Good Day everyone,
Well if you had not figured it out by now, I do have a thing for redheads. Shocking I know, but true. Actually I like all colors but I really like long big curly or wavy hair. Myfanwy is wearing the ideal wig. I bought it from International Wigs and it is called Baywatch; http://www.internationalwigs.com/Bay-watch-p/wm_baywatch.htm
I bought several over the years when they use to be much less expensive, but I had to splurge on a new one for Myffy. Myffy’s color is Chestnut while Ceilidh’s is Paprika. I also got a blonde one at some point.
I also found a Brazilian Lace & Ruched Mesh Chemise from Frederick’s that would fit Myffy’s small body although it could be a bit shorter 😉
Enjoy
On February 13, 2013 at 1:30am, Ash Wednesday, my dad passed away from pneumonia. He was 87. He was a vet of two wars, a chemist, Scoutmaster, in town government, the church, and the best dad.
He was the real Incred.
The following is the eulogy that I wrote for the minister to read;
Eulogy
Thank you all. It has been a tough couple of years with his brilliant mind slowly
dimming. My emotions are just under the surface, and the little things will put a tear in
the eye. I just know I wouldn’t be able to see these words let alone be able to say them.
Amazing Grace on the bagpipes will just kill me. But I really want to be positive because
he really is a great dad.
Everyone knows him by the volunteer work he has done. From the Boy Scouts, Masons, town
boards, and church committees. He also was the president of the Arthur D. Little Credit
Union for ten years, and helped the credit union go through some tough times while going
public. All this was from someone who didn’t have any financial schooling.
With all this extra volunteering you would think there wasn’t much time for family life,
well maybe not with the dishes 😉 but we did hikes, canoeing, and camping. A lot of the
way my dad is, is because of scouting. He was a Scoutmaster for several years before I
was born so it just seemed natural for me to be a scout also, but long before that, I had
my first hike when I was four. We climbed Mount Moosilauke, but I was too tired to climb
all the way down. He ended up punching out a couple holes in his backpack to put my legs
through, and carry me the rest of the way down. It wasn’t long after that we climbed
Osceola, and kept on going. We eventually climbed all 48 peaks in the NH 4000 footer
club, and also in Baxter State Park. While I was in scouts he canoed twice in the
Matagamon High Adventure area. We canoed both lakes and rivers for a week while bringing
all our gear to campout each night. Which, in later years, led to canoeing/ camping trips
on the Rio Grande, and the San Juan rivers for a week each.
A lot of the hiking trips we would stay at mountain huts to make a couple of days of it.
We did a number of Fourth of July hut/hikes to celebrate a neighbor’s birthday until
the popularity of staying at a hut grew too great. Later years we would spend a couple of
days before Christmas eve at Pinkham Notch to do some winter hiking because for some
reason the place was empty. Even in his early eighties we would climb the Mt. Washington
auto road, and his last hike he got to the head wall in Tuckerman’s ravine. As a few
members of the hiking group started getting gray on top they became known as the Gray
Scouts, and Gordon made up Native American names for the members. Except dad who
he referred to as Old Grizz.
Vacations were limited to going down home to Canada while he was working, but we still
explored the Maritime Providences. After he retired there was more time to go and see
other parts of the country. The canoe trips out west were part of them, but moms idea of
running water comes from a motel room 😉 So we, and some with mom and dad alone, went to a
lot of national parks out west and in Canada. A highlight vacation was a walking trip
along the Cornish coast. Dad and I spent a week seeing tin mines, fishing villages, and
great scenery while staying at a bed and breakfast. Later we traveled to London for more
sightseeing, and to Leeds to see the the church where his mothers parents were married.
How do you sum up a persons life in a few paragraphs? I could go on with stories, and
accomplishments. I just hope he has been able to be part of your life in some small way
because he meant the world to me.
A friend of mine sent me a poem the other day that I would like to share.
His Journeys Just Begun
Don’t think of him as gone away,
His journeys just begun,
Life holds so many facets,
This earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting,
From the sorrows and the tears,
In a place of warmth and comfort,
Where there are no days and years.
Think how he must be wishing
That we could know today
How nothing but our sadness
Could really pass away.
And think of him as living
In the hearts of those he touched…
For nothing is ever lost,
And he was loved so much.
Ellen Brenneman
After the funeral I took some pictures of Myfanwy with a couple of roses from the service, and dad’s picture from the cover of the program. While I was at it I took some more with Myffy crossing her legs. I just couldn’t help myself 😉 Here is the post to my dad at ODC; http://ourdollcommunity.com/forum/index.php?topic=4716.0
Be Well.
Good Day everyone,
For some time now I have liked this picture. I have searched hi and low to find the model but to no avail. Yes it helps that she is a redhead, but her face, and the pose is what I really like. So I thought I could recreate it with Ceilidh after all she is my favorite redhead. After taking the pictures I noticed that Ceilidh wasn’t arching her back the same as the model. I tried to modify the stand to make her arch, but it bent the neck bolt. so no retake on that pose.
Myfanwy on the other hand is lighter, but I still didn’t arch her back that much. Instead of modifying the stand I put blocks of wood under the front of the base to raise it about 3″. In both Ceilidh’s and Myffy’s pictures I used the Cornish tartan blanket which goes with the redhead theme 😉
I also added some misc pictures of Myffy that went with the shoot. Also I made many stereographs so you can get cross-eyed. The easiest way to view a stereograph is to put the image about two feet away then put your finger in between about six inches away from your nose. Focus on the finger then pull it away and focus on just the middle image. Hope this works for you.
Enjoy
Good Day everyone,
Over the Christmas break I had some time to do a few shoots. One of them is Captain Dottie. From Seaman First Class, she has worked her way through the ranks to get to the position that she is in. She was recently quoted saying “I always wanted to be in Command of a boatload of seamen…”, and “At the Academy, I tended to all the buoys…”
With her spunk she will make Rear Admiral in no time 😉
The other shoot was a bit more involved. I have been wanting to make a banner at Our Doll Community that would have all the dolls that I use for shoots including Camp’s two dolls, Dottie, and Vicki. Also trying to decide on a theme for the dolls was tough for a bit until I thought duh, Hooters, after all I did make a Hooters bar. Now the next challenge is to get them all in uniform including little Tamaki. Lets just say pantyhose is a bitch. After several days I had all eight dressed and in position for just one picture. I did take about four shots to make one picture. Taking one picture with them all in it gives you a fisheye look which distorts the faces a bit. Also taking a series of pictures to make one bends the bar top. I did take several more pictures of individual dolls and different angles.
Starting from the back left is Yoshi, Dottie, Ceilidh, Vicki. Front left is Tira Misu, Myfanwy, Tamaki,(on the bar) and Jayde.
Enjoy.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Santa Snuggles was good to me this year. Looks like there was no lump of coal, but a Ruby13, in my stocking!
Myffy was hung by the chimney with care, but she decided to take things into her own hands to get down. She tried to persuade me by flashing those perky boobies, but I was too busy taking pictures 😉 She then saw how she the stocking was mounted, and thought, ‘I’ll just pull the hook off’. In cartoon fashion she pulls the hook, then realizes what she has done before gravity takes over.
With her outfit being a bit drafty she reaches back in the stocking for her cloak, but after pulling it out she slips 8)
Then after a brief break to model her clothes it is time for her open her presents. Lets see, the first one is a ‘Little Red Riding Hood costume’! Guess she wasn’t impressed 🙁 I wonder what the next one could be? Oh it looks like ‘The Great Humungous’ I think she likes that 😉
The other dolls beware Myffy is armed and dangerous!
What’s in your stocking?
Howdy folks,
Well I seem to be having some technical difficulties with the thumbnails for this shoot. Trust me the pictures are there, you just have to click on the blank thumbnail for the picture to show. Once there just click on the right or left of the picture to move up or down. If you still can’t see them they are posted at ODC also, but out of order; http://www.ourdollcommunity.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=774
For this shoot I had some real antique props, and no Jayde isn’t that old 😉 The desk and chair are from the early 1900’s and the maps are from 1936. Even the pointer is old.
While Jayde is giving Myfanwy a Geography lesson she notices that Myffy’s uniform looks a little out of regulation, not to mention the unmentionables 😉 Jayde says to Myffy “If your going to dress like that you will end up a stripper! So turn around and let’s see what you got!” Myffy is a little taken back when she sees a brass pole in the classroom until Jayde said “Here, let me show you how it’s done” Myffy seemed to warm up to the idea pretty quickly. Ah, another teaching moment. As Myffy starts to get into a good routine she gets a shock from an intruder, SNUGGLES! Turns out he and Mitty-The-Cat just had a baby girl #2 (Karma) but he was only passing out cigars. No doll molesting this time 🙂
Enjoy
Howdy folks,
I did have a shoot all set at the beginning of the month with Myffy and Jayde, but decided to hold off until next month because one of the themes this time at DollStock is Cosplay Halloween costumes. Camp and I brought five dolls including Tamaki, who played herself 😉 Jayde also had a Tamaki costume, Dottie as Elvira, Myffy as Alice in Wonderland, and Ceilidh as Mrs, Incred…ible. Myfanwy’s costume needed a lot of tailoring even though it was a teen small. I did bring a couple of extra costumes for those who couldn’t get a cosplay costume. Like Gramps’ Paula as Yoko, Phoebe as Kanu, and Roxaen as Cavewoman. We did that shoot on Saturday because of a chance of rain, but we only had a sprinkle.
Sunday was a great day so we could do the outdoor shoots. The other theme was a Western shoot across the street in a corral. We had been planning this shoot for a couple of years, but with rain one year, and a big ice storm last year that did a lot of damage, it kept being put off. This year the place was all cleaned up, and even had deer there on the way in. We had the dolls all lined up by a fence for a picture or two. Then we did some individual doll picture around the area. This all happened in the afternoon.
In the morning Mahtek and Gramps helped me do a shoot that I have been wanting to do for some time. The closest was last year with Ceilidh soaking her feet, but it was too cold for me to go in the water.
This year Camp and I looked at a couple places near DollStock on the way there. After talking with the owner of the lodge we scoped out a place near where we looked on the way in. The good and bad was the location, right next to the road 😉 I didn’t have to carry Myffy far, but vehicles coming up the road had a nice view ^-^ The location was perfect with clear moving water that was shallow. I was also looking for a pool with little current to keep the doll still. As I found out the doll is a bit buoyant, so with the shallow water and a well placed rock that she could lean on, this kept her fairly still.
So with Mahtek keeping watch, with a towel to block the view, I could wade around in the freezing water to get the shots. After the shoot I went up the embankment with Myffy in the towel, and handed her to Mahtek over the guardrail who ran across the street to put her in the van, phew! A minute later the fish cops (Fish & Game Warden) rolled by, phew again 8) Just glad it all worked out.
When we got back Camp had Dottie ready for the Western shoot, but doing some shooting of his own 😉 so I took a few pictures of that shoot. In the evening I also took a few pictures of Paula in a blonde wig, and Snuggles snuck in for a picture, or two.
We all had a great time with more food than we knew what to do with. We were so tired and stuffed that we skipped the doll pile shoot, and decided to dress the dolls for the ride home the next day.
With the van full Camp and I headed home on Monday, with a stop at Steamtown in Scranton at lunchtime. After a couple hours looking around we pushed on home, but had to stop at Hooters for supper in Connecticut. With about 850 miles for the weekend, and meeting all the fine doll folks, it was a pretty successful weekend.
Enjoy.
Howdy Folks,
October 7, 2005 a big crate showed up a work for me from Slade’s World. He was the Real Doll Doctor at the time, and after looking at his dolls for a couple of years I saw this doll named Tessy. Well now I have this big ass crate at the shop so I do what everyone does right? I open the crate, put her in the truck, throw the crate in the bed, and head on home 😉
Seven years later she is looking for her present. Well I got her a red frilly blouse with a waist cincher when I was in California last Summer. Also some stretch pants and new shoes to complete the ensemble. I think she was more happy with the attention 🙂
Enjoy
Howdy folks,
Last month’s post I talked about the Presley doll I got while at DolLApolooza. I also added her uncrating pictures to that blog. Well I have had enough time now for some photoshoots to introduce her properly. She is a Presley model with head #9 that I’ve named Myfanwy which means “my lovely little one” in Welsh. Naturally I wanted a Celtic name to go with a red head, and Welsh is like Cornish. At least they are neighbours. (I’m Cornish by the way).
When I was searching out Celtic names I was looking for a name that ended in a ‘ee’ sound like Ceilidh, Yoshi, Tamaki, (Tamanee). Never mind all of Camp’s dolls It wasn’t necessary but the meaning of the name just fit.
This is what I found on the original Myfanwy;
The myth of Myfanwy
Castell Dinas Brân
Last updated: 19 May 2009
The ruin of Castell Dinas Brân (Crow City Castle), which stands above the town of Llangollen, is the site of a tragic love story involving Myfanwy, a name that is not as unusual as you might think – sparking plenty of comments.
Myfanwy, daughter of the Norman Earl of Arundel, was said to be the most beautiful woman in Powys, but she was vain and liked nothing better than to be told how beautiful she was, writes Nick Bourne from the Web Team.
Many men went to Dinas Brân to court her, but she had nothing to do with them, even if they were rich and handsome because they were unable to compose and sing poems that supposedly reflected the depth of her beauty.
Only one man, Hywel ap Einion, a penniless young bard who lived in the valley below the castle, was said to have the talent to satisfy Myfanwy.
Luckily, Hywel was in love with Myfanwy, and one day he plucked up the courage to climb up the hill to the castle with his harp, to sing and play to her.
He was allowed in to play for her, and while playing and complimenting her on her beauty she was said to have been unable to either listen or look at any other man.
Because of this Hywel believed that she had fallen in love with him. But his hopes were dashed when a richer, more handsome and more eloquent lover arrived on the scene.
Hywel, discarded and quickly forgotten by Myfanwy, composed a poem to his lost love:
Far from Myfanwy’s marble towers
I pass my solitary hours
O thou shinest like the sky,
Behold thy faithful Hywel die!
On the more technical side she is the first fully pose-able Presley with a neck bolt. She can stand with minimal support, or with the neck bolt she can stand with a Stance Modifier for support. This way she is not touching anything, and the modifier can be Photoshopped out. Also with a neck bolt it is easier to store and dress her. The neck bolt is now an option on all the Ruby dolls.
When I ordered Miffy I knew she would need custom clothes for her size so I ordered some outfits from Trashy Lingerie. Last month was the good ‘Lolita’ lingerie, and this month is the bad ‘Masochist’ clothes. Also on Labor Day weekend I took some more pictures of Miffy at Daan’s camp on one of his tractors. Her bandana top was bought at the Lancaster fair for $10. a lot cheaper than Trashy Lingerie 🙂
Enjoy.
Howdy folks,
DolLApolooza is a continuation of my trip to California. After Comic-Con, for several days, I went to the national parks. Thursday I drove to Ruby13 to see my doll being made. Actually on Sunday after Comic-Con I saw the skeleton, and Thursday she was just out of the mold. I was able to put on the nipple color and seal it. Don and I had to do some shopping to get some silicone caulking before I put on the eyelashes, and some pipe fittings to make a stance modifier. That was all I had time for because I had to return the rental car, and meet up with the guys.
Friday was our shopping day in the garment district. Great place to find bargains, and I did a lot of shopping for my new doll. Lunch was at the In-N-Out Burger near Hollywood Boulevard. So after lunch we took in the sites along the Boulevard including Fredericks. Afterwords we headed to the Oinkster for supper. The place has great food, and was a bit crowded.
Saturday morning we went to Trashy Lingerie, and back to Hollywood Boulevard for more shopping. In the afternoon was the tour of Sinthetics. Matt showed us some new stuff that he is working on like the new Male doll, which was just in rough clay. Also was a cool fold up display case to store and show off the doll. They had many dolls in production, but with no heads on I didn’t bother to take pictures of them. They did have a display area set up so I took pictures of those dolls and played around with the wigs and Snuggles wanted to play too. Litlluvr was all excited to see his new doll waiting for him in a blue kimono. We all took pictures of Michiko and LL’s little dog Snarff. Of course Snuggles found her too along with Polaroid’s April dressed in Hello Kitty clothes. After we talked, had lots of food, and great swag bags. We all had a great time, but had to leave around dinner time so Matt could get back to work. With not much to do in the evening we went across the street from the hotels where a shopping area is so we hung out and stopped by the Cheese Cake Factory for desert.
Sunday was my big day for new dolls. We all went to tour Ruby13 in the morning, but I wanted to see how Don had done on the finishing touches on Presley. She was waiting patiently in a chair probably for some clothes 😉 This is one cute little doll, and very soft. She is also the first pose-able Presley with a neck bolt so she can stand with a stance modifier, or by holding onto something. With the neck bolt she can also be stored on a stand, or wall bracket. While there I dressed her in a few outfits that I bought on Friday, and a couple that I mailed Don. It didn’t take long to find out that sometimes small isn’t small enough for her. We all had a fun time talking with Don and having pizza and sodas.
We asked Don if he wanted to go to Abyss with us, but he didn’t have the time. It was just as well because It was a disappointment. After arriving at 1:30 we found the door locked with one car outside. I thought it was Ron’s car, but it turned out he was home sick, and Matt was at the airport. The car belonged to Joey, and he called Renate who let us in for a look around. They were in the middle of expanding the Boy Toy section so the lobby was a bit messy. We got to see the new section, and the makeup area was different from last year. They did have a big section on the prosthetic breasts. Downstairs where the bodies are made they had a few fresh out of the molds, and some display ones on the chicken line. Joey did well for being put on the spot, and the new guys got to see the place. We looked around for a half hour or more then headed back.
Sunday was our last day, and we all left for home Monday morning. I had a great time and can’t wait to do it again. Now I just need to come up with the money to pay for it all.
Enjoy
