Monday, January 31, 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Doll of the Day!

Doll of the Day! Smooth Crimilia!
Check her out and many more!
HPY11 = 11% off all orders during January! (ends tomorrow @ midnight!)





Friday, January 28, 2011

Doll of the Day!

Doll of the Day! Natalie! Check her out and many more! HPY11 = 11% off all orders during January!









A Box of Potential

 There's 17 Barbies and 1 Ken in that there box! A box of potential is what I see. I'll finally get around to making my Geisha, there's a Midge and a redhead Barbie in there, lots of blonds. I have a redhead baby, so there's another breastfeeding pair!

  Apey is supposed to come over today for a playdate! So I'll be sharing some of these with her. I've already promised her some of the Miko's. hehe

 



  There's another Barbie I have that I'm super excited to work with! I got her in a different lot, in pretty rough shape. She still had her dress on and I recognized her as Barbie in/as the 12 Dancing Princesses.

  In her glory, she looked like this. She was not in her glory when she arrived to my house. I believe the only reason she was still dressed is because the skirt was attached. As with most/all the Barbies I get with clothes on, I strip them, put their clothes in my storage box and the naked Barbies in another tub until I need them. Sometimes I use the clothes on my dolls, sometimes I use the clothes as guides to make my own, but usually I free style their outfits.

  Anyway, so while investigating this Barbie, I found lots of cool wires coming from her and went to work with some wire cutters, seem ripper and plyers to release her from her skirt. When I was done, she looked like this...

Oooh the potential! I replaced her batteries and she still works! There's a button on the back of her legs that makes the pink thing around her waist spin (the skirt was attached to this) and the ends light up.
  She has great arms and hands for all kinds of poses!

 
Do you SEE how AMAZING she is? I don't even know what to do with her yet, but she's lots of fun to play with! Everyone's been pushing her button and watching the wires fly around and light up. It's pretty cool!


  I tried to get some pix of the whirling lights, but it just looks like light blurs. lol I got a new camera! (which I'm still trying to figure out how to use...) I keep picking her up, playing with her lights a bit, then putting her down. I don't know what to do with her yet and don't want to do something I hate. I guess for now I'll just keep playing with her until she talks to me. Ultimately, it's always the doll that leads the way. I just listen and follow.

  This is probably the least articulate blog post I've ever made. I've been sick and only had 1 cup of coffee this morning. heh

- Joy -


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Doll of the Day!

  Doll of the Day! Jezter! Jezter is the 5th Fairy in my "Fairies Wear Boots" series! Check her out and many more! HPY11 = 11% off all orders during January!

- Joy -

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Doll of the Day!

  Doll of the Day! Leah! Check her out and many more! HPY11 = 11% off all orders during January!


- Joy -

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Plus Size Dolls

 I think my newest obsession is plus size dolls. I've made 3 so far with plans for more! Apey started it! lol I finished 2 yesterday and I'm trying to work on different body styles/types. Much like my breastfeeding dolls, I want to represent all aspects.

  Sophia is pretty thick, but lacking in booty. Natalie is more 'well rounded' and Leah has plenty of junk in her trunk! Bodies come in all shapes and sizes and I think it's sad that isn't more widely accepted and celebrated. Love your body, love yourself!

  I myself have struggled with body image and found myself all over the map, size and weight wise. I'm sure many, if not all/most can relate to that! Part of my art is trying to normalize what is seen as abnormal or unacceptable. Part of my art is just how I think and how I convey thoughts and feelings that I can't put into words. And part of my art is just stuff I think is cool. I'm not trying to be a soapbox artist. I'm not really trying to be anything. I love my dolls and that is the #1 reason why I make them. It just so happens that other people love my dolls, too! (and of course, some don't! heh)

  Anyway, a Barbie Art blog is hardly an art blog without pictures, right? Right!


Lovely Natalie!
Punky and fun Leah!




- Joy -

Doll of the Day! + Special Coupon Code!

           Doll of the Day! Gayle! Check her out and many more!

  Happy Birthday to me! HPY31 = 31% off all orders to celebrate! 1 day only!

- Joy -

Monday, January 24, 2011

Doll of the Day! + SALE!

Doll of the Day! Sophia!

Don't forget the check out the SALE section! Sale and dolls end tomorrow at midnight!

HPY11 = 11% off ALL orders during January, including SALE items!





- Joy -

Sunday, January 23, 2011

New Additions

  I'm always working on something. I think that's pretty evident by the turn out. heh When Apey came over last Friday, I worked on more than just BizzArt. I made another breastfeeding doll, but a little more controversial, I suppose.

  I consider my art, well, art. Art to me is thought provoking, emotion invoking, a conveying of ideas. People respond to all kinds of art differently. On top of being a breastfeeding doll, it's also a Latino doll nursing a visibly lighter skinned (yet darker than lily white) toddler. In my story line, this represents a mixed child nearing age 2, with a white father. Can you pick out all the controversy? lol

  Recently (like 2 hours ago), this caused a stir on my Facebook. I stand behind all my dolls and the statements they make. Why am I so passionate about breastfeeding? I've breastfed 2 babies successfully after my attempt with #1 was a flop. It means a lot to me. I feel like a success story! I'm also pro 'extended' nursing, which generally means beyond the first 12 months and child lead weaning. I plan to make a whole series of breastfeeding dolls and I want to represent all aspects.

  Anyway, this is a Barbie Art blog, not a breastfeeding blog. So let's get on with the Barbie Art. I have 2 dolls to show you!

                        Meet Sheri & Megan!

 
  This morning I got up and decided I wanted to make a 'plus size' doll. Apey has made them and I wanted to try, too! I'm really proud of this one, too!



  Meet Sophia! My very first plus size doll! I love her! I think I'm going to go make another one right now...





- Joy -

Doll of the Day! + SALE!

Doll of the Day! Sandra!
Check her out and many more in our SALE section!
HPY11 = 11% off ALL orders, including SALE items!




- Joy -

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Vanity


  In my last post about BizzArt, I mentioned the other table I had started, which was named Vanity. She's all finished now and ....


here she is!
 
 
  Made almost entirely of vintage parts, including all the arms, the head, all the little accessories and the lipstick case mirror. The trinket box is actually a mini stamper with the old Barbie logo. It had been sealed until I opened it to glue it on the table and the ink is still wet! It's from like 1980! I'm pretty sure I had the Barbie it originally came with, too. lol

- Joy -

Doll of the Day! + SALE!

 
Doll of the Day! Whimsy, the 8th Fairy in the 'Fairies Wear Boots' series!

Don't forget to check out the SALE section while you're there!

HPY11 = 11% off ALL orders, including SALE items!




- Joy -

BizzArt

  I tend to refer to all/most of my art as Bizzart. It's a word mash up that popped in my head when I made this collage thing with magazine cut outs (of a hot chick with medical equipment) and glitter and framed it. It was weird and made people uncomfortable when I showed it to them. I would say "yeah, it's bizarre, but it's my art. BizzArt, if you will". lol

  Anyway, so I've missed a couple playdates with Apey the last couple weeks and we missed the hell outta each other. I invited/told her to come over today and she did! Let the Barbie Arting begin! We had a blast, as usual, but I feel so extra creative when she's here. She has good ideas and I like them.

  I started making this table. At first, it was just going to have Barbie legs as the legs, but then I/we/it got all extra weird. lol See, I have a bag of parts that I like to hang on to for things such as this. My current bag is filled with vintage Barbie parts in pretty rough condition. I bought them off ebay in a mixed lot of vintage parts, an I Love Lucy doll was my main want of this lot. She was naked, but she was in good condition and I've always wanted one. I was able to reconstruct a vintage Skipper doll, too. Another main focus.

  So the point was I keep parts laying around. I do this for a couple reasons. The first being, I'm a total freaking nutball. The most honest reason is that I believe every part deserves a 2nd chance at life. A 2nd chance to be something more than parts. I feel strangely passionate about this. Some of the Barbies I use are in great condition and some of the Barbies I use are in total shit condition. I usually reserve the best condition ones for something special or dress them up like I'm 8 years old again and add them to the collection. My favorites are the 'junk lots', the bottom of the thrift bin, the parts, the throw aways. They've been tossed aside and I pick them up, dust them off (or in some cases scrub them with acetone) and turn them into something beautiful, wonderful, strange or bizzart.

 So I make this little table with a box lid, material and Barbie legs. I picked out shoes for the legs and painted them all black. I put garters at the top. It was pretty cool. Then Apey comes along and sets a flower pot in the middle of it and a gun off to the side. It's an interesting contrast and gets my wheels turning. I dig back into the bag and find this vintage torso with 1 arm and a head on it. I recognize this particular head as from the old as hell 'Twist and Turn' Barbie of somewhere in the late 60's. Do you see where this is going?



  TAADAAAA! This is Glamorous! She inspired a whole new section in my Etsy shop, BizzArt!

  I've already started on the next 'head table', to be called "Vanity". It's more vintage parts and another vintage head...with eyelashes! I'm excited. lol

- Joy -

Friday, January 21, 2011

Doll of the Day!

    Doll(s) of the Day!  Fawn & Summer!

 Don't forget to check out the SALE section!

 HPY11 = 11% off ALL orders, including sale items!

- Joy -

Thursday, January 20, 2011

CoinOperatedStar Shop Sale!

 I have slashed the prices on the following dolls. Their listings will be up Tuesday 1/25/11 and I'd like to avoid having to relist all of them!

 
Sweet Pea

was $20, now $8!















Sandra

was $20, now $10!















Goldie

was $15, now $5!
















Loona

was $15, now $5!


***SOLD***












Sweet Painted Lady

was $30, now $15!















DevilDahl

was $30, now $15!














Angsty

was $30, now $20!














Sugah

was $20, now $8!














Suzy Cabaret

was $40, now $20!















Coupon Code HPY11 = 11% off ALL orders, including sales!

- Joy -

Doll of the Day!

        Doll of the Day! Amanda Palmer!

 HPY11 = 11% off all orders during January!

- Joy -

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

What I've been working on

  Whew! I had a busy day yesterday full of Barbie Arting! I started and finished a few different projects.

  Since I liked the Breastfeeding Doll so much, I decided to make another, more elaborate one. I started off using a rare Midge doll and another vintage baby. This baby is from the original Babysitter Skipper doll, the other baby I used for Brenda & Alexis was from a later version called Babysitting Skipper.

  Anyway, so breastfeeding is great and I'm a huge advocate of it. Breastfed my kids, co-slept, tried to sling them, but fell short at the cloth diapering. I, of course, am aware of all these 'crunchy' things and wanted to make a doll in honor of Attachment Parenting in general. Thus, Fawn & Summer were 'born'.

  Nipples again! I think all dolls should have nipples from now on. lol

   As you can see, Fawn has baby Summer in a handmade sling!

 The top of her shirt slips down for easy feeding! The rings on the sling are working and adjustable.

 Since Fawn is a slinging, breastfeeding mama, she can travel light with this cute little purse, complete with water bottle for mama!


  I haven't given up on my Fairies! I started a new one, Whimsy the 8th Fairy in the series, yesterday.

 Whimsy started out like this. I removed all the 'flesh colored' paint and some of her face make up.

 She started coming together after a little bit of repaint.

     Wings added and face repainted.

      She currently looks like this, but we're not done yet.

  I also made an interesting Barbie/Ken accessory. A dog named Rex. Not just any dog, mind you...



    Rex features a Barbie arm sticking out of his mouth and a handmade leash.


  Well, I think that covers yesterday. I wonder what today will bring? lol

- Joy -

Doll(s) of the Day!

  Meet breastfeeding doll Brenda & Alexis! HPY11 = 11% off all orders during January!

- Joy -

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Girls Night Out

  Meet Crazy Joy and Crazy Apey! The doll was her Christmas present from me. We decided to have a little fun with our crazy selves and did a "Girls Night Out" photo shoot.

First, we met up at the sideshow. We heard the headliners Zelda & Odette were very talented and wanted to check them out. As you can see, there was a line. Don't worry, we're not cutting! Just posing. 
After that, we decided to hit the club!



 Apey met up with Suzi Retro and had a little chat. (Lord knows how much Suzi had to drink before we got there. She was pretty handsy.

Meanwhile, I was dancing with Malice.

That is until I fell over and crashed into Darbie's crotch. whoops! Guess I'd had a bit too much to drink aswell.

 
Darbie and Lucille Dahl were nice enough to escort me back over to Apey.

I told Apey I'd be right back. I'd left my meds in the car and it was time to take them.

While I was gone, Apey met up with Cora

 Cora was very excited to have found a babysitter for Claira!

I guess the bouncer* just wouldn't let up, so Apey agreed to a picture with him.

Whew! I sure felt better!

One last picture before we left! 

And there you have it, our "Girls Night Out" adventure!





* my son (14) made the bouncer in a bonding moment. lol

- Joy -

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