Petite Blythe Dolls - there are now 14 !

 A little Dolly Story post today ... because this parcel arrived ...

"Eeeps - do be careful up there Bird!"

Julia: "Yep, red hair just like mine - let's get you outta there."

The first out of the big cardboard box was a red-head ... Zucchini Flower, Julia and Petal rushed to meet her.


A few things to note during the de-boxing - 
her feet were tied with ribbon!  so much nicer than wire.








And in the bag with her stand was a Blythe Coin? 

Eventually I figured out that this wasn't a bribe or special prize - but a weight for the stand - this little petite has a rather heavy costume.

Because - she is a squirrel.
Takara released "Squiggly Squirrel" in February 2008 - already 8 years old

I'm calling her  
Cecilia 'Squiggle' Ècureuil

Cecilia because it is the most sibilant name I can think of, Squiggle after the Wendy Boston squirrel I have had since I was a bub and Ècureuil because that is French for squirrel and a word I find completely unpronounceable.




Love Cecilia's dark eyes & red hair and that outfit is hilariously cute - I even love the tail which reminds me of a prickly pear - only non-prickly!

Julia: "Now you are being silly Zucci - Cecilia's tail is not a beard!"

Meanwhile: little Margaret was talking to someone through the plastic window of her packaging ...

"Don't hurt yourself breaking that plastic - we'll get Bird to help you."

"See, Bird is really good at this sort of thing."  

And I'll interrupt the little 'uns here - This doll is a 'Totally Tartan' released by Takara in September 2003, PBL-22, quite an early petite. 
And despite plastic wrapped tight about her arms (it was difficult to remove) the black trim on her dress has stained her shoulders.  These things happen - even when NFRB these dolls can deteriorate - plastic is never completely stable.

 Personally I don't mind, in fact, those stained shoulders helped me find her name ... Fenella MacTavish.  Fenella means 'white shoulders' - and MacTavish because it sounds like swirling tartan & bagpipes with haggis.

Back to the Little 'uns now -

Fenella: "Hello but I'm sorrry you'rre all a blurrr to me - I'm rrreally short sighted ..."

Bird: "Do you need these?"


 Fenella: "Och aye, that's much betterrr."

Bird: "Here, you had best have your handbag too ...   Now, let me introduce you to Margaret and Vivien ... "




And we'll leave the girls to their introductions while I show you some of her stock outfit.  She came with a petticoat, dress, red jacket, handbag and glasses - the boots are painted on.
I love the way the dress is cut-away at the back to reveal the red lace frills of the petticoat - it also has red bead 'buttons' at the back. 

And here is a portrait of little Fenella MacTavish

Meanwhile:  Hilda could hear faint meowing ...

"Bird, Look!  there is another box in here!"

 De-boxing ensued and Wilhelmina was delighted to see a girl with 'fantasy hair' ...

Interrupting again - she is a 'Feline Fancy' another Takara release from 2003 - this time from December.  And these petites are notorious for staining from their black outfit ... again there was a lot of hard-to-remove plastic but there is still staining, mostly on her shoulders and some stripes to her pretty green hair. 
 

 

Again I'm not worried about it - was expecting this staining - and again, it has inspired her name.  

Because she is a tabby cat I'm calling her Tabitha d'Khat.  Khat is the name of the very clever Siamese cat in a favourite childrens' book - 'Midnite' by Randolf Stow.  

 

Although it caused staining I rather like her outfit - the little dress and helmet are black velvet - decorated with silver stars on chains and the dress has petite embroidered across the front - the boots are painted on.  I also really love her pursed up little smile - just like my daughter's when she was very little - I called it her 'triangular smile'. 

Now for some group photos - the 3 new girls:

Tabitha d'Khat, Fenella MacTavish & Cecilia 'Squiggle' Ècureuil

The Red-Heads

Petal d'Fleur (Lily Wild), Zucchini Flower (Muchuahua Zukin), Cecilia 'Squiggle' Ècureuil & Julia (LPS Lemons 'n' Honey)

The Fantasy Hair Girls:

Tabitha was worried: "Is she ill?"
Chloe: "Nah! Viccy is just a baby, she is always needing a nap."
Wil to Viccy: "Would you like a glass of milk?"

They are - Victoria Amelia (Pajama Party keychain version), Tabitha d'Khat, Chloe (Clionetti) and Wilhelmina Blue (a customised 'Spirit & Spice).

Perhaps I have a 'thing' for petites with green eyes & red lippy?

Vivien Lee is a Rosie Red keychain version - so not sleepy eyes and as you can see, her eyelashes are quite different, her lips are also slightly larger, Tabitha's lips are darker and look a bit smaller even than Fenella's ... giving her that 'triangular smile'. 

 And to end this post - a group photo with all 14 of the little 'uns - 12 Takara Petites, 2 LPS and 1 LPS on an Obitsu 11cm body.  I like the number 14 - perhaps this is now my complete collection of petites or perhaps this is just ...

The Class of 2016? 

A Big Mail Day for Dollies

Yesterday was a very big mail day ....
First some Takara stock clothes arrived - I've been buying some of the older stock outfits for my girls as the quality was really good back then!   (and I must apologise for the low quality of these photos, my digital camera died and I'm using the phone camera now.)

My girls got a very nearly complete set of the stock for "I Love You It's True" (yep, Takara does do some odd names!)  Lots of pretty items in shades of blue plus sandals, funny pink socks and pretty undies (we like pretty undies!).  Also, most of the red evening outfit from "Love Mission" - evening dress, bustier, shawl and red shoes.

While Audrey and Imogen were trying on the new outfits another parcel arrived!

Audrey: "Can you do my dress up Imi?  I can't reach."

Audrey adores red shoes!!

Audrey: "Uh, now I can't bend, quick Imi, do up my shoe then we'll help Meerkat with the new parcel."

Meerkat: "I don't think this is yet more clothes ... it looks like a box here."

Imogen: "What, another sister!  Nah, that's quite small."





Imogen: "Ooooo nice cheese."
Audrey: "Hmmm, a shopping trolley, I guess that'll be useful for grocery shopping!  Nice red apple though."
Meerkat: "Bread - and it smells so good."

From inside the box, very muffled: "Hello there - can anyone hear me ... Hello ..."

 Some time later ...

Zucchini Flower: "Hi there, we can hear you, we'll get you out of there.  (quieter) She's another proper petite - I won't be the only Takara little one now."
Julia: "I guess this is why our Mummy Giant bought the extra crochet dress, wondered why she bought 4 sets when there were 3 of us."
Hilda: "Yes - there are matching bloomers too ..."
Meerkat - very quietly: "Lah dee dah - this baguette is going to be yummy with my new tapenade ..."




Zucchini Flower: "She has a nice dress already - but I think she likes pink things."






Julia (in the middle): "Looks like she's been in that box for Ages and Ages."
Annabella, still in the box: "A whole 9 years girls - I'm a 2005 release. And I really want to be released ... please hurry!"

Zucchini: "Annabella, you are like me - you've 2tone hair too and pretty coloured eyes like me."

Meanwhile, Julia and Hilda have found Annabella's pet / backpack ...
Julia: "Is it a rabbit or a kangaroo?"
Hilda: "hmmm, very confusing, the ears could be either and she has a pouch ... but no tail at all!!   We'll have to ask Auntie Bunny, she'll know."
(ed: Bunny is a Neo Blythe "Welcome Winter" and very knowledgeable about all the different breeds of rabbits)

 And we'll leave this post with a portrait of Annabella.  She is a Takara Petite "Tatianna Black" released in November 2005, so she has been exactly 9yrs in her packaging.

Her stock dress and bonnet are really pretty, as is her pet / backpack BunnyRoo.

She has lovely violet coloured eyes and 2tone blond hair that curls.