The success of UFDC’s Convention depends on one thing and one thing only – Volunteers!

We are desperately in need of help in the following areas:

Competitive Exhibit Room – Dolls, dolls, dolls!  We need more!  One of the highlights of convention is certainly the competitive exhibit room.  This is where our attendees come to learn but mostly to “ooh and aah” over the magnificent collection of dolls displayed in this mini-museum. Don’t hide your dolls under a bushel – bring them to convention and let them shine! Contact Susan Steirn at ssteirn@aol.com or Sherry and Charles Minton at brandjosh@aol.com for more information on entering dolls.  They will be delighted to hear from you.

Volunteers are needed in many areas.  It adds so much more to your convention experience to get involved.  Pat Girbach is desperately in need of monitors.  This is a fun job and you get to welcome your fellow attendees while at the same time doing a very important job.  For more information please contact Pat at aawestie@provide.net.

 Helpers!  Please consider donating a doll or doll related item for our Helper room.  The money raised from this supports our organization.  If you have any questions about what or where to send please contact

Jill Kaar-Hanson at artdoll5913@att.net or Kae Wieser at ufdckae@ufdc.org.     

Volunteer opportunities will be posted at the mini-office on-site so please consider donating a few hours of your time.  In return you will receive a token of thanks from UFDC.

Booklet Changes

Pg. 31  Please note Agnes Sura’s workshop “Shorts and Top for Bleuette” Workshop fee is $68.00 and not $93.00 as listed.

Pg. 31 “2 Dresses for Bleuette” workshop is cancelled. 

Pg. 41  “Hitty Here and Now” has been moved from Wednesday evening to Tuesday evening (same time – Monday listing correct).

Pg. 20  RubyRedGalleria gathering will take place on Tuesday (not Wednesday) evening from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. in Cardoza on the Terrace Level.

Pg. 5 Please note the banquet is on THURSDAY evening and not Friday evening as stated on Page 5 in the booklet.

Addition To Booklet

French Fashion Gathering to be held from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening (July 30^th) in the International Ballroom West on the Concourse level (immediately following the Vogue dinner).

Request Form Changes

• Under Thursday Seminars (Page 2):

“Antique Doll Historical Costuming:  The Edwardian Era” and “Doll Auctions, Treasures and Rewards” – these seminars are being held on Thursday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and NOT Thursday morning.

• Under Wednesday Seminars (Page 1) 2:15 to 5:00 p.m.

“2 Dresses for Bleuette” is cancelled.

• “Shorts and Top for Bleuette” Workshop fee is $68.00 and not $93.00 as listed.

Room Change

UFDC Convention Chairmen’s Meeting will be held in Holmead on the Lobby Level.

Please note these changes and additions!

Updated forms are available on the Convention page.

It has come to the attention of UFDC that some of our convention attendees have called the Hilton’s central number to reserve their rooms for convention only to be told our room block is full. Although we do have limited room availability (there are only 8 double rooms left for our peak nights) there are still rooms. If you are having trouble reserving a room at our negotiated rate, please call Joel Johnson, Reservations Manager for the Washington Hotel, directly at 202-328-2085 and he will help you. If you have any other issues please email Janet Gula at bruhaha@rogers.com. We will do everything to make sure you can stay at the convention hotel and receive the UFDC room block rate! It’s more fun staying on site so don’t miss out! Don’t delay – reserve today! Don’t forget to register with UFDC! 

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C.  It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800.

Judged by the standards of European palaces — and the White House, from its official use, if the only building we have that may be properly compared with them — it is not large; but it is a building of extraordinary beauty and dignity, a restful and altogether satisfying exterior, of which it is hardly too much to say it has no rival in stateliness of effect and simple loveliness among the great mansions of America. The straight lines of its fronts are broken only by the semicircular swelling of the south front, enclosed with a gracious colonnade of similar form, and the great portico of the north front, which serves as a porte-cochere as well as for visitors arriving on foot. Since the recent restoration a new entrance has been added to the end of the east terrace, where guests alight under a spacious porte-cochere, and enter a corridor formed by the terrace, with boxes for wraps and dressing-rooms in the main building, and where a stairway conducts them to the main floor. This arrangement has simplified the handling of the great crowds that throng the white House at receptions and on other festival occasions: For more than any other house in America this building is the scene of great functions, bringing together immense numbers of people, that call for broad passages for their coming and going, and enormous rooms for their entertainment.

President William Howard Taft built the West Wing’s first Oval Office. Designed by Nathan C. Wyeth and completed in 1909, it was centered on the south side of the building, much as the oval rooms in the White House are. Taft intended it to be the center of his administration, and by locating it in the center of the West Wing, he could be more involved with the day-to-day operation of his presidency. The Taft Oval Office had simple Georgian Revival trim, and was likely the most colorful in history; the walls were covered in a vibrant seagrass green.

LETTIE LANE AT HOME

During the Edwardian era, many American women depended on magazines such as Ladies’ Home Journal (LHJ) to keep them up to date on issues of importance to them. And, what were these issues of importance? Well, of course, every American woman was a proper lady who wanted to be well dressed, stylish and up to date on the latest fashions and colors of the season. Looking at the striking and fashionable lady adorning the front of the LHJ in February 1913, we can easily fall under the spell of wanting to enter this era of fashion, proper etiquette and mode of style and grace!!

Edward Bok, LHJ’s editor-in-chief from 1889 to 1918, clearly understood what sold magazines. He had an idea to target and appeal to the daughters of his readers to stir their allegiance to the LHJ as they would be his future readers. While visiting friends in New England, he saw his friend’s daughter intently playing with paper dolls by Boston artist Sheila Young.  DOLLS!! What a great idea, all young girls like to play with DOLLS.  Bok ingeniously hired Miss Young to draw a paper doll series for the magazine. And so, in October 1908, a different type of page for children appeared in most issues. How exciting it was to see how quickly Miss Young’s first page “The Lettie Lane Paper Family” appeared and captured the interest of mothers and most importantly, their daughters.

Right from the start, Lettie had DOLLS!!  Paper dolls, but of course, they like regular dolls were so much fun to play with!!  And because of their success, dolls continued to play a prominent role in the paper doll series.

The July 1909 page was titled “Presenting One of Lettie’s Dolls With Her Hats and Dresses”.  Well, here she appeared, a doll almost identical to the very famous doll named DAISY –  the “Doll Who Came to Life” – as a 1911 premium for selling three subscriptions to LHJ.

What a success the LHJ was able to generate and imagine….without internet and limited phones.  Word spread like crazy about the 18” bisque head German doll and wow…what an instant sensation Daisy became!  What could the LHJ come up with next that would continue to keep the interest and hearts of their younger population of readers???  And so, a little more than a year after Ladies’ Home Journal’s 1911 premium of their doll named Daisy, they ran a similar promotion. How clever of them…imagine a doll house kit that came with an all bisque doll house doll. And once again, little girls sold three subscriptions to get the item. The doll house was exquisite with four rooms, a roof, chimney, patio, foundation and two sets of steps and two interior doors. The art work was so detailed; it even had shadows on the exterior siding to capture how sunlight would have reflected on the house! The high quality of the lithograph was so typical of the Edwardian period.  Although quite a few of the all bisque dolls survived, Atha Kahler – who did the extensive research on Daisy in the 1960’s – only knew of one doll house kit which existed.  An expert and researcher on Daisy and the Lettie Lane paper dolls, Atha was determined to find this doll house and make it her own.  Finally, the doll house kit, in its original box with all its original instructions, came up for auction ‘back east’ in the mid 1960’s.

Over 40 years later, Atha finally acquired the elusive doll house kit. Atha was so excited about getting the doll house and knew and cherished the piece of history she had claim to. But, being a historian and famous for sharing her passion for dolls with so many of her UFDC colleagues, she did what all of us would do for a fellow doll lover – she decided to share her good fortune and give others a chance to lay claim to a piece of doll history.  A few years before Atha became gravely ill, she asked Donelle Denery, an avid doll maker, historian and researcher if she would borrow the doll house and make reproduction kits of the house for fellow doll enthusiasts. And finally, before Atha’s passing, she was kind enough to sell the original doll house kit and original doll house doll she owned to Donelle. Donelle made a commitment to Atha that she would make the reproduction doll house kits so other Daisy and Lettie Lane collectors could add this treasure to their collection. It took hundreds of hours to prepare the doll house kit and write the detailed instructions. The amount of work was endless but the result was a fantastic reproduction which makes an exact replica of the original doll house that Atha had.  Professionally printed in Cape Cod, MA, a limited number of kits were made and NOW…we are thrilled that UFDC has purchased all of the remaining kits in the limited edition.  This treasure and heirloom is just one of the souvenir gifts at an event that is sure to be exciting, fun and truly special.

Dollspart is so thrilled to be participating in the forthcoming “Lettie Lane at Home” luncheon event.  We are sure all of you are familiar with Dollspart Supply Co.  Dollspart is the oldest doll supply business in the US today.  Started in 1940, long before the internet and any other means of communication existed, Dollspart has and continues to be the innovator of so many special and needed items in the doll world.  Today, over 70 years later, Dollspart is still vibrant and going strong with Barbara and David at the helm.  They strive to bring a vast selection of the best products to fill all the needs of collectors, restorers and doll makers.  Their dedication as well as passion for the doll world is unsurpassed.

 Daisy won the hearts of Dollspart Supply as she reached her 100^th Birthday.  After all, who can be friends with Donelle Denery and not love Daisy???   Dollspart dedicated themselves to making Daisy’s 100th birthday full of fun and continued Daisy’s birthday celebration into a full year of surprises as the Lettie Lane Doll House reached its 100^th Birthday in 2012.  There were birthday events with articles and pictures about Daisy and the Lettie Lane Doll House appearing in miniature magazines and ads in all the doll magazines showing off the doll house.  AND now…each limited edition Lettie Lane doll house is about to get some new owners who will love and cherish it. Can you imagine being able to put your small all bisque dolls into a real house of their own? This special event will close Donelle’s limited edition house making each attendee truly have a irreplaceable heirloom which is sure to grow in value.

OUR DOLL ARTIST- NADA CHRISTENSEN

Nada Christensen has been making miniature porcelain dolls since 1980. She has belonged to many doll related organizations over the years, including IDMA (International Dollmakers Association), NAME (National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts), DAG (International Doll Artisan Guild) and UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs). While primarily concentrating on antique reproduction style miniatures, Nada has made small dolls of all styles including souvenir dolls for UFDC National Convention and Regional Events since 2001, and limited edition dolls for Theriault’s, Wendy Lawton and Dollspart.

Nada also holds a BA in Music (Voice Performance 1981) and a BS in Pharmacy (1993) and is a jazz/classic pop vocalist as well as a part time pharmacist specializing in geriatric long term care pharmacy. Nada Christensen is known for fine china painting details, making her own kiln fired tiny glass eyes and handmade wigs, and for her love and study of the history of the diminutive porcelain doll. The surprise souvenir you will receive at this luncheon will each represent the love and passion that Nada puts into each of her masterpieces!!

AND OUR ESTEEMED SPEAKER, DONELLE DENERY

You can’t be a member of UFDC who has attended convention in recent years and not know the very well respected Donelle Denery.  Donelle, first a teddy bear artist and then a dollmaker for many years, continues to extend herself on behalf of her fellow doll lovers to provide accurate research and artifacts for all of us. At this year’s convention, she is not only the speaker for this luncheon but also Chairman of Clerks for the Antique Competitive exhibit, a co-program speaker with Susan Sirkis and Ann Coleman, speaker for Highlight Tours of the Antique Competitive Exhibit, is presenting two Special Exhibits in one room (Lettie Lane and Friends and Edwardian Lady Dolls), is Captain of a judging team for the Antique Competitive Exhibit, wrote three articles for the convention journal and is also giving a Highlight Tour of her Special Exhibits. This year we are truly honored that Donelle, who is an expert on Daisy and Lettie Lane will speak to the fortunate attendees of this luncheon and give us a first-hand glimpse into history, fun and adventure.

UFDC is a Fan of RubyRedGaleria!

Convention 2013 Artist Spotlight

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence.  Variously known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, Washington, DC is a spectacular place to celebrate July 4th! The National Mall, with Washington DC’s monuments and the U. S. Capitol in the background, forms a beautiful and patriotic backdrop to America’s Independence Day celebrations. This is an all-day event in the nation’s capital, beginning with a parade along Constitution Avenue and ending with a spectacular display of fireworks over the Washington Monument. RubyRedGalleria will present their “modern” Bleuette as she celebrates the 4th of July in Washington at the “Red, White and Bleuette” meal event.  Dressed as a true Edwardian child, this little French charmer will set off some fireworks of her own!

RubyRedGalleria is comprised of a talented group of doll designers, many of whom have hands-on working experience with some of the most talented doll artists around.  Started in 2008, RubyRedGalleria quickly became a recognized name by doll collectors, known for their unique doll designs, haute couture doll costumes and accessories.  UFDC welcomes RubyRed to their UFDC meal event this year.

 “American Girl!  Barbie! These are two of the most famous dolls in the modern age that many girls have practically spent their childhood with. But let’s not forget that long before these dolls were even born, it was the Bleuette that captured the hearts of thousands of young girls.

Originating in the early 20th century, Bleuette was created and fashioned by the magazine “La Semaine de Suzette” to help educate many under privileged rural French farm girls in the social graces, manners and preferred attires of the urban French cities. This noble goal was widely reflected in the thousands of elegant yet simple dresses designed for the very popular Bleuette dolls.

While the Bleuette doll gradually lost its popularity in the 1930s, many doll artists and collectors still remained loyal to Bleuette because they love the values and beliefs that Bleuette expresses. Some collectors believe that while Barbie and American Girl are more “trendy” and “modern”, they fail to preserve the tradition of good graces that are evident in the Bleuette.  RubyRedGalleria has noticed this problem, and took action to recreate the Bleuette doll to preserve this noble tradition.  RubyRed recreated the new Bleuette.

The new Bleuette has an identical look to the original Bleuette except for a few improvements. Modern technology allowed RubyRed to make Bleuette into a more fashionable, more durable, and more enjoyable doll. Firstly, the Bleuette is now made by poly-resin instead of the original fragile and easily breakable materials of the past. The benefits are astounding: the skin is smoother, the doll is lighter and the material is more durable. In addition, RubyRed also added a face changing feature into the doll. Bleuette’s face, eyes and wigs can all be switched! In essence, you can have hundreds of different Bleuette’s all in the same doll! Think of all the money you can save! The idea of launching the Bleuette came from RubyRed’s owner and chief designer, Ms. Ruby Ho. “I have developed many dolls in my life,” she said, “but I still cannot recreate the presence that Bleuette had in the early 1920s. Bleuette encompasses rich culture and history. No matter how well I design the other dolls, some of us still can’t forget the Bleuette’s we had as a little girl.”

“There are thousands of beautiful Bleuette dresses that are passed down in history,” she continues, “and it is a shame that it is very difficult to find a high quality and economical Bleuette to dress them with. Some of the dresses are still breathtakingly beautiful, and it also helps teach the younger generation good dress sense and good social graces that are still very welcome in the modern world.”

Starting from 1981, Ms. Ruby Ho has been in the doll business for over 30 years, and she still enjoys designing new Bleuette dresses. “I also like to recreate some of the vintage dresses in the style of the original Bleuette clothing. With modern technology, we can make them much prettier but still preserve the vibe of the original taste. It is both exciting and fun.”

RubyRedGalleria looks forward to hosting an event at this year’s convention.  Attendees at their event will be receiving a new limited edition Bleuette design.  Joy and excitement are guaranteed!”

 For more information on RubyRedGalleria please visit their website at www.rubyredgalleria.com. 

UFDC is a Fan of Helen Kish!

Convention 2013 Artist Spotlight

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

Everything’s Coming Up Roses!

The White House Rose Garden was established in 1913 by Ellen Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson. In 1986 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring the rose “the National Floral Emblem of the United States”.  Part of the proclamation reads as follows: “Our first President, George Washington, bred roses, and a variety he named after his mother is still grown today. The White House itself boasts a beautiful Rose Garden. We grow roses in all our fifty States. We find roses throughout our art, music, and literature. We decorate our celebrations and parades with roses. Most of all, we present roses to those we love, and we lavish them on our altars, our civil shrines, and the final resting places of our honored dead. The American people have long held a special place in their hearts for roses. Let us continue to cherish them, to honor the love and devotion they represent, and to bestow them on all we love just as God has bestowed them on us.”

The Little Fairy Who Lives in the White House Rose Garden

Helen Kish will be the featured artist at a meal event this year in Washington.  The theme is about “a little fairy who resides in the Rose Garden at the White House.  She has lived there for many years and has known many presidents and first ladies.  Visitors to the Rose Garden may not know it but they are being watched by this happy little spirit!”  Helen Kish will be making an adorable little fairy for every attendee to take home. 

A few words about Helen Kish….

Artist Helen Kish admits to an obsession to create. She just can’t help herself. Medical science has yet to come up with a cure for this particular brand of hyperkineticism and so it continues unabated. Although Kish is best known for the vinyl dolls she designs for her own company (Kish & Company), she is also a sculptor of one-of-a kind stoneware figures and has a collection of figurative bronzes as well as jewelry designs in her repertoire. Although she feels compelled to sculpt and create things; the artist acknowledges her very good fortune that there are collectors for whom her work has resonance.

Kish has no trouble reconciling fine art sculpture and the doll. What is a doll but a three dimensional representation of the human form, the very same form that artists from the beginning of time have rendered in every medium from natural dye on the walls of caves to marble and cured earth to modern acrylics, resins and pixels?

Kish began sculpting as a child, with the Colorado snow as her first medium. With limited access to sculpting materials her first terracotta sculptures eventually disintegrated because she had no way to properly cure the clay. Later on, a truncated commercial art education led her into her first small business as an airbrush artist for local photographic studios. But her desire to sculpt was not to be denied. Kish began scouring the art supply houses for a medium and found something called ‘Polyform’, a pre-curser to Sculpey. “It was a bit like trying to model with chewing gum” Kish muses. The ‘dolls’ that resulted from these early attempts make the artist cringe now, but were clearly the beginnings of a career she could not even imagine at that time.

Around the year 1980, Kish was tapped by R. Dakin & Company to design several dolls for their ‘Elegance’ line. It was her first commercial job as well as her introduction to the world of vinyl dolls. Ten years later, Kish began her own vinyl doll company with the launch of three 10” dolls. Since then, she has lost track of the number of designs she has created for her own company. Still, Kish has continued to take on commercial projects outside of Kish & Company. Kish is proud of her association with the Pleasant Company, for whom she was chosen to sculpt and design the face paint for the “Girls of Many Lands”, launched in October 2002. 

After accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award from Dolls Magazine a few years ago, Helen joked that she was also announcing her retirement. Not so, as the passion to create still gets her up in the morning and invades her dreams.

For more information about Kish and Company please visit their website at www.kishandcompany.com. 

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work. Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America. 

Washington, D.C., is a planned city. In 1791, President Washington commissioned Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant, a French-born architect and city planner, to design the new capital. The L’Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping. He based his design on plans of cities such as his home capital of Paris. In spite of several changes in design from 1791 until the MacMillan Plan instituted in 1901, L’Enfant is still credited to this day with the overall design of the city. 

Darlene Lane will be the featured artist at the themed meal event “I Remember Paris”. The convention souvenir doll artist in 2011, Darlene’s doll “ im ee” and her companion “ ndr e” are cherished by those who were fortunate enough to receive them. Darlene is recognized internationally for her work and has been given many prestigious awards. She has both authored and been featured in many magazines. In 2002 she was invited to be the guest artist and lecturer at the Historic Hahndorf Extravaganza in South Australia. She taught for 12 years as a traveling seminar teacher and now teaches specialty workshops on a limited basis. A mother of five Darlene credits her husband as being her best friend and biggest supporter and fan of her work. 

“Being the souvenir artist for UFDC’s National 2011 convention has been the most rewarding opportunity of all and one I shall always hold dear, but not nearly as dear as all the lovely friends I’ve made along the way. 

If asked when dolls became an important part of my life, I would have to say from the very beginning and through the sacrifice of my mother. We had very little extras growing up but my mom would always leave the doll of my current heart’s content under the Christmas tree. 

Do I collect dolls?….oh yes! All bisques, especially those by the Simon &Halbig firm, are my latest love and just as life keeps evolving, I imagine my doll collecting will too!” 

(The convention meal event doll will be modeled after a Simon and Halbig all bisque.) 

Darlene had the distinction of being the first artist to receive both the Professional Millie and the Rolf Erickson Awards in the same competition. 

For more information about Darlene Lane please visit www.darlenelane.com. 

UFDC is a Fan of Wilde Imagination!

Convention 2013 Artist Spotlight

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

An Introduction…

Evangeline Ghastly spends most of her time alone in the attic of Barkley Manor, but she really doesn’t mind at all.  She’s a self-taught seamstress, and enjoys sewing and creating all of her outfits from vintage pieces she finds laying around the attic, although she’s not quite sure who left them here.  She wears her new outfits walking through the cemetery, writing in her diary or as fashionable work attire for her job at Mort’s Mortuary. She’s hoping Mort’s nephew, Mortimer, notices her one day…

Dream Within A Dream Evangeline

She’s 18-1/2” tall, crafted of vinyl and hard plastic, with 15-points of articulation for amazing posing possibilities. She comes with inset brown eyes, applied lashes, a beautiful red wig, and a stunning designer outfit.  LE 350 

Dear Diary,

VALENTINES DAY! Obviously the best gift I have gotten (so far) on a Valentine’s Day is my kitty “Valentine”. 

Valentine

She’s the cutest cat you’ll ever see! Completely ball jointed in luminescent resin, she stands 5″ tall, with hand-painted features, inset hazel eyes, and comes dressed in her favorite removable fashion ensemble – perfect for those lazy days in the attic.

However, I really would have loved this year’s gift to be the long awaited first date with Mortimer. 

Mortimer

He’s the perfect companion for Evangeline – handsome, friendly, with solid ties to the Ipswich community! 19-1/2” tall with inset brown eyes and the perfect gentleman’s outfit.  LE 350

Knowing that he wouldn’t make the first move, I sent him a Valentines card with a note asking him to meet me at a romantic restaurant. I signed it “Your True Love” as not to scare him off. It was a beautiful evening and I wore all gold in honor of the celebration. On the way to the restaurant the train of my gown got caught on a loose stone and tore the back seam open all the way up to my panties. Not wanting to go back home to change, I stopped by Madame Daisy’s to see if she could help me. Madame Daisy was on her way out and in a rush, so she didn’t have time to properly fix my dress. Instead she quickly pinned a wash cloth over my panties and off I went.

As I walked into the restaurant I spotted Mortimer sitting in a quiet corner with a woman I didn’t quite recognize. She had dark brown hair and wore a beautiful pink dress. She looked familiar and from where I was standing I could hear she had a French accent. They looked like they were having a good time. I turned away and started to cry. I didn’t have a handkerchief on me so I asked the matre’d to unpin the wash cloth from my bottom and I used that.

Beautiful But Deadly Parnilla – NEW

She shares Evangeline’s body and is Evangeline’s cousin from Paris – and rival for Mortimer’s attention. She has inset green eyes, applied lashes, dark brown wig, and a beautiful outfit complete with designer jewelry.  LE 350

Upon returning home, I realized that the only thing I needed this Valentine’s Day was to spend it with my best friends – Mouette, Bella, and Valentine.

 ~ Love, Evangeline 

Mouette

She’s Evangeline’s favorite pet skunk and best friend!  Completely ball jointed in luminescent resin, she stands 5″ tall, with hand-painted features and dressed in her favorite removable odorless ensemble – she even wears designer shoes for those prickly, late night cemetery strolls!

Seeing Thru the Darkness Evangeline Our newest basic Evangeline with painted eyes – a First! – Two beautiful wigs, and a designer outfit are included.	Green with Envy Parnilla – NEW Our newest basic Parnilla with inset brown eyes, applied lashes, a changeable wig and that perfect Parisian fashion sense.

Look for Evangeline Ghastly in Washington at her dinner themed event titled “A Royal Affair”.

To learn more about Evangeline Ghastly, please visit:  www.evangelineghastly.com

We’ve truly entered the modern age. Not only do we have this new blog, UFDC is on Facebook.

Use the links in the sidebar to the right to visit our page on Facebook and make sure to Like us!

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

Meeting the president of the United States on New Year’s Day was a tradition throughout the 19th century. A large reception held at the White House on the first day of every year was open to the public, and anyone could wait on line, enter the executive mansion, and shake president’s hand.  The tradition of the New Year’s reception, or levee, as it was often called, began with George Washington, before the White House was built. The first occupant of the White House, John Adams, took up residence in the unfinished mansion in November 1800, and hosted its first New Year’s reception on January 1, 1801.  The last New Year’s Day reception was held January 1, 1932, during the administration of Herbert Hoover. The following year, the Hoover family left Washington for the holidays, and the long tradition was broken.  When Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933 he chose not to revive the custom, partly because his paralysis made it difficult to stand to greet visitors.  With all the security precautions in today’s world, it is, of course, impossible to imagine that the public will ever again be able to celebrate New Year’s Day by walking into the White House and shaking the president’s hand.  (To read the whole article visit www.about.com.) 

Sylvia MacNeil’s name is very familiar to members of UFDC as a French fashion wardrobe creator extraordinaire and through her many articles published in DOLL NEWS. The first of these articles appeared in 1992. Sylvia has also written for several other doll publications and published a book entitled “The Paris Collection”. 

Sylvia’s background is impressive. She graduated from the Butera School of Art in 1966 where she studied fine art and illustration. Her interest in watercolors led her to study this delicate and difficult form of painting privately. She was hired as a fashion illustrator in a downtown Boston department store and also was employed as a greeting card artist and designed display ads for the Yellow Pages. Sylvia is a talented watercolor artist in her own right. 

In 1970 she began collecting antique dolls. As happens with so many collectors she began selling antique dolls, with a focus on French dolls, two years later. Eventually this expanded to include French antique doll accessories. Since 1982 Sylvia has travelled to Paris four times a year to purchase dolls and accessories. In 2001 she participated in a special exhibit held at the Musée De La Poupée 

Sylvia never travels to Europe without her sketchbook and camera at hand to do research on original, antique doll clothing and frequents the doll shops, shows, museums, auctions and the private collections found in countries including France, Monaco, England, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland. She both collects and sells 19th century fabric and trims taken from original adult and children’s clothing of the period. 

In 1999 Sylvia mounted a special exhibit at UFDC’s national convention and in honor of this exhibit she was presented with UFDC’s prestigious Award of Excellence. This convention was held in Washington, D.C. and history will repeat itself once more as Sylvia will be mounting an exhibit for UFDC once again in Washington. The exhibit will be entitled, “The Enchanting Trouseau of Chiffonnette”. This also happens to be the same title of Sylvia’s latest book (more about that below). Sylvia MacNeil’s virtuosity as a costume researcher and creator of early French Fashion doll wardrobes will be highlighted in this exhibit. 

Throughout the 19th century it was common for wealthy people to take what was collectively known as “The Grand Tour”. These tours visited special places like capital cities and other tourist destinations and were considered an important part of a young person’s education. They could last for many months. No young woman of means would travel without an impressive and large wardrobe to be prepared for any occasion, whether it be simply promenading through the ruins of Rome or as a guest at a ball. For those lucky enough to attend this special pre-convention event on Sunday, July 28th, their day will begin or end with a personal grand tour to the home of legendary author and researcher Ann Coleman. All those registered for the event will gather for a luncheon that will include a program by Samy Odin, Region 16 Director and owner and curator of the Musée De La Poupée in Paris. A very special souvenir will be presented to each attendee, Sylvia MacNeil’s newest book. In Sylvia’s own words: 

Attendees will have the opportunity to see the pictures in Sylvia’s book come alive by visiting her special exhibit by the same name. 

An additional favor will also go home with every attendee, a paper doll designed by Kathy Monier, Regional Director and talented paper doll artist. 

This event will be limited to 100 so sign up early for a day that will not only delight but also educate. 

UFDC is a Fan of R. John Wright!

Convention 2013 Artist Spotlight

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

Christmas at the Taft White House                                                                              

On the subject of William Howard Taft and Christmas, more than a few presidential historians have likened the large, jovial Taft to a Santa Claus-like figure. Few would deny that the burly Ohioan was a warm, generous and good man.  Just before dawn on Christmas morning1909 snow began falling and gave Washington DC a White Christmas. The Taft’s celebrated Christmas simply; they opened gifts in the morning and shared a turkey dinner later. According to press reports, a 35–40 pound prize turkey, delivered by Horace Vose, the poultry king of Rhode Island, graced the table along with “Aunt Delia’s goodies.” The president’s Aunt Delia Torrey of Millbury, Massachusetts, always sent “Nephew Will” an eagerly anticipated package of apple pies, jellies, and jams made from fruit grown on the Torrey property.  Then in the evening a giant mince pie (a nine-pounder that was three feet in diameter) was sliced and served. One of the President’s sons complained he had been served too small a piece.

President and Mrs. Taft enjoyed the bustle of downtown Christmas shopping with holiday crowds. On occasion the president slipped away from his Secret Service detail to stroll through the city. On Christmas Eve in 1911, the president and first lady secretly left the White House on foot to call on friends as a surprise. When the Secret Service discovered their absence, there was widespread panic. Chief John Wilkie and his men scurried all over town searching for them. Eventually, President Taft returned to the White House smiling broadly.

In 1909, the Taft’s son Robert, nineteen, was a junior at Yale, and Helen, seventeen, was a student at Bryn Mawr. Only their youngest child, Charles, eleven, lived with his parents year round at the White House. The Taft children were considered too old for a Christmas tree, but in 1912 while President and Mrs. Taft were away on an inspection of the Panama Canal, Robert and Helen hosted the family celebrations and held a Christmas tree party in the Blue Room for their young cousins. The huge tree decorated with baubles, toys, and thousands of electric lights, set a precedent for decorating a tree on the State Floor for guests. Although absent, President and Mrs. Taft provided gifts for friends and each employee of the White House received a fat turkey, a practice began by presidents in the nineteenth century.

“Ginger” -the 2012 RJW Christmas Mouse          “Willoughby” – the 2012 RJW Christmas Bear

A Christmas Message from R. John and Susan Wright

Dolls and children’s book illustrations are intertwined throughout our 35 years of dollmaking. While reading to our four children when they were young, we became reacquainted with classic children’s literature. This inspired us in the early years of our career to design a doll of St. Exupery’s Little Prince. This was followed by Christopher Robin and the animals in the 100 Acre Wood. In the years to come, many other wonderful characters stepped out of their illustrations into our workshop including: Rose O’Neill’s Kewpies, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Beatrix Potter’s animals, Paddington Bear, Curious George, Becassine, Lewis Carroll’s Alice, Edith, The Lonely Doll, Palmer Cox’s Brownies, and many, many others. We are honored to continue this tradition of bringing children’s illustrative art to life at next year’s UFDC event featuring dolls based on the charming imagery of Susan Beatrice Pearse.

 “The Little Prince” was produced by R. John Wright in 1983

For now, as Christmas draws near, we find ourselves immersed in producing a group of Japanese child dolls along with 2 delightful animals – a bear and a mouse! Hopefully many of these will find their way under Christmas trees as a wonderful holiday surprise.

The Children of Japan: ”Midori” and “Akira”

The Wright’s front door at Christmastime

 Please accept our best wishes from our house to yours for a healthy and happy New Year. We look forward to seeing many of you in Washington next year.

About R. John and Susan Wright

R. John Wright is one of the most renowned and respected of all contemporary artists. Working together with his wife, Susan, and their dedicated team, the company has delighted collectors worldwide with beautifully designed and hand crafted dolls and animals. All are produced under the Wright’s direct supervision at the R. John Wright workshop located in Bennington, Vermont.

 For the upcoming convention in Washington, UFDC is delighted that R. John Wright will be interpreting the captivating image shown here by Susan Beatrice Pearse (1878-1980) – an acclaimed British illustrator of children’s books. The R. John Wright ticketed events have proven to be enormously popular with UFDC’s collectors and the event in Washington DC will surely prove to be another convention highlight for those fortunate enough to attend.

“George & Martha” will be based on this illustration by Susan Beatrice Pearse

For more information about R. John Wright Dolls, Inc., please visit their website at www.r.johnwright.com.       

UFDC is a Fan of The Vogue Doll Company!

Convention 2013 Artist Spotlight

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

In the White House’s long history there have been nineteen recorded weddings that have taken place either in the house itself or on its grounds.  There was one Edwardian wedding.  This occurred on February 17^th, 1906 when Alice Lee Roosevelt married Nicholas Longworth.  In celebration of these happy occasions the Vogue 2013 convention meal event’s theme will be “A Wedding at the White House”.  What could be more irresistible than a beautiful Vogue Jill bride? A beautiful bride accompanied by an adorable Ginny bridesmaid.

Happy Doll Collecting Ginny

The Vogue Doll Company, Inc.

In 1922 Virginia Graves Carlson began a family business tradition of designing and producing handmade doll clothing using the finest fabrics and of the highest quality. Shortly after she expanded to offer dolls for sale and Ye Olde Vogue Doll Shoppe was born.  Today, the Smith family has the great honor and privilege of continuing the values and traditions formed by our company founder. 

Vogue Doll continues to produce their popular doll brands Ginny®, Jill®, Just ME®, Vintage Ginny™, Modern Ginny™, Mini Ginny™ and of course Ginny’s loyal companion dog Sparky™.

Linda Smith, and her son David, have been at the helm of Vogue Dolls since 1995.  In 2010 Vogue Dolls welcomed Alice Leverett as Director of Design for the company.  The company also produces dolls designed by Diana Vining, focusing on the wonderful greeting card dolls in Vogue’s line.

Candy Cane Mini Ginny

A Personal Message from Vogue

Vogue was honored to have their Just ME doll chosen as the 2012 UFDC National Convention Souvenir Doll.  This very special Just ME doll was re-sculpted by Alice Leverett to better reflect the look and flavor of the antique Just ME dolls for the Jambalaya Jubilee in New Orleans this past July.  It was a great pleasure to be able to work for and on behalf of the Membership of UFDC.

                My Pup                     You Are So Sweet!

Sunday Best Vintage Jill and

Vintage Ginny Sunday Best Sister

To learn more about Vogue Dolls please visit their website at www.voguedolls.com.

UFDC is a Fan of 5StarDoll!

Convention 2013 Artist Spotlight

Convention may be months away but our event artists and manufacturers are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists and companies whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

 5StarDoll

BJDs Are Coming to Washington!

Next year’s convention will introduce some of our members to the world of BJDs.  A special exhibit on BJDs entitled “Beautiful Boys, Gorgeous Girls -Asian and American BJDs” is being organized by Jennifer Kohn Murtha. “Kansas City – Home of UFDC and Doll Capital of the World” will be the theme of a BJD meal event hosted by the Chesapeake Doll Club of Maryland with the souvenir doll by 5StarDoll and Fabric Friends.

An Introduction to the BJD

The following is an excerpt from an article posted by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 

To read the entire article visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball-jointed_doll.

A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls.  These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard, dense plastic, and the parts strung together with thick elastic. They are predominantly produced in Japan, South Korea and China. The BJD style has been described as both realistic and influenced by anime. BJDs are primarily intended for adult collectors and customizers. They are made to be easy to customize, by painting, changing the eyes and wig, and so forth. Articulated dolls go back to at least 200 BCE, with articulated clay and wooden dolls of ancient Greece and Rome. The modern era ball-jointed doll history began in Western Europe in the late 19th century. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century French and German manufacturers made bisque dolls with strung bodies articulated with ball-joints made of composition: a mix of pulp, sawdust, glue and similar materials and are now collectible antiques.

5StarDoll showing the articulation of the body.

During the 1930s the German artist Hans Bellmer created dolls with ball-joints and used them in photography and other surrealistic artwork. Bellmer introduced the idea of artful doll photography, which continues today with Japanese doll artists, as well as BJD hobbyists.

Influenced by Bellmer and the rich Japanese doll tradition, Japanese artists began creating strung ball-jointed art dolls. These are commonly made entirely of bisque and often very tall, sometimes as tall as 120 cm (48 inches). These dolls are purely intended as art, and not for play or even the hobby level of collecting usually associated with dolls. They cost several thousand dollars, up to several hundred thousand dollars for older collectible dolls from famous artists. The art doll community is still active in Japan and artists regularly release artbooks with photographs of their dolls.

Asian ball-jointed dolls are influenced by Japanese traditional dolls, like Ichimatsu dolls.

The history of commercially produced Asian resin BJDs began in 1999. The earliest Asian BJDs were influenced by the anime aesthetic. Modern Asian BJDs are intended for adult collectors.  Their body elements are cast in polyurethane resin and held together by thick elastic cords, making them fully articulated and highly poseable.  BJDs tend to follow a distinctly Asian view in their aesthetics, but the designs are diverse and range from highly anime-inspired to hyper-realistic.  Most are anatomically correct and have proportionally large heads, big eyes and comparatively large feet, contrasted with fashion dolls like Barbie, and are capable of standing on their own, without a stand or other support.

BJDs are readily customizable. Wigs and eyes are easy to remove and replace, as well as heads, hands, and feet. A doll may even be a hybrid of parts from different companies. Some BJD owners or customizers even re-shape existing parts by sanding them or applying epoxy putty to them.

BJDs owners usually customize the look of their dolls, and they are often named, and sometimes assigned individual characteristics and personality traits. The dolls are often used as subjects of artistic work, such as photography or drawing, which is shared on the internet.

Doll manufacturers sometimes base BJDs on characters from anime, manga, other works of fiction, or even historical figures. Some BJD owners similarly customize their dolls to create one-off representations of existing characters or celebrities.

Most regular edition BJDs come assembled with an option for a “face-up,” the facial blushing and painting, while full set BJDs, which are often limited, include clothes, face-up, and sometimes full body blushing. A few BJDs are sold as bare unassembled parts in a kit.

To learn more about 5StarDoll and other BJD products please email fabricfriends@comcast.net  or visit their website at www.fabricfrienddolls.com or the 5StarDoll website at www.5stardoll.com.  

Dorothy

Artist Alice Leverett has been creating beautiful handmade dolls, one of a kind heirloom pieces, costume sets and accessories, too, since 1986. During this time, she has also done a good bit of commercial design work for other doll companies. Though her Victorian style dolls come to the collector’s mind first, Alice’s many designs are quite varied, Tudor to contemporary, classic to trendy, and in mediums of cloth, resin and porcelain.

Forever Children

Sculpting is just one of her doll making passions, and her talents have created numerous technological advances in the doll world, including unique jointing methods. Perhaps the only thing that matches the beauty and pose-ability of her dolls is her intricately designed doll costumes. Owning an Alice Leverett Original costume is a rare treasure. Each are so finely detailed that it takes weeks to complete just one, not to mention the extensive amount of research each takes to be period correct and proportionally accurate.  Accessories included with her costume sets are also hand made by the artist and the technical skill involved in creating them is a wonder to be seen in the final result.

Anne Boleyn

Alice’s handmade studio dolls are highly prized and among the most sought after of her designs by discerning collectors.  For these dolls, she creates her own molds, pours her own resin or porcelain, paints, drafts all patterns, and is hands on in every aspect of the work.  Alice spends valuable time researching and developing each doll and costume, studying the concept, the era from which it comes, the way the clothing was worn, the fabrics that were used and much more.  It is a very important part of what makes an Alice Leverett Original stand out and her hands on dedication to the art form certainly shows in each of her wonderful dolls.

Laura

At present, the Ultimate Fashion Doll™ is as popular as ever, having initiated the great interest in the 12 inch French Fashions. Each one of Alice’s Ultimate Fashion Dolls™ is a work of art taking great time and effort to come to life, and is carefully and lovingly finished, ensuring only the finest quality dolls leave her studio. Alice also travels the world teaching sewing seminars of costume sets for the Ultimate Fashion Doll.  People come from far and wide to receive 4 days of instruction from Alice, and when they leave they have a beautiful, to scale, costume for their doll.  Some basic knowledge of sewing is a plus, however, one does not need be an expert seamstress to attend, learn, enjoy and succeed.

Eugenie from Alice’s The Ultimate Fashion Doll™ Line

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

RubyRedGalleria is comprised of a talented group of doll designers, many of whom have hands-on working experience with some of the most talented doll artists around.  Started in 2008, RubyRedGalleria quickly became a recognized name by doll collectors, known for their unique doll designs, haute couture doll costumes and accessories.  UFDC welcomes RubyRed to their first UFDC meal event, “Crepes Bleuette”.

In Their Own Words

“American Girl!  Barbie! These are two of the most famous dolls in the modern age that many girls have practically spent their childhood with. But let’s not forget that long before these dolls were even born, it was the Bleuette that captured the hearts of thousands of young girls.

Charmette dressed in outfit ‘Amber Gold’

Originating in the early 20th century, Bleuette was created and fashioned by the magazine “La Semaine de Suzette” to help educate many under privileged rural French farm girls in the social graces, manners and preferred attires of the urban French cities. This noble goal was widely reflected in the thousands of elegant yet simple dresses designed for the very popular Bleuette dolls.

Bleuette dressed in outfit “the Ray of Malachite”

While the Bleuette doll gradually lost its popularity in the 1930s, many doll artists and collectors still remained loyal to Bleuette because they love the values and beliefs that Bleuette expresses. Some collectors believe that while Barbie and American Girl are more “trendy” and “modern”, they fail to preserve the tradition of good graces that are evident in the Bleuette.  RubyRedGalleria has noticed this problem, and took action to recreate the Bleuette doll to preserve this noble tradition.  RubyRed recreated the new Bleuette.

The new Bleuette has an identical look to the original Bleuette except for a few improvements. Modern technology allowed RubyRed to make Bleuette into a more fashionable, more durable, and more enjoyable doll. Firstly, the Bleuette is now made by poly-resin instead of the original fragile and easily breakable materials of the past. The benefits are astounding: the skin is smoother, the doll is lighter and the material is more durable. In addition, RubyRed also added a face changing feature into the doll. Bleuette’s face, eyes and wigs can all be switched! In essence, you can have hundreds of different Bleuette’s all in the same doll! Think of all the money you can save! The idea of launching the Bleuette came from RubyRed’s owner and chief designer, Ms. Ruby Ho. “I have developed many dolls in my life,” she said, “but I still cannot recreate the presence that Bleuette had in the early 1920s. Bleuette encompasses rich culture and history. No matter how well I design the other dolls, some of us still can’t forget the Bleuette’s we had as a little girl.”

“There are thousands of beautiful Bleuette dresses that are passed down in history,” she continues, “and it is a shame that it is very difficult to find a high quality and economical Bleuette to dress them with. Some of the dresses are still breathtakingly beautiful, and it also helps teach the younger generation good dress sense and good social graces that are still very welcome in the modern world.”

Bleuette and Ellette, Lady Sagesse (Limited Doll Set)

Starting from 1981, Ms. Ruby Ho has been in the doll business for over 30 years, and she still enjoys designing new Bleuette dresses. “I also like to recreate some of the vintage dresses in the style of the original Bleuette clothing. With modern technology, we can make them much prettier but still preserve the vibe of the original taste. It is both exciting and fun.”

RubyRedGalleria looks forward to hosting an event at this year’s convention.  Attendees at their event will be receiving a new limited edition Bleuette design: “Crepe Bleuette”.  Joy and excitement are guaranteed!

Charmette, Dancing in Masquerade (Limited Doll Set)

For more information on RubyRedGalleria please visit their website at www.rubyredgalleria.com. 

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

To develop her own style and improve her skills she specialized on portrait dolls. Her love for children provides her with the gift of observation not only of the physical child but also the soul of the child. Children from the school and preschool right across the street from Heidi´s house have inspired her to create some of the many dolls that collectors of her work treasure. Ten years after the beginning of her life as a dollmaker Heidi visited the first Toy Fair in the United States. It was quite an ordeal for her to just find her way from the airport to her hotel since she spoke little English at that time.

Years later at another Toy Fair she met Mrs. Zapf from ZAPF CREATION.  They developed a close working relationship and through this Heidi was able to create her own vinyl collection.  The challenge for Heidi was how to translate the porcelain models into vinyl and how to take her artist dolls and then produce them to be manufactured.  During the production process the doll’s soul and personality often got lost and this was literally painful for Heidi. Her goal was to paint these dolls herself, put them together, pick their wardrobe and give them back their magic. As a result she brought out a line of small porcelain dolls in 2002.  These dolls were a great success and were quickly sought after by collectors.

Every year Heidi spends two weeks in Indonesia with her longtime friend and designer Rosemarie Ionker. Together they design new dresses and pick out the most beautiful fabrics in keeping with Heidi’s high standards.  She loves being in contact with her collectors and visits a great number of retailers every year for signings of her dolls.

The theme for Heidi’s event in New Orleans is “A Touch of Spice” and will focus on Heidi’s connection to and affection for Indonesia.  The Spice Islands are part of Indonesia.  Heidi will be producing a child of that nation, something near and dear to her heart.

 For more information on Heidi please visit her website:  www.heidiplusczok.com.

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

 Evangeline Ghastly above in ‘Eternally Yours’ Costume 

The weather on the night of Evangeline’s birth was as expected. The wind was howling, the moon was full, and the doctor was unavailable. And so begins the story of Evangeline Ghastly®. With a mysterious diary entry, a pet skunk named Mouette, and fashions right out of a Victorian novel, Evangeline is definitely…..a whole other story!

Headquartered in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, Wilde Imagination™, Inc. was created to develop and market designer products unlike anything else on the market today, including the chronically bored but ever fashionable Ellowyne Wilde® line of dolls, fashions and accessories created by Robert Tonner, Evangeline Ghastly® – the first ball jointed doll collectors are calling ‘insanely beautiful,” designed by Joe Petrollese, and their newest and tiniest doll of all ~ Amelia Thimble, which is also designed by Joe Petrollese.

About Joe Petrollese:

Still today Joe doesn’t know whether it was growing up on the streets of Brooklyn NY (also the birthplace of Barbra Streisand and Nathans hot dogs, both of which he loves) or the little red velvet suit his mother made him wear at Christmas that shaped his life. Always being the more intelligent of his two other siblings Joe showed great interest in the arts at an early age. He attended Edward R Murrow High School (a school for amazingly gifted children) where some of the teachers felt threatened by his talents. Upon his graduation, Joe was forcibly taken to live in Upstate NY by his parents at the tender age of 18.

After graduating at the top of his class from FIT, Joe went right to work. He enjoyed a professional life full of glitz and glamour in the fast paced fashion world. And after twenty years as a fashion designer, through a chance meeting, Joe met Robert Tonner with whom he immediately bonded. Robert hired Joe on the spot after being dazzled by his wit and talent. He now found himself back in the Hudson Valley. A new door had opened in Joe’s life and the doll world will never again be the same.

“Plaid to Meet You!” Wilde Imagination’s popular fashion doll Ellowyne Wilde! With inset eyes, applied lashes, and an eclectic outfit, featuring a dress, coat, hat, and more, Ellowyne is all set for her therapy session with Dr. Bantam. Designed by Robert Tonner for Wilde Imagination.

Wilde Imagination’s newest doll line – Amelia Thimble. She stands just 4” tall and is made of high-quality resin and completely ball jointed for unlimited posing possibilities. She comes with a wig, changeable, inset eyes, and the cutest outfit straight out of a seamstress’ dream! With a full line of outfits and accessories, she’s definitely Cute As A Button! Designed by Joe Petrollese for Wilde Imagination.

“Evangeline is what most people would call unfortunate; she likes to think of it as misunderstood… “ 

Designed by Joe Petrollese, and sculpted by Robert Tonner for Wilde Imagination.

One of the highlight dinners at the 2012 UFDC Convention will feature Evangeline Ghastly as the event doll in a special limited edition ensemble designed specifically for the event. The theme will be “Evangeline Ghastly – Queen of the Mardi Gras” and will surely be an evening to remember.

“From all of us at Wilde Imagination, we look forward to continuing our goal of bringing products to the market that inspire the imagination, are beautifully designed, and just plain fun! From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your support and hope that our products bring you lasting joy!”

To find out more about Wilde Imagination please visit their website at www.wildeimagination.com.

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

In Her Own Words

Exploring the possibilities of creating a character with fabric is an extension of a life time fascination with three dimensional forms. My characters emerge from familiar tales of childhood and from stories of the heart and soul. Fabric, color texture and pattern all play intricate parts in creating interesting figures that tell their own stories to the viewers who meet them.

I begin by drawing the body shape and structure I wish to use for my fabric figures. I use a template to create the basic silhouette of the drawings. The shape is transferred to the fabric. Sewing on the line gives a great deal of control over the shape I am envisioning. Some of the body shapes are an abstraction or somewhat stylized. Most of my figures have an economy of line, a simplified structure. The costuming and embellishment are the key elements. I use paint, pigma pen and colored pencil to create the faces on the cloth figures. An extreme light and dark technique is employed to give the illusion of depth in the face.

Fabric, creative manipulation and embellishment are key elements to my figures and chairs. I use appliqué, picot, brick and spiral beading techniques in layers over fabric and ribbon.

An ancient connection to doll making and storytelling is ever present in my work. Experimenting with new techniques in drawing, painting, beadwork, embroidery, problem solving structural and aesthetic problems, and educating myself on historical and cultural heritages, contributes to the continual growth and change in my figures.

Manipulating basic shapes in new and different ways plays an important role in the creation of my characters. Paper and wire manipulation have added a whole new page to my book of characters. The fabric and paper speak to me in many voices, the combination of these voices gives life and harmony to the finished figures.

To learn more about Christine’s work visit her website at:  www.fancifulclothimages.com

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

“With the fear of war top of mind, the proprietor of one of Paris’’ best guarded secrets, Le Beau Voute™ sent his beloved niece and nephew to America to open a couture shop. For decades, the Rousseau family had sold lightly worn couture, as well as, items sent over from esteemed couturiers. Ah, the clothing they sold was prized, but it was the beauty of their wax mannequins and charming windows that stopped many in their tracks. This is the story of the mannequins who made the journey, the unique clothes they modeled and the shop Therese and Claude Rousseau opened in the heart of San Francisco.”  (Story and dolls written and designed by Joan Greene.  The dolls are produced exclusively by Greene and Lam Studios.)

The theme for the event will be “Dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Mardi Gras 1950.  In 1950 the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were guests at the Mardi Gras celebrations.  New Orleans was all a buzz when the royal couple announced that they would attend the Mardi Gras festivities.  The big question was, “Would they honor the Carnival rules for the men to bow to the Mardi Gras Kings and Queens, and the women to curtsy.”  Only those in the most elite circles would see firsthand that, in fact, the Duke bowed low and the Duchess dipped in a royal curtsy.”

To learn more about Joan Greene and Greene & Lam Design Studios please visit their website at www.greeneandlam.com.

UFDC congratulates Joan on her recent Doty award for the “Dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Mardi Gras 1950” doll from her Beautiful Vault collection.  This doll is presented in an exclusive costume for UFDC and will be the event doll at Joan’s dinner in New Orleans.

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

The story begins in 1905 when Käthe Kruse´s daughter Maria, also called Mimerle (pictured with Kathe Kruse above), asked for a doll as a Christmas present. Her father, the famous sculptor Max Kruse, went to all the stores in Berlin, but all he saw were dolls that appeared to him to be stiff and unnatural. He thought that such dolls could never awaken motherly feelings in his daughter and so he told Käthe Kruse to design her own doll. Using the materials she had readily available, she took a towel, filled it with sand and created the head from a potato. The first doll was born! Little Mimerle instantly fell in love with it. The potato didn’t last long and so inspired by her daughter´s love for the little doll, Käthe Kruse decided to develop her doll making skills. At that time, she never would have dreamt that this would be the beginning of a worldwide career! In 1911 Käthe Kruse started making her beautiful handmade dolls in an apartment in Berlin. Her first important order came from the American toy shop, FAO Schwartz. Today the company continues to flourish employing the same loving care and attention to detail that Kathe Kruse brought to each of her dolls. The Käthe Kruse Company is proud that they have been providing quality items to children for more than 100 years. They continue to uphold the spirit of their founder and her motto, “the hand follows the heart” continues to inspire them.

To honor the founder of their company, the Kathe Kruse Company is planning to produce a child doll replica of Kathe Kruse for UFDC’s convention in New Orleans. They will be assisted by Two Sisters Studio who will be hand making a special surprise to accompany each of these beautiful dolls created in the traditional Kathe Kruse manner.

To learn more about the Kathe Kruse Company please visit their website at: www.kathekruse.de.

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans.

Standing a full 21 inches tall this fully articulated Cissy is dressed in a marvelous outfit by fashion designer Jason Wu and is ready to explore the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans along with her equally stylish canine companion.

Love Is In The Details

For many of UFDC’s members, the dolls of Madame Alexander evoke happy childhood memories.  For others it is the adult joy of collecting the beautifully dressed and appealing dolls of this firm.

Golidlocks and Bear has a bent knee and created on one of Madame Alexander’s most popular sculpts – Wendy.

In 1923, Madame Alexander founded the Alexander Doll Company based on her belief that dolls should engage a child’s imagination. More than eight decades later, the company continues her mission with a full line of collectible, fashion play and baby dolls that are heirs to her impeccable taste and standards.  To the delight of children and collectors alike, the dolls of Madame Alexander incorporate contemporary character, modern materials, and talented new designers into their works while maintaining Madame’s original vision that “love is in the details”.

Madame Alexander has also been a feature of UFDC’s conventions for many years.  In keeping with the feel of New Orleans their event is titled “Mystic Tea Leaves – Tea Houses, Beignets and Café au Lait!”.   As dramatic as the event name, this doll will be a delight to both Madame Alexander collectors and fashion doll enthusiasts alike.

Perhaps not as well known to all our members is the extreme generosity that Gale Jarvis, President of Madame Alexander, and her team have demonstrated to UFDC.  For the past few years the company has donated wonderful dolls to the Junior Collector’s tea and has been actively involved in this event.  They are helping UFDC prepare the next generation of collectors.  This year the Junior Collector’s tea event is called “Babycakes” and in keeping with this theme Madame Alexander will ensure that every child attending will be “adopting” a baby from their nursery.  UFDC salutes Madame Alexander for their role in this event and their generous donation of the dolls that will be cherished keepsakes for each of the children participating in this very special and important UFDC event.

Fully articulated ballerina from The American Ballet Theatre’s Copelia is an example of the company’s alliance with the arts.

For more information on Madame Alexander please visit their website at www.madamealexander.com

What’s Cookin’? Convention 2012 Artist Spotlight

“Jambalaya Jubilee” may be months away but our event artists are already hard at work.  Each month UFDC is pleased to introduce you to the artists whose work will be showcased at the meal events planned for New Orleans