Schoenhut Series - Norma Jean

Hello Norma Jean, what are you doing?  Peggy Sue asks.

I don't know.  Replies Norma Jean.  It is so wet out today.  

I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Mum has even re-done my hair.

Perhaps I will do some reminiscing...

Norma Jean has been with me for a few years now and used to belong to a friend of mine.    She was originally called Gladys Jean.  I am not sure I ever did a 'proper' formal introduction to her, so will do a post now, and if I did it was on my 'How Many Dolls' blog.

She didn't come wearing a dress, so I had to make her one.   Oh to be able to just whip up a dress like I used to!  Where oh where is that MOJO gone?!  Her wig didn't quite fit so she borrowed another.

Peggy Sue welcomes her.  Before the dress above was made she was wearing the only other dress available that fitted at the time.

This style of dress just didn't really suit her and made her look so much 'older'.  

The short wig didn't really suit her, but she put on her smiling face and with a flower in her hair she was quite happy.

Back in 2015 I decided to give her a bit of a makeover and managed to find another wig that fitted her quite well and I made her a new dress.

I forgot that I made a detachable lace collar for this dress....I wonder where it has gone?!

Tying her hair back she looks really sweet and is quite the nature lover.

She remembers she wanted to know if she could keep the little red squirrel...

The photos above were taken in Autumn 2015 and yes she is still wearing that same dress - she says she likes it so why not?!

May 2016 - Norma Jean admires the pretty flowers.

Schoenhut Series - The Clowns

The clowns fall very much into the  'love them, or hate them' category for people.  I happen to love them, I think they are right characters, even if perhaps a little fierce looking at times.  I have had fun photographing them this last week and did a black and white series, which probably didn't help promote their personas!  But I like them and that is all that matters.  These clowns come in two sizes, 6 inches and 8 inches and are found wearing a variety of costumes of similar style, but different fabrics and colours.

Colin, Otto and Clyde

Close up of Otto's face - with his angled eyebrows, staring eyes and toothy grin I guess some would see him as a little scary, I just see a fun face.  His ears are made separate and attached, although he has lost one along the way - these toys are over 100 years old so I guess it isn't surprising!

Colin and Clyde - simpler faces, and perhaps more friendly as no teeth showing

Otto enjoyed exploring the garden

Surprise!

Large fungi growing in the garden.

Lastly for a video of these wonderful toys

A girl dreams of her Schoenhut Toys

Schoenhut Series - Edith

Last year I was going to start a series of posts on my Schoenhut family...it seems I only ever did one!  The first of the 'Schoenhut Series' posts can be found here:  Schoenhut Series - Astrid  I thought it was about time I continued it.  So continuing on from the first.

Edith was one of the first dolls to arrive here after Anne-Marie and Peggy Sue.  She is a Miss Dolly Face Model 16/316  She is probably one of my most 'minty' dolls, although her human hair wig is probably not her original.

One of my favourite photos of her, and also one that actually made Flickr's 'Explore' page much to my delight is this one (shown above) taken in February 2013 when she was out walking her 'baby' with Peggy Sue in the garden.

This photo above, shows the dress and apron she arrived wearing.

Sadly she isn't quite as 'mint' as she was when she arrived as she had a bit of a 'head butt' incident with one of the other members of the Schoenhut family when they were having a group photo taken! 

That is one of the dilemmas with vintage and antique dolls...do you 'play' with them, or do you keep them locked up and simply admired. I do like to 'play' with mine especially as that was their original purpose, but one of the problems with this is you have to be prepared for them to receive a few 'bumps and bruises'.  Now Edith doesn't get played with as much as say Peggy Sue or Lewis, so has less chance of receiving knocks, but it can so easily happen as evidence shows - a simple photo shoot and taking a topple (even though it was on grass), and suddenly she has a bit of a 'boo boo'.  It doesn't seem to have fazed her much, so I guess I shouldn't let it worry me too much either.