The dolly photo bomb.

Kisha, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Does this happen to you?

You're trying to take semi-serious doll photos and boom! Someone uninvited shows up in your background.

It seems like every photo session I have an eager "helper."

Kisha is the doll shown above--a Peak's Woods BJD dressed in Val Zeitler and Leekeworld wig. Bear is on the coffee table, and Chanel is walking in front of her.

Animal Magnetism

Animal Magnetism, a photo by alington on Flickr.

From the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Dinner, this is Animal Magnetism, Tonner's 16" Marilyn Monroe sculpt.

She is on a new Starlet body, which uses a Tyler Wentworth bust, and a curvy bottom, and high heel feet. She has rooted blonde hair, blue eyes, and an open mouth.

Her jewelry and her outfit is really nicely done in this piece--and I believe she was limited to 200 dolls. Her jacket is lined and closes in front with a rhinestone clip. Her black gown is also lined, and uses a black on black printed satin.

She wears black peep toe mules with bow detailing at the toe.

I wasn't at first sold on this sculpt--but the more I take her out an play with her, the more I can see her as Marilyn. I really love her!

See more photos on Flickr!

Flights of Fancy - 2012 Tonner convention events

Madame et le Citron (Sydney), a photo by alington on Flickr. 
Convention centerpiece doll from 2011.

The events from Tonner's 2012 convention in May have been announced as follows (pay special attention to the sneak announcement of the brand new Marilyn Monroe sculpt at the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes event!):

Thursday, May 17, 2012 7:30 pm: Welcome Aboard! 

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Captain Robert Tonner, Tonner Air and the entire flight crew, welcome aboard! Prepare to take to the skies with Tonner as we take flight for the opening dessert event on Thursday evening! Meet old friends and make new ones as we take off, gliding through the Tonner skies! You’ll soar into the heavens with glee, as you discover your very special souvenir! So, ladies and gentlemen, Captain Tonner has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign, so put on your aviator sunglasses, leather bomber jackets, Captain’s hats and stewardess ensembles, and make sure your seat is in the upright position for take off!

Friday, May 18, 2012 11 am: A Wilde Flight

Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Tonner has turned on the fasten seat belt sign again. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return to your seats, and be prepared for audience participation! Looks like things could get a little Wilde on this flight… Join us for a little fun as we maneuver through the heavens, where brunch will be served and where Special Guests Evangeline Ghastly, Ellowyne Wilde and Lizette Dionne will be making an appearance, too!

Please note: The special dolls for this event will be sold separately.

Friday, May 18, 2012 6 pm: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Breakout Event - $199

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and what you’ll find at this amazing dinner event is truly a diamond in the rough! Take a walk down memory lane with us, past peroxide bottles and beauty marks as we celebrate one of the most iconic Blondes in the history of the world! Join us for the introduction of Tonner’s very first NEVER BEFORE SEEN Marilyn Monroe sculpt. And even more special will be the stunning centerpiece, which is guaranteed to take your breath away...not to mention your gold-digging souvenir…wink, wink! *Blows kisses seductively*

Saturday, May 19, 2012 8am: Let it sew, Let it sew, Let it sew… – $175

Get into the Christmas spirit with 4 inches of Yule Tide joy: Amelia Thimble! Wilde Imagination’s tiniest ball-jointed stitch is celebrating Christmas in a BIG way, and she requests your presence at her breakfast event! Come decked out in your finest Christmas attire (a hideously-festive sweater, a fun Christmas hat, etc), and prepare to be judged! And because you’ve all been good little boys and girls, she wants to make sure you leave this event with a very special souvenir, tailored just for you: An Amelia Thimble Gift Set! Sew, (!) it seams (ha! - oh someone stop us!) that this is not an event you would want to miss!

Saturday, May 19, 2012 12noon: Amazonia – Breakout Event – $199

Experience the one-shot Wonder at this highly-anticipated Wonder Woman luncheon event! Don your finest red, white and blue and enter into an alternate reality in another time and place! Come and explore a non-canon story of this DC Comics legendary heroine, and you’ll leave with an impressive souvenir of one of Wonder Woman’s many incarnations! You’ll also get a chance to catch an incredible presentation of the fascinating, fashionable history of costumes of Super Heroines that you won’t want to miss. Join us in celebration of one of the greatest champions for women’s liberation of all time!

Saturday, May 19, 2012 6pm: Flights of Fancy

As they say, birds of a feather flock together, so come and flock with us at this lark of a banquet dinner! Put all your eggs in one basket and join us for a fowl of a good time! Rare and exotic birds are the name of this game (Get it? Game??), so find a crest of your finest feather, or panache of plume, or even a tuft of tail (faux, of course!) with which to adorn yourself for an evening full of cock-a-doodle-doo! You know what they say: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so come on down and shake your tail feather, where we will have a glorious night of dinner and dancing! Get a bird’s eye view of the delicate but sophisticated souvenir and the intricate centerpiece, and your heart will be as free as a bird! If you miss this fabulous occasion, we can assure you, your goose will be cooked, and you’ll be as mad as a wet hen!

Saturday, May 19 9pm: Angry Birds Pajama Party!!

Come and party down with Team Tonner, but do it in the utmost of comforts: Your pajamas! And the more festive your pajamas, the better, since there will be our famous PJ Contest, judged by the man of the hour: Mr. Robert Tonner! Here are the categories: Birds, Aviation (anything that flies will fly!), and Superhero! And don’t forget about the remarkable Raffle drawing, put together by the phenomenal Raffle Committee! Be there or be [ ]!

Sunday, May 20, 2012 9am: Bon Voyage

Think famous goodbyes, departures and takeoffs for this Sunday morning breakfast buffet! We’ll all dine together one last time, and then of course, we’ll begin our infamous Charity Auction! You’ll get to oooohhh and aaaahhhhh over the many wonderful OOAKs, and some of you will be lucky enough to even leave with one! Worry not, dear Collect-Os, you won’t be leaving empty-handed, there will be one more parting gift from Tonner! And then we’ll say our farewells….so long, and Bon Voyage!

Why I Love Robert Tonner, Joe Petrollese and Crush on Jack Kralik

Everyone has his or her favorite doll line or character. Take for instance, my fellow bloggers: for Alison it's Peakswoods BJDs; Kathie & Valerie are Poppy Parker crazy; and Shuga, well, she’s an Integrity girl. But for me, it's Tonner & Wilde Imagination, pretty much all the way.

Recently I was counting my dolls on display, by company (I'm a counter, who knows why, a bit of OCD perhaps?) and here's what I came up with: BJDs - 1, contemporary Barbie - 3, vintage Barbie - 6, Madame Alexander - 2, Integrity - 7, Wilde Imagination - 10, Tonner - 31. And trust me, there are many more Tonners and WIs currently in storage that used to reside in my second bedroom, before my son moved home after graduating from college. It was a tough call there for awhile, but flesh and blood won over hard plastic and vinyl.

Which got me to thinking; why Tonner? What is it about his dolls that call to me so much? The other dolls pretty much come and go around here, but every time I think I'm going to let some of my Tonners or Ellowynes go, it doesn't happen.

So why do I love Robert Tonner? Two words: Tyler and Imagination. Tyler is by far my favorite sculpt. There is something so sweet about her face, she looks like the type of woman you'd like to have as a best friend (lucky Sydney!). She can also look so different and versatile from wicked & naughty (Charmed), to sweet & classy (Nights in White Satin), fun (It’s My Party, Harlequin, Look of the Season), whimsical (Believe) and elegant & stunning (Fire Opal, Casino Jade, Autumn Gold). And her clothes are to die for.

Fire Opal Tyler and Autumn Gold Tyler

Blues Skies Glinda in Winter Forest and Basic Witch in Griffin Splendor

Robert's imagination seems inexhaustible! The Oz line (think Blue Skies Glinda, Witchcraft), Alice in Wonderland (Alice Through the Looking Glass, Wonderland Costume Ball, Blushing Queen), Cinderella, Reimagination, Sinister Circus, Fashion Zombies, and on and on. The dolls are beautiful, the costumes divine and the quality is unsurpassed. I've always wondered how he comes up with all of his ideas. Does he dream dolls?

And let's not forget Ellowyne. She has her own Yahoo Group and Doll Board. I know many who have pretty much quit collecting anything else.

As for Joe: the man who created Evangeline Ghastly and Amelia Thimble (I recently saw my first Amelia in person and could she be any cuter? The Halloween gift set was quickly added to my Grail list.) Evangeline is just fabulous! Everything about her from her story, her armoire, her pets and her incredible outfits. Joe is also responsible for many of Tonner's fabulous outfits: The Devereaux Sisters, many, if not all, of the Oz costumes. So loving Robert and Joe, you may ask why the "crush" on Jack? First off; he's pretty cute and sexy. And secondly and more importantly; I have a fairly strong suspicion that Jack is one of the reasons Tonner Doll Company is so successful. Every good company needs a good businessperson. And unless Robert is one of those rare individuals who is a great Artist and a good businessman (as an Art Major, my experience has been that the two don't go together very often) Jack probably fulfills a much needed dose of reality. Without Jack, it might be a little shaky. And did I mention he's cute? :)

And finally, the Tonner Doll Company does a lot for various charities. I work for a non-profit in South San Diego that shelters battered women (and men) and their children. Every year we hold a fundraiser with a silent auction. Since I first wrote requests letters for donated items for those auctions, both Tonner and Wilde Imagination have sent one or two items, every year. The rest of the doll companies; MA sent a doll once, and we've never heard back from the others.

So for Robert, Joe and Jack; my heartfelt love and admiration. Keep up the good work, Gentlemen. (And for Debra & Michelle too!)

xoxo