I wonder how many of you played with Paper Dolls as a little girl. I'm a mid century kid – a baby boomer and if we weren't outside or playing jacks…we played paper dolls.
Brides
and movie stars
and cowgirls 
were my favs and they could get married over and over star in movies and live in the mansions we'd make out of paper boxes. They also had a fabulous wardrobe designed by yours truly. With Paper Cowgirl art retreat coming up I figured what a perfect opportunity to play paper dolls again so I'm hosting a Paper Doll Swap.
10 people…10 paper dolls….10 books (sounds like a Bravo TV show – Project Paper Doll except no one gets eliminated – No Heidi Klum saying "one of you will be in…the other…take your paper dolls and go home") Everyone leaves a winner with 10 different paper dolls.
Of course that seemed too simple so I decided to make a "home" for each persons little paper family. My co host LaVerne found these books for a dime each at the library. (LaVerne is in charge of the Mojito part of this swap – lol) Talk about time consuming…each book took about two hours to complete – each page is covered with vintage dictionary pages and takes a large glue stick per book. If you're making more than one of these I'd definitely use a book with printed pages which would eliminate covering each page.
Anyway…two days later and they are all done and I hope all the gals in the swap like them….and thank you Jeff for helping me make these books!
Being a paper doll clothes designer aficionado and unable to make anything twice much less 10 times – each one of my paper dolls is different.
My friend Mendy is in the swap and here's a picture I stole off of her blog of hers which are absolutely the cutest ones ever!!! Their pipe cleaner hair is beyond adorable! Oh my…I would love to have played paper dolls with her when I was little but since she's about 20 years my junior it wasn't to be. (oh my gosh…I just saw their glitzy fingernails! tooo cute!!!)
I'll have pics of all of mine tomorrow for Pink Saturday. In the meantime I'll be joining Cindy and Claudia for
Friday Finding Beauty and Show and Tell Friday. There's so much to look at on all these blogs and plenty of inspiring ideas. Going to finish dressing the paper girls now! xoxo Nancy
Mojitos??? you wonder? Another post!!!
Holy Cow, girlie! I love the darling "houses"...and those dolls inside, WOWSERS!! I am really getting excited about this fun swap. Thanks for putting my little "mendys" on there...hehe! Can't wait to see ya! Mendy
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that if any of those Paper Cowgirls turn their dainty noses up at those amazing paper dolls of yours....well, you just let me know I will GLADLY take them off your hands! Of course I recall spending HOURS playing with paper dolls....I loved the Betsy McCall ones that came in the McCalls Mag! Sure wish I had some of them now! LOVE the book idea, too! You are so creative....and I love the new look on your blog! I need to spiff mine up, but I can't figure out how to do it! I'm slow, you know, and old. Very old. Oh, you are, too!!! Maybe you could teach me some day! :)
ReplyDeleteLet me know what LaVerne's Mojito choice was. . . I know she has LOTS of experience with liquor, so I'm certain her drink will be fabulous! :)
Enjoyed this post so much!! Happy Thursday! L, dana
Goodness me, but your Paper Dolls, the book and the Mendys are absolutely adorable!!! Love it all! LindaSonia
ReplyDeleteYour post and pictures brought back SO many memories...OMG!! I played paper dolls more than I played anything, even jacks and that was a lot!!
ReplyDeleteThe swap sounds like so much fun. What a neat idea!!
xoxo
Jane
I love the paper dolls, yours and Mendy's both, and the books for them. Wish I could have done the swap, but I'm going to be doing good to get the ones I did sign up for finished in time.
ReplyDeleteYou asked about the Blossom Swap - I'm in the other one, not the 16-flower one.
Can't wait to see all these fun things in person!
I adore the little doll's houses...They just have the best patina too them! I love the song you have playing...
ReplyDeleteLezlee
Dear Nancy, What a wonderful paper artist you are! I would love to try this style one day. It is just so beautiful. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I was so excited to know that you have heard of Lazurus. Sadly this institution closed as I moved to Ohio, but there is the most wonderful video called "Many Happy Returns to Lazrus" and shows all of the restaurants you mentioned. It seems it was THE place to go in Columbus! Again, it is lovely to meet you! Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteHi, Nancy! Just found you through Elizabeth (Creative Breathing)...love your beautiful paper dolls and their "home"!
ReplyDeleteI'm a vintage-loving girl, too, and will be back often to see what you're working on...
Hope you have a most wonderful weekend!
Julie
I enjoyed this post very much! How super cute are those paper dolls? What a great idea to make the books for them! I'm sure the girls in your swap will love them!
ReplyDeleteWow!!!the Book Houses are perfect for our dolls...Love, Love, Love them...what an effort on our behalf and Barbara was so wonderful to have helped with the folding...made my part much more fun...but your and sweet hubby's final touches are the show stealers...really add the WOW-factor...and Mendy's doll is so dang cute...this is going to be one double-dang cute swap...
ReplyDelete