Lee-Lee Is Here to Stay

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Leo-Moss-inspired doll waffle for a doll I named Lee-Lee in honor of Leo Moss, a handyman from Macon, Georgia who made black dolls from the late 1800s to the early 1930s.

Lee-Lee was made by Tutu Souza, who donated the doll to DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum to be used as a fundraiser. Instead of a traditional auction, as founder and curator of the virtual museum, I created a doll waffle. Unfortunately, only 12 of the 45 waffle slots were purchased. All slots needed to be purchased for the waffle to be successful and comparable to the value of Tutu's dolls. The waffle ended today, March 31, 2023, and all participants have been refunded through Paypal.

Unboxed, Lee-Lee is now in the company of Holiday Almeda and others.

Lee-Lee is here to stay in the company of other dolls, which include Holiday Almeda, another Leo-Moss-inspired doll by Tutu.

Lee-Lee fits in well with other one-of-a-kind and limited-edition dolls.

About the Artist: Tutu began making Leo-Moss-inspired dolls at the beginning of the pandemic and continues to perfect her doll-artist skills. Visit and follow her Leo Moss Facebook page where she showcases her dolls.

Thank you again, Tutu, for your generosity, and thank you, again, to all waffle participants.

Much love to all of you.

Learn more about Leo Moss and his original dolls here.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

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Thrift Store Tianas

Thrift-store-found Princess Tiana dolls

I found two different versions of Princess Tiana dolls at a local thrift store. Both were in very preloved condition. 

I freed them from the plastic baggies, thoroughly examined them, and made note of their manufacturer's marks.

The shorter, 11-inch doll by Hasbro and Disney ©2018 was missing the bottom of her gown and her shoes. The taller, 12-inch doll by Mattel and Disney ©2012 appears to have been redressed. (I've never seen a Princess Tiana doll in a pink gown. Have you?)   

I undressed the 12-inch doll and found clothing items, shoes, and accessories for them to wear.

First, I needed to tackle their hair.

I removed the rubber bands that held their updo styles in place before adding conditioner to their hair and giving it a thorough rinse.

I refashioned their hair into updos using rubber bands. The taller doll's hair fell into a perfect bun while the shorter doll's hair had to be tucked in place.

This view from the back illustrates their bun styles.

Next, their ears were pierced using quilting pins. For the 11-inch doll, I painted yellow quilting pins gold. Light blue quilting pins were used for the 12-inch doll to match a pair of Barbie mules I found for her.

The 12-inch Tiana was the easiest to restore. After piercing the ears, I dressed her in a yellow sweater dress and added light blue shoes that match the earrings.

Next, to add color and accessorize the dress, I attached a child's teddy-bear earring (now a brooch) to the collar.

More time was required to make the 11-inch Hasbro/Disney Tiana presentable.

Because of her huge feet, it took me a minute to find shoes that fit. All of my Barbie shoes were too small. Then, I remembered the few pairs of black shoes that fit Monster High and Stardolls that were purchased a few years ago. 

The Hasbro Tiana now wears the green Sparkle Girlz skirt seen on the left.

Initially, I was going to make a long wraparound skirt using green felt. While looking through my Barbie and similar-size fashion doll clothing, I found a green Sparkle Girlz skirt (seen on the left in the photo immediately above). The skirt had a pink elasticized waistband that I painted gold with metallic paint. I used the same paint for the black shoes. 

The handle of a gold faux leather Barbie purse that was part of a Barbie Basics accessory pack was beginning to flake, so I used the gold metallic paint to seal the entire purse. While looking through the clothing stash, I found an ornate gold Barbie choker, which along with her original crown, helps maintain Tiana's look of royalty.

 

In this profile picture, the newly painted metallic gold purse and the sides of her gold shoes are visible. She looks as though she is marching off to find her Prince.

Here she is again in a frontal view. (Tap to enlarge or stretch the photo to see the choker better.)

Both Tianas pose for this final photo.

Because they are Princess Tiana dolls (Disney's first African American princess doll), I couldn't leave them behind at the thrift store and, for only $1.99 each, I'm glad I didn't. 

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Vestida de Azul 18 inch Boy

A handsome 18-inch (45 cm) boy by Vestida de Azul joins the collection.

This handsome, new-to-me doll was purchased from another collector. He has a custom short curly brown wig permanently attached to his now-cut rooted brown hair. Made in Europe by Vestida de Azul of Spain, he might have originated as a doll like the one shown here (except the other doll's hair is black and much longer).

His jersey reads "Team USA 23."

I like the shorter wig and the way the previous owner dressed him in a sports outfit and Chuck's-style high-top sneakers.

He needed something to hold. So, I gave him a piece of Dubble Bubble bubble gum.

Made of all rubber-like, sturdy vinyl, he has brown stationary eyes and applied upper eyelashes. A rare 18-inch Black boy doll, the girls in the collection will have to make room for his presence.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Boot Restoration

This Internet-captured photo illustrates how Top Model Nikki's boots looked before my doll's boots began to flake.

Quite some time ago, I discovered that the top layer of Top Model Nikki's knee-high faux leather aqua boots was flaking off, breaking down, disintegrating! I peeled off all the flakes and the remaining top layer with the intention of sealing the knit material that was underneath.

 

I inserted marking pens in the boots in preparation for sealing with varnish.

 

The boots remained as illustrated above, with a marking pen placed inside each to hold their shape while I applied varnish. I didn't get around to doing this until recently after another pair of flaking boots arrived that needed my immediate attention.

Part of the Barbie Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform, these boots had begun to flake in areas.

The flaking cowboy boots from the opposite side are shown here.

With two boots that needed restoration, I was motivated to begin the quick, but necessary restoration. 

Pens were inserted inside the cowboy boots, too. 

The inserted pens served to maintain the boot shape, to prevent the insides from sticking, and to hold while applying the sealant to the outer surfaces. 

Next, I applied thin layers of matte varnish to both boots and allowed the boots to dry after placing the pen-held boots upside down inside two vintage brass napkin holders that had been my mother's.

After the varnish dried, I didn't like the finished surface, so I used Mod Podge for both boots to complete the necessary sealing.

The Sealed Boots

Top Model Nikki's boots sealed well.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader boots also sealed well.

The dolls model their newly sealed boots next.

Top Model Nikki proudly poses in her new (but stiff) boots.

She's thankful that her feet and legs are no longer bare.

Artsy/Desiree posed next. 

Desiree already loved wearing the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform.

She loves wearing it even more now that the boots are sealed.

While the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader ensemble is not her original clothes, Desiree wears it well. The "hot pants" fit her like a glove. 

The girls pose together in this final picture.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Tinkerbell and Ariel Dolls

Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell 

The promo pictures promise a good likeness of Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell in the upcoming Disney Peter Pan movie. The doll can be pre-ordered at the link. #ad

https://amzn.to/3TlbVsG

Ariel doll from The Little Mermaid

Let's not forget Halle Bailey as Ariel doll from The Little Mermaid, which is also a great likeness in the promo pictures. Order Ariel at the next link. #ad

https://amzn.to/3JcPykm

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

New Doll, New Body, Redressed

Alysa Simply Chic, an early Jason Wu fashion doll designed for Integrity Toys (2000), was featured in my first book, The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls (Hobby House Press, Inc., 2003).

Candi Fashion Forward On the Go (seen here wearing the original fashion) by Jason Wu for Integrity Toys had been on my wish list and part of my eBay searches for years. I gave up on finding this 2003-released doll and removed it from my saved eBay searches because I was not willing to pay sellers' asking prices.

My long-sought-after Candi arrived with a broken neck.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to buy Candi at a price I was willing to pay. Unfortunately, the doll arrived with a damaged neck. The seller sent a different doll as a  replacement and allowed me to keep Candi. My next task was to find a body that would match Candi's.

Not planning to use Alysa's body (seen in the first picture of this post), I decided to see if that doll's body would match Candi's complexion. It did. Still not planning to sacrifice Alysa's body, I gingerly removed the doll's head and placed Candi's head onto the body to see if it would fit. It did. 

The decision not to sacrifice Alysa's body swiftly changed, but she remains whole because I swapped both dolls' heads onto the different bodies. 

While removing Candi's head from the original body, the two-piece knob that held the head in place that also allowed it to rotate, broke apart. I had to fish one piece of it out of the doll's head. Without the neck knob on the old body,  Alysa's head sits too low on the neck, but I decided to use the body for her anyway. 

Alysa's clothes are now on her "new-to-her" body and Mod Podge is layered onto the neck cracks.

Before the permanent swap, to stabilize the cracked neck of Candi's original body, I applied Mod Podge to the cracks and allowed it to dry before attaching Alysa's head. 

Candi arrived wearing the 2001 Holiday Toast Candi fashion with a pair of gold high-heel shoes.

Made of silk-type fabric, the 2001 Holiday Toast Candi Fashion is seen from the front and from the back in this photo.

 

The dress is lovely, but I wanted to see if one of Shasarignis' fashions would fit her.

She looks stunning in this two-piece pants suit by Shasarignis.

I paired the pink pants suit by Shasarignis with a pair of gray high-heels. 

Look at that face! Isn't she gorgeous!

Because I could not remove Alysa's three-strand pearl necklace from the body that's now Candi's, Candi continues to wear the pearls. She is also wearing Alysa's pearl earrings.

Alysa wears her wired pearl bracelet as a necklace now.

I gave Alysa a new pair of larger pearl stud earrings. What had been her pearl bracelet is now a necklace to mask the neck length she lost during the head swap.

Candi and Alysa

Overall, I am pleased with the purchase and with these two Jason-Wu-designed dolls for Integrity Toys (IT). The fact that they both still have IT bodies is a plus.

Oh, wait! Just as I was about to put the dolls on a display shelf, Candi decided she wanted to wear different, more stylish shoes. 

She chose a pink wedge mule.

This is a close-up of the shoes Candi chose.

Dolls will be dolls.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Final Shasarignis Fashion Showcase

This is the fourth and final post that showcases doll fashions by Shasarignis. Recall that the doll dressmaker donated several of her hand-sewn fashions. The links to the other three blog posts are at the end of this post. 

A beige linen-look belted coat, a pink two-piece skirt suit, a gray and black houndstooth jacket, and dark beige pants are the featured fashions by Shasarignis.

This post also features an additional white dress with a peasant neckline and an elasticized waist that fits a 16-inch doll.

The last of the playscale fashions are modeled by the lovely ladies below.

Barbie Fashionista #125, Fashionista #91 (Varsity Plaiditude), and Barbie Basics Model No. 4 are clothed in fashions designed by Shasarignis.

The roomy linen-look full-length coat is belted at the waist and also has belt loops. It can be worn alone or over a dress or pants.

Fashionista 91 looks elegant in this pink skirt suit with three vertical buttons on the top and side pleats on the skirt.

Barbie Basics Model No. 4 looks stylish in a gray and black houndstooth double-breasted jacket and tan pants. 

For the white peasant dress, Essential Lizette Dionne was a perfect choice.

With her orange mesh gypsy headscarf and peach high heels, Lizette wears this dress well.

My sincere gratitude goes out to Shasarignis for graciously donating these well-made (sewn completely by hand) doll clothes! My dolls appreciate you, too. 

Visit the doll dressmaker's Instagram page, blog, and YouTube channel where more fashion-doll clothes are modeled by other dolls in still photos and stop-motion animated videos.

Related Links:

Impressive Fashions by Shasarignis

More Impressive Fashions by Shasarignis

Hand-sewn Fashions by Shasarignis continued

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!