Sydney On the Rocks

Sydney On the Rocks, originally uploaded by alington.

This is probably my all-time favorite Sydney Chase--a Chelsea's Collector Cottage exclusive, Sydney On The Rocks. She was a limited edition of 300, created for the 2006 Dolls In Oz event.

I bought mine new, but I can't seem to find her jewelry. I still love her.

I should have gotten a photo of her shoes--they are adorable. Next time! This photoshoot was interrupted by my kids--coming home from school. But you can see some of the rest of the photos on Flickr.

Marvelously Morose - My Dark Valentine

Marvelously Morose, originally uploaded by alington.

This is one of Tonner Doll's Halloween convention dolls from 2008, Sister Dreary Marvelously Morose. She's been redressed in a one-of-a-kind Mod Alice (rather wonderfully dark) outfit, that is convertible to fuchsia--specifically for my Valentine's Day display.

I love this girl.

The outfit was created by Nancie at Nankatts, and Nancie does fabulous stuff--she designed this for me based of a photo and my descriptions. She knew exactly what I wanted, and did a wonderful job.

See the rest of Sister Dreary's photoshoot on Flickr. Enjoy your weekend!

Meet Adel!

Adel, originally uploaded by alington.

My newest ball-jointed doll has arrived, and she's a cutie!

Meet Adel, a special edition Elfdoll tiny with human ears from 2007. I bought her used on Den of Angels. I couldn't be happier.

And she included two extra head caps. With these dolls, you glue the wigs onto the head caps to switch them. Now, I have two extra options of my little girls to wear. Hooray! And, now I have an extra pair of high heel feet, so I can restring Sylf, if I'd like her to be able to stand.

Adel is so sassy and classy. She's only 5.5" (about 14 cm) tall. So cute and tiny.

Visit my Flickr photostream to see her box opening (the seller even wrapped her up so nicely!), her first photo shoot, and also Adel posing with the rest of my tiny family.

Lan in Frivolous

Lan in Frivolous, originally uploaded by alington.

It turns out my slim MSD Lan BJD (by Bobobie), who can share clothes with Tyler Wentworth, actually shares clothes even better with Antoinette. She's slimmer than Tyler, so this outfit, Frivolous, designed for the 2009 Antoinette collection (Tonner Doll Company), fits perfectly.

Shoes are a bit snug--they are for an American Model--but they do just fine. Her wig is Faith by Monique Gold.

You can see the rest of this shoot on my Flickr photostream.

Tonner Doll dealer rumors...

No links or photos... but I did hear some interesting talk from one of my dealers. In the special dealers-only room, possibly:

• New line of smaller Harry Potter dolls, with better character likeness (Hermione especially!), waiting for studio approval
• Jacob in Twilight series is next on the release list
• Tron figures and licensing is still in the works
• Tim Burton dolls are really fabulous--just waiting on studio approval
• I hear the Lord of the Rings prototype dolls are also fantastic. Just waiting on studio approval
• Cami&Jon™ - Jon is actually a Jac sculpt in Honey skin tone on Antoinette body--if you hadn't caught that yet. You may be able to catch a sneak peek of her on some Flickr photostreams.

New shipping schedule from Tonner

Tonner has updated its shipping schedule as of February 2, 2010. Contact your favorite dealer today to place any pre-orders!

These dolls are in stock now:

• Fifth Avenue Piggy
• Tranquil
• Organic
• Wanton
• Formal Affair

Here are the estimated shipping dates:

• Wolfsbane - middle February
• Belladonna - middle February
• Hemlock - middle February
• Black Magic - middle February
• Sealing the deal - middle February
• Harley Quinn™ Deluxe - beginning March
• Cristal - beginning March
• Falling for Her - middle February
• Spot On - beginning March
• 57th and Fifth - beginning March
• Minty Fresh - middle February
• Backstage Invitation - middle February
• 2010 Miss Piggy Basic - middle February
• Alice Kingsley - beginning February (that's, like, soon!)
• Glowing Muse Basics (both) - end April
• Vivacious - middle March
• Alabaster Mannequin - beginning March
• 2010 Mannequins (all) - beginning March
• Intoxicating - middle February
• Decay and Decadence - beginning March
• Dance of Death - end of March
• All Dressed Up Like Racehorses - middle February
• Dancing on a Cloud - middle February
• And the Award Goes to... - middle February
• Fame and Fortune - middle February
• Woman of Passion - middle February
• Monica Merrill™ - "It" Girl - middle March
• Flipped Out - end April
• On the Fringe - end April
• A Gimlet for the Lady -  middle February
• Monica Galore - middle February
• That's All She Wrote - beginning March
• Track Shoes - middle February
• Hiking Boots - middle February
• Casual Sandals - middle February
• Super Casual - middle March
• Onyx - middle February
• Basic Black Mei Li - middle March
• Centennial Rose Patsy™ - middle March

These dolls have a to-be-determined shipping date:

• Brother Dreary
• Next to Nothings
• Cami Basics (all)
• Jonquil Basic
• All Cami & Jon™ outfits
• Powergirl™ Deluxe
• 2010 DeeAnna Basic Platinum
• Tarrant, the Mad Hatter (need studio/actor approval)
• Iracebeth, the Red Queen (need studio/actor approval)
• Mirana, the White Queen (need studio/actor approval)
• Cinderella (need studio/actor approval)
• Princess Tiana (need studio/actor approval)
• Jessica Rabbit™
• Instinct and Flirty Shoe Packs
• Willful
• Juxtaposed
• Incendiary
• What's My Lamb Gonna Wear?
• Twelve Oaks (need studio/actor approval)
• 8" Scarlett O'Hara™
• Strider, Ranger of the North (need studio/actor approval)
• Arwen Evenstar (need studio/actor approval)
• Sweet Somethings
• 8" Dorothy Gale
• The Painted Lady
• Sheehee
• The Bearded Lady
• Keiko
• Marina
• Quimby
• Sterling Nights
• Power Play
• Centennial Rose Patsyette™

Anya in pink

Anya in pink, originally uploaded by alington.

I'm getting ready for Valentine's Day and converting my dolls to pink outfits and hair, where I can.

This is Anya, newly sueded (I'm working an a blog post to explain sueding for my Dolls blog) and blushed. She's wearing Morphoa's pink wig today, and it's a bit big, but really cute.

I am so excited to tell you I've seen real-life photos of Kim Lasher's 2010 dolls, including Simply Alice. If you have the funds, and have been considering a doll, you might want to check out her website today and over the next few days--they are wonderful. Also, she previewed a smaller doll, Violet, who might be YoSD sized. So adorable. (Must have!)

My family will be eating rice and beans for the rest of the year if I'm not careful! See the rest of Anya's photoshoot on Flickr.

Cami & Jon™ by Tonner Doll - Made to Order

This morning was the grand unveiling of Cami & Jon™, Tonner's new line of dolls featuring the Antoinette body. Cami is a Cinderella head planted on the Antoinette body--somehow her neck looks a little better, and her sculpt looks a bit more realistic (probably because of her make-up style). Jon is short for Jonquil, and she will have the honey skin tone and brown eyes (no news on what her head sculpt will be, however).

Her wardrobe is amazing, even I must admit. No dressed dolls are available--only basics. One Jonquil, and three Camis (all Cameo skin tone with green eyes, with brunette, blonde or red hair) and all retail for $79.99.

Now, on to edition sizes. This line is Tonner's first line which will be "made to order." That means, these dolls have not yet been produced, and they won't be, until Tonner has orders from retailers. As soon as retailers place their orders, then Tonner will make the production run. That way, only retailers will be left with extra inventory. Hmm. That's an interesting concept. (Ooops, did I just gripe on my blog?)

On to the outfits. There are eight of them, plus one accessories pack, and photos aren't yet available for all the outfits. I hope Tonner isn't expecting dealers to rush to place orders before they have even seen the outfits. (Shoot, I just griped again.) The prices range from $79.99-99.99 (comparable to Antoinette). And they really are current fashion and lovely.

This being said--I am not a fan of the Cinderella sculpt. I think she usually looks cartoony. But I kind of like Cami. Especially the brunette version (her smokey eyes). And I adore the fashions. Plus, my ball-jointed doll Lan can share fashions with Antoinette, and I may need to order at least one of these.

Please pardon me--I make an effort to keep this blog as positive as possible, but I find this made-to-order thing a little irritating. If I were a doll company, I would try to do everything in my power to keep my working relationship with my dealers friendly. And truthfully, I have to admit, I didn't see any Tonner Exclusives advertised in the 2010 line. So that's a good thing.

As a customer, who has recently switched over to cash only, this made-to-order irritates me, too. This means I will need to rely on pre-orders if I want one of these dolls, and that means I have to rely on a Tonner promotional photo to decide whether I want a doll or outfit. However, I understand also that the dolls and outfits may be more limited, so perhaps that will be something to consider. Maybe I can resell the doll or outfit if I don't like her later on: there may be some demand for them--for other collectors who see real-life photos and wish they had pre-ordered. It remains to be seen.

Photos are property of Tonner Doll Company.

Simply Alice - Real Life Photo

Of course, I have to post a real photo of Kim Lasher's first SD-sized resin BJD when she's live on Kim's website. I believe some dealers still have her available.
If you are in the Orlando area this weekend, Kim is displaying at IDEX this weekend, at booth #702. She's giving away a ball-jointed doll in a free drawing, and she will have a few "little surprises" at the show, whatever that might mean!
Again, for those of you new to Kim Lasher and her wonderful ball-jointed dolls, here are the details for Alice:
She stands 23 inches tall, and she's a limited edition of 125 pieces. She has a beautiful sandy-blonde wig. She'll have silicon blue eyes and a blue cotton dress with a corset tie up the back, crochet lace trim, chiffon sleeves and flower embroidery at the bottom of her skirt. She'll come to you wearing black and white striped tights with white patent leather shoes.

New AvantGuards

Available for pre-order from your favorite Integrity Toys dealer, two new AvantGuards have been announced. Both retail for $220 each, with a March/April delivery date:

• On Edge is wearing a short, sleeveless black dress with a cross-over front, complete with an over-the-top hot pink feathered cape that closes in the front with a satin bow. She has a raven bobbed wig,  blue runway style eye makeup, black mesh gloves, chunky black jewelry, and black platform shoes with floral embellishment that complete her look.
• Hot To Trot is wearing a couture black gown with a long black train, with bright orange feathers peeking out from the front of the skirt. Her flaming bobbed wig compliments her bright run-way style makeup, and she also is wearing black gloves, chunky earrings, and amazing skyscraper platforms.

Photos are property of Integrity Toys.

Butterfly Shadow Gene

Designed for the Ashton-Drake Galleries as her final appearance, Butterfly Shadow Gene will be the farewell doll for her retirement and for Ashton-Drake's 25th Anniversary.

Her retail price is $199.99. She has a raven up-do and trimmed with pink roses, which are also flowing onto her black and white couture evening gown, the fabric of which has been hand-printed. The bodice has long sleeves, and the skirt is full and has a layer of chiffon over the top.

This doll will be the last Gene doll to debut outside the final convention collection.
Photos are property of Ashton-Drake.