Baby Painting for Santa

Package of 1-inch plastic babies

These 1-inch generic babies, usually used for decorating cakes or for baby shower games, are the perfect size for my 9-1/2 inch Possible Dreams Santa whose over-the-shoulder gift basket did not include a doll.

Possible Dreams Santa, Christmas is for Children, holds a basket of gifts over his shoulder, has candy canes in one pocket, and a teddy bear and a ball in the other.

These 1-inch nude babies are quite dull looking, appearing more male than female; so I decided to paint-enhance the appearance of one before Santa added it to his bag.

Here's what I did:

I used white Slick Dimensional Fabric Paint by Tulip to create molded hair and a diaper to cover her bottom.

After applying the paint to the head and diaper area, I used a clip to hold the baby in the position shown to allow the paint to dry.  The clip is attached to the baby's arm.

I chose to paint the hair to create a more female-looking hair pattern (since most baby dolls are girls) and to add some dimension to the hair.

After the dimensional paint dried, I painted the hair black, added extra black paint to the eyes, and defined the lips with maroon acrylic paint.

 The baby refused to girl up, so I painted red bows on both sides of the "hair."

The above profile and frontal views illustrate how the doll looks after dimensional painting, darkening the hair, re-painting the eyes and mouth, and adding the painted-on ribbons.

The doll can be tucked in Santa's basket of gifts or held by Santa as illustrated below.

I don't know what Santa was thinking, but he should have known his gifts would be incomplete without a baby doll. 

dbg

Follow my Dolls for Sale blog

Please visit and "Like" The Doll Blogs: When Dolls Speak I Listen

O Tannenbaum

In elementary school music class we were taught to sing the German folk song, O Christmas Tree in English and German.  This song, among others is in volume 11, Music for the Family, on page 121 of my 1961 edition of Childcraft that I still own.  Therefore, I was already familiar with the German version.

The lyrics of this Christmas song came to mind after decorating a pre-lit tabletop Christmas tree with mini Sparkle Girlz dolls.  The dolls were found at Wal-Mart earlier this year.  I purchased the tree at Big Lots shortly after developing the plan to use the dolls as ornaments.   

This plan was mentioned in a comment on my original post  about the Sparkle Girlz after Paulette of Limbe Dolls shared that someone told her the dolls would make nice ornaments.  Vanessa, of Fashion Dolls at Van's Doll Treasures, asked to see a picture of the tree after I decorated it.   This blog serves that purpose.   One of the photographs below was taken without the use of the camera flash to give more visibility to the tree lights.

Purple Christmas tree decorated with 16 Sparkle Girlz dolls.  I added tiny silver ribbons to some of the branches and curled the ribbon ends.  I wanted to add multicolored candy canes, but I could not find any that were made domestically.

The tree was lit in the previous picture, but the lights are more visible in this image taken without the flash.  The dolls are attached with clear rubber bands reinforced with purple bands used to make stretch bracelets.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!  The tree has traveled from Texas to Illinois where the recipient, whose favorite color is purple, is enjoying it.

O Christmas Tree 

Lyrics in English and German

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum How lovely are your branches! Wie treu sind deine Blätter In beauty green will always grow Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, Through summer sun and winter snow. Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, How lovely are your branches! Wie treu sind deine Blätter. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, You are the tree most loved! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen. How often you give us delight Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit In brightly shining Christmas light! Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, You are the tree most loved! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Your beauty green will teach me Dein Kleid will mich was lehren. That hope and love will ever be Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit, The way to joy and peace for me. Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit! O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Your beauty green will teach me. Das will dein Kleid mich lehren.

Merry Christmas!

dbg

Follow my Dolls for Sale blog
Please visit and "Like" The Doll Blogs: When Dolls Speak I Listen

Throwback Thursday: Made in France Used as Souvenir in West Indies

This blue-eyed black doll was kindly offered to me after I was contacted by its previous temporary owner who wrote:

Hi, Debbie! I was given your email address by Sherry Howard over at Auction Finds, a fellow collectibles person.

Sometimes in my picking/selling travels I come across an item which I'm not comfortable selling, like this Mammy doll which was hiding at the bottom of a box of old Madame Alexander dolls. I don't [principally] sell things like this, and yet I know that there are people who collect these for historical or academic purposes so I am reluctant to just toss it. 

Any chance you would like to add it to your a collection? I'd be happy to send it along.
She's cast plastic, has no limbs, is about 5" from head to crotch, and is stamped "France." Although I know little about these dolls, I wouldn't be surprised if the eerily blue eyes were unusual.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks,

Ellen

Circa 1960s souvenir doll from French West Indies

I accepted Ellen's offer to send the doll to me and offered to pay postage, which she did not require.  The doll arrived yesterday.  She is as I suspected and shared with Ellen who was curious about the doll's origin:  a souvenir doll that was probably sold to tourists in the French West Indies.  Upon visual inspection, her rigid plastic construct dates her to the 1960s.  The missing arms and legs were probably attached with a rubber band which deteriorated over time, separating them from the one-piece head and body.

Similar dolls made prior to the 1960s included those with bisque heads with composition bodies and later all celluloid.  The use of celluloid was discontinued in the US during the 1930s because of its flammability, but other countries continued its use in doll making.  Other Caribbean souvenir dolls were made of porcelain and cloth like these three that I own. 

Manufacture of Caribbean souvenir dolls continues as a thriving business for the tourist trade.  Today's dolls can be made of cloth or vinyl.  The plaid of my doll's skirt is similar to that used on newer souvenir dolls in Martinique dress from Fort De France, Martinique, Windward Islands, West Indies.

She has no arms or legs, but has found a new home.

Thanks again, Ellen.  Your little doll find, though limbless, with blue eyes that are not uncommon for these white dolls painted black, has found a new home. Thank you, Sherry Howard, for referring Ellen to me.

Link to previous post on souvenir dolls from Caribbean

dbg

Follow my Dolls for Sale blog

Please visit and "Like" The Doll Blogs: When Dolls Speak I Listen