Queen Elizabeth I

This is Henry VIII's daughter by Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth. She had the longest reign (forty-four) of the Tudor children. She never married, probably because of the examples she saw in her sister's marriage, (Bloody) Mary to Phillip, King of Spain, and the way in which her father ruthlessly went through and disposed of his wives.
This is a RTW Tyler Spring doll from 2002. She has the original straight-arm body. I'm seriously thinking of upgrading her to a bendy-wrist body style. I'd also love some eye enhancements, but she was such a good deal. For now, I think she looks fine in Elizabeth Swann's court gown from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection.

Anne of Cleves, Jane Seymour and Kathryn Howard

The Wives of Henry VIII collection is coming along quite nicely. I'm not finished dressing the dolls yet, but I thought I'd post a few photos as they are.
The Queen of Clubs (Betty Ann sculpt) is dedicated as Henry's "dear sister," Anne of Cleves, also known as his fourth wife. I think her hair makes her look German, even though it's not "yellow," as Henry described. I will need to swap her fancy gown for a more modest and plainer gown, plus she (and my other dolls) need hoods to cover their hair. I was so surprised at how pretty this doll is. I thought she was pretty on the Tonner website, but she is just really elegant looking. She is classic!
Cinderella Masquerade is a Doll Market purchase. She is young-looking enough to be Henry's fifth wife (and second one he beheaded for adultery), Kathryn Howard. She was very young when she became queen, about 17 or 18. She probably was a brunette--but we don't really know. However, Henry did have a taste for redheads (both Catherine of Aragon and Katherine Parr had red or auburn hair).
My blonde Jane doll is Jane Seymour, Henry's "one true wife" (third) wife and mother of his only son, Edward. I think I'll take her hair down at some point. She also needs a gown; but for now, she is wearing her peignoir, as she received company after the birth of her son. She died about a week after her son's birth--some say of neglect.
I still need Catherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife. I bought an Angelina Ready-to-Wear doll that would be great for Katherine, but I don't like her. I'm not sure if it's her makeup or what, but I just am not happy with her. I was thinking that the red haired Emme doll would make a better Catherine of Aragon, but I don't actually own her yet! I saw she's on sale at the Doll Market. Maybe I could have her wear one of Hortencia's gowns.

Ultra Basic Tyler photos

Two of my recent purchases include the raven and redhead Ultra Basic Tyler dolls. In my collection, the raven-haired beauty is Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII's second wife, whom he beheaded for not giving him a son), and the redhead will be Katherine Parr, Henry's sixth (and last) wife, who outlived him.
Katherine still needs a gown, but Anne is wearing the gown from the Royal Portrait Queen of Hearts doll. I am thinking of switching her gowns with my Cinderella Masquerade doll--I'm hoping to become inspired by the new episodes of The Tudors on Showtime. Katherine will most likely wear red, but I need to find a nice dark burgundy that won't clash with her red hair.

White Witch of Narnia

I thought I'd post a few photos of the White Witch of Narnia on my blog--when I was looking for photos of this Tonner Doll Company doll online, I couldn't find them easily. My photographic skills leave something to be desired, but I hope I captured her essence in these shots. (My husband says light is the key--I'll have to have him help me later on!)
This doll is from the 2007 Tonner Doll Company convention--I purchased mine from Ebay. She is the Miss Gulch (Wicked Witch) sculpt with sparkling eye makeup. This is not everyone's favorite sculpt--she's not the most delicate Tonner sculpt, and her nose is bigger than some sculpts. I really like her unique angular face.
Her blonde hair is in small dreadlocks, which looks similar to the style in the movie. The only thing I currently have against this doll is her fur coat--I wish there were a way to make it hang more naturally. She is currently is my favorite doll (am I allowed to have favorites?), and occupies the prized glass display case.

Exclusive Tyler Renaissance is sold out!

A gorgeous new doll, exclusively available through Tonner Direct, has been sold out online. The website states that there are a few pieces still available, and you might be able to get one if you call. The email about this doll was released on Friday, and it was sold out (of online quantities) the following day.
She's really a pretty doll--I love the new Tyler sculpt, and her hair is really pretty. Plus, I could use a brown piece for my collection! She's a limited edition of 100.
While available, check out a few great deals on dolls in the Special Offers section. I saw some RTW Jane dolls starting at just $15.

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.

Queen of Clubs/Anne of Cleves has arrived!

Originally, I had planned to order just the dress, but after seeing her in several Ebay photos, I changed my mind.  The Queen of Clubs uses Brenda's friend Betty Ann as the sculpt, and I think she tends to read a little older than some of the other sculpts.  Her hair is platinum, and her braids totally make me think traditional German. Naturally, she is Anne of Cleves.  I may not keep her in the outfit, as Anne when she first moved to England as Henry VIII's fourth wife, she was known for having sort of dowdy or conservative gowns.  I haven't decided yet.

What you can't see in the pictures are her adorable peep-toe shoes. They are black "leather" with tiny red rhinestones attached. I love her!

Paris Fashion Doll Festival exclusive dolls

During my regular Ebay browsing, I came across several exclusive dolls, released in for the Paris Fashion Doll Festival this year. A few have made it to my potential favorites list--as if I could afford to spend the asking price on these girls.
Mademoiselle Tyler and La Belle Mademoiselle Sydney are wearing historical costumes inspired by Charles Worth from the mid 1800s. Both are limited editions of 100 pieces. In addition, there was a limited edition Phantom of the Opera and Christine Dae doll set. You can check out some more pictures on this link.
I've seen the single Tyler and Sydney dolls selling on Ebay for a BIN price of $499, and The Doll Peddlar has both in stock for $599. The Phantom of the Opera set is listed at $999.

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.

New exclusives to be released for FAO

According to the April newsletter, FAO Schwarz will be releasing several new exclusive dolls by Tonner Doll Company. The newsletter said they will be available soon--I haven't seen a firm date yet.
Of my favorites, a Snow Whyte Reimagination doll, shown at the right. On first glance, I thought she was the new Ava sculpt. Now, I think she might be the new Tyler sculpt. Wish I'd waited for my Anne Boleyn!
Also a gorgeous Yule Ball Cho Chang and a new Batman gift set will be offered. I'm quite excited!
Don't forget--you can get cash back through Ebates when you shop at FAO Schwarz!

White Hot Ava is here

The nominee for Dolls Awards of Excellence, White Hot Ava, is now available for $139.99 from Tonner Direct.
The store posts a new photo of this doll, which, to my surprise, looks surprisingly better from the
last few photos I have seen. I thought her chin was too strong and not very feminine, but I like her more now. I wonder if this is one of those dolls that looks better in person than in photos. The outfit is cute, I think, but I'm still not crazy about her. I still wonder who does the nominating for these awards!
You can see the original picture I am speaking about at this link.

Photos courtesy Tonner Doll Company.