Happy World Doll Day! I Got One of My Grail Dolls!

   It's World Doll Day again. World Doll Day was the idea of Mildred Seeley. Here's the original letter, from the WorldDollDay.com website:

"To make it happen I need cooperation of every doll collector, every magazine editor, doll newsletter, doll shop, library, doll maker, mother, grand­mother, father, grandfather, and all the stray aunts and uncles. The first World Doll Day is the Second Saturday of June 1986. Give a doll to a grownup, child in the family or just a friend.  If you don't have a child to give a doll to - find one. There are many children with no dolls.

Think of it this way and ship a doll to another country.  I have always felt that the common doll could be an instrument of world understanding. From the first time I started writing books on doll making, I had the hope that dolls would help make friends all over the world and develop a little love among all.

World Doll Day will also be a day for doll exhibits. It is my hope that all libraries will have a special doll exhibit. Museums will publicize their doll exhibits and have special doll exhibits at this time.  Magazines will put out special editions.  Doll stores will put on campaigns weeks ahead.  Doll Makers will make special dolls for World Doll Day.  There will be doll competitions with World Doll Day awards, plaques and trophies.

The logo is made from artist Boots Tyner's doll representing a child. The child carries a German bisque doll to represent this doll collectors gift.  Feel free to copy the logo or have one made.

Everyone can enjoy the fun as there are no fees, no permission needed, no obligations, nobody owns the day, no club, no company.  It's a free- for- all, take up the day, its ideas and fly with it.  Lets do it now.  World Doll Day.

If you think World Doll Day is a good idea, then appoint yourself a committee of one to do something about it--only then can it become a reality.  Would you tell five people,  ask them to tell five people, and each of them tell five people and so on.  World Doll Day's birthday is June 14, 1986.

Sincerely,
Mil and Vernon Seeley

P.S. This letter may be copied and copied again and again until the world knows about World Doll Day."

  That makes this the 40th anniversary of World Doll Day. I have posted about it before, but I usually forget, so it's probably been 10 years since I posted about it.  But this year I'm getting my post ready beforehand! Even though it's already WDD, that doesn't mean that you can't still donate a doll to a child's charity, buy a doll to donate to an upcoming Christmas toy drive, plan on buying a doll or other toy for one of those Christmas toy drives where you choose a particular child from a list or tag tree and purchase something from their wish list, etc.  For years I have donated toys to the battered women and children's shelter, and the toy drive at the fire station. You can donate to the shelters any time of year. The shelters are always taking donations of new items, including clothing and shoes, because, as I was told, many come to the shelter with only the clothes on their backs, having fled dangerous situations. So don't forget to do whatever you can.

  Ken treated me on my birthday this year, and bought me a doll that has been on my list for AGES. I finally got my Klumpe suitcase girl!

  You might have seen her on one of my wish lists. She's been my favourite of the Klumpe dolls I've seen, for years. 

  She carries a lot of stuff! She has a coat, a bouquet, and a book in her arms, and a suitcase with an umbrella strapped to it in her other hand. She's holding the coat, etc. away from her body, so it looks a little weird. how is she keeping that book there?! But from the fact that most of her coat is sun faded, and the part next to her body is still a darker pink, I'd say that arm was originally more against her body. Supposedly Klumpe's are somewhat posable, but she's too stiff to pose. I'm afraid I'll break her if I force it.

She was made in Spain, and sold by Klumpe, probably in the 1950's or 60's. To learn more about Klumpe, you can see my post on my Klumpe Flamenco dancer HERE.

  Klumpe dolls always have the same very distinctive , if awkward looking feet.

 

   Her clothes, with the exception of her skirt, hat, suitcase, umbrella, book, coat and even her bouquet, are all made of wool felt.

   I think her hair is mohair or something similar. Her face is stockingette, over a molded head. The details are painted.

  

   She has such character to her. I love that she's wearing glasses.

  And of course, she's a red head.

  I'm very glad to finally have her. Thanks Ken!

  Thanks to Fuzz for being my photographer!

  Happy World Doll Day!

Doll-A-Day 2023 #227: Specs Reads-a-lot

   Today's doll is a Lalaloopsy. She's Specs Reads-a-lot.

  She's a Lalaloopsy Littles doll, from 2011. She originally came with her pet bookworm. He was a bilious shade of green and reminds me of the green tomato worms that my mom used to pick off her tomatoes in the garden when I was a kid. She used to put them on a rock and then throw a rock at it and run, because they sort of exploded messily when smushed.  

 Specs gets her name from the fact that she wears 'specs', or, glasses.

She has the typical nerd's tape on her glasses.

She has her full outfit, of one piece short and shorts with suspenders, (or, braces for our British readers), and both shoes with attached socks.

She's jointed at the neck, shoulders and hips. She can sit, but not sit up by herself. 

Her shoes have 'R' for right, and 'L' for left. on the bottoms.

Specs is the little sister of Bea Spells-a-lot. They must have different dads though, because they have different last names. As with all Lalaoopsys, her description tells us what she was 'sewn from'. In her case, it was 'pieces of a school uniform'.

 

  Specs was the first Lalaoopsy Littles with coloured eyes, and is one of only two with blue eyes. She's also the first Littles with a hair accessory, and one of only two with glasses. She's supposed to be a toddler, but a genius and a devoted student. Huh?

  That's it for today. See you again tomorrow.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #27: Mirabel

   Today's doll is courtesy of Emma again. She's Mirabel. Mirabel is the star of the Disney movie "Encanto". 

   "Encanto" is a movie Emma loves, and we watched it today. That made her think of pulling out her "Encanto" dolls so I could post them on the blog.  "Encanto" was released in 2021. This doll is from a Walmart exclusive set, released the same year. 

I love dolls with glasses. Mirabel has great green glasses, just like in the movie.

Unfortunately she has minimal articulation. She's only jointed at the  neck, shoulders, and hips.

She can move her arms and legs out to the sides though, and not just back and forth.

She's a shorter doll, at about 10 inches. But that's fitting, because she is the right height with her sister dolls, which are more close to regular fashion doll size.

  In the movie Mirabel has beautiful embroidery on her blouse and skirt. That embroidery is recreated in print on the doll's clothes. 

The little tassels are printed too.

 

  I said to Emma,how awesome would it be to see these clothes recreated on one of those expensive Disney Store dolls? 

 I loved the shoes in the movie. They were all so cute. They weren't recreated exactly for the dolls, but they're still cute.

   The shoes are open in the back for easy on and off. In the olden days, like when I was a kid, there would have been a hook in the back to close them.

  That's the doll for today. Tomorrow we'll see another doll from the set this doll came from.

Doll-A-Day 276: Meygana Broomstix

  Here it is nearly Halloween, and I haven't done anything even remotely spooky or creepy. Today's doll isn't exactly either of those, but she is a witch, so she fits the Halloween mood. She's Meygana Broomstix.

Meygana Broomstix is part of the Bratzillaz line, an offshoot of Bratz, which, I think, was meant to compete with Monster High.

This is her box...

...and the back of her box, showing the whole line.

I have to say, I never liked Bratz dolls, and my kids were never allowed to have any because I think they look too sleazy.I like the Bratzillaz Meygana though. Since she's not quite as realistic looking she doesn't come off quite as sleazy as a regular Bratz.

Her skirt is still a bit short though!

She comes with a furry purse, hat,dress, capelet,footless thigh high stockings, a brush that looks like a broom,glasses, and high heeled witchy shoes.

Very Hogwarts inspired.

She has some of the traits that I've mentioned before that I like in a doll,like teeth...

...glasses...

...and red hair.

There's a black streak in her left braid...

and down the back of her head.

Plus she's articulated, which means she can be posed in lots of cool ways, so that's fun.

She has joints at the neck,waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips,and knees.

Her hat has some mud and water droplets because she fell in the rain.

She holds a pose pretty well.

Amazingly enough, it was possible to get her balanced well enough on those huge heels to stand on her own.

She did fall in the wind though, so in some of these pictures she has wet spots on her hat and hair.

The Bratzillaz line mostly have inset eyes, which are beautiful.

Her glasses are a little cloudy because they are made of one solid piece of hard plastic with painted frames. The plastic is a bit thick, so her glasses come off like she's just come in from the cold.

Which is really a shame since she has such amazing eyes.

They're sparkly.

This one has painted eyes...

 ...as does the only one neither Ivy nor I have, and that's the Basic Meygana doll.
I think I have all of the Meygana's except for two, and Ivy has one of those.

It's the only Bratz type doll she has except for a red haired Genie. She's the Midnight Beach Meygana, and she glows in the dark! I want one too. Of course Ivy can't find her right now. Figures.

See you tomorrow for another doll.