I like to give my dolls gifts, and what better time than Xmas and their birthdays. Xmas is one great big hit all at once, but birthdays (fortunately) are spread out over the year.
I was trying to give everyone something unique to their personality/hobby etc (some share the same hobby), for Xmas. I wasn't successful, and that is why quite a few girls got Cabbage Patch kids, when most of them are not doll people, or should I say were not doll people (Hayley and Zoe are the main doll lovers). For Birthdays I decided last year that everyone would get a laptop, and a bag to put it in. The bag would be the unique item.
The Laptop: a little compact mirror, with a fold down screen (the mirror side) and a keyboard. They were all either white or silver. The mirror I covered over with a screen shot printed off the computer.
Some of the covers I put stickers like the owners initials, or little pics of things they liked.
This is Ashleigh
This is the laptop up close (and a sneaky paw)
the box it came in "Mirrorbook Air"
The Bag: I bought mobile phone pouches/bags that I added ribbon for straps, so they could be a backpack for easy carrying from one class to the next, and I bought a charm and/or an iron on transfer/patch to help reflect the owner. The Laptops are just the right size to find inside.
Ashleigh is mostly confined to her wheelchair, so her laptop bag straps were made to fit over the handlebars of her wheelchair. You can just see the straps - they are rainbow, and the iron on patch is of a rainbow as well. Rainbows are one of Ash's favourte things, along with Smurfs, Care Bears, and photography.
So for 2014 I wondered what could be the birthday gift of the year?
I decided Shoes.
The BFC ink shoes, for most part, are plastic slip ons. Sneakers mostly, and I'm going to call them sandals, and loafers. There is a pair of gumboots in there too. Kaitlin was the exception. The Original Kaitlin and Kaitlin from the 100+ poses release, came with fabric boots, very nice They also made a release of doll clothes with the big + being fabric shoes. Theses included ballet Pointe, in pink (I love these, actually the whole ballet outfit ranked very high with me, "Ballet Beauty"), fluffy slippers (Pajama Pretty), I think they're called Mary Janes (loafers with an ankle strap) in purple (Fairy Princess), a pair of purple knitted boots (So Stylish), and a pair of red velvet shoes (Festive and Fashionable), and almost forgot, the furry white knee high boots (Icy Cute). I'm still to get the slippers and the red velvet shoes. The next fashions that were released were promo pictured on the back of the packs as having fabric shoes as well, but it was not to be.
Other brand shoes: I believe it was a pattern from Liberty Jane that first gave hope that there were shoes out there that BFC ink girls could wear. Yep, my comment is still also on the pattern site even
and my collection commenced...
sandals - I've also got a pair in blue . The realistic looking buckle is actually a hook and is elasticised for easy closure. Most of my collection are for "Ball Jointed Dolls" BJD. I find them on ebay, and as per Liberty Janes advice most of them do come from a seller called Release Rain and Mimiwoo
Boots, for stomping around in, or the picture here is of Chloe in her horse riding gear. Whilst they do lace up at the front, there is actually a zip in the back that is alot easier to put the shoe on through, and also means you dont have to muck around with the laces (but they are not a problem).
The in-line skates were bought under the advertisement on Ebay for Magic Attic, and there are 3 clasps that snap up and down to tighten or release.
Sneakers, colours galore to choose from, and not just plain ones either, tons of patterns. Some have coloured insides and are high enough so you can either lace them all the way up, or lace them far enough so you can fold the tops down,
blue with stars, yellow
black, and blue with yellow blue and white inside stripes.
Must need take more pictures.
Now these ones are really nice, this is a pair of boots with faux fur top, and pom poms. They are zip up the back as well. There's another pair of skates (they were so cool I bought two).
So plan is, birthdays 2014 will be shoes. Shoes that belong to the individual not just a pool (but they don't mind sharing).
Hint: when buying shoes off Ebay I make sure I read the sellers description so the size will actually fit the dolls feet, I try to get something as close too (within a milimetre or two if smaller) or not too much larger than that (unless they're going clown). The seller will usually list both the outside and inside dimmensions of the shoe, very helpful. The white boots just above have been the tightest fit so far, and required care when trying to get on and off - the heel had to be glued down again after first try. I now try to make sure I've pushed the toe and foot as far in as possible before rezipping. The sneakers are no problem, I just loosen the laces down a few holes.
With Xmas resulting in alot of Cabbage Patch Kids, the girls who don't need another pair of personal shoes - did I just say something wrong? may get a pair of shoes to fit their CPK's. (The load of CPK's I got was from a bulk listing on Ebay, I think all but 2 came without shoes). I haven't received them yet, but I have ordered a pair of BJD shoes for a doll style called Lati - here's hoping.
Birthdays so far for 2014:
January 8: Indigo - have ordered a pair of purple Lati shoes for her CPK. Indigo got a pair of purple sneakers for Xmas, so was willing to be the test case for CPK Lati
January 9: Charlie - her favourite Peanuts character is Charlie Brown (wonder why). I have ordered her a pair of brown boots (some pics of CB have him in brown)
February 7: Leisel - she is into sailing and pirates. I was bidding on a pair of sneakers that had the skull and cross bones stamped all over it, need to check that to see if I won or need to try again.
and
July 31: Jackson, yes I know there are more birthdays before his (quite a few actually) but I saw the perfect pair to match his boxing gloves - they are the yellow ones pictured above, and I got them already. (The boxing gloves were car deodorisers - that you hang from the rear vision mirror)
Talking of car deodorisers
Boots!!
I think the pink ones were strawberry, the beige ones
"new car smell" (?) and the black ones vanilla.
I have seen other shoes that would be perfect conversions from car smellerisers to BFC ink foot wear, unfortunately they are all only the left shoe! whats going on there? So until I get a doll with 2 left feet, Ebay it is for BJDs. The boots shown here were neither left nor right, they came individually - so I could get two for a pair.
In the background, is the purple knit boots from "So Stylish" (little bit hard to see) a pair of pink loafers - the toe is adorned with a knob flower I think, and a pair of purple loafers.
Hmmm, what to do today - shoe shopping!!
Shanan with pink plaid buttons
I think it was this one = Holly
It was boots not hat = Thrill in the Chill
From Hair to There Camrillo
