Divisoria Deadpool

Ever had that feeling of wanting to buy a toy, any toy, even if you don't really want it? You then make up justifications of buying the toy, like you can sell it if you're sure you don't want it, or you can customize it to something you really want.

That's the case for this 4-inch Divisoria Deadpool action doll. This gray-black suit is Deadpool's uniform when he was a member of the X-force, the more millitant version of the X-men. Hasbro released an official X-force Deadpool (middle and right images above). It can be seen how the gray Divisoria Deadpool is different from the official release, from the scabbard, to the belt pouches and the holster. This Divisoria figure won't pass as the original. No wonder, online sellers are not selling this.

The same thing can't be said about the red Divisoria Deadpool. It looks like the original X-men Origins comic version Deadpool. The gray Deadpool is just a repaint of the red, except maybe for the head. They have different head sculpts. The gray is bigger.

A lot of Deadpool stuff are being sold in Divisoria. They have the Marvel Legends and Select scales. I only care about the 4-inch stuff. The red or gray Deadpool is being sold for PhP500 each.

I found this toy car while thrifting. I thought it was cute with the opening doors. The 4-inch dolls could also fit in. It is missing the roof but I don't care. I might create a makeshift roof or I could just leave it as is. It's a Lil Bratz Lil' Coupe.

Plus Size Problems Part 2

Dear Niel,

I tried the new dress you have made specially for me and I love it! At first, I thought the huge prints will make me look bigger but then what's the point of denying the fact? It's bold and fun just like me. I like how it shows off my legs. I also like the cool belt! Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.
 

I thought my fashion woes would end with the arrival of the curvy Barbie dolls. I was hoping that I can share clothes with them. When I found out that they can share clothes with dolls having the original body size, I felt something is wrong. I knew that I still have very limited clothing options.

How can a curvy girl share clothes with one who is not? What kind of delusion is that? Dolls of different body types sharing the same size of clothes trivializes the fashion problems of plus size people. How can other people understand the frustration and the difficulty of someone bigger trying to find the right size of clothes? Mattel decided to just sweep our frustrations under the rug by adjusting the curvy body so it won't be too big, so it will still fit the clothes meant for the original body size. It's like the fashion industry telling fat people to be slimmer so they can fit in the clothes the fashion industry makes.

These curvy dolls could have communicated this fashion frustration to kids and collectors had the dolls been curvier. Mattel could have addressed the issue with the fashion industry's lack of attention to the plus size figure by making a separate set of clothes made specially for the curvy dolls. Mattel could have done so much with the new body but they took the easy way and designed the curvy body to make the fashion problems seem almost non-existent. It just shows that Mattel is part of what's wrong in the fashion industry and at the same time denying something is wrong.

Different bodies being able to wear the same size of clothes isn't a celebration of diversity. It's forcing people to fit in one size.

But you get it. You get me, Niel. You understand that I can show off my style even if my body is bigger, even if I don't have a pronounced waist. You understand that I can have this body and still be beautiful. I'm so lucky.

Feeling loved,

Vernie

Divide

Wannabes

Tough

Mob

Making Your Mark

I wonder how other people mark fabrics for sewing doll clothes. This site has a number of good options: http://www.sugartartcrafts.com/2013/06/tip-of-week-choosing-best-way-to-mark.html I don't know where I can find locally some of the items there.

I have water based pens but the mark they leave on printed fabric is not very visible. Since it's water-based, it seeps through the fabric. I want the mark to stay on top of the fabric and very visible even on a printed  fabric.

The tailor's chalk is too hard. The soft fabrics, like chiffon, move a lot when marking with a tailor's chalk.

The dermatograph makes thick lines. We know how a few millimeters off and it could mean a bad fit. I love these Dong-A Twistable Color Pencil for the job. If only they were sold separately and with neon colors...

Mini-Dolls Comparison

From left to right:

Compact doll by Takara

Grandmother doll by Town Square

Grandfather doll by Horsman

Father doll by Horsman

Unknown doll by Simba

Unknown doll by unknown manufacturer

Customized Heidi Ott doll

Longlocks doll by Topper

Aaron Carter doll by Play Along

Britney Spears doll by Play Along

Unknown doll by Breyer

Madelman doll by Popular De Juguetes

30

Colored Heidi Ott Dolls

Another Color of Satisfaction

Some time last year (or was it 2 years ago?), I found a dark-skinned 12-inch Original Action Figure Body. I got it from Divisoria unboxed. It was missing the additional neck pegs and the closed fist hands. I had no doll head that match the skin tone so the body was left in storage. I realized that my chances of finding a head for this body for a good price is impossible so last weekend, I went ahead and painted an action figure head to match the color of the body. 

Take the picture

If there was something I was looking forward to last weekend, it was making this dress inspired by the red Dior dress worn by Jennifer Lawrence in this year's Golden Globes. I made the cutouts larger to make it more visible on a small doll's body. I like the dress for its simplicity. The cutouts reminded me of the 60's but it looks very fashion forward. This dress is timeless. It's a must have for every dolly wardrobe.

source: redhotsunglasses

To be or not to be Barbie

The Real Barbie

Together Again

They were like this before.

A Doll of The World Entry

There are a lot of Dolls of the World (DOTW) peg warmers in the various local toy stores. There is no news of any upcoming dolls in that line. It might as well be dead. Ever wonder how that happened?

Starting 1980, Mattel released Barbie dolls with various ethnicities, like the first Black and Oriental Barbie dolls. Although criticized for a lot of cultural misappropriations or lack of authenticity, it wasn't enough to totally kill the line. It brought different faces to Barbie's circle. It was actually one of the major selling points for these dolls.

Now, ethnic diversity can be had from different Barbie lines. This was one of the reasons why the Barbie Basics was a hit. It was the same for the university cheerleader dolls. (The Barbie look flopped partly because they insisted on including the Mackie and Aphrodite molds a number of times.) With these lines, you get the diversity in ethnicity without the cultural misappropriation. Plus, the idea of getting just one doll is not enough. Collectors welcome the diversity so most bought a few, if not all, of the dolls in a line.

Now the same formula is being used for the current Fashionista line up. You don't have to pay a "collector" price for a DOTW doll just to harvest the head. It is now easier to snag a Lea/Kayla, Mbili or Goddess face molds. These are usually reserved for the collector and exclusive dolls. You also get a reusable piece of clothing with no cultural issues, hopefully.

So what's the point of collectors buying DOTW these days? I'm really fine with them gone AS LONG AS the diversity is present in at least one of their lines available globally.

Plus Size Problems

Dear Niel,

I'm happy you didn't make a sock dress for me. You took time to create a pattern just for me. I feel special knowing that unlike others, the patterns cannot be shared by a number of dolls. It's especially made for me.

I know my love for fashion doesn't show because I don't aspire to be anorexic like some fashion models but I do appreciate beautiful clothes and styling. Not a lot of fashion designers would want to dress me. Manufacturers would rather not risk spending extra capital on to solve plus size problems in fashion.

They stereotyped us as people who doesn't care about the way we look just because of our size. They think we can settle with dated and shapeless clothes that lacks character. I even heard someone say that I can just borrow Ken's pants. The nerve!

My love affair with fashion is unrequited but you loved me back.

I'm glad you didn't style me like Melissa McCarthy, fully covered. I like showing my arms even if they're big. I'm also happy that you didn't make me wear dyke fashion like Rosie O'Donnell even if we have the same body and we're both lesbians.

I really appreciate what you have done for me. Please don't take it the wrong way if I expected more. Let's be honest. The clothes the you've made me are pretty basic. I know I need to build my basic wardrobe, too, but I'm looking forward to you making something that shows my character. You know how I am. I'm far from basic.

Feeling Loved,

Vernie

The Color of Satisfaction

If you were raised in the Philippines, there's a good chance that you were conditioned to think that dark skin is ugly. Skin whitening products are one of the best selling beauty products here.  "Nognog" is a local word similar to "nigger" and is used as a derogatory word to describe one of a current presidential candidate without raising a debate on political correctness. This is my reality and I don't want it in my deluded doll world.

One thing I've learned from collecting dolls is that beauty comes in different shades and color. I knew it the moment I saw a photo of the Princess of South Africa. I instantly felt the need to have her, so I did. But her playability is limited. She had limited clothing options with an older busty body. She cannot do many poses. She eventually was kept in storage.

Spideypool

It's a funny ship.

Deadpool

I'm not a Deadpool fan, not yet anyways. The movie trailer got me interested. I was also intrigued by the multitude of Deadpool fans. He has quite a following. There's got to be a reason why people like him so much. Maybe I'll find out when I see the movie.

Being a popular character, Deadpool toys are easily sold out from toy stores, with the help of toy scalpers, of course. A lot of Deadpool toys are exorbitantly priced. This includes the 4-inch action dolls.  It was a good thing that I'm no fan otherwise I would be pissed about acquiring a Deadpool toy.

I saw an ad online about this possibly unlicensed version of Deadpool. It came loose so there is no way of verifying its authenticity. It looks and feels like the original, including the Hasbro markings. I checked one of the offline stores the online seller uses for his transactions. It wasn't on display. He could just have displayed a couple toys on the offline stores and I would have bought immediately. I wanted to verify some things before actually purchasing it. The seller was too lazy to post actual photos or comparison photos with other figures, so he might be to lazy to answer my queries. Plus, the seller gives off a certain attitude that I don't like. 

Since the seller is doubting if the toy is a clone or not, he must have gotten it from where most things sold are clones, Divisoria. Divisoria is a big place to look for a small action doll. I saw a number of Deadpool merchandise in different stores but I saw only one store selling the 4-inch doll. There was also the gray version but since I'm no fan, I just bought the one with the popular color scheme.

I'm just happy that I didn't have to pay a crazy amount for this toy. I'd be happier if it was indeed a clone. That means someone out there can do what Hasbro is doing. Since Hasbro is doing a stellar job in disappointing the fans of the 4-inch Marvel toys, I don't mind an alternative option, even if it is unlicensed. If these are indeed authentic toys that someone just hoarded for a profit to later find out that not a lot of people are willing to pay an arm for so it is being sold at a more reasonable price in time with the upcoming movie, that would be the best.

And Now

I noticed that the Get Real Girls body is a tall body. Note that she is wearing flats in the photo. If she were to wear heels, she'll be a lot taller. She has big feet.

Another alternative to the tall Barbie bodies are the Integrity doll bodies, like the African-American on the left. Of the 3 new Barbie body types, the tall body is receiving the least amount of praise since there are better articulated tall dolls around. If ever I will be getting any tall Barbie, I only will be getting it for the head, so I will wait until they are on sale. If stocks run out, it's no big deal.

Athletic Doll

I don't have a tall Asian doll yet. What I do have is an athletic Asian doll (left-most in the photo above). See those arms? Her body is from another doll line. The guessing game starts now.

If I were designing Barbie dolls for Wonder Woman, Misty Copeland or Abby Wambach, I will make  the body look more athletic. Well, that is if I want to promote athleticism and a healthy lifestyle. If I'm just in it for the money, I can just use any thin body. Doll collectors have impressive imagination so let them imagine that those dolls are athletic enough.

Go Make Your Own Happiness

I have always felt alienated from the privileged collectors from the West. Whenever they post something that is not available locally I am overcome with this sense of materialistic envy. I'm not saying that others should stop flaunting their toy hauls. I have no right to say that. Plus, placing the responsibility of my happiness on others is just so wrong. I just want to name what I'm feeling: alienation and envy. I'm just owning it. Like I've said before, I can handle some negativity. 

They say that the first step in transforming anything is owning it. One cannot change what one has no control over. One way of taking control is owning it. I have made use of other's toy photos to make myself a petite doll. I can do the same to make an overweight doll.  The envy can be transformed into creativity. The alienation is what offers this different perspective and flavor to my blog. I haven't read a doll blog like mine. So there.

The stiff Barbie Fashionista with the new body types are not yet available locally. I like the concept but not the lack of articulation. Lammily isn't available locally at a reasonable price. There is a someone selling a Rosie O'Donnell doll since last year but I have been putting off buying it.  The seller then offered it at a lower price so that sealed the deal. I'm not a Rosie fan and I have a spare Raquelle head. I'm glad that I don't have to shrink another huge head. After a wardrobe change, I was inspired to make this video:

Dressing her up is more challenging than dressing the new curvy Barbie.  The curvy Barbie can share a lot of the original Barbie's clothes. My overweight doll can't but she is inspiring enough to make me sew more clothes for her. 

Rachel

I learned from fellow hobbyists that the petite dolls are about the current Skipper's height, which is shorter than the teen Skipper dolls. Susie isn't my first petite, Rachel is.

Since there is no assurance that the new bodies will land locally and since I have a headless Skipper body lying around and a shrunken Raquelle head, too, I might as well make my own petite.

Melting Peace Clone

The Peace clone melted after it was stored along with a belly button body. The melted parts were in contact with the soft vinyl.

My First Petite

It's Susie. She has better articulation. She's able to fit in a lot of Barbie clothes and shoes. I've had her for years although I seldom play with her. She seemed out of place in Barbie's circle of friends.

I don't know if I'll be getting any of the new petite dolls. I have dolls that can stand in for petites like the teen Skipper size dolls.

Just another goddess

I made this gown a couple of years ago. I don't remember posting it here so here it is.

Because I cannot make the glitter to sparkle in a photo

Keeping Appearances

I saw a me-you meme circulating a few days ago. It got me thinking. A lot of people who are into fashion dolls know how to be judgemental based on looks. That includes me.

Lammily has a boring wardrobe compared to Barbie. Let's be honest. But so does Mark Zuckerberg.

Read this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-zuckerberg-paternity-leave-outfit_us_56a65980e4b076aadcc74d33

Maybe someone who has bigger things to do doesn't want to sweat the small stuff.

Why do we want to look a certain way? A lot of times, it is because we are manipulated to follow certain rules. We have a dress code at work. We have a dress code in life. If you fail to comply, you are punished or shamed. If you follow the rules, you are rewarded.

Mark Zuckerberg can get away with a boring wardrobe because he is more or less a powerful person. A lot of rules, like fashion rules, are really meant to control the plebeians, to keep the powerful in power. People who break the rules and not experience ill repercussions are the powerful ones. So if you want to know how powerful you are, go break a rule.

The next time you judge a person for breaking some fashion rule, ask yourself. Is that person exercising or testing his/her power? Or are you just being a fashionable commoner? Somebody has to worry about the petty things.

More good vibes in the article below:

10 Amazing Things That Start Happening When You Stop Giving A Sh*t About Being Weird

Sorry

She is not nominated for the best dressed award.

Average Shaming

1. I sometimes want to be average. Anyone who is not average knows that not being average involves more challenges. A lot of things, laws and belief systems have been designed with an average person in mind.
2. Mattel being not the original company to create curvy dolls only has to learn from the mistakes of the pioneers. Lammily was criticized partly for shaming the slim body type of Barbie. Mattel only has to learn the lesson and include more body types. Plus, smaller companies have less resources  to produce diversity in both dolls and fashion. 
3. The criticism on Barbie's body was already there long before the inception of Lammily. Mattel did not act on that so some other company had to. Should Mattel and the Barbie brand be disparaged? Definitely. They ignored the critics. They could have released the curvy Barbie long before but they just don't want to (for whatever reason) until they learned that it can be profitable. It's all about the money.
4. I just hope that the person who wrote the above entry didn't resort to average shaming. I didn't like that it implied being average is a bad thing that nobody wants. (I could have posted this entry as a comment to the original entry but I felt that would be shaming the person who wrote it. That is why the source was withheld.)

Unfair

If Mattel makes a doll using a small company's idea (even if Mattel's version has a lower quality, like less articulation), it is celebrated.

If a small company makes a doll like Mattel's (especially if it has lower quality), it's a knockoff.

Flake

As if my buyer's remorse on the Hervé Léger Barbie was not enough, one of the doll's bags is deteriorating. I just checked.

(Insert offensively creative rant against Mattel here.)

Yeah, haters gonna hate.

Topper Dolls

According to Who's That Doll?, these dolls are both Longlocks.

They have been in storage for a while now. They came nude and I wasn't in the mood to sew such small clothes. I got their fashion from another doll line. I forgot which one, They are wearing clone Barbie fairy shoes.

I got them from a swap with another collector from another country. I believe they were swapped for a Barbie size wig. I wish I can play with them more but I just have too many toys to play with. And to think I still plan to buy more toys.

I wonder if other people get that feeling that they have more than enough toys yet they want more.  I wonder if other people play with a toy while thinking of or wanting another toy to play with.

Friends

It should be apparent that I'm no millennial. I don't strive to get a number of likes or followers. It's easy to find people who has the same fashion sense or hobby as I do but I don't call them friends. Friends enrich each others lives by sharing their selves, their ideas and experiences. Who doesn't want that?  Who doesn't want meaningful relationships?

Negative

You may have noticed that sometimes, this blog leaves a negative aftertaste.  I can understand that for someone who has the same view as the posted commentary below, this blog can be unsavory. Not everyone is strong enough to handle a little unprettiness. It takes a lot to see the pretty in the "unpretty". We all have our weaknesses.

Maybe it's not about the ability to handle negativity but opting not to handle it. Real life has enough negativity that some people need respite. One word comes to mind: escapism. I have no inkling about the tragedies one underwent to resort to escapism so let's leave it at that.

I'm a self-confessed pessimist. If you give me a plan, I can usually come up with scenarios on how it will not work. The process of engaging the negative doesn't end there. The weak usually gets demotivated while the stronger ones come up with better plans. Be reminded that it was a pessimist who invented things like the parachute and the airbag.

Western culture values the positive over the negative. I prefer the the Eastern view of balancing both sides.

Do dolls really make you happy?

Let me rephrase the question. When the going gets tough, when you cannot sustain everything, which source of happiness will you let go first? Will your pet be the first to go? Will it be the family? Will it be your work? Will it be your jewelries? Will it be your car? Will it be your internet connection? Will it be your TV? Will it be your smart phone? Life has a strange way of asking the question. I have answered it a number of times. For me it's the dolls that I will let go first.

Messy fit

One of my fashion related pet peeves is ill-fitting clothes, especially those that could lead to a "wardrobe malfunction" (read:hello booobies). Sometimes, I'd like to tell others, "there is supposed to be a waist (for the sheath silhouette),"  or "I don't think there should be draping or ruching on the crotch (for pants)," or "her boobs are too small for that bodice, you can fit another set of boobs in there," but saying things like that can hurt feelings. So we participate in deluding one another by giving false praises. It's part of fitting in.

I like well-fitted clothes more than fitting in certain societies. I rarely leave praises so other people don't have to feel obliged to return the favor.

Sequinspamore

Happy is she who is wardrobe-malfunction-free.

Recreating Moments

Wait for It

There is no new toy release for the first two months of the year in our country, at least from the toy lines I'm interested in. It is a good time to rest from the mindless spending or one can use the time to look for older releases. Not being able to buy the desired toy right away is not the end of the world. Sometimes, it is just a test for the must needed ingredient for anyone's peace of mind, patience. 

The 4-inch Black Cat action doll was released locally last year. I held off buying then because of the price increase. She immediately vanished from the toy aisles and made her way to online sellers and toy conventions with a mark up. I didn't buy with the suggested retail price (SRP) and there is no way I'm buying with a higher price. I waited for the day some sensible seller got wise and realize that it's not going to sell at a higher price. I got it for for a price lower than SRP. 

Inspired by...

Sequinspamore

Find a reason to smile.

No.Fuzz.

Have. Enough.

Not yet enough...

Get. It?

You get the idea...

Stop. Hate.

More talk to follow.

Where. Here.

to be continued...