New online doll shop open! The Thinking Doll

The Thinking Doll now has an online shop hoste by Groovy Cart!

We only have stock clothes and accessories for Blythe, Coco, Tiny Betsy McCall and Pullip as well as some vintage dolls but new items will follow shortly 

Holly xoxo

Middie Blythe video!

We have moved!

My whole website and blog has be relaunched as www.thethinkingdoll.com. Please visit us there, we'd love to have you!

I hope you had a happy Easter!!!

Hi!!

As is usually the case during the school holidays, I've been far too busy with Little Miss P to be on line! I have to admit I've been playing a lot of Animal Crossing on the Wii too O.O!!!

I hope to catch up with my blog reading soon ^-^!

Did you know it's Cuckoo day today? Well apparently so!

I had a look online to see if I could find anything to link cuckoos and dolls and here's what I came up with ^-^!

A Russian folk-lore custom of Cuckoo doll funerals! I jest not, and it's quite fascinating ^-^!

http://www.russianexpedition.net/rituals.htm

And there's always the swinging dolls on cuckoo clocks ^-^!



When I was little I had a list of things I would like to have in my house when I grew up. They were:

A round window,
An attic
A cellar
A log fire
A four-poster bed
A Stable Door
Russian Nesting Dolls
A Rocking Horse
And a Cuckoo clock (as well as a grandfather clock)!

I do have some Russian Nesting dolls... =D

Holly xoxoxo

'Poise' for Illustration Friday...

I've been experimenting with a new type of character...


Holly ^-^! (& the poised dollies!)

Barbie revisits Star Trek for the upcoming new movie!

I've been anticipating the release of this movie for what seems like ages now. I'm interested to see Sylar's interpretation of Spock, and Simon Pegg as Scottie!? How cool is that? ^-^!



What I wasn't expecting, however was that Barbie would be getting in on the act, but it seems Mattel have been on the ball here and produced a new line of Star Trek dolls to go with the new movie.

Now, if only Tonner would hurry up with those Dr Who/Torchwood dolls and someone would make some Firefly dolls we'd be on track ^-^!

Holly xoxo

Attack of the chickies!!!

A walk in the woods...

Holly and the toadstool dollies ^-^!

Movie Star Quiz

I got this quiz from Paisley Girl's blog. It seems to work very accurately, or maybe it's just flattery that makes it seem so, lol! ^-^. I adore Bette Davis!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Bette!

You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"

Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Stand up for yourself... and me.


• * Be confident, strong, and direct.


• * Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.


• * Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.


• * Give me space to be alone.


• * Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.


• * I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.


• * When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a Bette

• * being independent and self-reliant


• * being able to take charge and meet challenges head on


• * being courageous, straightforward, and honest


• * getting all the enjoyment I can out of life


• * supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me


• * upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a Bette

• * overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to


• * being restless and impatient with others' incompetence


• * sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it


• * never forgetting injuries or injustices


• * putting too much pressure on myself


• * getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

Bettes as Children Often

• * are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit


• * are sometimes loners


• * seize control so they won't be controlled


• * figure out others' weaknesses


• * attack verbally or physically when provoked


• * take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

Bettes as Parents

• * are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted


• * are sometimes overprotective


• * can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

New arrival!!! Meet Truffle...

New dolly days are always the best days, the excitement of the postie's arrival, the struggling with the tape on the package, the unwrapping, the 'new dolly' aroma... dolly people, you know what I'm talking about! Non-dolly people you don't know what you're missing ^-^!

I'd been itching to adopt a new petite Blythe for a while now, so when this girl popped up on a certain evil auction site I knew I had to have her!

Meet my Charlotte Champignon, 'Truffle'...

I never even liked mushrooms until now ^-^!!!

Holly and the elated dollies ^-^! xoxoxo

'Legendary' for Illustration Friday

It's that time again :)

Etsy store reopened...

After a long break I have re-opened my Etsy store...

I now have a Blythe outfit, some handmade dolls, paintings, jewellery and stationery in stock :)

CLICK HERE to visit :)

Holly xoxo

The obligatory weekend catch-up post...

Let me see, let me see... *scratches head thoughtfully*

On friday Cookie and I went to town.

The only dolly news of note was the fact that for some reason 'Schuh' have taken to using their own mocked up 'Schuh' fashion dolls in their displays... I would have taken photos but I was about the only person in there so I felt a tad conspicuous ^-^!

Other than that I bought a cool kitschy craft book and real ale and chip butties were enjoyed by all ^-^!

On Saturday Little Miss P went to the theatre with my parents, so that gave Fezz and I ample opportunity to go and see 'Watchmen'. Fezz is a big Alan Moore fan, I would be if I ever seemed to have time to sit down and read... The film wasn't completely devoid of merit, they'd obviously tried really hard, but they'd tried so hard to cram everything in that being such an epic and multiliayerd tale it was never really going to fit. I think it had little chance of working properly as a movie because it's simply not suited to the format. It was nice to see a non-PG rated film for a change though ^-^!

I bet you thought I'd have problems finding a dolly angle on this didn't you? Well actually I can rely on the, frankly brilliant, Liana at Liana's Paper Doll Blog to bail me out with a Silk Spectre paper doll costume ^_^!!! (Clicky here to go there)...

There's also some cool modded Watchmen action fiures to be seen here: http://www.watchmencomicmovie.com/watchmen-custom-action-figures.php

Proceeding on to Sunday... I may have accidentally splashed on a Barbie petite club doll and a bargain Barbie in a damaged box. Yes I am very bad and have no self control!

We also watched the final part of the live action movie adaptation of 'Death Note'. I really enjoyed it, I think I'll have to invest in the graphic novels! L is awesome, I am so tempted to get a Taeyang and make him L! In the meantime I wouldn't mind this guy keeping me company :)

Thinning out my doll collection...

I have been thinking about this for some time, but with all the re-evaluation that Lent brings I have decided to thin out my doll collection. I will be putting up the following for adoption:

Pullip Withered nude (sand semi-matted, her eyebrows are drawn on in pencil and can be wiped off and redrawn/painted by you if you wish :), Obitsu body)
Dal Sooni nude(stock)
Brunette Repro Sindy nude
Vintage Perfekta Yes/No doll in original outfit.

Holly and the prioritising dollis xoxo

'Breezy' for Illustration Friday :)

As I type this I wonder why I always miss-type the word 'Friday' as 'Firday' and have to fix it!?

Holly and the artistic dollis xoxo

Lars and the Real Girl

I saw this movie for the first time last night, and had no idea what to expect, but it was funny, sweet, touching and quirky and I would certainly recommend it ^-^!

From the writer of '6 Feet Under' (which I never saw) Lars has problems relating to people after an affection starved childhood following the death of his mother in childbirth. As an adult, to cope with his loneliness, Lars invents himself a girlfriend by projecting a personality onto a 'Real Doll' that he orders via the internet and the effect that this has on his family relationships and community.

It really is better than I make it sound, lol!

Holly xoxoxo

Pixel dolls!

I'm back! It's been a very busy week, but I'm back in the land of the dolls. Not only that, I'm back in the land of the virtual dolls! I wanted to practice my pixel art so I've created two new doll bases for pixel dollz...

That's as far as I've got so far, outfits and hair to follow shortly!

As a newb I found this website very useful and informative (as well as fun and monumentally cute ^-^!):

So what else have I been up to? Well... I have opened a folksy shop, but as it won't be 100% doll related I go on the monica of 'Hurdlepurdle Handicrafts'. You can visit the shop here: http://www.folksy.com/shops/hurdlepurdle . There's only 2 items listed as yet, but again, more to be added imminently.

Well, that's it for now, I have work to do, but see you sooner rather than later this time!

Holly xoxo

A unique and enchanting doll book...

Little Miss P and I were browsing in the poetry section of the library earlier when we unearthed a lovely book called 'Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls' by Dinah Johnson and Myles C. Pinkney.

Each page features a lovely photograph of a doll, or small group of dolls and a poem or description concerning the doll. The styles vary from folky, to ethnic to sophisticated to commercial but they all have something to say. We enjoyed exploring the book and it's definitely worth a look if you get the chance :)



For a link to the book on Amazon click below :)

How cute is this couple?

I've been so busy with Little Miss P being off school that I really haven't had time to update the blog in any way. All I really have to share is this picture of the bride and groom at my best friend's wedding last Saturday ^-^!

Hopefully I'll have chance to post something more substantial soon ^-^!

Holly and te exhausted dollies xoxoxo

Nostalgia anyone? - 50 years of Barbie video

This video makes me want to run out and buy a Barbie (which I guess is the idea!) brings back memories, I had that 1980s three story house with the yellow lift/elevator ^-^!



Holly