Wednesday, April 5, 2017

HSM Taylor, Gabriella, and Tamika's Redress

High School Musical Taylor

Taylor
On a recent trip to the thrift store to see if any dolls were available that interested me, I found a nude High School Musical (HSM) Taylor.  Initially, I did not know who she was because her hair and the plastic baggie she was in covered her markings.  After seeing another doll of a similar size there, Gabriella, and seeing Mattel's name stamped on Gabriella's back, I put two-and-two together and realized the doll I purchased was Taylor.  I already own this version of HSM Taylor, still in box, but I reasoned that rescuing this one would provide a quick, inexpensive doll fix.  I left Gabriella behind because I already had her, although until finding Taylor, I had no idea who my Gabriella was.

Gabby
Finding Taylor did indeed help me identify the tan-complexioned doll, found at the same thrift store several years ago, as Gabriella.  Until then, I had incorrectly assumed she was a recent Skipper.  My husband even asked who Gabby was after noticing her sticking out like a sore thumb among all the brown dolls that surrounded her.  "She looks a little out of place, doesn't she?" he asked. I replied, "No, she's a friend."

Before Taylor arrived, my dyed/painted Skipper had been Gabriella's BFF.  She enjoyed Baby-Sitter Club Claudia's companionship too and Bob Scout liked them all.
Gabby had originally been dressed in part of an Only Hearts fashion:  pink sleeveless top, off-white twill skirt, and rust-colored wedge loafers, but after Taylor arrived and received her trip to the spa, I dressed the two in similar fashions.

Taylor and Gabby

Taylor's hair was a mess upon arrival
Before dressing Taylor, I washed and conditioned her hair, allowed it to air dry overnight, and styled it in a side ponytail.

I dressed both dolls in Sparkle Girlz fashions, which are a little big at the waist, but not terribly so.


I pulled the top Velcro closure of their pants over more to the right and pressed it down onto the knit fabric of their pants instead of pressing it onto the bottom Velcro.  Later, I'll add another small piece of adhesive backed Velcro alongside the bottom piece to make a permanent waist closure adjustment.


Taylor and Gabby now both wear Barbie shoes made for Fashionistas with flat feet.  Taylor's high-top white sneakers have mock laces, which my camera was unable to capture.


The final touch for these two was quilting needles to pierce their ears and to use as stud earrings.  The studs of the needles were light blue.  To better match their new clothes, I painted the studs using green glittery fingernail polish.

Tamika's Redress

Tamika now wears a Sparkle Girlz fashion and the shoes that came with it.

While I was in redressing mode, I decided to redress Tamika in a Sparkle Girlsz fashion, too.  She models the blue baby-doll top, white jeggings, and pink high-heel shoes above and below.



Royal blue quilting needles were added to her Mattel-pierced ears.  The holes in her earlobes are too large for the quilting needles to remain in place.

Tape, which is barely visible in the above photo, has been wrapped around the needle to increase the diameter.
Scotch tape was wrapped around the upper-to-mid section of the needles/earrings to increase the diameter and prevent these from falling out Tamika's ears.



After giving me a nice dose of doll therapy, they all posed for one final group photo, looking quite refreshed in their spring fashions, shoes, and earrings.



It's a tight squeeze, but Taylor joined Gabriella on top of the bookcase where Gabby had been prior to Taylor's arrival.  Tamika remains in her preferred spot on my personal desk where I can see her at a glance.

dbg
Follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black
Check out my eBay listings here.

12 comments:

  1. Tamika is lovely and elegant as usual.
    I like your teen dolls,Gabby and Taylor but hope dyed Skipper doesn't feel left out now ;-)
    Thanks for sharing your pictures:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Skipper doesn't feel left out. She is happy that Taylor has joined the family.

      :-)


      dbg

      Delete
  2. "A nice dose of doll therapy" -- essential for a creative life. I need to follow your example and add earrings to some of my girls. Brilliant idea to paint quilting pins with fingernail polish!
    I put a HSM Sharpay (thrift store find) on an articulated Fashionista body. She's taller with less of a "teenage look" now, but Sparkle Girlz fashions fit perfectly. My Gabriela is the 17" version.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Articulated bodies would be nice for these girls.

      If you opt to use quilting needles as earrings, insert them at an angle, directing the tip toward the crown of their heads. This will prevent the tip of the needle from piercing the side of the doll's face, which might happen if it is inserted horizontally.

      dbg

      Delete
  3. Nice seeing the Sparkle Girlz outfit that Gabriela is wearing. I hadn't seen that one before. Nice find on the Taylor doll. I have both ladies here. I need to find my Taylor doll. It's been a minute since I've played with her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vanessa,

      It's nice to see you posting. I had been thinking about you, wondering about your most recent situation. Hope things are working out okay in that regard.

      Each time I visit Walmart, I check the Sparkle Girlz fashion supply. I have purchased several in the past year that I have kept stashed away. It was nice to finally have an opportunity to dress three dolls in one sitting.



      dbg

      Delete
    2. Hi Debbie. Thanks for thinking of me. I'm making progress, healthwise, but just not as quickly as I would like. House issues are moving along nicely from the insurance stand point. My limited mobility is adding to the delay of me getting the repairs underway. But soon. I'm tired of all the issues, but I'm trying to stay positive and think of all the people who are doing worse than I am. That puts my perspective back in check.

      Delete
    3. Please do stay positive. Everything will be back to normal in due time.

      dbg

      Delete
  4. That was a great find! I love her face. She is different from any that I have seen. I have not been thrifting in a long while now that they closed down my favorite store.

    Tamika looks great! I love this outfit!! I hope that Sparkle Girlz stay around for a long while and keep their under $2 price.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, GG. Taylor's face is what drew me to her. Next, it was her size. She had me puzzled for a while as I indicated, until I saw Gabriella there and put 2 and 2 together.

      I too hope Sparkle Girlz stays around a long time. It would be nice if they upped their doll's features -- smaller heads and articulation. Then we'd have actual dolls to dress in their fashions.

      dbg

      Delete
  5. Nice job on Taylor's spa day! Taylor and Gabriella look cute together, and all 3 dolls look wonderful in their new fashions. I have Taylor and Gabriella, but Taylor is now on a Liv body. Both Taylor and HSM Sharpay have outgrown their old friend Gabriella, since Sharpay also recently got a Liv body. I haven't purchased any Sparkle Girlz fashions in a long time. I may need to head to Walmart one day soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Roxanne. The more rebodying is mentioned, the more I am giving thought to give these two some articulation. I do like their height as it is, however. If I find the right bodies, I might just give it a shot.

      dbg

      Delete

Your comments are appreciated. To eliminate spam, all comments are being moderated and will be published upon approval. Thank you!