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Friday, August 9, 2013

Fashion Icons Tariq: He's just a Doll

Last month I entered a "share your favorite hunk" challenge in hopes of winning the offered doll:  Fashion Icons Tariq by Integrity Toys ©2002 (that probably entered the market in 2003).  I shared an image of my Denzel Washington-type action figure and won!  Thank you again Mel Parker-Reeves for your generosity and thank you Denzel-type for helping me win.

Fashion Icons Tariq, Integrity Toys ©2002

FI Tariq arrived still attached to the inner liner of his original box in near mint condition without the original box.  Before recording his information into my doll inventory spreadsheet, I googled for an image and discovered he originally wore a Burberry and faux leather hat which was missing.  Something else was missing, too.

"Why is his cross attached to his shirt?  Oh... his chain is missing.  Part of it is still attached to the cross," My daughter noted after his Burberry plaid and matching underwear caught her label consciousness.   

Tariq with replaced gold chain

After a few days, I replaced Tariq's chain (as shown above) and made a cap for him.  Yes, "I" made a cap using leather from a glove that was my sister's, probably when she was in high school.  I found it while discarding things from her bedroom at my mother's house in preparation for Mama's move to a senior apartment complex a few years ago.  I knew that kid leather glove would come in handy in some form or fashion for one of my dolls.

Sister's leather glove

With suggestion assistance from my husband after showing Tariq to him and saying, "I need to make him a cap.  How should I do it?"  He took the piece of leather that I had formed into a tube around Tariq's head, shortened the top with scissors, and then said, "Just fold the tops like so and glue them down," as he illustrated what I should do.  That's all the visual learner in me needed.  I had my mission and I was going to complete it.

I took images of the cap-making process.

Leather fashioned into the shape of a tube after measuring it around Tariq's head.  The adjoining sides have been glued together and temporarily held in place with two clips.  The clips were removed after about 5 minutes and the leather allowed to dry overnight.


This is how it looked after the glue dried.

Placed on Tariq's head, the flaps were folded as you would the end of a gift wrapped package:  left flap folded, Aleene's Tacky Glue applied to the edge, right flap folded over left and held in place for a minute or so.  I wrapped a rubber band from the top of Tariq's head to underneath his chin to hold the flaps in place.  After the area dried, I repeated the process with the front and back flaps as shown in the next image.

The front and back flaps are folded down, held together with Aleene's Tacky glue.  Again, a rubber band was used to create pressure on the flaps until they dried.* 

The following images illustrate front and profile views of Tariq looking ever so handsome in his newly fashioned cap.





*With a similar, but black knit skull cap on his head, Husband peeked over my shoulder while I was positioning the cap on Tariq's head to apply the rubber band to hold the last two flaps down until the glue dried.  The following brief conversation ensued:


Him:  Trying to make me?

Me to Him:  Um, no!

Him (flashing that smile that killed me softly the first time ever I saw his face four decades ago):  You need to add a little more cute.

Me:  No you didn't! (Shaking my head as I refrained from smiling back, attempting to mask my true emotions, as I thought to myself:  Tariq is just a doll... you are all the man I need.)

dbg


28 comments:

  1. Great job on the hat! Better job on your choice of a mate. :-)

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    1. Thank you, The Grandmommy! I agree on the mate choice!

      dbg

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  2. Very sweet story. I guess the rest of us will have to settle for Tariq since your prince is already taken! :-)

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    1. Thanks, Paulette!

      Yes, this one is taken but I know there are other real princes out there.

      dbg

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  3. Oh he looks great with the hat! I love your stories
    ;-)
    Krixx Monroe

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    1. Thanks for reading Krixx. I appreciate your comment!

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  4. Que guapo se ve, wue agradable que tu pareja comparta tus aficiones, hasta pronto.
    Mi blog unabarbieencasa.blogspot.com

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  5. Congrats on winning. He looks great in the new hat. I might try that too! Who is Mel Parker-Reeves?

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  6. Thanks for the congrats, Ms. Leo. Mel Parker-Reeves is a member of one of my Facebook groups: Black and Beautiful Dolls.

    dbg

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    1. Oh, no not Facebook too! I don't want to be on face book. I'd fell like Drew Barrymore's character who is exhausted from all the methods of communication but I would love to just look!

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    2. I was hesitant to put my face on Facebook too, Ms. Leo, but I joined initially to promote my book(s). It has been an avenue to connect with other collectors through the various doll groups. Through the intimacy of FB groups and with proper privacy settings in place, you might enjoy seeing what other collectors are doing with their collections or individual dolls in an instant without waiting for a new blog posting.

      I must warn that if you join, beware of people who want to "friend" you that you do not know. I only accept FB friendship requests from people I know and from those who I have determined are doll collectors (after I have viewed their profiles). I have friended some that I shouldn't have friended. The option to "unfriend" is available (though I never have used it) or the feature to turn off updates from friends is available (I have used this).

      Vanessa and I are FB friends. Jorge of Clicking Dolls and I are also FB friends.

      dbg

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  7. Great job on the hat. I need to try that. I have a lost glove that I saved for some reason.

    Very sweet story and I agree with IRA, I love your stories.

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    1. Making the hat was really easy, GG. You should try it.

      Thanks for loving my story shares.

      dbg

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  8. That hat is the cuteness and so is your husband! I like that he helps you out with your dolly shenanigans.

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    1. Thanks, Muff.

      And my doll creations are truly shenanigans because I never know what I think I need to do until the motivation hits me. It's good to have someone who is "really" creative to consult.

      dbg

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  9. Awesome job on that hat! Right now I'm doing the cabbage patch dance and chanting, 'go Debbie, go Debbie'. lol. You and your husband are just the cutest!

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    1. By the way, is your 'subscribe' feature on?

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    2. Thanks, Vanessa. After making the hat, I wanted to do the Cabbage patch, too. :-)

      He is usually a very serious person, which is why his occasional jokes are so hilarious to me. Last night I asked him to rub my feet. (There are some things he just refuses to do.) He said, "I'm not touching those things." I told him, "Well... I'll just find me another man who will." He said, "Okay. Just let me know." (Cause he just wasn't going to be able to do it.) I would rub his though. It ain't fair.

      dbg

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    3. Glad you found it. The "Subscribe to BDC" and "Subscribe by Email" features are in the right sidebar. I moved the thumbnail images of subscribers with the "Join this Site" feature to the bottom of the page. Most people don't really care how many people subscribe to a blog, or maybe they do, but that feature took up so much space at the top that I decided to move it.

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  10. Hey,Debbie!!
    What a nice post I just LOVE it!!
    Well, as you know I LOVE my Tariq!
    In the truth,my friens, and thinking serious about him,he has a better facial paiting
    than the famous up grade Tariq doll DARIUS.The trouble comparing both of them is the body.DARIUS for sure takes the victory(LOL)...but I really prefer the facial painting of TARIQ.And what a great cap tutorial!!AMAZING!!!!!
    Congrats For This Posting!!Hugs Baby!!

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    1. Hi Jorge!

      It is always a pleasure to read a comment from you!

      I like the Tariq's head sculpt better than Darius' too. His lack of articulation is Darius' downfall, but I love him anyway.

      Glad you enjoyed the cap tutorial.

      Hugs back!

      dbg

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    2. Thank You,My Friend!!
      It's My Pleasure To Have An Elegant "Dolly Friend"(LOL!) Like You!
      And It's Cool To See We Have Many Things In Common About The "Dolly World".

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  11. Don't know how I missed this the first time.

    Awww ... cute doll AND cute husband - you are lucky to have come together, you and BOTH your guys ;-)

    Thanks for sharing the link to this post in your Janay Icons post.

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    1. Thanks and you are welcome, D7ana! Yes... it was fate in both cases.

      dbg

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  12. Can we see some pictures of his body mold and what his arms look like

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    1. Hi Tevin,

      The doll is on a regular, non-articulated, non-anatomically correct male fashion doll body.

      dbg

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