Tunics and Leggings by Atelier ni Shasha

One of my BJDs was in need of a pair of leggings to pair with a LIV tunic.  I was referred to Etsy Shop owner Atelier ni Shasha, who makes clothing for Momoko, Fashion Royalty, and Barbie. 

I was so impressed with the presentation as well as the fashions that I wanted to praise Shasha for her lovely work and superior customer service. 


A piece of heavyweight black paper was used to create a card, tied securely with a sheer white ribbon.  Shasha's contact information is on the lower right corner.

My doll's fashions were neatly taped to the inside flaps of the black paper with a personal note from Shasha hoping that I enjoy them.

I do.

The leggings were already in stock.  I only needed the black pair, but her price for the four in different colors was not one I could pass up.  Since I needed tops for the other colors, I asked and Shasha agreed to custom make the two tunics for me. 

Feel free to browse Shasha's Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AtelierniShasha. I found her prices and shipping to be very reasonable.

Shasha also has a blog.  Here's the URL/link (http://ateliernishasha.blogspot.com/)

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My Contest Winnings Arrived!

To refresh your memory, I entered the Welcome, 2013 contest hosted by Shasha of Atelier ni Shasha and was one of the three winners of a fashion from her Etsy shop.  I chose a beautiful, one-shouldered animal print jumpsuit.  It arrived delightfully presented, as usual and as shown below:

The fashion was enclosed inside this heavy card stock paper that has been folded in half and tied with a sheer ribbon.  Shasha's contact information is handwritten in pink and silver ink in the lower right-hand corner.

The jumpsuit and chain-link belt with bead accent and accessories of beaded drop earrings and bracelet were attached to the inside of the card with handwritten notes from Shasha as shown above.

Darla Daley was thrilled to model the beautiful ensemble, as shown below:

Darla Daley in Rebecca Jumpsuit by Shasha of Atelier ni Shasha

A standing photo of Darla, who loves taking photographs near greenery

Thank you again Shasha for your generosity.  Darla thanks you, too!

☺

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Tamica a Customized Doll by Shasha

Barbie Fashionista Nikki holds a Nikki head customized by Shasha of atelier ni Shasha.

In July 2016, Shasha introduced Tamica as her first doll repaint and reroot.  I-fell-in-dolly love! (See the post that exacerbated my doll-want-itis here). Shortly after seeing Tamica, I recall communicating with Shasha by email to express my desire to own one of her customizations, if not Tamica, should she ever desire to sell. Several months later, Tamica has now become part of my collection along with the little black dress she modeled that Shasha named after her.

I am quite impressed with the repaint; the realism is phenomenal.  The reroot is flawless!  See another photo of Tamica taken by Shasha, here.

As you can see, I purchased the head only.  An articulated body would be the only type desired for this lovely lady.

I chose one of the last Nikki fashionista bodies that I purchased about three years ago upon learning Mattel was discontinuing articulation in that line. Because the doll had been stored, never removed from box, until opening for use with the customized head, I did not realize one of the fingers was ringed -- with a hole in the ring finger to accommodate the plastic ring Mattel use.  I had to employ a workaround for Nikki's unappealing, toy-looking, heart-shaped ring.

Tamica, now whole, holds Nikki's head.

Before removing Nikki's head, I was a little apprehensive, but with ease and slow tugging from side to side, it popped off without damaging the neck prong, which had been my concern.

The fashionista fashion was quickly discarded and replaced with the Tamica dress.

Tamica models the dress named after her, which is worn with black closed-toe shoes.  A box chain bracelet and leaf-shaped brass-tone earrings, made by Shasha, are perfect accessories.

As shown above, Tamica looks stunning in the little black dress.  She posed for several additional photos, all of which are shown below because we could not decide which ones not to include.

One additional close-up of her lovely face shows that she exudes realism.  The closeup also provides a better view of her two-strand twists, which I love!

Temporary holiday redress

Because I wanted to incorporate Tamica into my Christmas decor, I redressed her in a Barbie fashion to match the colors I used this year.

A wrapped present for Tamica to hold was added (it is actually a present-shaped ornament).  I used shimmery bronze fingernail polish to give the ring a more realistic color and also to match the color of her other jewelry.  For bling, an eyelash art, adhesive-backed crystal was added to the center of the ring.

After the holidays, the plan is to rebody Tamica one final time.  A followup post will be published after that has been accomplished.

Thank you again, Shasha, for 1) deciding to sell this lovely customized head and 2) for offering it to me first!  I am honored to be the proud owner of your first-ever repaint and reroot.  Your creativity never disappoints.

Other dolls customized by Shasha can be seen here.

******

Tamica enjoys being part of the Christmas table display.

Tamica and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, and Wealthy New Year!



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I Won! I Won!

I had the pleasant surprise in the form of an email this morning from Shasha of Atelier ni Shasha that informed me I am one of the winners of her  Welcome 2013 Contest!

Some readers of this blog may have been introduced to Shasha through a post I published after receiving my first doll fashion order from her, placed through her Etsy shop.  I was so impressed with the fashions and presentation, that I just had to share.

Shasha is also mentioned in my Ebonilicious post in the description of Model of the Moment Nichelle's fashion.  Shasha made Nichelle's black leggings, which fit like new skin!

As a follower of her blog, I immediately entered her contest and hoped I would be one of the winners, and I am!

I look forward to receiving the fashion I selected, which will be revealed here when one of my lucky ladies  styles and profiles it for you!

Thanks again Shasha for your generosity and sewing expertise!

I won!  I won!
:o)

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Ebonilicious!

The ebony beauties are from L-R:  Princess of South Africa Barbie, Barbie Basics Model  No. 04, and Model of the Moment Nichelle (click to enlarge)

For some time now I have wanted to publish a post featuring natural-hair dolls.  This is that post.  The hair underneath the wig worn by the center doll, Barbie Basics (BB) Model No. 04, Collection 001, is a short cropped style.  For this occasion, however, she opted for a more dramatic look provided by the larger Afro wig borrowed from Urban Antoinette Adèle Makéda.  The other two ladies have tightly coiled natural tresses. 

Each doll has been redressed, some more recently than others.

Princess of South Africa Barbie wears a new metallic gold dress

Princess of South Africa (POSA) wears a metallic gold dress and coordinating black and gold, sequined shawl by eBay seller, barbie-couture.  As a repeat customer, I can attest that the quality clothes she sells are as she describes them:  durable, updated, and fashionable.  Use of stretch fabric, in most cases, allows her fashions to fit the rail thin ModelMuse body as well as the more curvaceous body POSA possesses.  The gold tone, bow-shaped choker worn by POSA is actually an adjustable ring.  The bow is encrusted with yellow faux diamonds.  Black and silver shoes from Barbie Basics Look No. 02, Collection 001 are the perfect complement to POSA's gold and black ensemble.

Wearing a little black dress or redressed, wigged or not, Model 04 is fully confident in the skin she's in. 

Having retired her little black dress nearly a year ago if not longer, Model 04 now wears the only solid color Barbie Fashionistas dress I have ever seen. The lavender color of the dress and her deep complexion are an appealing combination.  Her silver shoes are from Barbie Basics Look No. 02, Collection 001.5.  As mentioned previously, Model 04 borrowed the Afro wig from Adèle. 

Model of the Moment Nichelle, looks lovely in bronze and black

Model of the Moment Nichelle is the most recent of the trio to be redressed.  Her bronze lamé one-shoulder top, bangle bracelets, and shoes were borrowed from BB Model No. 08, Collection 002.5.  Initially she was going to go buck wild and wear the top alone to flaunt her shapely legs.  Actually she did this for a couple of days in the doll room, but some of the guys were getting a little "emotional" as a result of her overexposure. I thought the black leggings, made by Shasha of Atelier ni Shasha, would calm their emotions.  Girlfriend wouldn't have been able to do an about face without exposing her buttocks had she not put on those leggings.  Her bronze, star-shaped earrings were purchased on a card of five pairs from a local beauty supply store for a dollar. 

I usually buy most of my fashion dolls' earrings from that store and just as often dismantle these over sized, often dangle earrings to create multiple playscale-size earrings using paired pieces from the parts.   Model 04's bow-shaped choker was purchased there, too.  I usually use toe rings as necklaces for my playscale people, but, according to the clerk, they were sold out.  She kindly suggested an adjustable ring instead (not knowing I wanted to create a necklace for a doll).
  

Beauty can be found in people of all sizes, shapes, colors, hair textures and hair lengths.  These three inanimate, gorgeous representations of women and the people who look like them are proof that ebony skin and natural hair are included in the many combinations of beauty.  One standard of beauty is a myth.  


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The Lovely Color Infusion Janay - Happy Labor Day!

Color Infusion Style Lab Edge of Night Janay

Color Infusion Style Lab Edge of Night Janay, a 2013 Integrity Toys Convention exclusive, had been on my wish list since photos began circulating of the doll post convention.  I needed to add her to my playscale family of ladies and gents.  The post convention prices on eBay were usually much more than I desired to pay, so I exercised nearly a year of patience before finding "my" doll... the one "I" was meant to own, at a price I was willing to pay.

Janay poses for an initial full-length snapshot while still strapped to card stock liner.

Janay arrived nude in her purple card stock-lined plastic bag.  Extra outfits were sold at the convention along with shoe packs, but frugal me decided first to see if I had something on hand for her to wear before separating myself from additional funds.

With their heels lined up as close as possible, a foot size comparison of Integrity dolls, Something Sexy Adele, Shimmering Nights Janay from the 2004 playline, and Color Infusion (CI), illustrates the whopping size of CI Janay's feet.

Who knew, though, how humongous her feet are?  In my Barbie shoe stash, I was able to find a pair of  black open-toe pumps that fit her.  I still do not know the origin of these shoes and never until now had a doll that could fit or desired to wear them.

Wearing a borrowed dress and found shoes, Janay strikes a pose.

After searching in three doll trunks filled with playscale clothing, I found Tiny Dottie's red and black brocade dress.  It is a perfect fit for Janay.  Dottie, seen below, still wears the matching jacket over Barbie Basic Model 4's little black dress.  She didn't mind sharing the brocade sheath with Janay.

The owner of the dress Janay now wears, Tiny Dottie, did not mind sharing the sheath since she no longer wears it.  Dottie, however, refused to give up the matching coat or the hat that is stitched to her hair.

I made a black leather clutch that has one crystal on the front that matches Janay's faux diamond stud earrings and bow-tie necklace.  (The necklace is actually an adjustable ring.  Both earrings and "necklace" were already on hand.)

The search continued online for more more fashionable shoes where I saw a couple of possibilities on eBay.  After reading the seller's warning that some of the dyes might stain the vinyl, I decided to take the more costly yet safe avenue and visit IT Direct.  During that visit, I found a choice of two shoe packs made specifically for Janay.

2013 "The Premiere" Convention Edge of Night Color Infusion Shoe Pack One

I chose the pack with black shoes since black is more versatile.  The black boots in the pack looked pretty fly, too.   After the shoe pack arrived (addressed to someone named Darren Garrett -- not sure what the person who composed the address label was sipping or smoking), Janay tried on the cute black heels and the wide brimmed hat.  Both are perfect accents for the dress (although the hat tends to shed some of its fibers onto Janay's lovely face).

Janay models her new, made-for-her black shoes, then styles and profiles wearing the shoes, new hat, and clutching the purse I made.

During the initial search for clothing, I browsed the Etsy shop, Atelier ni Shasha, and considered purchasing the white striped maxi-length dress for Janay.  Since I already know two people who own it, I decided to wait until something else becomes available in the shop (wouldn't want our girls to feel embarrassed if seen together wearing the same fashion!).  Janay's wardrobe will increase soon enough.  After all, she has additional footwear that needs to be worn with something other than her borrowed dress. 

With hat slightly tilted, Janay took one final photo to wish you a Happy Labor Day!

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Another Surprising Thrift Store Find

After a quick trip to the post office on Friday, October 11, 2013, I decided to visit my local thrift store.  The week prior, a potential articulated body donor had been there, bagged with another doll I did not need.  I returned on the 11th to see if the articulated doll was still there in hopes that her color tag was the 50% off color for the week.  It wasn't, but she was still there along with a separately bagged, even better articulated doll.  I decided to purchase the better of the two.

Articulated Barbie (one of the Fashionistas I think) and a Lovely Patsy doll with red hair

I rummaged through the other fashion dolls hanging on the racks and there she was, Top Model Nikki!  What?  I couldn't believe it.  Less than two months ago I rescued another Top Model Nikki from this store, and this one is in better condition and appears to have part of her original fashion.

Top Model Nikki as she was when found at the thrift store

Some may call it luck, but I claim it as favor. 

To the counter I headed with both baggies of dolls, stopping at the scarf section first, hoping to find silk ones in earth tone colors, but none interested me; so I paid for my finds.

At home, I dropped the thrift store bag of dolls on top of the washing machine before putting up a few groceries I had purchased before visiting the thrift store.  Later that evening, I gave Nikki a thorough inspection and took some before and after photos of our doll play that lasted probably an hour, an hour and a half max.  The before photo is shown above.  The after photos with captions follow.

Nikki's hair after finger combing

I spent approximately 10 minutes or less, finger combing Nikki's hair and shaping it into a curly style that closely resembles her original style.  I did not wash it, I just used my fingers to remove the tangles, separate coils, and fluff it into shape.  She still wears one of her original gold tone hoop earrings, which I incorporated into her new look. 

One word describes her:  stunning!

Feeling and looking all model-like, Nikki strikes a top-model pose.

I dressed Nikki in the already-on-hand sequined gold tank top, black satin blazer, and gold booties from Barbie Basics accessory pack Look No. 02 Collection 2.5.  Her winter white leggings were also already here, having arrived almost a year ago to date from atelier ni Shasha. 

Nikki tried on black ankle boots for size.

Before meeting her long lost sisters, Nikki, tried on the black ankle boots with her new fashion after first discovering that her arched feet cannot fit into the full-length black boots of the Barbie accessory pack.  We both prefer the gold booties.

Nikki poses with her two sisters.

One final headshot illustrates their similarities and differences.

We were equally amazed, yes, the dolls and I, at their similarities and differences.  The original, mint Nikki (far right) and the center Nikki, look almost identical.  Nikki #2, on the far left, appears to be the older and  wiser of the triplets.  She is the one the others go to for encouragement, advice, or assistance in making decisions.  Good sisters, whether biological or spiritual, are like that - they encourage, advise, and assist.

~*~*~*~*~*

As a side note, my original Top Model Nikki was purchased the year of release (approximately 2008 since the box year is 2007).  At one point, I contemplated selling her and even listed her on Amazon.com for more than people were willing to pay because subconsciously, I don't think I really wanted to see her go.  I eventually removed the listing.  In September of last year, at the suggestion of another blogger, I deboxed the original doll AND discarded her box.  Nikki and I are shown below in a photo taken after her emancipation.

An orb floats between recently freed Top Model Nikki and me. 

With Top Model Nikki, September 15, 2012 -- I needed a silk scarf/headband to cover my gray, but I decided to embrace it and have been embracing it intermittently ever since.  I can go for extended periods between dyeing my hair until I decide the dreadful gray needs concealing temporarily.  One day, I don't know when, I'll embrace it fully and let go of the need for black hair dye and/or silk scarves except for protecting my hair while I sleep.

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