My website has been fixed! Hallelujah! As someone who knows nothing about the technical side of things, it’s wonderful when it works like it is supposed to and AWFUL when I don’t have a clue how to fix it when it’s not working! I was only able to download pictures from my media library, which are pictures that I have taken before and just have to stored for later use sometime. I draw from my library all the time. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but when I emailed my webmaster, Sarah, who’s in Kenya right now, she said she thought the website was down for maintenance and I just got caught in the middle of it. But it’s fine now and I can download pictures again!!
A few days back I told you about a doll that Kristoffer gave me for Christmas. He found her at a store and wanted to bring her home to be with my girls…AWWW… yes, that was very sweet to me… Well, let me introduce 17″ Yelena to you. Kristoffer said he thought she was Russian and I looked her name up and sure enough it said it was a Russian name. She has a sweet purple velvet like dress with black furry trim. I like her hat and I pulled her long blonde hair up to see if she looked cuter that way… maybe…maybe not… She has sweet pantalettes and darling little black shoes. Her porcelain skin is much prettier than it appears in my pictures, but you can get an idea of what she looks like. It will be nice to have a doll on my shelf that stays dressed…although all my other girls are already talking about her…It’s a good thing she doesn’t understand English just yet… just give her time… :o)
Let me sneak in another little present that I got from Rebecca. She found a necklace in my jewelry box that “I” had made years ago. (I have since left the necklace making to her!) She re-strung this necklace because I had made it sort of wavy-like. It’s very nice now… and it gives me a good excuse to buy something new and blue to go with it! :o) It’s a very pretty cobalt blue.
So Yelena was doll number one. Next up is Julie. I had her for sale a few weeks ago along with the other 4 that I sold. Each one was going to be sold nude, but I just can’t send a doll to someone totally naked, so I dressed them all in something… even if it was just a lacy slip.
Well, Julie went to a very special lady on my blog here… Marilyn… and I know she lives in Colorado and that’s a pretty cold part of the country right now, so I decided to send her to Marilyn with a fur coat and hat. Marilyn said it was a good thing she had a coat on because she got delayed in her shipment and had to spend a very cold night at some Post Office… BRRR… Anyway, I thought you might like to see what Julie looked like in her coat…
Her coat is made from that fur at Joann’s that is super soft and silky like minky dot!
So Julie in her coat was doll number two!
A few days ago when my sister was here, we went to the Goodwill store and I “always” look at the dolls… don’t you?
As I was digging though the pile of legs and arms and massive amounts of tangled wigs, I spotted a face that I’d seen before. I saw a pair of sweet looking blue eyes and I could hear a faint whisper… “Please take me home with you… please?” I pulled her out of the snarled mess and saw she was a Corolle doll…a 13″ cutie with one black shoe and a bright green sticker of $3.00. She had 2001 stamped on the back of her neck, but no name, just Corolle.
I decided I could do that. She was in pretty good condition…body wise… there were no chewed off fingers or toes and she had no marks or stains on her body either. She even smelled good! B-U-T… she had the front row of her hair and a few sprigs behind that row trimmed off… it was cut to about 1/4″….not all the way across, but just in the front.
I looked on Ebay and “think” she might be Chloe, the ballerina Corolle doll. I also found out these dolls are Vanilla scented. That’s why she smells good I guess. :o)
I thought maybe I could style her hair some way to hide that and if not, I could just sell her for someone who needed her body for a model for making clothes.
Well, she has laid on my sewing table all week just waiting for me to pay some attention to her. I picked her up tonight and peeled the stickers off of her and took off that one shoe. I noticed her eyelashes on the right eye were sort of smashed to the side, but there are still there.
I wondered what I could do with her hair. I tried pulling it over to the side, but it’s sort of got like a cowlick and would NOT stay down. I tried pulling it back in a pony tail to see if that made the missing hair less noticeable but no… it was still obvious. So I went in another direction. I decided to pull up some of the hair on the side below her temple and braid a small braid and see if it would go across the missing hair. It went almost across, so I moved up my section and tried braiding it again. This time I got almost to her ear on the other side. I decided that would work. So I did the unthinkable… I GLUED it in place, right over the missing row of hair. It was about the only way to salvage her looks. I then put a clear rubber band to hold the end of the braid and I sewed a little white bow around the rubber band securing it to the braid and picking up some hair each time I went around from underneath.
It’s pretty secure now. The bow will have to be permanent but it looks okay I think.
She’s almost the same size as Nahji…only a quarter inch difference in their waist measurements and about the same in the chest.
I put her next to Lian and she’s pretty close to her size too… a little smaller in the chest and the waist. Lian let her borrow the dress she had arrived in when she came here.
So here she is all fancied up as best I could…
Pretty cute, huh?
So that makes Doll number Three!
Does anyone have one of these Corolle dolls?
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Congratulations on rescuing another doll. She certainly looked different when you finished.
Yelena looks quite charming. It would be fun to know more about her. How tall is she? I think you’ll love having a doll that doesn’t expect you to sew for her.
Naturally I liked the pictures of Julie best. By the time she reached me, her hat was no longer at a jaunty tilt, but it was still on, keeping Julie’s ears warm and making her looking as Russian as Yelena. That fur is a wonderful, very flexible fabric that creates the pattern you can see in the photo, something you took great advantage of. It’s a very pretty coat and looks great with boots. Because of the flexibility of the fabric, the hat looks very nice on. She’s a beautiful doll and is attracting an interesting wardrobe. She especially loves her Becky Colvin jeans, which will look great with her sandals. I’m glad that you’ll still be making some 70s outfits, and she’ll definitely need something Victorian.
I have sent Joy’s Christmas Parade on to friends, and everyone loves it. A couple of people have asked me what kinds of dolls these are — I recognize Patsy and Ann Estelle. Who else is marching?
Hi Marilyn,
The dolls are all Robert Tonner 10 inch. Ann Estelle and friends Michael, Gracie, Trixie, JoJo, Linda McCall, and lots more. I love this size.
I’ll tell the kids they went viral. Ha Ha
HI Marilyn,
Yes, I had to give this doll at least a chance at a makeover! I think she turned out pretty good.
I added in my post that Yelena is 17″ tall. I forgot to put that in when I was describing her. She’s dressed perfectly for today’s weather… 12 degrees out with a windchill factor of 5 degrees. BRRRR…
I looked for some boots to send with her but Hobby Lobby was out of the brown ones and all I had was pink fleece… I decided to just send her in the sandals.
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a pretty little doll Yelena is, Jeanne! I love her outfit, and hat, purple is one of my favorites and the fur makes it so Russian looking! Kristoffer knows how to spoil his momma! Like Marilyn, I wonder how tall she is?
Julie’s fur coat is so very pretty, and boy, does she need it now! She went to the perfect new owner, and you can be sure Marilyn will take care of her—fabulously!
Well, no, I don’t go looking at the Goodwill store, I have enough of my own to be tring to find more things! I would get into trouble for sure! You fixed that little doll up so pretty and I can see that she is very happy, but is wondering what is next for her! Are you planning on keeping her or selling or giving away?
What a cold and snowy day we had yesterday here, and also today! Now don’t laugh, Marilyn, but we got a whole 2 inches of snow yesterday!! The first real snow of the year, and I have been changing my dolls outfits to a pajama party theme! Should have gotten the snowsuits out, but who knew?
Oh, forgot completely to mention that beautiful necklace that Rebecca fixed up for you! It would look so pretty with a white turtleneck top! Or maybe a white cotton blouse too, it looks so winterish! Very pretty!
HI Linda,
Yelena is fitting in quite nicely with my AG dolls… she’s 17″ tall, so just a hair shorter than my naked dolls on the shelf. They are all quite jealous of her fur trimmed dress, hat and muff… They all need something on today as it’s very cold here. We got about 2″ of snow too… nothing to stop us from going anywhere, but we’ve chosen to stay warm and toasty inside.
I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with the Corolle doll. I may make her a simple little dress and try to sell her. That’s what my hubby said to do with her. She’d make a great model for someone who wants to sew for this size doll. She’s really quite cute the more I look at her.
Thanks for the compliments on my “new” necklace that Rebecca fixed. It is very pretty and I need to see if I can find something to wear with it without having to buy something. Surely I have something! :o)
Thanks Linda,
Stay warm,
Blessings, Jeanne
Bonjour Jeanne Happy new year for you Je suis francaise je regarde tous les jours votre blog que j’aime beaucoup Aujourd’hui la poupée Corolle que vous avez trouvée s’appelle CAMILLE en France elle fait partie des poupées françaises Corolle ” Les Chéries” Amicalement Danielle
I translated Danielle’s comment into English,
Hello Jeanne
Happy new year for you I am French I look every day your blog I like very much Today the doll Corolle that you found is called CAMILLE in France it is part of the French dolls Corolle “Les Chéries”
Amicalement Danielle
This was my comment back to Danielle, in French…
Salut Danielle,
Je suis si heureux de recevoir des nouvelles de vous depuis la France. Merci de nous faire savoir que les poupées Corelle sont populaires en France. Je pense qu’elle est un peu chéri moi-même. J’espère que vous nous reverrez avec vos commentaires.
Bonne journée,
Bénédictions, Jeanne
…and the translation of that in English…
Hi Danielle,
I’m so glad to hear from you all the from France. Thank you for letting us know that the Corelle dolls are popular in France. I think she’s a little sweetie myself. I hope you’ll visit us again with your comments.
Have a wonderful day,
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you Jeanne
You are so welcome!
Blessings , Jeanne
Julie looks so pretty in her fur coat and hat.. perfect for cold Colorado winters:)
Yelena reminds me of Lara from Dr. Zhivago.. late Edwardian period.. quite the proper young lady.
Little Miss Corolle… i thought of Jesse from Toy Story who was just thrown away and wanted nothing more thsn to be loved and played with again. The braid was inspired! She looks very happy to have been adopted !
Rebecca did a lovely restringing job.. such pretty cobalt beads!!
Best of all.. computer is working again!
Great way to start 2017?!
HI Shara,
Thanks for your comments about the dolls. Each one is different and each one is special in her own way. You are right about the Corolle doll…she is sort of like Jesse from Toy Story… I hadn’t thought of that, but you are right!
It’s a good thing… Marilyn loved Julie and her new coat… Little Miss Corolle and Miss Yelena are warm and toasty in my sewing room, I have a new necklace and YAY… my computer is working like it’s supposed to! All is well!
Thanks Shara,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a lovely posting, Jeanne. The doll Kristoffer gave you is beautiful. I recently got a porcelain doll with similar lip coloring. Some of the paint is off….what type of paint might you suggest to touch it up?
Julie turned out so beautifully in that coat. I’m glad she was well protected on her journey to Marilyn. She was a lovely doll.
And the Corolle doll, Les Cheries…I do have one of those. I think they’re very lovely…and you….my goodness…you make her into a presentable beauty with that braid. I know it must have felt horrifying to GLUE her hair down, but, she was quite traumatized already with that hair trim. She’s lovely and you’ve resurrected her in a most pleasing manner.
Thanks so much again for your blog…I’m so glad it is up and running again for you.
Blessings.
Thank you Becky,
Yelena is a very sweet doll and she’s standing on the dolly shelf just like she belongs there. You’ve probably asked the wrong person about painting your porcelain dolls lips. I’m no expert here, but I would probably just use an acrylic paint but thin it down with some Textile Medium… that’s what I used when I was trying to get Kit’s lips painted. I just was having no success at all when just using the acrylic paints by themselves, but when I added several drops of the Textile Medium (found with the Acrylic paints) it thinned it down and made it MUCH easier and nicer to use.
Maybe someone who has painted porcelain dolls can chime in here with their thoughts.
The Corolle dolls are pretty cute and she’s growing on me… At first I thought they had too big of a head, but I think that’s the charm of them… I’m glad her hair was long enough on the sides to make a braid and lay it over the “stubble.”
Thanks Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
Looks like Yelena has a wonderful new home!
Maybe Rebecca can start a restringing business. I’m sure there are many of us with necklaces that need attention.
Wish I had Julie’s lovely coat this morning. It’s 25 here in California. Burr….
Good fix on the Corolle. Other than removing all the hair and rewigging, yours is a vast improvement. Love the dolly.
Now we’re supposed to get a ton of rain the next two days. Break out the dinghy.
HI Joy,
Sometimes ladies at church bring a baggie full of loose beads, and sometimes partially strung, and ask Rebecca if she can put the necklace back together in some kind of way. They are always happy to have it back, even if it’s not the exact same pattern as it was when they had it.
I bet 25 degrees in California is quite a shock for you guys isn’t it? Our friends from Haiti are seeing snow firsthand for the first time in their lives… We only got 2″ but that’s a good “starter snow.” They’ll probably croak when they see how much comes later on… YIKES!
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
I have gotten a little behind on reading your posts, but I have the day off today and am getting caught up now. I’m so glad you got your website issues repaired, and I am enjoying all the doll pictures including the ones from Joy, Linda, and Charlotte. Doesn’t Linda have some beautiful little furniture and accessories for her dolls?
I like the way you salvaged the Corolle doll’s hair. I am familiar with the dolls but don’t own any. They are very cute and are popular with some collectors. I have been lucky in finding some cute dolls at the thrift stores, but it doesn’t happen very often!
Hi Carolyn,
I’m glad you enjoy my posts enough to want to catch up on them. I hope you enjoy them.
I don’t find dolls very often so it’s a fun thing when you do spot something that you think might be salvageable.
Thanks Carolyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yelena is very sweet and I like her dress with the fancy ribbon and fur trim. Her hair is very pretty as well.
Glad Rebecca fixed your necklace. Various shades of blue are my favorite.
So Marilyn got Julie. Julie looks warm and cozy in her coat and I’m sure Marilyn has other lovely clothes for her to wear.
Nice fix up on the little Corolle doll. Her braided tiara solved the missing hair problem nicely. How nice that you have a French reader who was able to tell you the doll you have. I’ve seen the Corolle dolls before and they have a sweet look to them.
It’s cold her as well, two inches of snow on the ground, temperature in the teens with wind chills in the single digits. Time to make a cup of tea and stay warm.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for your comments on my dolls and Marilyn’s Julie. I got out some fabrics “you” might be interested in…just sayin’….. :o)
It has Ben very cold all day here…13 now with a windchill of 2! I hope tomorrow we get out of the teens!
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne
When I’m late in posting my comments, everyone has said it all so well before. So I second all of the above. You are truly the Dolly Super Mom! What an imaginative way to correct what seemed like an insurmountable problem for the French Camille doll. Very nice! And you are fluent in French! A very accomplished woman. What a cute little coat and hat for Marilyn’s Julie!
Kristoffer’s gift is so thoughtful. What a lovely doll. Glad Rebecca fixed your necklace. It’s very pretty. You did have a lovely Christmas. Thanks for keeping us posted. I do so look forward to hearing you tell of your adventures.
Hi Susette,
Oh…me? French? I wish… I used Google Translate! :o)
It is always fun to see someone post in another language…that let’s me think my blog is “international! ” That makes me smile.
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
I have a yelena doll also. I bought her from a supercenter thrift store so she didn’t come with her hat. She did have her stand but I lost it when I used it for an improvised jewelry stand. She sitting on m table right now. At first I had her in the drawer with my other dolls because I had no space but since I decided my table could br used again for decor instead of crafts that is why she’s back out with and also everyone else is getting a fresh breather.
Thanks for your comments, Metia,
My Yelena stands,on the doll shelf with my other dolls. Glad you enjoy yours too!
Blessings, Jeanne
Yelena is very sweet.Really good articles. Plenty of information.Benefited