2006-September 21 The Barbie convention visit

The name was "Glamorous", and it was the new Barbie convention held in Calgary. As some of my friends were going, I accompanied them, but I did not registered and was just visiting.
le nom  "Glamorous", c etait le nom de  la  nouvelle Barbie Convention présentée à Calgary. Comme certains de mes amis allaient, je les ai accompagnés, mais je n'étais pas enregistrée c estait une simple visite.

As I didn't look at the program /schedule before,I was a stunned, and wonderfully surprised to discover that my idol (since I was browsing the web for dolls) was present at this convention.
Bruce Nygren was here,  bones, flesh and smile in front of me! I just couldn't believe my own eyes!! Since quite a long time I discovered and loved his work, the intricate beads and sequins,  trade mark of his dolls, always inspired me. I am not too much on being a crazy groupie around celebrities, but this day I could not resist to ask this charming, gentle man to pose with me.

Comme je n'avais pas regardé le programme avant, j'étais un  merveilleusement surprise de découvrir que mon idole (depuis que je navigue le web pour les poupées) était présent à cette convention.

Bruce Nygren était ici, en chair et en os  et en sourire,  en face de moi! Je ne pouvais pas en croire mes yeux! Depuis assez longtemps j avais découvert et aimé son travail.  Les broderies complexes de perles et paillettes , sont sa marque de fabrique . il m a toujours inspiré. Je ne suis pas trop d'être une folle groupie autour de célébrités, mais ce jour je n'ai pas pu résister à demander ce charmant monsieur de poser avec moi

And...here we are Bruce Nygren and I behind the most beautiful dolls you can imagine
Et nous voici.. Bruce Nygren et moi posant deriere les plus jolies poupees que vous puissiez immaginer.

I could not find any website  but I found a link from a very interesting article in the "view Neighborhood newspaper"
http://www.viewnews.com/2005/VIEW-Mar-16-Wed-2005/SEast/766848.html
and you can still find Bruce Nygren and Peter Nickel 's dolls on e-Bay, and dolls site like Stella's treasures ( www.stellastreasures.com )

Je ne peux pas trouver son site WEB mais j'ai trouvé un lien d'article très intéressant dans le journal "view Neighborhood newspaper"

http://www.viewnews.com/2005/VIEW-Mar-16-Wed-2005/SEast/766848.html

et vous pouvez toujours trouver les poupée de Bruce Nygren et Peter Nickel 's sur e-Bay, et les sites de poupées  comme Stella's treasures (www.stellastreasures.com)

we had of course opportunities to buy Barbies ,Genes and other dolls 

a la convention nous avions bien sur l opportunité d acheter des Barbies, Genes  et autres

collection were numerous and gave us the up close look, that we all love 

Les collections etaient nombreuses, et nous on donner l occasion de voir de tres pres toutes celle dont nous rêvions.

Of course we could, as visitor, have a look of the contests results of the convention
Evidement comme visiteurs , nous avions aussi l occasion d'approcher le resultat des concours de la convention

I was very pleased with this beautiful visit
ce fut une tres agreable visite

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007.

2006-April 29 the Vinyl goddess

 On April  2006 my friend Anne and I went to check on what was new in town.we received a nice invitation to attend the Vinyl Goddess. the poster was draw by our friend Glenn Mielke and indeed we went.

 and we discovered the we were "famous"!!

Glenn, built a big poster composed of pictures Anne & I took during our play days.
During those fun days we created all kind of stories with our gang,  I will tell you about them, very soon, in another blog. I was very surprise to see this. It was very well done and give our friends a good ideas of the fun we had with Anne during those days.
The show and sale room displayed plenty for all taste, and we all had a very good time. If I remember correctly this is were I discovered the Re-Ment miniatures, I was fascinated.
  Lilly (Tyler, R.Tonner) already became my favorite doll and my muse. she was very happy to be present at this event and  was accompanied by her friend Mei-li (Tonner).

Tonner and Effenbee dolls accompagned Lilly and Mei-Li in their tour.

 

Lilly surrounded by super heroes from divers famous covers

Bratz, Barbie and Pocahontas were presented as well with other dolls of all sizes

We had the opportunity to see very nice dioramas as well

We all had a very good time.

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007.

2000-2004 - the commissions - Wedding dresses

Through my shows some customers or friends asked me to reproduce wedding dresses. This was a challenge I could not refuse.
The dresses were from various periods,  from 1945 till today. Sometimes I had to choose the fabric myself to be close to the scale. But in other circumstances some customers would give me the actual wedding dress for me to re-use the fabric. This way they would have the reproduction as well as the memorabilia.
I was working with pictures or explanations and memories. Sometimes I worked with Barbie as model or with one of a kind dolls specially designed for the wedding reproduction, and I had to create the pattern from scratch.
here are some of them, I hid the faces to keep the privacy of my customers.

 The wedding took place in 1946. 

The lady gave me this picture and the doll, (maybe Mattel? size 11.5")  It is always difficult to take the scissor to a vintage wedding dress, but I used the original fabric to reproduce its mini-copy.

This wedding took place in 1960. I work with several pictures.

Dolls were sculpted by an artist to  look like  the bride and groom.

I uses a a whit organza embellished with lace medallion applique

This young lady got married in 1997 and I did the dress a couple of years later.
She gave me the doll (maybe Mattel? size 11.5")
the picture I received didn't show very well but the dress was made in raw satin and I used the same king I hand saw the beads and created the see through "Richelieu" type embroidery using fabric paint to circle the motif before cutting through.

For this outfit , it was a bit different. the lady still had her wedding dress, but for personal reasons she didn't want a reproduction of it. she bought recently an 18" Pocahontas doll and wanted to dress her.
I draw a rough sketch  of the outfit she wanted me to do, using her wedding dress fabric.
I used this white satin coverts with small flowers (white /white) to do a kind of  tuxedo with a tiny top embroidered with pearls.

This wedding happened in 2003. the Bride 's Sister asked me to reproduce the dress from pictures.
I use a Mattel 11.5 "doll.
To make the dress, I embroidered with lightly colored treads a silk veil over a white satin. I used a colored parm silk veil for the stole.

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007.

2001, Julia Roberts award

In 2001, Julia Roberts  was chosen as best actress at the 73rd Academy Awards. For this event she chose a 1982 Valentino frock. I was absolutely seduced by the dress and the elegance this outfit brought to Julia Roberts. Of course a couple of day later I had reproduced it.

I still have this doll in my personal collection and I still love it, Valentino being one of my favorite designer.

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007.

1999, Oct 09, back in Red Deer

Back to Red Deer, for another doll show. Its still fun and I am always pleased to meet with new friends and dolls collectors, but at home I am more and more playing with my "big Girl"

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007

1999 Sept.10-12 . 1st Canadian convention "Pretty in Pink"

Of course today the conventions are numerous and very well attended and documented, thanks to the digital cameras. In 1999 the WEB was still at its infancy about those very collector's  oriented events. This Barbie Convention was the first ever organized  in Canada, it was as well the fisrt (and today the only yet)I have attended. it was not the best time of the year for me, as hubby got a job in Calgary and we were just moving in the city.
I unfortunately have no pictures of Gene who was indeed present at this convention,  I just hope I will find some one day that I could ad to this page.(if you have any pictures of this event please contact me, thanks)

 I still have the 1999 1st Canadian  convention doll. she has been created by Paul Knibbs,  and the design  of the box was from Glenn Mielke. and even after all those years I  find this doll beautiful.

My very talented friend, Glenn Mielke as well design the nature size Barbies to welcome the conventioneers.

the tables were full of surprises

Expositions and contests were numerous and very exiting, 

swimsuit, evening gown, native country costume etc..

 Joe Blitman came as special guest

 I attended Andy Bremer beading seminar. I learn a lot of new trick that I soon applied to my new models

The sale room was busier like ever. Here I am near my good friend Glenn

 

Here are some of the models I offered

 It was a magnificent time, I just so regret not having any Gene pictures.

This year I registered to the Barbie club of Alberta.

 Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007