Tag: dolls

Just like that Cat in the Hat…

Mattel’s Birthstone Beauties are back, representing every month, to wish you abundance in health, prosperity, and love in 2011. They also remind you to party responsibly, and please don’t drive under the influence.


(View larger version of photo on black.)

On a personal note, thank you to all of you who have supported me in my creative endeavors in 2010. Thank you for buying my books and art and offering encouragement. Thank you for visits and phone calls and mail. Thanks for playing nice with me on LiveJournal, Facebook, Flicker, and Twitter. Every year has its challenges, but mine have always been buffered by the kindness, love, and laughter of family and friends.

Onward!

The Rhonda, the Vampire, and the Wardrobe

Rhonda has never made any secret of her disdain for Bella Swan, angsty, self-absorbed heroine of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Through the first two movies, she was completely supportive of those vampires who track, stalk, and otherwise terrorize Bella. Rhonda says she hasn’t seen Eclipse, the third movie, but she’s heard rumors that Victoria is creating an army of vampires for the sole purpose of avenging the death of her mate–a death for which Victoria holds vampire Edward responsible. Naturally, Rhonda supports Victoria’s goal of killing Bella Swan to punish Edward.

Fans of the books/movies generally divide themselves between Bella’s two suitors/defenders, assigning themselves to Team Edward or Team Jacob. When we watched the extras from the second movie, New Moon, Rhonda appreciated the T-shirt given to actress Rachelle Lefevre, who played Victoria in the first two movies, by her stunt double:

When I got Mattel’s Victoria doll, Lindsey privately remarked that Rhonda should own one of those dolls–but wearing a Team Rhonda T-shirt. This was something I could make happen. I also thought about getting Lindsey an Alice doll, since we both like Ashley Greene’s character, and making a Team Alice shirt.

Sadly, when it came time to shop, there was no Alice doll on the shelves. But I did find the Victoria doll for Rhonda. Here, modeling the T-shirts I made for Victoria, are my Alice, Bella, and Victoria dolls:

Since we all saw and liked Alice in Wonderland, Tim suggested an addition to Alice’s T-shirt:

I think I finally found a Barbie doll Rhonda likes:

LJ Runway Monday: Finale, Part 2 (PR 8:14)

The final episode of Season 8 of Lifetime’s Project Runway aired last week, with three designers showing at Fashion Week and the winner announced. Five of five people at The Compound disagreed with the outcome.

Hopefully those of you who’ve stuck with my dolls throughout this season won’t be as disappointed by my results. I was a little miffed during Episode 10, the “make your own fabric” challenge, because that had been my plan all along for my final collection.

First, I painted sixteen 9×18 pieces of unbleached muslin:

I further challenged myself by deciding that I couldn’t cut the fabric. I could sew it, but after showing the collection, I wanted to be able to remove the designs from my models, take out all the stitching, and once again have intact paintings. I’m putting my twelve (plus one–the Heidi challenge) looks behind a cut because there are a lot of photos.

Click here to see the designs, please.

Working out well…for ME

Friday night, The Brides came over for craft night. I was the only one who crafted (you’ll see the result of that in my Sunday night post), but that’s okay, because the other reason for getting together was to celebrate their fourth anniversary. Earlier that day, I tried to make a cake, but someone had put a couple of deli pickles in the butter compartment of the refrigerator. The pickle smell had permeated the stick of butter I used, so that batter got thrown out, and I made a second, more successful cake.

Saturday, their anniversary celebration continued with a brunch at Rhonda’s parents’ house. While there, Rhonda dived into her old toy box and brought something back for me. It’s a donation to my collection–one I didn’t have before today:


1969 Twist N Turn Barbie, often called “The Marlo” because of her Marlo Thomas That Girl hair flip.
I LOVE HER!

Thank you, Rhonda. You should have anniversaries more often, I think.

LJ Runway Monday: We’re in a New York State of Mind (PR 8:12)

Heidi: We’ve made it to the end of the challenges of this season’s Runway Monday. Though there are dust bunnies racing with abandon across the hardwood floors of Becks’ house, and The Compound grass has all died again, at least she’s managed to produce a record twenty challenge looks this season.

Barbie: Not to mention an additional fifteen looks for us throughout the season.

Summer: Tonight, however, we’re dressed in Mattel. Not just so Becks could concentrate on this week’s challenge, but because she’s working on her final collection.

Heidi: Why? How does she know she’ll be picked to show a collection during Fashion Week?

Summer: Maybe because she’s the only designer we’ve got?

Heidi: Oh. Right.

Barbie: I chose tonight’s dresses because–

Heidi: They remind everyone that Christmas is right around the corner, and Barbies are a girl’s best friend?

Barbie: –because I felt guilty about not using any of the Birthstone Beauties as models this season. So I thought we could at least wear their dresses.

Summer: I’m in May. Heidi’s in January. And Barbie’s in April. I wonder what this week’s runway model will be in?

Heidi: Manhattan. On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, Mayor Bloomberg gave the designers the entire city of New York to use as their inspiration.

Summer: Becks chose Midtown, most particularly the majestic Art Deco skyscrapers.

Barbie: She’s dressing Esperanza as the Empire State Building?

Heidi: Let’s see!

Please click here for photos.

LJ Runway Monday: A Look in the Line (PR 8:11)


Barbie: Wow, we look great in our vintage clothes.

Summer: Right?

Barbie: I’m wearing Mattel, circa 1962. What about you?

Summer: I’m wearing Lynne’s Mom, date unknown.

Barbie: I’m not sure I’ve heard of that label.

Summer: That shows you how exclusive it is. Speaking of labels, on the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create a look for a special client’s label.

Barbie: Or as some former LJ Runway Monday designer calls it from the safety of Becks’ living room, “working in Heidi’s sweat shop.”

Summer: That’s even more applicable for this challenge, because the designers were asked to create a look to be included in Heidi Klum’s activewear line. Then they heard the challenge twist: They actually had to create three looks. The designs had to fit in with Heidi’s overall collection and use some of the fabric that’s part of her existing line.

Barbie: The winning designer’s looks will be sold as part of Heidi’s line on amazon.com. Unpaid labor!

Summer: Where’s Norma Rae when you need her?

Barbie: Making Boniva commercials. Heidi isn’t with us, because she’ll be on the runway with the other models I picked for this challenge, Neysa and Rocky. Let’s see how Becks dressed them.

Please click here to see.

LJ Runway Monday: There’s a Pattern Here (PR 8:10)

Heidi: On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were sent to the workroom to get their next challenge. First, they were surprised to see that photos of themselves growing up had been loaded onto their HP computers.

Barbie: Then they were told they’d be repeating a challenge from a previous season: They had to create an original fabric look using HP/Intel technology. (Becks’ response to that previous season’s challenge can be seen here if you’re interested.)

Summer: To either inspire or distract them, the show brought in their mothers (or in Christopher’s case, his partner) for a day away from the work room.

Barbie: We couldn’t bring in relatives for Becks, but we do know the stories behind some of her photos.

Heidi: For example, the photo below was one of her mother’s least favorites (Becks got sick later that night and was admitted to the hospital), but we think that even with illness looming, she’s fashion forward, wearing Ugg boots long before Kate Hudson and Sarah Jessica Parker were born popularized them.

Barbie: Here, Becks shows an early interest in dolls and the color pink, obviously already a candidate for Mattel and me!

Summer: In this one, Becks (far left), having been given a big box of clothes from her grandmother, chooses always-fashionable black. Note the sheer fabric used over the bodice and for the sleeves.

Heidi: Purple! Oddly, Becks has this same hairstyle today.

Barbie: Uh-oh. The hippie season. Long stringy hair, dark circles under the eyes, bellbottoms, and smock tops.

Summer: Instead of doing a close-up of those big fuzzy black house shoes–or subjecting you to the shoulder pad years–how ’bout a couple of little black dresses–and one lady in red?

Heidi: Classy! Can Becks measure up to Mattel this week?

Please click here to see.