Doll-A-day 2017 #191: Barbie Fairytopia Mermaid Elina and Some Mary Cicely Barker

  I went to pick out a doll for photographing the other day, and found that I have a lot more fairies than I thought. So, although we've seen several fairies lately,these are beautiful dolls,so we're going to take a look at them this week. It's an unintentional theme week!
  I have said before that I was never into Tinkerbell as a character. However, I have always liked fairies. I wished they were real when I was a kid. Ok. Being honest,I still do. I love the art of Mary Cecily Barker.

Mary Cicely Barker was a British artist and author. She was born in 1895. A sickly child, she spent years home in bed, where she passed the time with painting,and books and the works of people like Kate Greenaway,who is probably still far more famous than Barker,although Barker's work is seen more often these days. In time she began art correspondence lessons. At thirteen she began attending art lessons at the Croyden School of Art, eventually becoming a teacher there. She began her career in art illustrating greeting cards and children's magazines. In 1923 she published her first book,  "Flower Fairies of the Spring". That book was eventually followed by two more seasons books,(Winter wasn't covered until after her death, when various works were put together to make up a winter book.),and many others. I  do love the fairy books, but I have a weakness for her book "The Lord of the Rushie River",a beautiful book about a little girl who is left alone by the woman her father pays to care for when he has to go to sea. 

Alone in the world,she is rescued by a swan, who looks after her until her father's return.

Barker died in 1973.
  Anyway, to get to the point, I have always had something of an obsession with fairies, elves, and magic little creatures of that sort. That accounts for my surprisingly sizable collection of fairy dolls.
  Today we're looking at Barbie Fairytopia Mermaid Elina.(Huh?!)

She has an 18" wing span.

 Apparently this isn't her original skirt, and her wings transform into a mermaid tail.

I have no idea how that was supposed to work.

Her bodice is molded in...

The button disguised in her necklace operates her wings.

 

...as are her sleeves, jewelry, and whatever that stuff on her legs passes for.

When the button in her necklace is pushed her wings pop out.

This is the down position.

She has large rooted eyelashes.

And sparkly 'hair' amongst her blonde hair.

This character is Elina. I don't know, because Ivy had grown too old for Barbie movies by the time the Fairytopia movie came out, but I'm assuming this doll is 'Barbie as Elina'.

She's not the most nature-y looking fairy, but the dolls are beautiful.

She looked very nice next to my Rose of Sharon bush/tree.

See you tomorrow for another fairy.