~dargosmydaddy's a-doll-a-week 2023~

[dargosmydaddy]

Do you have a doll and outfit to match every flower color in your garden, or do you plant flowers to match your dolls?

Well, I do have way too many doll clothes, and, let's face it, way too many dolls... the flowers, however, aren't mine. I dressed Roxy, put her in my bag, and took a walk to the post office, and we just happened upon those flowers, so that was fortuitous!

I think she might be my favourite of your crew -- she's soooo cuuute. (Shh, don't tell the others  )

She's one of my favorites, too... I'm always hoping you'll find a bargain Francoise Arnoul one day!

Week thirty-one
A return to the historic mill

[Alliecat]

*gasp* is there really such a thing as too many dolls???
She’s really pretty, and that’s a sweet dress. Nice colour coordination with her hair and the wheel as well!

[davidd]

Does the water wheel go around... powered by water? If so, does it still drive any machinery inside the mill?

Nice hair... and I love her adorable little side-eye glance!

[dargosmydaddy]

Does the water wheel go around... powered by water? If so, does it still drive any machinery inside the mill?

Sadly it's no longer operational. The site itself used to house a mill during the Revolutionary War, which was eventually demolished. This mill was built in 1900 as part of a millionaire's private park, and was used to pump water to his garden and decorative fountains. Now it's just part of a walking/ biking trail, with highways surrounding it. You can read more about it (and see full-scale, non-dolly pictures) on this website: https://nationalparkswitht.com/2020/11/0...-red-mill/

[dargosmydaddy]

Week thirty-two
A rare non-Groove week... About a year ago I fell in love with a little doll on someone's Instagram... they had picked it up at a doll meet and didn't know what it was, but it had the cutest face. Fast forward to recently, and I ran across the same type of doll on a different Instagram, this time identified as a Finger Ding doll hybrid. By searching further on Instagram, Flickr, and ebay, I discovered there were three varieties, with bright pink, blue, and yellow hair but identical sassy faces. They were finger puppet type dolls from the 60s, but nowadays people have rebodied the heads on other doll bodies.

Prices on ebay varied and I put a bunch on my watchlist as I tried to research potential bodies... but then the seller of the one hybrid on my list sent me an offer for $10 off the list price, and I went for it, figuring the price wasn't far off to what it would cost me to buy a head and a body, and eliminated the stress of removing the head/ getting it to fit on the new body (which I encountered lately with a different doll project... it worked out in the end, but was definitely not fun!). 

I had second thoughts after ordering, but fell in love with her the minute she arrived-- she's just so darn cute! Meet Judy.




She's on a Licca body and is currently wearing a Barbie dress. She is rerooted with brushed yarn hair. At some point I may get her a friend with original hair-- I really love both the blue and pink versions-- but right now she's enjoying being a one-of-a-kind in my collection.

[davidd]

What a fun vintage addition to your collection!

I have never heard of Finger Dings. I'll have to look them up to see what the original finger puppet version looks like.

The eyes are cute, with a lot of shape to them even before they are painted!

Looks like the re-body suits the head quite nicely.

[Alliecat]

She's cute! A lot of character in that face.
I'd never heard of them either and had to look them up. I read you could order them from Post cereal boxes. Dunno if that's right, but, it must have been an American thing. I see there is an astronaut boy and a Monkees one, so will you get her a gal-pal or a boyfriend??
What was your rebody project?
And I would like to have a millionaire's private park... with a mill to water it.... at the moment I'm spending at least an hour every night standing out front with a hose trying to get grass to grow on my grub-killed lawn.

[dargosmydaddy]

I'd never heard of them either and had to look them up. I read you could order them from Post cereal boxes. Dunno if that's right, but, it must have been an American thing. I see there is an astronaut boy and a Monkees one, so will you get her a gal-pal or a boyfriend?? 

I am usually all about the boy dolls, but I find the boy Finger Dings kind of disturbing-looking. I was actually looking at vintage Allan dolls (similar side-eye look, snub nose, and general adorableness as the Finger Ding girls), but apparently the Barbie movie has made Allan dolls a hot commodity if recent ebay sales are anything to go by, so Judy is going to go solo for now.

What was your rebody project?

I got a couple of slightly defective Redberry heads on ebay, and have been... working on them. Slowly. And disgruntledly. I did manage to re-body one (still waiting on the body for the other, and they both still need wigs) on a Disney doll body, which involved getting the head off the Disney doll first, which eventually involved hacking through the doll's head with scissors because it refused to just pop off. It wasn't pretty. 

Week thirty-three

[davidd]

I wanna see pics of the botched Disney doll decapitation project!

I know, I'm sick; sick and tired of Disney's recent shenanigans. So to quote the Red Queen... from a Disney movie: Off with their heads!

Awww... what a cutie pie this one is! Is that a stock face-up or an understated custom, with the blush on the cheeks and the highlight in the center of the lips?

[Alliecat]

She’s sooo pretty. Love her face, her blue eyes, and her fabulous hair with those light streaks.
I’ll have to look up those dolls you mentioned when I am on a bigger screen.
Is that a hardy hibiscus in the background?

[dargosmydaddy]

Is that a hardy hibiscus in the background?

It is! And for once we're in our own yard and not photo-bombing someone else's garden

I wanna see pics of the botched Disney doll decapitation project!

I should have taken a picture; it was gruesome. The butchered head has already been discarded, but a second doll has just arrived for the same purpose so I may have to do it again (unless this head wants to pop off easily? pretty please?).

Awww... what a cutie pie this one is! Is that a stock face-up or an understated custom, with the blush on the cheeks and the highlight in the center of the lips?

Stock face-up of Pullip Katrina. She's a stunner!

Week thirty-four

[davidd]

Now I wanna go to the beach! Like, naaoooo!

Fun summery scene to counteract the chilly rain here today.

[Alliecat]

Aw, that's cute!
I would love a hardy hibiscus. I only have a non-hardy one, outgrown its corner in the house and not getting enough sun to bloom.
I like your Katrina's wig better than the stock one!

[dargosmydaddy]

Week thirty-five

[davidd]

Hey, ice cream! Good plan! I think I'll do that!
Still nice and green and summery there! Is that his back yard camouflage shirt?