Mini Brands Retro and Little Tykes Minis

I've been overthinking photography ideas for the post that I want to make, featuring Barbie Basics Number 4. Mr. BTEG surprised me yesterday with a couple of the mini item balls, so I'm blogging about these, and then I'll settle down to get some good pictures of Number 4.

First is the Little Tikes toys mini ball. I got the dump truck and the recycling truck, in their own boxes.

I could have sworn that I took a picture of Kelly standing next to Barbie, to show another viewpoint of Kelly's size next to the toys, but I couldn't find it when I uploaded the pictures. I was having a difficult time with these tiny pieces. When the little people go in their seats in the trucks, they don't fit in firmly. They still roll around, so when you have one person in the truck, he can still fall out while you're trying to put his friend in. I gave up and laid most of the people flat.

As you can see, these toys are way too small proportional to Kelly, who can still possibly put things in her mouth and swallow them. They're not made to be necessarily one sixth, so it's not an issue. I do have smaller dolls who will love new toys.

The two balls are supposed to stack together with the shelf pieces provided, to make a display center. I can't get the top shelf into the holes to hold the two balls together. :(

 

Next are the Mini Brands Retro line. By retro, it looks like it means mostly the 70s and 80s. You get five mini pieces. I got some Energizer batteries, a floppy disc, a one-time use camera, a can of motor oil, and a box of candy. It seems the box of candy is an Ultra Rare item, which is too bad, as I would have liked other items from the Ultra Rare group better if I was going to find one. (A floppy disc was an 80s version of a thumb drive, kind of.)

The box of Mike and Ike candy is too big. As I remember, the candies themselves aren't much bigger than jellybeans. That would be a lot of candy! I guess it would look okay on a store shelf or at a movie snack bar. The floppy disk is a bit too large, but not as bad. I actually used these, so I have vague memories of how big they were. This kind was smaller than the ones before it, which actually were kind of floppy and could be ruined if you folded them accidentally, but the one I have would still look okay on a desk in an 80s computer lab. Time for a LAN party! (Now get off my lawn.) Everything else looks close enough to one sixth scale, considering we do have big batteries like these, and the camera fits her face reasonable well, although I didn't get a picture of it. To be honest, I don't know how big a old-school can of oil would be, but it looks okay. It would work on a shelf in a garage.

I know these aren't available everywhere. Anyone else out there who likes to collect these mini brands balls?

I've figured out how I want to photograph Barbie Basics Number 4, but then it occurred to me that since she is petite, I should see how other dolls' clothes fit on her, which will take more time. She's next on my list; however I didn't want to wait too much longer to get a post up. Hope you all in Tornado and Dixie Alley, especially RagingMoon, and all my other readers are faring well.

It's the Little Things

Last year I went to a lot of thrift stores, garage and yard sales, and estate sales. I'm always on the lookout for mini items, even if I'm actually shopping for something else. I've been wanting to show you all the adorable little items that I bought. Some were made as miniature decorations. Some were originally for some other use, but work perfectly as minis. Our proportion model is Victorian Christmas Barbie. Her old-timey look suits every mini piece except this one, a mini Coleman lantern.

This is really too little even for Barbie, but I have smaller dolls that it will work with. Unfortunately, it was already a (relatively) old item when I bought it new in package. I just took it out of the package today, and the batteries it came with are corroded. Fortunately, they were packed separately, but now I have to get some new tiny batteries to see if it will work.

Next is a glass that is too big for Barbie, a Coca-Cola glass. That one will probably look good with my Coca-Cola Cissy doll, but I want to do a full review of her when I get her out of the display case, as she's very tall (21" or around 53cm) and can be cumbersome to move around. She's not a little doll I can take a quick picture of and put back. I'm not ready to deal with that photo shoot yet, so here is the glass with Barbie.

 

Here is a pretty peach and purple luster bowl. I'm not sure that this was made to be small decor, or something else, as I've seen lots of peach lusterware teapots and cups, especially, as well as other tableware. It's a good size as a decorative bowl in one sixth. It could hold some type of small filler items, but it's nice by itself, especially with the white design on the bottom.

Next up is a small red glass pitcher, which I think was hand-blown. I'm guessing some of those marks on the bottom of the pitcher are from some type of adhesive used to hold the pitcher down, but that the mark in the center is from when it was made. The white handle is especially delicate. This pitcher would also work quite well with smaller scales.

Continuing on, there is this pewter pitcher. It might be a bit too big, but pewter serving ware was not especially dainty when it was commonly used, so it could possibly work. Americans often associate pewter with our colonial time period, but I also picture big pewter platters in the Middle Ages with a roast boar or a big stuffed goose on them. Be aware that real pewter contains some lead, so wash your hands after contact with it.

Next is what I think was probably a toothpick holder at one time. It's this beautiful green glass piece that makes a lovely, if large, vase.

I really like this mini oil lamp, especially how colorful it is. The blue/purple color has faded some, but it's a still a standout. It might actually work, since it has a wick inside. Would I like to deal with smoke marks? No.

Lastly are some salt cellars. Salt cellars are small bowls that were included with every place setting at a table, so everyone had their own salt for their meal. Apparently they were in use for centuries, but mine are very much newer pieces, as they're glass. They're relatively heavy too, so they're nice quality. I read up a little about their history, and apparently they began to go out of fashion around 1911, when the single salt shaker started taking off. I don't know how old mine are, but I imagine someone who was really into collecting them could tell their age by their style.

I bought one set of three. Of course I wish there had been four, but I was still happy to get these. I picture water and mini flowers floating in them.

At another sale, I found one salt cellar, and a little plastic spoon. The plastic spoon does not seem to match with when salt cellars began to fall out of use, and also doesn't jive with the age that the estate sale manager told me that she had been informed it was. It's still a gorgeous set; I just wish I knew more about its history. The spoon is about right for a serving spoon for our lady of the house Barbie.

Are there particular places where you find a lot of items you can use with your dolls? Are you always on the hunt for things to add to your doll decor? Do you have a favorite find you'd like to share? Once the weather is warm enough, garage sale season will start up here, so I'm hoping I'll find more items I can turn into minis.

Shadow High Natasha Zima -- It's Been a While!

I'm going to put the whole story about everything that's been going on with me at the bottom of this post. Short story: photography frustration, illness, broken furnace, mild depression. Yay!

Two years ago I introduced you to my Shadow High Shanelle Onyx. Her hair, skin color, and clothes are mostly black, with a bit of white. Natasha Zima is her opposite. She is mostly white, with some silver/gray tones.

The dress she came in is an interesting choice for a play doll dress. Those "feathers" look like they are going to fall off at any minute. My daughter's first words upon seeing this doll were "Don't let that near my cat!" Daughter has since moved out, with her cat, so I worry a lot less about little fiddly pieces getting everywhere. Poor Natasha's bow and the front gem on it are crooked, but could be fixed.

This is actually my second Natasha. I got my first one in 2023, and I've owned this one less than a year. I've always planned on getting a second one of this doll, because of her awesome restyle potential. She could be a ghost, a Snow Queen, the White Queen, lots of different looks. I've already seen one woman swap Natasha's blue eyes out for something more pale, to turn her into a ghost. One tip: apparently these dolls' eyes can be swapped out in the front by manipulating the eye socket, but I don't know the technique. I'm sure there are lots of videos out there detailing it. The restyler I watched cut Natasha's scalp open at the back in order to get to her eyes, which is not an uncommon thing to do. That being said, restyle at your own risk, whatever you choose to do!

Besides her dress, Natasha comes wearing a faux bead bracelet, slip on heels in white and silver, and earrings. The earrings feature a letter, one S and one H, for Shadow High. I must admit I got a little tired of having everything be RH or SH or Rainbow or Sparkle.

Here is my first Natasha doll, wearing Natasha's second outfit. I thought it would be really awesome to photography Natasha with a solid black background, and I do like the effect, but many of the pictures came out blurry. It's been a real struggle for me lately.

In addition to the beaded top and skirt, the second outfit also includes a faux fur coat and boots with glitter that unfortunately sheds. I do appreciate the boots having a stiff toe cap, so the doll's foot can fit firmly. That seems to be a common theme with Rainbow High boots. The coat has some pretty trim.

I like Natasha for herself, and for her restyling potential. She's from the first Shadow High line, back when the dolls were still fairly high quality. The first line with all of the monotone looks is my favorite of the Shadow High lines. It was a very unique direction, that MGA managed to pull off. I never thought I'd like a doll like Nicole Steel, for example, who is all shades of gray including gray skin, but I really do. However, I haven't bought many of the newer Rainbow High dolls, and I don't plan on buying any more than I have now, unless MGA ups their game again, and they probably won't. Toy companies seem to prefer to let doll lines slowly die off, and introduce a new concept. Still, I'm happy with the Rainbow High collection that I have now, and that's what matters.

Total dolls: 91

Soooooo, back in October, I was trying to take pictures for some more posts. I kept having problems with a lot of my pictures coming out blurry. I think the main problem is my hands. I've always had hand tremors, but it's gotten worse in the last several months. I misplaced one of my camera stands, and the one I tried using wasn't the best for the job. I ended up getting really discouraged and the thought of trying doll photography again felt like a dreaded chore. We got through the Thanksgiving holiday, and then I got interested in preparing for Christmas. My family had a lovely Christmas Day together, but the next day I came down with something. It was kind of like a cold, but without a lot of nasal issues. It was mostly body aches and fatigue. Mr. BTEG also came down with the same symptoms in January. I had that crud for three weeks, and during that time, our furnace broke down. It took four days to get it running again, and for pretty much the entire month of January here in Northeast Ohio, the temperature was well below freezing every day. We made do with electric heaters, but being sick in an under heated house is something I never want to do again. After I got better, I went through about a week and a half without any interest in the things I usually enjoy doing. I suppose it was just a bit of post-sickness depression, but I felt a little like I'd never get better. I'm finally getting back to normal life. I still have to improve my stamina. Mostly lying around for a month does not help one's physical fitness. I've also gotten past the feeling of overwhelm with all the housework that just wasn't done for about a month. I'm hoping this post will help me get back into a regular posting routine. I also used my phone to take these pictures, instead of my digital camera. I still had some issues with blurriness, but not nearly as much. I also think I know where my other camera stand is. I'm so glad and relieved to be back.

Rainbow High Accessories and Skyler in New Clothes

I mentioned in my last post that I completely forgot to share the accessories that Priscilla came with, in lieu of a second outfit. Since several of those accessories match the ones that came with a rolling makeup case that I bought separately, I decided to put all of that in this post, as well as Skyler in a new outfit made up of separates from other purchases.

Here are Priscilla's accessories. It's ironic that that Rainbow High collectors would have liked hangers, but not in place of a second outfit. It makes sense from a financial standpoint, I imagine. In addition to the two hangers, there is a cellphone with case, a laptop computer open to a designing program, three makeup brushes, an eyeshadow palette, and a tube of lipstick. MGA did a good job making the laptop screen look like an actual illustration program, but it's too bad that the cellphone has the same image cut down.

 

To me, it's odd that the little clip on the case, so that the doll can hold it, means that the doll holds it in her left hand. Right-handed folks out there, what hand do you generally hold your cellphone in when you're checking things out on there? I'm left-handed, but somewhat ambidextrous, as left-handed peeps are often required to be.

Here's Skyler standing next to the makeup cart to demonstrate its proportions next to a doll. Her shirt and shoes came with RH doll Cecilia. Her jeans came from a clothes rack full of clothes that came with an Avery Styles doll. The makeup case came in a Rainbow High gift set. There were three dolls that each came in a different color, dressed for a stage performance, and the makeup cart and makeup, each matching the dolls' dress colors, were included. Thanks to eBay, at least in the US, it is fairly simple to pick up part of a doll set, if you don't want the whole thing.

This makeup case is very nicely made. The handle of the case pulls up so you can roll it like a suitcase. The two doors open to reveal a storage area and a drawer that pulls out. The top of the case flips open (once the handle is down) to two compartments, that can also be hung on the outside of the case.

The case came with a hair dryer, three makeup brushes, an eyeshadow palette, and a tube of lipstick. As you can see, the makeup is exactly the same as Priscilla's, just a different colorway.

 

The eyshadow cases, the lipstick tubes, and the front of the makeup case, all have the same 3D image. To me, it looks like a Greek goddess cameo, sort of a Victorian Greek goddess.

What accessories would you like to see with a doll? I can think of so many things, depending on era and type of doll. I think I would like detailed jewelry the best, because I'm not very good at making small doll jewelry.

Rainbow High Priscilla Perez

There isn't a lot to say about Priscilla, because she didn't come with a lot, compared to other Rainbow High dolls. She's still a beautiful doll. I especially love her eyes, and the way her hair glows almost neon in some lights. Her dress is pretty typical of what teens wear to special events these days, but the boa and the gauntlets are an interesting choice to pair with them. I think some jewelry would have been nice, but the fabric accessories probably appear to be better value for the cost, so that's one possible reason for the choice. Anyway, you've seen Priscilla in pajamas, now you can see her all dolled up in her original outfit.

I love her, and I'm interested to see how she looks in other outfits. We're moving out of the heat of summer and into prime sewing and knitting times for me. As usual, I probably have more plans than I can carry out, but I'll do my best.

I forgot that I didn't add a picture of her in box, and realized that I'd forgotten all of the little accessories that she came with, which I guess is an indicator of how much I was impressed by them. Still, I'll get a photo or two of them up before I post any more dolls. 

Total dolls: 89

Rainbow High Dream and Design Fashion Studio Playset

Since MC mentioned playsets, I decided to review the Rainbow High playset that I got for Christmas, which included a Skyler Bradshaw doll. This set is not exactly 1:6 scale, but then the Rainbow High dolls aren't either. I still think it's a nice addition to my doll displays.

This set obliviously includes items for sewing play, but first Skyler has to create a design. For this, she has some paints, brushes and a palette, what I think is a pencil, and what I think are oil pastels. She also has a large portfolio, with pictures that will appear when treated with water. She can use these on her worktable, which can be flat or tilted. Her work stool is not that sturdy. I didn't think of it until now, but I wonder how it would work for Barbie. She also has a potted orchid to give her a touch of nature.

When she's got a design she likes, it's time to start draping fabric and sewing her creation. She has a sewing machine, cutting mat, two pairs of scissors, an iron that sits kind of oddly, a rainbow shaped pincushion, a measuring tape, and a cup of coffee to keep her going. There's also some fabric included in rainbow colors. The tailor's dummy is a little odd. It's made for pretend draping, which makes sense since it's for kids, so there are no real pins, just these oversized pins that go into holes in the dummy. I think the ruler-like piece that has a circle on the top, sitting to Skyler's left in the second picture, is supposed to help insert the fabric into the slits in the dummy, especially some narrow ones in the back. I do like the fact that two pair of scissors were included. Anyone who sews will find out quickly that fabric should be cut with different scissors than pattern pieces or thread.

Since Rainbow High has a storyline for the dolls that takes place at an exclusive high school for fashion design and related studies, it makes sense that this playset is about designing clothes. It actually comes from a short series of episodes where Skyler wins a Project Runway type competition that included students from Rainbow and Shadow High. The stool can be used in many displays, and the work table could go from sewing to a computer table, a crafting table, or even a table for your doll to take pictures of her doll displays. :) The main item that I'm not sure I like from this playset is Skyler herself. To me, her head doesn't work with her body. Of course all Rainbow High dolls have oversized heads, but this one looks off to me as the other dolls I have don't. On the other hand, I hate to get rid of her, since blue is my favorite color. I'm going to try re-dressing her, and maybe a lip repaint. I'm going to include her in my collection count, since if I sell this one, I will probably buy a Skyler from another line that I like the look of more. What theme would you like to see for a playset?

Total dolls: 88