HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

From the Rainy Day Fun Activity Book

From the Fun on a Rainy Day activity book

Both of these books were published in the 1950's by Merrill Publishing.

And a paper doll by Lucy Eleanor Leary from a CD I bought on Ebay. Quality isn't the best but until I own this particular paper doll myself and can scan it at a higher dpi that the original is, it will have to do. 

I hope you had a frighteningly fun Halloween!

Til next time

                                                  ALOHA!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

                HAPPY EASTER!!!

Lucy Eleanor Leary paper doll enlarged to 8 x 11.  Does anyone still dress up for Easter?  I remember doing so as a child and teenager. I don't so much now though. I suppose, however, if I went to church I would probably do so. Hope everyone is having a blessed day. 

Original size. 

Patricia an Easter paper doll by Lucy E. Leary

Til' next time...

                                                                  ALOHA!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

1983 Katy Keene Coloring Calendar

                    HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 

Hope you keep to your resolutions this year.  I wanted to mention some alterations to the page above. I took out the 83 that was on this page and altered his nose a little by bringing it down a smidge. K.O. looks very suave in his suit. I was also going to insert an updated version of the date portion of the calendar but, much to my dismay, I never scanned it and I've since sold the calendar on Ebay. 

Excuse the quality on the above paper doll. It came from a disc I bought on Ebay from a seller who thought to take photos of the paper dolls she was selling. If nothing else it can be used as reference for 1950's fashions. Date is unknown. The seller didn't think to add the date on these. 

I believe the artist is Enoch Bolles

                                                        ALOHA!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

One more paper doll to end off the month. This one by Lucy Eleanor Leary.  I will try to post more often, if not a long dissertation on what is happening in my life, then at least photos of my art work, the cats as well as paper dolls in my collection. Emphasis on the word TRY. 

Belinda 10 29 1950

Have a SPOOKACULAR evening!

'Til next time.....                                   ALOHA!!

WHITTLING DOWN

Coloring calendar 1983

I am longer than I'd intended to be in posting. No excuse really. Just didn't have much to say. We're still in the house, thank goodness, but at any time I expect GDM Group Corp to call and say they have a buyer interested in the house and then ask us to move out. Really wish they'd let us sign a years lease. It sure would ease my mind

My Star Wars collection is whittling down. I think I've run out of vintage items to sell when I run across more that I'd forgotten I even had. I've put them all in one box now so as I sell them I take them out and the box is getting lighter and lighter. I'm sad to see the collection go but on the same token I really can't take it with me and most of it I haven't seen in years. It's better to pass it on to another collector who will display the pieces rather than store them in a box which I've done since 1983. There simply wasn't enough room to display the collection in the apartments we lived in and then when we moved to the house, although it was my intention to display my collection, I simply never got around to it.

Fashion Book No 2 1956

This months coloring page is Katy dancing an Irish jig. Surprisingly there isn't any paper dolls of her with St Patrick's Day costumes per se but I did find one of her from Fashion Book Number 2 with Luck O' the Irish costumes. Love the hat and boots.

Read a really good book entitled NO CHOICE BUT SEDUCTION by Johanna Lindsey. It was about Boyd Anderson and Katie Tyler. The novel grabbed me from the first page and for those who like James and Anthony Malory, they are predominate in this book as well. I'm finally at the last Malory novel: THAT PERFECT SOMEONE. I just started it so not much has happened thus far. It's about one of the other characters in the novels; Jean Paul, who fell for Georgina, who of course was already married to James and who, I might add, didn't take kindly to Jean Paul sniffing around his wife. Once the final novel of the Malory saga is finished that will be it for awhile, unless she comes out with another book featuring this delightful family. I can't seem to get enough of them.

George Petty

The year 1946 matches 2013. Love the little dress.

Lucy Eleanor Leary March 15, 1953

Til next time....                                       

                                                             ALOHA

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR
N. Dennis 2001 for the year 2002

Well, here it is 2013 already! How time has flown!  Had a bit of good news. I found out that I can get my insulin, should I need it, from my doctor if I can't afford to pay for it. That is a welcome relief since lately I haven't been able to pay for it. I do try to save up for it but something always comes up and I have to use what little money I make on Ebay  for food. The doctor gave me his two vials of insulin which should last me a little while. It will at least give me time to save up for my next one.

NJD 2007/12

I've been kicking around some ideas for my greeting card line. I finally put one together featuring my sunflower design. I figure it could be used for a get well card, birthday card, thank you card or left blank for a personal message. I've used it with various colors for a background. Give people a variety. Not everyone wants a card with just one color. Perhaps offer it also in a pack of 6 with each card a different color. At least the cards that are blank inside. What is unique about MY line of cards is that they'll come with matching magnet. That way if one loses the card they always have the magnet to (hopefully) remind them of the person who sent them the card. The nice thing is I can alter the cards both exterior and interior to suit an individual. I just need a venue in order to sell them. I'm not sure if I want to go with Ebay as it is really difficult to sell any of my art work on the auction site. Having stated that, however, recently my paper doll sets have been selling, which I'm thrilled about.

The novel I'm reading at the moment is entitled THE PRESENT by Johanna Lindsey. Another one of the books in her Malory saga. I absolutely adore the Malory family and you might call this a prequel as it deals with the Grandparents of the four Malory brothers. These being, from oldest to youngest; Jason, Edward, James and Anthony. They did have a sister but she died. Lindsey really brings this family to life. You can't help but love the two youngest brothers and their constant bickering and sometimes it gets so heated that they end up fighting each other. Though you'd think Anthony would want to avoid coming up against James' fists since he's the bigger and more powerful of the two. Lindsey is one of my favorite authors who I've been reading since the mid 70's. I have all of her earlier novels and it's now just a matter of waiting until she comes out with another one. I've never read The Present so it is totally new to me. I only recently was able to obtain ever single one of her books to date.

Katy Keene No. 21

I've been doing more scanning of my Katy Keene comics. My collection is quite extensive, although I am missing several issues of not only the other Archie comics she appeared in but some of her own as well.. Coming by them is extremely hard, and at a reasonable price is rare. The most I've ever paid for a Katy Keene was $125.00 and that was a number one Pinup-up Parade which was, thankfully, in really nice condition and complete. Often they are missing pin-ups and the paper doll pages. I have a few of the comics I need to replace do to the fact they aren't complete. They are missing the paper dolls. My ultimate goal is to scan the entire comic from cover to cover. While it isn't to big of a task with the smaller issues, when it comes to the Annuals and the Parades we're talking at least 80 pages or so. I actually have a few of the smaller issues scanned from cover to cover minus the advertisements within the issues. I intend to share those issues from front to back here on my blog.

Katy Keene No 2 1951

I rather enjoy going through my collection. Half the time I forget what I have and what paper dolls are in them. I've seen some of the very paper dolls I have interspersed over the web but no information on which comic they came out of. It helps to know which comic so that those who do have the issues will know whether or not their issue is complete. I know a lot of paper doll collectors prefer just to have the paper doll sheet, while I, on the other hand, like to have the complete comic it came from. Example: The paper doll on the right came from Katy Keene No 2, 1951. No month was written in this issue, just the year. My ultimate goal with these books is to gather all the paper dolls together and combine their clothes with matching dolls. I just think it would be fun and as I don't have a job at the present time and not likely to get one any time soon (not for want of looking and applying believe me), why not.

I couldn't find a newspaper paper doll for a specific date so I'm sharing one from my Lucy Eleanor Leary collection. I don't have as many of hers as I would like to have. I'm always on the lookout for one of her paper dolls. Her and Charlotte Ware. Another artist that is hard, and often, expensive to come by. I did, however, have one for the "New Year" so decided to share that one. I had to can it in two sections then piece it together. So it is actually quite a good size. You may want to reduce it somewhat so you can fit it on a regular size piece of paper.  In the future, I may break it up so that each outfit is on a regular size piece of paper and easier to print out.

Well, that will be it for now. I know the month if half over but as the saying goes: Better late than never. Hope whoever is reading this had a wonderful holiday. My hope is that 2013 will be better for my husband and myself. I would state that it couldn't get any worse, but I've been proved wrong on that account time and again.

Katy Keene Holiday Fun No 7

Til next time.....

                                                            ALOHA

A REPRIEVE

Well, we have a reprieve until the end of January. While that is good we still don't have the money to move, no matter which way we budget it. It's frustrating since we can't understand why the homeowner (GDM Group Corp) won't let us rent to own the house. They've already gotten some of their investment back. They bought the house for around $78,000 and have made $14,000 of it back in rent without having to do to much to the house. If we'd planned on moving that would be different but there was no plan to move. At all..ever  Well...me yes, but not my husband. Moving one person is different and my plans to go to Hawaii have definitely gone awry...for the time being anyway. Perhaps it might sound odd but I can handle stress much better there...why not with the ocean and the mountains being so close together I would have two places to go and chill out at. I can actually see myself getting off work (providing I EVER get a job again) and going to the beach or up to the Ko'olau Mountains and just taking in the ambiance of the place. It's a dream I intend to hold on to no matter how far away it is at the moment.

Katy Keene No 57

I can hardly believe that Christmas is nearly here. Only a few days away. Where has the year gone? As bloggers go, I'm horrible at it. I really never have much to say, especially if things are going down the tube. I don't really like to write about negative things, and truly want to be positive. Sometimes that's difficult when things are going so drastically wrong and there just doesn't seem to be any hope.

I've been having fun lately. I've been taking photos of my Barbie's. I always wanted to do it but felt being my great age it would seem rather silly to do so. However, I do enjoy my collection and enjoy changing their clothes. I hate for them to be in the same outfit day in and day out. I like to switch them up and give them a new look. I've been seeing dolls from other collectors on the Internet and they've set up little dioramas with their dolls and took photos of the scenes. So I couldn't help thinking: "Why can't I?" Soooo...I did. LOL I took my Bettie Page doll outside on a nice cloudy day, a few days back, and started taking photos of her. And they came out fairly good. I've dressed her in a Barbie Fashion Avenue gown and call the photo Pretty in Purple. I don't think I'll ever grow out of the joy I feel when I "play" with my dolls. I have containers upon containers of Barbie clothes, both vintage and current that I'll never really run out of a garment for my dolls to wear.

PRETTY IN PURPLE

Last year, when I went to Hawaii, I had thought about taking a few of my dolls to the islands and photographing them in natural lighting and situations: like on the beach, in the "jungle", etc., but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. People don't seem to think your a little odd when they see you setting up and then photographing toys. Still, now that I'm actually doing that in my backyard and enjoying it, I just very well might do that the next time I go to the islands and if someone should ask me why, I can always say I'm doing a doll calendar. LOL  I think the photos would make a nice calendar and if I had the money I would do one up. I have several of the doll photos on my Flickr page if you'd like to check them out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/njw1958/sets/72157632225806379/

Courtesy Wikipedia

The book I'm reading now is THE BORDER LORD AND THE LADY by Beatrice Small. It's the 4th book in her border chronicles series and takes place during the reign of King James I (ruled from 1406 to 1437). James fell in love with Joan Beaufort and ended up making her his queen. Beatrice alludes to this in her book. The novel begins several years before James takes his rightful place as monarch of Scotland.

The story is about a young woman by the name of Cicely Bowan who's father has remarried and who's wife takes in instant dislike to the little girl even before she marries him. She stipulates before the marriage that she doesn't want his "bastard" (although he's had the child legitimized) in the house and because he desires sons and the wealth that she'll bring into the marriage, he complies with this demand, sentencing his daughter and her nurse to a house on his property with him visiting the little girl from time to time. After an incident with Cicely's half brothers, the stepmom demands that her husband send the little girl away.  She is fostered to Queen Joan and ends up befriending Joan Beaufort who is also being fostered in the queens household. Eventually, after James marries Joan, she travels to Scotland with the royal couple. There she comes under the eyes of two men: Andrew Gordon and Ian Douglas. Andrew wishes to marry Cicely for the fortune she will bring to the marriage but Ian wishes to marry her because, like James, he's fallen in love with her at first sight. So far the book is pretty interesting and I'm about half way through it. I try not to give to much away when writing about the novels I'm reading but I do recommend it. Especially if you like to read about the history of Scotland. Small really brings the characters to life and I do like how she mixes fact with fiction throughout her novels.

December 1954

The artist of this months pin-up is T. N. Thompson. I always like how he adds another pin-up within the composition.

Lucy Eleanor Leary year unknown

I wish I had more of Leary's paper dolls. They are hard to find. her and Charlotte Ware are difficult to come by without paying through the nose on Ebay. I'm just glad I have the ones I was lucky enough to buy.

Christmas Pin-up paper doll  Copyright N. Dennis 2008

I've yet to finish coloring Holly. I did have her for sale on Ebay but no one seemed interested in her. My goal is to eventually do a pin-up paper doll representing all the holidays. The inspiration for her pose came from a Katy Keene comic and her clothes were also from designs used in the issues. Eventually I will give Holly another go around on Ebay and perhaps my repeat customers will want to add her to their collection. Holly consists of 10 pages of which 9 are clothes. I'm debating whether I should reduce her down so I have less pages. 

Well, that's all for this round. I'll try to blog again before the end of the year.

Until next time...

                                                ALOHA AND MELE KALIKIMAKA!

                                                            (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Not to much to post really. Just wanted to post something for Halloween and for October since I missed posting for the entire month.

Trick or Treat

Of course I had to put in a pin-up for the month. Artist is Alberto Vargas. I did censor it since this is not an adult only site.

                                                          HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Til next time...

                                                          ALOHA!!