Former Banner Image

Circa late 1990s greeting card that I named "doll lover."

I used the above image as the banner for this blog prior to using the current banner image, which is a digital painting of an actual photo of me and my dolls by contemporary digital artist, Son of Ellis.

The previous banner illustrates a little Black girl whose face is partially hidden by the dolls she clutches tightly.  It is a scan of a greeting card I purchased during the late 1990s.  I purchased the card because of this image that reflects how I feel about my doll collection and about Black dolls in general, particularly those that are aesthetically pleasing.

When Black dolls adequately portray the people they represent and are not demeaning caricatures, they warm my heart.  I have often written different forms of this mantra in books, publications, and elsewhere.   The image is also proof that representation matters in the form of dolls for Black girls.  They need to see themselves in their playthings in order to develop a strong sense of self.  As a child, I did not see myself in my dolls.  I did, however, develop a healthy sense of self from nurturing received from my family, from church members, educators who cared, and from my beloved community.

The inside greeting is another reason the card was purchased.  It reads as follows.

My childhood was precious and cherishable.

Thanks to God for giving me parents like you.

You gave me love, pride, courage,and dignity,

Allowing your little girl to blossom into an honorable woman.

Thank you!

At the time of purchase, I thought about giving the card to my mother, but because she and Daddy had long been divorced, the words were not a perfect fit for her alone even though they were a fit for the two of them together.  So I kept the card, which I still have.

The greeting card is stored in the smaller of the two decorative storage boxes shown above.

The card is stored in one of two decorative storage boxes where all greeting cards I have received throughout the years from family and friends are stored.  Sentimental much?  Yes, I am.

With my permission (even though I do not own any copyrights to it), my scan of this image is currently the cover photo for the Facebook group Buy Black Dolls 24/7.

The card is from the Heritage Collection ©Nicole Folks.  The inside greeting and back of the card are shown above.

The image on the front of the card captures my feelings about Black dolls and the inside greeting expresses my gratitude for both my parents.  The card is a perfect fit for me.

Read about the current banner here.

dbg

There is always something to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________
Thank you for following, commenting, and sharing using the share button below.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!