Some People Want it to Happen, Some People Wish it Would Happen...

 ..."Others make it happen." ~ by Michael Jordan

     This week was a full week of classes for Sara. It is her Senior Year! I am both excited and anxious for her. Mostly, because she will have completed a milestone in life... Graduation. But it is bittersweet to know that my last child will go out into the world and hopefully make it a better place. 

Speaking of children...  

I was able to find another vintage Puppet Alice loose on the Bay! She sadly, took a month to get to me. Gotta love Ground Advantage, ugh! My plan was to get her a body and than clean her up and make her into a hybrid doll just like my other Alice...

Alice Puppet Before.

 

I have been asked by several doll collectors if they could buy my Alice. But of course at the moment she is not for sale. I love my Alice. So I decided to make another hybrid and I will offer her up for sale soon. This will be my 3rd Alice hybrid to date. The 2nd Alice was done for another fellow collector in New York and I believe she still has her. So, I ordered a body and cleaned up Alice3 to have her ready. When the body came, I transferred her and dressed her up. But when I put both Alices together, I noticed something wrong immediately?!!

Alice3 and Alice1 side by side after Alice3 cleanup.

 

The body was the smaller version, ugh!! I forgot that the bodies of this vintage doll I use comes in twenty or twenty-four inches tall. Shoot!! So back to the drawing board. I found and ordered a taller bod. It took another month. So yup, two months in, this venture would take me a bit longer to do. Darn! Notice above side by side, Alice3 is more tan than my Alice1. That's okay, she is still in lovely condition and she reminds me of "Momo" from "Peach Girl" manga series, and she has a lot more fuller hair than Alice1. Also, her eyelashes don't have holes in them! Alice1 does and I just repainted them. I may touch up Alice3's eyelashes.

By early August I got the 2nd body in. So off to work I began on my free days from babysitting. I dressed Alice3 up in a pink adorable lace and stripe number and added socks and gave her Chatty Cathy blue saddle shoes. She is just as lovely as Alice1 and Alice2!! 

Alice3 on the left and Alice1 on the right.

Sweet gals for sure! She will come with her original puppet dress washed, a pair of pajamas from the original doll body I used, the pink dress, socks and shoes she is currently wearing. I am definitely pleased with the way she turned out! I hope she will go to a good home and be loved by her new Mommy!!

I am so tempted to keep her!!

Next, this adorable 3D lenticular coin purse wallet of a Liddle Kiddle sleeping beauty and on the other side two plush bears posing with a ball. I found this in a lot overseas and of all places in South Africa!! I thought it was cool to mention, but it also took some time to get to me. Haha! 

My favorite side with the bears!

Than, while doing my usual searches, I found this book!! Just look closely... Do you see anyone familiar?! This book version of Alice in Wonderland has an Alice on the cover that resembles, the Eegee Alice!!! You can see why I chose to buy it. This book I got in from a seller in Canada! I will keep for now, especially since I can't find another so easily.

Alice w the book.

Below, I found this adorable Stuffed animal sleeping kitty in pink. She is in great condition and is already listed in my shop. Her bow is original to her. Sadly, no tag, but she is similar to Rushton kitties with out the rubber face. She's so sweet for sure!

Next, two lots of vintage goodies from Japan! Many of the items you see in the lot below are already listed in my shop. There's even a CD of Pink Lady's single, some Snoopy tin plates, and Halloween ornaments!! Most ready for adoption in my Etsy shop! Even the Sanrio Glico toy lot in the next photo! Some I kept, but most have been listed even a cool cube with Hello Kitty Christmas scenery that doubles as a marble game!!

Lastly, this adorable Pink and Black striped Peggy-ann dolly dress mip!! It says it can fit a 20 to 22 inch doll! Sadly, it does not, instead maybe an 18 inch doll. I was hoping it would fit Alice3. Ugh! Oh well, I have other dolls that may fit it. So far, it has been a good start to August, whew!

May you have good thrift finds as well my fellow collectors! Until next post! 

Thank you for stopping by! ~ ggsdolls

Restorations and More!

 Here are my recent finds and restorations...

I found some replacement ballerina dolls for music boxes. I made sure to get at least 2 and the seller was so kind enough to give me a gift! One with a pink polka dot skirt. Just awesome and will be great for any jewelry box that may be missing a ballerina. I finally found myself a 3 headed rattle in white and blue. I sold my red and white one last month. So this cutie will stay with me for now.

I also made this adorable bonnet for a Rushton Ballerina Pink Toes that I sold last month and made one for my own Bunny as well. It was fun to try to figure out how to create it too. Now, the bunny has a new home with a sweet birthday girl.

Next, I found this adorable Fluffy by Rushton. The seller said she was owned by her grandma, how sweet! She needed a bit of help and was missing her hat. I was able to wash and restore her and source a place to find a replacement hat too! I was very happy with the end result. Here she is with her book. Now, she just needs her twin brother.

I was able to acquire these adorable craft blocks with lettering and made myself some shop logo blocks. I love the way they turned out too. Definitely an easier way to include your watermark in pics too! Haha! This adorable Krueger head rattle doll on a plush clown body. I also made this one myself repurposing a vintage rattle head. Happy with the way she turned out too!

I'm not sure if I told you guys, but I found this adorable Giggles by Ideal in Japan. She still works and has her original Ideal tag in English and Japanese. I've always wanted one, but just never really got around to locating one until now. This adorable huge Easter Rushton plush bunny. He needed a lot of washing and I just returned his stuffing inside him. Then replaced the ribbons and added a hat to him.

Now, he is ready for Easter. I will list him in my shop soon! I also found this adorable Hallmark Birthday invitation cards and envelopes set, mint in package too. I am trying to convince myself to open them. Haha!

This awesome book of vintage Japan kitsch toys. It's a newly released book of Retro Toy collections. Thank you to Tomoko for letting me know the title! Definitely a good source for vintage Japan kitsch. Below, an adorable Chick Rooster vinyl plush. He needed a bit of paint and also some sewing. Just too cute!

My latest rattle doll find. I love the pastel colors. He will live with me for a bit. Look at this adorable Teach a Tot clock below. There is just something about anthropomorphic toys. Their faces are just the sweetest not to want them! Great additions to my kitsch nursery collection too!

Lastly, for today... This amazing vintage Yukiko Tani Sunstar compact with memo and coin holder. When you open it, there's a mirror and the memo booklet inside. 

On the back is where you can put your coins inside the slot and turn it to add more coins into it. This was great for school kids that needed to ride the train or subway to get back home. Just amazing to me and to find it in such lovely condition. 

Well that's all for today. Happy Thrifting!

Thank you for reading! ~ ggsdolls

Keep Creating and Recent Finds...

 Oh my goodness, it is already November!! The past month leading up to now has been busy, and the good kind too!

I finally finished a commission project for a customer! Whew! She is a Rushton Daisy Belle cow that used to be white with brown spots, but her owner wanted her to be a white and strawberry pink spotted cow. So, back in mid October I began, working on her yarn hair, felt parts and the lovely strawberry spotted fur!! She turned out so lovely, that even Sara told me she wanted one! Haha! Aww, thank you my girl, that means a lot to me!

Above, just the last few touches of sewing her back up after restuffing her with her original cotton batting. They were perfectly good quality and I wanted to put something original to her besides her udders and face. I also remove the straw that was in her hooves and replaced it will cotton wool that will hold up better. I added a vintage cow bell and yellow satin bow along with a pink daisy with blue leaves. TaDa! She was done! No sounder inside her as per owner's request. I am very pleased with the way she turned out. Now, to work on 2 other bambies for her! Ha!

While waiting to begin on the next project, I received these cuties in the mail as well...

This wild red and black striped tiger made in Japan arrived. I have seen him in an Ayumi Uyama book! I didn't think I would want to get one, but in the end did! He's just adorable and mid century modern to me! I also found this lovely Whitman 1947 Baby's Own Story book with box unused and is fabulous condition. I love the graphics inside too! There's even a Family tree page! The box is just too cute and adorable. Mostly the reason I bought it!

From Japan auctions, I got this lovely anime girl make up case. In amazing condition too! Has a mirror and lock closure. I also found this lot of 2 vintage Iron on Bear and Elephant. They will be added to my collection of iron ons.

Next, these vintage Ribon Japan books and mangas above and below rattles. I already have a few of the books listed in my shop and the rattles as well. My fave is the yellow in the middle, and I kept her! She actually quite large too and just the cutest thing!!

I also received this lot of Gimmick miniature pencil cases. There are 5 sets. I love the girlie ones best! Each even comes with tiny pencils and erasers or even protractors! Too cool! A commissioned Gund Bee I found for a friend, and is already on it's way to her too! He arrived in amazing condition as well. No need to do any major cleaning to him either!

Than, this adorable large posedoll with box arrived too. Lovely red dress and boots, she is already listed in my Etsy shop. This huge version of the Ado Mizumori's mermaid figurines is actually a coin bank! I found her with her original box! So cool. I've only seen the smaller ones that are just figurines, so to find this one was dreamy. I listed her in my shop and she sold very quickly!

I don't often find a patchwork Elephant plushies, but this one was hard to resist. Just adorable and probably made closer to the 90s than 80s. Still had its store tag on it too! LOL The happy mail that arrived from Japan below, showcasing a few more of the items I found.

The bento tin with Miyako Maki art work I will keep. I did list the white ceramic poodles and they sold really fast as well! I'm glad to see these items go to good loving homes too! The brown fawn plush, was a surprise to find! In lovely condition as well and I just added the yellow satin bow. She is already on her way to her forever home in Japan!

Next, I found this adorable rag doll bear or is it a puppy? Not sure. He is already listed in my shop. The ceramic blue kitty, I will probably list as well. Still deciding... Haha!

I was truly blessed to find this adorable Princess doll by Rushton, with just some minor flaws. She has been washed and slightly restored, with just a touch up of her face and added a bow. She is a pajama bag. I have only seen her in pink so far, so to find her in blue, was a lovely surprise!!

Next, I also found this adorable Play Girl Bunny by Rushton, in practically perfect condition!! She just needed some blush and a bow! She is exactly as the catalog photo! I was surprised that no one adopted her. And she is huge! I mean as large as my Granny bunny also by Rushton. I will need to do a side by side comparison. Definitely 29" tall. Perhaps a store display? Love her to bits! She will be awesome come Easter!

Last for this post, adorable reproduced decals by Merrybee in Japan. I bought a few to use. They are just as awesome as the Meyercord versions, but a bit trickier to use. If you do not cut them as close as possible to the edge of the decal, than the edges can show on the item you place them on. Also, you have to work quickly and swiftly to get the decal on while trying to make sure it is not folding up on the sides. So definitely takes a quick hand to use them. Haha!

I tried them on some adorable buckets I found and painted from my local Daiso. Not too bad. They are cute! What do you think? More projects using these decals to come!

I hope you all have a pleasant November! Happy vintage treasure hunting!

Thank you for reading! ~ ggsdolls