Latest Posts by happywonders - Page 8

moments from this summer :)

Kerry Egan, On Living

Barbie's "Commuter Set" is another look that seems to be lifted directly from a Vogue cover:

It's a perfect look for a girl going into the city for a day of shopping.

The Little Mermaid and Friends

“Wish I could be part of that world”

Eric and Ariel setting up a diorama with their minis.

♫Big Blue Wave by Hey Ocean!

In 2000 and 2001, Mattel paid homage to the designers working on the dolls themselves with a two-doll series (perhaps originally intended to be ongoing longer) called the Grand Entrance series.

The first of these is in a blue and white ballgown, with a collection of white roses adorning her hip.

The second was elaborately dolled up in shades of pink. Both were packaged with a "guide to collecting", in a bid to encourage would-be collectors to become full-time collectors.

Each of the doll credits the designer on the front of the box, and provides a brief blurb about the designer on the back, including a brief list of other Barbies that they worked on designing.

One of the reasons I suspect this series might have been intended to be ongoing and then wasn't is because of the designer they picked to showcase for the debut of this collection, Carter Bryant. Carter Bryant is not exactly a household name, but it may be recognisable to people "in the know" in the doll world.

On May 21, 2001, only a handful of months after Carter Bryant was showcased as the second designer after BillyBoy* (and the first designer who was a regular employee of Mattel rather than a collaborator) to be credited by name on a doll, MGA Entertainment released a doll that was to become one of Barbie's big competitors.

And why is it relevant when Bratz hit the market?

Yes, the same Carter Bryant.

This became the crux of the lawsuit Mattel v MGA Entertainment, as written about by Orly Lobel in her book You Don't Own Me: How Mattel V. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie's Dark Side, which I read not long ago and highly recommend.

I don't know for sure whether this was relevant to Mattel not continuing the collectors series showcasing their designers, but let's just say I wouldn't rule it out either.

Day at the Beach

“The ocean is my happy place.” ♫Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin (Dal doll by Groove, Pullip type doll)

The Magic of Camelot: A Medieval Soap Opera by Christopher Varaste

Barbie® Bazaar - August 2000

Moomin plate. if you even care

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

The Secret Garden (1993), dir. Agnieszka Holland

Doll of the Day: Faraway Forest Fairy Kingdom Wedding Giftset

On April 30th Mattel released the last dolls in it’s very nice Faraway Forest Collection. They are a bride and groom on a wedding themed giftset. IDK if you guys follow the Faraway Forest Collection, but IMO it’s one of the nicest things Mattel has produced in recent years. All photos in this post are by Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

From Left To Right: Lady Of The White Woods (2015), King of the Crystal Cave (2017) The Wedding Giftset (2018), Queen of the Dark Forest (2015), Water Sprite (2016) and Elf (2014).  The whole collection is very beautiful, with marked exceptions - giving Water Sprite’s iridescent plastic skirt the side-eye as I write - and I’d gladly have almost all of them. As it is, I own Lady of the White Woods, King of the Crystal Cave and now the Wedding Giftset.

Wedding giftsets are nothing new to Mattel, and I’m bored out of my wits by them selling the idea that a wedding is the highest point in a woman’s life through their dolls. Non-binary that I am, I also wish for a non-binary wedding couple as well. C’mon, these dolls are directed to the adult collectors, and I’m pretty sure we’re all big enough to handle the fact that the world is a diverse place. Still, with all my pet peeves, I like the dolls and I’m really sorry to see this collection end.

On to the couple itself. I really like the fabric on their matching outfits, and since matching couples is a period thing, I really like it. Her outer dress is also a bit reminiscent of a Giornea, a Italian Renaissance style which I love to bits. The big golden bough is blown out of proportion IMO. It would be prettier if it was a bit smaller.

See what I mean? Still, it’s not ugly per se. Her sheer chemise is probably attached to the upper gown, which is a pity, but that’s usually the way Mattel does these dresses.

Her make up is ok. The blue shadow bothers me a bit, but I’ve seen much much worse from Mattel and other doll companies. I love her fiery hair and her crown is gorgeous!

Her groom is very nice! He’s wearing a mix of  a male Houppelande and a Courtepy. But it’s a Fantasy doll, so everything is possible.

The trim down the front of the tunic is not too shabby. The velvet undersleeves are nice. Some lining on the outer-sleeves would have made the tunic look so much better. His belt is very nice and the buckle is downright gorgeous!

His boots though… They are well into “The Realm of WTFery” ™. Why-the- fake-dirt-oh-Valar-why… I can’t even… Agh.

His crown is very nice too, and his shoulder piece is cool. It’s a pity he doesn’t come with a floor-sweeping cape like King of the Crystal Cave. But still, he is no doubt a very nice doll. For now that’s all I have to say. I promise another Doll of the Day about them with real life photos as soon as they arrive!

This week, Fashionistas #22, #23 and #24 are in the spotlight! Come on! Let's go !  Everything is allowed ! You can find your photos in the story on the front page "MyFashionistas" !

Hi! your harper is so cute! where did you get her outfit from?

Hello and thank you ♡ If you mean the latest post, her pinafore is from Aliexpress, hat, tshirt and stockings made by me, bracelets modded from an old pair of earrings and her shoes are from a random doll I got many years ago from a garage sale. :)

by rikusiren

Almost autumn, babe. Enjoy the last of these long summer days, then it's harvest season with pumpkin everything. We can't wait.

another hybrid doll, this time a magic mixies pixlings unia + g1 monster high operetta.

in moose's official photos for unia, she looked much closer in color to draculaura, but she's actually a perfect match for operetta's skintone (last pic). and with all her fancy face designs, operetta's carved neck and shoulder details don't look out of place. i did buff out her black and red arm tattoo though.

the pixling neckholes are much smaller than the monster high ones. i ended up having to use my dremel and a drillbit with a circumference of abt 3cm (the size of the largest part of the mh neck bulb) to drill it open wider. it isn't a perfect solution, because if you pull or push on her head too hard it'll pop out of place, but for display and photos it works well and she's got a full range of motion.

I finally decorated my dream ita/doll bag!

Actually made more than the inserts, but that’s because the base bag wasn’t the best.. the inserts are the fun part!

Made one that is the interior space, and one that’s a change of scenery so I have a total of 3 views out that window ^^

Almost autumn, babe. Enjoy the last of these long summer days, then it's harvest season with pumpkin everything. We can't wait.

The bag and beret are from my childhood and I treasure them.