Forever First Lady Michelle Obama Boomark

After purchasing Becoming by Michelle Obama as a Christmas gift for a friend and needing to add additional items to Friend's gift package, I asked doll artist, Karen Oyekanmi if it would be possible (at a very late notice, mind you) to make a  doll bookmark in my Forever First Lady's likeness.  Karen has made other doll bookmarks that I have purchased for myself and as gifts.  So, I thought it would be wonderful to include one made in Mrs. Obama's likeness in my friend's gift package.  Karen was able to honor this request and have the bookmark mailed in time for me to include it in the package that I needed to ship for arrival prior to Christmas.

Selected photo choices

Initially, I submitted the photo on the left to Karen to use in the creation of the bookmark.  Later the same day, after deciding it might be easier and quicker to create a closed-smile likeness, I submitted the photo on the right.  I told Karen I would leave it up to her as to which image she could recreate the quickest.

Preview photo prior to mailing the bookmark to me

Karen replicated Mrs. Obama's image as close as possible including the one-shoulder blue dress she wore in the closed-mouth photo.  She emailed the above preview photo prior to adding the final touches and mailing.

Portrait of Forever First Lady Michelle Obama bookmark is shown inside my first edition, first printing copy of Becoming (I had already wrapped my friend's book.)

The portrait doll bookmark is 12-1/2 inches tall, made of cloth with synthetic hair and painted facial features.  The head is slightly stuffed.

A head-shot close-up was taken with the bookmark leaning against the title page of the book.

In the photo of Mrs. Obama in the blue dress, she wears triangular shaped earrings.  As shown in the head-shot photo above, the bookmark has Christmas-tree-shaped earrings that are embellished with blue sequins.

The feet point to one side, making it easy for the bookmark to lie between the pages of a book.

The blue pumps are painted on and have a blue gem at each toe.

Upon receiving the bookmark, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a mini version of Mrs. Obama's New York Times best-selling memoir, Becoming, attached to the hands!

Before wrapping the bookmark with Christmas paper and mailing it to my friend, I took the following additional photographs to add to my documentation of this one-of-a-kind bookmark of Michelle Obama.

This head-shot photo was taken with the bookmark lying flat.

This photo provides a closer look at the memoir and mock two-piece, one-shoulder dress.

Full view from the back

Close-up from the back illustrates the hand-applied synthetic wig.

As always, Karen did a fabulous job creating this portrait doll bookmark of my Forever First Lady Michelle Obama.

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Travel Doll Janet's Final Destination

Photo courtesy of J. Bush

Travel Doll Janet's first appearance here was on March 21, 2016.  As noted in that post, the doll was purchased last year to be used this year for a travel doll event for my online doll group.  Janet remained with me until the end of March when she traveled to the next host's location.

From Texas, Janet traveled to the following cities and states and remained for approximately two weeks at each location:

• Catonsville Maryland
• Upper Marlboro, Maryland

(I wrote an update of her travels after her Upper Marlboro, MD visit, which can be reviewed or read, here.)  Afterward, Janet continued her travels to:

• Mitchellville, Maryland
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Aurora, Colorado
• Albany, Georgia and her final hosting location was in:
• Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

While with each host, souvenirs and other goodies for Janet were purchased.  After Janet's visits, all except two hosts* sent Janet's souvenirs to me to be sent along with her to her forever home at the end of the event.  The following images are just some of the souvenirs Janet's hosts purchased:

Souvenir's from Dallas, Texas

Souvenirs from Catonsville, Maryland (photo courtesy of the host)

Souvenirs from Mitchellville, Maryland include a handmade quilt, squares of which spell out M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D.

Authentic mini replicas of Native American items from Albuquerque, New Mexico (photo courtesy of the host)

From her last visit in Gettysburg, PA, Janet returned to me.  I hand washed her clothes and placed her back inside her original box which had remained here during her travel experience.

Janet stands in her undies waiting for her romper and socks to dry.

In this photo, she has been dressed and reattached to the box liner.

She's back in the box, all set and ready to go!

Within a week of her return to me, a number was drawn to determine her final destination. I made myself ineligible to participate in the drawing.   A video was created as the drawing took place and was thereafter shared with the participating members.  The video can be viewed next.

And the winner is... drum roll please.

Janet and the souvenirs that were mailed to me were boxed for shipping. 

The souvenirs that were mailed to me were placed in separate Ziploc bags. To help identify the hosts who sent them, a map illustrating their location was attached to the front of the bags.  Everything was placed inside the box shown above along with Janet.  She is in the tissue-paper-wrapped box.  The package was mailed on October 5, 2016.  *After the drawing was held and the winner announced, as instructed by me, the two hosts who had not yet sent their souvenirs, sent them to the final destination of Aurora, Colorado.

As an expression of my gratitude for their participation, I sent all  hosts, including the winner, a gift.

Doll pin (brooches) by Sylvia Small

Three hosts received a doll pin made by doll artist, Sylvia Small.

Doll bookmarks by Karen Oyekanmi of Kissing Kousins

The remaining five hosts received a doll bookmark made by Karen Oyekanmi, of Kissing Kousins.

Bookmark doll, photo courtesy of Cheryl B.

Upon receipt of the above bookmark, because she likes it so, the Mitchellville, Maryland host wrote, "She will never see a book as a bookmark." I own one, too, and I can't blame her!

Mini gift bag gift from one of the hosts

One of the hosts sent a mini Toys "R" Us gift bag to each host, including me, which I thought was a very sweet gesture. Both sides of the gift bag are shown in the above image.

To sum things up, this was a very doll-lightfully successful event. Every participant expressed their pleasure, which was the ultimate goal.  If Janet could talk, I am sure she'd tell you how much fun it was for her, too.

Thank you again, Alisa, Cheryl, Debbie V.,  Julia, Shawatha, Sheila, Tammy, and Teresa for participating.

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Check out my eBay listings here.

Black Beauty Bookmark and Kissing Kousins Dolls by Karen Oyekanmi

Black Beauty Bookmarks by Kissing Kousins are 12 inches, made of felt, have hand-painted features, and wear cloth dresses, each a one of a kind, $20 each.

After seeing the above image of  bookmarks in the shape of dolls, I contacted the daughter of the woman who made these and ordered one as a gift for a friend. The bookmark arrived last week and I love it so much that the doll collecting reader in me has unapologetically decided to keep it.


The bookmark, as you can see from the above images, is quite unique and works much better than the Cheerios coupon I had been using as a bookmark for the current book I am trying to decide if I want to complete.

The coupon had been the first thing I grabbed from my nightstand when I was reading another book.  It transferred over to the current book prior to receiving the Black Beauty Bookmark by Karen Oyekanmi of Kissing Kousins Dolls.

Of course I have other bookmarks and some of them also have a doll theme, but none are quite like this one and none of the others came with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.




Along with the bookmark, as a most generous gift, Karen sent a mirror compact, the front of which she has decorated with sheet music and the bust of a woman sculpted in polymer clay who appears to be in song.  On the back is written:

Donna
Summer
by K-K
2015 1/1


I love it!

In my Facebook and email conversions with Karen, who, according to her daughter, began her Black doll journey in 1982, she shared photos of some of her doll creations, some of which are in shadow boxes.  Most of the photos she shared are of dolls that are currently on exhibit but they will be available for sale after the exhibit closes on March 26, 2016.  See these photos with associated prices below.

Drink up Alice, a 14-inch, fully posable doll of felt is a one of a kind (OOAK) with shadow box (positioned sideways).

When asked if she works only in cloth or in mixed media Karen replied:

I make porcelain baby dolls on request... I also sculpt dolls in polymer clay. I love working in felt so the majority of my dolls in the past five years have been felt dolls. The doll, Drink up Alice (shown above), is in the shadow box sideways as shown. She can be removed from the box; she is attached with Velcro . She is fully jointed and would love to stand or sit in a chair!

This doll and the one immediately above it are Mama's Babies, 8 inches, felt, $85

My Angela, 14-inch  OOAK felt doll, fully posable with chair $100

Presentation is a 6-inch fairy with frog, $85.

Sitting Pretty is a 3-inch fairy on a 3-inch clay pot, $100

Spring Arrival, 12-inch wooden jointed doll in shadow box, $90

Karen is working on additional bookmarks and plans to launch her website soon.  If you are interested in purchasing a Black Beauty Bookmark or any of the dolls shown above, Karen may be contacted through her Facebook page here.

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Check out my eBay listings here.