My Doll's New Doll

Special-Order Raven by Maru and Friends, the
2016 WLBD Anew Club Doll

Please first allow me to introduce you to "the doll" that received a doll.  Her name is Raven. She is part of the Maru and Friends line of multicultural dolls created by Maritza Gutierrez and sculpted by Dianna Effner.  After a voting process in January of this year to decide which artist or manufacturer to consult regarding the possibility of creating this year's club doll, my online doll group selected Maru and Friends with Raven as our doll choice.

Working with Maritza Gutierrez began immediately following the voting process.  She was quite accommodating.  Group members were allowed to special order Raven from the company's website.  In an effort to help make Raven our own, Maritza graciously allowed us to select an in-stock Maru and Friends fashion to replace the stock fashion Raven usually wears.  She further offered to have a certificate of authenticity prepared for each club member, which bears the doll's name, the name of the club and the year.   Special ordering concluded in February after which time the dolls were shipped to us.

2016 WLBD Anew Club Doll, Raven, a 20-inch, all-vinyl, high-end doll

My Raven arrived in mid February wearing the Spring is in the Air fashion that the group selected:  a lovely white satin dress, white shimmery tights, white patent-leather Mary Jane-style shoes and a white satin drawstring purse.  Raven has a long straight, slightly textured wig with two front side braids. Her eyes are hazel.

To truly make her our own club doll, we commissioned Rachel McCullough Sherrod of Starkey's Daughter Cloth Dolls to make another dress for Raven as well as a companion doll with matching dress.  Rachel began this project in March.

This is one of the first, if not the first, dresses and companion dolls made for WLBDA club members by Rachel McCullough Sherrod of Starkey's Daughter Cloth Dolls.  (photo courtesy of Rachel McCullough Sherrod)

The first companion dolls and dresses for Raven have been completed and shipped.

Rachel shared this photo of the first six companion dolls as they prepared to travel to their new homes to meet their new owners: WLBDA club members and their Raven dolls.

My Ruby Zee, the name the group selected for Raven's companion doll and Raven's new dress, arrived last week.  Ruby Zee is a 9-inch cloth doll made from a pattern Rachel made.  Ruby Zee has brown hair styled in an upswept side ponytail with bangs.  Her apple green polka dot dress with purple and white bodice matches the dress Rachel made for Raven using a pattern designed for Maru and Friends.  

Raven's new dress has the club's name and year embroidered at
the waistband.

My Ruby Zee
and Raven's new dress

Before meeting her new doll, Raven quickly redressed in her well-made, apple green, white, and purple dress.

Raven examined Ruby Zee closely from head to toe.  It was unanimous, the two of us love her!

An additional treat for Raven occurred on the day Ruby Zee arrived.  Because Ruby Zee wears gold tone hoop earrings, Raven wanted her ears pieced, too.  Raven's first earrings are apple green studs, a perfect match for her new dress.

The graphic design of Raven's shipping box contains head shots of the original Maru and Friends dolls.

After her initial photos were taken in February, Raven was placed back inside her box and the box placed inside the original shipper.  

Thanks to Ruby Zee's presence, Raven is now free from the confines of cardboard and has joined the general doll population with her new doll!

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Maru's Friend Tanya, Her New Friend, and Raven

First-issue Tanya of the Maru and Friends doll line in one of her first photos taken in 2008

Meet (first-issue) Tanya of the Maru and Friends doll line introduced in 2008. Below, Tanya shares her entry in my book, The Doll Blogs When Dolls Speak I Listen, which provides her details without "me" having to rewrite them.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

My name is Tanya.  I am one of the three dolls in the Maru and Friends doll series.  I stand 21 inches (53.34cm).  My curly hair is auburn and my eyes are hazel.  I wear a two-piece turquoise knit top, matching pants, and black boots.  I was sculpted by Dianna Effner for Maritza Gutierrez, who created me.  Gutierrez also wrote my hardcover book, Forever Friends.  In the book, I am an Army brat, who moves to different locations each time my dad changes command.  I become friends with Maru and Jamie after my family relocates once again.  In “reality,” I was a Christmas present this year for Debbie from her daughter, Angela.  Debbie thinks I’m cute.  She’s not too crazy about my outfit, though.

Love,

Tanya

The Maru and Friends website describes her height as 20 inches, but Tanya is correct about my dislike for her original outfit.  After discovering her ability to wear clothing made for the Karito Kids dolls and clothing made for some 18-inch dolls, Tanya has undergone a few redresses here.

Tanya wore the Karito Kids "Holiday Dazzle" fashion and became part of my 2008 Christmas decor.

She was later redressed in a dress made for 18-inch dolls, worn with the ivory tights and brown patent-leather shoes from the "Holiday Dazzle" fashion.

Tanya remained dressed in the above fall fashion for several seasons until recently when I saw a photo of a child holding a doll like her.

Internet-captured photo of child holding Maru and Friends Tanya

This photo prompted me to give my doll some attention and reminded me of two, still boxed, Karito Kids fashions that had been purchased for her years ago.

These two very springtime fashions, Pretty Paisley and Flower Power, made for the Karito Kids dolls, were purchased sometime ago for Maru and Friends Tanya to wear.

Time eventually availed itself for doll play, which included redressing Tanya.  I chose to dress her in the Flower Power Karito Kids fashion.

Tanya takes an outside photo dressed in Karito Kids "Flower Power" fashion.

She is joined by her new friend, my version of Madame Alexander's "Thank You."

The two remain displayed together in the doll room.

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Stock photo collage of Maru and Friends, Raven, 2nd issue

In a recent comment to another post, Arlette of Thammie the DollMaker, mentioned her purchase of Maru and Friends Raven, shown above.  This is the second-edition Raven.  The first-issue doll wore a different fashion and was not introduced with the three original dolls:  Maru, Jamie, and Tanya. Had Raven been available in the core collection, she would have been my choice as the one Maru and Friends doll to own. Tanya has also been reintroduced with a new hairstyle, which I am not at all wild about.  I do, however, like what I see in the new Raven.

Who knows, even though I now try to shy away from dolls her size, Raven might somehow find her way here.   Hmmm... I'm thinking Christmas and I'm thinking I know the answer to my daughter's usual question, "What do you want for Christmas?"

Explore all the dolls in the Maru and Friends line by visiting their website.

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