I forgot to post these two behind-the-scene shots from our trip up north....
​...waiting for the sun to go down behind the hills.....

"Whose that giant??"

Two new-to-me little girls joined my group the other day....

I already had a Real Skin Coco (boy), and a Normal Resin Bono (Holly), but the deal was just too good to let pass, so I went for it. Unfortunately their journey to my house was fraught with drama. 

I was impressed by how quickly the seller sent them - by 'Express' courier (DHL) as agreed upon. I thought it was a great start. But then tracking had them stalled in 'Security' for almost four whole days, until they finally started on their actual journey - first to London, then another location in England, then to Cincinnati, and then finally to Hamilton.

They were scheduled to be delivered last Friday, but we weren't going to be home, but since Hamilton was just a short side-trip to where we were going, we called ahead to see if we could pick up the parcel in person. Yes, we could.

But when we arrived at the DHL depot at Hamilton Airport, it turned out that they'd but the parcel on the truck to Toronto anyways, with delivery scheduled for that very day. And of course we weren't going to be there.  So I had to sign to change it to a Monday delivery.

Well, Monday came, and I waited anxiously the ENTIRE day. Couldn't go out - or even outside -just in case, because there were hefty courier fees and taxes to be paid. The courier finally arrived after 8 that night.  The box had been opened, and hadn't been re-taped. Bono's certificate of authenticity was missing, Coco was a mess. Her head was on backwards and her head cap was open.  She had two big cuts in the back of her head.....

The seller assured me he had included both COAs, and he had photo proof that he had wrapped Coco securely and that she didn't have any damage. So we contacted DHL.

Turns out that the package had set off an alert for 'explosive residue' (!?!?) in Security in the originating country. So they had opened it, and tried to see what was inside the dolls. But unless one is familiar with how a BID's head comes apart, that would not have been easy. In the process they damaged Coco, and lost one of the COAs. After they didn't find any explosives, the package was sent through Security a second time, and finally sent on it's way.

I don't know how deep the cuts are, or if it might be possible to sand them out. I'm just glad they are on the back of her head.

After Monday night's shock, I took the time yesterday to wash the little outfits the dolls came with, to freshen them up, and found some wigs I thought suited them, and didn't look too much like the ones their 'twins' here already had. They are both adorable....

Especially Coco, whom I'm naming 'Charlotte'. She's the older, original Real Skin resin...

I fixed Bono's eyes, and decided to name her 'Olivia'...

​Both dolls have Iplehouse face ups, but I may change that. They will need body blushing and manicures at any rate. 

I'm not sure yet how they will fit into my group, with existing doll families.

And we are continuing with DHL to see if the missing COA turns up (they apparently have 'Lost & Found' for things that fall out of packages) and what they want to do about the damage to Coco. One thing for sure, I'll not surrender Coco if that becomes the condition for getting an insurance claim. The doll was discontinued, so is not replaceable. I will keep her as she is then.  If anyone ever comments on the two big scars on her scalp, she'll have quite the story to tell!

​Anyways, meet Charlotte and Olivia...

I've been working on two pink lace party dresses. The first one is for Tiny Talyssa, whose one year anniversary is coming up....  

And since theres always enough lace for two dresses, I made the second one KID size.  I sold Peach's birthday 'Princess' gown, so she doesn't have one, so thought I'd make it for her...

Now to see about a birthday cake - or maybe I'll just let her choose one from the ones I already have.  And then she needs to decide who she wants to invite to her party.

We went to visit our daughter for the weekend, and I brought along a little Monarch Butterfly Fairy costume for my granddaughter. She put it on to release a butterfly that had emerged that day....

One final set of photos from our recent fall trip up north...

​Willie and Winston heading out to the rocks to watch the sunset....

The Foxes and Raccoons are out on the rocks watching already....

And another adventure had come to an end...

When we were away up north, a few weeks ago, Tiny Talyssa's new hands finally arrived. It just took eleven months - even longer than for the doll itself. I'm very glad to finally have new hands for her, but the words 'Jpop' and 'speedy' are definitely not synonymous.

​Anyway, it was time to go back to school, and Talyssa was eager to show her friends....

"Look!  No bandaid!!!"

"It looks really good!  Can't believe you won't need a bandaid anymore!"

"It sure took long enough!!"

Just a few last pictures (mostly close-ups) from the scene on the rocks....

Some behind-the-scenes looks at the little campsite on the rocks. It was all set up on the edge of a puddle on the rocks, on our campsite. Here Jan is weighing down the tent loops with small stones, since we obviously couldn't poke the tent pegs into the solid rock....

It was actually quite a small, little puddle...

This was the final set up....

And when the photos were taken right down at the character's eye level, it passed for a reasonable sized lagoon....just so long as the rock edge on the right wasn't showing.....

The biggest problem was, that with the wind, Mr. Toad's flamingo kept spinning round and going to the far end of the puddle.  So Jan found a rock, as big as the depth of the water, to hold the floatie in place, and keep it from moving.  

He stepped right in front of me when he adjusted it, so of course I had to snap a picture....

The troupe of adventurers had come ashore on another rocky spot, and started to unload and set up their camp.... 

Rhett and Mannie were busy unloading one of the boats, while the three little girl mice wanted to go for a swim, and freshen up...

Kitty was still undecided....

Mr. Ropuha was floating about, relaxing with a drink...

"Hey, shouldn't you be helping us unload, and set up camp??"

Tiana was a little embarrassed by her husband's cavalier behaviour....

But he just ignored them....

 My goal this week, now that the two blue gowns are done, and while I wait for the current heat wave to pass so i can go out and take pictures, is to refresh the last four of my old porcelain reproduction dolls.

​Way back in the days when I was a young Mom, the only dolls I could afford were porcelain doll kits, which I would buy once in a while, then put together and sew an outfit for. There were five of them, and they were originally proudly on display on one of the shelves in my living room display cases. But when the BJDs moved in, and I needed more space,the porcelain dolls were ejected onto a shelf in my dining room china cabinet.  Now I need the space they occupy once again, this time for all my smaller BJDs. I've run out of room everywhere else. So the porcelain dolls have to go. Again.

But I don't want to just pack them away in boxes to be dealt with later. I decided to refresh them, take some pictures, then maybe offer some up for sale, or give them as gifts to family members. Christmas isn't that far off.  Not sure which yet, but either way, they needed to be refreshed.

​I washed all their clothes, and hung them out to dry...

It was very nostalgic going through all their clothes. The clothes were all so well made. But any elastic - like in all the pantaloons - had long ago lost it's stretch and will need to be replaced...

Everyone's wigs were washed, and the human hair ones needed to have their curls reset....

Three of the dolls needed their head elastic replaced, and that's when it's handy having a strong husband. So now the four of them are just hanging around on the sofa, waiting for me to give them their clothes and hair back.  Three have cloth bodies, but one of them has a composition body - an early forerunner of the modern BJD....

Well, I better get back to it....