A Girl and Two Guys

I haven't added very many dolls to my collection this year (it is only March). That trend will probably continue unless a doll is extra special or is one of the few that is on my want list (and that is a very short list). Between January and February, I did add three dolls that I have not written about here. One was a gift from a dear artist friend who shall remain nameless, but she knows who she is. :-)

Barbie Fashionista 161

Fashionista 161

I was initially on the fence about purchasing Barbie Fashionista 161. The overused Mbili head sculpt, the light complexion, and the blonde hair combination did not interest me. But with Amazon Prime cash credits leftover from Christmas purchases, I splurged the $9.99 and free shipping to get this girl. The one they sent had a black scar on the back of one arm. It was returned and replaced with the one shown in these photos.

The facial close-up illustrates her light brown eyes, pink lip color, and middle parted blonde hair.

The straight blonde hair is almost waist-length.

A full-length view illustrates her clothes and shoes.

Fashionista 161 uses the Curvy Barbie body with high-heel feet. She wears a pink and black plaid dress, charcoal see-through ankle boots, and has a yellow waist bag. 

Bubby

Daddy's Long Legs Bubby was a club member exclusive from 1994.

Daddy Long Legs Bubby was a gift. I had mentioned to a doll artist-friend that I wanted a DLL little boy doll from the company's original line (not Daddy's Babies that were released after the company reorganized under that brand). After purchasing Lizabeth, I realized I didn't own a little boy. I was offered this one and accepted him with open arms.

 

Made of resin, Bubby has life-like sculpted facial features.

This 1994 DLL Collector's Club doll is 10 inches tall, made of resin, has sculpted black hair, and brown sculpted and painted eyes. He wears a brown and tan check shirt, blue denim jeans; and because he is an angel, he has white wings.

Bubby's cloud chair

Bubby sits on a white resin cloud chair. He has a hangtag that bears his name and his 1994 Members Edition status as illustrated next.

Bubby still has his hangtag.

The inside of Bubby's right leg is signed by the artist.

Karen Germany (the creator of Daddy's Long Legs dolls) signed the inside of Bubby's right leg. Also written on his leg are Bubby's edition number (#1142), ©1994, and Mem. Ed.

Sue Johnson Male 

A 1987 painted cloth doll by Sue Johnson

As indicated by Bubby's purchase, often one doll purchase leads to another.  This holds true for the next doll. After purchasing my first Sue Johnson doll, a resin girl named Moselle, I wanted to add one of the artist's cloth dolls to my collection. I preferred a girl with a doll; however, this male was available for a price I could not refuse. Initially, the eBay seller offered him in a buy-it-now or make-offer auction. I offered a few dollars less than the buy-it-now price. That offer was declined. The auction closed without bids. It was relisted in a buy-it-now for a lower price than I offered. So, I bought it then. 

This guy has painted facial features and big brown eyes.

This 21-inch male doll has a hand-painted head, hands, black socks, and brown side-button boots. He wears a red heart-print shirt, and blue and white ticking overalls that have a heart on the front made from the shirt fabric. 

The Sue Johnson doll has handwritten identifying marks on the back of both legs.

On the back of the left leg is the artist's signature and ©1987. The back of his right leg has #72 written on it to indicate the doll is the 72nd doll made. The edition number is not included. 

With an original name that is unknown to me, I named the Sue Johnson doll Frank after my paternal grandfather and great-grandfather. I knew Grandfather Frank briefly but never met my paternal Great-Grandfather Frank.

I would like to know more about the artist, Sue Johnson. I have yet to find anything written about her online. If you know about her, please share what you know using the contact field on the home page of this blog. Thank you in advance.

(Happy International Women's Day and Happy Birthday, Mama!)

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. To contact me, 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.

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In Case You Missed It

Baby Nancy, Shindana's first doll

The Strong Museum's Zoom event, Black Toys and Toymakers: The Story of Shindana was held on Friday, February 26, 2021. The recorded presentation can be viewed below. After the video, view The Strong Museum's Google Arts and Culture Online Exhibit at the link that follows the video.

 

Google Arts and Culture Online Exhibit

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. To contact me, 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.

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!

Because She's Lovely, I Named Her Aisha

As soon as I saw Sarah Niemela's completed photos of the custom 8-inch clay doll that I commissioned her to make for me, I began singing Stevie Wonder's song, "Isn't She Lovely?" 

"Isn't She Lovely" is the 11th song on Stevie's Songs in the Key of  Life album released in 1976. It was written after the birth of his first child, a daughter named Aisha. I know exactly how he felt to see something beautiful that "you" created (or that you commissioned someone else to make). That is why I named this doll Aisha.

It was a joy to work with Sarah. She had recently completed and shared photos of another doll that inspired me to request mine, which was made to my specifications.

I wanted my doll's complexion a little more brown than the other doll's. I liked the two Afro puffs the other doll had and wanted to keep those. Instead of a blouse and skirt, I wanted my doll dressed in an African-print dress.  

Expressing my desire for a dress to Sarah is when I discovered that the other doll's entire costume was made from clay! I was very impressed. 

Lovely pleated dress trimmed at the bodice and hem in African print

Sarah asked me to provide examples of the style of dress I wanted. I searched the Internet and found a cute little girl's dress and shared the above photo with Sarah. She replicated it quite well. 

My final request was for the doll to hold a doll and Sarah came through with that request, too. 

Enough of my excitement about the makings of my Aisha. Below are several pictures I took of the doll after she arrived.

Aisha, her doll, her dress, and shoes are made from clay.

She has such a precious face.

She has a rope headband with clay flower petals attached.

So-so beautiful!

Dolly's hair is accented with multiple tiny beads.

A white strip of clay is attached to the back of the doll's dress that bears Sarah's signature and the 2021 copyright.

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Isn't she precious? Less than a few weeks old (Sarah works very fast!) The doll was completed within a few days. I would have received Aisha sooner, but Sarah and I both agreed for her to delay shipping until the arctic weather I was experiencing in Texas subsided. That plan worked out well. The doll was mailed on a Friday and I received it the following Tuesday.

Am I happy? No. I am thrilled!

Sarah sent one of her beautiful doll cards to thank me for the purchase. The front of the card is shown next.

This thank you card from Sarah Niemela features two of her beautiful life-size dolls.

 

Aisha fits in well with similar dolls her size that range between 7-1/2 to 8 inches tall as illustrated in the next two pictures. 

She stands out among other similar-sized dolls that are displayed underneath a globe, the base of which is wooden, swivels, and has several spaces to display dolls on doll stands.

Here is another view of Aisha and her friends.

I love her! If you desire, listen to Stevie Wonder sing the song he wrote for "my doll" before she was even a thought. :-) 

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. To contact me, 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.

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!