Happy Mother's Day!

  I hope all you moms out there are having a happy Mother's Day. I'm spending the day with my girls. We went to Ivy's Senior Awards night this past week,and it really hit home that she'll be going away to college soon. I cried on and off the whole evening afterward!

Dolly World and some of her kids wish you all a Happy Mother's Day!

Doll-A-Day 250: Kiddle Kologne Apple Blossom

  Today's doll is a Kiddle Kologne named Apple Blossom.

Liddle Kiddles were introduced by Mattel in 1966.They were tiny rubber dolls with wire armatures, sort of like mini versions of Barbie's sister Tutti. In fact, some of them share Tutti's head mold.

Apple Blossom, like all Kiddles, has rooted hair, and is jointed at the neck. Her body and limbs are  bendable.

The Kologne Kiddles appeared in 1968.

They came in bottles, like cologne.Get it? The bottle opens all the way down, once the cap that holds it closed is removed.

There were nine different dolls, all named after flowers.

Her green hair is supposed to be like a green apple, and the flowers in her hair are apple blossoms.

The dolls are scented, sort of like Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Maybe that's where the inspiration for Strawberry Shortcake came from.

Her hair is still in it's original set.

Like Strawberry Shortcake, a Kiddle Kologne doll that still has it's scent is worth more.
Apple Blossom was produced in 1968 and '69.

The line was discontinued in 1970. Kiddles in general were discontinued in 1971, probably for the same safety issues that ended the Tutti line. Kiddles reappeared in the 90's,made by Tyco.They had a different style body and different head molds than the classic ('Klassic'?) Kiddles. They just didn't have the same charm.
  Still feeling lousy. I think I have an ear infection. Stop in tomorrow for another doll.

Doll-A-Day 19: Slipsey Sliddle

  Today's doll is Slipsey Sliddle.

 Slipsey is one of the first 24 original Liddle Kiddles. She was produced in 1968. She has the taller, (3 1/2"), thinner Kiddle body.

She came with a pink plastic slide. I relinquished my slide, which pretty much paid for Slipsey.(That's how I often afford to collect.) She originally came with white t-strap shoes,but my girl is missing hers. She is wearing her original 2 piece play suit though, and has her original yellow hair ribbons.

They could do with being retied. How do you tie such tiny bows?!
  Kiddles were made by Mattel, like Barbie, and often shared clothing fabrics and accessories with Barbie.

And also hair.Like some Barbie family dolls,some of the Slipsey dolls have hair that has changed colour over time in a process called oxidation.It's brunettes that 'suffer' from oxidation, if you want to call it suffering. The oxidation produced some beautiful hair colours...

Like this straight leg Skipper's auburn. Great colour. Too bad she's had a haircut.

And this Julia doll's burgundy colour.

...and some truely weird ones...

Like this Julia doll. By the way this Julia is not mine. I borrowed her for this, but if her owner wants her removed I'd be glad to do so.

  The yellow haired Julia is a bit unusual. Most of the oxidation victims turn from brunette to some shade of red or auburn.Other common dolls with this problem are the African American Francie (commonly referred to as Black Francie), which I can't find my pictures of.(Unfortunately, I had to sell her. She was worth too much for me to keep her.)And Tutti's friend Chris.

Regular brunette Chris in Tutti's Flower Girl, and her oxidized twin in her original dress.

...and Casey, friend of Barbie's Mod Era cousin Francie.

Oxidized Casey

 The oxidation is often attributed to Mattel using leftover hair from Color Magic Barbie,hair that was made to change colour with special tablets. Apparently age and conditions could have the same effect. The telltale difference between an original red head and an oxidized one is the scalp colour. Mattel painted the scalps to match the hair. Oxidized red heads have brunette painted scalps.

  I originally bought Slipsey to use her head to make a Tutti friend...

 ...like the Soapy Siddle head on a Doctor Doolittle body seen above right, with original body Soapy on the left . (By the way, Soapy suffers from oxidation too. Check out the colour differences on these two.) But Slipsey was so cute in her little outfit, and the colours were so pretty on her, that she got to keep her head!