The Delightful Pink World of Kitty Kat Dance

***** I love my Toys*****, originally uploaded by KittyKatDance.

My good friend Kitty Kat Dance is a doll dressmaker extraordinaire. This whimsical photo of hers offers a glimpse of the magical worlds she creates for her dollies and friends. You are in for a treat when you visit her Etsy shop or her flickr photostream. Enjoy!

Petite Blythe Suzie Sugar

Petite Blythe Suzie Sugar, originally uploaded by confections.

My new Petite Blythe Suzie Sugar arrived today. I was inspired to get her by my friend, Kitty Kat Dance. She is a lovely addition to my Petite Blythe collection and a demanding muse. She already wants some new custom dresses. I think that can be arranged.

Licca Dolls on Vacation

Licca Dolls on Vacation, originally uploaded by confections.

My sweet Licca dolls came along on a mini-vacation last week. Here they are hanging out on the windowsill at the hotel, all artsy in black-and-white. Please click the photo to zoom for full-size format.

Miniature Japanese Toy Eraser Desserts

Miniature Japanese Toy Eraser Desserts (3), originally uploaded by confections.

I found these miniature Japanese toy eraser desserts at a local mall in Westminster, California, during our recent jaunt to San Pedro. I had brought my two new Licca dolls along for the trip, and of course they were clamoring for a toy or two. This little tray of confections fit the bill beautifully for their tea party.

My New Alter Ego

Little Pullip, "Little Cornice", originally uploaded by confections.

Pictured here is a Little Pullip doll, "Little Cornice", with wild flaming red hair. She's one of the newest in my collection, and joins her sisters "Little Calfy" (which my sister and nieces gave to me in July), and "Little Berry". Cornice reminds me of a red-headed Stevie Nicks in her heyday.

Blue Alice Little Pullip

Blue Alice Little Pullip, originally uploaded by confections.

In addition to being obsessed with Blythe dolls (12" and mini 4" ones), Little Pullips have caught my eye lately, too. This Little Pullip, Blue Alice, (about 5" tall) was one of the birthday gifts I gave my sister this year.

We took a trip to Los Angeles in February and found her at The Valley of the Dolls at their old location. She is quite charming. Here she is next to a folk painting that my sister found at a thrift store in July on our Colorado vacation.

My eight-year-old niece is a collector now, too. At last count, she has one 12" Blythe (Lounging Lovely ADG), one Petite Blythe (Little Miss Retro Mama), and at least one Little Pullip (Bohso).

I have a Little Pullip, too (Calfy) and my sister has Froggy. I'll have to organize an official photo shoot with her and her cousins and share them here.

The Dolls Have Tea

The Dolls Have Tea, originally uploaded by confections.

I've been backing up photos and looking at my archives and came upon this image of a sweet tea party I attended last fall. My friend's daughter carefully attended to her dolls at their very own tea table, complete with a handpainted tea set.

That same tea set has accompanied us to high tea at our favorite tea shop, Tea-upon-Chatsworth, too. I love the ritual of tea and all of its accoutrements, from the fine china to the vintage linens and fragrant tea leaves.

I've been researching the Japanese tea ceremony as well and am looking forward to getting some of the special tools required to do a mini casual version at home.

Prima Dolly Aubrena & Mademoiselle Rosebud

Prima Dolly Aubrena & Mademoiselle Rosebud, originally uploaded by confections.

Clementine Louisa has a new sister, Mademoiselle Rosebud, as I mentioned last week. Here they are in all of their sisterly glory. I finished knitting a little shrug for them--just have to sew two small seams and it will be ready to wear.

The girls joined us for tea at a good friend's home on Sunday afternoon. Another sister (ADG Lounging Lovely) will arrive to make it a trio any day now....

Art imitates life, as my second sister is due to arrive for a week-long visit near the end of the month. What fun we are going to have!

Flower Girl Nancy Ann Doll

Flower Girl Nancy Ann Doll, originally uploaded by confections.

This sweet little flower girl doll is from the Nancy Ann series and belongs to my friend Marie Rose. She and my sister and I met up last weekend with our Blythes and Nancy Anns.

The miniature houses in the background were handmade by my sister. She painted them with watercolors and put mylar in the windows. They are a perfect complement to the dolls.

My new twelve-inch Blythe (Prima Dolly Aubrena) arrived on Tuesday. I have taken a few photos and will post them shortly--I'm still pondering her new name....

Vintage Effanbee Doll Collage (New Dress)

Vintage Effanbee Doll Collage (New Dress), originally uploaded by confections.

My vintage Effanbee doll (which I introduced in my April 19th blog entry) has been duly newly clad in a calico dress. She doesn't look nearly as forlorn as she did a few short weeks ago. Clothes make the doll!

I raided my stash of quilting calicoes to find the appropriate complement to my circa World War I era doll. I believe she is a prototype of the "Baby Dainty" Doll produced by Effanbee at that time. I found a reproduction Simplicity doll pattern for the bodice piece and gathered a rather long skirt to it, accented with a deep tuck. It's been donkey's years (oh, I miss Princess Diana!) since I have made any doll clothes.

My first major foray into sewing as a grade-schooler was cranking out Barbie doll clothes on my mother's vintage Singer treadle sewing machine. Barbie doll clothes are on such a tiny scale, they are quite tedious to sew, I think. Baby Dainty is about 14 inches tall and her chest is 10 inches in circumference, so sewing her dress was a breeze by comparison. She was all dressed up and I had promised to take her to a tea party, so off we went to meet up with my girlfriends and sister at Tea-Upon-Chatsworth for a delightful high tea and furrawn (per Anais Nin: soulful conversation that is deeply intimate).

My girlfriends each brought along a doll and a picture from their childhood. I shared one of me with my Ginny doll from the mid-1950's (shown below). Ah, sweet bird of youth!