UFDC is a Fan of Darlene Lane!
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!
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!
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| 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
UFDC is on Facebook!
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!
UFDC is a Fan of Sylvia MacNeil!
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!
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.
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“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!
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 17th, 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!
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.
What’s Cooking with Alice Leverett
Alice Leverett was the designer and creator of the souvenir doll, Marie Terese, for the Chicago convention held in 2010. A petite version of her Ultimate Fashion doll, Alice also created a wardrobe for the doll that sold out in a few hours. Since then Alice has joined the Vogue Doll Company, the manufacturer of this year’s convention souvenir doll, as their creative director. Alice will be bringing her talents to this year’s doll and will also be creating a special wardrobe that will be offered for purchase during convention. She will also have a special meal event of her own (Cordon Bleu) where attendees will receive a beautiful outfit designed by Alice for Marie Terese.
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.
What’s Cooking with RubyRedGalleria
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.
What’s Cooking with Heidi Plusczok
Heidi has been creating dolls with her magical touch reflecting children’s souls since 1980. She made her first doll out of cernit for her daughter Katja who was then 10 years old. One year later she found herself making her first porcelain dolls.
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.
