ballerina Sindy doll (I need to rescue and fix her up one day) but pretty much every ballet doll is all geared up for a performance in Swan Lake or the Nutcracker, which is cool, but I've always found the practice and training part of ballet just as fascinating.

A while ago I snapped up a Monster High swing dance Operetta, even though I said I wouldn't. In hand the doll was possibly even more underwhelming, aside from having zero swing dance style, the poor thing had the most undone hair I've seen on a Monster high doll yet, and she was lacking all kinda of the usual style and finish I tend to associate with the MH line. What she did have however was that fantastically elegant Operetta molding (she really is one of the most beautiful fashion dolls I've ever seen) and a cute leotard/skirt combo that would either turn into a great beach doll, or, maybe, just maybe a ballet doll....

I wanted to study ballet for so many years, but was always afraid till last year finally took the plunge and started studying as an adult, (more on that here) and it has become such an important part of my life since. So yeah, ballet Operetta it was.

One thing that originally pulled me into collecting Monster High dolls, was that they were the one kids doll line that steered away from the super princessy, and kinda prissy style and feel. The dolls have amazing articulation perfect for "action" ballet poses, but also that edginess could translate well into the hard work, and passion side of ballet that the usual "dream of sugarplums" ballerina dolls lack.

I made her some warm up accessories, such as tights, legwarmers, ribbons, arm warmers etc. painted up her bag because the mold was fantastic just needed a little extra love, and pulled that straggly uneven hair into a neat tidy bun, et voila!

As a rock n roll ballerina she might not be everyone's cup of tea, but she's made it up there for me as a favorite Operetta of mine. I hope a few other ballet doll fans might like her too.

(There as as always more photos info etc over on on the Dolly Daydream website)

Go Go Ghoulia!

I love my vintage, I love my Ghoulia, and I love to keep the 2 things as close together as possible! When Monster high dolls first came out, each character had such a strongly personal style. Ghoulia was my instant favorite (I was late to the game and got into them around the same time the wave 2 dolls were dropping) I loved her 60's Night of the Living Dead's Barbara style, and Thriller 80's touches. It seems the designs tend to go back and forth between the 60's and the 80's but as a vintage girl it's always been her 60's flavor I loved the best!

A while back I did a couple of custom monster High dolls dressed up in real world versions of their fashion influences,. A proper, elegant, lolita Draculaura, and 2 straight 60's Ghoulias. The 2nd one with black gingham trousers I sold, this dotty darling I kept!

She's found her way into my heart as one of my current favorite dolls, but I hadn't really had chance to photograph her until this week.

I recently acquired a giant printer/scanner for work, and aside from being great for digitizing my pattern drafting, it also prints out at the perfect size for Monster High doll backdrops. This little set of photos is the first with my printed backdrops, and one I hope really captures the retro geek chic of the lovely Ghoulia!

There are some more photos from this set over on the main Dolly Daydream site...

Boudoir Darlings

A few months ago I discovered, and became really interested in 1920s boudoir dolls. I love them because they had such a short run, just though the 20's and 30's, and are so perfectly frivolous!

For any one as late to the pary as me, boudoir dolls came about as part of the many crafts coming into Paris from Russia at that time. Relativly simple cloth bodies, painted faces, and at the time more Russian style costume. They became more and more popular and soon they were being made in fantastic18th century inspired costumes, as fashionable flappers and seedy undesirables. Women would drape them around their bedrooms and personal spaces. They represented the style of the times, and also the fantasies and daydreams of the young women holled up in these rooms. The dolls weren't only restricted to the house, some daring flappers would carry their dolls out for a night on the town. More than just a fashion doll, they were dolls as fashion accessories!

 You can spot them quite often in old movies, and they show up fairly regularly in photos of film stars and flappers through out the 20's and 30's.

I design clothing and accessories for a living, but also make and customize dolls pleasure, so these have so much appeal to me as dolls and as accessories.
 from cute but beat up to "I can't believe it stayed so clean for so long!" Trawling through listings and photos I found myself more and more wanting to make my own so that it could be just as personal as some of the dolls that appeared to be to their owners in the old photos like the one above.

It took a while, but after getting my hands covered in clay, and clothes whited out with dust, I finally managed to steal some time the other day to finish off my first boudoir doll! She looks like a Constance so that's what she's called.

She went from a creepy head on a stick to a (apparently still creepy) well dressed girl, swimming in ruffles, ribbons and art deco styling!

She has a little floss wig, picture dress, and lots of little ribbon trimmings, right down to mini knee level garters!

There's whole line of projects to work on using this doll, and it's got me started making old style dolls which is something I've been wanting to do for a while.

A few things I might do differently next time around, but over all she makes me smile, and a great starting point for bringing yet another new old thing into my life :) More photos over on Dolly Daydream (including the dolly garters!!!) along with a lot of the other dolls I've made and customized over the years.

 

Zombie Elvis

A while back whilst talking monster high with friends, the subject came up of how awesome a zombie Elvis doll would be! Since my husband is an Elvis fan, and had a large hand in the idea/design, zombie Elvis ended up coming to unlife as part of his birthday present this year.

The challenge was set as, must be fat Elvis and must have the eagle jumpsuit.

The biggest challenge was adding a few pounds to the doll, and having him still fit the stand. The extra "fluff" was made with a bit of teddy bear stuffing in the jump suit. The next biggest challenge was the "rhinestone" eagle motif. For that inherited tubes of fabric paint!

The hair is hands down my favorite part on this doll. I re-rooted in a little left over black hair up front for the quiff, flocked the sideburns, and concrete hair lacquered the lot in place.

Complete with box he cuts quite the zombie scene! (at some point I just need to make him a zombie chimp for a pet)

Tiki Postcards

One thing I love is tiki style, I love tiki pin up shoots, I have a long standing dream of creating a tiki soda bar for my (next) house, and I love the Monster High Skull Shores dolls and their fantastic tki style!

I was taking photos for my shop, trying to come up with something that would really bring out the retro pin up in these dolls, and created a little scene using some tiki-tastic pieces from my little collection.

Inspired by one of my favorite pin up photographers the insanely talented Viva Van Story, and with a little photoshop aging magic these are a few of the photos I put together with my personal de-boxed dolls.

I have to say the Ghoulia from this line doesn't get enough love. She's pure 60's dream girl, and the clashing green in her outfit makes her one of my favorite Ghoulias to date. In fact I want her swim suite so bad!

There are more photos over at Dolly Daydream, and you can pick up the dolls for a tiki party of your own over at the shop!

Dedicated Doll Blog!

My dolls have seceded from the main blog over at Quaintrelle life, and made themselves a new home here on the new Dolly Daydream blog.

For the most part my doll adventures tend to focus on vintage and retro themes which made them fit with the vintage lifestyle focus over on Quaintrelle life. But I was holding back posting about them when I hadn't had chance to post about other things in between.

So from now on I'll be dolly blogging over here, and fashion and lifestyle blogging over on Quaintrelle Life (probably with a few cross overs)

Thoroughly Modern Martian

I've been in a mod kinda mood this week, partly because we're getting into the mid 60's with Mad Men and I'm ready for that show to start up in just a few days, and also because I've been working on a modernist martian girl.
I remember being all about all things mod back in high school, but haven't thought much about it all till now. I find myself with a bit of a hankering to mix some of this style back into my wardrobe again after working on this project. It set off my nostalgia for my adolescent nostalgia for another generation's adolescent verve.

(More photos of the doll and the scooter over on Dolly Daydream)

Little Sisters

One of the things I love about the Monster High dolls (after the fantastic retro detailing on a lot of them) is the little back stories they put behind each doll. It makes them more than just pretty fashion models, but also gives them a personality you can relate to.

My latest acquisition from the line reminded me a lot of what it was like being a big sister growing up. I remember arguments and fights over not wanting to lend my clothes to my little sister, and the usual "she's so annoying" moments. But I also remembered how we were then and still are now best friends and that I would take on any threat that dared to mess with my little sister!

She's a kick ass chemist now and all grown up (and taller than me) but once a big sister always a big sister, These little vinyl toys gave me a wistful sense of nostalgia for when we kids.

Dresses and Dolls Oh My!

OK I'm back in the county, my body has adjusted back to the right time zone, so it's time to start blogging!

Whilst over in the UK for the past month (ish) we flew over for a few days in the Netherlands staying in the Hague. By pure luck one of the museums out there had 2 amazing temporary exhibitions running at that time with my name written all over them! A huge collection of dolls, miniatures and doll houses from the 17th century up, and a collection of fashion from the early 1900's to today, and their inspirations in fine art. Three things I love most in the world all together in one place!

The doll exhibition was the first bit we hit up. It really is amazing the details that used to go into these things. One of the first  things I noticed was a great Dior bar suit Barbie in all her 50's glamor. I love the suit in full scale, and it was captivating again in miniature!

A simmering fondness of Queen Anne dolls was heated up a little too. They had some wonderful 18th century examples all with their brocade dresses and fluffy wigs! One day I'd love to make one, but that's another project for another day.

The fashion exhibition was a real winner too. I loved seeing Schiaparelli's dresses and accessories in person again, and a little tableau of Vivienne Westwood gowns with an 18th century flare gave a bit of a taste of the recent Versailles fashion exhibit I messed. I never get tired of seeing beautiful silks in opulent settings!

Sure we had to walk over 2 miles each way in gale force winds and pouring rain, but I can safely say it was well worth it!

You can see more from the exhibition over on the Gemeentemuseum's website. XXSmall and Fashion ♥ Art. For now here are a few of the photos I managed to get whilst we wandered round...

(I promise a break from dolls next post and some more food inspiration instead!)

Party Ghouls

I've had a lot of fun recently playing out designing in miniature for Monster High dolls, after customizing a Slow Moe for Ghoulia (that letter jacket!) I turned my hands to designing a Sweet 1600 outfit for my favorite Zombie girl, and a Loch Less monster doll as a way to let lose with some UK monster and fashion pride!

Sweet 1600 Ghoulia

Lochturna Nes

Extra photos of my 2 newest Monster High customs can be found on the Dolly Daydream site!

Fashion and Dolls

Théâtre de la Mode doll

As you know from a recent post I'm something of a doll fan. I'm not a serious floor to ceiling doll collector, but they are something which has been a particular soft spot of mine lately. I love them as a girl who used to play with dolls, but I also love them as a fashion designer!

Dolls have played a huge roll in fashion for centuries. During the 18th century french merchants de mode used to send out little poupees dressed in their latest creations to entice potential patrons with exquisitely made miniature replicas of their designs. In the 1940's dolls like Virginia Lachasse  from London and those created for the Théâtre de la Mode from Paris showcased the talents and workmanship of couturiers in the mid 20th century.

As a designer working on a small scale is a great way to try out new things with little expense, and a fun alternative outlet to showcase work in a different way.

Dolls can also be a fun way of finding new styles to try for yourself! For the vintage fashion lover vintage and retro Barbie fashions can be a fun source of inspiration for your full scale fashion! As can some of the amazing Gene dolls out there.


 Make Your Own Doll!

I've had a tutorial on my site for a few years with tips on making your own ball jointed dolls, and this past weekend before jetting off to England to stay with my family over the holidays, I also added a tutorial for customizing fashion dolls! You can use the tips for customizing the freak fab Monster High dolls, but the same techniques can also be used to create your own unique Barbie dolls or which ever fashion doll speaks to you most! When it's all about expressing your style, it's always fun to find a doll that reflects it the best!

 There are some tips on how to wipe, re-root and paint your doll, ready for your miniature fashion adventures! Give it a shot and let your inner designer run wild!

The new tutorial plus extra photos of my 2 newest Monster High customs can be found on the Dolly Daydream site here!

Slow Moe Zombie Star

Phew! I've barely been at home for that past couple of months, and working like a crazy person in between. I did take off last weekend though and dedicated it to to reconnecting with a fun old hobby... DOLLS!

After hanging out with some great friends in New York I a few weeks back I came away with a new crippling addiction to Monster High (which is helping me get over a bad Poupee Girl habit). The doll I most fell in love with is good old Ghoulia, the retro headband, the cat-eye glasses, the comic books, whats not to love right? Well everyone knows that in the doll world a boyfriend doll is a like a Louis Vuitton purse, it's the accessory all the superstars have right? Like Barbie and Ken, he's always kinda been the accessory that let everyone know Barbie was higher up the food chain than Skipper. So since Ghoulia is a doll superstar in my heart and I've never been one to leave well enough alone, it was time to turn my tools towards customizing her a Slow Moe character boyfriend doll!

 

As luck would have it everything I needed arrived in time for the weekend and after a few hours of demolishing a poor Jackson doll I was able to re-paint, re-root (the hair), re dress and even flock the guy into a zombie chess star beau! It was a blast sewing tiny clothes again and painting on doll heads.

Dolly Daydream Back in Action!
The whole thing really reignited my love of playing with dolls and even gave me the first update in a long time to my much loved Dolly Daydream site. I've got plans to finish off the rest of the ball joint doll tutorials over there, and for adding some fashion doll customizing tutorials too, so so anyone with any interest in dolls, that's the space to watch!